Speeding up the process in Walhalla

Walhalla leaders believe their action on Tuesday night is proof they are getting serious about the looks of their city. The city council gave first reading to amending their ordinance covering buildings and structures that will lessen the time it takes to rid the city of dilapidated structures. As explained by the city’s new zoning administrator, Daniel Fletcher, unless there’s an immediate health or safety hazard, the city must currently wait as long as two years before ordering demolition. The change could reduce the time to between six months and one year, according to Fletcher. One of the problems is that in the time following once a structure is deemed unfit or an eyesore adjoining property owners can see their property values depreciate, through no fault of their own.