Dayton takes aim at vacant properties covered in trash, brush

Dayton plans to use some of its federal COVID rescue funds to remove brush and trash from about 2,800 vacant properties.

“That would definitely make an impact in the quality of life in these neighborhoods,” said Fred Stovall, Dayton’s director of public works.

Dayton proposes to spend about $1 million to cart away bulk waste, debris and overgrown vegetation from vacant properties in many parts of the city.

The money comes from Dayton’s $138 million in federal rescue funds.

Dayton identified nearly 2,800 properties with brush, and nearly 800 with bulk waste that would be candidates for the program.

However, the survey of properties was conducted in the spring, and the city plans to complete another one to get updated conditions.

The city will bid out the work, and the first round of trash and vegetation removal will take place in the Old North Dayton neighborhood, Stovall said.

The city has about 6,000 vacant and abandoned properties that it mows, but up to this point, crews were not able to remove bulk trash debris, Stovall said.

These removal and clearing activities will help reduce illegal dumping on properties, he said. This program will involve blighted properties both with and without structures on them.

The city has identified the Old North Dayton, Miami Chapel, Edgemont, Carillon, Wolf Creek and Five Oaks neighborhoods as priority target areas for recovery fund projects and spending.

In the city’s last survey, the neighborhoods with the most parcels with brush were Southern Dayton View (499 parcels), Residence Park (332), McFarlane (270), Roosevelt (222) and Arlington Heights (209).

These neighborhoods also had the most parcels with bulk waste, except for Arlington Heights, which didn’t rank quite as high in this respect.

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