Revisions being proposed to the City of Windsor's property standards bylaw are focused on making sure derelict and boarded-up buildings look nice.
An administration report going to Monday's meeting of city council recommends the creation or modification of existing bylaws to ensure the maintenance of vacant commercial and residential buildings and their surrounding lands while also expanding the definition of "safety" to look at the impact of buildings that are not at an adequate standard.
Deputy Chief Building Official Rob Vani says one of the primary changes is a prohibition against boarding up any vacant building, unless they were damaged by fire or other natural events.
"All other buildings would not be allowed to be boarded up for the purpose of speculating on future development," he says. "That was something that was very much a concern of the council to make sure investors were not just sitting on their buildings and just boarding them up and blighting the neighbourhoods that these buildings are in."
Some of the changes were recommended as part of the Strengthen the Core-Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan 'High Standards' objectives.
Vani says safety issues include ensuring property owners maintain life safety systems and heating and ventilation systems for vacant buildings.
"To ensure that these buildings are viable buildings for redevelopment so that the lack of heat or lack of fire protection doesn't subject these buildings to decay and potentially not be candidates for repurposing," he says.
Vani says the building department receives around 3,000 complaints a year, with 1,200 to 1,300 related just to the property standards bylaw dealing with the condition of buildings.
City council meets Monday, May 26, at 10 a.m. at 350 Windsor City Hall.