March 29, 2024

City continuing work to improve downtown aesthetics

Curb appeal issues and concerns within the downtown area were discussed at a recent city council meeting. Planning and Zoning Director Erin Chambers presented several areas where additional code enforcement may improve the overall look to the downtown area.

“There are a handful of issues that continue to arise that are not easily addressed through the existing codes,” Chambers said. “Every year we just keep revisiting this and adding tools that will keep improvement happening.”

The nuisance codes were significantly amended in 2012 and reviewed again in 2014 and 2015 with some additional amendments. The amendments, along with adding a code enforcement inspector to the city line up, have made a lot of progress addressing issues and raising the bar for expectations within the community on basic property maintenance, Chambers said.

City staff would like to continue the progress and start addressing additional issues that generally occur within the downtown area and commercial areas.

Chambers first addressed current sign ordinances. The sign ordinance does require the removal of abandoned signs which are defined as signs advertising something that no long exists.

“For example, a sign for a closed business after six months of its closure needs to come down,” Chambers said.

Currently, there is not a regulatory tool that allows the city to address faded, damaged or ugly or out of date signs, Chambers said.

Another issue brought to Chambers’ attention regularly is peeling paint on buildings. The topic was brought before the council in 2014 to cover all buildings citywide but the council city decided not to pursue any code revisions at the time.

Chambers presented a new code that could require a property owner to address peeling paint on a building facade if it is occurring on more than 50 percent of a building facade. The council was interested in pursuing the new language for downtown buildings.

Dilapidated awnings was a second area the council was interested in addressing. Chambers said the city does not have anything very direct to deal with awnings right now, but the issue can be addressed using the downtown micro-grant available through the city.

“Awnings in the downtown area not only provide protection and coverage from the elements, but add character and interest to the downtown,” Chambers said. “When ripped, damaged, or otherwise dilapidated, the awning can do just the opposite of what they were intended for.”

An area the city has addressed regularly is growths on buildings, such as ivy or vining plants. The plants are not a nuisance itself, but it does need to be maintained.

“For example, it can’t be covering the windows and doors, which has been upheld in court,” Chambers said.

The final area of concern addressed are weeds growing in cracks that are not easily addressed through existing codes. The nuisance code in place provides tools to address grass or weeds more than eight inches in height.

The council decided against pursuing any regulations to address low growing weeds the cracks.

Changes requested by the council to current codes will be addressed at a future council meeting.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com