ELLSWORTH — The Ellsworth Community Development Authority received blighted property evaluations during a July 14 meeting, the second of three regarding the East End Redevelopment Plan.

On July 1, an MSA representative visited each of the parcels in the East End area, evaluating the properties and making formal blight determinations. To determine blight, three categories are investigated: dilapidation, deterioration and age; public health and safety; and obsolete platting, use nonconformity and prolonged vacancy.

The blight ranges from some smaller upkeep items to structural damage and deterioration of buildings.

“Blight, that’s really the whole key of this plan,” Village Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Brad Roy said. “What actions we need to take to accomplish that vision, that’s going to be the next step after this plan is completed.”

One of the largest concerns discussed at the meeting were vacant properties and properties that are being used for things like storage.

“This is our opportunity to kind of cast that vision of what should be,” Village President Becky Beissel said. “We don’t want vacant storefronts on the sidewalk.”

Many property owners in the area have held ownership of their building for a long period of time. Beissel said the village needs to find a way to get the owners to either put an end to the vacancy or sell to someone that will do something with it.

“Is the goal, eventually… to encourage property owners to start to either use their property or sell it, or is it to look at ordinance changes,” CDA Member Ryan Bench said.

Member Dale Hines said they want to look at all possible options to ensure the property is being built in a way that benefits the village as a whole.

“We can adopt, create ordinances to help, more than suggestively, create these spaces to be better,” Hines said.

Addressing the blight has been viewed by the village as the first step to making the East End area into a thriving district. If they can do so, they believe the tax burden on Ellsworth residents elsewhere will be decreased.

“There’s people who would buy buildings down there, but don’t because of what's next to it,” CDA Member Jarod Traynor said.

Beissel said about 10 years ago, Prescott’s downtown was in a similar situation, but a few people selling their property set off a chain reaction, and it is now thriving. She recalled spending two hours spraying weeds in the East End area ahead of the Cheese Curd Festival, as some owners have essentially abandoned their property.

Another topic Beissel discussed was the parking lots in the area, especially those in plain sight of the main roadways. She asked for the consideration of ways to either use some of the property or make it more visually appealing.

Major construction on the roads and sidewalks of East End is expected to take place in about a year. The Street and Sidewalk Committee will hold the responsibility of any street redesigning, while the CDA controls the streetscaping.

The third and potentially final CDA meeting on the plan is Aug. 21, then the plan could go to the Plan Commission in September and the Village Board in October.