Explanation
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Development is proposing to establish an incentive district under Section 5709.40 (C) of the Ohio Revised Code. The proposed district includes portions of the Brewery District neighborhood located south of downtown Columbus. One of the prerequisites for the creation of an incentive district is the adoption, by the City Council, of a written economic development plan for the incentive district. The Economic Development Plan for the Brewery District Incentive District has been prepared to enable the creation of the proposed incentive district and is the subject of this ordinance.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To adopt the Economic Development Plan for the Brewery District Incentive District as a guide for future economic development and in support of a tax increment financing district; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WhEREAS, Ohio Revised Code Section 5709.40 provides that the Council for the City of Columbus, Ohio (the "City") may, under certain circumstances, create an incentive district and declare improvements to parcels of real property located in the incentive district to be a public purpose, thereby exempting those improvements from real property taxation, specify the life of the incentive district, specify public improvements that will benefit or serve those parcels, provide for payments in lieu of taxes by the owners of the parcels, and establish a municipal public improvement tax increment equivalent fund; and
WHEREAS, an incentive district, as defined in Ohio Revised Code Section 5709.40(A)(5), means an area not more than three hundred acres in size enclosed by a continuous boundary and having one or more distress characteristics; and
WHEREAS, one of the distress characteristics specified in Ohio Revised Code Section 5709.40(A)(5)(f) is the certification by the engineer for the City that the public infrastructure serving the district is inadequate to meet the development needs of the district as evidenced by a written economic development plan for the district that has been adopted by the City Council; and
WHEREAS, an economic development plan, designated the "Economic Development Plan for the Brewery District Incentive District," and dated August 18, 2005 (the "Plan"), has been prepared and presented to Council and is attached hereto as Exhibit A, which Plan is an "economic development plan" within the meaning of Ohio Revised Code Section 5709.40(A)(5)(f); and
WHEREAS, the Plan provides for the undertaking of activities to promote the revitalization of the area known as the Brewery District, promote a more favorable image of the area, enhance property values, increase development capacity and facilitate future development of the Brewery District in a successful manner; and
WHEREAS, the Plan proposes the development of a Tax Increment Financing ("TIF") incentive district for the Brewery District area (the "Incentive District"), the boundaries of which are depicted on Attachment A to the Plan; and
WHEREAS, information has been presented to this Council with respect to the location, physical condition of structures, land use, environmental conditions, and other conditions that impair redevelopment, limit new or expanded development or constitute economic and fiscal stress for the community in the general Brewery District area, including inadequate roads, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and sewers to support current development plans; and
WHEREAS, the members of this Council have been fully apprised of the infrastructure needs and conditions of deterioration in the Brewery District area, which are detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of the City, and which substantially inhibit economic growth and development and inhibit the creation or preservation of jobs and employment opportunities and the improvement of the economic welfare of the citizens of the City; and
WHEREAS, for the foregoing reasons, this Council has determined that the Plan and the undertakings outlined therein will be in the best interest of the citizens of the City and will provide for its general health, safety and welfare; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the City in that it is immediately necessary to approve the Plan at the earliest possible date for the preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety, that preservation being related to the construction of public infrastructure improvements in the Incentive District to eliminate congestion, accidents, traffic disruptions and to provide adequate ingress and egress for property owners and their invitees and provide the necessary public infrastructure improvements; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That this Council accepts the Plan and other supplementary data and information and hereby finds and determines that:
(a) There is in the proposed Incentive District evidence of deterioration, aged and inadequate infrastructure, inadequate storm drainage, inadequate parking, inadequate streets and other conditions that discourage development;
(b) Such existing adverse conditions and infrastructure needs are detrimental to life or property and substantially impair the sound growth, planning and development of the City, and constitute an economic or social liability;
(c) It is necessary to stimulate new investment and reinvestment, retain and expand existing business activity, attract new business and development activity, expand the tax base, retain and attract new residents and enhance the character, quality and style of the Brewery District area; and
(d) The Plan will afford a substantial opportunity, consistent with the sound needs of the City as a whole, for the redevelopment of the proposed Incentive District.
Section 2. That the Plan, together with the supplementary data and information, is hereby approved and adopted.
Section 3. That the Clerk of Council is directed to file a copy of the Plan and supplementary data and information with the minutes of this meeting.
Section 4. That this Council hereby pledges its cooperation in helping to carry out the Plan and requests the various officials, departments, boards and agencies of the City having administrative responsibilities in the Incentive District likewise to cooperate to carry out and implement the Plan.
Section 5. That it is hereby found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this Ordinance were taken in an open meeting of this Council, and that all deliberations of this Council and any decision making bodies of the City that resulted in such formal actions were in meetings open to the public and in compliance with all legal requirements.
Section 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.