Officials plan to tap funds for downtown street repairs

Highland officials plan to tap into the Downtown Allocation Area Fund tax increment for the first time to make repairs to the downtown intersection pavers.

Town Council members on Monday approved conducting a public hearing at 7 p.m. July 23 regarding the $50,000 appropriation from the fund expected to be needed to pay for replacement paving.

Plans call for using stamped concrete to replace the paver bricks at the Fourth Street and Second Street intersections with Highway Avenue in the downtown area that have deteriorated wi t h u s e, C l e r k-Tre a s u re r Michael Griffin said.

The pavers have been in place east of Kennedy Avenue since 1999 and west of Kennedy since 2001.

Council President Mark Harek questioned whether the new treatment would have the same aesthetic as the current brick pavers that provide a boundary for the downtown district.

The stamped concrete is expected to preserve the intent of the original road treatment while providing a better-wearing alternative material, Griffin said.

“(The bricks) have not weathered well,” Griffin said.

The stamped concrete is expected to be stronger and last longer than the existing bricks.

If the plan is approved, it will be the first time that town officials have accessed funds in the tax increment financing district since it was established May 31, 2008.

The Downtown Allocation Area Fund is associated with the Downtown Redevelopment area.

Currently, the fund has captured $836,642 in revenue from increased property tax values on new development in the downtown allocation area since it was created, according to information provided by the city.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.