By John Estridge
The property on the south side of Sixth Street near its intersection with Main Street is still vexing local officials.
For many years, the Town of Brookville and then the Brookville Redevelopment Commission sought an Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) Blight Clearance Program grant. This was a long, multi-year project. One of the first actions came after the person who owned the properties died. The properties did not sell at auction. That is when the town went into motion.
The two structures were falling down and uninhabited. As the years passed, with the town and then the redevelopment commission seeking the grants, the buildings continued to deteriorate with sometimes people going inside the structures to do whatever. The redevelopment commission did what could be done to board up the houses and try to keep vandals out.
Eventually, the houses were removed, along with the retaining wall. Basements were filled in.
After that, the properties sat idle. At first, it was just mounds of dirt. Now the dirt has blossomed large weeds. The plans have been to construct a new retaining wall along the Sixth Street side and make a small parking lot out of the empty space. At most, officials said it could park four or five vehicles.
At the Brookville Town Council meeting on Tuesday, July 14, council member Curtis Ward said he had been approached by an adjoining property owner to the Sixth Street property and wanted to know when the next phase of the project would start.
Town Administrator Tim Ripperger said he would attend the Monday, July 20, Brookville Redevelopment Commission meeting and ask about it.
At the July 20 meeting, BRC President Todd Thackery said he had conversations with adjoining property owners concerning vehicular access points to the property. According to Thackery, no one is pushing for the project to be completed at this point. However, he said it is his intention to start making the Sixth Street property a priority after the storm sewer project is completed near the new Farmer’s Mutual Building, which is under construction, and the Schirmer property at Brookville’s south end.
However, BRC member and former BTC member, Darrel Flaspohler, said the weeds on the property are in violation of the town’s ordinance about unkempt properties.
“I talked to Tim (Ripperger) about that today,” Flaspohler said. “It looks terrible. We need to take care of the weed problem. We’re probably well in violation with the town’s property maintenance code.”
Flaspohler said he would like to see action on the property right away.
“But I feel like we need to get going on it,” he said. “Anything I can do to help. I know there are some things holding it up. It really looks bad. But it’s an eyesore we created.”
Flaspohler asked if they could put the retaining wall in place now and worry about the parking lot later.
When Thackery hesitated with an answer, Flaspohler said the best use for the property may be greenspace.
“We could,” Thackery said. “Or we could grade it off now, and plant it green, too.”
Flaspohler said asphalt companies have full schedules right now with road projects so a parking lot may not come to fruition until 2021.
“Our latest approach on it was to retain it and use if for parking,” Thackery said. “If we’re giving up on that, should we just sell it?”
Flaspohler said he would not be opposed to that option.
“I would not be opposed to that if we can get it to some kind of shape where it’s not an eyesore even if it is a greenspace,” Flaspohler said. “The parking is just tough. We always knew that. (It is) something to think about. Maybe we can talk to some people up there and see what it looks like. I’m not pushing for a decision tonight, but it’s something to think about.”
“It’s in a state of limbo at the moment,” Thackery said. “And it’s our problem. I’m all for making something happen there. Think about it. Talk around out there, and let’s try to come up with a direction in August.”
That led to the discussion about Nixies, which is just west of the Sixth Street property on Main. It is for sale. Member Beth Foster said she knows a person affiliated with the property and would ask her about a price for it.