ACTION: Collaboration is key in razing of blighted buildings

By LINDA M. LINONIS

linonis@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

A collaboration between the city of Youngstown and Valley churches to speed up action on abandoned houses and buildings is unfolding as a priority for the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods.

At an ACTION clergy caucus Thursday at St. Charles Borromeo Church, the Rev. Ed Noga, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Youngstown and DeMaine Kitchen, chief of staff to Youngstown Mayor Charles Sammarone, addressed the issue of demolition of derelict buildings.

Father Noga said collaborations among churches will lessen the financial burden for partner churches while improving the neighborhood as a whole. “This is more than dealing with abandoned buildings. It’s about crime, health and safety issues,” Father Noga said. He added it is not only in the city but surrounding communities.

Potential collaborations are between St. Patrick and New Bethel Baptist Church; Price Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion and St. Michael churches; St. Charles, Good Hope Lutheran, St. Luke and Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist churches; Elizabeth Baptist and St. Angela churches; and St. Edward, Antioch Baptist and Holy Apostles churches.

The Rev. Joseph Fata, clergy co-chairman, said, “It’s up to ACTION to lead by example to other groups and businesses” in dealing with derelict structures.

Kitchen said the city has 500 structures on the abandoned-derelict building list. Though the city has made progress in demolishing blighted buildings, the challenge is continuing the effort.

He said government faces more regulations, constraints and costs in the process than individuals and groups such as ACTION do. He suggested that ACTION target derelict buildings in church neighborhoods, adding those to the city list, not targeting ones already on the list. That way more blight can be eradicated.

Kitchen said there are plans for the city website, www.cityofyoungstownoh.org, to post a list of buildings slated for demolition.

Kitchen said the city must follow U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations on testing structures for asbestos and other hazardous materials before demolition can take place.

But, he said, it’s ironic that individuals and nonprofits such as ACTION aren’t bound by the same regulations. He said the city would work with ACTION partnerships to handle the dumping of demolition debris — $600 per load, and usually a normal-size house is two loads.

Kitchen said the city has streamlined the paperwork process of dealing with derelict buildings.

Kitchen did caution ACTION about acquiring ownership of derelict properties only to discover liens because of back taxes.

He said the city already has seen churches acquire derelict properties; some are now urban gardens.