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ABANDONED BUILDINGS PROGRAM
Working Together For A Clean, Green & Beautiful McIntosh County!
KMB is an independent, self-funded 501(c)3 non-profit registered in the state of Georgia, with a volunteer Board of Directors and part-time Executive Director. KMB has no connection to city or county government and receives no support from either. Beginning as a grassroots organization in the 1960s to improve the appearance of McIntosh County, Keep McIntosh Beautiful became an affiliate of national organization Keep America Beautiful, with the mission of engaging individuals and businesses to take greater responsibility for improving our community surroundings.
HOW DO WE DO IT? Education in the Schools. Adopt-A-Highway, Park or Spot Program. Litter Control. Land and Water CleanUps. Beautification Projects. Recycling Education and Events. Scholarships. "Georgia’s Coast Is Not An Ashtray" and other awareness campaigns, and the Abandoned Buildings Program (ABP) launched in 2016 to address a problem common in many rural areas - abandoned and dilapidated mobile homes and other structures. The goals of the ABP are to improve the appearance of our community by helping owners remove unsafe, unhealthy derelict structures from their properties, and in doing so make land available for a good new use.
How does the ABP work? Briefly…
*OWNERS apply for financial assistance with removal of a structure(s) from their McIntosh County property.
*TO BE ELIGIBLE, the structure must be vacant, unlivable/unusable and beyond repair.
*The structure is evaluated and scored on criteria that includes degree of blight/safety concerns, high visibility within the community, whether the removal will improve the street or neighborhood significantly, and whether the property has been cited for removal by the City Codes Enforcement or been ordered to be removed by the local courts.
*If an application is approved, KMB gets a “total cost” quote from the community service-minded contractor we work with who provides a discounted price for demolition, hauling and disposal.
*KMB offers the owner a cash grant (typically 30-50% of the total cost) and the owner is responsible for the remaining share of the total cost.
*The metal carriages of mobile homes are taken to a local metal recycler and other materials are salvaged and/or recycled (fixtures, paneling, etc.) as it is possible and SAFE to do.
The structures we have typically been involved in helping owners remove have had little to no potential for salvage. Several have been condemned and even abandoned for many decades, with little of value left, especially in mobile homes. Unfortunately, the ABP is usually the last resort for owners in dealing with neglected structures, but should an owner wish to try and salvage materials, accepting the liability risk and (usually) increased cost, finding takers, etc., that would be their decision, one which KMB certainly supports. Awareness of programs, grants, salvage businesses, etc. that could provide this kind of help to owners would be a real service in our community and should be made widely available by those in our county with this interest and expertise. And if you see an abandoned structure and think it may have salvageable materials, don’t wait until it’s too late. Contact the owner and ask.
We know there are places in our community in peril, like the church. We support efforts to save those historic gems and encourage others in the community to get involved too. Step up to care for and save them, while they can still be saved. We all love McIntosh and its unique character, and like most residents, care about preserving its unique character and charm. We all have different roles in achieving this, and TOGETHER WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Want to learn more about Keep McIntosh Beautiful? Want to get involved? keepmcintoshbeautiful.com We’re all just “good people” trying to do good things.
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