Chapter 32.56
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Sections:
32.56.010 Creation of overlay districts.
32.56.020 Establish implementation tools.
32.56.010 Creation of overlay districts.
Create an overlay district for both the North Avenue West Corridor Plan (I-70B east to 12th Street) and the 2007 North Avenue Corridor Plan (12th Street east to I-70B).
Include the following elements in the overlay district:
(a) Establish a street cross-section for the entire length of North Avenue. Results of the online survey and recommendations from the Plan’s Technical Advisory Committee select Option 3 as the preferred street cross-section.
(b) Create landscaping and setback standards for the corridor that will:
(1) Incorporate design features found in the street cross-section.
(2) Support the placement of buildings adjacent to the street.
(3) Establish desired buffering and landscaping between residential and commercial uses and other plan elements. These standards will modify existing landscaping standards required as part of the existing zoning for properties within the corridor.
(Ord. 4486, 11-2-11)
32.56.020 Establish implementation tools.
The following are possible tools that can be considered within or without an overlay district. Some will require a change in current policy and will need to be formulated and approved by the Grand Junction City Council. Others will require existing property owners to join together to implement.
(a) Form a Business Association. Businesses in a given area can come together voluntarily to create an association for the improvement and enhancement of their properties and businesses. This can include creation of covenants that run with the land and provide for assessments on the parcels of land subject to the covenants. This creates a pool of funds for improvements that benefit the group.
(b) Require New Development to Build the Detached Sidewalk and Other Improvements. Construction of detached sidewalks can occur along any frontage with sufficient right-of-way, but requires the sidewalk to transition back to the existing attached sidewalk on both sides of the property being developed. Local examples of this can be found on other corridors as well as North Avenue. The picture taken of 12th Street north of Orchard Avenue (to the right) is an example of this concept of transitioning the sidewalk on both sides of the development.
(c) Modify the Transportation Capacity Payment (TCP) Fee for the Corridor. This tool could be implemented with the previous tool where new development is required to construct detached sidewalk and other improvements along their business frontage. It can be argued that North Avenue is an area where street improvements are already built for the traffic capacity of the roadway. Widening of the road is not anticipated and appropriate infrastructure is already in place, so there is less need to collect a Transportation Capacity Payment (fee) from properties along this corridor. This argument would support collecting the fee in areas of the City where “Greenfield” development, development constructed away from the City Center, is occurring.
(d) Define and Create a Business Improvement District (BID). Section 51-25-101 C.R.S et seq. authorizes the formation of business improvement districts (BID). BIDs are formed within a municipality and as such the City of Grand Junction would oversee the formation of the district and appoint a board of directors. Under the statute, the district is granted the power to levy and collect ad valorem taxes on all taxable commercial property within the boundaries of the district. All property assessed in a BID must be commercial property. The tax or mil levy is set by the district up to a limit of 5.0 mils (.005) upon every dollar of the valuation assessment of taxable property within the district. The Mesa County Assessor would collect the mil levy for the district through property taxes. These tax dollars can be used by the district for infrastructure, aesthetic treatment and other improvements within the district which will benefit the district members. A BID can finance improvements, provide services and can issue bonds. Examples within the City where BIDs currently exist are the downtown area and Horizon Drive.
(e) Special Improvement District. The focus of a special improvement district (SID) is for capital improvements and infrastructure. A SID is formed by petition of property owners of more than 50 percent that will bear the costs assessed by the district and established by the City by ordinance. Funding comes from property assessments and the City constructs any funded improvements.
(f) Create a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. Colorado law allows municipalities to establish urban renewal authorities (URAs) to finance public improvements such as streets, sewers, sidewalks, and other infrastructure related to residential, commercial, or industrial development; to redevelop slum or blighted areas; and to fund private economic development. The primary source of funding for urban renewal projects in Colorado is tax increment financing (TIF). TIF is a method whereby a portion of the property taxes levied by all taxing authorities within an urban renewal area are reallocated to the municipality that is undertaking the urban renewal project. Tax increment financing (TIF) is a mechanism for funding redevelopment projects in Colorado exclusively targeted at improving blighted areas. State law in Colorado authorizes urban renewal authorities (URAs) and downtown development authorities (DDAs) to use TIF for projects that improve blighted areas. TIF allows an authority to issue and repay redevelopment bonds by using the “increment” of increased taxes collected within the TIF district after improvements are made (§ 31-25-101 C.R.S. et seq.). Tax increment revenue may be generated from property or sales taxes. The property-improvement fee (PIF) is a sales-tax version of TIF: some or all sales taxes from a retail development are diverted to subsidize the development.
(g) Urban Renewal Authority (URA). An urban renewal authority (URA) can be established to eliminate blighted areas for either development or redevelopment. It is done with purchasing land, rehabilitating, and/or selling land for development. Financing occurs through tax increment financing (TIF) that must be approved by the county, on property and/or county approved sales tax. A URA is governed by a City Council appointed commission. The authority has the ability to issue some types of bonds to finance projects.
(h) Establish Incentives for Development and Redevelopment Along the Corridor. Establish a City infill and redevelopment policy and define what types of activities would receive consideration for development incentives. Incentives can include many different choices including paying required fees, constructing off-site improvements, undergrounding utilities, etc.
(Ord. 4486, 11-2-11)