WILTON — Voters at town meeting on May 22 will consider adopting amendments to the Building and Property Maintenance and Zoning ordinances. 

One proposed amendment would add residential II zones to the Building and Property Maintenance Ordinance that covers downtown village, commercial and residential I zoning areas, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.

Some properties that need attention are close to residential I areas, she said.

A second change covers abandoned and vacant buildings.

“Vacant or abandoned properties, particularly residential properties, create and pose significant and costly problems for the town,” according to the proposed amendment.

The change requires notification to the code enforcement officer within 90 days of buildings becoming vacant or abandoned and contact information for property owners. Measures taken to ensure the building is weather-tight and secure from trespassers must also be provided.

Since adoption of the ordinance in 2013, it has been used on a number of properties, Irish said. Before then, there was little the town could do to get a landowner to address the conditions of blighted properties or those that need cleanup. Now the town can explain the local ordinance and say this is what must happen, she said.

Code Enforcement Officer Adam Cote is addressing six properties and has four that are dangerous, but the town cannot get in or work with the owner, she said. Eight properties have been improved and four buildings taken down.

A presentation on some of the houses will be shown by The Wilton Group at 6:30 p.m. May 10 at Calzolaio’s Pasta Co., Betty Shibles said. 

The Zoning Ordinance amendment adds wording on odors to a performance standard. Currently it reads, “The amount of dust, noise, or smoke produced.” The proposed change: “The amount of dust, noise, smoke or odors detectable at the lot line.”

This change requires the Planning Board to consider any nuisance odor issues when doing a site review, Cote said. This could be for growing cannabis or other odors such as chemicals used by nail salons.

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Town of Wilton