Code Inspections: Coming to a Business District Near You
Beginning today, City code inspectors will be paying visits to 1,500 property owners in business districts across Tacoma, and surveying properties along major arterials. The inspectors will be performing visual inspections for issues such as debris, overgrown vegetation, building issues, and graffiti. Property owners identified as possibly in violation of codes will receive postcards notifying them of general nuisance violations.
The process is designed to help property owners preemptively identify and address potential problems, and to educate and connect them with City resources, including business loan assessments and information on funding opportunities, demographic and census data for targeted areas and industry sectors, international trade and cultural strategies with Tacoma’s 12 Sister Cities, search engine optimization assessments for business websites, consultation on façade improvements, and more.
The City describes the push as “partnering with local property and business owners to ensure that Tacoma continues to be a safe, attractive, viable and vibrant city.” With budget cuts forcing reductions in a number of services, individual residents, businesses, and property owners stepping in may be the key to maintaining Tacoma’s neighborhoods and business districts. Maybe this is an opportunity for innovative and efficient solutions to problems of the commons. Are we up to it?
Carrot? Stick? Carrot? Stick?
Read the full press release from the City here.
Filed under: City Government
12 comments
J JJ February 18, 2013
Overgrown vegetation is just carbon sequestration and environmentally beneficial.I’d rather have beneficial vegetation than a concrete or asphalt form of human caused blight.Code enforcement equals NAZI’s without the swastika.
A Altered Chords February 18, 2013
The businesses of the Linconln “International District” would be well served by cleaning that area up. I can see where forced clean up and SEO work would drive consumers to the area and actually stay for a meal if the area was not grimy, graffiti laden and trash strewn. Sounds like a good service.
F fred davie February 18, 2013
While the businesses are attending to their code violations maybe the city could attend to the pothole violations. Pretty sure that nice smooth streets would go a long way toward ensuring a “safe, attractive, viable, and vibrant” city.
J Jesse February 19, 2013
I hate to say it fred, but that was the first thought that crossed my mind when I read the article too.
However, a few of Tacoma’s business districts could be super nice if only they were clean and maintained… but that also includes the roads, landscaping, and sidewalks.
N NEAL February 19, 2013
Let’s see … Goodwin’s law. Check.
A call for individuals to play by the rules, but not businesses, Check.
Random, off-topic mention of potholes … check.
back to work.
N nwcolorist February 19, 2013
This is a good idea, if it can be administered in an evenhanded manner.
R Robert Cole February 19, 2013
I completely agree with Fred. How is it that the city can find time and money to do 1500 building inspections, but cant find the time or the money to repair its own streets. I think the city may have good intentions with their current “if you build it, it will come” mentality with projects such as the Pacific Avenue Streetscape and similar projects, that are meant to attract businesses and people to Tacoma. The problem is that this theory won’t work if people don’t enjoy living here.
I am not opposed to the city enforcing the rules to help keep Tacoma clean and attractive, the flaw is that fines and over enforcement are going to drive small businesses away creating even more vacant buildings than we already have.
K karen February 19, 2013
Who owns the derelict, boarded up mess at 7th and Fawcett Ave. The city can start there.
J Jesse February 19, 2013
Or perhaps the derelict buildings on MLK. Oh wait! Doesn’t the city own those?
J jd February 20, 2013
Robert C, if a small business is going to be driven away by requirements like following local codes and keeping their building clean and presentable, maybe we don’t really want them here in the first place.
S Sid February 20, 2013
The Lincoln Business District, whcih I will not refer to as the International Business District, because it is nothing but, needs to be hit hard. This area has been negected by many businesses in the district and Landlords as well. People here for too long have done as they please, due to lack of code enforcement, but this will change soon. The people that actually have to live here are tired of dealing with derelict property that is barely standing that attracts criminals to the area to conduct their drug deals. The district has tremendous potential and I do believe it will once again floursih, as many property owners have once again found the joy of living here and investing money in their property. Our avenues are wide and they leave plenty of room for future beautification projects and the possibility of the link extension one day, maybe. It appears that the clientele of many of these businesses and ownres do not mind the filth and grime, because they do not live here, but we the homeowners do mind and are glad change is on its way. Thank you, thank you. More trees on 38th and the removal of the street signs that designate the district as international and Asian need to go. If we want different types of businesses here, we have to make the area inviting to all and not have a business owner that may want to open a cafe, feel like he is stuck in an Asian district that keeps getting shoved down his throat. Many of the businesses here now could care less if it is designated an international district. The district needs to go back to the Lincoln Historic District, or Lincoln District, if Asian markets and restaurants are on the strip great, but let’s move on.
A Altered Chords February 21, 2013
I agree w/ Sid that the Lincoln district has alot of potential. The city should leverage the services of the janitorial company on 38th in the heart of the Lincoln district to clean up that area.