Nearly 30 rundown, and in some cases dangerous, properties have been cleared in the past two years through the City of Holbrook’s abatement program.
“It’s part of our revitalization efforts to get these properties cleared off and make them available for development,” said Holbrook City Manager Ray Alley, who has increased the city’s enforcement of ordinances tied to property upkeep.
Alley says a lot of the abandoned homes and commercial buildings around town are owned by individuals who would like to do something about their decaying and deteriorating properties, but are put off by what they perceive will be costly and complex projects, sometimes involving hazardous materials such as asbestos or lead, which require special handling and disposal.
Alley is tackling owner concerns on two fronts: by finding low-cost demolition and disposal options, and by seeking grant assistance to deal with hazardous materials through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
City staff have increased ticketing of properties that are in violation of city ordinances, and Alley follows up with property owners to discuss options for clean up. He has lined up a number of contractors who are willing to demolish and clean up site debris for fees typically ranging from $500 to $1,000. To keep contractor costs low, the city provides dumpsters for trash and debris, and hauls the material to waste sites free of charge.
“By hauling the debris away ourselves, costs are more manageable for owners,” said Alley.
While the city incurs “soft” costs for its role in the clean up–vehicle fuel and maintenance, staff salaries, and loss of waste disposal fees–Alley believes the benefits to the city of eliminating community eyesores and making sites available for development are worth the trade off.
“With everything that could be coming Holbrook’s way with potash mining, we want our community to look good and have properties ready for development,” he said in a recent city council meeting.
The city incurs some revenue from its disposal efforts, as it sells scrap metal and other recyclable materials recovered from demolition projects to recycling vendors.
There are properties that cannot be simply demolished because of the presence of asbestos, lead and other hazardous materials, for which the EPA requires special handling and disposal, a process that can be cost prohibitive for many property owners.
Together with Navajo County, Coconino County, and the cities of Flagstaff and Winslow, Holbrook is applying for a $1 million “brownfields” grant, which would provide funding for abatement of hazardous materials. The EPA annually awards about $75 million for the assessment and clean up of “brownfields,” areas or properties that are contaminated, or are perceived to be contaminated, and therefore considered unsafe or undesirable for development. Alley encourages owners of dilapidated properties to contact him at city hall to discuss options for cleaning up their properties.
Rose Watson, co-owner of Maverick Recycling in Holbrook, and Joe Spires tear down a trailer on Third Street in Holbrook. The recycling company contracted with the property owner to salvage the recyclable material from the trailer and clean up the property for a nominal fee. In addition to Maverick, the city has lined up contractors willing to clean up neglected properties for low fees.
