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10-- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, Mar. 22, 1978 Second year for Acton BIA plans Continued from page 1 ten blocks on both sides of the road of red inter-locking bricks. The cost of the new brick sidewalks was $8,000. from the BIA budget (the différence between the cost of replacing the sidewalk with ordinary con- crete and the cost of the decorative red brick. Also last year the BIA budget paid $800 towards a 10 day bus service at Christmas which brought shoppers free of charge from all parts of Acton to the downtown area. And the money from the BIA budget was used for the annual Santa Claus Parade. Both these events, the free bus service for shoppers and the Parade had in past years been paid for by contributions from the merchants in the downtown area. After paying the firm of Anthrogram for their preliminary studies, the "1977 BIA budget of $20,000 had close to $5000 remain- ing at the end of the year and this carry-over can be used on top of the $20,000 budget that has been set for 1978. - REACTION The total business tax generated in \ the BIA designated area of Acton amounts to about $40,000, and the additional $20,000 BIA budget last year meant a 50 percent tax increase for all businesses with the BIA. When business people starting getting - their tax notices which clearly showed the increase as local improvements in July of last year, Mr. Stachyra freely admits that -things started to hit the fan and there was - considerable opposition to the increases. - The amount of the increase seems to be the main bone of contention among busi- ness people, and also the fact that some claim they had no prior warning that their business taxes were going up by 50 per cent because of the BIA. One owner of a furniture store said last week that she feels the business community would more read- ily have accepted the amount of the increase if they had known prior to receiv- ing their tax notices exactly how much the increases were going to be. But she went on to say that while the - amount of the increase was a shock and in her opinion was not properly explained, she still supports the concept of the BIA, and recdgiizes that something had to be done -to make shopping downtown Acton more attractive. A real estate said much the same thing. But he went on to suggest that individual owners and tenants must also be prepared to spend money to improve the appearanc- es of their own places of business (money from the BIA budget can only be spent on improvements to public property). He said that it is not enough to simply put down new brick sidewalks. Business people must at the same time improve the level of service to their customers, offer a wider variety and better quality of goods, and use more progressive retail and merchandising techniques. After one year in operation is there any way to assess whether the BIA has had. any measureable effect on commerce in downtown Acton? } Mr. Stachyra admits it is probably too early to tell. He says that last summer and fall was poor for business with the two main streets being torn for major repairs. This year with a similar budget of $20,000. the BIA will be undertaking a couple of projects: the first is the installation of benches and shrubbery and trees, and the second is the developement of much-need- ed off street parking. The parking issue has been a contentious one. Acton's main street is quite narrow, which means parallel parking on either side. At present there is no public "off-street parking. The municipality however, recently pur- chased an old bakery at a cost of $45,000, and funds from this year's BIA budget will 'be used to demolish the building and create a gravel parking area with spaces for 14 cars. The reaction to the red-brick sidewalks now in place appears to be mixed. Some _said that the cracks make snow removal difficult, others said it is hard to keep the dust off in the summer. Mr. Stachyra, who was instrumental in selecting the colour gi i Acton businessman Honry Stachyra shows off the red inter-locking bricks that cover some ten blocks of sidewalk in the downtown area of the community. The brick sidewalks were placed last summer, the first year a BIA was in cperation in the community, and Mr. Siachyra was a driving force behind the setting up of the BIA. and design of the inter-locking bricks defends the decision to do some ten blocks, saying that the sidewalks are now destinc- tive, the bricks are durable and' almost unbreakable (and if a section does break, the. bricks can easily' be replaced) and - more importantly, sections of the sidewalk can readily be lifted out brick by brick in the-event of necessary repairs to services beneath the sidewalks. When asked about the almost total lack of initial objection among business people to the concept of the BIA, Mr. Stachyra says that "we (the steering committee) did our groundwork very well." He also states that the steering committee lobbied various businessmen privately and hints that there may have been some subtle pressure applied. But he adds at the same time that maintaining a- good working relationship with the local press was important, as was dealing with the town engineer and works committee of council on a direct basis. It hasn't all been smooth sailing. Two members of the BIA Board of Management resigned because of disagreements over SPRING TIME IS .. policies, and Mr. Stachyra admits that when the tax notices came out last July with the increases for the BIA budget, a few people "were ready to run me out of town." But he must be doing something right as last month he was re-elected to a second term as chairman of 'the BIA Board of Management af a general meeting attend- ed by over 50 downtown merchants and business people. The setting up of a BIA in Acton seems to have run into the same difficulties that similar action would in any small Ontario community. Almost all people concerned were in agreement that something was necessary to spruce up the appearance of the downtown shopping area, but there were almost as many different opinions as, to what the specific action should be. And as might be expected people were concern- "ed about the cost, especially those who claimed that they were not fully informed about how much of an increase they were going to face in their annual business tax: bill. Continued on page 11 HOME /v Tome! CONTACT US NOW FOR ALUMINUM SIDING When Men & Material are Available! (Cash & Carry for the Do-it-Yourselfers) J \_ CHRIS ALLEN - Le ALUMINUM 985-3747 Alcan Building Products Authonzed Dealer THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM CLOSURE OF SANITARY LANDFILL SITES The REACH WASTE DISPOSAL SITE will be closed Friday, March 24, 1978 due to the Good Friday Holiday. It will be open Saturday, March 25. 1978 and be Closed Monday, March 27, 1978 due to the. Easter Monday Holiday. Normal operations will continue Vestay March - 28, 1978. WA. TWELVETREES, P.ENG. COMMISSIONER OF WORKS. J U7] 5 an Kd