CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Pass the ordinance proposing and setting a public hearing for the establishment of Special Service Area No. 35 for streetscape improvements along Washington Street from Benton Avenue to Chicago Avenue in downtown Naperville
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: William J Novack, Director of TED/City Engineer
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Since the 1980’s streetscape improvements have been installed in most of downtown Naperville by two principal methods:
1. Installing the improvements on a block-by-block basis with funding provided through Special Service Areas (SSA’s)
2. As part of a new private development
In 2019, new streetscape standards were developed and approved by the City Council. After adoption of the new standards, various property owners along Main Street and Jefferson Avenue expressed a desire to improve two blocks in the downtown. The City Council established SSA No. 30 in 2019 to assess the property owners 40% of the streetscape costs over a 15-year period. In 2022 the City Council established SSA No. 34 to include the north side of Jefferson Street in the improvements that were constructed last year.
Following the successful completion of the Jefferson and Main Street improvements last year the City is continuing with other blocks. Due to the lane restrictions for the Washington Street bridge construction project staff recommended that Washington Street be reconstructed and upgraded to the new standards in 2023. The improvements will be installed along Washington Street from Benton Avenue to Chicago Avenue. The project will also include the east side of Main Street adjacent to the Van Buren parking lot.
DISCUSSION:
City staff recommends using the same cost split and term for SSA No. 35 as was used for SSA’s No. 30 and 34. The property owners will be financially responsible for 40% of the costs of the improvements from the back of the street curb to the building face; the City will fund the other 60%. The City will pay for all the improvements up front, then recapture the property owner’s 40% share over the next 15 years. Streetscape costs include the design, construction and construction engineering to complete the improvements.
Two properties along Washington Street are excluded from the proposed SSA. The Central Park development recently installed and paid for their own streetscape improvements as part of their project. The second property is 235/239 S. Washington Street, the Beidelman Furniture building. Setting up SSA’s on a block by block basis presents some challenges with corner properties. Staff does not recommend including a property in two separate SSA’s for streetscape improvements. The Beidelman property improvements along the Washington Street frontage are much less than what is planned for the future along Jackson Avenue; therefore, staff decided not to include them in the Washington Street SSA and will instead include them in the Jackson Avenue SSA when it is established in several years.
The attached ordinance sets March 21, 2023 as the public hearing date for SSA No. 35. The City Council will hear any testimony at that hearing. The property owners will have 60 days to file an objection to the SSA. If no more than 50% of the property owners object within 60 days, then the City Council will pass an ordinance at the next meeting establishing the SSA.
As required by State Statute the City will have a public notice published in the newspaper and send letters to all property owners located within the boundary of the proposed SSA prior to the public hearing.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The improvements are still under design, so an engineer’s cost estimate is not available yet.