COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — For nearly 60 years, Roslyn Swigert has loved her home in Colerain Township, but that doesn't mean she always likes the look of it.
"There's a lot more empty buildings, businesses," she said. "I think the appearance of (an) area means a lot to the people in the area."
We met Swigert during our "Let's Talk" event inside the Colerain Trustee Chambers on Monday night, where she shared concerns about blighted spots in the township.
The event was an opportunity for community members to come together and share concerns and perspectives with the WCPO 9 News team. Our team heard multiple residents raise issues about the less-than-welcoming aesthetic of certain parts of Colerain.
WATCH: Residents told us they love Colerain Township but see certain areas as an issue. Here's why.
"I think it's a common problem. Many people have issues with it," Swigert said. "It should be a place that is welcoming and kept up—and I think we have that in certain areas—but in certain other areas, like the south part of Colerain Township, I don't see where it's welcoming at all."
Ursula Minor is another Colerain resident who attended Monday's event and shared similar concerns. She told us she has lived in the township for more than two decades.
"As a homeowner here in Colerain, I want my neighborhood to be safe, and I also want my property value to continue," she said. "We want to have a thriving community with thriving businesses (and) our neighborhood to also appear to be a beautiful place to live."
The crux of Minor's blight concerns is the struggling and near-empty Northgate Mall.
"I go there and walk. (There's) not very many stores in there," she said. "I don't think it's going to be a mall again, but what can go there that would be a good place for the community, attract businesses, make money for the city of Colerain?"
No one with the Colerain Township government was available for an on-camera interview on Tuesday. However, we are set to speak with a police lieutenant on Wednesday who works in code enforcement and the environmental crimes unit for the township.
