Preston — Residents will get the chance to comment and vote on a proposed new blight ordinance along with other issues next Thursday at a 6:30 p.m. town meeting at Town Hall.

What would be the town's first blight ordinance was prompted by increasing numbers of complaints by residents about blighted conditions throughout the town, selectmen said Thursday in approving sending a four-page draft ordinance to residents for consideration.

Selectman Lynwood Crary, who wrote much of the ordinance, said the language was based on existing ordinances in Groton and Columbia. He said the ordinance isn't meant to target a resident for having one or two minor maintenance problems — such as “a loose shutter,” he said — but for general blighted conditions.

“This is about being a good neighbor,” Crary said.

The draft ordinance, which will be posted on the town website soon, would cover public and private buildings or land “in public view” where blighted conditions occur. Nearly one page is devoted to describing specific blighted conditions, including health, safety and fire hazards, physical deterioration “or a nuisance to the general public.”

Specific conditions include broken, missing or boarded up windows; collapsing exterior walls, roof or other features; missing siding or roof; unrepaired water or fire damage, and conditions that allow animal infestation.

Debris left in yards also would be covered, including abandoned or discarded equipment, machinery, vehicles, boats, unregistered and rundown RVs, furniture, appliances, scrap metal, tires, batteries and garbage in public view.

Overgrown grass, weeds and shrubs “left to grow in an unkempt manner” that block access, obstruct traffic sight lines and interfere with emergency vehicle access also would be covered by the ordinance.

Agricultural land, dedicated open space land and dedicated natural buffer areas would be exempt from the ordinance.

The ordinance calls for the first selectman to appoint a blight enforcement officer, a position not included in this year's town budget because the ordinance was not ready for consideration when the budget was written, Crary said. The officer would receive and investigate complaints and could issue citations.

Fines ranging from $10 to $100 could be levied, with the property owner given the chance to seek an appeal hearing. Unpaid fines would lead to property liens that would prevent the owner from obtaining building or land use permits in town.

The proposed blight ordinance was added to the busy town meeting agenda for next Thursday. Residents will be asked to vote on an amendment to an agreement with the law firm of Shipman & Goodwin delaying the town's payment of a $912,000 legal bill covering reviews of the defunct Utopia Studios and Northland development proposals. The agreement would allow the town to delay any payment on the bill until actual building construction takes place by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment on the former Norwich Hospital property. The current agreement calls for the town to pay upon sale of the property for development.

Residents also will be asked to approve spending up to $65,000 to purchase a 20-passenger handicapped accessible school bus for special education transportation and to reappoint two members, William Legler and Merrill Gerber, to the Preston Redevelopment Agency.

c.bessette@theday.com