photo by: Emma Delk

Moundsville Mayor David Wood announces the eight properties city council was considering for purchase during a special council meeting on Tuesday.

Moundsville City Council members purchased four residential properties and placed bids on four additional properties with plans to eventually add them to the city’s land reuse agency during a special meeting on Tuesday.

The council members entered a closed-door session during the meeting to discuss the purchase of the real estate parcels. Following the executive session, Mayor David Wood announced the properties they were considering to buy, and council members unanimously approved a motion to purchase the eight real estate properties for $2,575.24.

Council has purchased two pieces of property at 329 Rear Thorn Avenue in addition to buying 106 Tomlinson Avenue and 53 Locust Avenue. The council approved placing minimum bids for properties at 112 Baker Avenue, 1808 First Street, 53 Arlington Avenue and 117 Jefferson Avenue.

City Manager Rick Healy said the council was able to purchase the properties before public purchase due to changes in state code. According to West Virginia code, state and local governments are authorized to create a land bank program to assist economic development” by accepting formerly used or developable properties and “preparing the properties so they can be conveyed to other parties to locate or expand businesses and create or retain jobs in this state.”

Under the program, the city is authorized to acquire properties, hold title and prepare them for future use. Healy said the council was motivated to buy these properties when they “came into play” because they could be added to the city’s land reuse agency, which is in the process of getting certified with the state.

The Moundsville Land Reuse Agency will have a seven-member board that will operate independently of the city to purchase, rehabilitate and sell properties in the city. Building Inspectors Administrative Tech Danielle Harmon has been appointed Development Director of the agency by council.

Healy said the properties purchased on Tuesday would be added to the city’s land reuse agency once it is certified by the state. Once the properties are under city ownership, Healy said they could be transferred to the land reuse agency to find “productive users and purchasers of the properties.”

Healy said that the city had liens on most of the properties they purchased and noted that the properties had already caught the city’s attention because they were abandoned or dilapidated.

“We designated these properties as ones that we felt were beneficial based on their cost and the fact of whether they were vacant and whether we had liens on the property or not,” Healy said. “The plan for all these properties is to eventually add them to the land reuse agency.”

Healy added that all of the properties were in residential zones except for 117 Jefferson Avenue and that “the idea” for the properties would be to develop them into lots to build new housing.