South Suburban Land Bank reintroduced to Dalton trustees as a tool to address abandoned properties

Joe Van Dyke, director of the South Suburban Land Bank, told the Village of Dalton Board on Monday that the agency can help municipalities reclaim vacant, tax‑delinquent and abandoned properties and return them to the tax rolls.

Van Dyke said Dalton signed on as a member in 2021 but has not yet appointed a board member or initiated abandonment work with the land bank. “Most communities then sign a second IGA, specific to abandoned properties,” he said, describing a process that includes municipal referrals, data analysis, court petitions to declare properties abandoned, and subsequent remediation, rehabilitation or demolition as appropriate.

Why it matters: Van Dyke said the land bank’s work reduces maintenance burdens for code enforcement and public‑works departments by securing, insuring and maintaining problem properties. He described several examples in nearby suburbs where the land bank stabilized houses, performed environmental remediation when necessary, and sold renovated properties to owner‑occupants.

Board comments: Trustees asked about liability, demolition support and how the village would retain final decision‑making authority. Van Dyke said the land bank assumes insurance and liability for properties it acquires and that the village would retain the ability to vet buyers and approve redevelopment plans.

Next steps: Van Dyke said he had shared an updated intergovernmental agreement with the village attorney and trustees and invited the board to re‑engage the land bank’s services for inspections, targeting abandoned parcels and working through court processes.

The presentation was informational; no action was taken at the committee meeting.