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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMar 15 2016 EDA Min GOAL SETTING SESSION WITH THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (EDA) MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF MARCH 15, 2016 AT PUBLIC SAFETY BLDG. The meeting began at 4:00 pm by Gary Peterson. Members Present: Bruce Nawrocki, Donna Schmitt, Gary Peterson, John Murzyn, Marlaine Szurek, Bobby Williams, Gerry Herringer and Rob Fiorendino. Staff Present: Walt Fehst, Joseph Hogeboom, Joe Kloiber, Renee Dougherty, and Shelley Hanson. Hogeboom reviewed the redevelopment related goals set at the 2014 session on a power point presentation to those present. The purpose of this meeting is to review the 2014 goals and objectives, determine which items remain a priority, and potentially establish new goals and objectives. GOAL #1-Enhance the City’s Image and Enhance Community Pride by actively promoting the many positive aspects of the City. Strategy #1 Develop a brand for the City that builds upon its positive aspects and unique Completed. character – *Brand adopted Spring 2015-new logo and tagline *Brand implemented on internal communications-website, letterhead, newsletters, etc. *Merchandise sales feature new brand-cups, travel mugs, posters *Brand continues to be implemented into Capital Improvement Projects-vehicles, street signs, water tower Strategy #2 Develop a communications plan to more fully promote the City and inform residents and surrounding metropolitan area of the positive attributes and strides made within the community. Enhance existing communication tools (website, social media, etc) to assist in In Progress engagement.— th * Staff will approach Council March 28 for funding for website redesign *New website committee formed; and a re-sign of the website will be released in fall, 2016. We had a 5 yr agreement with design provider that has now expired. This is something we need to budget for on a regular basis as updates will continually be needed. *Newsletter to be evaluated for effectiveness Page 2 th March 14, 2016 Hogeboom explained that staff wants to streamline and reduce the information on the website to just city services and core information that residents most often look for. He went on to explain that they would probably minimize Facebook accts to better control what is being posted. He said most people have apps on their phones now when they look for restaurants, theaters, or events. They don’t go the City website for that information unless it is sponsored by the City. Fehst asked if we could still link to weekly events. Schmitt said she would like to see more of a Chamber of Commerce type of website which gives basic information along with all the social events and local business information. Hogeboom suggested having two separate websites—one for basic city information and the other for local social event information. In Strategy #3 Establish neighborhoods to promote pride and internal image enhancement— Progress *Currently focusing on redevelopment and rebranding of Heritage Heights and Circle Terrace neighborhoods. Hogeboom asked if the City wishes to pursue organizing formal neighborhood groups? This was tried in the Huset Park area after the last goal setting session and it didn’t work all that well. Hogeboom thought if we did pursue this, it might be better to break the city into 4 quadrants rather than a lot of small neighborhoods. It’s too hard he said to get people organized and to commit to a lot of meetings. Herringer noted that Fridley has marked their neighborhoods with signage, but doesn’t know if each neighborhood actually has a group that meets to deal with matters pertinent to their particular neighborhood. Nawrocki said it is hard to get people involved when most households have both adults working and coping with parenting responsibilities. Fiorendino stated that the City is not that large and that he identifies with being a resident of Columbia Heights as a whole rather than his local neighborhood area. Fehst and Nawrocki both expressed dismay at the local Chamber of Commerce group falling apart. They said it was an organization that promoted local businesses and encourage residents to shop locally when possible. Schmitt suggested contacting the “Heights Next Group” to see if they might be interested in organizing neighborhood groups. Strategy #4 Establish a formal system to solicit stakeholders to gather feedback concerning Ongoing community issues and solutions— Page 3 th March 14, 2016 *As a policy, staff now requires Site Plan applicants to hold neighborhood meetings prior to public hearings to inform affected neighbors and to gather their input before seeking Commission/Council approval. Hogeboom said this has worked well thus far, and gave the example of Dominium seeking the input of the Huset Park Townhome residents regarding their proposed project for the Sr. Housing building. He said based on feedback from the residents, adjustments were made to the plan that satisfied all parties involved and helped the approval process move ahead smoothly. *Staff hopes to create a Comprehensive Plan Update Subcommittee group this summer. He said he would like to have representatives from the Park & Recreation Commission, the Planning & Zoning Commission, the Traffic Commission, and various staff members serve on the committee to provide input into the Comprehensive Plan Update that is due to the Met Council at the end of 2018. Held a Strategy #5 Reconvene Citizen’s Academy to introduce people to local government.— couple sessions, but none currently scheduled. *Is this still a priority of the City? If so, when should this be re-established? There was a short discussion regarding the purpose of the Academy and whether the value of it could be measured. Hogeboom will research this and bring this back for further discussion. Strategy #6 Actively celebrate success in the community through press releases, website, and Ongoing council comments. GOAL #2 Determine a Location and Construct a new City Library to meet the needs of the community. Completed. Scheduled to open June 18, 2016. Members said the site will need signage, and information should be put on the website regarding the ingress/egress to the Library facility. GOAL #3 Create a Redevelopment Plan for Central Avenue that will contribute to long-term community stability through an increased tax base and business vitality. Ongoing. Not initiated-since a lot of Strategy #1 Create of redevelopment plan along Central Avenue- redevelopment has taken place without use of public funds. *Does the City wish to commit public funds to promote further redevelopment along Central Avenue or continue to let the construction trend continue as is. Page 4 March 14, 2016 Hogeboom explained that a lot of redevelopment has occurred along Central Avenue in the last two years and there are several projects that are currently in the planning stages. He gave an update to the members as follows: Blockbuster Project/New Chipotle at 5200 & 5220 Central now complete. *3989 Central Ave Business Center building is currently seeking a tenant for at least 4 floors of the building. rd * Architects have met with staff regarding the old Rainbow site at 43 and Central for a complete redevelopment of that site, and there is a Purchase Agreement for the property. th *Venture Pass has a Purchase Agreement on the commercial piece at 47 and Central. They are seeking an anchor tenant to solidify the project. *There is interest in the land behind White Castle currently owned by Heights Rental by a Hotel chain. Construction of the hotel is being encouraged by Medtronic who needs a business class hotel nearby its corporate headquarters. This would give Heights Rental funds to work with so they could potentially th move to a larger site and possibly open up their current location at 39 and Central for sale/redevelopment. In progress. Strategy #2 Actively pursue and select a developer for Mady’s site by 2015. *New Library is currently under construction *Staff is working with Heights Rental to develop its property in the north section of the City; once that is redeveloped, Heights Rental is amenable to leaving this site. *Staff is working with the development community to gauge interest in the remnant development parcel. Again, see notes above. Strategy #3 Review and possibly Revise Redevelopment Agreement objectives in order to find a developer to finalize commercial and residential phases of redevelopment In Progress of the Kmart site by 2015. th *A developer is working with staff on a Site Plan for the commercial area at 47 and Central. Jiffy Lube is no longer interested in being the anchor tenant for this site, so Venture Pass is looking for another business before submitting their plans. Page 5 th March 14 *Current leadership of the Grand Central Lofts Home Owner’s Association is not amenable to any residential development other than condominiums. Hogeboom reminded members that we have had two proposals for upscale apartments but the HOA threatened the developers with a lawsuit. The market for condo buildings is not favorable at this time, so it is unlikely anything will happen on the site unless the leadership of the HOA changes. In Strategy #4 Continue to review options for the existing Rainbow Foods Shopping Mall. Progress. *A commercial developer has an active purchase agreement for this property. *Complete redevelopment of this site is expected to occur. A Site Plan is expected by mid-summer. Strategy #5 Expand entrepreneurial development opportunities to assist small business owners Ongoing to succeed. *The City has partnered with Anoka County and the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers to offer “Open to Business” program services to small businesses. *Staff continues to reach out to small businesses through participation in the Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia Heights Business Council. Strategy #6 Review zoning regulations, sign regulations and design regulations for continued Ongoing relevance. *Currently revising automotive business requirements. This will be brought back th to a council work session April 4. *Will initiate a Sign Code revision and Interim Use Permits before the Comprehensive Plan is updated. Strategy #7 Coordinate with the City of Hilltop for the successful redevelopment of Central In Process. Avenue. *Staff is researching the possibility of obtaining special legislation to allow Columbia Heights to use its redevelopment powers to potentially acquire and demolish the Starlight Motel. The Police Dept. is in support of this happening. *Staff regularly discusses shared zoning concerns with Hilltop’s City Clerk. *Staff could potentially assist the City of Hilltop with redevelopment grant funding (CDBG)-help them prepare a grant application. Page 6 th March 14, 2016 GOAL #4 Establish a comprehensive Housing Program that will help increase values, manage and reduce the number of single family rental properties, generate a wider range of price point options and encourage reinvestment. Strategy #1 Review budget for 2014 to allocate staff time be devoted to housing issues. Completed *In 2014, staff revised the Scattered Site TIF District Housing Program Guidelines, as well as inventoried additional City and EDA owned lots. Hogeboom stated that research was done to determine what funds were used to purchase all the properties, and therefore it was determined what restrictions there are on the lots. Strategy #2 Review all existing rehabilitation/incentive programs to determine effectiveness and refine or discontinue as appropriate. Track funding available for both Completed programs. *Allocated funds for the Loan & Rehabilitation programs were expended, and the EDA discontinued the programs in 2014. *The programs were not shown to have incentivized residents to complete projects they would have not otherwise undertaken without government assistance. Hogeboom explained that Anoka County and MHFA now offer funds similar to the programs we had previously offered. Strategy #3 Prepare a comprehensive housing inventory that determines tenure, livability measures, need for reinvestment and identifies properties/neighborhoods that Not require significant public interventions to assure continuous reinvestment. initiated. *Staff has been focusing efforts on continuing reinvestment in the Heritage Heights and Circle Terrace neighborhoods. So a complete inventory has not been completed on the rest of the City. Hogeboom stated staff is looking into purchasing one more property in the Heritage Heights area that is now owned by ACCAP. Members asked about the rd scattered site lot at 43 and Reservoir Blvd. They expressed interest in buying the lot back from Timbercraft since he has not started construction on it and there may be other interested parties. Hogeboom stated that he hasn’t pursued this since Timbercraft has been marketing it and has been maintaining the lot, but he will contact the developer to see what the status is and report back to the EDA. Page 7 th March 14, 2016 Strategy #4 Determine outside funding for housing rehabilitation and procure funding to Ongoing leverage local dollars. *Staff continues to research funding options for housing rehabilitation programs. Possible program dollars in 2016 could be acquired through Local Community Action grants administered by the Metropolitan Council. Strategy #5 Enhance neighborhood livability through more proactive management of single- Ongoing family rental housing. *Community Development continues to partner with Fire to monitor issues associated with single family rental housing. *Do we want a limit on rental housing units? Herringer asked if the number of new rentals is less than it was. Hogeboom said yes, it has slowed down. He suggested checking with the Police Dept to see if they can determine whether there are more police calls on rental properties versus owner occupied properties. It was decided that we need to set a separate meeting at a later time to further discuss the rental housing issues. Williams stated that more residents may be selling their homes in order to move into the new Lily Gables Apt Complex so we could potentially add even more rental homes if investors are the ones buying up the homes. Williams went on to say that the EDA needs to set goals for University Avenue especially since the new apartment building is being constructed on the east side. Members thought we should look at the 3 block stretch of properties along the west side thth fromWagamon Bros. property at 37 Avenue to the Root property at 40Avenue. He would like to see that whole area redeveloped also. Hogeboom said the Root property is in tax forfeiture and needs extensive clean-up work done. He thinks it may be worthwhile for the City to obtain the site and demo the remaining buildings and clear it of scrub growth in order to make it marketable to a developer. This is something that will be pursued at a later meeting also. Hogeboom also told members there is some interest in a small redevelopment at rd the corner of 53 and University Ave. Nawrocki said he thinks the City should look at options for restricting single family rentals and that the business areas of the City be cleaned. Up. Page 8 th March 14 Strategy #6 Develop a comprehensive strategy (policies and programs) to address issues in the Ongoing Circle Terrace and Heritage Heights neighborhoods. *In 2014, staff revised the Scattered Site TIF District Housing Program guidelines, as well as inventoried additional City and EDA owned lots. *The City created the “Residential Lot Sales Program” to address the sale of lots that are ineligible to incorporate into the TIF District. Strategy #7 Review multi-family zoning standards as a guide to review future development Ongoing proposals. *This strategy is somewhat ambiguous. It is currently an allowed use and is regulated through the City’s Site Planning Process. Hogeboom didn’t feel this Strategy is necessary. Strategy #8 Evaluate Scattered Site Housing Program, and consider modifications. Completed. *In 2014, staff revised the Scattered Site TIF District Housing Program guidelines. Currently, one lot remains within the Program. The lot is being actively marketed. Strategy #9 Develop communications tools to promote housing options and community assets Ongoing (schools, park programs, etc) *Staff is currently working to update the City’s website and social media portfolio. *The City has created new resident welcome brochures. *The City now participates in the successful annual North Metro Home and Garden Show. *Press releases have been sent which advertised the Residential Lot Sales Program. GOAL #5 Continue to invest and reinvest in City infrastructure as a means to promote growth and shape the community. Strategy #1 Review City CIP and match planned improvements with City goals and strategies. Ongoing. Page 9 th March 14, 2016 *The Public Works Dept continues to be informed of EDA goals and objectives. Hogeboom said Public Works has ordered new banners with the new logos. Any new street signs being replaced will have the new logo in the corner of the street sign, and the water tower will be painted in the near future and the new logo will be added. Strategy #2 Identify barriers to walkability and determine opportunities for improvement. Ongoing. *Staff continues to seek grant funding or pedestrian-related improvements on Central Ave, near the location of the new Library as well as in the north end of the corridor. *Staff is working with Metro Transit to reroute bus service to serve SACA and the Huset Park Townhomes. *The City continues to require infrastructure installation from large scale development projects, such as the Huset Park Senior Living project. A short discussion took place regarding the Blue Cross/Blue Shield grant the City has applied for. He will notify the EDA and P & Z members if this grant is awarded. Ongoing. Strategy #3 Continue to invest in improvements to the City’s Park System. *The City is currently focused on expanding the City of Peace Park (Circle Terrace Blvd. Play Lot) to include new playground and sport court equipment, a new community multi-use building and a new sidewalk. Next Steps for Columbia Heights – Potential New Goals * Create a stakeholder review group, comprised of Council members, Board and Commission members and residents for the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update. * Initiate redevelopment activities for the former Root property on University Avenue. * Evaluate public parking needs in Downtown Columbia Heights. * Partner with Anoka County to seek funding opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian improvements along certain County Road corridors. Continue working on 2014 Goals as follows:  Continue working on re-design of City website  Contact “Heights Next Group” to see if they want to work to establish neighborhood groups. Page 10 th March 14, 2016  Look into possibly resurrecting the Citizens Academy.  Keep promoting city through website, press releases, brochures, and participation of city sponsored events.  Continue looking for developers to complete the Mady’s site redevelopment. th  Work with interested developer for the 47 and Central commercial site. rd  Work with interested developer for the Rainbow Mall at 43 and Central.  Keep working with “Open to Business” to assist small business owners.  Update the Zoning Code  Partner with Hilltop for future redevelopment along Central Avenue  Continue looking for funding sources to help with housing rehab/replacement.  Hold a separate meeting to discuss rental properties.  Hold a separate meeting to discuss plans for University Avenue Redevelopment.  Continue working on Circle Terrace and Heritage Heights neighborhood improvements.  Continue implementing new branding/log designs. The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 pm. Respectfully submitted, Shelley Hanson Secretary