Land bank gets boost with $$$ to inventory blighted parcels

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WILMINGTON — Part of the dollars Clinton County will get this year in an annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award will go toward a demolition study.

Calling it a nice way to kick off a land bank, Community Development Consultants of Ohio staffer Amy Schocken indicated a demolition planning study will furnish information that will help the county’s pending land bank do its thing.

The study will inventory properties in the county that are dilapidated and need to be demolished, Schocken said Wednesday. It will also look at properties’ ownership and current tax status, and determine which parcels would be better served through the land bank.

A land bank’s purpose is to clean up blighted properties, clearing the way for the land to be re-utilized. The properties typically are heavily tax delinquent or have assessments against them.

In April, Clinton County commissioners authorized the filing of articles of incorporation with the state to form a county land re-utilization corporation, often called a land bank.

The Fiscal Year 2016 CDBG Allocation Grant to the county will provide $9,000 for a demolition study.

A second project that will receive CDBG funds this year is a clean-up of a section of Mary’s Fork, a stream along the southwest portion of Sabina.

The CDBG grant will provide $45,000 to clean out 4,430 feet of Mary’s Fork, to address flooding.

Unlike the two other projects, funding for a third Clinton County project — Jefferson Street storm sewer reconstruction in Sabina — is conditional. The project will receive $40,000, but only if a separate $280,000 competitive grant for the same project also is awarded. A grant is called competitive when it must beat out other applications for the same pool of grant dollars.

If the competitive grant goes elsewhere, then the $40,000 will be used for one of two backup projects: Port William Walnut Street sidewalks or Blanchester North Broadway Street sidewalks.

But if the competitive grant is awarded for the Jefferson Street project, Schocken is enthused about the anticipated effects for Sabina from the Mary’s Fork and Jefferson Street projects.

“I think that these projects will make a huge impact on the stormwater management in Sabina,” said the community development consultant.

Cleaning out sediment and vegetation in the waters of Mary’s Fork will help prevent the stream from going over its banks and causing flash floods on Route 22, State Route 729 and residential areas of town, Schocken said.

Moreover, last year’s CDBG grant for Clinton County included $28,000 for cleaning out Wilson Creek along Sabina’s north side to improve flooding and draining.

The Jefferson Street project would involve replacing 1,700 linear feet of storm sewer, 14 catch basins, seven manholes, and jacking and boring of the storm sewer under railroad tracks. Schocken said the sewer under the railroad tracks is one place where storm sewer has collapsed, causing some structural issues at the tracks.

The total cost of the Jefferson Street project would be about $339,266. About $19,266 of those dollars would come from the village of Sabina.

Grant awards will be announced in August.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768 or on Twitter @GHuffenberger.

Meeting with Clinton County commisioners Wednesday are, from left, Village of Midland Fiscal Officer Donna P. Lansing and Community Development Consultants of Ohio staffer Amy Schocken.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/06/web1_schocken_p_f.jpgMeeting with Clinton County commisioners Wednesday are, from left, Village of Midland Fiscal Officer Donna P. Lansing and Community Development Consultants of Ohio staffer Amy Schocken.
$9K for demolition planning study

By Gary Huffenberger

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