Health & Fitness
Lithia Springs - A Blighted Slum? Property Owners File Challenge
Blighted Slum Designation Challenged by Property Owners
From Press Release: Property Owners Push Back on “Slum / Blight” Designation
Lithia Springs, GA: Two Lithia Springs property owners, James Bell and Tony Cain, filed a formal complaint with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) over the 4 to 1 vote by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners to designate portions of Lithia Springs “slum” and “blighted” under the state Urban Redevelopment Plan. If approved by DCA, the designation would create an “Opportunity Zone” for economic development and give the county government extraordinary authority within the area.
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The June 5th hearing and vote were held at 10:00 am, a time when few citizens could attend. Commissioner Kelly Robinson, the lone dissenting vote, said the issue was “sprung” on the commissioners only 72 hours before and should be tabled to allow full research of the matter and to garner public input. Robinson was particularly upset by the requirement that potential Opportunity Zone areas must be termed as slum and blight. Bell and Cain concur.
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Their complaint states, “Designations of slum and blight in any area would have a negative effect and open the door for the exercise of additional governmental powers against property owners, including seizure of private property.”
Bell and Cain request that DCA reject the county’s application because it does not meet the criteria of the law establishing Opportunity Zones. They also claim commissioners and the public were uninformed of the far-reaching and unintended consequences of the law, and they question why county commissioners would choose to deem one of the most financially successful and economically viable areas with some of the highest assessed property values in Douglas County as slum and blight.
Additionally, Bell and Cain claim the terms “slum” and “blight” are fraudulently used. They emphasize it is an improper use of the law and that the selected areas for Opportunity Zones do not qualify under the Act. They request that DCA take no action until county officials can prove these areas fully comply with all requirements of the law.
Bell is planning to hold an informational town hall meeting in August.
