City Council considers blight ordinance

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Montpelier City Council in Vermont is considering a new ordinance that could force the demolition of blighted properties.

The Barre-Montpelier Times Argus (https://bit.ly/2rd499U ) reports the council is pursuing the ordinance after 10 years of failed attempts to get the owners of the Brown Derby restaurant to improve its condition.

Residents say the former restaurant is littered with trash and graffiti, lowering property values in the area. If the ordinance passes, the building owners would have to fix the property or face either fines or an order to demolish the property.

The ordinance would apply to more than a dozen other properties in the city. The Montpelier Fire Department chief says the properties would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The council meets on Wednesday to review the ordinance.

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Information from: The Times Argus, https://www.timesargus.com/