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By DAN TELVOCK
Spotsylvania County supervisors are fast-tracking plans to create two commercial taxing districts to ensure that critical roads for the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center are finished when it opens next year.
Silver Cos.' officials initially agreed to build $15 million worth of roads by the 126-bed hospital near Massaponax in exchange for a rezoning in August 2007. But the developer said it is having a difficult time securing a loan and asked supervisors to help find a new way to fund the work.
The work includes extending Spotsylvania Parkway and building Hospital Boulevard and a new bridge over Interstate 95. All would provide critical access points for the new hospital and commercial complexes to be built around it.
"Because of the difficult credit markets, we have worked with the Silver Cos. to create new ways to ensure that infrastructure improvements are made in time for the opening of the new hospital, which provides health care and economic-development opportunities for the county and region," said Supervisor Hap Connors. "Their success is our success, so it was important for us to work together to find a workable solution."
Although there is no direct impact to residential properties or county residents, critics of service districts say that businesses wrap the cost of the extra tax into the goods and service they provide. If the landowner leases the land, they oftentimes add the tax to the lease.
On April 28, supervisors will hold a joint public hearing with the county Planning Commission to amend the proffers for the rezoning that paved the way for the new hospital. They will also have a public hearing on the same day to create a Lee Hill West and Lee Hill East service district.
By having the joint public hearings at the same time, supervisors can expedite the process by at least a month.
Businesses in the Lee Hill East district would be charged 33 cents per $100 of assessed value on top of the county real estate tax rate. The Lee Hill West district levy would be an extra 75 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The county has a service district in Massaponax and Harrison Crossing, both charging an extra 35 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Jud Honaker, Silver's president of commercial development, said only land Silver owns is included in the two service districts. According to the proposed ordinance, supervisors can amend the boundaries of the service districts "from time to time"--a step that would require a public hearing each time.
Service districts typically tax commercial property. The tax is levied as a second real estate tax, paid by the owner of the property. The county will use the money collected from the service districts to pay for the infrastructure.
Honaker said Silver can lease or sell all or portions of the 92 rezoned acres. No construction has started on the commercial projects, but Honaker said he hopes to have solid deals with medical offices and other users in early 2010.
"You can find customers, but you can't make a deal because they can't find a loan," he said.
Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Email: dtelvock@freelancestar.com
| WHAT: Public hearing on proposed service districts to pay for road improvements near new Spotsylvania Medical Center WHEN: Tuesday, April 28 TIME: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Holbert Building on Courthouse Road |
