Members of the Griffin and Spalding County boards of commissioners viewed a presentation on establishing a land bank at the University of Georgia-Griffin Campus Thursday evening.

Griffin Director of Planning and Development Services Frederick Gardiner and Spalding County Director of Planning and Development Chuck Taylor spoke about why they believe a land bank would benefit Griffin.

According to their presentation, vacant and abandoned properties impose significant costs on both the city and county, which must spend money to clean and maintain the properties in the interest of public health, and loses money due to non-payment of taxes.

Furthermore, abandoned properties “destabilize” neighborhoods — homeowners leave to avoid falling property values. According to a Temple University study, abandoned houses cause adjacent property values to fall an average of $6,720.

A land bank program, which would buy or otherwise acquire such properties and resell them, will benefit the city in multiple ways. Using the bank to redevelop a dilapidated area will reduce crime, improve the environment by removing a nuisance, increase tax revenue for the municipality and the school system, serve as a catalyst for economic activity and increase the amount of overall housing available.

The city of Griffin receives roughly $1,300 per acre from properties in the North Hill Street Corridor, an amount which does not satisfy the costs of law enforcement in the area or educating the area’s children. These costs are subsidized by taxpayers from other parts of the city.

By transferring tax-delinquent properties to responsible owners, a land bank would increase tax revenue (since the new owners would pay taxes) and decrease city maintenance responsibilities. Because they are owner-occupied, land bank properties also tend to decrease crime, further reducing burdens on the local government.

Following Gardiner’s and Taylor’s presentations, Alison Souther, executive director of the Macon-Bibb County Land Bank Authority Inc., was introduced. She explained the organization’s structure — state law requires a four-person board of directors, with two appointed by the county and two appointed by the city — and the organization’s priorities.

The first priority is to acquire land for non-profits and government entities to produce low-to moderate-income housing, with the second priority being private developers intent on the same and third priority being commercial ventures that would provide jobs for low-to moderate-income citizens.

Souther then discussed the use of judicial foreclosure and eminent domain to seize properties whose owners cannot be found, whose owners lack clear title to the property or whose owners do not want to sell.

She said neighborhood redevelopment fails if the land bank can purchase only the properties no one else wants — redeveloping only three houses on a street with ten present is pointless, and that eminent domain gives the land bank the ability to acquire substandard or vacant properties, get the critical mass necessary for neighborhood development, is quick and gives the owner his day in court.

However, she emphasized that the Macon Housing Authority can only use its eminent domain powers for public purpose, housing-related activity, stating that it is not a front for Wal-Mart, as the Authority board must approve the use of eminent domain for each property and it is only intended for last-resort situations such as when the land bank cannot find the owner, ownership is uncertain or the property is absolutely necessary for the redevelopment.

Furthermore, new state laws have been put into place to limit the use of eminent domain. An elected governing authority must approve all condemnations, the definition of “blighted” has been tightened, the law cannot be used for “economic development” and the property must be held by the condemning authority for 20 years and may then be repurchased by the owner if not used for the specific purpose for which it was condemned. Souther said the land bank is looking for ways around the new law — such as the use of very long-term leases — and is lobbying for the law to be modified.

She went on to say the land bank has done wonders for Macon. Since the program began in 2001, 165 houses have been built or rehabilitated and there has been $7 million in inner-city revitalization due government action, private investment or owners taking the initiative to improve their own properties near rehabilitated areas.

Vice-Chairwoman Gwen Flowers-Taylor asked what “low income” meant, considering Macon’s circumstances are different than Griffin’s.

In response, Souther said they use the same definitions as the federal Department for Housing and Urban Development.

Dr. Jesse Bradley, superintendent of the Griffin-Spalding County School System, spoke out in support of the initiative, stating that many school problems stem from the surrounding communities and improving these communities improves the schools. He said he originally planned to move to South Georgia and start a farm when he retires this year but now plans to remain in Griffin.

Souther said that home ownership, which the land bank encourages, will improve the school system by reducing student transience.

“I do think it will make an impact,” she said. “How could it not?”

Griffin City Manager Kenny Smith asked what the land bank’s budget was during its first year. Souther said it was $100,000, with half funded by the city and half by the county.