×

Downtown property owners warned to fix building facade issues

Downtown business district property owners have been given 30 days to fix building facade issues or they may face possible minor misdemeanor charges.

City Planning & Zoning Officer Chip Hank sent out the violation notices earlier this month as part of his duties to enforce the section of the International Property Maintenance Code dealing with facades or exteriors of buildings. City council adopted the IPMC for the C-3 Central Commercial Zoning District, which encompasses the downtown, in November 2015.

When asked how many letters were sent, he said at least 40 letters had been sent out initially letting affected property owners know about the IPMC and about possible issues. Only a handful responded and attempted to come into compliance. The rest received the recently sent violation letter which spells out the consequences.

“This is a violation notice. We are advising all downtown property owners to address maintenance issues within the next 30 days. If it is found that compliance is not met, then the property owner may be charged with a minor misdemeanor for the first offense,” the letter said.

Hank said many of the issues deal with appearances, from peeling paint or rotting wood to broken or cracked windows. He deals strictly with facade issues while the fire department inspectors look for structural issues and interior problems while performing their fire code inspections. If he sees what he thinks may look like a structural issue on a building, he notifies the fire department.

The section of the IPMC dealing with exterior structures addresses protective treatments on all exterior surfaces and maintenance of exterior walls, decorative features, overhang extensions, windows, skylights, door frames, doors and glazing. For example, the code says that “all exterior walls shall be free from holes, breaks, and loose or rotting materials; and maintained weatherproof and properly surface coated where required to prevent deterioration.”

Overhang extensions deal with canopies, marquees, signs, metal awnings, fire escapes, standpipes and exhaust ducts, with the code noting they should be kept in good repair and be properly anchored.

Peeling, flaking and chipped paint shall be eliminated and surfaces repainted.

When the city adopted the most recent version of the IPMC, which dates back to 2012, a need was noted to pass rules “regulating and governing the conditions and maintenance of all property, buildings and structures; essential to ensure that the structures are safe, sanitary and fit for human occupancy and use; and the condemnation of buildings unfit for human occupancy and use, and the demolition of such existing structures in the city of Salem C-3 Central Commercial Zoning District.”

Town Center Associates, the Pennsylvania firm being paid by the city to evaluate buildings in the downtown and promote economic development in the downtown, besides come up with ordinances to help spur development, first mentioned the IPMC and suggested the city adopt it.

The IPMC includes: general requirements in a number of areas, including rubbish and garbage and pest elimination; light, ventilation and occupancy limitations; plumbing facilities and fixture requirements; mechanical and electrical requirements; and fire safety requirements.

The document allows for the fire department to call in for expect advice, such as an inspection by a structural engineer. Sections also cover what happens when the city abates a situation and allows for a lien to be placed on a property if necessary, besides outlining penalties for violations. The document sets dates for following certain rules related to use of window screens to keep out insects and dates for heating facilities. One chapter references the standards for several Ohio codes related to buildings, plumbing, fire, mechanical, residential and the national electric code.

TCA did an initial assessment of the downtown and outlined possible IPMC facade violations, giving the city a guide to get started. Hank can adjust the report as he sees violations corrected. Originally, the fire department was asked to look at the facades as part of their routine fire inspection for commercial buildings, but then it was decided to have Hank look at the facades.

In June 2016, Fire Chief Scott Mason sent letters out to all the building owners falling under the IPMC, noting that the fire department was going to be enforcing the requirements. He explained when contacted Tuesday that the fire department is responsible for inspecting all commercial buildings in the city, not just those in the downtown, and many of the requirements dealing with structural issues in the IPMC are already included in the fire code, which goes more indepth.

He said the IPMC includes a section regarding structure unfit for human occupancy. The section says: “A structure is unfit for human occupancy whenver the code official finds that such structure is unsafe, unlawful or, because of the degree to which the structure is in disrepair or lacks maintenance, is insanitary, vermin or rat infested, contains filth and contamination, or lacks ventilation, illumination, sanitary or heating facilities or other essential equipment required by this code, or because the location of the structure constitutes a hazard to the occupants of the structure or to the public.”

“You have to bring it up to habitable conditions,” Mason said.

He said Hank was made a representative of the fire department regarding the IPMC and received training on the IPMC through an online school.

“We’re trying to be as patient as possible with people,” Mason said.

The department has three firefighters who carry the rank of fire inspector, requiring the completion of an 80-hour course to become certified. The city has 409 commercial buildings and he said they try to do yearly inspections.

Mason said he thinks the IPMC is a good code, but he also said it has come too late for some buildings, noting that some repairs could have been less costly if done many, many years ago.

“Some of the buildings have not had the needed maintenance and upkeep and for some of them, it may be too late. Costs could be too much for a building owner to bear,” he said.

Hank has already gotten some inquiries from property owners regarding the violation letters and he’s preparing a status report regarding IPMC violations.

mgreier@salemnews.net

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today