The downtown Municipal Service District (MSD), where property owners pay extra taxes, officially was expanded Monday with the addition of a site now occupied by The Mount Airy News — despite concerns being raised.
This occurred through action by the city council as requested by the group Mount Airy Downtown Inc. (MAD). It coordinates activities in the central business district using proceeds from the additional tax levied in the Municipal Service District at the rate of 21 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The inclusion of two parcels occupied by The News on North Renfro Street, between Independence Boulevard and Oak Street, arose through a requirement calling for Mount Airy Downtown to periodically review the MSD boundaries and recommend logical additions to city officials.
That district previously contained about 86 acres, with the newspaper site — owned by a Minnesota-based corporation — now upping that by around 1.26 acres adjoining the previously existing MSD area.
Its territory last was expanded in 2014 to include the former Spencer’s textile property on Franklin and Willow streets, along with other locations.
The extra tax on owners of buildings and land within the MSD boundaries funds off-street parking lots, lighting, landscaping, signage and other facilities and programs that collectively benefit everyone in the district.
It was formed in 1975.
The process of expanding the MSD required two separate votes by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, which occurred during both its meetings in June in a pair of 5-0 decisions.
Blow to manufacturing?
Unlike a previous attempt to annex The Mount Airy News into the MSD in the 1990s, its owners supported that this time around.
“Which to me speaks volumes,” Commissioner Deborah Cochran said in voting for the expansion.
However, the move was questioned by local citizen John Pritchard, a former council candidate who is a frequent critic of budgetary and other city government matters.
Pritchard took aim at the MSD growth proposal during a public hearing last month which was required before its approval.
His main objection centered on the likely uses of the News property in the future, given that its owners have announced plans to relocate operations.
The property technically has been used for manufacturing purposes, due to press operations long conducted there. However, The Mount Airy News family of publications now are printed elsewhere.
City government documents show a B-1 zone for the site, the central business zone, which is geared toward retail entities.
“In my opinion, including the newspaper property in the MSD is not the highest and best use” of the property, Pritchard said at the public hearing, citing a frequent objective in such cases.
Pointing out that machinery has been housed there for years, the hearing speaker questioned whether some new owner might be kept from using it for a manufacturing purpose if that is desired.
Pritchard doesn’t see downtown officials “going to bat” on behalf of a manufacturer.
“And that’s what we need.”
Pritchard mentioned how local government leaders always talk about their desire to bring in new jobs.
“This is a chance to walk the walk,” he commented, while referring to non-productive endeavors as alternatives.
“We don’t need another social district as much as we need full-time jobs.”
The News property was identified as an “opportunity site” in a downtown master plan update adopted in September 2022, with its potential for redevelopment including market-rate housing.
Including that property in the district will allow it to receive economic-development and revitalization services/benefits not available now, a Mount Airy Downtown official has said, including grants.
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