Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Assessments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council continues public hearing on accelerated assessment for Flying Fortress project after developer objections
Summary
After receiving developer complaints about high preliminary assessment estimates on small parcels, the council directed staff to meet with property owners, consider expanding the assessment footprint or adjusting methodology, and continue the public hearing on accelerated public improvements to May 5.
The city’s public hearing on proposed accelerated public improvements assessments for Flying Fortress Parkway and Airway Avenue (UG25‑000079) was opened on April 7 and then continued to May 5 after extensive public comment and legal consultation.
Staff described the ordinance mechanism that lets the city construct improvements ahead of development and assess adjacent properties on a per‑frontage basis with a 10‑year payback window. "We used a value ... based on linear footage," engineering staff member Robert Petrillo explained, noting that initial estimates divided project cost by linear feet and multiplied by parcel frontage.
Developer Tom Short and other property owners said preliminary per‑parcel assessments for some small (1–2.5 acre) parcels were unaffordable — citing sample estimates from roughly $372,000 up to $500,000 per parcel — and urged staff and council to reassess methodology, incorporation footprint and whether donated drainage parcels previously provided to the city should be considered when balancing assessments.
Staff and city attorneys said ADOT work and its funding could not retroactively be assessed to adjacent properties and that the city would reexamine how to carve the assessed area to avoid disproportionate burdens on small lots. After an executive session for legal advice, council directed staff to expand outreach, meet with owners, reexamine the assessment parameters and continue the hearing at the May 5 meeting.
Council members emphasized fairness and flexibility in methodology, with staff noting options including expanding the assessment footprint to spread costs and differentiating full‑width vs. two‑lane section assessments to align cost responsibility with direct benefit.
The continuation gives staff time to develop revised assessment parameters and meet affected owners; the council will revisit the matter on May 5 and may then decide whether to adopt assessments or adjust the project scope.
