ROSSFORD – Following a fire that destroyed a house at 223 Bacon St., it didn’t linger long before the
city removed the remains.
Disposing of the property, two lots owned by the city and three owned by the school district, will not be
quite so expedited.
Monday Rossford City Council discussed an ordinance that would have turned those five lots over to the
Northern Wood County Port Authority.
The plan is for the port authority to serve as a conduit to transfer the property to Habitat for
Humanity. Habitat could then build as many as two homes on the site.
The city acquired its portion of the property when it failed to sell for a second time at sheriff’s sale,
it was made available to government entities.
The city tried to claim all of the property, but the Rossford Board of Education did as well.
Now both are faced with working together to achieve what they both want – to get the property back on the
tax rolls and generating revenue for both of them.
Moving into the Port Authority’s hands "is a way to put the property to use and show the neighbors
down there that that part of town is not neglected," Mayor Jim Verbosky said.
The city because it is controlled by a charter could on its own donate the property to Habitat for
Humanity, but the Board of Education has more restrictions. It would have to put its parcels up for
auction again. It can transfer it to the Port Authority, which would then complete the deal. Councilman
Michael Scott noted, the authority handled a similar property transfer for the Perrysburg school
district.
Councilman Greg Marquette questioned whether the city shouldn’t try to sell it first, and see if it could
get some money.
Verbosky noted it didn’t sell at the sheriff’s sale.
Councilwoman Caroline Eckel questioned how much control the city would have over what Habitat put up. The
lot that burned down could be replaced with another with 30-foot frontage on the street.
The houses would be subject to all zoning regulations. City Administrator Ed Ciecka said they would
likely be developed as two building lots each with 60-foot frontage.
Council Ken Hermes questioned how long the property would remain vacant.
Ciecka said that Habitat has a potential family in mind.
This would be, he said, Habitat’s first project in Rossford.
The organization with donations and volunteer work and the labor of the homeowners build a house.
Ciecka said the intent would be to have at least one home built by next year.
Councilman Chuck Duricek questioned why the school board got involved in the first place. That move
"made us a bunch of work."
But in a telephone interview on Tuesday, Jamie Rossler, the district’s treasurer, said he’s determined to
get any property that becomes available in hopes of either selling it and generating immediate revenue
for the district, or in this case having a home built that would be added to the tax rolls, even if no
money is made on the transfer. "We look at it as a way of protecting assets," he said.
The district also is working with Perrysburg Township to dispose of a property.
The school board would have to pass a resolution approving the transfer of the Bacon Street land to the
port authority. Rossler said he wasn’t sure when that would happen.
The city council indicated they wanted to hear directly from Habitat about their plans before voting on
the measure.