Pendleton TIF District Decisions Could Impact New Fire Department Options
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The Pendleton Town Council budget considerations for the upcoming fiscal year will have a direct impact on the town’s fire department.
The budget will determine where, when and how the Pendleton Fire Department will be able to build a new facility. The fire department is currently housed in a building build at the turn of the 20th century as the Pendleton Ice House, which has been inelegantly expanded slightly over the years for various uses including the old town hall.
A key element of the decision is determining the amount to pre-fund the proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district in the Village Hills section on the east side of downtown Pendleton bounded by properties on Cherry Street and East Queen Street. The area is underdeveloped and includes 207 acres with 160 properties and includes many vacant properties, where the majority of the parcels meet the criteria as blighted properties.
In the current plan, the area would serve as a new home to the fire department. Pendleton Fire Chief Tommy Brock said the current station is overcrowded and includes only two bays tall enough for current generation fire trucks. It also lacks space for the all-volunteer firefighters and equipment, making it even more difficult to recruit new volunteers.
The new Village Hills Project seeks to reclaim and conserve the area offering special tax breaks with the goal of encouraging private investment in the area.
The three TIF funding amounts council is now considering are $5 million, $7.5 million and $10 million for the redevelopment plan.
The Town anticipates that under this plan, it will complete the following improvements:
Renovate and secure playground and recreation facilities associated with Pendleton Elementary School.
Provide improved infrastructure including roads, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, utilities, and parks and open spaces.
Demolish, relocate, and improve the Town of Pendleton’s public works facility.
Construction of a new Fire Department.
Refresh and improve streetscapes along Queen Street and Cherry Street to include new landscaping, lighting, sidewalk and pedestrian improvements.
Construction of multi-use trails in the district and from the district to adjacent areas to enhance pedestrian and cycling mobility.
Potential removal and redevelopment of ageing and derelict properties.
The estimated costs for these new public improvements including long-term project maintenance (as applicable) is anticipated to be an additional $26,500,000.
New private investment is expected to be the largest source of redevelopment financing, and is projected to generate $650,000 per year in incremental growth in the entire district. Current total tax revenue on the properties in the district $34,908. The redevelopment plan provides for the TIF revenues to be used to issue debt and to complete pay-as-you-go on projects outlined above. No additional taxes are scheduled to be assessed.
Council is currently hammering out the fiscal year 2023-24 budget, and includes the $5 million option for the TIF district.
Mayor Frank Crenshaw favors the $7.5 million option.
“I applaud the council for funding the TIF district, but the key to this project is getting houses built, and the more we put into infrastructure up front, the faster it will develop,” said Crenshaw. “In my opinion, the $7.5 million will speed up construction and help build a more than adequate building for the fire department.”
A special budget meeting is scheduled for May 22 at 4 p.m. in town hall, which will include additional discussion of TIF district funding.
The town has already joined the rest of the county municipalities in cutting curbside recycling, freeing up some time for public works.
Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said the new district will breathe new life into a neglected area.
“This is good for Pendleton and good for Anderson County,” said Burns.