Batesburg-Leesville targets abandoned homes ripe for razing

By TIM FLACH - tflach@thestate.com

Batesburg-Leesville Town Hall is cracking down on abandoned homes.

Those homes often are dilapidated, making them dangerous eyesores, town leaders say.

About 80 of the town’s nearly 2,200 homes are targeted for razing if not renovated.

A plan taking shape among Town Council members would give owners of the residences 90 days to start making improvements — or face tearing down the dwellings.

Town personnel would demolish a home if the owner makes no response, a job estimated at $1,500. The bill for that work would go to the owner, collected when a site is sold.

Tolerance of abandoned homes scattered around the town of 5,500 is ending, Mayor James Wiszowaty said.

“We need to take this ball and run with it,” he said.

Cleaning up the problem is necessary for community safety, councilwoman Rita Crapps said. “It gets rid of our urban blight.”

The plan is similar to that in other Midlands communities.

But one town leader is wary the effort will be too aggressive.

“I don’t want to burden people who are obviously burdened,” Councilman Steve Cain said. “It’s kind of an elitist approach.”

Town Hall should provide financial aid for demolition and give owners of the homes more time to get the job done, he said.

It might be cheaper to rely on National Guard members and volunteers to raze homes, he said.

Five abandoned homes have been torn down in the town since 2003 amid renovation of 20 residences in two neighborhoods.

Starting in mid-2009, Town Hall is switching from federal aid to help from Lexington County to make those improvements.

That likely means a slower pace in renovation of rundown homes since less money is available from county sources.

Council members approved the change after learning federal aid for such projects is disappearing.

Reach Flach at (803) 771-8483.