Jamestown has taken the wrecking ball to roughly 60 dilapidated homes over the last two years.

The pace of housing demolitions is the result of decades of disinvestment both in individual houses and in neighborhoods as a whole. City officials are doing the best they can with the lots that remain; often they are sold to neighbors who want to make their lots bigger or perhaps build a new garage. At least adding a vacant lot to a neighbors parcel places the lot back on the tax roll, even if it is at a much lower taxable assessment. Other lots are turned into community gardens. Neighbors would surely agree a garden is a much better neighbor than a vacant house attracting feral cats, raccoons, pigeons or drug dealers. And, houses that sit vacant too long are an arson risk. Knowing this, city officials and their partners have been acting out of necessity when demolishing houses.

It has largely been the right path. Neighborhoods filled with blighted properties sends a poor message both to those who live in neighborhoods and to those who want to buy homes. Demolishing blighted homes sends the message that dilapidated homes will not be tolerated and provides an incentive for property owners to maintain their properties.

We are sure city officials won’t go too far however. After all, neighborhoods filled with too many vacant lots don’t project a vision of prosperity either.