Land Bank planner talks about Central Park properties

Heidi Phaneuf, Genesee County Land Bank community resource planner, at the June 9 Central Park Neighborhood Association meeting talked about the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2) funds the Genesee Land Bank and city received.

"The city and the Land Bank together received $26.4 million to assist the targeted census tracts including Central Park," Phaneuf said. "These funds can only be used to acquire abandoned, vacant and foreclosed residential properties in residential neighborhoods."

"We can use the funds to rehabilitate properties, or for new housing construction — like what the city is doing in Smith Village — or we can demolish blighted properties or hold properties for future residential redevelopment," Phaneuf explained.

She updated members on how the funds will be used to rehabilitate and demolish homes in Central Park.

Rehabilitated houses will be sold with up to 20 percent off the purchase price to eligible households for down payment and closing costs," Phaneuf said.

"To purchase an NSP2 rehabilitated house, buyers have to meet certain financial guidelines and be able to get a mortgage with a lender. Homebuyers are required to take at least eight hours of home buyer counseling from a HUD certified agency and live in their home for 15 years after the purchase," Phaneuf said.

According to Phaneuf, the UM-F Urban Alternative House, 924 Eddy St., will also be rehabilitated.

There will be a public hearing 6 p.m. June 14 at the Flint Planning Commission at City Hall to rezone the property from a B (two-family residential) district to C-1 (multifamily walk-up apartment) district to allow three residential units and the student learning center, Phaneuf explained. The Land Bank will manage the rehabilitation project that will use contractors that meet the Housing and Urban Development Section 3 requirements specifying 30 percent of the labor force be low-income and from Flint.

She requested a letter of support to the city from the group.

President Jerry Rule explained that the letter of support would be conditional.

"When the UM-Flint's alternative house is no longer functional, the property should revert to its original zoning," Rule said.

The group voted to send a conditional letter of support for the Alternative House rezoning to the city's planning commission.

Phaneuf identified structures for demolition that the Land Bank and city are working on.

"The property at 628 E. Second St., 628 E. Third St. and 808 Pierson St. all need State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) approval before demolition can occur," Phaneuf said. "We are working with the city of Flint to get this process accomplished.

According to Phaneuf, SHPO is more than an attempt to maintain old buildings. It serves as a planning and economic development tool that helps communities manage how they will grow and change. Once historic sites are identified and registered, protection programs and tax incentives can be used to preserve them. While the properties in question have not been officially designated, they meet the criteria for historical preservation and therefore need state approval.

Vice President Edwin Custer was concerned that the four demolitions would not occur within the deadline for using NSP2 funds.

Phaneuf explained that the deadline for using the funds was February 2013, but that half of the $36 million needed to be spent by Sept. 30, 2011.

According to Phaneuf, two privately owned properties are currently scheduled for demolition.

"We are working with the city to use their condemnation process for the properties at 920 E. Second St. and 909 E. Second St. to demolish these blighted structures," Phaneuf said. "We cannot spend NSP2 funds on occupied structures. All properties must be documented vacant for at least 90 days before demolition."

In other matters:

• Rule informed the group about an armed robbery on Thompson Street at 3 a.m. June 5. A student was walking home when the robbery occurred.
• Custer asked for volunteers to plant eight trees in the parkways in mid-September. The trees will be bought with a grant from Keep Genesee County Beautiful.

The group will meet at 7 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Court Street Village Neighborhood House, 727 East St.

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