Forward Township to potentially address blighted properties this year
FORWARD TWP — During its first work session of 2025, supervisors stated their intention to discuss the possibility of adding an ordinance that would give the township the power to address blighted properties.
The discussion came about after a resident alerted the township to two properties on Bolten Lane which have not been occupied for nearly a year and over five years, respectively. Both have been described as blighted to the point of being potentially dangerous to the health of surrounding properties.
“The structures are falling into a significant state of disrepair,” township Manager Tom Hartwig said. “The resident noticed rats and mice and snakes and raccoons exiting and entering the structures. The resident feels that the houses are a danger to all the other residential structures nearby.”
Butler County’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority has a blight mitigation program which allows the county to purchase “blighted” properties and have them demolished. However, Forward Township is not a participant in the program, as it has no ordinance on the books yet which would allow it to notify property owners of violations and potential demolition.
“Under the county's blight mitigation program, basically, the county pays the expenses for demolition,” solicitor Rebecca Black said during the meeting. “But the township would be the one to say, ‘You’re in violation of this. We’re sending this certified notice. If you don’t correct this within 30 days, we’re moving forward with demolition.’ You have to have the authority to actually condemn something or to demo it.”
A similar discussion took place during a supervisors meeting in May 2024, but no direct action was taken during that meeting. However, Hartwig says that may change by the end of 2025.
“The supervisors will consider adopting an ordinance in the future to address dilapidated structures,” Hartwig said. “Forward Township does not have an ordinance that would enable the township to address these types of situations, and that's what the supervisors will consider enacting over the next several months.”
