Bristol Twp. Advances Blighting Of Vacant Homes, Addresses Five More Properties

March 26, 2024

The home at 301 Old Rodgers Road.
Credit: Bristol Township

Bristol Township Council is taking further action in its ongoing fight against blighted properties by moving to address issues with five additional homes.

Beau Fleming, one of the township’s Building and Planning officials, detailed the status of the five properties and asked the council to approve the blight declarations, which is done in partnership with the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority.

Last Thursday, the council voted unanimously to approve the blight recommendations.

The properties that were blighted included 2210 Liberator Street in Levittown, which has sat vacant for several years without any contact from the owner. The township has taken on the responsibility of maintaining the yard. The property has liens and overdue taxes, Fleming said.

10 Mimosa Lane in Levittown has been left vacant for years. The township has been stepping in to maintain the home, which has existing liens, Fleming said.

The issue of blight is not new to 1375 Minot Avenue in Croydon, a home that has bounced in and out of the blight program for several years. Despite being vacant for a long time and changing hands multiple times, actions to officially declare the property blighted have been delayed due to the sales, Fleming said.

301 Old Rodgers Road in Bristol has been empty for more than a year with no contact from the property owner. It has several code enforcement issues, one of which poses traffic safety concerns. There are indications that the property may have been rented out illegally. It has unpaid taxes and liens, Fleming said.

The home at 1107 Thistle Street in Bristol suffered from a fire several years ago. Although some repairs have been attempted, the lack of inspections, combined with visits from the police, boarded-up windows, fire and electrical violations, rendered the house uninhabitable. The property has delinquent taxes and liens, Fleming said.

The township’s blight program has made significant strides since its inception in 2016. The number of blighted homes decreasing from an initial 204 to the current 41.