Time to do take action on abandoned buildings

Over the years, I’ve written several stories in the Cape Gazette about the proliferation of abandoned buildings doting the Sussex County landscape. It’s almost impossible to ride down any road and not find at least one dilapidated house or trailer or chicken house. Every once in awhile, one gets torn down, but it’s a rare event.

County officials have tried to address the problem, but they say complicated issues get in the way. Ownership is usually at the top of the list of problems. If the county is going to spend taxpayer dollars to take down an old building, someone has to reimburse county coffers.

My solution is to identify abandoned buildings by councilmanic district. After that, publish a list giving property owners 60 days to start the clean-up process on their own. If there are legal issues with the property, the owners need to provide proof of that to the county. After 90 days, the county can publish a list of abandoned buildings to be burned down by local fire departments or torn down if burning it not feasible. It doesn’t have to be a budget buster because the county can place a limit on the number of structures it wants to deal with each year.

The problem will not go away. It will only get worse if action is not taken. Sussex County’s natural beauty is spoiled by these structures that are falling apart around us at a very slow pace.