FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The city of Fairmont is in the process of transferring ownership of up to 50 lots in the city as a result of recent blight removal efforts.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” City Manager Travis Blosser said the program was boosted by $468,000 received through the state Department of Environmental Protection Dilapidated Property Program (DLAP) and the Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) within the Office of Environmental Advocate.
“We’re not the only city that I know of that is taking advantage of that money,” Blosser said. “I think we are one of the bright spots because we already had a program in place, so when that funding came on board, it allowed us to expedite and move much quicker.”
The city developed a committee to review applications from city residents for the parcels. Blosser said the end goal is to get the land back into the tax rolls and eliminate the responsibility of ownership from the city.
“Someone taking it, mowing the grass, and adding it into their property is another community benefit,” Blosser said. “Getting back on the tax rolls is huge for us; that property is now productive versus the city having to take care of the property.”
The properties are spread throughout the city, creating opportunities for residents or organizations to add to their existing lots or purchase a second lot. Blosser expects the program to increase community pride while improving the appearance in some neighborhoods.
“Get those properties back into private ownership,” Blosser said. “Whether that’s someone building a house on one of these lots or someone making their lot size larger and giving themselves a larger yard—there are all kinds of opportunities here.”
Delinquent taxes and demolition costs will be considered for each application, and the purchase of properties with a value of more than $15,000 will be negotiated with the city.
“Most of these lots, based on their tax valuation as well as the demolition liens associated with it, are well under that $15,000 mark,” Blosser said.
A limited amount of property with higher values will be evaluated by the city before moving forward. These projects are expected to be of higher value and potentially impact the community.
The first parcels could be transferred in the next month, according to Blosser.
“Those other pieces of real estate that have a value of much higher than the $15,000 are being looked at for other types of development projects or partnerships with private developers or other organizations,” Blosser said.