The Town of Hundred held a public hearing on the evening of Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 7:00 PM, to received public comment regarding the Town’s resubmission of an application to the West Virginia Development Office for $150,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for demolition projects within the Town’s boundaries.

The meeting was chaired by Ms. Becky Goff, the Town’s Code Enforcement Officer. Also in attendance were Town Council Members Karen Longwell, Johanna Lemasters, and Carolyn Hostutler. Ms. Natalie Hamilton of the Wheeling Office of Belomar Regional Council, who serves the Regional Council in Community Development and as a Grants Administrator, spoke to those present, and explained the details of the grant process as well as the details concerning the legal obstacles than can crop up when a small town is attempting the actual demolition of old and dilapidated buildings.

Under the CDBG demolition guidelines, the demolition of an old building can be free to the building’s owner, but the owner must sign off on the demolition work. That means the owner must be located and must be convinced to sign off on the work. Ownership and Title to the structure must be established. Delinquent property taxes against the structure complicate the process. Some old structures with delinquent property taxes have been listed on the West Virginia State Auditor’s website and subsequently purchased by out of state entities, either individuals or businesses, who haven’t shown much interest in responding to queries about demolition of their dilapidated properties. Additionally, asbestos concerns and the associated costs are part of the equation when demolishing old structures.

It is the Town’s position that the vacant and dilapidated structures pose a health and safety risk to the residents of the Town of Hundred. The grant application requests $150,000 for the demolition of ten dilapidated structures.