FRACKVILLE — The borough council approved its membership with the Schuylkill County Land Bank at Wednesday’s meeting, but not without lengthy discussion by the council members on any advantages to that membership.
The vote was 4-2 in favor, with council President Ronald Jordan, Karen Domalakes, Bradley Gotshall and Paul Klevis voting for it. Voting against were Councilman William Creasy and Vice President Peter Zuber. Councilman David W. Bowen was absent.
Gotshall raised the non-agenda topic, asking for the council to become part of the land bank, which is an initiative started in 2014 by the Northern Schuylkill Council of Governments.
“I would like to have Frackville sign on with the land bank intergovernmental agreement that was distributed last month,” Gotshall said.
Gotshall’s motion was seconded by Domalakes, which opened the matter for discussion.
“I’m still not sure how this thing is going to all work,” Klevis said. “I read this (agreement) a couple of times and it’s going to cost us a $1,000 membership each year and lock us in for five years. Has there been a land bank created anywhere in the state with success?”
“Many land banks,” Gotshall replied, adding they have been “very successful.”
Klevis noted that if a property is purchased by the land bank, it will be the borough’s responsibility to maintain it — cutting grass, cleaning snow from sidewalks, etc.
“Paul, the question really comes down to the fact that for most of these properties, we’re already in a similar situation anyway,” Gotshall said. “Not much would change by accepting the land bank.”
Gotshall explained that if the land bank decides to purchase a property, it is with a purpose.
“If it finds a property and wants to purchase it, it’s because the land bank has a plan already in place to make way for development,” Gotshall said. “They’re not just going to go willy-nilly into each municipality and select properties to buy just because they’re vacant. They would do it because they have a plan for the property.”
Domalakes said the process in acquiring properties probably would be small at first, at least until funding through grants is received.
“I do think it is vague in what more we have to pay for, but this year we did put money into our budget to do work like this, and I think we should continue,” Domalakes said. “No one knows how it’s going to work out, but I don’t know if they’ll even buy one property in town.”
“But we still have to pay the fee ($1,000),” Creasy said. “I don’t want to give $5,000 to somebody who is not going to do anything except collect our money, and we still have to take care of these properties.”
“It’s not going to be like that, though,” Gotshall replied. “The way we have to look at is that right now we’re not getting anything with the properties and never will. With the land bank, we have to option to get something from it.”
Speaking from the public was Helen M. Miernicki, Frackville, a licensed realtor who has requested a seat on the land bank board as a qualified professional in real estate. She has offered her services for free to the land bank because “I’m very passionate about this endeavor.”
“The board of directors will look at a feasibility study right away,” Miernicki said. “It is not going to solve all problems. It’s going to be plan. It’s not just my opinion. It will be a group of well-versed people in different fields that say what can we do with this property.”
Miernicki added, “From my projection, we’ll be lucky if we get one in a year, so don’t get hung up on maintaining these properties. This is going to be a long haul. If you decide to join, and I’m talking as a taxpayer in Frackville and I wish we would, yes, you’re paying the $1,000. If the land bank acquires the property, you are obligated to do the sidewalks and the grass, which you may be doing. They’re not going to buy it just to have ‘hold time.’ There is going to be a prospective buyer or projected feasibility study. Do we know what industry, what business, what person (would be interested)? Will it be torn down and can we get grant money?”
Miernicki said she has seen many changes in the 29 years she has been a realtor, saying that properties she sold are boarded up and will not be resold.
“This is happening in Frackville. I’m selling properties now cheaper than when I started in my real estate career,” she said. “We have blight in every block. One thing that can be guaranteed is nothing stays constant. Is this (land bank) going to be a fix-all? No. Is it going to be something? Yes.”
Zuber asked if there were other boroughs that are land bank members, to which Gotshall said there were. Before the council’s vote, nine taxing bodies — the boroughs of Ashland, Mahanoy City, Minersville and Shenandoah, Delano Township, and Mahanoy Area, Minersville and Shenandoah Valley school districts and Schuylkill County — have signed on.
As explained in a previous Republican-Herald story, a land bank is a public or community-owned entity established to acquire, manage, maintain and repurpose vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties, according to the website for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Schuylkill County Land Bank will be the first land bank in the county since the state House and Senate approved Act 153 of 2012, which enabled municipalities in Pennsylvania to create them.
Borough health officer Ronald Liem, who is also vice chairman of the Frackville Downtown Revitalization Committee, said, “I think the borough is wasting more than $1,000 a year on a lot of other nonsense. I think this is important.”
The creation of land banks in the state came through the passage of HB 1682 in 2012. The bill was sponsored by state Rep. John Taylor, R-177, and supported in the state Senate by Sens David G. Argall, R-29, and Gene Yaw, R-23. The bill was signed by Gov. Tom Corbett on Oct. 24, 2012.
According to Smart Growth America, the only national organization dedicated to researching, advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more communities nationwide, HB 1682 enables municipalities in Pennsylvania to create land banks, local entities that can hold and manage vacant properties and direct their reuse and redevelopment. Land banks make it easier and cheaper for prospective buyers to redevelop blighted properties into homes and businesses, ultimately reversing cycles of economic decline and getting delinquent properties back on municipal tax rolls.