City Uses Software to Identify Vacant Properties

New technology called “Building Blocks” is allowing the City of Montgomery to identify vacant properties in a way the city’s never done before.  City leaders say this should help cut down on what many people say is a major problem.

This comes one week after a proposed vacant property ordinance was voted down by the Montgomery City Council.  The Building Blocks software is an interactive map of Montgomery’s 83,000 plus properties.  The City Services Department is using it to identify over 2,000 potentially vacant properties.  Director Chris Conway says now his team will assess these properties one by one.

“Does it have a nuisance problem with it…high grass, junk, weeds, litter trash, does it need repair, does it need to be secured…are the doors open, windows open, are the windows broken out,” explained Conway.

Conway says the assessments should be complete within 60 days.  Then city leaders will decide if properties need to be demolished.