SHEFFIELD, Ala. (WHNT) — The Sheffield City Council is notifying over two hundred home or business owners that their properties are a public nuisance.

Two months ago city leaders in Sheffield named 15 properties in the city public nuisances. That designation means property owners who may have neglected their properties and let them deteriorate will have to go before the city council. The owners of those properties will have to supply the city with a plan to mitigate the nuisance, whether it be by tearing it down, selling to the city or selling it to someone else.

Mayor Steve Stanley said of the fifteen properties named as public nuisances in June four property owners have taken action. Now another 197 properties have been added to the list.

“Compiled a list of 197 properties now in Sheffield that we are going to bring to the attention of the owners that they qualify potentially as nuisance properties,” Stanley said, “and hopefully get many of the properties owners to address the issues with their property which will improve the value of the surrounding properties.”

Some people we spoke to say they believe this process has gone on far too long.

“If you’ll notice on the sign it says something about 2023 and the other that says 2021 ladies and gentlemen this has been going on a lot longer than that,” Thomas Martin said.

The city believes cleaning up Sheffield will create opportunities for real estate developers to come in and create interest in the area for people who want to buy property at a low cost.

If they are successful, the city says they believe this will improve the quality of life for people who live in Sheffield and create opportunities for people to move there.