The City of Holbrook is working with residents and business owners in an effort to address some of the more blighted areas of the city. Code Enforcement Officer Jason Foutz said that more than a hundred notices have been sent out to code violators since May and approximately a third of those issues have been resolved. “We are working with property owners to help resolve the problems. In many instances the property owner will contact me and let me know the reasons why they can’t address a problem right away and we try to work with them.” Some of those reasons include the homeowner being elderly or physically incapable of addressing the problem. In which case, Foutz said the city is contemplating ways of assisting them. “We are looking at reaching out to volunteer groups that would like to help out. If I get a response from a homeowner and I know they are doing whatever they can within their means, then I will work with them as best as I can. It’s important to respect the property owners,” said Foutz. Foutz also noted that there are a number of property owners, specifically commercial property owners, that have been unresponsive to violation notices. On Foutz’s desk are a number of notices that were marked “return to sender.” “I give them 30 days to respond to the first notice before I send out the second one. If after another 30 days there’s no response, then I send a third.” By the third notice, property owners are informed that the city will either fix the problem, which could range from paint to cleanup, or do a total abatement, which will be followed by a bill to the owner for the cost of services. The problem for the city is the ability to enforce payment of those costs. “If they have a utility bill, we can attach it to that but if they don’t live here it’s a different situation.” For a majority of the 16 or more blighted commercial properties along Hopi Drive and Navajo Blvd. the situation is just that. The options after that are to pursue litigation, which can be costly for the city. Some of the more obvious properties of concern being addressed by Foutz include the Knight’s Inn on Navajo Blvd. and Magnuson Hotel on Hopi Drive that were both destroyed by fire within a week of each other earlier in the year. Locating the owners of the Knight’s Inn has been challenging and the Magnuson reportedly intends to rebuild, but no action as been taken as of yet. The owner of the Star Inn on Hopi Drive has been notified that action needs to be taken to address property blight, as well as the owner of the old bus depot at the corner of Hopi Drive and Navajo Blvd., who also owns the vacant Mobil Station across from Safeway on Hopi Drive. For property owners with easily manageable lawn debris such as weeds and branches, the city will pick up the debris if it is gathered together and placed in a pile that is accessible near the street. Cleanup of the neighborhoods not only improves community morale, it helps to maintain property values and, for commercial buildings, entices buyers and presents a welcoming appearance to visitors to the community and works towards creating a thriving and inviting downtown. To help volunteer for community cleanup contact Foutz at (928) 524-6225.
