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Review Building Ownership Rules

With the horror of a tragedy at an apartment building in Oakland, Calif., fresh in many minds, it is understandable that many local officials throughout the United States are taking fresh looks at building codes.

Thirty-six people perished in a blaze at an old warehouse that had been converted into an apartment building in Oakland. It is clear numerous violations of the city’s building codes had occurred.

Building codes are intended to protect the public from a variety of health and safety hazards. In Oakland, the system failed.

Earlier this week, building codes came up during a meeting that included members of Wheeling’s Workforce Housing Committee. Also present were a city building code official and Director of Economic and Community Development Nancy Prager.

Committee Co-Chair Susan Hagan said part of the discussion involved how the city could do more to fine property owners for building code violations.

That is the second discussion within the past several days about what to do concerning structures that may pose health or safety hazards. You may recall the first one — about whether city officials could make it more difficult for owners of some dilapidated buildings to demolish them.

It seems a comprehensive discussion of city policies on building codes and, more generally, structures in disrepair may be in order.

Doing that productively  will require a clean slate, without the process being guided by preconceived notions that may not hold up under scrutiny.

Public safety clearly needs to be the foundation of any amendments to the rules. Close behind should be considerations of private property rights. Finally, city officials should avoid making it unnecessarily expensive to own, maintain and improve property, whether used as private residences or for commercial purposes.

Mayor Glenn Elliott and members of Wheeling City Council have adopted fresh, sometimes controversial, approaches to a variety of issues involving municipal government. They ought to add a comprehensive, objective review of rules on building ownership to the list.

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