MORGANTOWN — Members of the Morgantown Land Reuse and Preservation Agency said they remain committed to spending as much of the city’s allocated American Rescue Plan Act money as possible to address dilapidated properties on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The city earmarked $600,000 in ARPA money for that purpose.
So far, the agency has been able to purchase one property, 570 Pennsylvania Ave., which it intends to clear. Negotiations for two additional properties are ongoing.
But time is running out.
ARPA dollars must be obligated “to a viable project” by Dec. 31, 2024, and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
City administration has already told the agency that if significant progress isn’t made on additional purchases in the coming months, those dollars will be spent elsewhere rather than clawed back by the feds.
“The funds are in our control right now. They’re for this use,” LRPA Chair David Satterfield said. “We have our heads down and we’re running like crazy for the finish line to try to spend the money as we can and use that money as appropriate.”
For the second time in as many months, residents of Greenmont attended the agency’s July 25 meeting to question why there’s seemingly been so little progress.
Mohamad Ahmad lives on Pennsylvania Avenue, which, he explained, sees near-constant drug activity centered around certain properties.
“We are really frustrated. We don’t feel like this project is moving as quick as it should be. … Every single county that I have lived in, not here in the U.S. but everywhere else, has one major problem which is not having the funds to get things done,” he said.
“The funds are there. Why is this not moving? How could this be a problem? There is money that has been sitting in the account for what, two years now? Why is this not moving? We don’t get it.”
Satterfield called the situation “a difficult assignment.”
“Obviously, the funds are there, as Mr. Ahmad said. What we need to do is have willing sellers and be able to meet at a reasonable price as we have a fiduciary duty and a good stewardship duty … they’re taxpayer funds. We have to spend them in an appropriate way,” he said.
LRPA member Tim Stranko was a little more direct.
“I would just add one thing, and you all know better than we do. The property owners we’re dealing with are not what you would call responsive business people, or responsible business people for that matter. It’s a gross generalization, but I think it’s one that’s fairly accurate,” Stranko said. “We’re chasing people around. That’s another part of the problem, just getting an answer and getting a reasonable offer.”
In March, the agency approved the purchase of 657 Pennsylvania Ave. for a price not to exceed $60,000. That property sits at the split of Brockway and Pennsylvania avenues and includes a “tear-down” structure on .03 acre.
According to the information provided by the city, that sale has not been completed.
In other news, the LRPA is asking the city to consider creating a new property management specialist position to catalog and maximize the real estate portfolio of the city and its various agencies.
“The city has significant value in real estate all over; all over the city. And really has a very sketchy idea of where it is and what it’s doing,” Stranko said, adding, “I think we need to figure out what we have and then we need to manage it smartly and prepare the city for the future.”
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