Jefferson City has taken a significant step to ameliorate the dilapidated buildings that line a portion of East Capitol Avenue.
The step is completion of a study that found "blighted" and "insanitary" conditions sufficient to authorize land clearance and redevelopment.
The findings by St. Louis-based PGVA Planners name property owner Barbara Buescher, who previously was sued by city officials to recover the cost of bringing properties into compliance with city code. Our readers will recall a May court order requiring Buescher to reimburse the city $24,000 for its work.
The study examined 38.1-acres bordered by Adams and Lafayette streets and by State and High streets. According to the study: "The area also displays a somewhat unusual scenario where 26 of the 116 properties (26 percent) are owned by a single party, represent many of the vacant buildings, are typically in significantly deteriorated condition, and constitute all the properties the city has boarded up and therefore cannot be occupied."
The company cites its 400 previous studies in 22 states and adds: "We cannot recall a situation in which a single property owner accounts for such a significant percentage of properties with qualifying conditions."
In a presentation Tuesday to the Jefferson City Housing Authority, John Brancaglione, company vice president, characterized the disrepair as "really dangerous" and cautioned "without action it's going to get worse, not better."
He also affirmed the assessment shared by concerned city officials and residents that some of the properties are beyond renovation and will require demolition.
"Time is of the essence," said Mayor Carrie Tergin, who will join City Council members for a similar presentation at a council work session to be held 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
Eminent domain and land clearance authority are procedures governments must use sparingly and judiciously.
But if, as Hippocrates observed, "desperate times call for desperate measures," these deteriorating properties - a number of them historic - are in desperate need of attention.
We encourage city officials to pursue every avenue afforded by the study.