Vacant & Blighted Properties: The Shame of the Township

By Guest Blogger: John Doe (also known as Fletch M. Fletch)

Fletch M. Fletch

A long time has passed since the mess on Ridgewood Lane happened, but we still feel the sting of what went wrong. In March 2025, the Vilmas house fell down. This didn’t happen because of bad weather; it happened because the town board didn’t do anything to stop it. For six years after the owner died in 2019, that house was left to rot right in front of us. Even though people warned the Board of Trustees many times, they chose to ignore the problem until the house finally collapsed on its own.

This collapse shows a big problem in our community. When the board doesn’t follow the rules, they send a message that it’s okay to let buildings fall apart. This creates a cycle where one messy property makes it seem okay for the next one to become a mess too. We need to protect the people who actually take care of their homes.

Sometimes leaders say they can't do anything because of "homeowner rights." But we have to ask: what about the rights of the good neighbors? Families work very hard to keep their houses looking nice and safe, but they are being hurt by a few people who don't care. Having the right to own a house doesn't mean you have the right to let it become a danger that makes the whole street look bad.

These dangers are real. Old, broken buildings can attract crime and are very unsafe. I have checked several spots lately, like the Hemlock Hills area and the old propane shop. Many of these broken buildings are fire hazards and are falling apart, which is scary for everyone living nearby.

It Is Time to Stop Waiting and Start Fixing the Problem

The lesson from the Vilmas house collapse is simple: we shouldn’t wait for a fire or another building to fall down before we call it a crisis. Being a leader means putting safety first, even when it’s hard.

As a Township Trustee, Amy Heutmaker is working to fundamentally transform how Russell approaches these neglected sites. Rather than relying on slow, ineffective zoning rules, she is pushing to leverage formal statutory safety and nuisance laws to achieve faster, concrete results. It is a proactive stance aimed at ensuring neglected structures do not degrade into active neighborhood hazards where a single spark could trigger a catastrophic fire.

Moving forward, Trustee Heutmaker plans to work directly with the Board of Trustees to execute a three-part strategy:

• Prioritize Public Safety: Treat structural decay and hazard sites as urgent public safety priorities requiring immediate remediation, rather than letting them linger in drawn-out administrative cycles.

• Enforce Owner Accountability: Hold property owners strictly accountable for maintaining safe conditions, regardless of whether a building is occupied or vacant.

• Mobilize Resident Engagement: Local voices drive real policy action. Residents are encouraged to attend upcoming board meetings, report dangerous conditions in their neighborhoods, and ensure elected officials remain held to high standards of community stewardship.

  
  

Russell Township cannot afford to wait until another structure collapses. Deliberate action is needed now to eliminate blighted properties and protect the safety, character, and property values of the entire community.