FIRST MEETING — City officials and members of the community gathered Tuesday to launch Weirton’s B.A.D. Buildings program, creating an inventory of abandoned and dilapidated structures in the city. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — City officials took their first steps Tuesday in the effort to inventory B.A.D. Buildings in Weirton.

A group of approximately 15 representatives of the city, as well as a few members of the community, met to learn more about the launch of a B.A.D. Buildings program. Standing for Brownfields, Abandoned and Dilapidated, the program offered through the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center provides technical assistance, research and other resources to rural communities as a way to target troubled properties.

“It’s a statewide initiative,” explained Jared Stewart, community development associate with the Brownfields Assistance Center.

Stewart explained the program has worked by taking a grassroots approach, focusing on input from the community to inventory structures of concern.

There is no charge to participate in the program, although the Brownfields Assistance Center can assist in locating grants to assist with the cost of razing targeted properties, if needed.

Mark Miller, Weirton’s planning and development director, explained he first experienced the program while working in Fairmont in 2012.

“We drove and walked the entire city looking for dilapidated houses,” Miller said.

Miller noted plans are to survey all of Weirton, but there could be a particular focus on the city’s downtown neighborhoods.

The first phase of the project, which was the focus of Tuesday’s meeting, includes the formation of inventory teams, providing the needed training, and developing the inventory.

“It’s about a six-month process,” Stewart said, noting Weirton would most likely have a smaller window, taking approximately three months to get its list of properties and prioritize them.

Stewart announced those involved in the survey teams would be using the Regrid property application, going through assigned areas of the community to look at properties and report their conditions. Those attending Tuesday’s meeting were instructed to stay on sidewalks and other public rights-of-way, and to not cross onto private property.

Of particular interest are the vacant structures, or those suspected of being vacant, with reports to include the type of property and structural conditions determined by what can be seen from the street.

“We all have a couple in our minds that we drive by every day,” Miller said, adding this will allow the city to be more proactive in its efforts to address blight.