Mayor wants property deeded to village

The county’s lank bank heard from officials from the village of South Point on Tuesday, regarding a parcel that the county intended to sell.

Mayor Jeff Gaskin and village solicitor Randy Lambert attended the land bank’s meeting to express their concerns about the county acquiring a lot at 108 N. Kenova Road.

Gaskin said the village had been maintaining the property since 2011, demolishing a home on the lot and clearing trees.

Gaskin described the property as “a jungle” before the village began maintaining it, stating a tree had grown up through the home.

He said village workers have been keeping up the property and mowing it in following years since clearing it.

“We have maintained it for 12 years,” he said.

However, this summer, he said village hall received a phone call from someone asking if there were utilities on the lot. It was only then that he learned the land bank had acquired the property and intended to sell it.

Gaskin said he was asking that the land be deeded to the village, for which they have several possible uses.

Last year, the village was forced to close one of its water wells by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and he said the lot is one village administrator Russ McDonald was considering for a new well site.

He said the land could also be used for small park, or possible sold by the village to get the investment they have made back, which he estimated to be $20,000 over the years.

Deanna Holliday, who serves on the land bank board, said this is a “unique” situation and that they “want to be a good partner to municipalities.”

She said that South Point needed to “start the process in motion” and make a formal request, filling out an application, which Lambert and Gaskin agreed to do.

In other business, the land bank board:

• Agreed to sell two lots, located at 203 and 205 Chestnut St. in Proctorville to an adjoining property owner at a price of $10,000.

Lawrence County Treasurer Tresa Baker, who serves as the land bank’s head, said she “likes the idea of it staying in the neighborhood.”

“They live in this neighborhood and they’ve got investment,” she said.

• Agreed to sell a lot, located at 522 Hawk St. in Ironton to Fuller Center Housing, of Ashland. Officials with the nonprofit, who were present at the meeting, said they build housing for lower-income families, similar to Habitat for Humanity, who the group was originally affiliated with.