Ohio Code § 1.08

§ 1.08.

As used in the Revised Code: (A) “ Blighted area ” and “ slum ” mean an area in which at least seventy per cent of the parcels are blighted parcels

and those blighted parcels substantially impair or arrest the sound growth of the

state or a political subdivision of the state, retard the provision of housing accommodations,

constitute an economic or social liability, or are a menace to the public health,

safety, morals, or welfare in their present condition and use. (B) “ Blighted parcel ” means either of the following: (1) A parcel that has one or more of the following conditions: (a) A structure that is dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe, or vermin infested and that

because of its condition has been designated by an agency that is responsible for

the enforcement of housing, building, or fire codes as unfit for human habitation

or use; (b) The property poses a direct threat to public health or safety in its present condition

by reason of environmentally hazardous conditions, solid waste pollution, or contamination; (c) Tax or special assessment delinquencies exceeding the fair value of the land that

remain unpaid thirty-five days after notice to pay has been mailed. (2) A parcel that has two or more of the following conditions that, collectively considered,

adversely affect surrounding or community property values or entail land use relationships

that cannot reasonably be corrected through existing zoning codes or other land use

regulations: (a) Dilapidation and deterioration; (b) Age and obsolescence; (c) Inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces; (d) Unsafe and unsanitary conditions; (e) Hazards that endanger lives or properties by fire or other causes; (f) Noncompliance with building, housing, or other codes; (g) Nonworking or disconnected utilities; (h) Is vacant or contains an abandoned structure; (i) Excessive dwelling unit density; (j) Is located in an area of defective or inadequate street layout; (k) Overcrowding of buildings on the land; (l) Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness; (m) Vermin infestation; (n) Extensive damage or destruction caused by a major disaster when the damage has not

been remediated within a reasonable time; (o) Identified hazards to health and safety that are conducive to ill health, transmission

of disease, juvenile delinquency, or crime; (p) Ownership or multiple ownership of a single parcel when the owner, or a majority

of the owners of a parcel in the case of multiple ownership, cannot be located. (C) When determining whether a property is a blighted parcel or whether an area is a

blighted area or slum for the purposes of this section, no person shall consider whether

there is a comparatively better use for any premises, property, structure, area, or

portion of an area, or whether the property could generate more tax revenues if put

to another use. (D)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, absent any environmental or

public health hazard that cannot be corrected under its current use or ownership,

a property is not a blighted parcel because of any condition listed in division (B)

of this section if the condition is consistent with conditions that are normally incident

to generally accepted agricultural practices and the land is used for agricultural

purposes as defined in section 303.01 or 519.01 of the Revised Code , or the county auditor of the county in which the land is located has determined

under section 5713.31 of the Revised Code that the land is “land devoted exclusively to agricultural use” as defined in section 5713.30 of the Revised Code . (2) A property that under division (D)(1) of this section is not a blighted parcel shall

not be included in a blighted area or slum.