A number of dilapidated structures exist in the city of
Orangeburg, their walls and roofs sagging, appearing to threaten
anyone foolish enough to occupy them.

On average, there are 24 to 30 condemned houses in the city at
any given time. Dealing with these in a way that’s in the best
interest of citizens and property owners alike is not always clear
cut, Orangeburg City Administrator John Yow said.

“It’s not always easy,” Yow said. “The property owners have
rights and we respect those rights.”

Houses not up to building code standards are just part of what
Orangeburg officials consider “nuisance properties.” The city sets
aside enough money to demolish three or four condemned structures
each year.

“We send out courtesy letters to the person listed as the
property owner of a substandard house,” Yow said. “But sometimes
there is no clear title, or they live out of state and aren’t
accessible.”

In some cases, Orangeburg is able to get the owners to pay
directly for the demolition. Otherwise, the city will place the
cost on the tax bill or look at other means of collection. Yow said
the city ends up with lots that no one pays taxes on.

“It can go up for tax sale,” Yow said. “If no one buys, then it
can go to the county Forfeited Land Commission but that doesn’t
mean the FLC has to accept it.”

In 2010, six condemned properties were demolished by the owners
and three were taken down by the city. The most recent was on
Treadwell Street last October. Two more are tentatively scheduled
to be torn down by February.

Many substandard houses in Orangeburg are on lots that are no
longer considered big enough to build on. If owners want to
continue using such properties, they can rehab substandard
structures or seek building code variances.

“Many owners won’t rebuild because the lot has very little value
unless it can be combined with another lot to make it a marketable
size,” Yow said. “We encourage owners to donate their property to
Habitat for Humanity in return for forgiveness of up to a year in
city taxes.

“We do have a lot of owners who are aware of their
responsibility. If they receive the letter, they will respond
properly by cleaning the property up, demolishing or renovating the
structure.”

Included in the nuisance property category are overgrown lots.
Yow noted owners receiving “weedy lot” letters can opt to have them
maintained by the city. Fifty such lots were on the city list in
2010.

“The work, done by city crews, is billed back to the owner on a
monthly basis,” Yow said. “We prefer the owner handle it. We don’t
want to do this but to protect resident safety and health, plus the
value of other neighborhood properties, we will.”

Orangeburg County has aggressively eliminated unsafe houses for
the last four years. County Deputy Administrator Harold Young says
there are approximately 172 active cases involving dilapidated
houses and overgrown lots. Of that number, 70 are considered
unsafe.

“We handle enforcement of the community development ordinance,
passed in 2006, for all municipalities in the county except the
city of Orangeburg,” Young said. “Each year funds are allocated in
the county budget to tear down 25-30 dilapidated houses that owners
do not handle.

“Seventy-five percent of owners ignore the notices we send out
advising them they can work out a plan of remediation with us.”

The county is made aware of nuisance properties through citizen
complaints, building inspectors and litter enforcement officers.
The Community Development Division also works with the Orangeburg
County Sheriff’s Office to eliminate nuisance properties that
provide havens for criminal activity.

Yow said there is more to getting rid of a nuisance property
than just tearing it down.

“We have to do environmental assessments to see if there is
asbestos or lead that would threaten health,” Yow said. “Usually
(the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control) has
allowed demolition to proceed in the event there are small amounts
that won’t pose a problem.

“Only when a large amount is present and disturbing it will
create problems, is when we have to do abatement.”

Young and Yow agree the goal is to eliminate substandard houses,
which can have a detrimental effect on economic development. Taking
down dilapidated structures can also create opportunities for new
and better housing.

In Jan. 2010, the city announced a $400,000 Community
Development Block Grant for redevelopment in the Boswell Street
neighborhood, where many homes are 60 years old. The city sought
the grant to buy properties in the area, remove dilapidated
structures and combine substandard lots.

Yow said it was later determined the project didn’t meet grant
guidelines.

“Ultimately, the goal was for a complete neighborhood
redevelopment with individual home ownership,” Yow said. “We would
then partner with other entities to search for funding to construct
new houses.”

Since many grant requirements change constantly, city officials
now seek guidance from state officials to see if future projects
are eligible for funding. Yow said the goal remains the same.

“You have to reassess the potential for any housing
rehabilitation projects on a recurring basis,” Yow said. “But we
won’t stop trying.”

Contact the writer: psarata@timesanddemocrat.com or
803-533-5540.