PODCAST: City has a lot fewer empty buildings; crackdown a smashing success
Sandusky Fire Chief Mario D'Amico credits city officials, predecessors and residents for demanding better neighborhoods
SANDUSKY — The Sandusky City Commission on Monday voted on a second reading to give the city’s vacant building ordinance a little more kick, but the real story is how far the city has already come.
Sandusky Fire Chief Mario D’Amico talked with StayTunedSandusky Monday, just prior to a city commission vote on the legislation, which was approved by a 7-0 commission vote.
The change marks a significant shift in how the city handles long-standing commercial vacancies and structural neglect. By moving forward with this measure, the Commission is signaling that “business as usual” for absentee or non-compliant property owners is over.
For residents, this isn’t just about one building; it’s about a legislative push to ensure that high-profile structures don’t become permanent eyesores or safety hazards. This vote effectively puts teeth into local code enforcement, providing the city with the legal leverage needed to compel action and protect neighborhood property values.
When the vacant and abandoned building program began in 2012, the city identified 160 commercial structures as blighted. Today, that list has dwindled to about 13.
“That’s a pretty impres sive number to drop to,” D’Amico said, crediting the success to a mix of aggressive enforcement and public demand. “The public in general is sick of having them around and being a danger... they were pushing city government to do something about it.”
The new ordinance changes require owners to prove financial ability before a rehabilitation plan is approved. The Chief said some owners were spending a few thousand dollars on an architect’s drawing just to “buy time” while their buildings sat as a hazard.
“Either the people who own them can make those repairs and turn them into viable buildings, or they need to sell them to somebody who can,” D’Amico said. “We want to be able to set those time frames... if not, then we can take them to court for not complying.”
The program, managed by Fire Marshal Tom Salmons has been so successful that other Ohio cities have used Sandusky’s ordinance as a blueprint.
