Latest news with #blightedproperties

Yahoo

DeKalb County destroys 4 more blighted properties

Blighted properties continue to be torn down in DeKalb County. Four condominiums in the Walden Pond community were demolished on Wednesday. The destruction is part of a plan to keep communities safe. 'What you see here is the result of decades of omission by those who were responsible for the upkeep of their property,' DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson told Channel 2. 'It's important that we remove these threats to public safety because it's our responsibility to provide for the welfare of our residents.' Leslie Johnson has owned her condo in the neighborhood for 26 years. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'This used to be a beautiful community, and we are in the process of trying to make it beautiful again,' Johnson said. The four units that were demolished on Wednesday were gutted by a fire four or five years ago. They were on the list to be torn down before the COVID-19 pandemic. 'This has been a long time coming with this coming down. But we're trying to bring the other buildings back up to code. A lot of the properties are being sold and they're being bought by, you know. Some people are buying multiple units… so we're hopeful that the people will use the money to make them better," Johnson said. Cochran-Johnson said she wants to work alongside homeowners like Johnson. Cochran-Johnson and Commissioner Robert Patrick will announce a blight tax on Thursday for commercial owners whose properties aren't up to code. 'You cannot allow your properties to reach a point of it is going to cost you in DeKalb if you are not upkeeping your properties,' Cochran-Johnson said. She said the county will work with individual homeowners in Walden Pond who want to continue owning their waterfront properties, but said quality of life and safety, and welfare of every citizen are her top priorities. TRENDING STORIES: Husband, wife from Buford drown near Destin resort 4 people shot at Southwest Atlanta gas station Double shooting leaves 16-year-old dead in Southwest Atlanta [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]