(Toledo, OH) Toledo City Council will get its first look today at a plan to make it easier to get rid of vacant lots.
Mayor Wade Kapsukiewicz is proposing to rewrite city law to allow a separate city board to convey those vacant lots directly to nearby homeowners, business, the Lucas County Land Bank and nonprofit groups.
The mayor's office contends a proposed four-member Lot Transfer Committee could deal with unproductive properties faster, without a need for a vote by Toledo City Council.
As hundreds of abandoned homes are demolished, the number of vacant lots is expected to grow from 800 last year to more than 3,000 by 2023. The aim is to turn those vacant lots back to productive use.