Highland County land bank board awards bids to Evans Landscaping; adds 2 properties to Building Demolition and Site Revitalization list

In a brief special meeting Thursday, Feb. 22, members of the Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) board awarded demolition bids for seven properties to Evans Landscaping, while they also added two more parcels to a list for potential future demolition.

A total of 62 bids, from 23 different contractors, were opened by Highland County Land Bank Coordinator Jason Johansen (assisted by board president Terry Britton and legal counsel Todd Book) Feb. 15 for properties selected for demolition using leftover state funds.

As previously reported, the land bank has $77,895 in remaining funding from the first iteration of the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, which they are still permitted to use.

Evans Landscaping was the low bidder on each of the three packages. When their bid was opened, Johansen said that Evans had also offered a rate of $60,000 if they were awarded all three bid packages. That ended up being a $4,000 discount, Johansen said Thursday.

Bid Package #1, which received 22 bids ranging from $24,000 up to $87,000, included 9955 U.S. 62 in Samantha (Penn Township), 142 North Fairfield St. in Leesburg (Fairfield Township) and 8151 Fall Creek Rd. in Samantha (Penn Township). With the discounted rate, it was awarded to Evans in the amount of $22,500.

Bid Package #2, which had bids from all 23 contractors, ranged from $17,000 to $58,537.50 and included 3479 Pleasant Road in Marshall Township and 6747/6749 Heather Moor Trail in Paint Township. The cost of that package is now $15,937.50.

Bid Package #3, for which the land bank received 17 bids ranging from $23,000 to $92,500, included two properties in the City of Hillsboro, at 140 East North St. and 212 North High St. The total cost is $21,562.50.

Prior to making his recommendation Thursday, Johansen said he had spoken with the company to ensure they will comply with all the necessary timelines to use these leftover funds.

“He let me know that he's able to finish all seven properties by our deadline on May 1,” Johansen said. “He understands that all basements need excavated and filled in with clean dirt.”

Johansen also noted that the contractor said they “would still honor the discounted rate.” The land bank coordinator said with the discounted bids, plus the costs of asbestos surveys ($2,800) and subsequent abatement ($14,700) for four of the seven parcels, they came in $395 under budget.

“Where I thought we might get four or five properties done, it looks like we're going to get all seven done with that discounted rate,” Johansen said. “Three of them would be an immediate start on the demolition, as the [asbestos] surveys have already been completed. 

“Then on the four with asbestos, we would just wait for the abatement to be complete. [Abatement contractors] have until March 29, but my indication is they should be finished up before the 29th of March, so that'll give the bid winner enough time to get this completed.”

Prior to making a motion to accept all three bids, board member David Daniels asked if all contractors were aware that discounted rates were an option to be placed in their bid packets.

“That was never put in any type of documentation for anybody,” Book said. “That was something he did on his own.

“I don't see a problem with it.”

Johansen added that “even without the discounted rate,” Evans Landscaping “still was the lowest bidder on all three.” 

The board then voted unanimously to award the bid packages, after which they also voted 5-0 to add two Leesburg parcels to the list of potential sites to target using new Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program funds. The county has a $500,000 set-aside from the state for this program.

Added to the list were 419 Market Street and 421 Market Street in Leesburg, which Johansen said are two trailers on adjoining parcels.

“This should be the last two,” he said. “We’ll still take them in, but we're going to put them on hold and see if we have leftover funding at the end of the program. 

“That would make 40 total properties on our new building demolition program. That does not include the seven that we are doing before May 1.”

Along with the two new properties, the current list also includes 11 properties in the City of Hillsboro; six in Dodson Township; five in Liberty Township; three in Paint Township; two each in Brushcreek, Clay, Fairfield, Madison, Salem and Union Townships; and one in New Market Township that were already selected.

The board is next scheduled to meet March 21 at the Highland County Administration Building, with the meeting beginning at 9:30 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. as regularly scheduled. 

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