New Battle Plan in City's Blight Fight
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
The City of Bradford has come up with a new battle plan in its fight against blight.
Instead of demolishing only a handful of properties this year, they’re going to go after many more by, as OECD director Sara Andrews said, getting more bang for their buck.
She explained that every year $30,000 of Community Development Block Grant money is set aside for demolition. But this year, they are going take out a loan for $150,000 and pay back the loan with the CDBG money.
Andrews said she checked with the state Department of Community and Economic Development and they said using the money that way would be fine. City Council on Tuesday authorized OECD to send letters to lending institutions in an effort to secure the loan.
She said Councilman Rhett Kennedy has complied of list of 56 properties that need to be demolished, and that list is growing. She added that they are in the process of getting the “legal end of things” tied up so they can secure the first batch of properties that can be put out to bid for demolition.
Mayor Tom Riel added that blight is not a problem unique to Bradford.
“It’s very common,” he said.
In fact, a year ago the Neighborhood Blight Revitalization and Reclamation Act went into effect in Pennsylvania in an effort to help communities throughout the state fight blight and repair or demolish dilapidated properties.
Senator David Argall of Schuylkill County championed the legislation and said, “From Philadelphia to Hamburg, Pittsburgh to Blandon, no community is immune to blight. “
Riel added, “We gratefully accept donations from some of the people who like to complain about the blight all the time in this town. You don’t have to pay for the whole house, but even if it’s a hundred bucks we’ll take it. Quit bitchin’ and start givin’.”
In other matters, council approved the reconstruction of the Pine Street pedestrian bridge that will connect East Washington and Pine streets.
On April 16 the Historical Architectural Review Board approved the application but recommended eliminating timber entrances on both sides of the bridge because it detracts from the pergola and overall sense of the historic district.
Council also approved a building permit for Jeremy Callinan and the OECD, owners of 109 Main Street, for façade improvements.
Callinan is changing the name of the restaurant – and therefore, the sign – from Tortuga’s to TB Brown’s. Andrews said Callinan is naming the restaurant after the original owner of the building.
She explained that the restaurant will be more family-style now, adding that Callinan was having difficulty finding chefs experienced in cooking Mexican food.
Andrews and Riel both said the restaurant will still serve margaritas, though.
Also Tuesday, council reappointed John Peterson city clerk, Mark Hollenbeck city solicitor and Roy Pedersen city engineer. All of the appointments are effective from May 7 through the first Monday in May of 2016.
The news leader of the Twin Tiers ...
since 1947
WESB/WBRR News Director
The City of Bradford has come up with a new battle plan in its fight against blight.
Instead of demolishing only a handful of properties this year, they’re going to go after many more by, as OECD director Sara Andrews said, getting more bang for their buck.
She explained that every year $30,000 of Community Development Block Grant money is set aside for demolition. But this year, they are going take out a loan for $150,000 and pay back the loan with the CDBG money.
Andrews said she checked with the state Department of Community and Economic Development and they said using the money that way would be fine. City Council on Tuesday authorized OECD to send letters to lending institutions in an effort to secure the loan.
She said Councilman Rhett Kennedy has complied of list of 56 properties that need to be demolished, and that list is growing. She added that they are in the process of getting the “legal end of things” tied up so they can secure the first batch of properties that can be put out to bid for demolition.
Mayor Tom Riel added that blight is not a problem unique to Bradford.
“It’s very common,” he said.
In fact, a year ago the Neighborhood Blight Revitalization and Reclamation Act went into effect in Pennsylvania in an effort to help communities throughout the state fight blight and repair or demolish dilapidated properties.
Senator David Argall of Schuylkill County championed the legislation and said, “From Philadelphia to Hamburg, Pittsburgh to Blandon, no community is immune to blight. “
Riel added, “We gratefully accept donations from some of the people who like to complain about the blight all the time in this town. You don’t have to pay for the whole house, but even if it’s a hundred bucks we’ll take it. Quit bitchin’ and start givin’.”
In other matters, council approved the reconstruction of the Pine Street pedestrian bridge that will connect East Washington and Pine streets.
On April 16 the Historical Architectural Review Board approved the application but recommended eliminating timber entrances on both sides of the bridge because it detracts from the pergola and overall sense of the historic district.
Council also approved a building permit for Jeremy Callinan and the OECD, owners of 109 Main Street, for façade improvements.
Callinan is changing the name of the restaurant – and therefore, the sign – from Tortuga’s to TB Brown’s. Andrews said Callinan is naming the restaurant after the original owner of the building.
She explained that the restaurant will be more family-style now, adding that Callinan was having difficulty finding chefs experienced in cooking Mexican food.
Andrews and Riel both said the restaurant will still serve margaritas, though.
Also Tuesday, council reappointed John Peterson city clerk, Mark Hollenbeck city solicitor and Roy Pedersen city engineer. All of the appointments are effective from May 7 through the first Monday in May of 2016.
The news leader of the Twin Tiers ...since 1947
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