The name of this chapter shall be the "Residential
Revitalization Program Adoption Ordinance."
This chapter is adopted and enacted pursuant
to the authority granted to the Borough of Monaca by all relevant
state and federal laws, including, but not limited to, the following:
The general authority granted by the Constitution of Pennsylvania
to make and adopt all such ordinances, bylaws, rules and regulations
as may be deemed expedient or necessary for the proper management
of the Borough of Monaca and the Urban Redevelopment Law.
The Borough Council recognizes that:
A. The Beaver Initiative for Growth has coordinated a
countywide program model for residential revitalization and the reduction
of residential blight, and that 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 the Borough of Monaca, and that the amelioration of blighted properties
will make our neighborhoods more attractive, safer and more valuable
places to live and invest.
C. This activity requires centralized coordination and
project management.
The Borough Council adopts the countywide Residential
Revitalization Program and adopts 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. The Borough of Monaca will appoint a primary liaison
to the countywide effort who will report to the chairman of the Blight
Reduction Committee for the Borough of Monaca 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 acquiring 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. As such, 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 issues
of nuisance properties will be completed, comparing the ordinances
of the Borough of Monaca 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 the Borough of Monaca,
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 the centralized marketing and
outreach to well-qualified developers.
G. A partnership with Community Revitalization of Beaver
County, a nonprofit organization established to lead and coordinate
this program, as well as act as a nonprofit housing developer and
resources broker for homeowners.
The 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 created 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 by the Council President
of the Borough of Monaca;
(2) A member of the Council of the Borough of Monaca;
(3) A representative appointed by the Planning Commission
of the Borough of Monaca;
(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; and
(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.