Town officials hope to work with property owners.
On March 2, 2008, the 102-year-old Iron Horse building at 12th and Greene came crashing down due to a heavy snow load.
And that left a messy vacant lot with a deep pothole in the heart of downtown Silverton.
Now town officials are taking steps to address the blight.
Town Planning Director David Michaelson said he is planning to work with property owners to spruce up some vacant lots downtown, starting with the ones at 12th and Greene and 13th and Greene, next to the Teller House.
“We’re going to look at what we can do to create public spaces and bring them back up to grade,” Michaelson said.
He said property owners he has spoken with seem receptive as long as their liability concerns are addressed.
Mayor Terry Kerwin said he’d like to see the vacant lots cleaned up.
“It looks like hell,” Kerwin said. “And Blair Street is not much better.”
Michaelson said “we’re going to take Greene Street first,” then address other vacant lots in the downtown area.
