Farrell Planning Commission Tuesday declared two sections of town blighted, paving the way for their redevelopment.

The determination, required by state law, is part of the process of extending the Hillside Industrial Park northward, and clearing parts of the Idaho Street corridor of vacant buildings, both moves to make the areas more attractive to developers.

The $1 million plan will be funded by the city and the state Capital Budget program.

The priority project is extending Hillside park. The target area is a staggered line with roughly the Sharon border as its northern boundary, and French Street as the southern boundary.

The western boundary runs between Maryland Street and Broadway, and the eastern boundary is Crago Street south to halfway between Florida Street and French, heading east until it picks up Louisiana Street.

The city plans to buy all property in the area that it doesn't already own, move out residents who live there, demolish all buildings, and replat the area into four parcels.

The new parcels would be 45,000, 50,600, 143,000 and 144,000 square feet, and would be zoned light industrial.

Lee Avenue would be extended northward to the Florida Street right-of-way, and connect to Crago Avenue

Maryland would be removed, and Florida would be removed between Lee and Broadway. All alleys would be abandoned and utilities would be removed with new ones put in conforming to the new parcel layout.

Zoning officer Mark Yerskey said four of the homes still are occupied. The residents would have to be moved to new homes, and the sale price of their properties, based on market value, would be negotiated with the city.

Relocation must be done in accordance with federal laws, said Tom Graney, president of project consulting firm Graney, Grossman, Ray, Colosimo and Associates, Grove City.

The city will pay for moving costs and offer assistance in buying or renting a new home, and mortgage interest differential payments.

"There will be full relocation services offered," Graney said.

The Idaho Street project, whose completion would depend on any money leftover from the Hillside project, would involve properties on the south side of Idaho between Spearman and Fruit, and on the north side between Spearman and Walnut Alley.

The properties are vacant or have commercial buildings on them. Only one of the commercial buildings is used.

The city proposes demolishing the buildings and replatting the area into seven parcels -- ranging in size from 5,225 to 21,600 square feet -- that could be bought for residential or commercial use.

The big tickets items in the project budget are construction (new roadway, sanitary sewer, utility extension and removing roads), $350,000; property acquisition, $280,000; and relocation of utilities, $135,000.

The project will require a lot of legal work to prepare ordinances for the streets and clear up title problems, particularly on abandoned parcels.

"I don't see any question that this is totally, 100 percent blighted," said planning commission member Toby Hughes.

But member the Rev. Robert Chavers questioned buffer conditions around remaining homes and the First Baptist Church.

"When you talk about buffering areas around the church, that disturbs me," he said. "Don't make that place look like the inside of a penitentiary."

Rev. Chavers was referring to fencing used as a buffer.

But Yerskey said fence does not have to be used.

"The best way to do it is with plantings," he said. "You don't want a big chain fence."

The commission will get another say on the plans when the Redevelopment Area Plan, which describes project specifics, comes before it for review.

The city is accepting proposals from appraisers and relocation specialists who want to work on the project.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@sharon-herald.com