By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
The Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is taking steps to extend their Tax Increment Financing plan (TIF) which funds the DDA’s projects in the district.?
TIF plans allow the DDA to pull a certain percentage of tax dollars from surrounding jurisdictions to fund the downtown improvements.?
For the 2015-2016 fiscal year the DDA expects to capture about $577,000.?
If the DDA does nothing now to extend their TIF plan, all funding could come to a halt when the plan sunsets in 2020. The DDA has instrumented a TIF plan since 1984, the base year, and captured approximately $382,500 at that time.?
Now, DDA Director Suzanne Perrault is pursuing an extension of the current plan until 2030, if the Lake Orion Village Council approves her recommendation in the spring.?
So, Perrault began taking the measures to make her visions come to life.?
First she solicited for at least nine committee members to form the Development Area Citizen’s Council, and nine village resident members she received.?
The required committee will help identify and prioritize future projects for the downtown in a series of visionary meetings this week.?
Perrault has also invited the community at large to attend the General Public meeting this Thursday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Lake Orion United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall and will ask the public what goals they have for the downtown district. The church is located at 140 East Flint St.
Topics for the meeting include: future infrastructure projects, possible lake development and parks development; identifying obstacles and challenges; pinpointing locations for in-fill projects and parking; discussing the type of business mix that fits the downtown and M-24; and discussing future events, promotions and marketing needs.?
‘I think we should be looking at long term parking solutions, and solutions for refuse pick-up, such as considering more joint dumpsters to eliminate on-street trash pick-up,? Perrault said.?
Other items she’d like discussed include possible downtown amenities, and amenities for trail users, like public restrooms.?
‘The whole point of the visioning is to really ask the community and downtown stakeholders, ‘what do you want to see?,?? she said.?
Concerning a few vacant lots, Perrault wants to know what the community prefers’more housing, retail, mixed use, or more restaurants??
‘All of our potential in-fill lots are privately owned so unless the DDA were to acquire a lot or two at some point they will probably be developed,? she said.?
The DDA’s main obstacle is limited budgets, and the need to spend DDA dollars maintaining some of the assets they already have.?
Even if limited, in the next three years Perrault predicts the Paint Creek Trail connection being complete, along with a signage program in the downtown, and some type of boat docks being installed on Lake Orion.?
‘Lake development is a real possibility. The property is privately owned so we will see what happens. We will be looking forward to a restaurant on the lake too,? she said.