Augusta City Council approves city-wide NRP

The Neighborhood Revitalization Program is intended to promote revitalization of designated areas of the City of Augusta through rehabilitation and redevelopment of the areas and a tax rebate incentive is available for the improvements to properties located within the area.
 

Discussion concerning the “designated area” continued at Monday night’s City Council meeting.
 

Disagreements have arisen concerning the original intent of the NRP. Using the word “blighted” to describe neighborhoods goes against the grain of a proud community. The program was created for rehabilitation and new builds in blighted areas of communities. Numerous cities have pushed the designated areas to include other parts of town that are in no way blighted or deteriorated. Extending the program to city-wide enables tax rebates to newer properties.
 

Augusta’s newest version of the NRP includes the entire area in the city limits and is similar to El Dorado’s NRP, which is also city-wide.
 

 “I’m not against NRP, but I am against some of its uses and it shouldn’t be city-wide,” Councilman Tom Leffler said. “I don’t feel it’s revitalization in north neighborhoods with vacant lots. It doesn’t seem right to build new houses with this money. That’s not revitalization. It should be left south of Belmont.”
 

Councilor Ron Reavis agreed, “I have trouble taking it city-wide...It lists criteria required for revitalization and for example in the Lakepoint addition where I live, I don’t think anyone with common sense would say that the Lakepoint Addition meets the criteria. At the most, maybe there is room for six new houses there.”
 

 Reavis continued, “The state’s intent was to improve neighborhoods and take care of blight...The attorney general’s opinion says it should not be construed to include entire municipalities. I can’t say that our entire town is blighted.” 

 “This is about competition. It doesn’t just come down to parks and schools. If a family doesn’t care where they live, they will choose where the tax abatement is. I live in the Lakepoint area and there are empty lots with tall grass - that’s blight. If this passes, those lots will get sold. We are competing with El Dorado, Rose Hill and Derby. The game book has changed. The attorney general never said we couldn’t do this,” Councilor Justin Londagin responded. “In regards to the lots in Lakepoint - we have ordinances in place to take care of the grass in those empty lots,” Reavis said.

Resource: http://www.butlercountytimesgazette.com