Land Bank Committee approves buyback of four vacant lots after developer encounters bedrock

The Land Bank Committee voted unanimously on Monday to reclaim four vacant residential parcels into the city’s land reutilization program after a developer encountered bedrock that made construction under the Welcome Home program infeasible. The committee approved purchasing the lots at $1,500 apiece, for a total cost of $6,000, and said it will present a purchase-and-sale agreement to the city commission for final approval.

The action matters because the parcels had been part of an earlier approved sale to Welcome Home Great Lakes under the Welcome Home Ohio program; city staff and committee members said digging at the Milan Road sites revealed bedrock that prevented the installation of basements, a requirement of the program’s house plans. "These lots will be purchased through the land bank budget at the sale price of $1,500 each," the Chair said, adding the pricing is consistent with the land reutilization schedule and that the city expects to recoup the cost when a suitable buyer is found.

Committee members heard parcel-specific details before the vote, including addresses and parcel numbers, zoning and lot dimensions. The Chair read the parcels as three contiguous lots on Milan Road (listed in the meeting record) and a single lot on East Adams Street; the Milan Road lots are each about 33 by 132 feet and zoned R2F (two-family), and the East Adams lot is about 32 by 132 feet. The Chair cited the relevant pricing authority under state law, referencing Section 5722 of the Ohio Revised Code.

A committee member asked what 'nonproductive' meant in this context; the Chair said it referred to the parcels not generating tax revenue while owned by private parties. Another committee member noted that while it is possible to excavate through bedrock, doing so would be significantly more expensive than the Welcome Home program can absorb and therefore made the original development plan infeasible. "It doesn't mean someone couldn't break through this bedrock — it's a very expensive endeavor," that committee member said.

After brief discussion, a committee member moved to repurchase all four parcels into the land bank and the Chair seconded the motion. The clerk called the roll and recorded unanimous approval. The Chair said the next step is to take the purchase-and-sale agreement to the city commission for final approval and then market the parcels for sale to buyers with building plans suited to the lots.

The committee scheduled its next meeting for July 20 at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 3:06 p.m.