Commissioners go forward with land bank consultant
During a recent public meeting, Wayne County Commissioners Becky Foster, left, Ron Amstutz and Sue Smail adopted a resolution to enter into an agreement with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to consult in the possible formation of a land reutilization corporation, also known as a land bank.
During a recent public meeting, the Wayne County Commissioners adopted a resolution to enter into an agreement with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to consult in the possible formation of a land reutilization corporation, also known as a land bank.
“A land bank provides a vehicle for acquiring a property that is not otherwise available. It can also be used to clean up blighted properties or for putting vacant buildings that have value back into use,” Wayne County Commissioner Sue Smail said. “It will be a tool that will greatly benefit our small villages, as well as the cities.”
The implementation of an LRC affords counties of all sizes the ability to reclaim, rehabilitate and reutilize economically nonproductive land under sections 1724 and 5722 of the Ohio Revised Code. With a land bank in effect, Wayne County has the option of taking ownership of property and managing it until a time that redevelopment can begin.
County land banks are independent corporations that are governed by a board of directors comprised of county, municipal and township leaders. Funding for land banks can be done in a variety of ways: through the county’s delinquent tax and assessment collection fund, delinquent tax penalties, tax delinquency anticipation notes, and through loans, land sales or grants.
Wayne County will benefit from the use of a land bank in several ways including the stabilization of housing and the elimination of blight. But perhaps the most attractive reason is LRCs help communities recover from the foreclosure crisis. Wayne County will join 54 other counties in Ohio that have established land banks for revitalization.
Land banks were established in the 1960s as an urban planning tool. But recently they have become increasingly important tools for counties facing an ever-growing amount of vacant and abandoned buildings. In 2008 state legislators passed a bill allowing Cuyahoga County Commissioners to create a modern land bank in Ohio. The Ohio land bank became the model other states followed. A county land bank may be customized to fit the unique needs of the community it serves.
Utilizing a land bank also will be in alignment with Wayne Onward, the county comprehensive plan. The plan, developed from nearly 1,800 comments collected from community members, outlines community investment as an opportunity to re-establish communities that are experiencing decline and support the redevelopment of public and private buildings.
Dan Starcher is a public communications specialist for the Wayne County government.