16851_Authority_Aug_2023

municipalauthorities.org | 15 F eature The Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank are Leading the Charge in the Fight on Blight By Ashley Vidale, Communications Manager, Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority & Land Bank This April, for the second consecutive year, just short of 200 elected and administrative officials, code enforce- ment officers, solicitors, non-profits, and community leaders from South- western Pennsylvania gathered in the spacious and brightly lit halls of West- moreland County Community College. The atmosphere was easy and re- laxed, with attendees starting the day enjoying fresh fruit and coffee while meandering through the Exhibitor’s Hall, the collective chatter occasional- ly broken with an exclamation of surprise or a particularly raucous laugh. The topic at hand, however, was not as easy and relaxed as the atmosphere would suggest, as this yearly event is intended to inform attendees about the causes of and solutions to the wicked, exponential problem plaguing this region along with many other parts of the rust belt: blight - the crumbling, aban- doned, dangerous properties littering the area. While Westmoreland County’s An- nual Blight Summit, organized by the Westmoreland County Redevelop- ment Authority and Land Bank (RA/ LB), is still in its infancy, the event has proven to be a valuable resource to the leaders and residents of Westmo- reland County, and the region. “Last year’s Summit was a kind of test-run for us,” said Brian Lawrence, RA/LB Executive Director. “We knew that there was a communications gap between our organization and key individuals throughout the county about the programs we offer, and blight remediation and redevelop- ment in general; we also knew that those leaders wanted to know more and work more closely with us but weren’t sure where to begin. We took a gamble that this event would close that gap while allowing for questions, suggestions, and partnerships - and that gamble paid off!” Established in 1962 with the intention of carrying out the urban renewal pro- jects of the era, the RA’s work is now scattered among rural villages, urban cores, town centers, and everything in between - addressing a new pattern of blight that is driven by changing economic conditions and shifting development patterns combined with decades of demographic decline. The RA has rehabilitated hundreds of houses of low-to-moderate income residents of the County, and hundreds more blighted, vacant, and aban- doned homes and dangerous downtown buildings have been demolished. Their work on major brownfield cleanup sites in communi- ties across the County paved the way towards contributing jobs, tax base, and opportunity to our communities. The LB is newer to the County, hav- ing been established by the County Commissioners in 2013, and over the past decade has consistently made good on their mission to return va- cant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to productive use in their communities. To date, over 151 prop- erties are now creating value for their communities as side-lot additions, redeveloped mixed-use buildings, and rehabilitated homes. The RA/LB work in tandem, sharing staff, board members, and a unified mission; the work of these unified agencies posi- tion them as a leader and a resource for like-minded agencies and organiza- tions throughout the region. "The RA/LB unifying and working together to accomplish a shared vision isn't the only thing that sets us apart from other Land Banking programs across the state," explained Land Bank Program Manager Shelby Michalek. "We've taken the time to evaluate and streamline our processes, which has Continued on page 40. What is the purpose of a Land Bank? Land banks are public authorities or non-profit organizations created to acquire, hold, manage, and sometimes redevelop property in order to return these properties to productive use to meet community goals, such as in- creasing affordable housing or stabilizing property values. In October 2012, Pennsylvania passed Act 153 allowing communities to cre- ate land banks to tackle blight and vacant properties.