June 27 Akron Housing Appeals Board meeting
Covered by Documenter Christina Brunson (see her notes here)
At the June 27 Housing Appeals Board meeting, the City of Akron announced a new slate of demolitions for uninhabitable residential properties.
This follows on the heels of an Oct. 16, 2023, Akron City Council meeting where members agreed on a proposed application for $12 million to the Ohio Department of Development to help with the city’s inventory of dilapidated residential and commercial properties.
At the time, the city’s application included 125 residences in need of demolition.
Slated for demolition
| Case # | Address | Neighborhood | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6071 | 901 Sherman St. | South Akron | Kimberly Robinson |
| 6083 | 2465 7th St. SW | Kenmore | Joseph Martin Jones |
| 6084 | 1381 Brandon Ave. | Goodyear Heights | Ted Morris |
| 6085 | 518 Dayton St. | North Hill | Willie Ezell |
| 6086 | 1387 Dover Ave. | West Akron | Robert C. Junius Jr. trustee etal |
| 6087 | 1388 Hart St. | East Akron | Tilleon Properties LLC |
| 6088 | 1270 Herman Ave. | Sherbondy Hill | Charles S. Oddo |
| 6089 | 1280 Herman Ave. | Sherbondy Hill | Charles S. Oddo |
| 6090 | 1153 Laurel Ave. | Sherbondy Hill | Edward D. Smith |
| 6091 | 542 Noah Ave. | West Akron | Kenneth E. Mccloud |
| 6092 | 561 Parkdale Dr. | North Hill | Millionaire Minds enterprise LLC |
| 6094 | 1252 W. Waterloo Rd. | Kenmore | K S Yoak Enterprises LLC |
The board reviewed 17 cases. Six property owners were at the meeting; 11 property owners were not present.
The owners who were present each explained their situations — two asked for and were granted 30-day extensions.
Owners of a home at 1088 Schumacher Ave. in Sherbondy Hill were given a 30-day extension because the owner was ill and could not attend the meeting. A family member was present and said they are considering buying the property.
The commission removed a property at 501 Beacon St. in University Park from the agenda. Inspectors visited the property and found that the majority of the repairs have been made.
READ MORE: In April, the board added nine homes to the demolition list. Akron Documenters covered that meeting and here’s what they learned.
New, higher-priced homes coming to Sherbondy Hill
At the April 12 Akron City Planning Commission meeting, the commission voted to support selling 52 city-owned lots in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood to New Jersey based K. Hovnanian Ohio Operations, LLC, which plans to build single-family homes on the properties.
There are currently five K. Hovnanian homes listed for sale at realtor.com in the neighborhood with an average price of $219,882. On average, homes in Akron sell for $133,601, according to zillow.com. Flyhomes.com shows a 2024 median home value in Sherbondy Hill of $65,056.
How a house comes to be demolished
Section 150.051 of the city’s housing code outlines the demolition process, which generally follows this path:
- Complaints about derelict properties make their way to the city through resident complaints, city housing inspectors and others.
- Once a housing inspector finds a property in violation of city code, the Housing Appeals Board issues a written notice to owners and other interested parties to appear before the board.
- Owners can then make their case for the property to the board. Owners of the property, the or their representatives, get the chance to undertake the repairs, provided there is satisfactory proof of their initiative and financial ability before a given deadline.
- The board may order the dwelling or premises to be repaired, vacated or demolished.
- Owners have the right to appeal.
- Once ordered for demolition, the property is added to the city’s demolition list.
Next up
The Housing Appeals Board meets on the fourth Thursday of every month beginning at 9 a.m. at the Akron Municipal Building, 166 S. Main St. Its next meeting is July 25.
Go here to file a housing complaint with the city, or call 3-1-1.
