NEWS RELEASE

Mayor Jennifer P. Dougherty

CONTACT: Jeanette Eleff, Public Information Officer, 301-360-3842

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 28, 2002

MAYOR DOUGHERTY AND ALDERMEN ATTACK BLIGHTED PROPERTIES IN THE CITY OF FREDERICK

Mayor Jennifer Dougherty and the Board of Aldermen of The City of Frederick are taking action to improve the City’s neighborhoods by attacking the problem of blighted properties.

On March 21, the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance to authorize the City to acquire blighted properties by Eminent Domain. Additionally the Aldermen approved an ordinance to permit the use of Eminent Domain to acquire a specific blighted property located at 20 West Fourth Street in Frederick.

The Ordinance amended the City Code and added a Chapter 27 entitled Eminent Domain. It specifies the City cannot take property without just compensation and the property must be needed for a public use or a public benefit. The City must also adopt an ordinance for each acquisition of property made under the provision of Eminent Domain.

“People have a right to be proud of their neighborhoods,” stated Mayor Jennifer Dougherty. “For several years, City Code Enforcement Inspectors and the City’s Legal staff have worked to improve our neighborhoods by enforcing the property codes. After years of hard work, numerous inspections and citations, City maintenance on a privately-owned blighted property we decided enough is enough.”

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Michael Blank, Senior Code Management Inspector, has advocated for a tougher approach towards blighted properties for years. “I am excited that the Board of Aldermen has adopted this ordinance. This action may be unpopular for some property owners but the majority of our citizens are thrilled the City is working towards making all neighborhoods safe, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing.”

“The City of Frederick is a trendsetter in this area of Eminent Domain,” comments Heather Price Smith, Chief Legal Services Officer. “There are no other cities in Maryland other than Baltimore that have elected to proceed with this type of ordinance. We have spoken with the Maryland Municipal League and other regional attorneys who all concur the City has the authority to proceed with this type of legislation. The Expressed Powers Act of the Annotated Code of Maryland sets forth the City’s ability to take such action.”

“I am very pleased the City can now take action towards improving the property on West Fourth Street. It is our hope to complete the legal process, use Community Development and General Fund monies to rehabilitate the property and return it to the private sector for sale within two years. Once the property has been sold, the proceeds will be returned to the appropriate accounts. Community Development Block Grant funds can be used in a revolving loan strategy to restore blighted properties to the proper use,” said Mayor Dougherty.

“I have challenged citizens and City staff to help make The City of Frederick a model community for the nation,” remarked Dougherty. “I applaud the hard work put forth by the City staff to accomplish this effort. Our legal office, led by Heather Price Smith and aided by Rachel Nessen who did all of the legal preparation work prepared a complete picture of the legal justification and necessity of passing these ordinances. Mike Blank has worked diligently on this issue for years. I am very pleased with their work and congratulate them on helping make The City of Frederick a better place to live.”

Jean Munshour, City resident, is delighted to see the City take this attack on blighted properties. “What an embarrassment to my family to see the house that my mother lived in for sixty years and I lived in for twenty-six years be classified as “slum property”, she wrote in an e-mail to the City. “How can someone let a property deteriorate like that. It makes my mother and me sick every time we go by it. I would like the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen to know how please we are that they adopted that ordinance. We are looking forward to seeing that house the way it was when we lived there.”

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