Memorandum

City of Lawrence

TO:	City Manager Mike Wildgen
FROM:	David L. Corliss, Assistant City Manager & Director of Legal                                                    Services
CC:
Date:	February 16, 2006
RE:	Delaware Street Commons   Benefit District Request

Attached is a request from Delaware Street Commons for the creation of a special assessment benefit district.  The City’s Development Policy allows for the creation of special assessment benefit districts for the requested public improvements.  The Development Policy further indicates that these types of improvements are paid 100% by the benefiting property owners.  The Public Works Department has provided the following estimates:

Estimate for sidewalk: $16,000

Estimate for storm sewer : $82,000

Estimate for public sanitary sewer : $70,000

The applicant has also provided the following request:

“I am hereby also requesting a separate agenda item: Request for the City to pay for 90% of the public improvements in our project outright.”

These public improvements are not in the City’s 2006 capital budget and would be a variation from the City’s development policy.  The City has varied from it’s development policy to assist in-fill type residential development; e.g. for the recent reconstruction of 4^th Street, east of Maine Street.

The Commission has several options:  proceed with establishment of special assessment benefit district pursuant to the City’s development policy;  establish benefit district (and vary from the City’s development policy) and participate at a set level (State law allows for a benefit district to include up to 95% City at-large participation); or not establish a benefit district.