The City of Cleveland’s Land Reutilization Program, the Land Bank, is responsible for owning, managing, and maintaining Cleveland’s vacant properties. Through this program, residents are able to lease or purchase vacant parcels for their own use. Darlene Oliver, who lives and owns property in Collinwood, has been trying to purchase a vacant corner lot across from her house. Marvetta Rutherford, a member of Signal Cleveland’s Listening Team, first discovered her story. In this explainer, we answer some common questions about the Land Bank.Is there a difference between the Cuyahoga County Land Bank and the city land bank?Cuyahoga County has its own land bank with a similar mission, and though they do sometimes work together, the county’s land bank is completely separate from the Cleveland Land Bank. What can I do with the land ?Property owners whose lot shares a border with a vacant lot can buy it to expand their own yards. The current price for a yard expansion parcel is $200. Owners interested in building on the property, like constructing an addition to a home or a new garage, go through a lengthier process with the City Planning Commission, which has to approve any construction changes. Residents can also apply to lease vacant properties from the city to create urban gardens or to grow food. The City of Cleveland publishes a map updated weekly showing all the available land parcels around the city. Darlene Oliver of Collinwood calls her backyard her “oasis”. She purchased a vacant property next door to her home from the Cleveland Land Bank and expanded her backyard. Credit: Gennifer Harding-GosnellHow does the Cleveland Land Bank process work?Residents submit an Expression of Interest Form and site plan to the Land Bank. Staff check for accuracy, verify the person’s eligibility to own the property, and make sure the application is complete. The request is then sent on to the Cleveland City Council representative and the area’s Community Development Corporation (CDCs).If everyone approves, it moves forward as a resolution sent to the city’s director of Community Development and the Board of Control for a final sign-off. The Cleveland Land Bank’s FAQ gives more details on the application and approval process. Why was my application denied?Residents can be denied approval to purchase property for a variety of reasons that come up during the application process, including being delinquent on taxes for other properties they own, submitting an incomplete application, or an objection to the sale by a stakeholder such as the neighborhood community development corporation or a City Council member. The Land Bank sometimes holds on to lots it decides may be better suited for infill development opportunities, like a business or a new home. “If the parcel is located in a Transit-Oriented Development Zone, the city would like to prioritize infill development on those parcels, so requests are considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the requested use,” said Trudy Andrzejewski, bureau chief of Neighborhood Revitalization for the City of Cleveland’s Department of Community Development. Oliver, the Collinwood resident, said she has been trying to purchase a vacant corner lot across the street from her home. Oliver said she was denied because the land does not directly border her property. She had previously purchased a vacant lot bordering her property and expanded her backyard. Oliver said the vacant lot across the street needs more maintenance from the city than it’s been getting, and she has been doing work to maintain the corner lot herself. The vacant lot across the street from Darlene Oliver’s home in Collinwood. Credit: Rachel Dissell / Signal Cleveland“All I’m doing is cutting the hedges on the corner so I can see when I pull out, that’s it,” says Oliver. “And then I just cut it and push it back up. I’m not using my bags. I’m not cleaning it up because that’s not my property, but I’m making it where I can see [around the corner], and everybody else on the street likes it too.” Andrzejewski said, “If the lot is not adjacent to their home, the Cleveland Land Bank office reviews requests for alignment with neighborhood plans, zoning codes and council concurrence, and the parcel may be made available for lease or for sale, depending on the specifics of the request.” Andrzejewski said that it was a practice of the Land Bank office to not sell land for green space outside of the yard expansion program, as “long-term maintenance was a concern for some parcels.” The Land Bank has considered leases for those parcels instead of direct sales. “As we work through formalizing and updating the Land Bank’s policies,” she added, “this is something we’re looking into.” Andrzejewski also encouraged for Oliver to contact the Land Bank to review the specifics of her case. What if I change my mind, can I just sell it back?Maybe the extra parcel turns out to be more work than expected or something happens that makes a resident unable or unwilling to continue maintaining the property. Andrzejewski explained, “The city does maintain a right of re-entry in its deeds so that if the purchaser does not adhere to the terms or improvements they stated they would make, the city does maintain the option to take the property back.”The CLEVLOT initiative was established by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to encourage and assist property owners on Cleveland’s Southeast Side to purchase vacant lots and to provide resources for their repurpose and reuse. Looking for a little inspirationResidents looking to lease or purchase a vacant lot need to submit a site plan to the Land Bank showing what they intend to do with the property. These formerly vacant lots often become “healing spaces” for their new owners and the wider community. Members of Trinity Cathedral and other volunteers maintain this urban farm on Cedar Ave. to support its community meals and food giveaways. Credit: Rachel Dissell / Signal ClevelandArtist Gwendolyn Garth beautifies this spot on the corner of E. 36th St. and Central Ave. with her artwork. Credit: Rachel Dissell / Signal ClevelandAndrzejewski said the Department of Community Development and the Cleveland Land Bank are currently undergoing changes they hope will improve communication and processing to better serve residents and stakeholders, like transitioning the application process to an online system, and updating land parcel inventory maps.Residents can contact the Land Bank office by email at CD-DND@clevelandohio.gov, or call the office at 216-664-4126.The post How residents can utilize vacant property from the Cleveland Land Bank appeared first on Signal Cleveland.First published by Signal Cleveland.