NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND
NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS
February 14, 2024
City of Wooster
Economic Development
538 N. Market Street
330.263.5250
To All Interested Agencies, Groups, and Individuals:
These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Wooster.
REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS
On or about, but not before, March 1, 2024, the City of Wooster will submit a request to the State of Ohio for the release of Federal funds under Section 104 (g) of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended; Section 288 of Title II of the Cranston Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act (NAHA), as amended; and/or Title IV of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, as amended; to be used for the following project(s):
Project Name: Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) Program
Source of Federal Funds: CDBG ($316,000, HOME $729,000)
This project will utilize federal funds to make repairs and rehabilitations to existing residential structures to preserve housing low-to-moderate income households.
This is a two-year project ending April 30, 2026.
Location: Wayne County, Ohio - Countywide
Estimated Cost: $1,045,000
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
The (Name of Responsible Entity) has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) which is available for review on City of Wooster’s website at www.woosteroh.com (Navigate to www.woosteroh.com/development). The ERR may also be provided upon request electronically via email. Please submit your request by U.S. mail to “City of Wooster, 538 N. Market St., Wooster, OH, 44691” or by email to jmillea@woosteroh.com.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the City of Wooster by U.S. mail or email at the addresses above. All comments received before March 1, 2024 will be considered by the City of Wooster prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.
ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION
The City of Wooster certifies to the State of Ohio that Robert J. Reynolds in his capacity as Mayor consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. The State of Ohio’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City of Wooster to use Program funds.
OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS
The State of Ohio will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Wooster’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Wooster; (b) the City of Wooster has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by the State of Ohio; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to Ohio Department of Development, Office of Community Development at OCD@development.ohio.gov. Potential objectors should contact the State of Ohio to verify the actual last day of the objection period.
Robert J. Reynolds, Mayor
Visit this section to review the 2024-2025 CHIP Grant Environmental Assessment. CHIP is a grant program that helps low-to-moderate income homeowners across Wayne County make repairs to their homes. Funding is also made available for first-time homebuyers, and landlords agreeing to temporary rent controls. For any project, the City of Wooster takes care to ensure that the efforts undertaken do not create a risk to human health or the environment. The formal process for this analysis is called an Environmental Assessment, which is performed anytime the City is expending federal funds on a project. Learn more here:
2024 CHIP Environmental Assessment
To learn more about the CHIP Program or to request an application, please visit our Program Administrator, the Wayne Metropolitan Housing Authority, here: