Demolition improves Salem neighborhoods

By D.A. Wilkinson | April 5, 2010 at 12:04a.m.

By D.A. WILKINSON

SALEM

The house at 644 E. Fourth St. did not go down easily.

The once well-made house had stone pillars supporting the overhanging second story.

But time took its toll as yellow shingles turned black, as if the structure had a disease.

It was being destroyed because it was vacant.

Columbiana and Carroll counties last year received $1.72 million in federal funds to demolish abandoned or foreclosed homes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, also called the Community Housing Improvement Program.

One worker from Less Contracting of Salem sprayed water to keep demolition dust down while another worker carefully used a backhoe to fold the house slowly into its basement.

Dan Rice, a city housing inspector, said the key to the program was that the houses had to be vacant.

Rice said there were various reasons the houses were vacant. Some were empty for years.

“Some passed to children who were going to do something with it but never did,” Rice said.

Steve Andres, the city’s service director, said that others bought houses with the expectation of renting them out.

Some of the properties had been offered for sale by the county at two-thirds of their estimated value, but often the property is not worth that amount.

The city has taken down 29 houses, and nine are being rehabilitated. Three more demolitions have not been put out for bid yet.

Andres said several of the demolitions made the surrounding areas look much better.

Habitat For Humanity of Northern Columbiana County Inc. plans to build two homes this year on two vacant lots and an additional home on a lot next year.