MOUNT VERNON – City Council told the Old Mulberry School developer he would have received a better response to his requests for historic consideration if he had petitioned the council before they summoned him.
Local developer Joel Mazza told City Council he’d like to get historic designations for the old school building so the tax abatement through the Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) could extend from 15 to 20 years.
Councilmember Tammy Woods questioned why he was asking for more time when he hasn't even started to build and why the council had to ask him to talk to them. She and Councilmember Mike Hillier asked when construction would begin, with Councilmember John Francis saying the project has undergone many delays.
“Since we had to ask you to come that's why you're getting this kind of response," Councilmember Janis Seavolt said. "If you had come to us and had asked for this time and told us your problem, I think you'd be getting a little different response,”
A CRA provides an incentive for property owners to improve their property through an addition or building a new home. The incentive gives an abatement (reduction) of the taxes owed on the improvements made to the property.
Mazza’s CRA designation allows for a 15-year tax abatement. But he wants to split the old school building off from the rest of the property to enable the historic designation on it.
The developer plans 102 residential units, with 48 apartments in the old school, a six-unit townhouse behind it along with two garden-unit apartment buildings adding another 48 units to the site.
Increased costs for labor and materials led him to make the request. Mazza said the cost of a roll of wire has gone up 65%, labor costs have gone up 60% and plumbing supplies around 30%.
“I'm not asking for the additional five years for the rear or the new construction. I'm only asking for phase one, which is specifically the front building,” Mazza said.
Law Director Rob Broeren said the property would have to be split so the old school could be given a historic designation.
Council members worried that would cause more delays as it would restart the process of CRA and historic designations. Councilmember Mike Hillier asked what would happen if the council didn’t approve the historic designation for the CRA.
Mazza said that wouldn’t stop the project, but it would decrease the level of investment in it and reduce the quality of the materials in the construction.
The council would have to approve legislation enabling the Historic Review Commission to designate things historic outside of the historic district, Broeren said. Then it could designate the old school as historic – once the city’s Housing Council made a recommendation on the designation. A parcel split would be required to enable the historic designation in a CRA.
And councilmembers felt the issue should be brought back to the school board, which also is affected by the tax abatement.
Water treatment plant purchases approved
The council approved requests to purchase clarifiers and recarbonation control panels for its water treatment plant.
The recarbonation panels will work with an upgraded system Public Utilities Director Tom Marshall said would be sought in continuing upgrades and maintenance of the water treatment facility. These panels will cost $219,246.
Bids will be sought for the clarifiers, which were estimated to cost $226,000.
Ordinance to remove fee for OI use case
Council gave a first reading for an ordinance that would remove the $75 fee for property owners with Office-Institutional zoning who want to apply for a conditional use as a residence.
The legislation is a first step in the council’s work to correct a situation where property owners using their OI-zoned parcels as residences were being charged commercial water rates. Up to 21 properties had initially been identified as paying too high rates.
