Norwalk Center Task Force mulls tougher blight ordinance
“he chairwoman of the Norwalk Center Task Force on Monday evening held up the town of Fairfield’s blight ordinance as worthy consideration in Norwalk.
The ordinance provides for the town to correct blight situations, bill the property owner and place a lien on the property if the repair bill isn’t paid.
If in place in Norwalk, such an ordinance might have prevented the building at 45 Wall St. from remaining unrepaired four years after it was gutted by fire, according to task force Chairwoman Jackie Lightfield.
“Shoring up the building to prevent it from further deterioration. Then the question becomes, is the property owner going to respond to paying for the city to come in to shore it up?” said Lightfield, also former chairwoman of the Norwalk Zoning Commission. “And if they’re not, then we can proceed down that (eminent domain) path.”
Her comments came in response to an assessment by fellow task force member Michael D. McGuire.
“The only thing that will save that building (at 45 Wall St.) right now is a historic preservation tax credit deal,” said McGuire, who owns and renovated the building at nearby 64 Wall St.”
Koch, Robert. The Hour 10 November 2014.