Meeting Tonight to Discuss SID; Open to the Public

Tonight the Village of South Orange hosts  a public dialogue that is open to all -- business and property owners as well as residents -- at 8 p.m., at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. During this forum, interested parties will be able to hear the Improvement District advisory committee’s preliminary findings, ask questions, and give their input into the planning process.

Volunteer committee members have been considering the possibility and desirability of establishing a Special Improvement District (SID) in South Orange.  Having met with Village Trustees Michael Goldberg and Mark Rosner along with several Village department heads, the town’s Special Improvement District advisory committee announced its intentions to also solicit as much public input into their deliberations as possible.

“Reaching out to as many businesses, property owners and residents on this issue is critical,” said Robyn Fields, chairperson of South Orange’s Special Improvement District advisory committee, a group of local business and property owners who are investigating the feasibility of a dedicated business improvement district in South Orange. “We want everyone working, living or owning a business in this town to understand fully the advantages and disadvantages of a business improvement district and to be able to share their input on future plans.” Fields is the owner of Robyn Ross on South Orange Avenue.

During tonight's forum, interested parties will be able to hear the Improvement District advisory committee’s preliminary findings, ask questions, and give their input into the planning process.

Among the questions that the Special Improvement District advisory committee is exploring are: What do business owners and consumers think will help downtown South Orange grow and prosper, does the town need a designated improvement district run by a downtown managementcorporation, and which services could such mechanisms bring to South Orange that would help make local businesses more successful and attract new businesses to town?

A special improvement district is a management tool authorized by state law. Many NJ towns have created such improvement districts in order to help pay for needed services such as marketing and promotion of local businesses, commercial district cleanup, beautification and new business development. If implemented, a South Orange improvement district would be paid for by the businesses and property owners in the designated area and from the Village of South Orange. With a State of New Jersey improvement district designation, South Orange could be eligible for additional grant and program assistance funds or for low-interest loans. Several nearby towns -- including Cranford, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair and Westfield – already have improvement districts.

With an improvement district in place, South Orange would also need to create a downtown management corporation with an autonomous board. This board would provide fiscal oversight, focus on the growth and development of the town’s commercial district, and recommend ways to make South Orange more competitive with nearby towns. The board would have the power to hire professional staff and potentially could receive grant funds from the Village.

Every interested person is urged to attend the important public forum on Wednesday, July 20 at 8:00 p.m. in The Loft at the South Orange Performing Arts Center, One SOPAC Way in South Orange. The meeting is open to the public. Those interested who are not able to attend on July 20 can email their ideas and questions to: downtown@southorange.org.

Minutes of the Special Improvement District advisory committee’s meetings can be found on:

www.southorange.org/downtown