Clinton Inn
6:30 pm
This is primarily a working meeting to discuss requesting a Vacancy Maintenance Ordinance to insure that vacant business do not blight our business district.
The tentative text of the letter to the council is:
DRAFT:
Dear Tenafly Mayor & Council:
The Tenafly NJ Chamber of Commerce, as the representative of Tenafly business owners, would like you to consider implementing a Vacancy Maintenance Ordinance for businesses. Vacant businesses in disrepair depress the traffic to surrounding businesses. Towns that have successful revitalization programs minimize the impact of vacant businesses by
- requiring immediate registration (30 days) to assist with enforcement and to facilitate rapid re-rental by providing a central place to determine the appropriate person to direct inquiries to;
- requiring maintenance of the building and property in a pristine condition;and after a suitable time,
- increasing the safety inspections to insure that neglected problems do not create a safety hazard for adjoining businesses.
Quite often new regulation is seen as a solution in search of a problem. Please note that there are several properties (pictures attached) that have been vacant for years and look like it. Also, it is not always easy to determine the correct contact for a business. There have been 3 local business owners that have been interested in renting a vacant business in Tenafly. All three had great difficulty trying to determine the appropriate person to contact with inquiries.
In an effort to avoid excessive regulation of landlords looking to rerent their properties promptly, we suggest keeping in mind that it normally takes at least 3 months to rent a commercial space.
Two vacancy maintenance ordinances from other towns are included as samples.
Regards,
The President & Board Tenafly NJ Chamber of Commerce