Vacant lots see new hope under mow-to-own

A mow-to-own program recently approved by the Poplar Bluff City Council will allow property owners/occupants from within a four-block radius of a vacant lot to apply for ownership of eligible property.

The new program is part of an effort to deal with vacant and abandoned properties, according to city officials.

The city hopes to have eligible properties in the program by the end of the year, said city planner Matt Winters.

Participants would provide in-kind service, such as mowing, to equal the fair market value of the property, according to regulations approved by the city council in February.

The program will help stabilize neighborhoods through the transfer of vacant and abandoned properties to adjacent property owners, who are more likely to care for the land next to their home, officials wrote in city documents.

They hope to see a reduction in city costs related to the maintenance of these properties, and the return of the land to the tax rolls, increasing revenue not only for the city, but also other taxing districts.

Applicants cannot have any delinquent taxes or liens within the city or Butler County. The new regulations also stipulate applicants cannot have a history of violating city zoning ordinance or code compliance rules. They will be required to provide a proposed usage plan.

Eligible lots will be those owned by the city or the Poplar Bluff Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority. They must be vacant and unimproved.

Properties that are suitable for development will be offered for sale for 12 months and then be eligible for the mow-to-own program.

Applicants would earn $55 toward the value of the property for each time it is mowed and $55 every time other activities are performed, such as leaf removal, the ordinance said.

The city does not currently have any properties that qualify for the program, but is beginning to look at land that might be suitable, Winters said.

The city has also received offers in the past for donations of property and has not accepted those. This may offer an avenue for those donations.