MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards is announcing that Chautauqua County is one of only five governments – and the only county – from across the state to be selected by Empire State Development (ESD) as one of the first applicants in all of New York State to establish a Land Bank Program.
The concept of Land Banking was identified as a “high priority” action step in Chautauqua County’s award-winning Comprehensive Plan – Chautauqua 20/20, which was adopted in April 2011, three months before the Governor launched his initiative. Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Economic Development Deputy Director Mark Geise took this concept of land banking and created a rational business-like model to be submitted in the ESD’s application process.
In a released statement, Edwards said the land bank program will allow the county to address the challenge created by vacant and abandoned properties. He said it will be a self-supporting venture that will identify and manage foreclosed residential and commercial properties in various cities, towns, and villages to improve them and get them back on the tax roll. He credited the county’s Planning and Economic Development Director Bill Daly, Geise, Center for Community Progress President Dan Kildee, and other leaders from across the county who for helping to get the local Land Bank model designed and approved.
Leave a Reply