Blight, round two

The Crown City is well on its way to having fewer eyesores.
But there is still more work to do.
In 2015, nine homes in Dunkirk were razed thanks to a $176,000 grant from Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program.
The plan is to tear down six more in 2017.
Jack Robbins, a Dunkirk city councilman, said the city has been working for years at tearing down one to two homes per year, dependent on how much money was available. The grant money, however, helped the council expedite the process.
“Even if we don’t get any blight money we’ll continue to get one or two houses as long as they are blight homes,” Robbins said.
But out of the original grant money, Ami Huffman, Jay County’s director of community development, said about 42 percent, or $74,000, remains
“Should cover all of it,” she said of the six homes slated for demolition next year. There are two located on east Ohio Street, two on west Commerce Street and one each on Grand and west Washington streets.
“We think we have enough to do the final six just because they’re smaller homes not on a foundation,” she said.
Huffman informed city council Nov. 14 that additional funding might be available through the blight elimination program. The city can apply for more money, which is left over because some cities and towns did not use all of their allotted funds. Dunkirk was the first community to successfully complete the program.
Each property listed for elimination was first acquired by the county. Huffman said she works closely with Anna Culy, Jay County’s auditor, to identify properties that are behind on their taxes.
“The route we have been taking is to get them when (previous owners) have abandoned them and not paid taxes so we don’t have to negotiate a purchase price,” Huffman said. “We haven’t had to do that negotiating piece where they think their property is higher (in) value.”
Robbins said county commissioners obtained ownership then handed them over to the City of Dunkirk.
“Our main goal is to get them cleaned up,” Robbins said.
Each of the original nine properties have been sold. All but one were bought by residents at adjacent or nearby properties. Redkey resident Dru Hall purchased the ninth.
“That is the purpose, to get them back on the tax roll,” Robbins said.
Each owner can do with the property as they so please, but Huffman noted should one of the next six properties not sell she hopes to turn it into a “pocket park.”
Huffman said someone mentioned to her that on the west side of Indiana 167 there is not a public basketball goal, and that some parents will not allow their children to cross the state highway.
She said if a property on that side of the city doesn’t sell, Dunkirk could install a hoop.
The cost for demolition is dependent on the structure itself. Houses with basements — two of the original nine had one — cost the most. Foundations also add to the demolition price.
“These are properties that were just abandoned,” Huffman said. “It has been a pretty successful program …”
While Huffman said the paperwork to sell the homes has been relatively time-intensive, both she and Robbins agree it has been a step in the right direction for Dunkirk.
“The first round went smooth,” Robbins said. “I don’t know of anything anybody could have done to make it smoother.
“I had no problems dealing with people at the blight program. I hope (the second round) goes the same way.”