Officials with the Village of Holley Development Corporation are working to finalize an agreement so that 8 homes abandoned over a decade ago after a chemical spill, can be sold to new owners.
The EPA has owned the homes since they were abandoned following a spill at the Diaz Chemical plant in 2002.
Daniel Schiavone is president of the Development Corporation, an LDC.
"Not only are they quite an eyesore, but deterioration seems to spread, nobody wants to live next to them or buy next to them. From a revenue standpoint from the village, this represents some lost property tax revenue. Primarily the LDC sees this as improving the village by getting rid of vacant homes and all the eyesores and deterioration they bring with it."
He says the EPA will take half of the proceeds from the sale of the homes. It'll be up to prospoective homeowners to take care of any lead abatement before any certificate of occupancy is isssued..
Schiavone says while there is still much work to do at the Diaz Chemical Plant site itself, the homes, however, are very safe.
He hopes to reach a final agreement with the EPA in the next 30 days.