Owners of vacant prpoerties could face fines Taylor adopts downtown master plan, considers historic district
EDIE ZUVANICH
Special to the Press
A proposal before the City Council could mean penalties for owners of vacant downtown properties that are falling apart or pose a fire hazard.
Other topics on the council’s to-do list at last Thursday’s session included adopting a new downtown master plan and approving a contract for an affordable- housing study.
Regarding the matter of vacant commercial properties in the city core, the council in August asked Fire Chief Daniel Baum to devise a plan to lessen fire and other risks at unoccupied sites. The request was prompted in part by a blaze that destroyed the historic Dickey-Givens Community Center, which was vacant.
“The goal is to get these buildings back to productive use,” Baum said during the Oct. 23 session.
The council plans to vote Nov. 13 on the ordinance, which is designed to keep properties from turning into eyesores, mitigate fire hazards and curb criminal activity.
The proposal includes fees for compliance measures, and fines for not doing upkeep. Baum said the charges will be waived the first year while the Fire Department works out the program’s kinks.
“We don’t want to shock the system for people who aren’t used to this. We want to ease people into it, get used to the program,” Baum said. “And hopefully through the first cycle we encourage people to get their buildings to productive use.”
The ordinance calls for a registration program, a standard of care, regular inspections and a plan for the productive use of the building.
Owners would be required to register the building, contribute a modest fee for inspections, keep the buildings maintained and secure, and provide an action plan for the use of the property.
Vacancy is defined as having ceased lawful activity within the building for 150 days or having 75% or more of the units in a building unused for more than 150 days.
The law would not apply to single-family houses used solely for residential purposes.
In a related matter, the council also approved a contract for the renovation and expansion of Fire Station No. 2.
Downtown master plan
The city has adopted a Downtown Master Plan in development for more than a year with oversight from consultants Lionheart Places.
Lionheart, contracted by the city in March 2024, collected input from downtown business operators and others to create a plan calling for more green spaces, an arts and cultural trail, trees and benches along streets and better use of the alleyways.
“The goals have been updated and refined to be reflective of today and some of the challenges and opportunities that exist,” said Abigail Gillgillan of Lionheart Places.
The Downtown Master Plan was last revised in 2015.
Lionheart increased the footprint where improvements should be made.
In a related matter, the city also is considering the creation of a single historic overlay to encompass downtown’s various historic districts under one boundary.
The historic overlay was originally part of the city’s 2023 land-development code update but was not completed. If approved, it allows the Historic Preservation Commission to maintain the integrity of downtown’s historic zone and gives the city more leeway in applying other ordinances, such as a proposed vagrancy law and maintenance of vacant properties.
Notices will be sent out Nov. 11 to allow property owners within the footprint to opt out of the historicpreservation district.
The council plans to vote on the item Dec. 11.
Housing study approved
During Thursday’s session, the council approved a $55,000 contract with Freese and Nichols for an affordable housing study.
The goal is to define affordable housing in Taylor and determine where it is needed, officials said.
“We’ve got executive-level people saying they need executive housing, we’ve got first-year teachers, firstyear first-responders that need housing. There’s a gamut of what affordable is,” said Mayor Dwayne Ariola.
Assistant City Manager Carly Pearson said the city faces market pressure to build various types of housing. Many residential developers are asking Taylor to grant tax-break incentives.
The study will involve community engagement as well as input from organizations such as the Greater Taylor Foundation and Taylor Housing Authority.
“When people hear affordable housing, they immediately think Section 8 housing. That is not what it is. It’s affordable housing for the different levels of employment,” Ariola said.
In other business, according to a city spokesman, the council Oct. 23 approved a contract for the renovation of Bull Branch Park pavilion and upgrades to Bull Branch and Murphy Park tennis restrooms. In addition, the city is funding the installation of turf on two championship fields at Taylor Regional Park.
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“The goal is to get these buildings back to productive use.”
— Fire Chief Daniel Baum
