[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6458614,"mediaKeyId","5811900-3528fadedf92ba4eeec0bbc4b0e1ce9e","parentId",5811900,"title","High Point task force reports progress on 2045 implementation; development ordinance update to move through modular public review","audioSeconds",1572,"startMs",2172000,"endMs",3744000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5811900-3528fadedf92ba4eeec0bbc4b0e1ce9e&start=2172&end=3744","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5811900-3528fadedf92ba4eeec0bbc4b0e1ce9e/thumbnail_2172000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6458614/High-Point/Guilford-County/North-Carolina/High-Point-task-force-reports-progress-on-2045-implementation-development-ordinance-update-to-move-through-modular-public-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458614-975c9dc472bfc7d12b53863642645ee2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500624&Signature=HRpUl9fd-JqvMne0l5Pr~C4Rjlg6AtRMHMhjBfSANkvIQHWTjvX-GxVmPzFHkissQhsg0EoL3u1e1Q~FUQ7Raa6PEUq7TjqsZgS0W4nKj4AEwxAf7vJ7NMsPMA6vnhmJ6AUdFwQ-vIF30BIEjcC76YwN1QZLPa~FP21UCCOBkunIEAbjE~CdKk7iADMYV7XmPPAYJ1xXZdIQHFFSZow8JHvGYI7TAGnrG6FAgTYNu3XjF84EMaCqAuOE~DuwbkU565t47UMXKNwFQYFc5EGiCaAV5nXnJu2w2qhU8mRocYSHgXQCE-cYBGvDPJY-MnF49eCLtQUElJXTeH8l1vK3Rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","High Point","date","2025-09-23T09:28:27Z","article","Andy Piper, the city’s planning administrator, and task-force members reported to the High Point City Council on the implementation work for the High Point 2045 comprehensive plan and a separate update to the city’s development ordinance.

Piper said the comprehensive plan—adopted in May 2024—identified three priority outcomes (cultivating community and unity, strengthening downtown vitality, and integrating housing with land use and transportation) and five strategic initiatives. The city-formed implementation task force has reviewed and updated the plan’s implementation tables, including success measures, target completion years and lead partners.

Task-force members described active work across multiple initiatives. Rishanda Moses, a task-force member, highlighted progress in the Washington Street community, support from city staff during an underground utilities project, local business engagement under a “Shop on Washington” initiative, and plans for transitional-industrial standards tied to the Southwest Mill District. She said the district conversations include a potential increase of about 60 housing units in that area.

Joe Blosser, another task-force member, said residents and task-force members debated timing for downtown interventions and the municipal service district idea discussed earlier in the meeting. “Really a question of timing. When is the best to do this thing?” he said, summarizing resident concerns about whether to establish new tools before or after additional downtown housing is built. Blosser said the task force set a target of 250 new downtown residential units by 2030 in its planning discussion, while noting many residents want faster progress.

On the development ordinance update (the city’s land‑use regulations), Piper and Sam Hennet of the funding/development department described an outreach program completed this summer: three in‑person open houses (Stock and Grain lunch event, High Point Public Library evening session, and Deep River Rec Center), an online survey and 12 stakeholder-focused meetings run by the project consultant, Inspire Place Making Collective. Staff reported roughly 40 participants at the open houses, 21 online survey responses and about 100 participants across the 12 stakeholder sessions—about 160 participants in total across all engagement activities.

Stakeholder themes identified in the engagement summary included natural-resource protection and environmental standards (stormwater/surface-water buffers), zoning flexibility to encourage infill development, expanding housing options (the “missing middle” and cottage‑court styles), activity-center guidance (regional, town and neighborhood scales), parking and streetscape approaches, and a development-incentives matrix that trades additional density or height for public benefits such as open space. Staff said the full engagement summary and written comments are in the meeting packet.

Piper explained staff will divide the ordinance rewrite into manageable “modules” (sections of the ordinance) and continue technical review with city user groups (the technical review committee and staff from community development, planning and transportation) and external working groups (developers, land-use attorneys, architects, realtors). Staff anticipates two additional working/user-group rounds in 2025, two more in 2026, a further general-public outreach phase, then Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council public hearings later in 2026.

Piper provided a public contact for input and tracking: an email address noted in the meeting (info@high0.2045.org) and the project web materials; staff said updates and the task force’s implementation tables will be posted online and refreshed at least annually.

Council members and task-force participants described the task force as highly engaged and recommended continuing public outreach and regular reporting to council. No ordinance amendments were adopted at the meeting; the presentations were informational and sought council guidance on next steps and public engagement priorities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Special Meeting | 9-22-25 | 4:00 p.m.","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff and the High Point 2045 implementation task force summarized progress on strategic initiatives, community engagement and a phased update to the development (unified) ordinance. Staff reported public-open-house and stakeholder outreach totals and described a modular timeline that anticipates public hearings in 2026.","taxTitle","High Point, Guilford County, North Carolina","taxId",4908,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6458619,"High Point council reviews municipal service district plan for downtown; no ordinance introduced",1066,396000,1462000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5811900-3528fadedf92ba4eeec0bbc4b0e1ce9e&start=396&end=1462","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5811900-3528fadedf92ba4eeec0bbc4b0e1ce9e/thumbnail_396000.jpg","/articles/6458619/High-Point/Guilford-County/North-Carolina/High-Point-council-reviews-municipal-service-district-plan-for-downtown-no-ordinance-introduced","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458619-1f001478e3a39997e723ad7e2c3a573b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500624&Signature=PidiArnpUXd5MTvSAQVVudmXff-eaq~Mco1v3WO13BkkmHZYNgDgf5Ph~W9Q1nUvIz4bW8963Q8BBvZIQlc7WrjyXXceYHGPBhsTVsKr0FbJu375s3ErXnqlYKjeVo-eFJJJXGWVwFYH5Uxvtyui-81kYt~wQc1DcbUMqU5xPcQDoDhsl9E7siflUNDq3ft44MZtfqxTxcINNTLiUnJJwBzrrsqmEhmhbUjoZ3BS5WrQENw5p5zNMFDDS~jJkd2KXBadt10jNpNbZ4B3YYzE~5rgr4HlTs4PuhKf7snNPExzRufiCWCcysRDFOcNoRmJRatDevbs-LlEiUjdG9yZxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stephen Howarluk, the city’s budget performance director, presented an overview of municipal service districts (MSDs) to the High Point City Council at a special meeting, describing how a locally created MSD could levy an additional property tax on taxable real and personal property inside defined boundaries to fund “enhanced” downtown services.

Howarluk said municipal service districts “are a defined area within a city where the elected body levies an additional property tax and that revenues from that property tax fund enhanced ... services.” He explained that statute-language allows downtown revitalization as an authorized MSD purpose and stressed that MSD revenue may not be used to supplant services the city already provides.

The presentation outlined statutory and procedural requirements for creating an MSD: a preliminary report that includes a property map and a statement of need; public availability of that report for at least four weeks; mailed notice to property owners four weeks before the required public hearing; a published notice at least one week before the hearing; adoption of an ordinance (statute changed this from “resolution” in 2016); and an effective date at the start of the next fiscal year (July 1). Howarluk also described options for service delivery (city staff or a contracted organization), noting contracts must generally be procured via competitive bidding, cannot exceed five years and require another public hearing before award. He said an awarded organization would be required to solicit owner/resident input at least annually, deliver an annual written and in-person report to council and provide accounting of expenses to a designated city official.

Howarluk gave illustrations of downtown activity and need that would support a statement of need: 869 new jobs since 2019, roughly 3,000,000 visitors to downtown High Point in 2024 (a 15% increase), a hotel opening in the coming weeks, about 30 new downtown housing units already and roughly 293 additional units planned by 2028, and six new commercial or restaurant openings planned around the stadium by 2026.

The staff presentation included a draft boundary roughly bounded by State Street on the north, Main Street through the core, Hamilton and Wren to the east, a railroad corridor and Lindsay on the south-east edge, and noted the map was a proposal and could be revised prior to any formal adoption. Howarluk also provided a taxable valuation used for revenue scenarios: $217,115,152. Using that base and a 99% collection assumption, staff modeled revenue for sample levies (staff noted each penny of levy yields about $22,000); council members cited a roughly $193,000 annual-revenue estimate when discussing a likely near-term levy.

Council members pressed staff on several operational questions. One asked whether the city currently has staff capacity to administer an MSD’s required ongoing work; Howarluk replied staffing needs depend on the services chosen and whether the services are provided in-house or contracted. Council members also questioned timing: several said they wanted comparisons to other North Carolina cities (Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston‑Salem were cited) and case studies showing when other downtowns implemented MSDs relative to their redevelopment timelines. Howarluk said staff would research peer examples and provide more comparative information.

Council members and residents raised concerns specific to High Point’s showroom and market districts. Howarluk said city staff had held initial conversations with the Market Authority and that showrooms within any approved boundary would be subject to the levy. He cautioned that attempting to draw boundaries that exclude showrooms could make an MSD “very difficult … to enforce,” and that the city planned parallel outreach to affected showroom owners.

On how MSD revenues would be used before taxes are collected, Howarluk explained that the city would budget anticipated MSD revenues in the fiscal year prior to collection; the tax would formally take effect July 1 but planned contracts and budgets could be set in advance, consistent with normal municipal budgeting practice.

Councilman Andrews pressed the question of grant programs, saying, “with only a $193,000 of revenue, [I’m] curious on what these grants are going to be for interior and exterior renovations because you can eat up a lot of money on a renovation.” Howarluk and others said service and grant priorities would be set by council (or by a contract scope), and RFPs or contract terms could limit how much of a program budget could be devoted to building-upfit grants.

Several council members said they wanted more analysis before staff prepares the formal preliminary MSD report. Staff described the next formal steps: staff prepares the preliminary report and map, makes it available for the required public inspection period, schedules the statutorily required public hearing and—if council votes to proceed—adopts an ordinance and sets the levy as part of the annual budget process.

No ordinance or vote on creating a municipal service district occurred during the meeting; the item was presented for council discussion and follow-up direction.

Looking ahead, staff said they would return with comparative case studies of other municipalities’ MSDs, refine outreach plans with Downtown High Point and the Market Authority, and provide additional detail about projected revenues and a draft preliminary report if council wishes to proceed.","City staff outlined how a municipal service district (also known as a business improvement district) could fund enhanced downtown services, reviewed legal requirements and a possible boundary map, and answered council questions about timing, staffing and impacts to downtown showrooms. Council did not vote on a district at the meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

High Point task force reports progress on 2045 implementation; development ordinance update to move through modular public review

High Point council reviews municipal service district plan for downtown; no ordinance introduced