City of Green Bay
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Green Bay’s city council will be taking up a proposed ordinance Tuesday aimed at filling empty commercial buildings.
However, some say there’s already rules in place to address common problems with vacant properties.
Alderperson Joey Prestley says a former paintball and laser tag building at the corner of Irwin and Reber Streets, which is the source of neighborhood complaints, is an example of why something needs to be done.
“We have buildings that can be contributing that aren’t right now,” said Prestley. “How do we rejuvenate our community when we don’t always have the tools to do so?”
In early June, Prestley asked city staff to create a vacant property registry to deter owners from letting buildings sit empty for long periods.
The proposal staff came up with would require property owners to register with the city within 60 days of their building becoming vacant.
Initial registration would be free, but renewing by January 31st each year would grow increasingly more costly. The first year there would be a $500 fee. It would grow to $4,000 for year four and each year after.
“It’s a little nudge that, ‘hey if you continue to do this, you’re going to have to continue to pay’,” said Prestley.
“We feel that this ordinance essentially makes it illegal to own vacant property,” said Jennifer Sunstrom, Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs for the Relators Association of Northeast Wisconsin, at a recent city committee meeting.
Sunstrom says things like building codes, fire inspection requirements and nuisance ordinances already root out problem properties.
Alderperson Bill Morgan agrees.
“We don’t want land that is going to draw in rodents or something, but I think these people should be able to take care of it themselves as long as they pass our current ordinances,” said Morgan.
Green Bay Economic Development Director Cheryl Renier-Wigg has said if this ordinance passes, enforcement would likely be complaint based because the city doesn’t have the staff to go out and identify empty buildings.
The proposal carries exemptions including for buildings that have been marketed for sale or lease for up to 12 months, are actively under construction or rehab, require casualty repairs, the owner is on active military deployment or are part of legal proceedings.
Property owners that fall under one of these exemptions would still be required to register but would not need to pay the fee.
Violations of the ordinance could result in daily fines between $250 and $5,000, according to the proposed ordinance.
City officials say at least five other municipalities in the state have similar ordinances. Those communities include ones that are both bigger and smaller than Green Bay.
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