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Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Developers seek to bring more housing to downtown Gatlinburg
GATLINGBURG, Tenn. (WATE) — More housing could be on the horizon in downtown Gatlinburg as developers seek to create more homes for people in the area. Mountain Brook Apartments, a complex just off the Parkway, recently added 10 new townhomes to their lot and hope to create more affordable housing for people who live and work in the area. Trooper describes rescue of injured hiker stuck in the Smoky Mountains 'The rental rates in this area are pretty much capped, most people can't afford higher rents than we're offering right now, and as a result we're having to try to come up with construction ideas that that work,' said Mountain Brook Apartments co-owner Joe Lelonek. When building the complex, Lelonek said they were able to keep rent to an affordable price, either at or below the average market value, as part of the PILOT, or 'Payment in Lieu of Taxes' program through the city. 'You need to have more and more places for people to live, more homes, more apartments, more townhomes. So I think from my standpoint, it's one of the most important things that has to happen in this town,' said Lelonek. Cosby Area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park reopens He said most employees downtown typically commute up to an hour away, and he hopes by bringing more housing, people can start calling Gatlinburg home. At their apartments now, property manager Joy Grzelak said that's already happening. 'Most are going to be your families that work on the strip. So all of your servers your bartenders, but we've got people that have moved here to retire,' said Grzelak. 'They just want to be in these Smoky Mountains, and this gives them just a great environment to wake up to every day.' Lelonek added that by bringing more housing to people who work here, the local economy will benefit as well. He also said they hope to develop more in the future. 'Any way we can come up with an idea and try to make it happen, we will do that. Because I think it's gravely important to have housing in Gatlinburg to support It's businesses,' he said. READ: More top stories on Mountain Brook Apartments is currently leasing the new, two-bedroom townhomes, for around $1,600-$1,700 month, they also have one- bedroom units starting around $1,300 a month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Gamble for Montana's future:' Report says transferring federal lands to state would cost billions
Emigrant Peak in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest (Photo by Jacob Frank | National Park Service | Flickr). In Montana, where land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management comprises 30 million acres — roughly a third of the state — the notion of turning swaths of terra firma to state control could be costly, according to a newly published report. The report, written by longtime natural resources manager John Tubbs, calls the financial implications of federal lands transfer 'staggering and disproportionately impactful for a rural state with large swaths of national public lands.' 'The costs associated with maintaining national public lands at the state level — ranging from wildfire operations to the loss of essential federal funding for rural counties — would be far too great for Montana to bear per capita,' the report states. It amounts to an $8 billion 'gamble on Montana's future.' Tubbs, who authored the report with support from the Montana Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Mountain Mamas and the Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund, is the former director of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation under Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. The long simmering dispute over whether the federal government should relinquish lands managed by the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to individual states has been turned up at all levels, from the halls of Congress to Montana's capitol. The estimated roughly $8 billion increase to Montanan's balance sheet would be primarily driven by the costs of managing the land, according to the report, including for wildfire, deferred maintenance backlogs, and abandoned mine reclamation. Citing reports by the Legislative Fiscal Division, the report states that during the last 20 years, Montana has paid more than $2.3 billion in wildfire mitigation costs on federal land — comprising just 25% of total cost, as the federal government covers 75% of costs. A transfer of federal lands to state management would shift the cost of future wildland fire suppression to state taxpayers to the tune of $5.5 billion — the bulk of the total. On a press call about the report, Tubbs pointed to the essential partnerships with federal agencies — including the large fleets of firefighting aircraft operated by the Forest Service — and the difficulty in replicating that from the state or private industry. 'That is untenable,' he said. Tubbs also focused on Payment in Lieu of Taxes funds the federal government disseminates. The PILT program channels money to rural counties with swaths of untaxable federal land to support vital services such as public safety, housing, social services and transportation. In fiscal year 2023, Montana counties received more than $40 million in PILT funds — and another $16 million from the similar Secure Rural Schools program — a loss the state likely couldn't make up. Tubbs said such a loss would result in the largest 'unfunded mandate' in state history, and 'several of Montanaʼs counties would be bankrupt—- in particular, the 11 counties in which more than half of the acreage is owned by the federal government.' The report also states that Montana would be on the hook for $623 million in deferred maintenance and repairs on current federal lands; between $474 million and $1 billion for reclamation work on the state's 5,000 abandoned mines; and a 1,600% increase in grazing fees. 'The state simply cannot afford the responsibility of managing such vast swaths of land without significant financial strain,' the report concludes. Tubbs said the value of public lands goes far beyond the numbers, and supporters need to strengthen efforts. 'The core value I think most of us find in public lands is there's some landscape that means something to each of us,' he said on the press call. Discussions about the federal lands transfer came to the forefront in Washington D.C. and nationwide following statements by the Trump administration that federal lands are part of the nation's 'balance sheet' and could be utilized to help pay off the national debt. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate passed a federal budget in a series of late night votes, and one particular budget amendment saw Montana's two Republican Senators buck their party. The amendment, brought by Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, would have prevented the sale of public lands to lower the federal deficit. Montana Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy joined all Democrats in supporting the amendment, but it was defeated 51-49. In a similar vein, Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, Montanan's western representative, reintroduced his 'Public Lands in Public Hands Act,' earlier this year with a Democratic senator from New Mexico. The provision would ban the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Forest Service from selling or transferring 'most public lands' except in specific circumstances. It also would require Congressional approval for disposals of publicly accessible federal land tracts over 300 acres and for public land tracts over 5 acres if accessible via a public waterway. 'In Montana, public lands are our way of life. It's not just Yellowstone and Glacier, it's also the BLM and Forest Service areas where a kid fills their first tag, a lake in the Beartooths that is the perfect picnic spot, and the trail just down the road that helps you clear your head after a long workday,' Zinke, a former Secretary of the Interior during Trump's first term, said in a press release. 'Public lands must remain public, and the federal government has a responsibility to manage and ensure access to those lands.' Earlier this month, Montana's eastern representative, Republican Troy Downing, signed on as a cosponsor to the legislation, as did Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson. In Helena this legislative session, Montana's state lawmakers also got to offer their own takes on the issue thanks to a lawsuit filed by the State of Utah against the federal government in favor of land transfer. The suit, which claimed federally-managed land infringed on the state's sovereignty and sought a return of millions of acres, was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite that, freshman Rep. Tom Millett, R-Marion, introduced a resolution supporting Utah's position. While Millett stated House Resolution 24 did not concern Montana's federal public lands, his comments were broadly applicable to all states. 'Nothing in the U.S. Constitution authorizes the federal government to hold vast unreserved swaths of unreserved territory in perpetuity over the states' express objection,' he told the House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee during a hearing. 'The U.S. generates significant revenue from these unappropriated lands — millions of dollars annually that would go toward our counties and schools. But instead, we get but a pittance, leftover crumbs from what should be our lands.' The bill passed out of committee on partisan lines, but saw broad bipartisan opposition on the floor. 'Montanans have overwhelmingly rejected transfer time and time again,' Rep. Debo Powers, D-Whitefish, told her colleagues during the debate. 'In fact, 87 percent of Montana voters considered the conservation — not the transfer, but the conservation — of public land to be influential in their voting decisions. That's why so many political candidates in Montana from every political party pledged to keep public lands in public hands.' The bill failed to pass the House floor in a bipartisan 33-66 vote.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New London freezes spending, contemplates job cuts
New London — Amid a hiring freeze, overtime cuts and warnings of possible municipal layoffs, the City Council on Monday approved funneling $2 million in surplus funds into a new tax-rate stabilization account designed to offset state funding losses. The money — $1 million more than initially planned — will come from a series of sources, including $1.5 million worth of additional revenues from a state municipal revenue sharing program; the Connecticut Port Authority; and Eversource incentive payments. Another $500,000 will be withdrawn from various city payroll, overtime, consulting and other accounts, Finance Director David McBride said on Tuesday. The council's 5-2 vote to shift the excess funds came after Mayor Michael Passero painted a grim picture of the 2025-26 budget process. He said Gov. Ned Lamont's proposed biennial budget shorts the city $2.5 million in state funds, mainly through a drop in Payment in Lieu of Taxes and motor vehicle tax subsidies that can be traced to the city's 2023 property revaluation results. The General Assembly has yet to unveil its budget, which may differ significantly from Lamont's proposal. Passero, who previously said he will not increase education spending for next year, has ordered a hiring freeze for all departments except the police and fire departments to build a surplus. Passero earlier this month proposed moving $1 million into the tax-rate stabilization fund as a way to offset those state losses. But the plan to double that deposit took aback several councilors — many of whom learned of the increase less than two hours before the meeting began. Councilor Jefferey Hart, who in past months has become the most prominent and vocal critic of several of Passero's proposals, decried the suddenness of the ask and pushed, unsuccessfully, for the issue to be tabled 'indefinitely.' Hart, who along with Councilor John Satti voted against the $2 million funding shift, argued it was unfair to ask the school district to drain its reserves to craft a balanced budget while Passero was 'stuffing' surplus money into what he called a rainy-day account. 'It is raining now. We're having issues now,' Hart said, adding the plan 'stinks to high heaven.' Passero countered it would require cutting 20 to 25 positions to make up for the anticipated state funding loss. 'That's what we've been struggling with: gutting the government just to be able to produce a budget,' he said. Cutting overtime, freezing spending After the current budget resulted in the first widespread tax increase in years for property owners, Passero vowed Monday to chop and divert his way out of a similar scenario and plug the anticipated revenue hole in the 2025-26 budget. 'I will not raise taxes. I've said that,' he said. 'We cannot raise property taxes in a city where 60% of our families are living paycheck to paycheck and already paying well more than 30% of their income in housing costs. We don't need any more foreclosures. We don't any more evictions.' In addition to the hiring freeze in place through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, Passero said all city departments are instructed to scour their books to halt any unnecessary spending in hopes of finding more surplus revenue. 'We're just trying to limit the amount of damage we have to do and the number of positions we have to cut,' he said, adding he's hoping any employee cuts will be offset by not filling vacancies. 'We'll cut anywhere else we can before we cut personnel. We're especially concentrating on overtime costs.' The city last week opted not to spend up to $225,000 in police, fire and public works overtime costs for the city's annual Sailfest event. In response, organizers first canceled the summertime festival before announcing a 'scaled-back' event. McBride said Passero was if anything understating the severity of the budget problem facing the city, especially without the $2 million funding shift. 'I can honestly say it's in dire straits,' he said. Hart said all the mayor's explanations fell flat" for him, noting millions of dollars in unexpected revenue had been found to be placed in the stabilization account. "I don't know whether to interpret that generously or not, but it happens too often," he said. "I have a hard time trusting you and the administration. Passero is required to present his budget proposal to the council by April 1.
USA Today
30-01-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Perth Amboy, Kushner Companies to finalize agreement for 602 waterfront apartments
PERTH AMBOY - The city is again looking to move forward with Kushner Companies' $200 million plan to build 602 apartments along the city's waterfront and receive a long-term tax break. The City Council has introduced an ordinance approving the tax break and a financial agreement with Perth A Urban Renewal LLC to redevelop the properties along Front, Commerce, Rector, Broad, High and Fayette streets. A public hearing and final adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for the City Council's Feb. 12 meeting. The ordinance comes just five months after the Council tabled a similar ordinance in part because of residents' concerns about whether the former Perth Amboy Police Headquarters and First Aid Squad building, along High and Fayette streets, could be preserved and reused, rather than demolished. In tabling the ordinance, city officials planned to renegotiate the terms, but a city notice gives no indication whether the historic structure will be saved. A city spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment about those sites. Perth A Urban Renewal LLC is an affiliate of Landings, which in 2000 reached a redevelopment agreement with the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency and Charles Kushner of Kushner Companies, as the redeveloper for the Landings at Harborside. Kushner has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the United States ambassador to France. More:Perth Amboy seeking state funding for $1 million upgrade of waterfront park Kushner Companies has two condominium buildings in Perth Amboy − Bayview, at 368 Rector St., and the Admiral at 358 Rector St. They are part of the planned $600 million Landings at Harborside complex. In 2017 a confidential settlement was reached between Kushner Companies and 32 condo owners in the Landings at Harborside community after the residents filed a consumer fraud lawsuit alleging construction issues such as water infiltration and insufficient parking. Kushner Companies then suspended all construction of the Landings, but maintained ownership of the property. Perth A Urban Renewal LLC is now looking to finance, design and construct 602 residential apartments in five, five-story buildings with 909 parking spaces. The project is scheduled to be built in three phases, according to a public notice. More:Here's why Raritan Bay YMCA just bought a $2.4 million Perth Amboy rooming house The plan also authorizes the city to grant a tax exemption and a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT), in accordance with the provision of the Long Term Tax Exemption Law. Upon completion and stabilization of the project, the municipal share of the annual service charge is projected to be about $1.2 million, and the total municipal share of annual service charges is projected to be about $64 million over the term of the tax exemption. The project is expected to produce about 600 temporary construction jobs with wages estimated at about $44 million. The project will also require more than $12.5 million in infrastructure improvements, including the construction of a waterfront bulkhead and esplanade, streetscaping, and utility infrastructure improvements as well as about $2 million in environmental contamination/remediation costs. Email: srussell@ Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
