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1. Catherine
   Member

   Those of you who are here and who don't have plans, that is:

   Post of 12/29

   "Residents:

   The elected officials and staff and the advisory commissions of the Village of Riverside have been and will continue to be responsive to the needs and desires of the community. As stated in a press release, on the web site and restated in another thread,

   “At their meeting on Monday, December 4, 2006, the Village Board of Trustees deferred the matter of AN ORDINANCE PROPOSING APPROVAL OF A REDEVLEOPMENT PLAN AND PROJECT FOR AND THE DESIGNATION OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA AND THE ADOPTION OF TAX INCREMENT ALLOCATION FINANCING THEREFOR, CONVENING A JOINT REVIEW BOARD AND CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.
   The Board will take up the matter again at 7:30 p.m., January 8 at the Committee of the Whole (please note that public comment is generally not permitted at the COW). The Board expressed a great deal of interest in providing more background on the issues confronting the Village and hearing more from residents on their solutions and suggestions for confronting those issues. The Board will discuss on January 8 alternative processes to achieve this dialogue (who, how, when, where). They will likely consider a timeframe for these discussions as well. The Board members expressed a desire to have the Plan Commission and Economic Development Commission involved in the discussions.—

   All of the zoning and planning efforts conducted by the Village Board incorporate and venerate preservation and the need to preserve and rehabilitate Riverside's assets. The actions of the Village Board to date have been transparent, occurred over a considerable period of time, open to the public, available for discussion and subject to scrutiny. There are no intentions whatsoever to make wholesale changes in Riverside.

   The Board recognizes the concerns being voiced. There is recognition, that unlike most TIF plans, the Riverside Redevelopment Plan does not respond to any one developer's requests nor does it result from a Request for Proposal to redevelop a specific area. The Redevelopment Plan is proactive. It considers the opportunities that might occur where the Village can actually partner and improve the development or redevelopment that results from market conditions.

   The Board invites residents to openly share their ideas for how the next phase of these discussions should occur. What alternative solutions are available to the address the questions posed to the elected officials:

   What opportunities or solutions might be appropriate for economic development support in the Central Business District or on the community's periphery? How should the community evaluate those solutions? What role should the Village take in fostering investment in private property? How should the Village finance the public improvements in the Central Business District that will support the viability and the potential of the business community? How should those actions be funded in light of the Village's strained financial condition? What tools or catalysts are available to the Village to encourage investment in the existing properties? What type, if any, additional planning studies and efforts will be helpful to formulate a response to the condition?

   Any suggestions received for the next phase of this process and dialogue will be included in my communication to the Village Board. In order to have a full and deliberate discussion of these suggestions, I encourage residents to provide them to me in writing by January 4 so that they can be included in the official agenda packet. I am sure the Board will include many opportunities for additional discussion on the above questions.

   Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that KMA was hired to determine if the area would meet the eligibility requirements under the TIF statute. They did that. They were charged with developing a redevelopment plan for the area based upon the TOD and the zoning district limitations. They did that. I encourage you to look at East Dundee, St. Charles, Bartlett or any other community's redevelopment plan (many are done by different consultants than KMA). They follow the same model as they must to meet the state statutes (see www.illinois-tif.com/IllinoisTIFs.htm). They are written to provide flexibility so that the elected officials who are charged with the fiduciary responsibility of setting policy for the local government can make judgment on proposals, evaluating them against the plans that are in place and the legislative boundaries established by ordinance. You may also note as you visit other community websites that many of them have TIF guidelines in place. Similar guidelines would be a part of any effort in Riverside and have been suggested by KMA.

   Postscript on the Berwyn planning effort —“ they are receiving funding for a transit oriented development study from METRA similar to what occurred in Riverside. The City of Berwyn officials reached out to us in their initial application and there was mutual expression of interest in the effort to improve the viability of this area (the boundaries are yet to be officially determined).

   Posted: 2006-12-29 17:23:49 #

   Posted Saturday Dec 30, 2006 10:39 #

2. Aberdeen
   Member

   If the goal is to promote "appropriate" economic development within the CBD, I agree with Chris Robling that the current permutation of the redevelopment plan lacks sufficient investigation, analysis and definition. Proposed boundaries include well maintained houses and condos in the heart of the village, but exclude Riverside's highly-traveled, train-stop-proximate, side of Harlem avenue. While a carefully-defined TIF may be beneficial to Riverside's bottom line, it does not make sense to rush implementation of the first draft put forth to the community and risk sacrificing important things like historic character and serenity in the process.

   Certainly, additional study is warranted. In the interim, however, there are small relatively low cost measures that the Village could take to promote the appeal of the CBD. Uniform banners and plantings can go a long way. Signage, too, though it might cost more. In addition, there are numerous grants available for pedestrian and bike-friendly improvements. Though competitive, Riverside's special status as a National Landmark District would surely improve our chances of receiving such grants. Why can't we undertake and implement lower cost measures such as these while concurrently taking the time necessary to examine the proper scope and application of a TIF in Riverside?

   Posted Sunday Dec 31, 2006 10:37 #

3. Elisa
   Member

   Ms. Rush,
   I have been working to educate myself about the TIF, and in the course of reading what I can from the Village's web site and the Landmark, I came across an article that I had missed earlier. This one is from May of this year:

   5/23/2006
   Public meeting on Riverside TIF district on tap in June
   Boundaries include downtown, park areas

   By BOB UPHUES

   A tax increment financing (TIF) district proposed for Riverside includes a wide swath of the village, including not only the downtown business district but park land south of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad tracks and a residential area that includes all of West Avenue and the south side of Pine Avenue.

   The proposed district also includes both sides of East Burlington Street from Longcommon Road to Cowley Road, a small section of East Quincy Street and virtually all of Swan Pond Park, a section of public land just east of the municipal complex on Riverside Road and land that includes the Riverside Swim Club.

   The boundaries of the proposed TIF, which is still in the early stages of development, were mapped out by the village's TIF consultant, Kane, McKenna Capital Inc., with input by village trustees and administrators.

   Meanwhile, the public will get its first formal look at the TIF proposal in late June at a public meeting hosted by village officials. The date of that meeting has not yet been set.

   Village Manager Kathleen Rush said that before that meeting, she will complete a TIF planning document that will include information on the amount of money expected to be generated by the TIF, a list of possible projects to be funded with TIF dollars and information on implementation of those projects.

   Rush said she'll be using the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) plan adopted earlier this year as a guideline for developing the TIF plan. The TOD study envisions substantial redevelopment and private investment in Riverside's downtown business district, including mixed-use retail/residential developments, a parking garage, a riverfront boutique hotel/conference center and a community/recreation center.

   "It's a solid plan that's had a lot of public input," Rush said. "It's as good a guide as any to look toward the future and see what downtown Riverside could look like.
   "The TIF and special service areas are the only way the village can have the ability to influence what the community is going to look like," she said.
   Members of the public will be able to give input at the June public meeting, Rush said.
   After that public meeting , the TIF proposal will be examined by a Joint Review Board consisting of representatives from every taxing body within the TIF area as well as a resident of the proposed TIF district.

   A TIF district can help local governments revitalize areas by freezing property assessments within the district for up to 23 years for every taxing body except the village. As property values rise due to redevelopment, the village can capture that new tax revenue and use it to fund further improvements within the TIF district.

   The Joint Review Board is mandated by law, since both residents and taxing bodies may be affected by the creation of the TIF. While the TIF can help revitalize an area by creating a fund through which improvements to that area can be made, the TIF also freezes property assessments for all other taxing bodies.

   If the village begins to acquire property for redevelopment within the TIF, some residents could face relocation.

   While village officials have said that scenario is unlikely, since the proposed TIF area includes more than 75 residential units, a housing impact study will be required before proceeding.

   According to Philip McKenna, president of Kane. McKenna Capital Inc., his firm has nearly completed the housing impact study, and its finding will be available prior to the June public meeting.

   In September, if the plan passes the scrutiny of the Joint Review Board, the village board will conduct a special public hearing for the proposed TIF district.
   At the September public hearing, anyone may file written objections or state their objections to the TIF district during the hearing. The TIF district, if approved by the village board, could be in place by the first week of October.

   ************************************************************************************

   Well, obviously there was never an actual meeting held in June about the TIF during which the public could voice their opinions, but you made mention of a planning document that you were preparing which "will include information on the amount of money expected to be generated by the TIF, a list of possible projects to be funded with TIF dollars and information on implementation of those projects." I think I know that the amount of money expected to be generated is in the neighborhood of $20. However, I don't know if I am aware of the "list of possible projects to be funded with TIF dollars" and how those projects are going to be implementated. Did you provide this planning document to the people who were at the meeting that should have been held in June (but I think was just held in November)? I ask because there seems to be concern about these particulars and if you already had something prepared, it might go a long way to help the residents understand some of what the Village is planning. As long as you (presumably) already prepared it last summer, would you consider bring your document to the meeting on Jan. 4th to pass out to those who attend or else share where it is available?

   Posted Wednesday Jan 3, 2007 00:33 #

4. corbi328
   Member

   The document is the Draft TIF Redevelopment Plan which has been broadly distributed and I believe is available through the Village's web site. In it there is a vey general breakdown of how the TIf funds could be spent. If you are looking for a breakdown that says we will be spend x dollars to acquire and rehab building y, that breakdown does not exist and really should not exist. The Village will not and should not play the role of redeveloper if the TIF moves forward. How the money gets spent will in large part be determined by the plans that hopefully will be proposed to the village by exisiting building owners or redevelopers who aquire property in the TIF district. The private sector owners/redevelopers will need to work with the village if they hope to receive some future TIF dollar inducements and by having this carrot at our disposal the Village will have a greater input in the look and quality of projects than they otherwise would have.

   Posted Wednesday Jan 3, 2007 07:27 #

5. Elisa
   Member

   Charlie,
   Thank you for sharing that the November 22, 2006 Draft of the TIF Redevelopment Plan is the exact same planning document that Katy Rush referenced in the article from May. You do see my confusion, do you not? It appears from the article that the TIF proposal (which was to be shared with the public in the June meeting that never took place) is different than the TIF planning document she said she would complete before that meeting. It gets pretty confusing to me, because even when I reread the article it still seems like there are two separate documents. Either way you slice it, though, a promised June meeting was 6 long months away from November!

   ("Meanwhile, the public will get its first formal look at the TIF proposal in late June at a public meeting hosted by village officials. The date of that meeting has not yet been set.

   Village Manager Kathleen Rush said that before that meeting, she will complete a TIF planning document that will include information on the amount of money expected to be generated by the TIF, a list of possible projects to be funded with TIF dollars and information on implementation of those projects.")

   ***************************************************************************************

   Anyway, I don't necessarily expect a breakdown of how x dollars would be spent on building y - I was very careful to quote the article exactly, so I really have no idea what she was talking about, which is why I was asking. And I really am all for redevelopment in the downtown (the impact on the schools and the eminent domain concerns need to be resolved before any TIF has my support), it's just that we differ about how much trust we place in the powers that be. I have more questions than are being answered (I have received no answers to any of the questions I posed Ms. Rush) - and even though the past is water under the bridge to you, to me it's water that is flooding my basement (so to speak!)

   Posted Thursday Jan 4, 2007 01:08 #

6. corbi328
   Member

   Elisa,

   The TIF Redevelopment Plan does lay out how much money is expected to be generated by the TIF, does lay out a list of potential projects to be funded by the TIF and discusses the implementation of such a plan. The information is very general and people would like the Plan to be more specific. That is difficult to do for the reasons outlined above.

   Posted Thursday Jan 4, 2007 07:08 #

7. idic5
   Member

   I am trying to get a clearer idea of this TIF and how it would work, and I thank corbi328 for almost every sentence that he utters that clarifies this for me.

   corbi328 said--
   How the money gets spent will in large part be determined by the plans that hopefully will be proposed to the village by exisiting building owners or redevelopers who aquire property in the TIF district

   Can corbi328 or someone point me to where the detail is on

   *how plans are to be crafted (the form the plan s/ follow),
   *the amount of money that would be available to the tif users,
   *the timeframe the money would be available
   *the rules of getting the tif money
   *who would be elgible to receive tif funds

   The above info I ask for is the detail for the 'private development' aspect of the tif. As I understand it, tif funds are also supposed to pay for some infrastructure improvements. Can someone point where I can see that TIF funds would pay for infrastructure improvement a, b, c, and d?

   I am not asking a rhetorical question. Just SHOW ME THE DETAIL, please.

   thanks

   mike

   Posted Thursday Jan 4, 2007 10:36 #

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