Government Operations Committee recommends reactivating land bank authority, asks mayor and commission to consider $275,000 designation

The Government Operations Committee on March 17 voted to send the mayor and commission a recommendation to reactivate the Athens-Clarke County Land Bank Authority and requested staff return with an operations and staffing plan, including a proposal to designate $275,000 from the county's affordable housing special revenue fund for up to 18 months.

Andrew, a county staff member who presented the item, said the land bank's chief advantage is speed in acquiring and disposing of property. "The most benefits that it offers is maybe more nimble acquisition and disposition of property than you get out of just the unified government," he said, describing how an authority might be used for blight remediation, infill housing and heirs-property issues.

The committee heard that the county's recent tax-commission records show seven distinct parcels offered at tax sale over the past decade that did not sell, and the land bank currently holds title to five parcels. Andrew said of the 40-odd county-owned lots reviewed, roughly 20 "have decent potential for being returned to housing; the remainder are predominantly remnants and unusable." He cautioned that many unsold tax-sale lots lack road frontage, are subject to utility easements or have dimensions that make building impractical.

Staff walked the committee through specific county holdings that may be usable for housing. Two tax-commission parcels, 105 Sartain and 201 East Meadow Drive, were described as candidates for infill with usable road frontage. Properties at 110 Altrastem Drive and 300 Bailey Street were flagged as more promising among the five titled to the land bank. The county also owns two duplex structures off Creekwood Estates that total eight bedrooms and carry prior Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding; staff said the units need major renovation and estimated current rehabilitation costs at roughly $150,000 to $200,000 per structure to reach "very nice" condition.

Andrew told the committee that some parcels are deed-restricted or were acquired as part of buyouts and are therefore not buildable. He identified Rock Springs buyout lots as FEMA-conveyed properties "that were bought out to get homes out of the flood plain" and said they carry deed restrictions preventing new construction. Several parcels are encumbered by a deeded utility right-of-way that would allow access but not a structure.

Committee members discussed whether the land bank would be an efficient tool in a high-demand local market. "If you start an LBA, I think you need to be prepared to heavily subsidize it," Andrew said, noting that Athens-Clarke County's strong private market interest could outbid a land bank trying to acquire property at tax sale. Staff suggested the land bank would be most effective working alongside an affordable housing trust fund or by transferring properties to nonprofit housing partners that can ensure perpetual affordability.

The committee approved a motion to send the proposed resolution and charge to the full mayor and commission to reactivate the authority and directed staff to return with a plan addressing operations, staffing and legal steps. The committee also recommended that the mayor and commission consider designating $275,000 from the affordable housing special revenue fund as seed money for an 18-month period; staff said any formal allocation would require subsequent action by the mayor and commission.

Next steps noted in the meeting: staff will consult the attorney's office about the legal processes for disposal or transfer of public land (including Georgia statutory options), refine an operations and staffing plan for a reactivated authority, and return to the mayor and commission with proposed ordinances or resolutions and a budget request if the full body supports reactivation.

A final discussion point raised by committee members was whether existing authorities (for example, an existing development authority or public facilities authority) could perform some functions of a land bank to avoid creating a fully staffed new entity. Staff said that while other authorities can assist, a land bank provides a clearer legal tool for acquiring, holding and transferring property and accepting donations of property.

Votes at a glance: The Government Operations Committee voted to forward a recommendation to the full mayor and commission to reactivate the Land Bank Authority and to request staff return with an operations and staffing plan; the committee also recommended consideration of a $275,000 designation from the affordable housing special revenue fund for up to 18 months. The meeting record does not include a roll-call vote tally in the transcript.

Ending: The committee's recommendation now goes to the full mayor and commission for consideration. Staff said it will follow up with the attorney's office and housing partners and return with a proposed operations plan, legal steps and any needed budget requests.