The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

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August 18, 2010

City has to protect community

The Daily Citizen

If Dalton officials want to get serious about improving the overall look and feel of the city, they have to continue to take actions like the City Council did Monday night.

Council members voted to tear down three vacant and dilapidated houses that had become eyesores and safety hazards to their neighbors.

The houses that are to be torn down are at 906 Avenue C, 305 Hightower St. and 611 Jones St.

But the city shouldn’t stop with just these three houses.

While the process of condemnation takes several months and a ruling by a judge to complete, it is in the best interest of the entire community for the city to make this type of action a priority.

We hope this decision sends a clear message to other people who have allowed their property to fall into disrepair that city officials are actively looking at you and are willing to take the steps necessary to clean up Dalton.

And, best of all, the cost of the demolition doesn’t come from the taxpayers, it comes from the owners of the property who get billed for the work.

Dalton Public Works Director Benny Dunn said demolition and cleanup in the past has cost between $4,000 and $6,000 per house.

Whitfield County employees will likely perform the work under a service delivery agreement between the city and county, Dunn said, and the property owners will have a lien placed on the property so the land could be sold at public auction and the costs recouped if necessary.

All of this could have been avoided, however, if the property owners had kept up their end of the bargain and maintained their property in decent shape.

We recognize that there are numerous mitigating circumstances that can cause owners to fall behind in their responsibilities, which is why it takes so long for the entire condemnation process to play out. At any point, the owner of the property can step in and negotiate a plan that more than likely the local officials will agree to if it improves the property. No one wants to violate a property owner’s rights and city officials should only take the final step if it is warranted.

But individual property rights can’t trump the overall well-being of the community if the condition of the property degrades the safety and look of the neighborhood around it.

Condemnation is a powerful tool that Dalton and any other government has to wield judiciously. But at the same time, officials can’t be afraid to act if and when the need arises.

 

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