What to do about derelict properties; the ones that either fail to sell at the annual Wayne County Real Property auction, or end up completely abandoned and become a public safety issue?
This topic has been bantered about for years by the County Board of Supervisors and is finally being addressed with a unique solution that New York State began endorsing in 2013. Counties throughout the state are encouraged to set up Regional Land Bank Corporations. In August of 2017 the County received approval to form the “The Wayne County Regional Land Bank Corporation”.
The Land Bank is designed to acquire, stabilize, assemble, and facilitate the redevelopment of blighted and abandoned properties, in order for them to be returned to productive use. The County agreed to fund the start-up with $250,000 for the first three years. Along with an additional $500,000 Land Bank Community Initiative (Land Bank CRI) grant through the New York State Attorney General’s Office, received in late 2018, Wayne County is ready to go.
According to Brian Pincelli, Director for Economic Development and Planning for Wayne County and CEO of the IDA, since 2013 the Attorney General’s office has provided more than $82 million statewide into Land Bank programs.
In Wayne County, three initial properties were chosen in 2018: 48 Broad Street in Lyons; 1662 Walker Road in Palmyra and 8561 Ridge Road East in Sodus.
Read more from the Times of Wayne County
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