Management District - Proposal - 2005

Special district proposed in area

Old Louisville leaders and business owners are talking about creating a
neighborhood management district to provide extra services, such as additional security, litter cleanup and street lighting.

It would require property owners to pay more and could be modeled after
Louisville's Downtown Management District, a 61-block area in the central business district that dates to 1992.

Old Louisville leaders have not talked to residents about the idea, and they
don't know how much it would cost.
To start, they said they might focus only on the Oak Street business corridor between Interstate 65 and Ninth Street.

Members of the Old Louisville Chamber of Commerce said they plan to gather the opinions of property owners on Oak over the next several months. Chamber President Alan Bird said the city seems to be scaling back services in
Old Louisville. "The (street) cleanups have been reduced in the number of times per year they are done, the police department has fewer people on our streets, and we've seen
a dramatic increase in crime, so when you stretch the resources, it doesn't
work," he said. He contended that "the city gives token support to the Old Louisville Business District, but when it comes to action, the results are dismal."

City officials dispute the criticism, saying there are more police officers on
the streets of Old Louisville and that the number of street sweeps each year --
four -- has remained the same for five years. "We are always interested in working with the residents of one of our hometown's most historic and distinct neighborhoods to enhance service and development," said Allison Martin, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jerry Abramson.

Not a New Idea

The idea for a management district in Old Louisville isn't new. Ken Herndon, president of the downtown district, visited the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council last month to explain the concept. He said he has spoken to
the group about forming a district two other times in recent years. He also has given similar talks to groups in the Highlands and along East Broadway. To create a district, state law requires a petition with the signatures of the owners of at least 51 percent of the land value and 33 percent of the number of landowners in the proposed area. The Louisville Metro Council would hold a public hearing before voting on the proposal.

Gary Kleier, a member of the chamber who's helping gather opinions, said the
proposal may have stronger support this time."There's always been interest, just not enough interest," he said. "But right now, things like lighting problems, litter along Oak and crime have come together to generate more interest."

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