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Shelbyville may begin purchase of blighted homes

Friday, August 7, 2009
By Brian Mosely

The city of Shelbyville may soon be negotiating the purchases of homes and structures in order to put them in front of a wrecking ball at some point down the road.

Among items the city council will vote on next Thursday will be approval for city manager Ed Craig and planning and codes director Kip Green to work out the prices and acquire blighted properties under the Neighborhood Stabilization Housing Grant that Shelbyville recently received.

The $326,023 grant is from the National Stabilization Program (NSP), part of Phase I of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, also known as the first "stimulus package" that was signed into law by former president George W. Bush.

With the grant, the city can purchase blighted properties around Shelbyville within specific guidelines, demolish them, and prepare the lots for other homes to be built.

Councilman Lee Roy Cunningham asked Green Tuesday what would happen if a property owner chose not to accept the city's offer.

"Then we'll move on to another property," Green said.

Green also said there were some property owners that want to sell at the rate being offered by the city and he added "we'll get our ... addresses."

The city has partnered with the Shelbyville Housing Authority in the effort and once the dilapidated building is torn down, the property will be turned over to the Authority.

After that, the Shelbyville Housing and Development Association (SHDA), a non-profit established by the Authority, would buy the cleared lot at a discounted rate.

The NSP grant calls for placing a family whose financial status meets the criteria of earning 120 percent or less of the average median income. Working along with Habitat for Humanity, SHDA would build a residence while helping the families acquire the needed financing.

Green said last month about 25 locations in Shelbyville could be considered "blighted," but the city will only be able to take care of six properties with the grant.

The grant is "very specific" and the structure to be torn down must be within a residential neighborhood, with some homes targeted on Bethany Lane, Jackson Street on the west end of Shelbyville and one home on Earnhart Street.

But Green added last month he did not know how the list would finally work out.

According to information from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, NSP funding is provided by a formula based on areas with the greatest number of home foreclosures, areas with the highest percentage of homes financed with sub-prime mortgages and areas identified as likely to face a significant rise in the rate of home foreclosures.

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Great. we are having our electric bill raised $9 to fund a program that would actually save money, but somehow we find more money to destroy buildings that are not owned by the city or county....

-- Posted by bedfordcounty08 on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 9:29 AM

Why can't we force the property owners to take care of their property or condem the property and take it over? Why do we have to pay because they chose to let their property fall apart. This is where we need to see the "owners" of the property and see how is backing this. I'm betting that someone who wants to unload junk on the city found about about the funds and started pushing for this.

-- Posted by sameoldstory on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 9:42 AM

This has nothing do with the current grant, but I'd like to know whay the city hasn't condemned and demolished the old Bumpers building on Madison Street. That place is disgusting.

The old Patterson's hardware buildings aren't much better.

My sister-in-law's neighbor once received a letter from the city, ordering her to cut her lawn (and it did need it!), but these commercial buildings are allowed to continue to deteriorate to the point of literally falling apart.

Somebody needs to step in and take action.

-- Posted by Nobody'sFool on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 10:06 AM

LeeRoy will be trying to sell the Rec Center and bulldoze it... $326,023 he can spend starting LeeRoy's Industrial Park, Inc.

-- Posted by superx1250 on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 11:39 AM

"The NSP grant calls for placing a family whose financial status meets the criteria of earning 120 percent or less of the average median income. Working along with Habitat for Humanity, SHDA would build a residence while helping the families acquire the needed financing."

Funny...did anyone ASK Habitat for Humanity if they wanted to do this? Or did you just ASSUME they'd want to help you...or was it a stipulation for requesting the grant?! Again Kip, did you ask Habitat?

-- Posted by neighborhood mom on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 12:48 PM

I'm sure glad those folks in Washington has all this extra money and are willing to give it to us.

Now we can purchase land the owner won't take care of, spend money making it worth something, give it away to another government agency to help a nonprofit build homes for more people who won't take care of the place.

Makes "cents" to me.

-- Posted by PoorMe on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 1:39 PM

superx1250

Best comment I have read all day! LMAO!

-- Posted by Juju35 on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 3:03 PM

Come buy my property... you told me it was worth 79,000... Make a great place for the town hall meetings.

-- Posted by Union on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 8:59 PM

I sure hope they pick some properties on West Lane...you could take out half the neighborhood in one fail swoop...particularly those two eyesores on the right just past Canter Oil...whatta dump!! The landlord should be ashamed!!!

-- Posted by jtjustice30 on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 9:24 PM

Just what we need in Sville more houses for the people that DONT PAY TAXES! other towns build nice subdivisions for people that WORK and PAY their own way. It will be left up to everyone else to make up the tax loss for these houses,and you know they will not be taken care of, just another slum in the making.But wait these are the same people who put the housing project in the middle of town and another by Eastside school and another on Depot street and that is just a few.How many LOW INCOME HOUSES DO WE NEED! but these are the same people that put the SEWER PLANT in the CENTER OF TOWN ALSO!and people wonder why Shelbyville sits stagnet while other towns GROW.

-- Posted by tinytoes on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 11:53 PM

-- Posted by tinytoes on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 11:53 PM

Quoted for being the perfect post!!!!

CITY LEADERS READ THIS POST....IT SPEAKS THE TRUTH!!!

-- Posted by quietmike on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 1:59 AM

Every step being taken here smacks of the old Soviet Union. What is this, the first commie City in Tennessee.. OF COURSE the city doesn't want contributing citizens to live here, the grants are only given to looser areas like inner Chicago and Detroit and Shelbyville. Williamson and Davidson counties regularly drive thier unwanted TO Shelbyville because it is subsidized to house the poorest of middle Tennessee. The churches want this too, makes them feel good. Exactly, this is not attracting the most contributing peoples. The horse community concept that this place WAS known for ARE paying with people we want, and you drove them out. There are only 3 count them 3 counties in the United States known for the the equine and its' infrasture, Wellington/Ocala FL, Lexington KY, and Shelbyville TN and we are the only city that is a SH%$hole of the 3. Don't shed the horse concept. Any county that coded in riding trails along side roads, had horse hitching areas all over town and widened roads to accommodate trailers has payed itself back by having the world's billionairs invest in building nice homes there and leaving the maid and kids to spend money there while they jetset. We can be that next county and have all kinds of tax revenue to pay for the rec centers of town. San Dimas CA did this and is the only decent town in that whole rat area of LA. Shelbyville has the roots and potential to being the only equine centered area in the Continent and there is nothing being played on it. Unbelievable. What is wrong with you people. Code in a "LOOK", DEMAND property owners comply and not paint the buildings turquoise or fushia, have a horse riding lane on all major roads in and out, and capitalize on the equine culture here. And I am not a horse people and I can see this concept.

-- Posted by East side on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 9:33 AM

I agree with eastside and tinytoes, our city is a mess. I think property owners should be responsible for their own property! I have a neighbor that does not keep his property up, the yard is full of junk, the carport is full of junk and I have been to the codes office three times to try to get this cleaned up before winter. I don't want bugs and rats in my home just because my neighbors are slobs.My dog has already killed a baby rat (the size of a pound of sausage, not including his tail) and I know come cold weather it's only gonna get worse. Our city officals need to do their jobs!

-- Posted by blessedbygrace on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 10:10 AM

$326,023 / 6 = 54,337.16 per location that is 'blighted' ???

In this market ???

Who is kidding who here ???

Houses in the areas mentioned sit on the market for months and months are far, far less.

Why are WE expected to pay a premium for trash houses ???

-- Posted by BobM on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 11:22 AM

Shelbyville is not stagnating because there are some scattered unsightly properties, and mowing them down is not likely to attract builders to that part of town.

I moved here a couple of months ago a to get out of So.Cal. and be around my grandchildren. I love this place and its people; even so, I can figure out what some of you seem to miss.

There are no real jobs or industries in Shelbyville. A community needs those resources to foster growth. Boom town to ghost town is not a new concept in American history or geography.

Buy the way, I have seen a lot of San Dimas and its few blighted areas are more dense, less attractive and perhaps more dangerous (lots of gangs) than Shelbyville's.

-- Posted by kyosaku on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 12:48 PM

kyosaku Thank you for mentioning that. I feel the same way. Shelbyville city and county leaders are constantly trying to change and make Shelbyville like the bigger cities of Tennessee, but they fail to bring in "Real Jobs" and Industries with great Pay and benefits, that these bigger cities have.

-- Posted by Momof3&3step&1gran on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 1:19 PM

What's the deal with wanting to tear down everything in Shelbyville. Already took out several buildings on the square.. Now we want to go out to residential areas and take away some folks property and tear them down to make an empty lot as well. Shelbyville is well known for empty lots. We have many empty lots that go way back to the 60's and are still empty today. WHY do we need to waste more money tearing down homes. That ain't progress to me....and they say we are losing money at the recreation center. Don't waste money try to be a little more conservative with our money and spend it were it will do good. Not on tearing down buildings homes and changing directions of roads just to have something to do.

-- Posted by RGeneW on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 3:57 PM

sameoldstory makes a good point. What did happen to owners being held responsible? Does anyone else see whats happening to our freedom? If a messy owner doesn't want to sell we'll just skip them?? What is the point. Sounds like we need to clean house up there and get someone with some good old common sense. Where are these people's heads? Up their ** if you ask me.

-- Posted by olderthandirt on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 4:19 PM

One answer..."because they can"...

-- Posted by neighborhood mom on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 9:20 PM

In residential areas that are largely Hispanic, it looks like a third world country already.

-- Posted by Tattoos & Scars on Sun, Aug 9, 2009, at 3:51 AM

Ole Ed Craig is at it again, Trying to clean the outside rather than the inside, even though its as clear as black and white, quit doing business with the crooks that want a fast dollar and housing illegals and third world nationals that don't fit in. Show Tyson's foods where the nearest airport is and buy them a plane ticket to somalia, one way, do the same with wal mart executives, if they want to buy chinese, send them where there's an endless supply of goods, just don't open your bank account to them in the US of A. Life is quite simple if you just apply the A

-- Posted by tmixer5@gmail.com on Sun, Aug 9, 2009, at 4:31 AM

Why don't we start with Ed Craigs house and move him out of town before he breaks the city.

-- Posted by Chef Boy R.D. on Sun, Aug 9, 2009, at 9:10 AM

These guys want to shut down the recreation center and turn around and offer premium prices for property that people can't give away under any other circumstance. Me thinks somethin smells fishy.

-- Posted by docudrama on Sun, Aug 9, 2009, at 10:00 AM

We might want to work on improving and preserving as many buildings as possible and,maybe,moving good structures that would otherwise be razed to the former sites of unsound buildings.

We could make a point of salvaging materials,landscaping,etc. so trees,sod,lumber,pipes,wire,glass,brick,stonework,fencing,etc. could be recycled.

Why tote these items to the dump if they could be used to repair other places,sold for craft projects or architectural salvage or just sold for salvage,period?

Successful cities don't get or stay that way by tossing aside plants,materials or people that stil have some use left in them.

They look for a way to find new merit in them and apply that virtue where it would do the most good.

We might be surprised at what (and who) might prove an asset.

Even a painted slum could wind up looking like this:

http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com...

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/...

-- Posted by quantumcat on Sun, Aug 9, 2009, at 6:02 PM

We certainly do not need more codes in this town. I came here from NH where they have codes and permits for everything, and they have "live free or die" on their number plates? go figure. People should just be responsible for their own property without having to be told, but maybe they coulod use a helping hand.

-- Posted by bayng99 on Mon, Aug 10, 2009, at 8:34 PM