DeKalb County continues Brannon Hill blight removal efforts

DeKalb County plans to demolish property in Clarkston on Thursday. CONTRIBUTED

DeKalb County plans to demolish property in Clarkston on Thursday. CONTRIBUTED

DeKalb County is set to demolish 56 dilapidated and neglected units at Brannon Hill Condominiums on Thursday, according to a press release. The units are located at 1000 Old Hampton Drive in Clarkston.

In 2017, CEO Michael Thurmond allocated $3.8 million in funds approved by the Board of Commissioners to enhance county blight-fighting initiatives and address derelict properties. The fix is to tear down the properties. That year the county demolished 153 properties.

Last year the county demolished or abated 140 properties which cost about $278,000. This year, the county is expected to demolish 70 properties, mostly in Clarkston.

According to the county, the purpose of the abatement program is to develop an efficient way to address abandoned or occupied properties in unincorporated DeKalb County that have been left to deteriorate and become eyesores in the community.

The county announced last year that it hopes to release a study this year to examine the long-term effects and develop a more comprehensive long-term strategy.