23. General comments about the tools for revitalization

    Many communities in Pennsylvania have an inventory of obsolete, blighted and abandoned buildings. 

There are ways to address the inventory. 

Rehabilitation or demolition are principle solutions. 

Demolition is a solution when the structure is beyond an economical rehabilitation. The circumstances determining  for rehabilitation that are first and foremost are the nature of the structure’s deterioration. The structure’s degree of deterioration in light of code compliance and the nature of the building lot on which it is built upon all come together to determine economic practicality for rehabilitation. 

Then, the question of overall obsolescence of the streetscape should be considered. Older neighborhoods are often congested. Narrow streets and narrow lots unless in a city urban environment are often not conducive for an auto based community. So among solutions is demolition to lessen congestion and create off street parking. Or demolition could be a solution simply to revert a block to open space for perhaps gardens / small agriculture. Or, a block with many blighted and vacant houses might be a place to close a street, isolate water and sewer service for savings until such time the land might again be better used for housing. Finally, in some circumstances moving the structure could be an alternative to demolition.

    For some communities historical significance might be a hindrance rather than an aid to addressing blight and abandonment. The reason is simply the scope and scale of the blight and abandonment being faced. There is a place for drawings, photographs and records as opposed to retention of a wrecked, obsolete community streetscape.

    Simply put, the bulk of blighted and abandoned structures are residential; the problem of blight and abandonment is a focus upon residences.

    It is not unusual to visit communities in Pennsylvania where something ( manufacturing or mining or refining or drilling or transporting) used to be done there. Economic change means less employment and less population. Bringing the supply of sought after housing together with demand for sought after housing is the first order and purpose of addressing blighted and abandoned houses.

    Blight and abandonment destroys the base real estate values for an entire community. It fundamentally undermines the the real estate market and as such, household wealth as represented in home ownership is damaged.

    A municipality affected with blight and abandonment often has a real estate market that does not function. Addressing blight and abandonment aids in restoring a functioning real estate market. First, a municipality using available community and economic and planning tools can create an environment for rehabilitation and investment.

   Part of creating the environment an environment for rehabilitation and investment is demolition to lessen the inventory of excess housing stock.

A municipality is faced with decisions. Should an initial demolition be limited to maintaining and strengthening a viable neighborhood similar to excising a cancer to assure neighborhood stability? Or, should it be a candidate for rehabilitation itself. Each house has its own set of circumstances.
A municipality may identify a block that is substantially blighted and abandoned. Should the block be demolished? Might a structure be retained as a future anchor for rebuilding the block?

Might there be a sound structure useless in a sea of abandonment but having residual value if moved?

Most municipalities have just enough, barely enough all too often, to have functioning  police and fire fighting resources, street maintenance, star and sewer services. A municipality faced with depopulation has limited tools to address blight and abandonment.

One tool available in Pennsylvania is a municipality, a township or a county creating a “land bank.” 

Another tool is for a municipality, a township or county creating incentives for citizens to petition the County Court of Common Pleas to authorize a conservatorship to rehabilitate or demolish a blighted and abandoned property. Primarily that might be the waiving of all amounts in real estate tax delinquency as a conservatorship is  pruposeful AND supervised by the County Court of Common Pleas.

Likewise, the waiving of delinquent real estate taxes in Land Bank acquired properties where a Land Bank has similar oversight for rehabilitation or demolition as to the oversight by the County Court of Common Pleas by the Land Bank's ability to contract will result in contributing to a balance of supply and demand for sought after housing.