City engineer Jon Erichson released the costs of this summer’s street, water, sewage and lighting improvement projects Monday: both what he expects the projects to cost the city and what portion he expects to be assessed to individual residents and businesses.

Wednesday, October 20, 1999

City engineer Jon Erichson released the costs of this summer’s street, water, sewage and lighting improvement projects Monday: both what he expects the projects to cost the city and what portion he expects to be assessed to individual residents and businesses.

With the final street project – 1st Drive NW – expected to wrap up today, the Austin City Council set the date for the public hearing on the assessments for Nov. 15. Affected residents will be notified by mail of informational meetings to be held before that date, as well as the estimated costs of their assessment.

Residents whose properties abut the street or other improvement project have three options according to the city: 1) to pay the assessment fees in full within 30 days of the assessment hearings; 2) pay half the assessment within 30 days and pay the balance along with property taxes over a period of 15 years; 3) have the entire assessment added to property taxes and pay over 15 years; or 4) an option only for senior citizens who meet certain age and income brackets, defer the payments until the property is sold to another party.

Following are the projects which will be assessed, and the portion payable by the city as opposed to the portion to be assessed to the property owners:

– Street improvements on 4th Ave. NE from Ellis Middle School to Highway 218: city $574,504; property owners $175,061.

– Street improvements on 1st Drive NW from 8th Place NW to N. Main St.: city $267,394; property owners $63,776.

– Street improvements on 3rd Ave. SW from 12th St. to 15th St. SW: city $59,412; property owners $53,062.

– Street improvements on 19th St. SW from Oakland Ave. to 8th Ave. SW: city $124,051; property owners $102,969.

– Water construction in Austin Acres: Austin Utilities $10,093; property owners $74,160.

– Sanitary sewer in Austin Acres: city $0; property owners $167,259.

– Street lighting on N. Main St.: city $45,480; property owners $45,463.

Improvements to 12th Ave. NE from 17th to 21st streets will not be assessed.

Erichson did not release any per foot figures for the assessments at the council meeting, those would certainly be discussed at the informational meeting prior to the public hearing. Policy is that the city pays roughly half the costs of the average street improvement and residents whose properties abut the street pay one quarter each. If a street is a main traffic thoroughfare and, therefore, has to be built to a greater depth and width, the city pays the difference between that and the usual 36-foot road.

Commercial businesses and middle schools are charged a higher rate per square foot than residential properties.