Boardman trustees award demolition contracts

Staff report

BOARDMAN

Township officials have moved forward with efforts to demolish vacant houses.

Township trustees voted earlier this week to award demolition contracts to tear down three structures.

C Crump Inc. of Hubbard was awarded a $5,100 contract to demolish a structure at 28 Boardman-Poland Road. All Demolition & Co. of Poland was awarded a $4,700 contract to tear down a structure at 30 Ewing Road. Siegel Excavating LLC of Edinburg, Pa. will tear down a 5009 Firnley Ave. structure at a cost of $4,800.

All three demolition projects are slated to be completed in early October.

The township zoning department in 2012 began an effort, with assistance from state and federal grant programs, to demolish abandoned, vacant structures.

The goal, township officials say, is to stabilize areas where property values are threatened by the presence of abandoned, neglected properties.

“The reason we’re doing the demolitions is to preserve the integrity of the neighborhoods,” said Marilyn Kenner, assistant zoning inspector.

The township general fund will cover the cost of five or six demolition projects this year, zoning officials said, including the three for which contracts most recently were awarded.

The Community Development Block Grant – a federal grant that is divvied up by county officials for local projects – will cover the cost to demolish structures at 287 Oakley Ave. and 3922 Hopkins Road. Those demolitions also are slated to be complete in early October.