A public meeting will be scheduled later this month for owners of Highway 12 commercial lots to formulate a proposed business improvement district (BID) that could fund numerous projects along the well-traveled corridor.
Greater Starkville Development Partnership CEO Jennifer Gregory announced Tuesday her organization’s petition campaign has received signatures from at least 20 percent of the roughly 160 commercial property owners — the minimum needed to proceed with public discussions — on the thoroughfare.
The petitions are expected to be delivered to City Clerk Lesa Hardin’s office by Oct. 15, and invitations for an Oct. 29 public input session are expected to be mailed one day later.
A time and location for the talks has not yet been announced.
A BID, if approved by landowners and aldermen, would fund various infrastructure projects, including landscaping, crosswalks, wayfinding signage, maintenance and other aesthetic projects.
The aesthetic improvements could be done in conjunction with anticipated state Department of Transportation infrastructure projects in the area. Those projects have not yet been announced but could include improved curb cuts, new masthead intersection, landscaped medians and other safety-focused projects.
“With 100 percent certainty, this group (the BID) will not be paying for landscape medians or curb cuts,” she said. “The entire scope of the BID — its final projects and associated costs — will be determined by the business owners who participate in the public sessions.”
Gregory confirmed her organization is not seeking a millage increase to generate revenues, but a financing plan that assesses a fee based on the square footage of commercial parcels would be needed.
A recent inventory concluded Highway 12 business parcels combine for about 11.17 million square feet of land.
About $200,000 would be needed annually to fund a 10-year debt service plan for the major projects and for yearly maintenance and upkeep, she said.
A similar revenue-creating mechanism exists for downtown business owners, who pay an additional 2 mills in property taxes for landscaping, maintenance and decorations.
“It’s not unprecedented in Starkville. Our downtown business owners would agree (the assessment) has worked beautifully and improved the area dramatically,” Gregory said.
Property owners attending the Oct. 29 public information session will vote on the plan that night. An additional comment session is expected to be scheduled in November.
If traction for the plan holds, the board of aldermen would set a date for an election, and copies of the plan and ballots would be mailed to Highway 12 business owners. Copies of the plan and ballot would be made available in City Hall.
The BID will only be approved if 60 percent of eligible property owners participating in the election support it.
“Due to the fact that Highway 12 is the most traveled and has the most volume of commercial activity, it is of great importance to the civic life of our community. I’m pleased to see the business community leading this effort. They have a vested interest in making it better for all of us,” said Mayor Parker Wiseman last month. “Strong communities grow and thrive when an active citizenry takes it upon themselves to push for advancement.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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