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Amherst council sends Quarry Creek TIF plan to second reading after infrastructure, sidewalk questions
Summary
The Amherst City Council voted 7-0 on April 28 to send an ordinance creating the Quarry Creek tax-increment financing (TIF) incentive districts to a second reading after staff gave preliminary cost estimates for road, stormwater and sidewalk work and residents asked for clarity on sidewalk locations and access.
The Amherst City Council on April 28 voted to send an ordinance creating the Quarry Creek tax-increment financing incentive districts to a second reading after hearing preliminary cost estimates and questions from nearby residents.
Council members were presented with estimated infrastructure costs associated with the proposed TIF, including road-widening, sidewalks, signal and signage work, stormwater and sewer improvements, and engineering and inspection costs. Council heard that the estimated cost of those improvements alone was about $2,180,000, but county tax-revenue projections that would fund the TIF were not final and remained pending.
The proposal would declare improvements within the Quarry Creek incentive districts to be public purposes and exempt those parcels from real property taxation in exchange for service payments in lieu of taxes deposited into a municipal public improvement tax increment equivalent fund.
Why it matters: A TIF shifts future property-tax revenue from local taxing districts to pay for designated infrastructure. The council asked for clearer revenue estimates from the county and more detailed engineering costs before final action.
Council action and immediate outcome
Councilmember Jambinski moved to send item 6d to a second reading; Councilmember Wnarski seconded. The motion passed on a roll call vote, 7-0.
What the council heard
City staff provided preliminary line-item estimates that council members said total about $2.18 million: roughly $1 million for road widening; about $175,000 for sidewalks; roughly $200,000 for traffic-signal and signage work; up to $600,000 for stormwater and sewer improvements; and a couple hundred thousand dollars for engineering and inspection. Staff told the council they had not yet received final county figures on projected tax revenues and expected to provide more precise numbers within two weeks.
Council members discussed possible uses for any leftover funds, including partnerships for parks and walkways. A councillor noted the developer had paid for some past work on adjacent roads but that these specific improvements would be tied to the Quarry Creek area and Dewey Road.
Resident questions
Kathleen Gilles of 6024 North Dewey asked how the proposed sidewalks would connect to existing routes and whether the city envisioned a path along the creek or formal sidewalks along Dewey Road. City staff answered that the current plan calls for sidewalks on Dewey Road, possibly on one or both sides, and that final engineering had not yet determined exact locations.
Council context
Councilmember Heberling said three conditions he had requested were met and that meeting those conditions changed his position on the item. Councilmembers said they would await the county—s revenue figures and the engineer—s detailed estimate, which staff said they would circulate by email.
Next steps
The ordinance establishing the Quarry Creek TIF incentive districts was sent to a second reading for further review; final votes will occur after the council receives updated revenue projections and engineering estimates.
