Post date: Feb 5, 2010 2:11:09 PM
We've had some responses flowing in - let me highlight a few, with some answers (in case anyone else has the same questions!)
"We love the idea and everyone needs to make an effort to update our community. Curbs and sidewalks will be a welcomed enhancement to Hillendale Park ......... LET'S GO FOR IT! "
Q:"Can we just do curb and gutter, or do we need to do sidewalks also?"
A: Certainly! Sidewalk would be a welcome addition, but we understand that some people do not want to incur the costs, extra loss of property, etc. We are asking for your support for curb and gutter, and if you would like sidewalks also talk to your neighbors and help us get support!
Q:"How long is this process going to take? Will the price be locked in?"
A: To be honest, we're not sure. We've been told it may take 10 to 15 years, however we don't want to wait that long. What we need to do first is petition the county. Afterwards, we plan to personally petition our elected officials to help us fix a problem that has been ongoing for more than 50 years! As for the cost, we are told the price has not gone up much in the last 20 years ($.50 to a $1.00 per linear foot), and there is no plan to increase the price at this time.
Q:"We're not sure about the cost." "We live on a corner lot, and this is going to be expensive." "We're on a fixed income and can't afford this."
A: All common concerns. Again, we'll break it down a bit:
For someone on a regular lot, with 50' to their property, curb and gutter would cost a total of $675. This would be added to property taxes on an interest-free loan over 5 years, meaning an increase of $135 per year to your tax bill. For those with an escrow and monthly house payments, this means an addition monthly of $11.25 to your house payment. In our opinion, this is a great deal for the benefits we would be receiving!
For someone on a corner lot, this will tend to be be more expensive, however we'll break it down again. For 125' curb and gutter would cost $1678.50. Again, breaking it down over 5 years, this is $337.50 a year, and monthly amounts to an increase of $28.13 to your escrow account. Again, a great deal for the benefits.
Adding sidewal to the 50' lot would be an additional $800 - $160 a year and $13.33 a month. Adding sidewalk to the corner lot would be an additional $2000 - $400 a year and $33.33 a month. Still great deals for the added improvement of sidewalk to your property!
Curb, gutter, and sidewalk are also taken into account when you get your home appraised, increasing the value of your property!
Again, if you have any comments or questions let us know! We'll be discussing this more during February's meeting, and we hope to start collecting signatures during March and April.