HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-13-12 Residential NeighborhoodsRESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AUGUST 13, 2012
4:40 P.M.
Committee Member's Present: Tim Scott, Karen White
Citizen Members: Ken Bradford, Jen Tindel
Other Council Member's Present: Henry Davis, Valerie Schey, Dr. David Varner, Derek
Dieter
Other's Present: Kathy Cekanski - Farrand, Kevin Allen, Jim Kelly, Richard Chambliss,
Jerry Niezgodski, Regina Williams- Preston, Mike Schmuhl
Agenda: Update - Vacant & Abandoned Housing Task Force — Jim Kelly
Residential Neighborhoods Committee Chairperson Tim Scott called this meeting to give
the Council an opportunity to hear a progress report on the Mayor's task force formed to
address the problem of vacant and abandoned properties. Before introducing the head of
the task force, Tim who serves as the Council's representative on the task force, gave a
brief breakdown of the focus, funding, and committee structure of the group. Tim
referred to materials he had previously provided the Council as a reference point.
Tim then introduced Jim Kelly, appointed by the Mayor and serving a chair of the task
force. Jim is a faculty member of the Notre Dame law school and has extensive
experience in rescuing challenged deteriorating neighborhoods particularly in Baltimore.
Kelly reported an enthusiasm in neighborhoods to work together to salvage and improve
them. He said the early focus of the group was to accumulate data which would
methodically detail the number of vacant and abandoned homes. That base line data
would be used to develop a matrix to objectively identify which homes were
economically salvageable and which had to come down. Houses designated for
demolition would be prioritized by a list of factors including safety risk and input from
neighborhood Code and people living there. Tim Scott, interjected to say the Mayor had
pledged an additional 1 million dollars in 2013 for demolition. Jim Kelly then went on to
identify the committees created and their mission. One was to collect data and establish
objective measures. A land bank approach, perhaps requiring state legislation was tasked
to another. Capital availability, what we have and what we might get was yet another.
Another committee was to investigate how to best use the vacant lots left after
demolition. He went on to say individual properties would be evaluated for rehab where
market factors made it practical. The market factor approach might also have an
application to the land bank process of "bundling" properties for sale to developers.
Karen White wondered if demographics were taken into account. Kelly said they were
indeed adding we have to know how we got to where we are before we can plan where
we want to go.
Valerie Schey wondered about the development of a scoring system, to objectively rank
units for demo or rehab.
Henry Davis, Jr., expressed concern that perhaps there was too much emphasis on
demolition and its consequent erosion of the tax base.
Under the public section concerns were expressed about the plight of the poor. Was
enough consideration being paid to the needs of the homeless and the under- housed?
Was the human cost of demolishing homes being taken into account?
Eugenia Williams- Preston and Richard Chambliss both expressed concerns and
suspicions about a possible plan to move the poor and minorities out of neighborhoods
that would later be developed without them.
Jerry Niezgodski wondered if all neighborhoods were evaluated or was emphasis placed
in one area.
Oliver Davis said more diversity was needed on the task force including racial, ethnic,
and geographic components.
Dr. David Varner's comments focused on long -term solutions. He suggested owner
occupied affordable housing programs that would be attractive to investors in areas with
potential reinvestment.
After a brief wrap -up and there being no further business to come before the Residential
Neighborhoods Committee at this time, Chairperson Scott adjourned the meeting at 4:40
p.m.
R tfully mitted.
Tim Sco , Chairperson
Residential Neighborhoods Committee