An interesting idea: Neighborhood Improvement Districts

From the Columbia Heights e-list:

Kick-off Meeting to Explore the creation of the Columbia Heights/Georgia Ave. Neighborhood Improvement District

Sponored by ANC 1A Committee on Economic Development - NID subcommittee

Tuesday, May 29th, 6:30PM
Harriet Tubman Elementary School Library
3113 13th ST NW

Agenda

- Introduction of NID Proposal
- 7 Minute BID Video
- Initialize Working Group
- Next Steps

The proposed Columbia Heighte/Georgia Ave. Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) would be modeled similarly to the several downtown Business Improvement Districts except the focus would be to provide the services needed to sustain and improve the quality of life our neighborhood( s). NID services may include Cleanup, Safety Services, traffic management, and etc. On May 9th ANC 1A passed a resolution supporting this much needed NID effort.
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I wrote about this idea on the Columbia Heights e-list a few years ago. I think it's a good idea, but enabling legislation would have to be created. There are a couple examples elsewhere. Baltimore has Community Benefits Districts that include both businesses and residences. San Francisco has just approved its first Community Benefit District, which does the same kind of thing.

The Charles Village CBD has been very controversial, with an active and annual anti-tax resistance. That's something to be aware of when considering trying something new in a city that has a lot of resistance to best practices and quality program development...

See:

-- Susan E. Baer and Vincent L. Marando, "The Subdistricting of Cities: Applying the Polycentric Model," Urban Affairs Review, vol. 36, no. 5 (2001), pp. 721-733. (abstract)
-- Letters to the Editor in the Baltimore City Paper
-- Resolution against the CVCBD, Peabody Heights Residents Association
-- San Francisco, What is a CBD?
-- BEAUTIFICATION - Five more areas vote to form Community Benefits Districts - Neighborhoods will tax themselves to improve themselves, San Francisco Chronicle, August 2005
-- CITYWIDE - Hopes hang on benefits districts - Many believe very local tax will help their neighborhood, San Francisco Chronicle, June 2005