Has a blight officer made a judgement that this is a blighted property?

Almost everyone has struggled financially at some point or another due to the economy, age, health or disabilities. Or maybe they are struggling to pay the OBSCENE TAXES, WPCA and keeping the lights on without going into a foreclosure by the WPCA. A brutal misuse of power by the Municipal Govt.

Well Gerry, So if this bothers you and others why not show a little mercy and humanity and reach out to the owner to see what their issues may be before you throw them under the Municipal Bus...?

You appear to be a concerned member of the community? Try being a good neighbor and see if the situation is worthy of a community rally of support. Like shoveling the snow from an elderly neighbor's steps and sidewalk because perhaps, they don't have family or finances to pay someone?

HAVE A HEART?! Your's truly, Black Hearted Robert

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Duplicate
https://seeclickfix.com/issues/4447549-blight-property-maintenance-issue

Acknowledged

Thank you for reporting the issue the City of Bridgeport. The information was forwarded to Blight Department for the matter to be assessed.

"Until the building is actually condemned, demolished..." I find that infuriating. Why doesn't the BRNRZ get on the City's back to clean up their act? Or does the BRNRZ think that the Black Rock is only the area of St.Mary's?!

This complaint is capricious... and mean. Try looking around Blackrock a little closer and you'll see lots of properties in need of paint and maintenance. Plastic on the inside of someone's windows is an indication that their windows are possibly very leaky and they are having a hard time staying warm or affording the high cost of heating a home.

According to the duplicate complaint a letter has already been sent by a Blight official. Appalling.

https://seeclickfix.com/issues/4447549-blight-property-maintenance-issue

Why don't you folks who complain about the BRNRZ join the BRNRZ. Complaining from the hustings does absolutely nothing but cause till-feeling. Join up. Make a difference. And, as to blight: Yes, there are plenty of homes in need of attention. And yes, folks are suffering from tax burdens and other problems that limit their capacity to repair their property. I don't support condemnation, nor do I wish to cause further hardship for anyone who is trying their best to maintain their property in the face of financial limitations, whatever the cause. What I did do in responding to the original complaint is to say that we are aware of the decay of this home. We also are aware that this is not an intentional neglect. We would like the City to have a mechanism to help folks who are unable to maintain upkeep on their homes, folks who continue to pay their taxes, folks who remain actively living in their homes, not becoming absentee owners who rent - and neglect to maintain their property. This is not the case with this property. I would like it if the community had the wherewithal to pitch in, to paint, to scrape, to repair. But we don't. So, the situation continues until the home is restored or faces irreparable decay. What else is there to offer, those of you who criticize but don't have a constructive answer as to how to help with this sort of situation? I'm open to your constructive suggestions. But please, no accusations. Not only is that the wrong use of this medium, it is also mean-spirited.

Is the following what you had in mind when you wrote "We would like the City to have a mechanism to help folks who are unable to maintain upkeep on their homes"...

From BRNRZ Facebook page: "H.B. 5283 which would provide legal defense and indemnify to residents who volunteer to serve on neighborhood revitalization zone committees. This is an important bill to encourage service on NRZ boards and to allow NRZ's to continue the important work they do to encourage positive development in Bridgeport and revitalization of our neighborhoods."

Yes, an answer to C. Yes.
What may be new information for you is that we, as NRZs have no funding to help remediate decaying properties. We've no authority to bring the force of government to address conditions such as "blight." We can only do what citizens can do, namely, contact the authorities and hope for a fair and equitable resolution.
But the City is so strapped financially. There's no money to help homeowners who are up to date with taxes yet unable to deal with the decay of their properties. It's very hard to witness this kind of neglect and not feel compassion when one "looks under the hood" and learns of the reasons behind the neglect.
So, what CAN we do? Well, we have plenty of contractors who live here in Black rock. We have plenty of folks with the skills and know-how, equipment and capacity to help those who need help.

But we also have to ask ourselves, is it right to ask carpenters, painters, plasters to work for nothing more than a thank you? Who will do that? And what property owner has priority when so many others are in similar straits? I'd like to be able to give meaningful answers but I don't have them.

I DO have the IDEA that we might try to form a pool of craftspeople and skillsets to work as a team to help folks. Those of us who have extra funds might consider donating to a pool, a reserve fund, to pay for materials and, perhaps, a modicum of payment to the craftsmen and women who take time from their own workload to help. Neighbors helping neighbors is surely an age-old concept. But money and time are also needed. Who among us would like to join such a committee?

Who would commit to handle the organization, outreach, funding requests, supplier and contractor communications, donation accounting? This is more than a nice idea. It's a major enterprise. It requires more than good intentions. Remember, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." But the path to successful implementation and continuity is founded and maintained by constant and dedicated action.

Should this property's current condition and struggling owner be publicly shamed and cited for blight simply because it exists in one of the more affluent and highest taxed areas of Bridgeport? If it were to be cited and this is where the threshold is set, then about 50 - 75% of properties in less affluent areas of Bridgeport would "qualify" to be cited for blight.
That is why I stated that this complaint is capricious, unkind and basically mean.

Why was my response blocked? I offered suggestions that the community may consider.
The City has no funds available.
The community has options.
How about suggestions?
Contractor volunteers?
Supplier donations of materials?
Fund-raising?
BRNRZ has 501C capacity but needs community support and volunteerism to make any kind of general appeal. We've considered this in past but met no community response.
If blight is to be addressed within the community, we have to do it ourselves if the City has no means to respond with more than fines and, possibly, condemnation. This is, as Blackhearted Robert, has written, an unacceptably harsh policy if carried out in the extreme.

According to the duplicate complaint a blight hearing is set for July. Appalling.

https://seeclickfix.com/issues/4447549-blight-property-maintenance-issue

Closed

Based on communication with Blight Department officials, owner met with the city 7/9/18 and produced a plan of action to address the issue of the blighted property. The Blight Department will be working closely with the owner until the existing blight issue is fully addressed. Issue is now closed

This is, hopefully, a good outcome between the property owner and the City. I've no idea of the "plan of action," but I hope it is helpful to the property owner, a chance to remediate the most pressing of the structural and/or building decay issues.

This issue was recategorized from Other to Blight (Property Maintenance Issue).

Thank you for reporting your issue to the City of Bridgeport. We will address it as soon as we can. Thank you!

Thank you for reporting your issue to the City of Bridgeport. The has been remediated. This issue is now closed.