FROM            :           Paul Pineo

DATE :           January 19, 2001

RE                   :           Grove Place Improvement District

 

Several of us have discussed the possibility of creating a  Grove Place “Improvement District.”  The purpose of this district would be to provide extra services to Grove Place – such as: (1) street maintenance and repair; (2) sidewalk construction, repairs and snow removal; and (3) the planting and care of flowers and shrubs in the City of Rochester lands between the street curbs and the property-owner’s land.  The over-all objective of an Improvement District would be to enhance appearance of the Grove Place neighborhood. 

 

A Grove Place Improvement District would be funded by additional taxes imposed and collected by the City of Rochester on each property in the District.  We have not yet determined the mechanics of such a District or the expected additional taxes – though we expect any additional taxes would not exceed $20 to $40 per residence per year. 

 

This memo requests that, before we spend additional effort, you review our conclusions and advise whether you think we are heading in the right direction.  

 

1.          Streets.  The consensus was clear that the streets and curbs in the Grove Place area be left to existing governmental services.  Although it was agreed that Selden Street should receive an additional layer of blacktop, the conclusions were that: (a) the streets in the area were, generally, in an appropriate level of repair; (b) the cost to residents of an Improvement District that made street repairs would exceed the local benefit; and (c) Grove Place could cause the City to make  all appropriate street and curb repairs simply making a request therefore.

 

2.          Sidewalk Replacement and Repair.  The consensus was that all sidewalks in the Grove Place area should divided into two areas:

 

·                      the brick sidewalks around the Eastman Theater, Eastman Place, the Rascal parking lot, the YMCA, the Eastman dormitory, the Cultural District parking garage, and Symphony Terrace; and

 

·                      the concrete sidewalks throughout the remainder of Grove Place. 

 

It was generally agreed that concrete sidewalks, though not in optimum repair, did not justify an Improvement District.  The City has been some-what responsive in replacing broken sidewalks –  but not in making the replacements blend with the adjoining sections.  The result is that the Grove Place sidewalks do not present a uniform image.  However, it seems that the cost of replacing our existing concrete sidewalks with brick – or any other uniform material –   would materially exceed the anticipated enhancement. 

 

It also appears that the recent solution to sidewalk plowing – to let Bob Keck do it and to pay him with a smile and a “thank you” – should continue as long as he was willing to do so. 

3.          Trees and Flowers.  It was the sense of the group that property owners would not want an Improvement District that maintained all grounds in the Grove Place area – that is, both the public lands and the yards around each home – and that the only remaining areas were the planters and the tree boxes between the curbs and the edge of each property owner’s lot.

 

There is some need for maintenance of the tree boxes and planters – for example, the tree boxes at the lower end of Gibbs Street and the trees along Grove Street – but some of this need is expected to be satisfied when the eight new town homes are built on the Jean Casey property.    However, most residents maintain the planters and tree boxes adjoining their property and the benefit of an Improvement District to take over maintenance of all trees and flowers in the tree boxes and planters was not thought to be desired by the residents or cost-effective.

 

4.          Street Lights, Flags and Banners.  The consensus was that an Improvement District for street lights, flags or banners was unnecessary.

 

5.          Parking Meters and Parking Regulations.  The consensus was that any desired change in the location (or removal) of parking meters, and any change in the parking regulations, in the Grove Place area would be satisfied by a request to the City for the change.

 

6.          The Brick Sidewalks.  The group expressed strong dissatisfaction with the existing brick sidewalks – because they are crumbling and because they are being repaired with asphalt.  John Lovenheim stated that the City will begin a repair program next summer because the bricks were not properly installed.  However, he doubts that the City will provide the funds needed to maintain the sidewalks once they are repaired. 

 

 The general location of the brick sidewalks is set out in the first bullet in item 2 above.  With the exception of Symphony Terrace, the brick sidewalks border property owned by the Eastman School, the “Y,” and the Cultural District. 

 

The strong consensus of the group was that:

 

·                      Grove Place should support an Improvement District intended to maintain the brick sidewalks provided that this effort was supported by the Symphony Terrace residents, the Eastman School, the “Y,” and the Cultural District; and

 

·                      if such a District should be created and prove beneficial, that Grove Place then consider whether the District should be expanded – either geographically or in terms of its objectives (or both).

 

Accordingly, it is my recommendation that Grove Place proceed with efforts to form an Improvement District as described above, but that it not form any other Improvement District at this time.