March 5, 2019

Rocky Mount City Council 331 S. Franklin Street Rocky Mount, NC 27802

RE: Letter of Support

Dear City Manager and Members of City Council,

We are writing to express our support of the Downtown Development Incentive Grant that has been proposed to help assist with the rehabilitation and redevelopment costs of commercial buildings within the Central City Local Historic District. We believe that the proposed $5,000 non-matching Façade Grant could provide quick assistance to buildings in need of new windows, doors, fresh painting, roof repairs etc. This could be extremely beneficial to not only the appearance of Downtown Rocky Mount, but the economic growth of the area.

As a group of citizens, property owners, residents and business owners we are happy to hear about the initiative to improve the appearance of Downtown.

We would also like to communicate our support for commercial code enforcement on properties with dangerous conditions. In addition to general public safety, below are a few points for why we believe Commercial Code Enforcement is so important

• Property values remain higher when code enforcement protects areas from blight and neglect.
• Maintaining a clean community establishes a positive image of the community for business owners, residents and tourists alike.
• Enforcement not only informs Leaders and property owners who may need assistance of potential dangers.
• Enforcing code is one of the primary tools a city has in implementing the long-term vision for the community.
• Well-maintained communities attract tourism, and business development.We strongly believe that private and public partnerships that work in unison help stimulate the economic redevelopment of a community We the undersigned, are committed to this effort and will assist in any way to support programs of this nature. We look forward to working with you and keeping the momentum going.Regards,
  Downtown Business Owners, Property Owners and Residents