Officials agree: Lure development

What they don't agree on is whether incentives such as credits for water and sewer should be used to bring new businesses downtown.

By MOLLY MOORHEAD
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 25, 2002

ZEPHYRHILLS -- Downtown development remains a high priority among city officials, and their latest focus on how to lure new businesses is incentives.

In a meeting Monday night, city planner Todd Vande Berg laid out suggestions before City Council members for how to continue efforts at creating a more lucrative and lively downtown. In addition to the incentives, he recommended creating a district with special zoning to accommodate development. He also emphasized aggressive marketing of the effort.

But council members were most responsive to the idea of incentives, which could include impact fee credits for water, sewer and transportation, building permit fee credits and city assistance in infrastructure, such as parking and stormwater management.

"The only way to get someone to do something is to give them incentives," council member Lance Smith said. "We're not going to get every bit of (the new development), but we can get our share of it."

Member Liz Geiger added that it's easier for business owners to buy a vacant lot and build than to enter an existing building. "We've got to lure them with something," she said.

Vande Berg stressed that design standards should be a key component of any downtown development plan, as recommended by a University of South Florida study the city commissioned this year. He said any new buildings should be designed to complement existing buildings.

Council member Mike Bussell said he wants to see some energy focused beyond downtown.

"We've already spent a lot of time and a lot of money downtown," he said. "We should look beyond those four or five blocks."

But with streetscape improvements and added parking, City Manager Steve Spina said the city has taken the vital first steps toward luring businesses. "We're starting to see the beginning of it."

One locally owned business, Manolo's Ristorante Italiano, opened last week on Fifth Avenue.

In other council news Monday:

-- The city finalized the budget and property tax rate for the coming year. It kept the same rate of 6.42 mills, or $6.42 per $1,000 of assessed taxable property value. However, the state considers the rate a 3.9 percent increase over the rolled back rate, a rate that would generate the same amount of tax revenue this year as last, taking into account increased property values. This is the 12th consecutive year the millage rate was set at 6.42.

The $28-million budget is largely similar to last year's, but one change came in how the city is handling debt at the airport. The utility fund budget includes a $626,307 short-term loan to the airport to reduce its deficit, money that was allocated out of the general fund last year, Spina said.

"We did advise everybody that we would probably have a pretty tight year and everybody did a pretty good job of not submitting excesses," Spina said.

Property taxes will generate almost $2.6-million in revenue, up from more than $2.4-million last year.

-- Council members approved Vande Berg's plan to apply for a $700,000 state economic development grant for service road construction on U.S. 301. The road and sidewalk would be built on the west side of 301 from the Golden Corral and Quality Inn Suites construction sites north to Daughtery Road, and improvements would be made to accesses near the hotel and restaurant.

"This is a great opportunity to provide these frontage roads," Vande Berg said, noting the grant requires no match from the city.

-- The city approved the lease on Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course, to be run by Fumi Doi, head of Under Par Inc. and owner of Silver Oaks Golf Course. The city has exempted him from $80,000 in debts accumulated by previous managers, and he has agreed to pay rent through Jan. 1 in a lump sum up front.

Council members hope Foi's takeover is the final chapter in the golf course's troubled history. The most recent manager, Maynard Evenson, defaulted on lease payments and apparently left town earlier this year. Before him, Nancy Lester also defaulted and after a long fight, vacated the course.

"This is the last person who is going to operate the course," Smith said.

-- Carr Construction Services of Zephyrhills won the bid for construction of two hangars at the airport. The total cost of the project will be $565,122.90, with the Department of Transportation covering 80 percent. Council members accepted the bid pending approval by the FDOT.

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