08-27-1990 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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cars per day, the business coniuunity would continue to do well, the threat to public safety and convenience would not become overwhelming and the present quality of life would be substantially maintained. According to neighboring Orono's comprehensive land use plan and its zoning ordinances, the generally rural character of the City of Orono is intended to be maintained indefinitely. Long Lake supports and enjoys this position. Ultimately, then, the goal would be to keep the situation as near as may be in its present configuration so that one driving westerly on what will become old Highway 12 will see substantially the same things that are presently seen from the easterly boundary of the city to the west. Long Lake is substantially developed so there is little opportunity for further traffic flow increases generated from within the city on the highway. Long Lake, since 1980, has been going through a redevelopment program in its downtown business district. It would like to continue with deliberate redevelopment efforts to eventually provide a quaint atmosphere in the downtown which is appealing to the eye and to those who work, live and do business there. Long Lake preceives the threat of Highway 12's bulging traffic counts as potentially detrimental to this continuing redevelopment progress. More importantly, it perceives the r aspect of use of the existing Highway 12 corridor to upgrade the highway into a four lane freeway or expressway as devastating. If the scoping decision document picks the present corridor as the preferred corridor, and if the environmental impact study is then conducted and the four lane highway results, the consensus of opinion among those living and working in Long Lake is that it will ruin the town. Such a highway would destroy the existing quality of life as we know it. It would destroy existing businesses and eliminate existing jobs. It would destroy the business district and the redevelopment efforts that are underway. It would destroy existing property values for residential landowners. It would, at a minimum, create incredible noise pollution in an urban area which is now relatively quiet. It is deemed absolutely critical to the future of the city that Highway 12 be relocated oTulside' Ihe LIty ot Long Lake. Thus, an equally critical goal is to maintain Long Lake's right to self-determination in all these areas. II. CONCERHS. A major concern associated with Long Lake's desire to have Highway 12 relocated outside of the city has to do with its redevelopment activities. In order to accomplish redevelopment Long Lake has employed tax increment finance techniques. Tlie city has sold substantial bonds in order to acquire properties for redevelopment purposes. Payment of these bonds depends upon real estate taxes paid and payable upon the properties included within the district. The heart of the district is the downtown area on both sides of Highway 12 near the intersection of 12 and County Road 146. Should the highway come through the existing tax increment finance district causing substantial parts of it to become part of the right of way and, hence, tax exempt. Long Lake's ability to repay its bonded indebtedness would be severely and substantially cor..promised. Long Lake considnrs the tax increment financing district to have been established as a "superior public use". It, therefore, would consider any attempt to condemn property contained within the district as being subject to this superior public use. Thus, for financial reasons as well as the quality of life concerns discussed under goals above. Long Lake has a vested interest in protecting the viability of its tax increment/redcvelopment district. It