Land bank, county agree

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The Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) formally approved a motion to work in place of the Highland County Board of Commissioners for a Brownfield grant. This approval came after the board of commissioners approved a resolution Wednesday for the same process.

The land bank officially approved the hiring of Tetra Tech as the firm for the Brownfield Grant and Matt Wagner as the certified professional for the grant.

Mark Current, Highland County Community Action Organization housing director, said that for the Brownfield Grant, the land bank doesn’t need to acquire a property, it just needs to have the access agreement signed with the property owner. He said that Wagner put together six different memorandums of understanding for the six projects planned for the grant.

The land bank moved to go forward with all of the memorandums of understanding contingent upon the state’s approvals, for the following projects: The Gross-Fiebel industrial building, Rocky Fork Truck Stop, East Monroe mill, Concord Township School, Elliott Hotel in Greenfield, former Berrysville gas station.

Current said what needs to be done between now and Jan. 31, is to get all the projects in place. He said that each memorandum of understanding would need to be signed by a single member of the board as well as the property owner for each property.

Wagner said that the land bank doesn’t need to move forward with each project that it applies for. He said there would be a grant agreement for each project and if a specific project looks like it could go in a different direction, the land bank doesn’t have to sign the agreement.

The land bank also discussed a Demolition and Revitalization Grant. Current said that like the Brownfield Grant, the land bank doesn’t need to acquire the property. He said all it needs is access to the land by the owner.

Lauren Walker, another member of the land bank, said that another way the land bank could gain access to a property would be if there’s a nuisance placed on the property and a court order allows it to be picked up.

Current discussed some of the properties that the Demolition and Remediation Grant could be used for. He said one is at 453 E. Main St. in Hillsboro. He said there’s a judgment lien on it that would need to be looked at. He said it would be a good project because there’s asbestos on the property that would be costly to clean. He said he’d like to get the property through probate court so it could be used.

He said another would be property at 6747 Heather Moor Trail would have to go through probate court and that he’d like it to go through there or get declared as a nuisance.

He also said the property at 17 Maple St. was mentioned as another one that should be looked at.

He also mentioned the following properties as others that could be featured for the grant: 6652 Golden Dubloon Lane and 12206 North Shore Dr., both in the Rocky Fork Lake area.

Current also said the Demolition and Revitalization Grant reads like the projects must be committed to by May 30, 2022.

The land bank approved a motion to follow up with all the different properties identified during the meeting.

In other news, the land bank approved a resolution giving vice president Randy Mustard the authority to sign for property transactions.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.

Pictured are Jeff Duncan (left) and Terry Britton as they discuss different aspects of the Brownfield and Demolition and Revitalization grants.
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2022/01/web1_Land-bank.jpgPictured are Jeff Duncan (left) and Terry Britton as they discuss different aspects of the Brownfield and Demolition and Revitalization grants. Jacob Clary | The Times-Gazette
Several properties eyed for grant use

By Jacob Clary

[email protected]

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