Item C - Enterprise Zone - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ATTACHMENT C Questions and Issues from February 16, 2005 Meeting: 1. What is the status of the railyard property? Should the property be included within the proposed enterprise zone boundary? The Union Pacific (UP) railyard property is a long narrow series of parcels consisting of approximately 277 acres. There is additional area, in various ownerships, of approximately 98 acres that adjoins the yards and has historically been in rail related uses. This latter area is included within the recent environmental studies on the railyards. In recent discussions, UP staff reviewed some of the current thinking about the future of the railyard property. The UP Real Estate Division, which is responsible for the sale of any surplus property, has not had any of the railyard property released by Rail Operations for marketing and sales. There has, however, been some discussion regarding the sale of a small, single parcel outside of the yards on the north end of the site. UP Rail Operations is currently considering adding track capacity in the yards to address operational issues and increasing regional demand. The remainder of the property is still under consideration for future operational needs. UP Industrial Development staff reiterated this view, stating that no properties within the yard have been made available for sale. Industrial Development staff indicated that they are working with potential lease tenants that have proposed rail related uses (freight, container handling) for portions of the yard property. Inclusion of the UP railyard property in the proposed enterprise zone will not determine the future use of the property. The railyard currently has no zoning designation, as rail lines are treated similar to public right-of-way. The Metro Plan designates the railyard as suitable for heavy industrial. A formal zoning process for railyard properties will need to occur prior to any future non-rail development of the property. Determining the appropriate zoning and other necessary land use actions may be dependant, in part, on the specific area of land to be sold and the redevelopment plan proposed by a future buyer. Staff is recommending that the railyard property be included in the proposed enterprise zone boundary. The enterprise zone program specifically prescribes the types of business activities (manufacturing, processing, headquarters, distribution, warehousing, call-centers) that are eligible for tax exemption benefits. If future zoning of the railyard property allows for business activities prescribed in the enterprise zone program, the tax exemption benefits could be used to help offset the significant redevelopment costs expected with this property. If future zoning does not allow for eligible enterprise zone business activities, the tax exemption benefits would not be available even though the property is included within the zone boundary. 2. What is the impact of applying the "job quality standards" (additional local criteria) to all investments made within the proposed enterprise zone? The Mayor's Committee recommended that job quality standards apply to investments occurring on greenfield sites. Council discussed an alternative concept which would eliminate greenfield sites from