ORDINANCE NO. 260399
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Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas
Amending Chapter 56 of the Code of Ordinances by enacting a new Section 56-548 to create minimum standards for the securing and mothballing of vacant buildings to prevent deterioration, protect public safety, and reduce negative neighborhood impacts.
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WHEREAS, vacant and unsecured buildings pose significant risks to public safety, invite unauthorized entry, and contribute to the deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, early intervention through proper mothballing and securing of vacant structures can prevent minor deterioration from escalating into dangerous-building conditions requiring costly remediation or demolition; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Historic Preservation Commission (HKC) and Resolution No. 250912 support mandatory, city-wide vacant building preservation-based mothballing standards as an upstream intervention to prevent dangerous-building scenarios; and
WHEREAS, mothballing measures should function as temporary stabilization tools, not as substitutes for maintenance, rehabilitation, or good-faith sale, with clear standards to protect the structural integrity and character-defining features of affected buildings; and
WHEREAS, standardizing the board-up process, including adherence to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for marking vacant structures, enhances the safety of emergency responders; and
WHEREAS, a mechanism for cost recovery through property liens, paired with a lien waiver process that preserves pathways for rehabilitation and redevelopment, is necessary to ensure these requirements are both enforceable and equitable; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That Chapter 56, Article V of the Code of Ordinances is hereby amended by adding a new Section 56-548 to read as follows:
Sec. 56-548. Mothballing and Securing of Vacant Buildings.
(a) Applic...
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