Oak Ridge is now accepting applications from residents who want to serve on the board of directors of the new Oak Ridge Land Bank Corp.
The board will have seven directors, and one of those will be an Oak Ridge City Council member. All directors must be residents and taxpayers in the City of Oak Ridge, a press release said. Preference may be given for applicants in the following fields: banking, real estate, and legal. [Read more…]
A duplex at this lot at 114-116 Lawton Road was demolished after an October fire, and the property could be turned over to a new Oak Ridge land bank.
A new Oak Ridge land bank could be started with $100,000, one donated lot, and eleven parcels where homes have been demolished or are being demolished.
Oak Ridge officials said the land bank program is a tool that can help the city return vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to productive use, one of several initiatives to improve local housing.
The Oak Ridge City Council agreed in a 6-1 vote on Monday to set up the Oak Ridge Land Bank Corp., appropriate the funds and staff support required to create and start running the program, and transfer the available city-acquired properties. Council still has to approve the program on second and final reading in September. [Read more…]
E=mc2 (E Equals MC Squared), or Energy Equals Many Citizens Working Together
There’s no doubt that Oak Ridge could use a facelift. I applaud City Manager Mark Watson and our Oak Ridge City Council members for recognizing and attempting to address this need with their “Not In Our City” initiative.
I think, however, that “Not In Our City” has some problems:
How about this as an alternative? It even has a catchy slogan. In honor of Einstein, let’s call it E = mc2, or Energy Equals Many Citizens Working Together.
Starting next month, Oak Ridge police officers will begin ticketing motorists who violate new parking ordinances that prohibit parking on curbs and sidewalks.
Police officers will begin issuing the citations on Monday, June 18, and ticketed motorists could face fines and court costs as high as about $159.
The new ordinances, approved by Oak Ridge City Council in March and April, also prohibit vehicles and objects placed inside of them from protruding outside marked parking spaces and clarify that vehicles must be parked in the same direction as the traffic flow.
