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We Need Your Help!
The Cuyahoga Land Bank requests your consideration and support of two important developments concerning vacant and abandoned properties in Ohio.
First, State Senator Patton has recently introduced Senate Bill 172 that provides several enhancements to Ohio’s land bank and tax foreclosure laws. This bill will help municipal, township, and county land banks perform their critical function of removing blighted, vacant and abandoned properties from our communities in an efficient and economical manner. The Bill can be found here and a sample letter of support can be downloaded here.
Second, Ohio EPA has recently proposed new demolition guidance for small residential structures that embrace the “residential exemption†found in the federal asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for demolition. This guidance provides a reasonable and carefully considered balance between the need to protect the community from unreasonable asbestos in homes versus the more serious and present danger of vacant, vandalized and abandoned houses.
As many of you know, U.S. EPA’s current interpretation of the asbestos NESHAP inexplicably no longer recognizes this "residential exemption" despite the fact that it is expressly provided for in the plain language of the federal regulation. As a result of U.S. EPA’s overreach in this area, Ohio communities and land banks have spent millions of dollars to comply with regulations that do not impact environmental safety and that rightfully should not apply to scattered site demolitions of nuisance structures. Ohio EPA, on the other hand, has offered a reasonable compromise which we fully support. As Ohio EPA considers the official release of this guidance document, we would like to show statewide support of our Ohio EPA from stakeholders affected by U.S. EPA’s current misinterpretation of the asbestos NESHAP. Ohio EPA’s proposed guidance can be downloaded here. A sample letter of support for the demolition guidance can be found here.
So that we may deliver your letters directly to Senator Patton, Governor Kasich, Ohio EPA and Ohio’s Congressional Delegation, please mail, fax or email your letters of support to:
Cuyahoga Land Bank
Attn: Douglas J. Sawyer, Special Projects and Policy Counsel
323 W. Lakeside Ave, Suite 160
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Phone: 216-698-3543
Fax: 216-698-8972
Email: dsawyer@cuyahogalandbank.org
Thank you for your consideration and we appreciate your support towards these efforts!
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Cuyahoga Land Bank Celebrates Disabilities Awareness Month; Conclusion of a 2nd Year of Partnership with Koinonia Homes, Inc. to Maintain Properties
For the second year in a row through a partnership between Koinonia Homes, Inc. and the Cuyahoga Land Bank, a crew of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities gained meaningful work experience while helping to keep communities clean in Cuyahoga County.
The Cuyahoga Land Bank first worked with Koinonia Homes to establish Rising Harvest Farm, a vocational urban agricultural farm at West 41st and Memphis Avenue that serves as a multifaceted resource. Koinonia teaches their clients about farming, along with producing high-quality naturally grown food for citizens throughout the County. It was while working on this project that Cuyahoga Land Bank President Gus Frangos realized the Cuyahoga Land Bank could also team up with Koinonia to provide employment for individuals served by Koinonia.
In 2012, Frangos proposed the creation of a work experience program that would maintain vacant properties in the Cuyahoga Land Bank inventory and utilize the talents and skills of Koinonia's clients. Not every property acquired by the Cuyahoga Land Bank can immediately be turned around through renovation or demolition and these properties must be maintained to prevent further deterioration and safety hazards. As a part of that maintenance, between May and October, the grass at these properties must be cut regularly.
“At the Cuyahoga Land Bank we are continually seeking mutually beneficial partnerships, such as the one we have with Koinonia,†said Frangos. “We are thrilled to be able to provide a meaningful work experience for Koinonia clients.â€
 This month, the Koinonia work crew is concluding its second grass cutting season. In that time, Koinonia clients have regularly maintained 35 lawns, gained valuable work experience and improved the quality of life for neighboring residents. According to Koinonia President & CEO, Diane Beastrom, the relationship has been a win-win. “The Land Bank had a need and Koinonia had the talent,†Beastrom affirms. “We serve many people, all of whom have abilities and skills that make them an eager labor force. They want to be productive. We are grateful to the Land Bank for the opportunity to fulfill both of our priorities.â€
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Did You Know?
Ever wonder why we need County Land Banks? In the second of a series of Cuyahoga Land Bank FAQ videos, Land Bank President and General Counsel Gus Frangos explains the need for County Land Banks. The foreclosure crisis created large scale abandonment of properties that continue to deteriorate. These distressed properties lower property values and decrease safety. County Land Banks provide a way to bring these properties back to productive use.
Watch 'Why Do We Need County Land Banks?' on YouTube:
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