PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – Mercer County is moving forward on a dilapidated structure ordinance after a two-year process.
The ordinance had its final draft reviewed by a planning commission this week and is moving on to the Mercer County Commission for further review.
The ordinance would give the county authority and liability over certain dilapidated properties. Those properties can include structures such as buildings, or even long-abandoned properties such as mobile homes or campers.
County Commissioner Greg Puckett says the ordinance would allow the county to finally begin the removal of dilapidated properties.Â
“It’s a hazard of tourism, it produces a negative haven for nefarious activity. There’s a lot of reasons why the ordinance needed to be passed, and this ordinance addresses all of those individually,” Puckett said.
The final draft of the ordinance will be sent from the Mercer County Commission to the county’s Prosecuting Attorney Brian Cochran, in which he may or may not recommend changes.
Barring no changes in the draft, the ordinance will be read at the next planned commissioner meeting in February. And after three readings, will lead to a final vote.Â
Puckett says that if the ordinance passes, then the next steps will be to create a map of dilapidated properties that the county will focus on first.
