The $30 million bond that passed underwhelmingly, 55 percent to 45 percent, makes sure that Pahlisch won't have to pay $500,000 towards the construction of the roundabout at 15th and Reed Market that he had agreed to pay.
The city of Bend no longer collects SDCs, otherwise known as building-impact fees, so Pahlisch, and all developers in Bend, won't have to pay anything for the impact their developments have on Bend.
It's called moral hazard, a term which surfaced when the government bailed out Wall Street and now applies to development in Bend. Why should developers pay anything? They don't have to because property taxpayers will bail them out.
If you want to see what Pahlisch thinks about Bend, check out his subdivision on 15th Street just south of Ferguson Road. Pahlisch paved 15th Street in front of his development, but refused to pave the southbound lane, about 10 feet, on 15th Street. All those trucks going into and out of Pahlisch's development on 15th Street destroyed the roadway. But apparently, the city was afraid to ask Pahlisch to pave the entire stretch in front of his development. And, Pahlisch cares so little about Bend that he couldn't be bothered about the southbound traffic on 15th Street.
The other negative news from the bond's passage is that the city of Bend will falsely assume that it validates the city's squandering of tax dollars on Juniper Ridge, its mixed-use development on Bend's north's end that funnels tax dollars directly to private enterprise. Hey, it's where the money is.
Also, the city will construct the roundabout at 18th and Empire, Mount Washington and Simpson, followed by the most important one at Powers and Brookswood before it tackles the most essential road work: the Reed Market corridor.
If there is any money left over, the city may repave the section of Reed Market between Third and 15th Streets, but not do anything between 15th and 27th street. That means no widening, no sidewalks and no new bridge for American Lane.
Yes, eastside voters, you were duped. You just voted to pay for improvements to Bend's west side, the richest part of Bend, before anything is done on the east side.
We subsidize the rich in Bend just like they do on the federal level.
Is it tea time yet?
Another way to view the outcome is that the cost of development will be borne by ALL citizens (taxpayers), instead of just those who are buying the new houses (who would pay higher prices to the developer if the developer had been responsible for the improvements).
ReplyDeleteUltimately it is a subsidy for new development, borne by all citizens.