For Rincon Hill neighborhood business and property owners, the August 29, 2012 meeting at the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific (450 Harrison Street @ 1st Street) in the library room from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. provides a “CBDs 101″ overview.

Rob Edwards discusses “The ABCs of CBDs” (PDF file)

Jim Chappell discusses “Do CBDs Increase Property Values” (PDF File) with the following documents footnoted in the report for further reading:

• SF Community Benefit District (CBD) Study (PDF File)
• Furman Center’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Brief (PDF File)
• Do BIDs Make a Difference (PDF File)

Impact Analysis of San Francisco’s Property and Business Improvement Districts (CBDs/BIDs) – Fall 2012

New on 2/11/2013 – Mayor Lee Celebrates Positive Impacts of CBDs

Should we form a Community Benefit District in the Rincon Hill and Transbay Neighborhoods?

The problem: The City provides only a basic level of such services as police protection and street cleaning. Also, the City is prepared to spend $15 million on capital improvements in our neighborhood, such as parks, wider sidewalks, and trees, but only if someone else pays for the maintenance and operations.

The solution: We can solve this problem by creating a Community Benefit District (CBD). There are several CBDs throughout the City. It requires that property owners pay a small annual assessment, but we are guaranteed that this money will be spent in our neighborhood. It would pay a higher level of services for safety on our streets, maintaining the open space, street sweeping, removing graffiti, and building a strong neighborhood image that would increase our property values and give us a voice at City Hall.

How do we start? In order to create a CBD, the law requires that we ask property owners what their level of interest in the CBD would be. That’s why a survey has been mailed to property owners in the neighborhood and is online at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RinconHillSurvey

Who are we? We are a group of neighbors who are interested in forming the CBD. New members are always welcome. We have a Steering Committee, and they have written this survey.

CBDs are public-private partnerships formed by community stakeholders to improve their neighborhood.  CBDs are funded and managed by and for the property owners of the neighborhood. The services provided are often similar to what the city government provides – but more, better, or sometimes just different from the city’s efforts. And while each building can maintain their own property in an exemplary fashion they cannot maintain a neighbor’s property without permission.

Here are some of the services typically provided by a CBD:

• Special patrols to reduce auto burglary, petty street crime, and behavioral issues on the street
• Park and open space maintenance, sidewalk sweeping, instant graffiti removal, sidewalk power washing, and litter pick-up
• A consistent neighborhood voice at City Hall, creating a strong neighborhood image that improves property values. 

Why form a CBD now? We have a unique opportunity: In 2011, the owners of nine large undeveloped properties, along with the City, formed the Rincon Hill Infrastructure Financing District (IFD). Once developed, these properties will generate $15 million in property taxes. The IFD will make the Rincon district eligible to receive $15 million for capital improvements, subject to the Supervisors’ release of funds for each project, rather than the money being spent citywide,

But there is one stipulation – In order for the IFD to sell bonds and the neighborhood to access this capital, the City requires a long-term source of maintenance and operations funding be put in place. This is the impetus for forming a Community Benefit District in Rincon Hill now.

Range of Assessments: The level of assessments will be based on what kinds and levels of services are provided. While the total budget and assessments have not yet been determined, it appears they will be in this range:

What’s Next? The formation process is governed by State and City law and requires a few significant steps, including surveying property owners’ level of interest, development and adoption of a complete multi-year services plan, ratification and establishment of the new CBD by the SF Board of Supervisors, electing a board of directors and hiring an executive director.

Schedule

If the process is successful, the new CBD will launch and begin services by Spring 2013.

A group of neighbors have formed a Steering Committee to direct this effort. Over the next several months we’d like to invite you to participate in this process. Help us craft options for discussion and neighborhood-wide adoption: the boundaries, service plans and assessments.