By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Habitat for Humanity has built 37 homes all over Wood County – except for in Bowling Green.
The homes have been constructed in local communities like Northwood, Grand Rapids, Luckey, Bloomdale, North Baltimore and Weston. But Bowling Green land remained out of reach.
Until now.
On Monday, the Bowling Green Board of Public Utilities will discuss giving Habitat for Humanity land that was previously used for a city water tower.
“This is huge,” said Mark Ohashi, executive director of the local Habitat for Humanity branch.
“Acquiring land in Bowling Green has been hard,” Ohashi said Saturday as the organization dedicated two of its newest homes in Weston.
Because it’s a volunteer organization that relies on donations, Habitat has been able to build in many Wood County communities because the land was given to the group.
That could soon be the case in Bowling Green.
According to a letter from Bowling Green Public Utilities Director Brian O’Connell, the utilities board is being asked to consider donating land at the southwest corner of Manville and Clough avenues. The property is the former site of the Manville water tower, which was removed a few years ago after the construction of the new Newton Road water tower.
Since the water tower removal, the city has maintained the grass lot. But the property has no long-term use for either the utilities department or the city, O’Connell explained.
So the staff reviewed options to dispose of the property. The property could be placed for sale at auction, but it is unclear how much revenue the property would generate. The site is zoned S-3 Institutional, however, it is surrounded by residential properties.
Residential use appears to be the most likely future use of the property. Also, the railroad tracks are located directly to the west of the property which would likely detract from the number of potential buyers, O’Connell explained.
So city staff met with Ohashi, of Habitat, regarding the Manville site.
“Ohashi is very interested in the vacant lots and has indicated their ability to build two single family homes on the lots in 2018 or 2019,” O’Connell stated in his letter. “Working with Habitat for Humanity will return these lots to an appropriate long-term residential use of the property.”
On Saturday, Ohashi repeated that commitment to building on the Bowling Green lots.
“Our goal is to start next summer,” he said.
O’Connell also stated this option appears to fit with recent recommendations from the Planning Department on residential developments on the east side of Bowling Green. This project will likely generate positive community outreach and volunteer efforts for many local organizations and citizens.
“As a non-profit organization, Habitat for Humanity is interested in keeping the costs as low as possible,” O’Connell wrote to the city utilities board. To make the project more manageable for Habitat for Humanity, O’Connell proposed the following:
- The city will donate the property to Habitat for Humanity.
- The site currently has three parcels, however Ohashi has indicated two equally sized lots would be better for Habitat for Humanity. The city will make the three lots into two lots.
- The city will rezone the properties to an appropriate residential zoning.
- The utilities department will extend water, sanitary, and storm service lines to the lots.
The proposal will go before the Board of Public Utilities during its Monday meeting, at 5 p.m., in the city administration building.
(A story will follow later in the week on the two Habitat for Humanity homes dedicated on Saturday in Weston.)
