Commissioner Outlines Plan to Reduce Cambridge Blight

Cambridge City Commissioner Brett Summers (left) addresses Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods (CAN) while association president Chuck McFadden listens.

Cambridge City Commissioner representing Ward 1 Brett Summers says a set of new tools now under consideration could help reverse years of neglect and vacancy in the city’s neighborhoods and business district. 

Summers, a real estate developer himself who owns multiple downtown properties, pointed to proposed new taxes on vacant storefronts and undeveloped properties, a city-funded land bank, and the creation of a tenants’ rights advocate as part of a comprehensive effort to clean up and restore the town’s appearance and vitality.

The new taxes would take effect on commercial property owners who leave their assets undeveloped for a year and would gradually increase over time.   A land bank would acquire and return vacant, under-utilized, tax-delinquent, or abandoned properties to productive, community-beneficial use. A tenant’s advocate on the city staff would help ensure that absentee or neglectful landlords are accountable for their responsibilities regarding upkeep and safety.

“I just see vacant homes. I see vacant storefronts. It’s glaring and nothing’s being done to address or motivate change,” Summers told The Spy after his recent address to the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods (CAN), where he laid out a laundry list of projects he campaigned for and is working to enact. 

The new storefront tax would charge the owners of approximately 30 downtown commercial spaces that have been empty for long periods, with proceeds used for downtown marketing and development. The vacant property tax would apply to the estimated 900 unused homes and lots, modeled on programs in regional cities that levy a tax rate four to five times the normal rate on vacant buildings. Summers said both measures are designed to motivate owners to rehabilitate or sell properties that have sat idle.

“Why would someone pay for a building and then do nothing with it?” he mused. “I have no idea, but if holding property without improving it starts costing real money, people will take action.”

He said the city’s planned land bank could also play an important role by acquiring neglected or tax-delinquent properties and returning them to productive use. Together, he said, the taxes, land bank, and tenants’ advocate represent a coordinated approach to reducing visible decline across Cambridge.

Summers said he supports hiring a tenants’ rights advocate to help renters understand and assert their rights under Maryland’s Tenant Bill of Rights. With nearly 60 percent of local housing stock now rented, he said, the advocate could serve as a watchdog to ensure landlords meet housing codes and maintain properties in livable condition.

“The tenant’s advocate can help residents demand better living,” he said. “If you’re a landlord, you have to meet housing code. That not only benefits the tenants, but the whole community.”

Other Topics Summers Addressed

• YMCA – Summers said he supports building a new YMCA comparable to facilities in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. Several major donors are interested, though not in locating the facility at Cambridge Harbor. He said plans are moving forward and that timing is crucial while donor interest remains high.  “We need a new YMCA. I’ve toured [others on the Shore].  Ours doesn’t compare to those.”
• Mill Street School – Summers has been pressing the building’s owner to move forward with renovation plans for eight condominium units. The city owns the back half of the parcel for stormwater management, and has required updated approvals from the Historic Preservation Commission.
• City Hall Restoration – Summers reaffirmed his position that city offices should work to return to the historic City Hall building once a full architectural assessment determines space needs and costs.
• Cambridge Police Department – He noted the city approved raises and bonuses this year to bring police pay closer to nearby departments and said the next goal is to restore a step-pay system that provides predictable annual increases.
• Dog Park and Cannery Park – Construction is underway for a dog park at Cannery Park, part of a larger development that will eventually include a splash pad, playground, and skate area.
• Transportation for Youth – He said lack of transportation, rather than lack of activities, limits opportunities for children in Cambridge and that the city should explore solutions.
• Tax Rate Differential – Summers said the city is preparing a resolution to open discussions with Dorchester County about tax rates, noting city residents pay significantly more in combined taxes than county residents. The fact that 61 percent of county income comes from federal and state sources poses risk for the city from potential cuts.
• Trees and Urban Landscape – He called for more funding for tree planting as part of creating a more livable urban landscape, saying he wants to make it a clear line item in the city budget.
• Rescue Fire Company Train Garden – Summers said he supports granting a permanent location for the popular holiday display in part of the old firehouse.
• Shoreline and Sewer Infrastructure – He said addressing combined sanitary and storm sewer lines is a priority for Ward 1, calling it a more immediate need than shoreline resiliency projects.