Applicants sought for new Kingston Land Bank Board

KINGSTON – Applications are being accepted to serve on the Board of Directors of the City of Kingston’s newly established Kingston City Land Bank.
The land bank was formed to acquire title to city-owned and other distressed properties in Kingston, removing barriers to redevelopment, and returning the properties to the tax rolls.
The top priorities of the land bank will be to ensure that the reuse of the properties provides opportunities for homeownership for those who might not otherwise be able to afford an opportunity, to maintain a range of affordability in the city’s housing stock, and to guide the redevelopment of properties to enhance neighborhoods and suit the needs of residents in those neighborhoods.
Mayor Steven Noble said his administration is “committed to improving access to good quality, affordable housing, to addressing deteriorating housing conditions that are negatively impacting our neighborhoods, and to returning properties to the tax rolls.”
The board of directors of the land bank will consist of nine members, all of whom must live in the City of Kingston. Six members will be appointed from the public by the mayor. The board will include the deputy chief in charge of the building safety division, a member of the Kingston Planning Board selected by a full vote of the planning board and the mayor. Two community members from each of the city’s three Ulster County Legislative districts will be appointed.
Persons interested in serving on the board may download the application at www.kingston-ny.gov and are due back by Friday, June 29.