The town of Braintree will go after owners of vacant and dilapidated commercial and industrial properties under a new “anti-blight” ordinance.
The new rules impose a fine of $300 a day for each violation, but Mayor Charles Kokoros said, “The goal isn’t to fine anyone; the goal is to create a more beautiful Braintree.
“We want to work with the owners of these properties to reimagine them and have them redeveloped into thriving businesses,” he said.
Kokoros said his office proposed the rules to address several sites that had become eyesores, especially since the pandemic. He said the list includes the vacant Motel Six property near Route 3 — which the Braintree Board of Health closed as a public health threat in 2017 after a shooting there left one man dead and a police officer injured.
The new rules define blighted properties as those with collapsing or missing walls, roofs, or floors; extensive fire or water damage; missing, broken, or boarded-up windows or doors for more than 30 days; unsound foundations; graffiti left up more than 30 days; accumulated trash, junk, or unregistered vehicles; overgrown vegetation that can harbor vermin or pests; and overgrown grass that is more than 2 feet tall and is not there for conservation purposes.
The Braintree building inspector and board of health director have the authority to enforce the anti-blight rules, which were approved 7-1 by the Town Council on Nov. 2.
“Blighted conditions contribute to the decline of neighborhoods, negatively impact the economic well-being of the Town and have the potential to cause adverse conditions to the health, safety and welfare of the residents,” the new rules state.
“Additionally, [blighted or abandoned] properties may provide a location for temporary occupancy by transients and persons engaged in criminal activities. These properties create significant costs to the Town by virtue of the need for consistent monitoring and frequent boarding and securing,” according to the ordinance.
Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com.