Brookfield is close to taking a worthwhile, incremental step to understand the status of vacant buildings in town. Whether a property is commercial or residential, we all know that a percentage of those structures become actively problematic for a community.

A house long vacant, and usually ill cared for, can impact the perceptions of an entire block. With concerns about safety, infestations, and property values, a fundamental sense of well-being can be undermined when a house is effectively abandoned.

And we’ve all seen the deadening effect of a long-empty commercial building. It stunts the growth of neighboring businesses, sends rippling signals that a business strip is not desired, and causes the same worries as an empty house: maintenance, safety, steady decay of a property.

At a recent meeting of the Brookfield Village Board, Libby Popovic, the community development director, made the case for creating a registry of vacant properties. This new regulation would be the responsibility of the owner of any property to adhere to. Popovic, who received the OK to create a proposed ordinance, said many neighboring communities, including Forest Park, Lyons, Berwyn, Maywood and Broadview already have such ordinances in place.

By placing the burden on a property owner to self-report a vacant property, the village will gain access to current information, be able to require that owner to update the village on its plans for the property, and furnish a timeline and collect incentivizing fees to nudge an owner toward a better outcome for that structure.

Some elected officials raised concerns that not all vacant properties are created equal and pointed to cases where a home may become vacant after the death of a resident and it takes time for the estate to decide next steps in its disposition. Popovic was clear that enforcement around the proposed ordinance would include room for staff discretion. In such a case, she said, the update from the executor of an estate could be as simple as, “Property is in probate. We see the judge in 90 days.”

To us this step is just another in the ongoing process of Brookfield gaining focus on its future. The laissez faire approach to governing that marked Brookfield’s attitude two decades ago has steadily given way to professional management on many fronts. 

Documenting the vacant properties in town and being in regular contact with the owners of those 75 to 90 properties, are positive steps toward better outcomes for all residents of the village.