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HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM II-ADOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE April 12, 2011 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Lynn Norman called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. in Conference Room 2, located on the second floor of One East Main Street, Auburn, WA. Committee Members present were: Chair Lynn Norman, Vice Chair Nancy Backus, and Member Rich Wagner Staff present included: Mayor Pete Lewis, Planning & Development Director Kevin Snyder, Principal Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain, Economic Development Manager Doug Lein, Support Clerk Bobbie Hodgkinson and Planning Secretary Tina Kriss. Audience Members present were: Councilmember John Partridge, Gail Spurrell, Mel Maertz, Ronnie Roberts, and Executive Director of The Auburn Downtown Association Kathleen Keator. II. CONSENT AGENDA A. Meeting Minutes -March 15, 2011 Member Backus moved and Chair Norman seconded to approve the consent agenda items as presented. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 III. DISCUSSION and INFORMATION A. Request for Expression of Interest Concept forAuburn Junction Planning Manager Elizabeth Chamberlain presented the staff report on the Request for Expression of Interest Concept forAuburn Junction; Ms. Chamberlain stated the information included within the request for expression draft was derived from the March 15th meeting feedback from the Committee. Ms. Chamberlain stated the draft does not require the typical submittal for request for proposal, we are not asking forasmuch detailed information normally expected but is just want a overview for the potential submittors (who they are, describing experience with other projects, private partnerships and how they would potentionally see working with the City). Committee and staff reviewed the draft and committee provided the following feedback: • Committee asked that it be made clearer what information is expected from a tenant. • Committee stated it should be made clearer that the City is willing to assist the party in submitting the Expression of Interest in another area besides the last page. • Committee stated a link could be added to the document showing the Auburn Tourism's web site showing the tourism focal points and as a resource which will also eliminate additional calls. • Committee suggests adding Hwy 167 to the map, making it full page, showing the demographic coverage area information with updated pictures of the City Hall Plaza. Page 1 Downtown Redevelopment Committee Minutes April 12, 2011 Committee would also like to add the Auburn Environmental Park, green zone, casino, airport and other focal points on a separate map with pop outs. • Committee would like broadband information added to page 3. • Committee would like traffic counts provided for Hwy 18 and Hwy 167, expressing this is located at the junction of Highways 167 and 18. • Committee would like to clarifiy the current development agreement is with Alpert International, Inc. and rephrase. • Committee would like to rephrase under utilized parking structure and add the City has the largest amount of unused parking and the highest percentage of unused parking of the southsound Cities. • Committee would like to emphasize City code has incentives for sustainable green projects (page 3} within the downtown redevelopment area. • Committee would like more clarification on page 5, combining both No. 1 items. • Committee stated the identification of the Principal and Project Manager is a little prescriptive and please take it out. • Committee would like item on page 5 (A) to be moved to page 6. • Committee stated providing an objective for the City stating "expressions of interest that come in from combinations of developers who have different components of development will also be". Director Snyder stated staff will reword this to set the expectation and opportunities but retain the flexibility to not narrowing the segment of response. It will be inserted in the beginning of the expression and also later. • Committee would like to rephrase page 5 (#5) • Member Wagnerwould like a better picture of Auburn Regional Medical Center inserted. • Committee suggested providing 6 - 8 weeks for the deadline of response and waiting with the market analysis and discussing after the submittal. • Goal is to advertise nationally and regionally; Director Snyder stated advertisement will bedone in anon-traditional advertising, since it is not a legal notice. Puget Sound Business Journal and possibly tie it into Facebook, The Auburn Downtown Association web site, City web site along with other sites. • Committee suggested staff include references to the Auburn Aiport, the Auburn Environmental Park, and the Green Zone. • Committee asked staff to bring this in draft form before Committee one more time and prior to meeting provide the draft to Councilmembers for feedback and comment. Vice-Chair Backus expressed her concern for parking availability and handicap parking availability in the downtown area. Member Backus was told a party of 8 tried parking close to Odfellas but was unable to find parking but noted an entire empty gravel parking lot just down the street. It is difficult for citizens to know where parking availability is without knowing if they will be towed away or ticketed. It is a concern that we may not be able to attract and bring people downtown that really want to come the way our parking is currently arranged. It would be helpful to have a map of all the parking, permit parking, and who is allowed to park there, open public parking, and open handicapped parking. Committee asked that staff bring this item before the Downtown Redevelopment Committee to address these issues in coordinantion with The Auburn Downtown Association and the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce. Page 2 Downtown Redevelopment Committee Minutes April 12, 2011 B. Matrix Planning Manager Elizabeth Chamberlain reviewed the changes made on the Matrix since the last meeting. Committee and staff discussed the matrix and asked staff to make specific changes: • Downtown Parking -Add to the matrix to bring before Committee • Downtown Gateways -bring back before Committee to review the font • Downtown Transitions - Create a new topic section combining Urban Core Task Force recommendations, the 5 Strategy Areas, and Extensions to other parts of the city • Auburn Junction Team -Committee suggests a checkin at 6 months • Design/Construction - Change to May 10 • ArtslCultural District -Change word from Cultural to Culture, would like to come up with a calendar • Downtown Incentives -discuss realistic incentives IV. INFORMATION V. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Downtown Redevelopment Committee, Chair Norman adjourned the meeting at 5:03 p.m. APPROVED THIS DAY OF Lynn Norman, Chair Tina Kriss, Planning Secretary Page 3