MACON, Ga. — The city has torn down more than 150 blighted structures since Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller's 'blight fight' kicked off a year ago. Most were abandoned homes that were no longer livable.
But neighbors say while they're glad the homes are gone, they don't want to see them replaced with overgrown vacant lots.
"You are just dealing with one issue, but it's another issue not doing something for the neighborhood," said Arthur Hall.
"A whole bunch of kids are out here standing around; there's nothing for them to do," said Diandralo Lowe.
In the neighborhood off Macon's Lilly Avenue, people are glad a blighted home is gone, but they'd like to see something positive happen on the lot left behind.
"They need to do something besides tear houses down. They can either rebuild low income houses or build a little park," said Hall.
He's called the neighborhood home for around five years. The house they tore down became an eyesore after the woman who lived there died in a fire, but right next to him is another that he says looked bad his whole time here.
He says kids play in the home, which is full of trash, and has broken doors and windows. He also says it's a haven for roaches and rats.
"In a weeks time we kill six rats. That's every week," said Hall.
The city says the house is on their radar, but they are using a different tactic to deal with it.
"The one in particular you are talking about is on our blight tax list. Not all the houses that are blighted rise to the level we can knock it down," said code enforcement director, J.T. Ricketson.
Ricketson says by charging the owners of a blighted home a special higher blight tax rate, it's easier to convince them to knock down the home themselves or get it repaired.
A city spokesperson says the mayor and his staff are discussing what they can do moving forward with the lots left vacant. So far, they don't have an answer.
Ricketson says the blight initiative is moving forward. He's working on a new list of blighted homes to tackle in round nine of the demolition drive.