Eight demolitions planned for next two months

PROCTORVILLE — The county’s land bank razed an abandoned and dilapidated home on Thursday and plans are underway for more demolitions in the coming months.

A crew from Southern 52 Excavating knocked down the single frame home, located at 205 Chestnut St. in Proctorville on Wednesday and demolition will be completed today, with plans in place to seed grass and straw in the next week.

Mayor Rick Dunfee said this was the seventh home torn down by the land bank in the 12 years that he has served as mayor.

“We’ve been wanting this for several years,” he said of the home, whose owned had died and it had fallen into disrepair. 

“It was not being taken care of. This is a good thing for everybody and for the county.”

Dunfee said, once the lot is brought up to construction grade, he hopes to see it sold by the land bank.

He said the village had sought the demolition, reaching out to Lawrence County Treasurer Tresa Baker, who oversees the land bank.

Marie McKenzie, deputy treasurer and fiscal officer for the land bank, described the home as “really troublesome and an eyesore for the village.”

She said there had been issues with mice and rats from the site and a pool in the backyard had been full of debris.

McKenzie said the land bank has eight demolitions planned for May and June, including another in the village at 34 Pvt. Dr. 79, a home that was damaged by fire six years ago and has been causing safety issues.

In addition, she said demolitions are planned for South Point, Coal Grove and the Rock Hill area.

“All of these are blighted,” she said.

She said the land bank will be awarding contracts for four more demolitions in the next month, followed by four in the next month.

“We’re trying to get down as many as we can,” she said.