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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBID Minutes 7-15 REVISED Downtown Business Improvement District Board Meeting Minutes July 22, 2015 Attending: Mike Basile, Eric Bowman, Dylan Clarkson, Dan Himsworth, Ileana Indreland, Erik Nelson, Eric Sutherland, Chris Naumann **Chris introduced and welcomed Erik Nelson as the new member to the BID Board. Absent: None Public Comments: None Disclosures: None Minutes ACTION: Dylan Clarkson moved to approve the May and June minutes as presented. Mike Basile seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Finance Report Chris presented the Finance report reviewing the year-end revenues and expenditures as of June 30, 2015. He noted that the flower sponsorship revenues of $8400 far exceeded the budget of $7000. He also pointed out that the total program expenses came in about $4000 less than budgeted. Due to the contract revenues and less than expected expenses, the year-end balance was $9,715. The board had no questions regarding the finances. Executive Director’s Report Maintenance Program Update We currently fully staffed for the busy summer season. We have one “full”-time downtown maintenance staff person working Wednesday through Sunday. For flower watering, we have one part-time person working Monday through Friday and a second PTE working Saturday and Sunday. Plus, we also have one part-time garage maintenance staff. Below are the maintenance statistics comparing annual year-to-date figures from this year (FY15) to the stats from the same period last year (FY14). FY2014 FY2015 Total Average Total Average Difference Trash Emptied 3076 280 3317 301 +241 Recycling Emptied 0 0 411 37 0 Graffiti Removed 209 19 139 13 -70 Downtown Streetscape Project TD&H Engineering continues to design and engineer new streetscapes for 21 block faces. Their initial estimate for the current scope of work is approximately $4.5 million. TD&H is utilizing their design work to date in order to provide a revised cost estimate by the end of the month. Other aspects of the project include establishing a new Special Lighting Improvement District to replace and consolidate several old SLIDs. I have been working with Anna Rosenberry on various financing options in order to reduce the total amount to be funded by a SID. Building Project Updates 5 West Building (northwest corner of Mendenhall and Tracy) is planning to begin demolition during the third week of August with excavation and construction beginning in September. Etha Hotel (old Armory building) is planning to begin construction this month. The encroachment permit for the site is pending proper insurance. Dutton Building (131 West Main--corner of Grand and Main) is mostly complete. Shirtworks, the anchor tenant, opened two weeks ago. The other two ground floor commercial spaces are leased. The second floor office space is in negotiations. Block M Residences (on Lamme between Black & Tracy) Construction of Phase 2 has begun and should be completed early Fall of 2015 which includes 8 additional units. Element Hotel (at old Kenyon Noble site): Projecting to open in August 2015. Downtown Parking Update In late May, the City hired Tom Thorpe as the new Parking Manager. Tom comes with a considerable amount of parking management experience including many years at Arizona State University. Most recently he managed the parking system for the County of Riverside, California which included 8 garages and thousands of surface spaces. After receiving 5 responses to the Downtown Bozeman Comprehensive Parking Plan RFP and interviewing 4 firms, Rick Williams Consultants of Portland was selected. We are currently finalizing the scope of services and contract. RWC should begin in August and deliver a final plan in January 2016. The study will produce a plan that will address the following aspects: • Analyzing current inventory, occupancy and usage • Identify current shortages and surpluses by block • Review existing policies and practices • Estimate future parking needs • Recommend opportunities to increase efficient use of existing resources • Recommend options and location to increase parking inventory • Present cost estimates for any new recommended parking infrastructure • Provide ten-year financial projections for expenses and revenues • Recommend options to achieve revenues necessary to operate and expand Last but not least, the Parking Commission and Western Transportation Institute released the third Downtown Parking Study. The study can be found at: http://www.bozeman.net/Smarty/media/Parking_Media/Reports/2014-BZN-Parking-Report-FINAL.pdf Discussion and Decision Item Special Presentation: Bozeman Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District Analysis Pat Jacobs and Jordon Zignego, ARCH-trio/KLJ Consulting Chris introduced Pat and Jordan as members of the consulting team which was retained by the Community Development Department to analyze the NCOD and recommend possible revisions. Their presentation is included as an attachment to these minutes. The general discussion focused on the fact that while the NCOD accomplished its original intent it fails to address the wide spectrum of neighborhoods and land uses especially in periods of intense redevelopment. Ileana said that the NCOD and the corresponding Design Guidelines should be simplified and the process needs to be streamlined. Currently all are too cumbersome on the private sector and seemingly staff as well, and very well may need to be eliminated entirely. Erik Nelson added that perhaps the NCOD should be discarded with the emphasis being put on existing neighborhood and historic districts with new specific districts being identified. The board agreed with the idea that districts such as downtown which have their own “master plans” should develop unique design guidelines that would facilitate achieving those objectives. The board agreed that the NCOD is inhibiting some types of development that are prescribed by the Downtown Improvement Plan. The board suggested that Chris prepare formal written comments perhaps in conjunction with the TIF board to submit to the consultants. Board Officers Chair and Vice-Chair officers will be selected at the next board meeting. At 1:10pm Chris adjourned the meeting. Date: 7/17/2015 To: Bozeman Downtown TIF and BID Members Copy to: Courtney Kramer; Pat Jacobs From: John How, Project Manager RE: NCOD Evaluation NCOD Background The City of Bozeman is evaluating the regulatory component of our community’s historic preservation program. Established in 1991, the City’s Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD) is a locally- adopted zoning district that prioritizes conservation of neighborhood character and preservation of historic properties. The City seeks to understand how the NCOD affects historic preservation, density, affordability and infill development. But how was the NCOD created and what was it intended to do? The stated purpose of the NCOD is to “stimulate the restoration and rehabilitation of structures, and all other elements contributing to the character and fabric of established residential neighborhoods and commercial or industrial areas.” In many regards, the NCOD was envisioned as an incubator for future historic districts. However, the NCOD also states “new construction will be invited and encouraged provided primary emphasis is given to the preservation of existing buildings and further provided the design of such new space enhances and contributes to the aesthetic character and function of the property and the surrounding neighborhood or area. Contemporary design will be encouraged, provided it is in keeping with the above-stated criteria, as an acknowledged fact of the continuing developmental pattern of a dynamic, changing community.” Efforts to preserve historic neighborhoods began in Bozeman in the late 1970’s with the South Willson Avenue Protective Association. “Residents realized that heavy traffic on the street plus needs to expand the central business district could erode their neighborhood,” noted the 1978 South Willson Avenue Historic District nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. In light of citizen interest in historic preservation, the City of Bozeman partnered with the Montana State Historic Preservation Office to conduct a large-scale survey to identify historic properties in 1984. The City followed up on this effort in 1986 and 1987, by nominating eight historic districts and fifty individual properties to the National Register of Historic Places. Zoning on these properties ranged from high to low density residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use. At the community’s behest, the 1991 zoning code included a large-scale zoning overlay district known as the NCOD, which is what currently exists. Project Overview KLJ and Architecture Trio are currently evaluating the NCOD and its effects on affordable housing, historic preservation and infill development as well as analyzing what elements – COA process, design guidelines, NCOD boundary, etc. – need refinement. To date, KLJ has conducted two public input meetings, interviewed approximately 12 stakeholders and researched best practices from six communities across the Mountain West: Santa Fe, NM; Portland, OR; Austin, TX; Spokane, WA; Salt Lake City, UT; and Fort Collins, CO. Our goal is to discuss the following five questions to ascertain board members’ comments regarding the NCOD and to use your ideas to formulate our recommendations to city staff. Please identify the top two or three items for each question below and be prepared to discuss them at the meetings next week. A map showing the NCOD is provided for your reference. Contact Pat Jacob’s with any questions or comments as she will be leading the meeting; I will be on vacation all next week. Pat’s contact information is provided. Thank you for your time and efforts; we sincerely appreciate your input. Questions 1. What works well within the NCOD? What elements would you prefer to keep? 2. What needs to be refined, changed or eliminated within the NCOD? E.g. boundary, design guidelines, COA process, parking, setbacks, etc. 3. What, if any, specific design guidelines need to be addressed? 4. If the NCOD were to be eliminated, what would replace it, if anything? 5. What incentives, if any, should be used within the NCOD to encourage affordable housing, infill development and historic preservation? Presented by: Pat Jacobs Email: pat@archtrio.com Mobile: 317-418-6933 Office: 317-917-9042 Project Manager: John How, AICP 406-548-5667 Cell 406-582-6220 Direct 1982 Stadium Dr, Suite 3 Bozeman, MT 59715