PUBLIC HEARING FEB 13TH ON DOWNTOWN ASSESSMENTS
PROPOSED TO RANGE FROM $5,917 TO $105,922
Councilmembers gathered for a 4 p.m. workshop on Thursday, January 9th, to review plans and proposals for the re-development of downtown Victoria as presented in a feasibility report submitted by TKDA, the city's engineering firm. 

Final words from Mayor Jerry Bohn:  "The downtown doesn't start until we do our part by approving a stormwater plan."
To that end, at the immediately fol-lowing regularly scheduled council meet-ing that evening, council unanimously accepted the feasibility study, including the inherent stormwater and stormsewer plans, and called a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13th.  The public is invited.
Prior to council vote, City Engineer Jack Griffin stated, "This continues the process forward so we can present costs to property owners.  I think we have to be comfortable with what's being proposed and the sizeable assessments and the impact it'll have on our downtown."
Total project cost is estimated to be $2,475,307.  Explaining method of pay-ment, the city engineer stated, "Basically, the city could assess all of these costs, but to get it up off the ground, the city would pay for all the amenities, all the upgrades, and the paver blocks." 
Preliminary figures show the city paying $1,962,442, or 79%, of the total project cost, while property owners will pay $513,865, or 21% of costs.  Assess-ments for the approximately 20 parcels are proposed to range from $5,917 to $105,922.
He said properties will be assessed by "adjusted front footage," because of odd shaped lots, and that corner lots will be hit with "both sides."
Explained City Planner Mark Kaltsas about downtown corner properties being assessed for each fronting side, "In a resi-dential district, there is not extra value to the homeowner.  In a commercial district there is added value.  They will get hit three times if they are three-sided onto streets."
Stated Mayor Jerry Bohn, "What we're saying is that we want downtown retail, not residential downtown.  We can't afford it anymore."  Clarified the city planner, "We want multi-housing downtown, not single family housing."
Engineer Griffin said the city would pay 25% of the total cost for streets, curb and gutter, sidewalks, and storm sewer; and properties would be assessed 75% for these items.  Because the city owns three downtown properties, he said the city will also be assessed accordingly for them and, therefore, be paying in fact more than 25% as stated.
Watermain improvements will be paid from the city's water core fund, while sanitary sewer improvements will be paid from the city's sewer core fund.  Stormsewer improvements outside of the street will be paid from stormsewer area charges and TIF Bonds. 
The city will pay 100% of costs for street lighting, boulevard trees, brick pavers, and tree grates.
In summary, highlights of the report include:
*The construction route for new stormsewer and stormwater pipes in downtown Victoria. 
*Recommendations to service that area west of Quamoclit Street, consisting of Rose street, Stieger Lake Lane, Vic-toria Drive, and the alley between Vic-toria Drive and Quamoclit Street.
*The construction of a new street running from Victoria Drive to Quamoclit Street, located halfway between Stieger Lake Lane and Highway 5, with diagonal parking on both sides of the new street.
*The construction of a new public parking lot facility south of the Victoria House, which will provide 35 parking stalls plus two van-accessible stalls.
*Fully reconstructed downtown streets at 26-foot width.
*Paving of the alley, which is pro-posed to be 14-feet wide, one-way traffic between Victoria Drive and Quamoclit, from Hwy 5 to Stieger Lake Lane. 
*All the related utility improvements, sidewalks, landscaping, street lighting, and streetscape amenities.
*A comprehensive downtown side-walk system, street lighting, boulevard trees, paver block accent details, land-scaping, monuments.
*Relocation of electric and telephone overhead utilities from overhead to under-ground.
*Acquisition of necessary right of way and easement parcels.
As recommended by TKDA, "a con-crete stormsewer pipe system should be constructed throughout the downtown area to capture the drainage along each street and convey the stormwater to the intersection of Stieger Lake Lane and Rose Street.  From there, a trunk storm-water pipe should be constructed along the north property line of the Leuthner property, past the Sunflower Street right of way, where it would be jacked under State Highway 5 to Salter Park.  At Salter Park, a two-pond stormwater treatment system should be constructed to provide the necessary rate control and water quali-ty treatment for the future development activities."
Stated Couniclmember Dave Lind-gren, "I think Jack [Engineer Griffin] did a very fine job, but I know we'll get a lot of flack from the residents getting assessed."
Replied Mayor Bohn, "We are trying to start a process of renewal here.  The improvements benefit the property owners directly with an increase in their property values.  This project is not costing taxpay-ers money because of the TIF dollars, but it does cost the benefiting property owners an assessment.  I know we'll have some unhappy people, but this is what the people of Victoria have been asking for."
Stated Councilmember Mary Thun, "These assessments are significant to some of these businesses, our core busi-nesses.  I'd like us to be the active seekers of their participation prior to the hearing.  I'm sure some of these people will be happy with an Open House."  Council-member Thun asked that people also be invited to individual meetings with city staff if that is what the property owners prefer.
An Open House has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 4th, and Thursday, February 6th, each day from 3 to 6 p.m.  "We've sent notification to all downtown property owners," said City Engineer Jack Griffin.  "Any of them can call us to set up appointment times.  We're calling it an Open House.  We'll have sketches and diagrams of what the downtown is going to look like.  Most of the property owners we've already met with."
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