Groton ― The town is planning to hold a public hearing next month on revisions to its blight ordinance.

Jon Reiner, the town’s director of planning and development services, said that the town is revising the ordinance to be consistent with changes in state law and give the town more options to address multiple blight offenses within a year.

The public hearing is slated for Sept. 3 at the Town Council’s 6:30 p.m. meeting at the Town Hall Annex. The council on Tuesday is expected to vote to finalize the public hearing date.

The town made proposed changes to its blight ordinance in the spring, but held off on holding a public hearing as the state had made additional changes to the blight law, said Reiner.

Those additional changes, which the town then incorporated into the ordinance, concern how fines for blight violations would be assessed based on building unit count and/or square footage, he said.

“With that said, in the time we’ve had a blight ordinance Groton, I don’t think we’ve ever fined anyone,” said Reiner. The town focuses more on working with the property owners.“

The town’s revised ordinance, which does not apply to the City of Groton or Groton Long Point, would allow the town to take immediate action if there are three or more blight violations at a property within a year, Town Manager John Burt explained in the spring.

The revision stipulates that the town “will make reasonable efforts to obtain consent of an owner of the property” before entering a property, he said. The town also can seek a court order or administrative warrant to access and clean up a property, if the property owner refuses access or does not reply to the town.

It also increases the maximum fines the town can impose for violations, he said. The town also can seek a petition for the appointment of a “receiver” in extreme circumstances to manage the blight.

Properties that are in disrepair, pose a “serious or immediate threat to the health, safety of general welfare of the community,” or are a fire hazard are considered blighted, according to the ordinance.

Damaged siding or roofing, long-term fire or water damage, long-term broken windows or doors, rodents, garbage, storage of unregistered vehicles, broken glass, boats and machinery in disrepair, shrubs, hedges, grass plants or weeds that obstruct access or sightlines, and more than 2-foot-tall grass or weeds are among the conditions listed in the ordinance as evidence of disrepair.

k.drelich@theday.com