Rosenthal Explores The Possibility Of An ‘Eyesore Ordinance’

By Steve Bigham

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal has long been an advocate for getting rid of Newtown’s more notorious eyesores, most notably the old and unsightly Texaco gas station on Church Hill Road. He even pledged to rid the town of these blights during his first campaign four years ago.

He soon discovered how difficult it is to force property owners to clean up their land, and today the gas station still stands vacant more than 10 years after closing up shop. Other unsightly parcels also remain unchanged for years.

“We’ve tried everything else and have not been successful,” Mr Rosenthal said. “I even offered to tear it down at no cost. The owner [Ernest Wiehl] wouldn’t even let me do that.”

Last month, however, the first selectman learned of an existing ordinance in the Town of Stafford, Connecticut. The “Blight” Ordinance in Stafford appears to be the first of its kind in the state to actually have some teeth behind it, according to Mr Rosenthal. The local law empowers town officials to take certain measures to ensure that properties are cleaned up. The Board of Selectmen last week indicated support for the creation of a similar law in Newtown. The proposal is expected to be passed on to Will Rodgers and the ordinance committee of the Legislative Council sometime this summer.

“I’ve been looking for it for four years, but nobody really had it. Stafford’s ordinance really empowers the town to take action,” Mr Rosenthal said. “We get complaints all the time.”

Another key element of the Stafford ordinance, which was enacted in March, is a section that deals with deteriorating or dilapidated buildings, an issue not covered under most town ordinances.

“Some towns have had them. Stafford’s is the most comprehensive one. It covers just about everything. Others sound more like what our zoning regulations get into. This gets into the buildings themselves.”

Under the Stafford ordinance, a property owner who is found to be in violation will first receive a written notice stating the nature of the violation. It requires the owner to take appropriate action to alleviate the problem within 10 days, or submit a plan of action. If the letter is ignored, the town is then authorized to remove the blight and then send the bill to the owner. The town is empowered to place a lien on the property if the bill is not paid within 30 days. The ordinance also provides a fine schedule for violators.

Up until now, Newtown has had to rely on zoning regulations in order to push people to clean up their land. However, according to the first selectman, there was very little weight behind the regulations.

Town Attorney David Grogins is currently reviewing the Stafford ordinance to ensure that a similar ordinance will work in Newtown.

“It’s one thing to have an ordinance. It’s another thing to enforce it,” Mr Rosenthal said. “Right now, under our zoning, these types of things always seem to get caught up in court. The Stafford ordinance gives more broad powers to take care of this quicker.”

The first selectman said there are a handful of properties around town that are littered with old car parts and other junk that need to be addressed.