§ 160A-536. Purposes for which districts may be established.
§ 160A‑536. Purposesfor which districts may be established.
(a) Purposes. Thecity council of any city may define any number of service districts in order tofinance, provide, or maintain for the districts one or more of the followingservices, facilities, or functions in addition to or to a greater extent thanthose financed, provided or maintained for the entire city:
(1) Beach erosioncontrol and flood and hurricane protection works.
(1a) (For applicabilitysee note) Any service, facility, or function which the municipality may by lawprovide in the city, and including but not limited to placement of utilitywiring underground, placement of period street lighting, placement of speciallydesigned street signs and street furniture, landscaping, specialized street andsidewalk paving, and other appropriate improvements to the rights‑of‑waythat generally preserve the character of an historic district; provided thatthis subdivision only applies to a service district which, at the time of itscreation, had the same boundaries as an historic district created under Part 3Aof Article 19 of this Chapter.
(2) Downtownrevitalization projects.
(2a) Urban arearevitalization projects.
(2b) Transit‑orienteddevelopment projects.
(3) Drainage projects.
(3a) Sewage collection anddisposal systems of all types, including septic tank systems or other on‑sitecollection or disposal facilities or systems.
(3b) (For applicabilitysee note) Lighting at interstate highway interchange ramps.
(4) Off‑streetparking facilities.
(5) Watershedimprovement projects, including but not limited to watershed improvementprojects as defined in General Statutes Chapter 139; drainage projects,including but not limited to the drainage projects provided for by GeneralStatutes Chapter 156; and water resources development projects, including butnot limited to the federal water resources development projects provided for byGeneral Statutes Chapter 143, Article 21.
(b) DowntownRevitalization Defined. As used in this section "downtown revitalizationprojects" include by way of illustration but not limitation improvementsto water mains, sanitary sewer mains, storm sewer mains, electric powerdistribution lines, gas mains, street lighting, streets and sidewalks,including rights‑of‑way and easements therefor, the construction ofpedestrian malls, bicycle paths, overhead pedestrian walkways, sidewalkcanopies, and parking facilities both on‑street and off‑street, andother improvements intended to relieve traffic congestion in the central city,improve pedestrian and vehicular access thereto, reduce the incidence of crimetherein, and generally to further the public health, safety, welfare, andconvenience by promoting the economic health of the central city or downtownarea. In addition, a downtown revitalization project may, in order torevitalize a downtown area and further the public health, safety, welfare, andconvenience, include the provision of city services or functions in addition toor to a greater extent than those provided or maintained for the entire city. Adowntown revitalization project may also include promotion and developmentalactivities (such as sponsoring festivals and markets in the downtown area,promoting business investment in the downtown area, helping to coordinate publicand private actions in the downtown area, and developing and issuingpublications on the downtown area) designed to improve the economic well‑beingof the downtown area and further the public health, safety, welfare, andconvenience. Exercise of the authority granted by this Article to undertakedowntown revitalization projects financed by a service district shall notprejudice the city's authority to undertake urban renewal projects in the samearea.
(c) Urban AreaRevitalization Defined. As used in this section, the term "urban arearevitalization projects" includes the provision within an urban area ofany service or facility that may be provided in a downtown area as a downtownrevitalization project under subdivision (a)(2) and subsection (b) of thissection. As used in this section, the term "urban area" means an areathat (i) is located within a city and (ii) meets one or more of the followingconditions:
(1) It is the centralbusiness district of the city.
(2) It consistsprimarily of existing or redeveloping concentrations of industrial, retail,wholesale, office, or significant employment‑generating uses, or anycombination of these uses.
(3) It is located in oralong a major transportation corridor and does not include any residentialparcels that are not, at their closest point, within 150 feet of the majortransportation corridor right‑of‑way or any nonresidentially zonedparcels that are not, at their closest point, within 1,500 feet of the majortransportation corridor right‑of‑way.
(4) It has as its centerand focus a major concentration of public or institutional uses, such asairports, seaports, colleges or universities, hospitals and health carefacilities, or governmental facilities.
(c1) Transit‑OrientedDevelopment Defined. As used in this section, the term "transit‑orienteddevelopment" includes the provision within a public transit area of anyservice or facility listed in this subsection. A public transit area is an areawithin a one‑fourth mile radius of any passenger stop or station locatedon a mass transit line. A mass transit line is a rail line along which a publictransportation service operates or a busway or guideway dedicated to publictransportation service. A busway is not a mass transit line if a majority ofits length is also generally open to passenger cars and other private vehiclesmore than two days a week.
The following services andfacilities are included in the definition of "transit‑orienteddevelopment" if they are provided within a transit area:
(1) Any service orfacility that may be provided in a downtown area as a downtown revitalizationproject under subdivision (a)(2) and subsection (b) of this section.
(2) Passenger stops andstations on a mass transit line.
(3) Parking facilitiesand structures associated with passenger stops and stations on a mass transitline.
(4) Any other service orfacility, whether public or public‑private, that the city may by lawprovide or participate in within the city, including retail, residential, andcommercial facilities.
(d) Contracts. A citymay provide services, facilities, functions, or promotional and developmentalactivities in a service district with its own forces, through a contract withanother governmental agency, through a contract with a private agency, or byany combination thereof. Any contracts entered into pursuant to this paragraphshall specify the purposes for which city moneys are to be used and shallrequire an appropriate accounting for those moneys at the end of each fiscalyear or other appropriate period. (1973, c. 655, s. 1; 1977, c. 775, ss. 1, 2; 1979, c.595, s. 2; 1985, c. 580; 1987, c. 621, s. 1; 1999‑224, s. 1; 1999‑388,s. 1; 2004‑151, s. 1; 2004‑203, s. 5(m); 2009‑385, s. 1.)