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Botetourt County is moving forward with plans to clean up a blighted property in Eagle Rock after bids for the work came in significantly higher than available grant funding.
The property at 72 Railroad Avenue, which is now owned by the county, includes a building that partially collapsed in November 2023. At the request of the former property owner, the county pursued grant funding through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to remove the structure and remediate the property.
The county received a $132,854 VDEM Hazard Mitigation Grant and later sought bids from contractors for the cleanup. Seven bids were received, ranging from $225,051 to $883,959. The lowest bid was submitted by A.R. Coffey & Sons Inc.
County staff worked with VDEM to restructure the grant funding and eliminate optional grant line items to increase the amount available for the project. Even after those changes, the county faced a shortfall of approximately $24,000.
County staff considered seeking additional FEMA funding but determined that doing so could delay the project and require another bidding process, potentially resulting in higher construction costs. FEMA has extended the project’s performance deadline by one year to Sept. 30, 2027.
During the Sept. 22 meeting of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, Deputy County Administrator David Moorman asked the board to approve funding for the shortfall and award the contract to A.R. Coffey & Sons.
The board ultimately approved the contract but did not include the $24,000 Eagle Rock appropriation in its budget amendment. Instead, supervisors directed staff to look for the necessary funding within the county’s existing budget.
Following the meeting, county spokesman Brent Watts said no specific source of funding had been identified as of late last week. Staff is reviewing the budget for potential savings or available funds that could be used to address the approximately $24,000 gap.
Watts said staff is confident the necessary savings can be identified and does not anticipate the matter returning to the board for another appropriation.
The county also confirmed that it is now the sole owner of the property, meaning there is no separate property owner contributing money toward the cleanup.
Once the cleanup is completed, the immediate plan is to restore the site as green space that can be enjoyed and used by residents. The county will evaluate potential future uses for the property as the project progresses.
The county’s original grant application was based on substantially lower cleanup estimates. Moorman told the board that inflation and contractor concerns about asbestos and material disposal contributed to the higher bids received during the most recent bidding process.
The county’s agenda materials said abandoning the project could require repayment of grant funds already received for required property surveys and an environmental report.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
