Northeast Ohio cities seek to eliminate blight

LORAIN, Ohio (AP) -- City officials are calling for a more aggressive demolition program to get rid of dilapidated houses and buildings in Lorain, one of several northeast Ohio cities looking to improve its appearance in tough economic times.

"The city looks like hell," Lorain Councilman Dan Given said during a meeting Monday night. "I'm proud to say I'm from Lorain. I'm not proud of the way this hellhole looks."

Mayor Anthony Krasienko has asked several city departments and officials to demolish rundown structures that are scattered throughout the city and to do it quickly.

"I'm infuriated by the condition of the housing in some of the neighborhoods ... This is not the Lorain I grew up in. This is not the Lorain I want my children growing up in," Krasienko said.

Lorain, a city hit hard by Ford plant closings in recent years, needs funding to improve the city's appearance, and the mayor has proposed a $15 license plate tax increase and reducing the city's 2 percent income tax credit gradually over three years to 1 percent for residents who work outside the city.

However, some residents oppose the license plate tax and got enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.

Like Lorain, other northeast Ohio cities are taking steps both big and small to make themselves more attractive.

Youngstown has spent millions of tax dollars demolishing vacant houses and buildings -- a so-called shrinking of the city -- to create green space with the hope that crime drops and property values increase.

Cleveland officials are counting on a countywide land bank program to help deal with the blighted properties left behind by the foreclosure crisis. Cuyahoga County needs approval from the state legislature for a land bank, which would allow it to seize abandoned houses and either demolish them or repair and sell them.

In Canton, officials are cracking down on homeowners who don't cut their grass, issuing misdemeanors that carry a fine of up to $150. The city enacted a new repeat offender penalty that carries 30 days in jail.

Pursuing lax property owners through the courts hasn't worked well in Lorain.

Law Director Mark Provenza said the process of holding owners responsible for their dilapidated structures -- a misdemeanor comparable to driving under suspension -- is often drawn out by the lengthy municipal court process, which can delay cases for six months.

Given believes beefed-up inspections and city sweeps would help address some of the problems, but he's also calling on residents to take pride in the city.

"It doesn't cost a lot of money to paint your porch," Given said. "It doesn't cost a lot of money to cut your grass. What it costs is a little bit of effort for you to get off your duff and do something."