The Broadway LID is Revived (16. October 2007, 15:28 by Whitney) ~ It's Baaaack....
The Broadway LID came up in today’s City Council study session. City staff are restructuring the bids and redesigning some elements of the project to cut costs and better serve the needs of the area. There is a public meeting slated for October 25, time and place to be announced, in order to gather input on changes to the LID plan. The issue was highly contentious as the council discussed the timeline for moving forward. Members of the council expressed concern that property owners weren’t being included enough, but ultimately the timeline was agreed upon and we can expect a bidding process in December and January.
We can’t wait to find out what happens next….
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The LID should have never been delayed. The Theater District is in stasis until it goes through.
When the council originally approved and formed the LID the vote for it was basically the same as now.
At any rate, the 40 percent state requirement threshold in support has certainly been met.
Once the state statutory requirement has been fulfilled as to the weighted vote based on property ownership (an antiquated standard), it is entirely appropriate for the City Council to consider the popular vote of the property owners. Here, (74/114) x 100 = 63.2 percent of the property owners voted in support of the St. Helens LID.
I among with many of the tenants in the Theater District will no doubt have much of the costs passed onto us as the area improves. Yet, myself and the tenants I know overwhelming support the formation of St. Helens LID as we realize it will improve the area. No one benefits from the area remaining dilapidated except perhaps owners simply wishing to sit on property parcels for extended periods of time.
It is critical that the city vote to fund the LID which city formed last year. Many businesses in the Theater District moved out in anticipation of the LID work. The public policy debate on the issue should have been resolved at the initiation of the LID, not midway in the process after great deal of expenses have been incurred by the city, developers and tenants in the area.
Plus, there are now a slew of large projects which are stalled out because of the LID delay.
Article in today’s Tribune makes it sound like it’s a done deal. Was there a re-vote? What’s going on?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/180963.html
2 | Posted by Brent Hartinger | Oct 17, 10:48 AM
The LID is formed and the LID project will happen. The meeting will be to gather input on what shape the project should take, ie. design elements and priorities. The LID was never in question, the bid got rejected so they are doing a new bidding process
3 | Posted by gritcitygirl | Oct 17, 11:00 AM
It amazes me that we can’t fix up this blighted area — when so many other cities and towns have created vibrant cores. Why so much turmoil here?
Is it the Council? The Staff? Riley? Something is amiss. We need a good investigative reporter to get to the bottom of this…
4 | Posted by Dan Hannah | Oct 18, 10:03 AM
The Cycle
Low Expectations = Under-enforcement
Under-enforcement = Public Apathy & Neglect
Public Apathy & Neglect = Chaos & Decay
Chaos & Decay = Blight
Blight = Crime
Crime = Less Visitors
Less Visitors = Less Business
Less Business = Less Investment
Less Investment = Low Expectations
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=950380
5 | Posted by Laura Hanan | Oct 18, 01:22 PM
OK. I’m trying to understand all the secrecy around this thing. Not the best way to engender public faith.
Public meeting less than one week away and no mention of it yet?
The City’s Broadway LID page ( www.cityoftacoma.org/BroadwayLID ) has been slashed and redirected to a poor cousin.
I think Erik Hanberg did a good job of analyzing the vote: Those that were against it are against it no matter the cost. Those that are for it are for it no matter the cost. (Within reason.) When you start making big changes to the plan, you’re more likely to lose people who found something they really liked than to gain someone because their cost dropped by a little.
I just want to know when the meeting is so we can see where this is going. And I want to know why all that great data/project history was pulled off-line.
6 | Posted by DavidS | Oct 19, 08:55 AM
I just want to know when the meeting is so we can see where this is going.
The interesting thing is that the LID is simplier than it seems.
The Tacoma City Council already approved the LID after much debate last year. Thus, there is now a perfectly formed LID.
Now it just comes down to funding the project. They usually do a bid acceptance of one kind or another every other week. The council declined to fund the first contractor bid.
The staff will now put together another one. The vote to fund the LID will not be before the council for some time.
Erik,
The open house/meeting is scheduled for Nov 1st and the Muni building at 4pm. I don’t have an exact room number though. They will be looking for additional design ideas and comments
8 | Posted by Eric | Oct 19, 12:15 PM
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