Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-12-2008REDEVELOPMENT A,UBuRN OF * DOWNTOWN COMMITTEE WASHINGTON February 12, 2008 MINUTES CALL TO ORDER - Chair Lynn Norman called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. in the Council Conference Room located on the first floor of Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street, Auburn, WA. Committee members present were: Chair Lynn Norman, Member Sue Singer and Member Gene Cerino. Also present were Mayor Pete Lewis, Planning, Building and Community Director Cindy Baker, Public Works Director Dennis Dowdy, Principal Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain and Senior Planner Al Hicks. II. MINUTES Member Cerino moved to approve the January 29, 2008 minutes as read; Member Singer seconded. Minutes approved unanimously 3-0. In reviewing the agenda, Chair Norman asked to have four or less action items on future agendas. A to do list should be placed at the bottom of each agenda and should include a timeline and the responsible party. • Chair Norman offered an article to anyone interested reading about tearing down structures and thinking about heritage structures. III. DOWNTOWN TOPICS GOING TO COUNCIL RETREAT Director Baker reported staff to have worked on various maps that include barriers to downtown development, interactive maps and maps with acreages and multi-family. Director Baker asked what Council wanted to see at the retreat. Chair Norman asked for information regarding downtown populations, both daytime and evening, as well as number of jobs. The Committee felt the number of evening residents as well as daytime employment would be needed in order to develop strategies and decisions concerning downtown. Mayor Lewis suggested relying on information from Gardner - Johnson as well as from the PSRC. Director Baker suggested over time it should be possible to show how downtown is changing. Director Baker also suggested superimposing the numbers on a circle map. Items for Downtown Redevelopment: B St. Plaza - Phase I B St. Plaza - Phase II The Committee would like to see costs and have options. Fully fund items or partially fund items, picking and choosing. For Example: Make something like an atrium, a park or keep some ROW to use as open space. The Committee would like to see costs with options. Option 1: Redevelop the Corners of C St. NW and Main with a Pedestrian Bridge. Option 2: Don't develop a sky bridge but look at awnings and refuge areas. Possibly include a Rail Road theme. Protected Cover - Repeat at A and Main Street. Repeat on the Cavanaugh side and the Nelson side. Option 3: Construct the Sky Bridge closer to Sounder Station. However, a larger block is needed for the C Street block. Things to consider: What are the barriers to redevelopment? What areas are available for redevelopment? Should C Street be part of the redevelopment? Director Baker will try to provide answers to some of these questions while looking at options. Chair Norman commented that C Street from Main to 3rd could be an important future corridor. Retreat Topics include: • Downtown Master Plan - rather than piecemeal development there should be a holistic master plan for downtown. • Zoning - hodgepodge of zoning designations within the Urban Center. • Design Standards - Director Baker suggested a field trip to Kirkland, the community has put design standards in place. • Ways to improve infrastructure - downtown sidewalk standards, couplets for downtown streets and possibility of one-way flows. o There was further discussion around traffic constraint areas around the City. • Entertainment Center - need a strategic plan as to how Auburn can become an entertainment center for south King County. • Plaza/Promenade - updated cost estimates for the retreat. • Indoor/Outdoor soccer - clarification from Carolyn Robertson. • Catalyst Block Redevelopment - clarification on the products being proposed (Spence proposal is one type of project and Stratford is another). • Parking - find alternatives to parking. Shuttle? Downtown housing? • Sound Transit/Metro - map where current parking is and identify other options. • Economic Development - how to pull in resources, people coming here for other things? • Public Restrooms Downtown - the two biggest components to downtown accessibility are: restrooms and benches (a place to sit). • "Heritage Piece" with the downtown discussion. What has been learned out of Kent Station development regarding connectivity from downtown and the transit station. Other topics: Stratford, Alpert, Sports Facility, Weinstein, Cinema House concept, arts and entertainment and Auburn Avenue Theater. IV. INFORMATION Chair Norman suggested the meetings should be once a month, if a special meeting is needed it can be called. There will be no meeting on February 26, 2008. V. ADJOURNMENT The Meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.