Image Credit: explorenewdorp.com

City Council votes to create the City’s latest Business Improvement District on Staten Island. On April 5, 2017, the City Council voted 50-0 to approve the Department of Small Business Services’ application to create the New Dorp Business Improvement District for Staten Island’s New Dorp neighborhood. The BID will consist of properties along New Dorp Lane and adjacent commercial streets between Hylan Boulevard and Richmond Road. The proposed BID contains 146 properties and 180 businesses, most of which are small and family-owned companies.

The BID will allow for an annual assessment on businesses to fund marketing and promotion services, beautification, economic development initiatives, and advocacy. The BID will be able to solicit additional support from elected officials and other funders such as Staten Island banks, hospitals and utilities.

The BID’s first-year budget would be $135,000. The average contribution rate for commercial property would be $17 per foot per year per property, with an average yearly assessment equaling $1,080. Residential properties would contribute $1 per year. Government and not-for-profit properties are exempt.

On January 4, 2017, the City Planning Commission unanimously approved the plan, finding that additional guidance and resources will help address New Dorp’s increased pedestrian activity, litter and vehicular traffic. The Commission did express concern about the tight budget for the proposed BID. The Commission noted that if the BID struggles due to lack of funding, the BID board members may need to raise the assessment rate to ensure effective operation.

The City Planning Commission’s report also noted that the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation was exploring possible additional BIDs on Hylan Boulevard and Richmond Road, stating that these would “complement and strengthen” the efforts and effect of the New Dorp BID.

The City Council’s Finance Committee held a public hearing in February, and the proposal was laid over for a 30-day period for property owners to file objections with the Office of the City Clerk, as required by law. According to the City Clerk, of the over one hundred owners of record located within the proposed BID, only one property owner filed a valid objection to the proposal.

With unanimous approval by the City Council, the legislation will now go to the Mayor’s desk for his signature.

CC: New Dorp Business Improvement District (Intro No. 1454-2017) (April 5, 2017).

By: Jonathon Sizemore (Jonathon is the CityLaw Fellow and a New York Law School Graduate, Class of 2016).