Land bank would help with blighted properties
By Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Some windows on the two-story house are boarded over, the small lot around it is overgrown and the borough'?s limited resources have left it unable to deal with the problem,
But that will change soon.
Three councils of governments that serve 40 municipalities and 11 school districts in the
Land banking is a new concept in
Right now,
Under the new program, the land bank will be able to acquire the property without paying delinquent taxes to the municipality, school district and county and hold onto to it while it looks for a buyer.
"I think the really important part is land banks won'?t wait for a buyer before they acquire the property," said
Blighted property cause a drain on municipal services and reduce the value of properties within 150 feet by 15 percent, according to the business plan developed for the land bank.
"I can'?t imagine a smarter thing to do for the region,"
"To get the municipalities on board will be very positive,"
The nuts and bolts of how the land bank will operate:
The COG leaders will meet with elected municipal and school district officials through the end of the year and ask them to participate.It will begin operation in January with those communities that agree to participate, including anyone else across the county that is interested.
It will have a nine-member board with two members each appointed by advisory boards formed by participating municipalities and school districts; one appointed by
The cost to government bodies will be minimal: 5 percent of their delinquent tax collections each year to help fund the program; elimination of overdue taxes on properties the bank acquires; and half the taxes for five years once a property is back on the tax roles. The COGs have applied for
In return, the municipalities will have an opportunity to get property back on the tax rolls more quickly and they will have absolute veto power over who can buy property from the bank.
"We don'?t want people to think this is a government land grab," Ms. Lewis said. "It'?s property they own, they manage and they decide how it will be used. Those individual voices are important and they will have the final say."
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