Owner seeks property tax reduction for Houze Glaze Plant
The owner of the former Houze Glass Plant in Point Marion is seeking a reduction in the $1.3 million assessed value of the property, claiming the site is deteriorating and only worth the $200,000 he paid for it. Dave Jordan of Point Marion Development LLC testified Tuesday before the Fayette County Tax Assessment Appeals Board in his quest for a lowered tax assessment. The board is composed of the three Fayette County commissioners.
Jordan said he will likely have to tear down some of the buildings, pointing out a tree is growing through one of the structures on the 20-acre site. “I don’t want it for nothing. I want to pay taxes on what it’s worth,” Jordan said.
In August 2005, Jordan paid $200,737 for three parcels. The main parcel is valued at $1,303,240, including $166,800 for land and $1,136,440 for the structures. Jordan is also appealing the assessed value of two other pieces of property without structures, one including.48 acres valued at $7,400; and another with 3.88 acres valued at $15,760.
Jordan said he missed the deadline to appeal the assessed value last year and then paid $25,000 in taxes. “The taxes are astronomical,” Jordan said. He added that water leaks have damaged the inside of the main warehouse building, and thieves have stolen copper and vandalized the site. Because of the vandalism and thefts, Jordan said he was forced to put in a security system. He gave the appeals board various pictures showing the damaged insides of the buildings. Jordan said the roof on one of the buildings is completely eroded.
Jordan said Tuesday that he is trying to “get the site renovated to do something.” His plans are to bring jobs back to the area. He said one tenant is committed to move in and others are interested. He is also awaiting the results of the development plan that is being funded via a state grant.
Earlier this year the first Pennsylvania “Business in Our Sites” grant was awarded to the Fayette Industrial Fund and Fay-Penn Economic Development County to survey reuse of the former glass plant along the Monongahela River. The $175,000 grant, according to state Rep. H. William DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, who announced the grant, will pay for engineering, environmental assessment, wetland delineation, the evaluation of structural integrity of several existing buildings and a market analysis associated with the redevelopment of the Houze Glass manufacturing facility.
Jordan, who owns an auto parts business with six sites in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, previously said he wanted to diversify and also wants to return jobs that Point Marion lost when Houze Glass closed in 2004.
When the factory closed in December 2004, there were about 56 hourly workers. At the peak of the factory’s 100-year history, it had as many as 900 employees.
The assessment appeals board will rule on the appeal at a later date.