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Council to consider more blighted areas
McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council will consider approval of a resolution Monday evening that could begin the process of expanding the "blighted" area of McCook past the Norris Avenue business zone.
The resolution forwards a blight study on to the McCook Planning Commission which recommends significant expansion of the designated area, in an effort to qualify for financial incentives such as Tax Increment Financing. The study explains the incentives would be used for redevelopment of aging and deteriorating buildings and parcels within the area.
The current area designated as blighted encompasses all businesses on Norris Avenue from south of E Street to A Street, in addition to most B Street businesses between East First Street and West Third Street.
The proposed redevelopment area would expand the blighted area within city limits to include portions of U.S. Highway 83, U.S. Highway 6 and 34 and corridors of Q Street, N Street, J Street and West Fifth Street. Parcels located north of Q Street and West of U.S. Highway 83 would also be included and need to be annexed into the City of McCook, according to the blight study.
A map of the proposed redevelopment area was published in the Classified section of Thursday's Gazette and can be viewed to the right, or in a higher quality pdf version at:
http://www.mccookgazette.com/files/future-land-use-area-3.pdf
The blighted designation not only expands the opportunity for the use of TIF funding in those areas, but also the city's power of eminent domain by increasing their right to acquire property located within the designated area.
Nebraska Statute 76-710.04 prevents any city from taking property for economic development purposes and through the use of eminent domain, but the statute has several exceptions, one of which allows for "taking private property based upon a finding of blighted or substandard conditions."
The blighted designation, as defined by Nebraska Statute 18-2103, declares the area conducive to ill health, the transmission of disease and crime and detrimental to public health and welfare.
Also during Monday's meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Municipal Facility, city council will consider authorizing the mayor to sign a preliminary application for a $250,000 matching grant from the Nebraska Civic and Community Financing Fund.
According to the meeting agenda, representatives from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development have indicated to city staff that projects meeting a regional need and which are "shovel ready" would receive the highest priority for funding. The agenda also stated that city staff had no firm project for the grant, but said there had recently been interest from private parties for a hotel development that the funds might be used for.
Councilors are also scheduled to receive public comment pertaining to the future use of Memorial Auditorium. City staff has estimated annual cost of maintenance of the building to be $20,000, with revenues from activity rentals at $2,810 in fiscal year 2011-12.
Those figures equate to approximately $1,450 in monthly rent the facility would need to generate to cover maintenance costs.
City staff estimates that renting out the office space in the building could generate a minimum of $4 per square foot. City offices occupied roughly 2000 square feet on the main floor, which would equate to $665 per month in potential rent.
That revenue would be in addition to any revenue generate from the two single offices located in the main hallway, the space formerly home to city council chambers, and approximately 3000 square feet in the basement that city staff has used for storage.
Councilors said during their last meeting in January that they hoped to receive public comment on whether to rent out, sell or renovate the building.
Councilors will consider approval of a recommendation from the Parks Advisory Board to allow the installation of 12 steel benches at various locations throughout McCook. The benches are being donated to the city by local welding company JLB Welding.
The company's owner, Jeremy Bain, explained to the Parks Advisory Board in December that he was custom fitting each of the benches with an advertising area that would be sold to local businesses to cover the expense of the benches. The city parks department will be responsible for installing concrete pads beneath the benches and future upkeep of the benches, similar to how the city handles other donated benches.
A date and time for an open house and coordinated public tours of the new Municipal Facility will also be discussed. City staff has recommended 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.