Fremont hopes to get moving soon on blighted home teardown program – The News-Messenger

Land Bank gets state funds for eyesore demolition

FREMONTTo spruce up some of the city's neighborhoods and eliminate blight, Mayor Danny Sanchez had hoped to start an ambitiousbuilding teardown program in 2020.

COVID-19 derailed the mayor's plans.

But now Sanchez and city officials hope, with help from a new Sandusky County Land Bank-administered program, they can tear down 10-12 dilapidated houses this year.

Brian Woods, the land bank's coordinator, saidThursday the land bank was awarded $500,000 in grant funds through the state's Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program for residential buildings and $1 million for commercial sites.

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Thestate program is designed to provide grants for the demolition of commercial and residential buildings and revitalization of surrounding properties.

Blighted, vacant or abandoned structures are eligible for demolition.

Woods stressed theprogram is for all of Sandusky County's cities, villages and townships, as well as individual landowners.

He said the land bank heard about the state program in December.

The land bank held a meeting with city, township and village officials within Sandusky County to explain the program and its process.

Cities, villages and townships will give the land bank a list of qualifying structures.

Woods said municipalities must file a nuisance order against blighted properties.

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Earlier this month, Fremont City Council approved an ordinance to authorizeSafety Service Director Kenneth Frost to enter into a contract with the Sandusky County Land Bank for removing, repairing, or securing defective, abandoned, deserted, or open and vacant buildings or other structures within the City of Fremont.

Jim Melle, the city's law director, said the city hadbeen working to get money to take down dilapidated buildings and homes.

Frost released a list this week to the News-Messenger of 14 houses the city has identified as blighted.

All of the homes are listed as vacant.

Some of the owners, like the one of a house at 504 Morrison St., live out-of-town and owe several thousand dollars in back taxes.

Six are identified as a "public nuisance," with the others falling under "owner agreement" or "to be determined."

Frost said, with the owner agreement sites, city officials have spoken with the owners and received verbal permission to raze the properties.

"We're ready to roll on these properties," Frost said.

With properties identified as public nuisances, the city has to follow Ohio Revised Code statutes and give appropriate notice to property owners before it can be demolished.

Sanchez said at the council's Jan. 6 meeting the city is approachingowners of blighted buildings and trying to acquire those properties.

"We think it may be a stress relief for some of these property owners that are behind on their taxes," Sanchez said.

The mayor said the city's goal is to not use general fund money for acquisition or demolition unless it's an absolute emergency.

Woods said theland bank has agreements in place with Fremont and most of the county's cities, villages and townships.

He said eight individual land owners have already submitted requests to the land bank to demolish blighted, vacantstructures on their property.

There also have been applications submitted to demolish two vacant commercial properties, Woods said.

One of the commercial sites is the old Atlas building on Ohio 20 near Woodville.

"That's been an eyesore for 20 years," Woods said.

The other commercial site is on property on North Street in Fremont near Dickinson Street.

"We're excited about it," Woods said of the new program. "It gives us different avenues we've never had to help communities with their blight."

Landowners with questions about the program and eligibility can contact the land bank at 419-334-6414.

dacarson@gannett.com

419-334-1046

Twitter: @DanielCarson7

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Fremont hopes to get moving soon on blighted home teardown program - The News-Messenger