Bluffton NOW! leader proposes way to identify downtown buildings in need of work
By DAVE SCHULTZ
Bluffton NOW! (New, Old, and Wonderful), the downtown revitalization organization, is asking to be more proactive when it comes to taking care of downtown buildings.
Bluffton NOW! administers the Community Re-Investment Program, and its slate of 10 downtown buildings was approved by the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety for partial assistance in repair or improvements Tuesday afternoon.
While he was presenting that list to the Board of Works, Mike Lautzenheiser, Bluffton NOW’s president, also brought up the idea of being more preemptive.
What Lautzenheiser suggested was the hiring of a structural engineer to look at buildings in the downtown area with an eye toward determining which ones may be in need of attention.
“We believe there are significant issues downtown that need to be addressed,” Lautzenheiser told the board. A survey of the buildings by a structural engineer would tell if any apparent problems have substance or if they are facade problems, he said.
The structures are all within an area bordered by Marion Street on the west, Wabash Street on the north, Scott Street on the east, and Washington Street on the south. As many as 56 buildings could be involved, according to a request for proposals sent out by Bluffton NOW. Responses are due May 13.
No interior inspections will be part of the program, Lautzenheiser said.
Mayor John Whicker said it made sense for the city to support such a plan because of the money already invested through the CRP. It would give the city a chance to protect that investment, he said.
The other two members of the Board of Works, Scott Mentzer and Roger Thornton, had questions.
“There’s merit in the motive,” Mentzer said, “but if we start the project, how is it maintained?
“This is the start of something,” he said. “Is it a one-time deal? How is this sustained long-term?”
Building Commissioner Ted Smith, who was present for the discussion, said the city could pass property maintenance codes to be sure any problems were addressed before they became major structural problems.
Thornton wondered about the responsibility of the property owners. The city is getting very proactive regarding downtown business structures but are not offering the same incentives to residential property owners.
“Where do the property’s owners responsibilities begin and the city’s begin?” Thornton asked. “ I struggle with this.”
daves@news-banner.com
