A house on Catoonah Street, next to the post office, is often raised as an example of “blight.” —Macklin Reid photo
An anti-blight ordinance was approved 39-to-24 on a paper ballot vote at a lively town meeting Wednesday night.
The new law is designed to give the town a means to take action against property owners who blatantly neglect to keep up their properties. The selectmen had worked on the law for months, trying for wording that would focus enforcement only on cases of serious neglect and disrepair, that pose a health hazard or diminish the worth neighboring properties.
Though they lost the vote, opponents of the law dominated a lengthy discussion Wednesday night.
Their concerns were wide-ranging. Some spoke against the size of the potential fines — $100 a day or $250 a day for “willful violations” where citations have been ignored.
Others worried it could be used to harass people for minor lapses in upkeep. Some opposed the principle of a law that gave neighbors and the town the power to dictate how someone should maintain their own property.
“This law is about forced compliance,” said Marc Greco of Old Sib Road.
He said the prospect of the town government fining people for how they take care — or don’t take care — of their own property amounted to a “violation of Ridgefielders’ Fourth Amendment right to be secure in their homes.”
But advocates of the law had been most vocal and numerous at the public hearing in January, and Wednesday night there were a few voices raised in defense of the selectmen’s proposal.
“I’m asking you to have faith in our government officials,” said Gabby Kessler, who said she was a Realtor but wasn’t speaking as one.
“If you care about your friends and neighbors — forget about real estate — you ought to want to keep this town beautiful.”