A fire damaged house on 90 S. Foster Street in Mansfield is scheduled to be torn down in the next couple of weeks. The house is among the 20 ongoing demolition projects in Mansfield that are all scheduled to be torn down before the end of July. Why is tearing down these houses a priority for the Community Development Department?
“The number one reason is safety,” said Donnie Mitchell, Community Development Manager for Richland County. These vacant houses are potential havens for drug use, violence and vandalism; and the Community Development Department is dedicated to stabilizing neighborhoods.
Mitchell said that the houses are also health hazards. Asbestos is commonly found in these run-down homes, and if there is prolonged inhalation of asbestos, it can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
“There are children walking to school in these neighborhoods. We want to keep them away from harm as best as we can,” said Mitchell.
According to Mitchell there are 1,500 to 1,800 properties in Richland County that need torn down because of various property damages. The Community Development Department receives grants from the state government, but only so much can be done with this money per year. Moving Ohio Forward granted $741,000 for demolition projects in 2013. The funds in demos this year.” Other monies come from a Community Development block grant, and Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grants.
The average amount of money spent on each demolition project is $8,000. This money goes into the contractors who conduct the deconstruction, postage for mailing important documents and certifications, and asbestos removal.
The asbestos removal is done before the deconstruction to eliminate the possibility of it getting into the atmosphere. This is done by chemically removing it, instead of burning it. When melted, asbestos adheres to every fiber of an area, which only makes matters worse.
“Sometimes people think they are doing us a favor by burning down a house. It is actually the opposite because it almost doubles the expense of the project. The house becomes a hazardous site, which makes us have to follow more precautions, which costs more money,” said Mitchell.
Once the house is approved to be torn down, the deconstruction takes three days. Contractors will use bull-dozers and cranes to tear down the house in a safe and clean fashion. They are also required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to have a water tank. The water will keep the dust down to diminish the spread of allergens and asbestos in the air. The deconstrustion process also includes filling the empty lot with new dirt and planting it with slow growing grass.
“These demolition projects help land value,” stated Mitchell. The Community Development Department’s efforts are to ensure safety of neighborhoods, but they are also concerned with maintaining aesthetic appeal to boost real estate value of the area.
These projects are ongoing. Mitchell and others from Community Development scout neighborhoods frequently to find other vacant and dangerous houses. If you see a house that may need torn down, contact the Community Development Department at 419-755-9795.
And, call 911 if you see unauthorized persons removing water heating tanks, copper, or aluminum siding. These items are salvaged by the contractors and it is illegal to steal these items without authorization.
