By Tom Henderson • Staff Writer • 

Alpine projects both in the works and coming to life

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Comments

GRM

I wish them good luck but I can't understand why tax money should support this

gregtompkins

“Developers Kevin Kump and Sarita Springer of Redondo Beach, California, ”

More California !!

Treehouse

GRM,
Grants such as the one being applied for by the developers of the corner at NE Ninth and Alpine are funded from Tax Increment Financing applied to the specific urban renewal overlay district in accordance with state law. They do not come from general tax revenues. Here's a link to a city document explaining how it works: https://www.mcminnvilleoregon.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/planning/page/1340/t_ur_101_mcminnville.pdf

For most property owners the total tax they pay does not see any increase resulting from the adoption of UR.

Jim

Treehouse a tax is a tax no matter which way you cut it. This whole Alpine project was over spent from the get go. It’s a ludicrous plan from a over zealous city planner and a city council that want to keep McMinnville a tourist trap and a hipster hangout. Everybody bitches about affordable housing for the people that work here but they just keep creating low paying jobs that can’t afford houses. If the money would have been spent on manufacturing infrastructure the whole community would be better off. Back to your tax and unless it’s a private grant all the rest of the so called “grants” are right out of the taxpayers pocket.

Tuvey

GRM it sounds like the voters approved the money in 2014 for this project and I definitely support the market improvements. As for the "high end vacation rentals" they will soon find out if anyone in this area can afford them and hopefully they will adjust their prices accordingly. Cute idea but maybe not going to be the influx of money they think it is AND I hope they have wonderful LOCAL management.

Sarita

We appreciate everyone's comments about the improvements along Alpine Avenue. As one of the developers, I just want to make a couple points of clarification. First, we are seeking a grant to subsidize a small portion of the street and sidewalk improvements for 9th Street that we have to include in our development costs. Our vision for The Boutique Retreat is for it to be an upscale boutique hotel but we plan to charge relatively moderate nightly rates so that everyone (specially locals) can stay with us. We also want to mention that our primary residence is in California but we do live part-time in McMinnville and are very much hoping to relocate after The Boutique Retreat opens next year. We love Mac and want to be more involved in the community.

Jeb Bladine

Urban Renewal grants and infrastructure development projects are funded by property taxes paid by property owners in the UR district, which includes all of downtown and the Alpine area. If UR had not been approved years ago by the city, those taxes would go about one-third to the city, one-third to the state, and one-third to the county and other taxing districts.

So, it’s more accurate to say that UR funds come from government budgets. Of course, governments might have done many things with that money, but there’s no guarantee we would favor that spending more than what is being done with Urban Renewal.

When projects like this proposed housing pod are developed, the increased property taxes go 100 percent into the Urban Renewal development budget. The Alpine district was added to Urban Renewal as a long-term vision to expand a core area that is somewhat blocked for expansion in other directions.

Overall, UR can spend $30 million over 25 years to carry out and spur significant infrastructure developments to McMinnville’s core area.

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