Committee hears support for conveying surplus state land in Dover under House Bill 379

Chairman Hoopes opened the committee hearing on House Bill 379 and welcomed testimony from local and state officials. Mayor Shane Gano of Dover testified in support of the bill, saying it would enable the state to divest parcels that are no longer needed for their original governmental purpose and return fair market value to state coffers.

"This legislation will provide the state of Ohio an opportunity to support important public services…by divesting state‑owned property that is otherwise no longer needed for its original, intended governmental purpose," Mayor Shane Gano said. He told the committee the city is seeking conveyance of roughly 1.7 acres now held by the Ohio National Guard and described local growth that has made the parcel more valuable for commercial use.

Gano described rapid local development near the armory site, saying Dover was ranked by Site Selection magazine as the No. 3 small micropolitan community in the U.S. for economic development in 2024 and that Sheffler Corporation is investing $230,000,000 on an e‑mobility facility that will create about 450 jobs near the parcel. He said private developers have approached the city about the site and that the proposed conveyance would allow a sale at fair market value, with proceeds returned to state coffers and potential local benefits including new jobs and an expanded tax base.

Marcy Jeter, administrator of the Department of Administrative Services Office of Real Estate and Planning, described DAS’s role in property transactions and the variety of conveyances included in HB 379. Jeter told the committee that DAS handles acquisition, divestiture, appraisal review, surveys and the legal processing needed for transfers and that some transactions in the bill have been in development for some time.

Jeter highlighted several conveyances contained in the bill: an approximately 150‑acre parcel proposed for transfer related to recreational use with a deed restriction that would revert the property to the state if it ceases to be used for recreation; perpetual sanitary sewer easements requested by The Ohio State University (noting current DAS authority typically limits easements for institutions of higher education to 25 years absent legislative approval); and the transfer of an approximately 16,000 square‑foot building improvement known as the National Aviation Hall of Fame, which sits on federally owned land and would be conveyed to the U.S. Air Force to relieve the state of maintenance obligations.

During Q&A, committee members asked whether DAS was aware of other properties that should be addressed by future legislation. Jeter replied that state entities notify DAS when they determine a property is surplus and that the office did not have additional properties identified for inclusion in this bill at this time.

Chair Hoopes noted two written testimonies were available on members’ iPads and concluded the second hearing on House Bill 379. No vote was recorded during the session.