ATLANTA (February 27, 2020) | Sen. Harold Jones II (D – Augusta) recently introduced legislation which would assist counties in declaring and removing blighted property from their communities.
“Senate Bill 444 will aid communities in their efforts to transform property which has been empty and unused for a long period of time,” said Sen. Jones. “As the retail industry changes, more and more malls and shopping centers will become vacant and sit dormant on county property. Current law hampers counties as they attempt to alleviate the negative effects of these large vacant structures. The use of eminent domain should never be the first option, but our counties need additional tools to deal with these properties so they do not negatively impact economic activity. As a state, we must recognize that retail will continue to change and we must be ready to meet these changes head on.”
SB 444 would outline a process for a county, municipality or consolidated government to file a petition to the superior court describing why a certain property should be classified as “blighted.” The bill also clarifies that any attempt to condemn properties through this process must be for a reason of public use.
SB 444 will be assigned to a committee this week. You can read the full text of the bill here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20192020/SB/444
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For Immediate Release:
Feb. 27, 2020
Andrew Allison, Acting Director
404.656.0028