Ballot Issue

Issue Update
Issue 11 on the May 7th ballot failed. As a result City Council will be holding community work sessions to receive specific modifications to the current plan that residents would like to see. These sessions will be held at 7:30 p.m. on May 28 at Barlow Community Center and 7:30 p.m. on June 4th at Town Hall.

Advisory Election for Downtown Phase II on May 7


Hudson City Council has authorized placing an issue for an advisory election on the May 7, 2019 ballot. Like the "advisory election" held for First and Main, this election would seek the opinion of Hudson voters if the City should continue with Downtown Phase II. 

The question on the ballot will be whether to continue with the redevelopment of the Downtown Phase II area as a public and private development, subject to final approval by the Architectural and Historic Board of Review and City Council. A "yes" vote is in support of continuing the Downtown Phase II process.  A "no" vote would be against continuing with Downtown Phase II. 

ADVISORY ELECTION
DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT
CITY OF HUDSON
(A Majority Vote is Necessary For Passage)

Should the City of Hudson continue with the redevelopment of the Downtown Phase Two area as a public and private development subject to final approval by the Architectural and Historic Board of Review and City Council?

___ YES
___  NO


Procedural Process for Resolution
Resolution (With Markups)

Vote on May 7, 2019


On May 7, 2019, Hudson voters will be asked to vote on whether or not they support the City moving ahead with Downtown Phase II. 

For more information:
Jody Roberts
Communications Manager
330-342-9539
Email

What are we voting on?


A preliminary plan for Downtown Phase II was approved by Planning Commission with conditions, and that plan is being modified based on citizen input. The May 7 vote will gauge the support of the community for finalizing and moving forward with the preliminary plan that is in place.  It is not a vote to determine other uses or options for the development.

Learn more about Downtown Phase II.

Architectural Renderings - Click to view

Render 1 - Morse Road Looking North

What is an advisory election?


Similar to the ballot issue that was voted on for First and Main, an advisory election will be held on May 7, 2019 to gauge the citizens' interest in proceeding with the Downtown Phase II development of the area west of First and Main into office and housing (with some limited retail/restaurant) to support the businesses, stores and restaurants in First and Main.

The advisory vote, although not binding, will provide City Council with the opinion of the people regarding continuing this project. If the issue fails, Council most likely will not proceed with the project. Learn about what happens if it fails in the section below.

Downtown Phase II Preliminary Plan - Click on image to enlarge.

Current Plan Map

What happens if the issue fails in May?


As an advisory vote, the results are not binding, however, Council would take this as lack of support for continuing the Downtown Phase II project. To date, the City has invested approximately $10 million (mostly in demolition of current buildings and construction of a new bus garage and salt dome). With the completion of Downtown Phase II, this money would have been recouped through the new taxes generated from the new jobs created in the new development.  Without Downtown Phase II,that debt would have to come out of the City's General Fund. As such, Council would need to look at options to cover that $10 million. In addition, the City has signed a memorandum of understanding with the developer. Breaking that agreement would likely incur a cost to the City as well.

Council has not formally considered options, but they would be limited.  Putting another type of development on the land where the costs could be recovered through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) would be one possibility, Another option would be to sell the land to recover those costs. If sold, however, a developer could build whatever they wanted in that location (I.e. apartments, denser housing), provided it meets City Code. The City would no longer have control over what or how much was built on that land. Leaving the land undeveloped would generate no money to repaid the $10 million already invested, so the City would have to cover those costs out of the general fund, impacting the City's overall finances. Council as a whole has not formally considered these or other any other options should the Issue fail.