Time to Clean Up The Dangers in Yakima City Neighborhoods

For years the city of Yakima has worked to eliminate the number of vacant building in the city. That effort continues this year with the Code Administration Division focusing on on vacant buildings during the first quarter of the year. City officials say 27 buildings have been "deemed uninhabitable and in need of repair or demolition." They say 21 notices have been sent to the property owners requesting they take action and contact the Code Administration Division within 30 days with a plan to either repair the buildings, make them habitable or demolish them.

City officials say two of the properties have been demolished

A city memo says "of the 21 properties addressed under Section 110 of the International Property Maintenance Code, two buildings have been demolished, three are again inhabited and two have obtained permits for repair or future demolition." City officials say some of the property owners have been in contact with Code Compliance saying they are working with their insurance companies to determine if the buildings can be repaired or would need to be demolished.

The owners are now beginning to respond to the city of Yakima

The city says another owner has contacted the city saying they sold the property and provided contact information for the new owner who now plans to repair the building. The memo also says 4 other properties have advanced to the next step. That means the owner is now required to repair the structure or have it demolished. City Code Administration Division officials say if the owners won't work with the city "penalties are applied to the property until it is abated."