The Freedom Borough Council recognizes that:
A. The Beaver Initiative for Growth has coordinated a countywide
program for residential revitalization and the reduction of residential blight.
This program will include several communities throughout Beaver County working
cooperatively to develop and share best practices for blight reduction.
B. The problem of residential blight is of serious concern
in Freedom Borough and the amelioration of blighted properties will make its
neighborhoods more attractive, safer and a more valuable place to live and
invest.
C. This activity requires centralized coordination and project
management.
The Freedom Borough Council adopts the countywide Residential Revitalization
Program and enacts the following as the key components of the program:
A. A Residential Revitalization Program Manager will be
provided by the countywide program team in order to properly coordinate this
activity.
B. Freedom Borough will appoint a primary liaison to the
countywide effort who will report to the Chairman of the Blight Reduction
Committee and coordinate with the Program Manager.
C. A revitalization action plan (RAP) will be created in
cooperation with the countywide program group that identifies and prioritizes
blighted and abandoned properties, and suggests possible actions to address
blight.
D. A strategic process of acquisition of properties so that
they can be rehabilitated and returned to the tax rolls. This will be done
in partnership with other program partners and is a key goal of the program.
Several methods are contemplated as possible courses of action, including:
donation, private market sales, tax sales, foreclosure sheriff sales and spot
condemnation as described in the Urban Redevelopment Law.
E. A review of municipal ordinances addressing the issues
of nuisance properties will be completed, comparing the ordinances of Freedom
Borough to suggested best practices, and a set of recommendations will be
presented.
F. Specific program strategies as devised by the countywide
program team shall be available for use by Freedom Borough, including but
not limited to establishing a land bank program, establishing a side yard
buying program for adjoining homeowners, establishing a community green space
program and centralized marketing and outreach to well qualified developers.
G. A partnership with Community Revitalization of Beaver
County, a nonprofit organization, will be established to lead and coordinate
this program, as well as act as a nonprofit housing developer and resources
broker for homeowners.
The Freedom Borough Council recognizes that a variety of blight reduction
strategies will be employed, including the acquisition of some properties.
For the properties that will be acquired, several acquisition methods exist,
including negotiated sale, donation, lien foreclosure and acquisition through
eminent domain using the spot condemnation process in the Urban Redevelopment
Law. In order to use this tool, a Blight Review Committee (BRC) is hereby
enacted pursuant to the Urban Redevelopment Law. For the purposes of this
program, the BRC is established as follows.
A. The membership of the BRC will be made up of the following:
(1) A representative appointed to the CEO of the municipality
of Freedom Borough.
(2) A member of Council of Freedom Borough.
(3) A representative appointed by the Planning Commission
of Freedom Borough.
(4) A representative appointed by the Beaver County Planning
Commission.
(5) A representative appointed by the Beaver County Housing
Authority.
(6) A representative appointed by the Redevelopment Authority
of Beaver County.
(7) A representative appointed by the Community Revitalization
of Beaver County.
B. A quorum of four will be required for a BRC meeting and
all votes will be of a majority present for that meeting.