Rockland’s City Council gave final approval Monday night Nov. 9 to a local law to require the owners of vacant commercial and multi-unit apartment buildings to register their properties.
The law takes effect Dec. 9. Within 90 days from then, the owners of all existing vacant commercial, industrial and residential buildings with three or more units must apply for a vacant commercial property certificate.
The cost for the certificate is $500 per year.
Owners would need to provide information including the cellphone number of someone to reach 24 hours a day if there is a problem with the property.
Any owner who fails to apply for or obtain a certificate in accordance with the requirements of this ordinance will be deemed in violation and subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per property for the first violation and up to $2,000 for every subsequent violation.
The vote was 4-1 with Councilor Nicole Kalloch voting against the ordinance.
Buildings undergoing renovations would be exempt.
Richard Rockwell, who owns several downtown properties, said his properties would not be affected by the new law but warned that there could be unintended consequences. He voiced concern that buildings that had retail on the lower level but empty upper floors could be impacted by the law. He said the definition of the ordinance, if a property was more than 50% vacant it would be considered a vacant building.
“No one wants an empty building. Businesses don’t want empty buildings. I don’t want empty buildings. It’s not good for the community,” Rockwell said. But, he said, it could send the wrong message to property owners.
Rockwell’s Rockland Realty stated that the city should look at why there are so many empty buildings and what role the city plays in that.
Former Councilor Joseph Steinberger said he hoped the city’s code office would work with owners of these vacant buildings and see what can be done to help them make the properties productive.
Councilor Penny York, who along with Councilor Kaitlin Callahan, developed the ordinance, said the goal of the ordinance was for the city to work with owners and direct them to resources that could help develop the vacant properties. York noted that the fee imposed by Rockland is much less than other communities who have similar laws.
The purpose of the ordinance is to “protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of the City of Rockland by establishing a program to identify and certify vacant commercial, industrial, and residential buildings in the City, and determine the actions property owners will take to return those vacant buildings to productive use or occupancy. This ordinance is intended to prevent or mitigate dangers to health, safety, and welfare, promote responsible management, provide safe neighborhoods for residents and visitors, safeguard property values, prevent affiliated municipal costs from being passed on to taxpayers, expedite building repairs, and provide for prompt contact with property owners by police, fire, and code enforcement when issues or emergencies develop and for enforcement of these provisions.”
Resident Kyle Swan praised Rockwell for developing properties, but noted there were still vacant buildings on Main Street with plywood on the building.
Two of the most visible long vacant commercial buildings are on Route 1. The old Burger King at 49 Camden St. has been closed since December 2020. The property is owned by Ruth Salemme of Houston, Texas. The property has been for sale but no buyers have come forward.
The asking price is $800,000. The city has the property assessed at $880,000. The property has eight-tenths of an acre with a 1977-built building of 3,100 square feet.
The former Irving convenience store/gas station at 3 Camden St. has been closed since 2015. Renovations are in progress at the former Irving building but there are no plans for the space, according to the city planner. The Irving property is owned by Spirit SPE Portfolio 2012-2 LLC, a limited liability company based in San Diego, California. Irving Oil Retail Sales LLC has a lease on the property through May 1, 2028, with an option to renew eight times for five years each.
A dilapidated house at 2 Pine St., at the intersection of Warren Street, will be torn down soon, City Manager Tom Luttrell said. The project has taken longer for asbestos removal, the manager said. The Council approved Nov. 9, approving an additional $30,000 for the removal of the house. The city will place a lien on the property equal to the city’s costs. When the property is sold, the city will recover its money.
Councilor York noted that she has been having discussions with the mayor on efforts to use the downtown space on Oak Street for activities that could enliven the downtown.
Luttrell updated the Council at the Nov. 9 meeting on revenues received from parking meters. He said that coordinating the software company and meter company prevented the city from expanding metered parking as had been approved by the Council earlier in the year. He said it would be in place for next year.
The City took in $72,573 in parking meter revenues in 2026, which was down about $8,000 from 2025. He said that this coincided with a decline in retail sales in 2026.
The Council voted unanimously April 15 to expand metered parking to Elm Street, Museum Street, Custom House Place, and Main Street (from Park Street to Summer Street). In the past two years, metered parking was limited to city-owned parking lots on Winter Street, behind the Thorndike complex, the Custom House lot, and 22 spaces along Tillson Avenue. Those lots will remain paid parking.
The changes were made to generate additional dollars to offset the need for additional property taxes. Parking costs $2 an hour for the spaces designated as paid parking spaces. Rockland residents, however, get two hours of free parking per day. City residents can pick up decals for free at the city clerk’s office to get the two hours per day of free parking. Those decals need to be displayed while parking in metered locations.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.