For the purpose of this chapter, the words and phrases defined hereunder shall have the meanings therein respectively ascribed them, unless a different meaning is clearly indicated by the context. Definitions are described in the Ohio Revised Code Section 1.08.
(a) "Blighted area" and "slum" mean an area in which at least seventy per cent of the parcels are blighted parcels and those blighted parcels substantially impair or arrest the sound growth of the state or a political subdivision of the state, retard the provision of housing accommodations, constitute an economic or social liability, or are a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare in their present condition and use.
(b) "Blighted parcel" means either of the following:
(1) A parcel that has one or more of the following conditions:
A. A structure that is dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe, or vermin infested and that because of its condition has been designated by an agency that is responsible for the enforcement of housing, building, or fire codes as unfit for human habitation or use;
B. The property poses a direct threat to public health or safety in its present condition by reason of environmentally hazardous conditions, solid waste pollution, or contamination;
C. Tax or special assessment delinquencies exceeding the fair value of the land that remain unpaid thirty-five days after notice to pay has been mailed.
(2) A parcel that has two or more of the following conditions that, collectively considered, adversely affect surrounding or community property values or entail land use relationships that cannot reasonably be corrected through existing zoning codes or other land use regulations:
A. Dilapidation and deterioration;
B. Age and obsolescence;
C. Inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces;
D. Unsafe and unsanitary conditions;
E. Hazards that endanger lives or properties by fire or other causes;
F. Noncompliance with building, housing, or other codes;
G. Nonworking or disconnected utilities;
H. Is vacant or contains an abandoned structure;
I. Excessive dwelling unit density;
J. Is located in an area of defective or inadequate street layout;
K. Overcrowding of buildings on the land;
L. Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness;
M. Vermin infestation;
N. Extensive damage or destruction caused by a major disaster when the damage has not been remediated within a reasonable time;
O. Identified hazards to health and safety that are conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, juvenile delinquency, or crime;
P. Ownership or multiple ownership of a single parcel when the owner, or a majority of the owners of a parcel in the case of multiple ownership, cannot be located.
(c) "Neighborhood" shall mean an area of the City comprised of all premises or parcels of land which in whole or in part are located within a radius of 500 feet of any one parcel or lot within the City.
(d) “Redevelopment" shall mean the acquisition of blighted premises, the demolition of a structure or structures thereon, the making of site improvements, including construction or reconstruction thereon, or the sale of property for use in accordance with the City of Zanesville's Zoning Ordinance. Redevelopment may include the construction or improvement by the City of any buildings for public use or for resale to not for profit or private entities.
(e) "Rehabilitation" shall mean the restoration, rehabilitation, or conservation of blighted premises by improvement, modernization or repair of a structure or structures thereon to bring it into conformance with applicable Housing, Health, Building and Zoning Code provisions of the City of Zanesville or the elimination of criminal activity constituting a public nuisance at the premises or any combination thereof.
(Ord. 2024-30, Passed 2-26-24.)