ELKINS, W.Va. – Blight removal efforts in Elkins will get a major boost through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protections Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP).
State Auditor J. B. McCuskey will be in Elkins Tuesday with Mayor Jerry Marco to kick off the 2024 blight removal effort that normally does about $50,000 in work each year, but this year that figure will more than quadruple.
“We have to make sure we check all the boxes and do everything legally,” Marco said. “We have a process in place, so when we were awarded funding, we received $300,000 on the first round.”
Since 2017, Elkins has committed to an annual program to address blight, one of which is with the Woodlands Development Group, a federally certified community housing development organization that builds new and renovated housing for low- and middle-income workers and seniors.
Removing blight will limit havens for nuisance animals, criminal activity, and safety hazards, but it will also make spaces in the city for new growth.
“Not only from a financial perspective because it increases property values, but it also helps the first responders out there that have to respond to these properties,” Marco said. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Marco said the city administration has worked with the city attorney to identify properties and make sure any owner has the opportunity to participate voluntarily. For this year, Marco has identified 12 properties, but that number is likely to climb.
“It’s our “dirty dozen list,” so we have 12 properties that we’re looking at,” Marco said. “Now, a couple of those have shifted on and off; we’ve approached property owners and told them their property was identified, and they said they would do it themselves, so we’ve added a couple of other properties.”
Over the last two years, the city has completed a $4.3 million sewer upgrade to reduce outflows into the Tygart Valley River and about $3 million to upgrade the water infrastructure system. City leaders have also approved an extensive renovation of the Elkins Police Department and Phil Gainer Community Center.
Once the properties have been cleared and restored to the tax rolls, Marco believes they could become an important part of the Ascend WV program. Elkins is the fourth participant in the state for a program that incentivizes high-tech remote workers to live in the mountains rather than one of the large cities where major tech companies are based.
“It’s a clean slate or a blank canvas to be able to build your dream home,” Marco said. “What better place than the magical mountains of West Virginia to build your dream home?”
On Monday, the day before the ceremony, Marco said they had already applied for the second round of funding from the DEP REAP program, and he said he was optimistic.
“So, we’ll wait and see what happens there, but with the success we’re going to have in Phase I, I feel confident we’ll receive additional funding,” Marco said.