Island Lake considering rules for vacant buildings

Island Lake officials are considering new regulations that would hold property owners accountable for unsightly vacant buildings.

The proposed ordinance would require the owners of houses or other buildings left unoccupied for at least six months to register with the village and pay fees that would cover security and maintenance. It would apply to individual property owners, banks, developers or other landowners, Mayor Debbie Herrmann said.

“(It would) prevent the burden of upkeep on vacant and unimproved properties from being placed on the village,” Herrmann said.

Several towns in the Chicago area have adopted similar ordinances in recent years, including Arlington Heights, Lakemoor and Cary.

Some towns simply charge owners for lawn maintenance performed by the village at the abandoned sites. Others are stricter — and that’s the approach Island Lake is considering.

“(We’re) trying to stay on top of what everybody else is doing,” Herrmann said.

The proposed ordinance is designed to discourage owners from allowing properties to remain indefinitely vacant and in a state of disrepair.

It would not apply to unoccupied buildings that are “undergoing construction, renovation or rehabilitation” and are following other local laws.

The plan targets buildings left vacant for six months or more. Such buildings are unsightly and diminish neighboring property values, the proposal reads.

“Even if a home is vacant, the homeowner or the bank should be the responsible party,” Trustee Don Saville said.

If the ordinance is adopted, a village code-enforcement worker will evaluate buildings in Island Lake he believes to be unoccupied and determine if they are vacant.

If a building is deemed vacant, a notice will be mailed to the last taxpayer of record. The notice will schedule an inspection of the property’s interior to see if the building is meeting village codes.

The owner will be charged $500 for the inspection. Unpaid fees will become liens on the property.

Additionally, the owners of vacant buildings will be forced to register the building with the village and pay a $200 annual fee for each year the site remains vacant. The owner’s name, street address and telephone number will be required, and that information will be publicly posted on any boarded building.

Owners also will be required to submit plans to repair broken or boarded doors or windows and other nuisances, as well as a maintenance plan for the site, the proposed ordinance reads.

Violators would be fined between $100 and $750 daily for each violation.

Trustee Connie Mascillino called the proposed rules a tool that will “improve the overall look of our community.”

The village board was scheduled to discuss the proposal Thursday night but postponed the talk. The panel could review the plan at its next meeting, set for Thursday, Jan. 27.