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Hillsdale property owners block three proposed special assessment districts
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Summary
Hillsdale City Council held hearings Feb. 16 on three proposed Special Assessment Districts (Arch Ave., South St., Oak St.); property-owner petitions and testimony showed more than 50% opposition in each district and the council took no actions to create any SADs.
Hillsdale’s City Council on Feb. 16 heard public testimony opposing three proposed Special Assessment Districts (SADs) that would have funded reconstruction work on Arch Avenue, South Street and Oak Street, but took no steps to approve any of the districts after staff reported majority opposition from affected property owners.
At the start of the hearing on SAD 2026-01 (Arch Ave., Industrial Dr., Proctor Dr.), staff members Sam Fry and Jason Blake told the council the estimated total project cost is $1,316,500 and that, under city policy, up to 50% of the cost could be assessed across 40 identified parcels. Property owner Matt Patillo submitted a petition opposing the project; Clerk Katy Price and Assessor Kim Thomas reviewed ownership information and verified that more than 50% of affected owners had filed objections. Councilman Greg Stuchell moved to approve the SAD, but the motion received no second and therefore died.
Council considered SAD 2026-02 (South St.), a $775,000 reconstruction proposal affecting 37 parcels. Multiple property owners — including Eric Coykendall, Jonathan Meckel, David Hambleton, Jonah Apel and Russell Richardson — spoke at the podium to oppose special assessments for the work. Council staff told members the city had received written objections from a majority of affected property owners and recommended not approving the district; no motion was made.
Staff also presented SAD 2026-03A (Oak St.), an estimated $1,287,300 project covering 62 parcels from the St. Joe River bike path to E. College St. Commenters including Jeffrey Fazekas, Neal Brady and Jill Hardway urged the council to reject a SAD. City staff again reported over 50% opposition and recommended council not pass the district; council did not move forward with approval.
City materials and meeting remarks cited the city’s policy on Special Assessment Districts for Street Projects (updated Feb. 17, 2025) and Hillsdale Ordinance Chapter 2, Article V, Section 2-335, which caps assessments by classification or 25% of a property’s value, whichever is less. The city charter requires that if more than half of the property owners to be assessed object in writing, the improvement may not be made without the affirmative vote of seven council members; in these hearings staff reported the threshold of written objections had been met.
The council did not adopt any of the proposed SADs at the meeting. Council members and staff framed the outcome as compliance with procedural protections for affected property owners and the city’s SAD policy; speakers who opposed the projects emphasized the financial impact on individual property owners.