Lavonia Continues Effort to Clean Up Blighted Properties

The City of Lavonia is continuing its campaign to clean up blighted properties.

At their regular city council meeting, city manager Gary Fesperman said his office notified eight property owners regarding their deteriorated houses and buildings.

“We have targeted numerous properties within the city to see if we can get the owners to do some needed repairs and clean up,” he told the council.

Those properties include two rental houses on SR59, three properties on West Avenue, an abandoned market building on SR59, as well as properties on Randall St. and Apple Lane.

Fesperman said surprisingly, most of the owners they’ve been able to contact are cooperating with the city to clean up.

“We are happy to report we’ve had some problems and some willingness from some of the owners to make some corrections to their properties,” Fesperman said. “Two buildings have already been removed and one owner is considering bids to have that property cleaned up and a structure removed.”

Fesperman told the council the old Walter’s store on SR59 has already been torn down as well as a building on West Avenue.

Fesperman said only one property owner has not been located.

The City, he said, plans to send out more letters to owners who have allowed their properties to fall into disrepair.