Lowellville BOE weighs comments from public
LOWELLVILLE
The Lowellville Board of Education is weighing public comments before deciding whether Habitat for Humanity can acquire property here for two homes.
Officers of Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County Inc. addressed residents at a public hearing before the board Wednesday.
They told neighbors of the property, two lots on Jackson Street where there used to be an elementary school, that they want to build homes that would be an asset to the neighborhood.
Neighbors expressed concerns about crowding on the small lots and about who might move in to the tight-knit neighborhood they don’t want to see change.
John Burgan, president of the Mahoning County Habitat chapter, told the crowd that the organization does not give houses away.
“We build for local families who have to qualify for a loan,” he said.
“Habitat pays for property in full and becomes the mortgage lender,” he continued, adding that the organization makes sure homeowners take care of the properties.
Buyers would be low-income families who can’t get a conventional mortgage, said Monica Craven, Habitat’s executive director. They must have good credit, and they must volunteer 300 to 400 hours with Habitat, she said.
Several neighbors said they would rather see the property sold to George Popovitch, who lives next to it. He said he’s asked before if he could buy it.
“It sits so close to my property line,” Popovitch said.
“I’d like to see a neighbor buy it, to give space, because there’s small lots there,” said Joe DeMarco.
“I like the community we have now, and I’d like to see it stay the way it is,” said resident Frank Bedenik.
Board member John Wilaj said he is wary of donating “taxpayers’ property.”
Habitat also buys land, representatives said.