Broadway LID Public Meeting Tonight ( 6. August 2007, 13:43 by Derek Young) ~ Make It Happen!
The estimated construction costs associated with the Broadway LID have increased and an effort is underway to re-poll the property owners to determine whether the project moves forward. To answer your questions – which I’m sure you have some – there is a public meeting tonight. Make yourself heard.
Broadway LID Public Meeting
Monday, Aug. 6 at 5 p.m.
Tacoma Municipal Bldg, Room 708 (7th floor)
747 Market Street
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The estimated construction costs associated with the Broadway LID have increased and an effort is underway to re-poll the property owners to determine whether the project moves forward.
I don’t see how the city can stop half way on the project regardless of the outcome of the poll.
From my understanding, the city could increase the charge to landowners 10 percent without any approval at all.
There was a discussion and a vote earlier by the council for the initial LID. Yet, we are in a different position today.
Now we have around a half dozen businesses that have left the area in anticipation of the LID occurring. Broadway is more dead than ever now. Or at least in the last 15 years and the streets and sidewalks are in extremely poor shape as evidenced by the city pictures of the area.
There have been community meetings and scheduled a class “Surviving the construction.”
The city even made a video on it for people.
Many of the major projects have taken action now in anticipation of the LID going through including the Mecca, 505 Broadway, Roberson, Elks Temple with well over 100 million put out there. The Winthrop is on the sidelines as well.
The Mecca and Elks could easily be stalled out if the city fails to act.
Broadway is basically in hibernation waiting for the LID to be completed.
According to the TNT, the city used estimates based in 2004 which were sent to the business owners in 2006.
The die has been cast and the city can’t stop now.
I tend to agree with Erik B. A lot of people are already counting on this to go through. Where the money comes from might be a separate debate but it’s got to happen. And soon.
2 | Posted by Erik Hanberg | Aug 6, 02:37 PM
Thank you Erik…. Can you imagine the millions that the LID has attracted in development. You simply cannot turn it around now. The city needs to do what is necessary for it to continue.
3 | Posted by Ken A. | Aug 6, 02:56 PM
It is my understanding that the ELKS is only going to be secured and will sit vacant for some time. The work that is going on right now only includes demolishing the addition on the north side and securing it to prevent people from going inside… some exterior work as well. Either way… this LID should be finished. Plus there are all of those apartments being built on Broadway. Maybe they could absorb some of the cost.
4 | Posted by snoopy | Aug 6, 03:44 PM
Personally, I’d pay more property tax, sales tax, whatever, to get this done.
5 | Posted by michael g | Aug 6, 05:09 PM
I attended the meeting tonight.
In short, the property owners are being re-polled. They are to mail in their votes by August 17th. The vote will be posted on the Broadway LID city website as soon possible after the vote is tallied.
The vote will then be taken back to the City Council on the 21st for discussion and then final approval (?) on the 28th.
The Broadway LID’s entire cost is divided between storm sewer utility, sanitary sewer utility, Tacoma Water, and Tacoma Power. Then comes in the Property Owners within the area. The water, sewer, and utilities are going to happen. The only thing being voted on currently is whether the property owners wish to go forward with the bid received for their portion of the LID. The property owner’s portion of the entire LID pays only for partial repaving of streets (other utilities are paying the remaining percentage of this), new sidewalks, gutter, street lighting, railings and landscaping etc, and a portion of the admin costs.
“Only” is not necessarily the best word to use as the project is a big one. Over $14,000,000.
Again, the project will go forward either way – be it with new sidewalks and street lights, etc., or with patched streets where the utilities have been updated etc.
The “entire” TOTAL for the low bid came in at 3.78% higher than previously budgeted. Unfortunately, the property owner’s portion of the “entire” bid came in 50% higher than was anticipated, and voted on by the property owners. Because it was 10% higher (as outlined in the ordinance it goes back for re-polling if this occurs) the property owners have another chance to vote on it.
Obviously, there will be yet another period of time that this is delayed. However, one way or another the project will go forward. To what extent is unclear at the moment.
6 | Posted by dni | Aug 6, 10:57 PM
Thanks for the update and going to the LID meeting. Let’s hope the vote goes through before the costs rise again.
I don’t see how the city/property owners can avoid repairing the sidewalks.
From the pictures of Broadway on the city web site, the sidewalks certainly look to be in violation of city code and “unfit and unsafe.” They are some of the worst I have seen in the city. Seems like a waste of money to try to patch around them.
(from the city web site)
What is an unfit or unsafe sidewalk?
Sidewalks with sections that are sunken or lifted up or areas with large cracks are considered unfit or unsafe according to City Code. Sidewalks that have a poor appearance, but are otherwise physically sound, are not considered unsafe.
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