Land labyrinth

A vacant Port Richmond lot fetched $120,000 at a recent city auction. The Sheriff's Office has slightly picked up the sluggish pace of delinquent property sales. City Council is considering making a quick buck on a tax-lien sale, while the Nutter administration plans to sell 1,400 liens this month. Meanwhile, a businessman who wants to buy lots to expand is lost in Philadelphia's property maze.

These disjointed events, and many more across a variety of city agencies and offices, are occurring without much forethought or consideration of the bigger picture. One would think the city might devise a way to organize property disposition.

Observant readers will remember that Philadelphia created a Land Bank to do just that. But all the uncoordinated activity around city land use make it hard to tell. The bank was supposed to be fully operational this year; after the mayor signed legislation creating it back in January 2014, he predicted that it could be selling land by the end of that year. The holdup seems to be a failure to finalize the last of four contracts with workers.

Even though it isn't fully functional, the Land Bank is working to acquire inactive properties. But it could be hampered by privately held tax liens dating back to the city's ill-conceived 1997 lien sale, an example of Philadelphia's traditionally thoughtless land use strategy. The city could end up spending more to clear up the titles than it raised by selling the liens. That's one reason the administration and Council should avoid further lien sales until the Land Bank can determine the best possible reuse of properties.

The bank is also preparing lists of properties in the 10 councilmanic districts for approval by their representatives, who exercise veto power over property transactions under the feudal practice known as councilmanic prerogative. The lists are expected in the fall, but the need for Council approval could become yet another obstacle to the Land Bank's success.

The great promise of the bank is that it could streamline property transactions, turn deadbeat lots into tax-producing properties, spur development of struggling communities, and check the ravages of blight. Such an agency could help the family that wants to turn the derelict lot next door into a driveway as well as the developer or entrepreneur with a vision for a larger group of parcels.

Take the Frankford linen company owner who wanted to buy three nearby vacant lots to expand his business. As Ryan Briggs of Philly.com's Next Mayor project reported, two of the lots are city-owned, but the third is behind on taxes and its owner is apparently dead, leaving the company in limbo. The Land Bank was meant to untangle such messes.

There are about 40,000 vacant lots throughout the city, depressing neighborhoods and the tax base. Mayor Nutter and City Council can't let Philadelphia miss the opportunity to exploit one of its richest resources. They must give the Land Bank a chance to work.