New special assessment for Wimbleton project

By Grace Lovins


The Birmingham City Commission voted unanimously during the Monday, June 23, meeting to confirm a revised special assessment roll for phase I of the Wimbleton Road improvement project, clearing the way for property owners to begin paying their share of the $131,381 paving project over the next decade.

The special assessment district will fund road improvements to Wimbleton Drive between Woodward Avenue and Oxford Road, as well as segments of Abbey Street and Twin Oaks. However, following the last confirmation of the roll for the special assessment during the Monday, May 5, meeting, the city altered the cost split for the calculations of property owners with frontage on the street.

Originally, the assessment used an 85/15 split, where homeowners would be responsible for 85 percent of the project cost and the city would pay 15 percent. Residents argued during the previous public hearing that the split was not equitable, which prompted the commission to alter the split to a 50/50 sharing between the city and some affected property owners.

“That does not mean that the number they were going to be [paying] at the last public hearing before the 50/50 split decision gets divided in half,” city manager Jana Ecker said. “What the commission decided at the last meeting was that the 85/15 split for the front was not proportional and changed that to a 50/50 split.”

Ecker stated that the 50/50 split applies to the front of the property, but does not include side yards or rear yards. For instance, houses that have frontage on the road as well as a side yard on the road will see the 50/50 split on the assessment for the frontage of the property but will still have an 85/15 split for the side yard portion of their assessment.

Deputy treasurer Ryan Kats noted that the cost to property owners will be spread over 10 years with an annual interest rate of 8.5 percent, which will be applied to unpaid balances.

The commission voted unanimously, 7-0, to confirm the roll for the special assessment.