Community members voiced support and opposition to the city plan to create a Roosevelt Row business improvement district at a City Council meeting Wednesday.
The final vote on the creation of the district will happen in December after property owners are notified of the tax increase associated with the district’s creation.
Cindy Dach, a member on the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation board of directors and owner of Made Art Boutique and Changing Hands Bookstore expressed support for the creation of the district.
“We are in favor of seeing this get organized so that downtown Phoenix is part of the future, and not let the future happen to it,” Dach said.
The district would be between Fillmore and Moreland streets from Seventh Avenue to just east of Seventh Street.
The property tax increase averages between $200 and $18,000 per year based on the size and type of property. Its overall estimated yearly impact is $372,686.
An additional $7,672 for private property owners’ maintenance assessments will be paid by property owners on Central and First avenues and Roosevelt Street.
The Roosevelt business improvement district will use the funds to beautify storefronts and provide services to keep the area clean.
There have been 25 development meetings within the last 18 months in a partnership between Downtown Phoenix Inc. and the city to establish the role of the business improvement district, said Downtown Phoenix Inc. President and CEO David Krietor. Mail was sent seven times for public opinion.
Marcus Dell’Artino, an owner of land within the proposed Roosevelt business improvement district, said he was notified of the resolution shortly before the meeting and requested that the city inform all property owners within the area well before it occurs. Other property owners expressed their concern that they also had not heard of this until recently.
“I just recently learned about this meeting within the last 24 hours,” Dell’Artino said. “I did not get a notice from the city. I respectfully request that all of the property owners are informed of the possibility of a raise in the property tax.”
Several speakers requested the city allow landowners to vote on the resolution, though according to state law, only a written protest letter is considered in trying to stop the resolution.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton did amend the resolution, saying the city would also inform those who were not going to see a property tax increase, though those property owners would not be able to send in protest letters.
All property owners will be notified by certified mail of the resolution of intention to establish the district, their individual assessment cost and the proposed budget and work plan 20 days prior to the public hearing. Citizens have until Dec. 16 to send a protest letter to the city saying they do not support the resolution.
If the resolution gets over 50 percent protest letters from property owners, the city will be unable to form the district and must wait six months before attempting to create the district again, though Stanton said that even under the 50 percent margin, the city could still elect to deny the passage of the resolution.
The hearing on the assessments will be Dec. 16 in the City Council chambers.
Contact the reporter at Kmlane5@asu.edu.
