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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 �L, Introduced for X Passage First Reading Page _ of Referral 09 001 l �DrNc Assigned to Councilor D'Errico November 10, 2008 toi• �{ GITY OF BANGOR �R4TED,fE (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 { CLlt; LZ Assigned to Councilor � i I