HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-11-10 09-008 RESOLVECOUNCIL ACTION
Item No. 09 008
Date: November 10, 2008
Item/Subject: Resolve, Reallocating the Designated Area of Bangor's Pine Tree Zone
Responsible Department: Community & Economic Development
Commentary:
PUBLIC HEARING - Prior to voting on this Resolve, the Council is required to hold a
Public Hearing on the amendment to the Bangor Pine Tree Zone.
The State of Maine has approved the designation of Pine Tree Zones that offer incentives to greatly
reduce or eliminate state taxes for up to ten years to qualified businesses. This Resolve is to amend the
City's Pine Tree Zone area. Oxford Networks, a company offering communication services to business
customers throughout Maine, has requested that the Bangor Pine Tree Zone be amended to include Lot
11 and Lot 14 on Tax Map 43. Lot 11 is .98 acres and Lot 14 is .75 acres. Oxford Networks is leasing
space at 40 Summer St. for its business office and at 60 Summer St. for its central office containing
electronic switching equipment. They have invested $2.1 million in the fiber network in Bangor and $0.3
million in the central and business office locations. In Bangor, Oxford Networks will offer telephone, long
distance, internet, and data transport services.
Oxford Networks currently employs eleven (11) full time employees in Bangor. They expect to have
seventeen (17) employees within two years.
This item was recommended for approval by the Business & Economic Development Committee at its
meeting on October 22, 2008.
Manager's Comments:
Associated Information: Attached is a map indicating the amended Pine Tree Zone
Budget Approval:
Legal Approval:
Department Head
City Manager
Finance Director
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Introduced for
X Passage
First Reading Page _ of
Referral
09 001
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�DrNc Assigned to Councilor D'Errico November 10, 2008
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(TITLE.) Resolve, Reallocating the Designated Area of Bangor's Pine Tree Zone
WHEREAS, the State of Maine has approved the designation of Pine Tree Zones that offer
incentives to greatly reduce or eliminate state taxes for up to ten years to
eligible businesses offering quality jobs involved in manufacturing, financial
services, biotechnology, aquaculture and marine technology, composite materials
technology, environmental technology, advanced technologies for forest and
agriculture, and information technology; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bangor by Council Resolve 04-189 designated approximately 350
acres located in Bangor, Maine as a Pine Tree Zone; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bangor has agreed to maintain at least one pre -permitted
development site within the Pine Tree Zone on a continual basis throughout the
term of the zone designation, but only to the extent that property so designated
remains available for development; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bangor hereby finds and determines that the purpose of this
amendment to the Bangor Pine Tree Zone designated area is to more effectively
encourage business investment in Bangor in order to provide new employment
opportunities, improve existing employment opportunities, improve and broaden
the tax base and improve the general economy of the State; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bangor has resolved not to use Pine Tree Development Zone benefits
to encourage or facilitate the transfer of existing positions or property of a
qualified business or affiliated business to a qualified business activity from a
nonqualified activity elsewhere in the State; and
WHEREAS, on October 26, 2004 the State of Maine, Department of Economic and
Community Development notified members of the Penobscot Valley Pine Tree
Zone (PVPTZ) that the PVPTZ had achieved final designation status; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bangor by Council Resolve 06-033, Council Resolve 07- 061 and
Council Resolve 08-074 amended the location of the approximately 350 acres
located in Bangor, Maine as a Pine Tree Zone; and
WHEREAS, The Oxford County Telephone and Telegraph Company dba Oxford Networks has
requested that two parcels of land on Tax Map 43 Lots 11 and 14 totaling 1.73
acres, be included in Bangor's Pine Tree Zone; and
WHEREAS, one or more of the qualified business activities specified in the Pine Tree
Development Zone statute, 30-A MRSA c 206 sub -c. 4, is a permissible and
09 008
suitable activity on Tax Map 43 Lots 11 and 14 under the land use regulations
adopted by the City of Bangor; and
WHEREAS, Oxford Networks has applied for certification as a business eligible for Pine Tree
Zone benefits; and
WHEREAS, property on Tax Map R8 Lot 7 will be removed from Bangor's Pine Tree Zone
and the total acreage of Bangor's Pine Tree Zone will remain at approximately
350 acres; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bangor has held a public hearing, notice of which was published in
the Bangor Daily News at least 10 days before the hearing, on the inclusion of
Lots 11 and 14 on Tax Map 43 in Bangor's Pine Tree Zone; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bangor has kept an official record of the public hearing at which the
reallocation of the area of the Bangor Pine Tree Zone was discussed:
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
BANGOR THAT
The City of Bangor removes 1.73 acres on Tax Map R8 Lot 7 from Bangor's Pine Tree Zone and
designates Lots 11 and 14 on Tax Map 43 as part of Bangor's Pine Tree Zone to be included in
the Penobscot Valley Pine Tree Zone and hereby authorizes the zone administrator, EMDC, 40
Harlow Street, Bangor, Maine 04401, a private non-profit regional development agency, to
properly submit on behalf of the City of Bangor this Resolution to amend the boundary area of
the Bangor Pine Tree Zone to the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and
Community Development pursuant to Maine Department of Economic and Community
Development, 19 100 CMR 19-100-100.5 and further authorizes a letter of transmittal to the
zone administrator as required by Maine Department of Economic and Community
Development, 19 100 CMR 19-100-100.5
IN CITY COUNCIL
November 10, 2008
Motion Made and Seconded
£o700enotbe Public Hearing
Public Hearing Opened
No one from the Public came
forward
Motion Made and Seconded to Close
the Public Hearing
Public Hearing Closed
Motion Made and Seconded for
Passaae
Passeld
CITY CLERK
# 09-008
(TITLE,) Reallocating the Designated_ Area
of Bangor's Pine Tree Zone
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Assigned to Councilor
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