City Council Approves Properties For Demolition

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Washington City Council continued its battle against blight by approving nine more properties to be demolished. Combined with last month’s list the City of Washington will send 16 properties to the Washington County Redevelopment Authority for tear down. Mayor Scott Putnam says it is important to get these properties torn down for safety reasons. He also pointed out that it will help neighboring home owner’s property values to have these properties gone. Putnam also discussed the high number of rental homes in the city. He stated that the stock of rental properties in the city is nearly double of any other municipality in the county. He pointed to home buyer assist programs through Blueprints, the Redevelopment Authority and local bank’s first time buyer programs as methods to get new buyers into the market and hopefully move out absentee landlords that do not care for their properties. Putnam was also happy with the latest façade improvements made with LSA grants through the city’s façade improvement program. Putnam says $125,000 has been distributed and the business district is seeing results from the grants.