A lobbyist for the Small Cities Coalition of Hamilton County released a statement on Monday saying that the East Ridge Housing and Redevelopment Authority will scale back its plans to redevelop residential property in East Ridge.
Bridgett Raper wrote that the East Ridge Housing and Redevelopment Authority (ERHRA), has heard the strong directive from the East Ridge City Council to scale back the proposed boundary map and redraft the plan to concentrate on commercial properties and eliminate any reference to the taking of houses in the City.
Although the ERHRA’s focus and intent is to identify only commercially blighted properties (i.e., vacant, abandoned, unimproved, or dilapidated), the ERHRA will not target or attempt to secure the ability to displace residents from their homes, Raper said.
“We understand the direction of the City Council and certainly are going to work to meet this objective of redeveloping the commercial corridor,” said Darwin Branam, Chair of East Ridge Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
Phone calls seeking further comment from ERHRA Chairman Branam were not returned.
When reached late Monday evening, Vice Chairman Eddie Phillips said it was his understanding from the beginning that the ERHRA was formed to focus on redeveloping commercial property. Phillips said he would never support the city or the ERHRA taking private residential property from East Ridge citizens. He said the letter that was mailed to more than 5,000 people should have been more clear about excluding residential housing from ERHRA action.
Phillips said if the citizens do not support the ERHRA that it should be dissolved.
“If there are other ways to (redevelop the commercials district) I’m in favor of it,” he said. “I just don’t understand why this can work in other cities but it can’t work here.”
Raper’s statement goes on to say, the City Council and the ERHRA believes that blighted and dilapidated commercial properties hinder the City’s ability to stimulate economic development and create hazardous and otherwise dangerous conditions for the citizens and property owners of the City. Therefore, ERHRA will be concentrating on the commercial corridor of the City which will organically strengthen community neighborhoods with no need (or desire) of displacing residents.
The East Ridge Housing and Redevelopment Authority (ERHRA) and the City Council appreciates the citizens’ input over the past few weeks. An Open House Community Meeting is scheduled for May 3 at the East Ridge Community Center, 1517 Tombras Avenue, beginning at 5:30pm, to further collaborate with the citizens to solicit input about the redevelopment needs of the City who are the stakeholders of the community.
There is no statutory requirement for a community meeting but the ERHRA strongly believes and hopes that this event will facilitate the exchange of ideas and perspectives with the intent to harmonize the future commercial development of East Ridge.
The city’s statement comes one day before attorneys with the Institute for Justice – a non-profit law firm that advocates on behalf of citizens concerning government overreach – plan to meet with outraged citizens at an area motel.
Jody Grant, a resident spurred into action by the release of the ERHRA map, said she urges citizens to educate themselves before Thursday night’s meeting at the Community Center.
“At this point there are too many non-elected officials voicing what may or may not occur with the (ERHRA) that was created by the Mayor of East Ridge,” Grant said. “Where is his statement regarding this, as he is the one who created the committee?”
During last Thursday’s City Council meeting, more than 100 vocal citizens in opposition to having their property included in an ERHRA boundary map, vented their frustration over a lack of transparency in the organization of the board and designating as much as one-third of the city as “blighted.” The boundary map would give the ERHRA the authority to potentially seize private property for economic development.
