City of Hinton Completes Phase II Dilapidated Property Removals with 33 Sites Cleared

The City of Hinton has completed Phase II of its dilapidated property removal work, closing out a grant cycle that cleared 33 blighted sites and removed structures that had become safety, health, and neighborhood concerns.

The final demolition in this phase took place at 105 Court Street, a property located near Hinton Area Elementary School. The latest round also included dilapidated properties at 24 Dove Lane and 16 Spruce HOLW, both located along the Elk Knob Road to Hix Mountain area.

Funding for the work came through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and its Dilapidated Properties Program, administered by the Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan, known as WVDEP REAP DLAP. The Phase II grant cycle provided $383,418.23 for the removal of the 33 properties.

105 Court Street

105 Court Street

Phase II ends with demolition near Hinton Area Elementary School

The demolition of 105 Court Street marked the completion of Hinton’s Phase II dilapidated property removal program. Its location near Hinton Area Elementary School made the property a visible part of the city’s cleanup effort.

Dilapidated structures near schools, public routes, and residential areas can create a range of problems. They may attract illegal dumping, become unsafe for children and neighbors, or lower confidence in nearby properties. Removing them does not solve every housing or infrastructure challenge, but it does address one of the most visible signs of decline.

The latest set of demolitions also reached beyond the Court Street area. The City included properties at 24 Dove Lane and 16 Spruce HOLW, in the Elk Knob Road to Hix Mountain area. Together, those removals helped close out the city’s second grant-funded phase.

The properties in this latest round were accessed through “Right of Entry” agreements from the property owners. Under that process, the property owner grants the City access to complete removal work, while the property itself remains under the owner’s ownership.

That distinction matters. A Right of Entry does not transfer title to the City. It allows the cleanup to move forward with the property owner’s cooperation, helping remove unsafe or blighted buildings while avoiding a change in ownership.

The Phase II grant cleared 33 properties

The City of Hinton’s Phase II grant cycle resulted in the removal of 33 dilapidated properties. The total grant funding for this phase was $383,418.23.

That funding came from the WVDEP REAP DLAP program, which supports local efforts to address blighted and unsafe properties. In Hinton, the program has helped the City take a systematic approach to property cleanup rather than handling each case as an isolated issue.

Program activity	Result
Phase II grant-funded removals	33 properties
Phase II grant funding	$383,418.23
Final Phase II demolition site	105 Court Street
Other latest round sites	24 Dove Lane and 16 Spruce HOLW

The City’s work under this phase centered on properties that had reached a point where removal became the practical solution. In many cases, structures that are abandoned, unsafe, or beyond repair affect more than one parcel. They can impact adjoining owners, nearby renters, pedestrians, and the public workers who must respond to complaints or safety concerns.

The completion of Phase II gives the City a clear milestone. It also adds to a larger six-year effort to reduce blight across Hinton.

Demolition work closes out the second grant-funded phase of property removals.

Six years of cleanup have removed dozens of blighted areas

Over the past six years, the City of Hinton has used WVDEP REAP DLAP grant funds to clean up 53 blighted areas. Those grant-funded efforts totaled $555,119.50.

The grant-funded work is only part of the larger picture. During the same six-year period, the City’s Public Works staff removed an additional 13 dilapidated properties. Private property owners also removed another 18 dilapidated properties on their own.

Together, those efforts show a wider cleanup strategy that includes state grant support, local government action, and private owner participation.

Six-year cleanup activity	Number of properties or areas
WVDEP REAP DLAP grant-funded blighted areas cleaned up	53
Properties removed by City Public Works staff	13
Properties removed by private property owners	18

The combined work reflects several different paths to the same goal: fewer unsafe and neglected structures in Hinton. Some removals happen through grant-funded demolition. Others happen because the City uses its own crews. Still others take place when private owners decide to remove deteriorated structures themselves.

This mix is important because blight rarely has a single cause or a single solution. Some properties fall into poor condition after years of vacancy. Others may have ownership complications, structural damage, or costs that make repairs difficult. A city cleanup program must often work property by property, using the tool that fits the situation.

Property owner cooperation plays a central role

Many of Hinton’s dilapidated property removals move forward through cooperation with property owners. The Right of Entry process is one of the main ways that happens.

Through a Right of Entry, an owner gives the City permission to access the property and carry out demolition or cleanup work. The owner keeps ownership of the parcel after the work is complete.

This approach can help when an owner wants a hazardous structure removed but may not have the resources to complete the work alone. It can also prevent a property from staying in unsafe condition for years while legal or financial issues remain unresolved.

The process depends on owner participation. It gives the City a way to address blighted conditions without automatically taking ownership of the property. For neighborhoods, the result is often a cleaner, safer parcel where a deteriorated structure once stood.

Not every property follows that path. In some cases, the City obtains dilapidated properties through other means, including:

• Condemnation

• Gift by the property owner

• Purchase

  
  

Each method serves a different situation. Condemnation may be used when a property creates a public concern and other paths are not available. A gift may occur when an owner chooses to transfer a property to the City. Purchase may be used when acquiring the parcel supports a broader public goal.

The City’s stated intent is to remove blighted areas and dilapidated properties while also creating opportunities for new housing construction.

The cleanup effort supports future housing opportunities

Removing a dilapidated structure is not the final step for every parcel. Once a property is cleared, the question becomes what can happen next.

The City of Hinton has connected its cleanup work to the possibility of future housing. A cleared parcel may be easier to maintain, easier to sell, or better suited for new construction than a lot occupied by a deteriorated structure. Even when new housing does not happen immediately, removing unsafe buildings can help stabilize a block and reduce the burden on neighbors.

Hinton has also established the Hinton Land Reuse Agency, or HLRA, to help return vacant parcels to public use. In some cases, parcels are purchased by adjoining property owners. That can allow a neighboring owner to expand a yard, maintain a formerly vacant lot, or put land back into regular use. Please visit the HLRA website: https://www.hintonwv-landreuseagency.com to see the full list of properties currently being offered for sale.

Land reuse can be a practical part of small-city redevelopment. Not every cleared parcel is ready for a new house right away. Some lots may be small, steep, narrow, or affected by access and utility issues. Others may be better suited for side-yard expansion or another neighborhood use.

The HLRA gives the City a way to move beyond demolition and think about what happens after removal. Without that next step, vacant lots can become a new maintenance issue. With a reuse plan, they can become part of a broader effort to support neighborhoods and reduce long-term blight.

Why dilapidated property removal matters in a small city

Blighted structures affect communities in visible and practical ways. They can create safety risks, invite dumping, attract pests, and place added pressure on public workers. They can also affect how residents and visitors view a neighborhood.

In a small city, one neglected building can stand out. Several neglected buildings on the same route can change the feel of an entire area.

For Hinton, the removal of 33 properties in Phase II represents more than a single round of demolitions. It is part of a longer effort that now includes:

• 53 blighted areas cleaned up with WVDEP REAP DLAP grant funds over six years

• 13 additional properties removed by City Public Works staff

• 18 properties removed by private property owners

• A land reuse agency created to help return vacant parcels to productive use

  
  

The numbers show the scale of the work. The methods show how the City is approaching it.

The program uses outside funding where available, depends on local staff where appropriate, and works with property owners when Right of Entry is possible. It also recognizes that private owners have a part to play in removing unsafe structures from their own properties.

The completion of this latest phase may also help the City identify the next group of properties that need attention. Blight removal often works in cycles. A city documents problem properties, seeks funding, secures access or ownership, completes demolition, clears the site, and then considers future use.

That process can take time, but each completed property changes the map.

Cleared parcels can open the door to maintenance, reuse, or future housing.

What comes after Phase II

With Phase II complete, Hinton’s dilapidated property removal work moves into its next stage. The City has already shown several ways it can address properties that are unsafe, neglected, or no longer viable as structures.

Some properties may continue to be handled through Right of Entry agreements. Others may require acquisition through condemnation, gift, or purchase. Some may be addressed by Public Works staff, while private owners may continue to remove structures on their own.

The key issue now is reuse. Once a structure is gone, the City and property owners still need to keep sites maintained and look for the right future use. That may include new housing where conditions allow. It may also include adjoining owners buying parcels, vacant lots being returned to public use, or other site-specific solutions.

The completion of Hinton Completes Phase II Dilapidated Property Removals with 33 Sites Cleared marks a clear step in the City’s long-running cleanup effort. The work removed hazardous and blighted structures, used state grant funds for local benefit, and kept attention on the larger goal of creating safer, more usable land across Hinton.

The takeaway is straightforward: demolition is only one part of neighborhood recovery, but it is often the step that makes the next use possible.