Ballot measure for new downtown authority in Old Colorado City would be funded by property tax

OLD COLORADO CITY, Colo. (KRDO) - A ballot measure approved by Colorado Springs City Council would allow those living along Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City to decide whether they'd like to pay a property tax to form a Downtown Development Authority (DDA), to help bolster their downtown area.

The measure would impose that property tax on every residential and commercial properties within a special boundary in Old Colorado City, you can see that map outlining which neighborhoods below, stretching from the border of Interstate 25, all the way up to W. Pikes Peak Avenue.

The average cost to the residential property owner, if you're within the boundary, would be $136. While the average cost to a commercial property owner would be roughly $686 dollars.

There are 6 major areas the DDA will be investing in:

• Leadership and advocacy 
• Safety and security
• Placemaking (i.e. aesthetic enhancements)
• Economic development and marketing (i.e. business support)
• Investment and redevelopment (i.e. working with folks to encourage new investment in the area)
• Community building and activation (i.e. programming, events, etc.)

Jamie Gieliss, with Centro Inc. based in Denver explains the City of Colorado Springs will be making separate improvements to Colorado Avenue, which will include more infrastructure-based concerns, and the DDA may financially top up those funds to create a sense of place, but with the budget the DDA will have it won't be able to afford massive infrastructure work.

The assessments for both commercial and residential properties come at a limit of 5 mills for the tax, which is the highest the DDA could impose. If passed in November by voters within the Authority's boundary, it's expected to generate about $300,000 dollars for the year 2025.

Gieliess explains that the budget figure will grow as assessed values grow in the district, as the budget is derived from an assessment on the value of property. She says the district will also generate tax increment financing (TIF) off property and sales tax, which is in addition to the funding from the mills.

"So we would have a lot more operating funds, that we could apply for grants and and we would have a board that would consist of residents as well as business and property owners." added Becky Cooper Powell, who is a business owner of Barista Coffee Roasters along Colorado Avenue. Powell explains she is also the owner of a string of commercial properties around her business, as well as a resident along the avenue, making her very invested in the prospect of the DDA.

"We can all work together and decide what's the best way to develop all Colorado City." she said.

KRDO13 took to Colorado Avenue to speak with other businesses about their thoughts on the ballot measure, and found that several store owners either had no knowledge of the DDA, or very little at all. However, upon having the measure explained to them, they were in favor of the idea from a surface level. Other's said they'd still need more time to look it over.

Some businesses, though, like Simple Body Products were in strong favor of the ballot measure. The owner, Jewels Burdick, says she's owned her store for 15 years in downtown OCC. She echoed many other businesses in their frustrations that Old Colorado City is overshadowed by the downtown of Colorado Springs, which has their own Downtown Development Authority.

Burdick, along with other businesses that KRDO13 spoke with, specifically cited the topic of parking as just one issue.

"We did not want to have metered lots down here. But unfortunately, the parking authority metered all of our lots. And so a lot of that revenue we just haven't seen flow back into this neighborhood." explained Burdick.

Other residents who live along the avenue, took to speak with City Council on Tuesday before a second vote, to share their concerns about how quickly the DDA ballot measure was constructed, and how little education was done for those that live within the boundary.

"Honestly, I think you need to not vote till you really do more research here. And that's when I'm going to request that you do, because I don't like mistakes." pleaded one concerned resident, whose name could not be made out from the meeting recording.

The City Council ultimately voted 7 to 2 to approve of the ballot questions, which was a slight change to the previous vote of 8 to 1 in a previous council meeting, with Councilman Mike O'Malley as the lone No vote. Councilman Dave Donelson flipped to a being the second "No" vote on Tuesday.

You can find a full presentation that was shown to Colorado Springs City Council, here.