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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-19-19 Downtown URD MinutesDowntown Urban Renewal District Board Meeting Minutes February 19, 2019 Attending: Bobby Bear, Cory Lawrence, Tony Renslow, Kate Wiggins, Jeff Krauss, Chris Naumann Absent: Bob Hietala, Bill Stoddart Public Comment: None Minutes ACTION: Tony Renslow moved to approve the January minutes as presented. Bobby Bear seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Financial Report Chris informed the board there were no new expenses to report since the January meeting. Executive Director’s Report None provided Discussion and Decision Items Downtown Plan Recommendation (related documents attached below) Chris reminded the board of their review of the Downtown Plan rough draft at last month’s meeting. He pointed out that the formal draft, released February 1st , only had two notable changes: the NCOD recommendation (refer to memo sent February 8, 2019) and the building height recommendation. Chris presented an overview of those two changes and a detailed look at the recommended minimum parking requirements. The revised NCOD recommendation calls for downtown, as defined by the B3 zoning boundary, to be recognized as its own distinct ‘neighborhood’ within the NCOD with a specific set of downtown design guidelines. The building height recommendation is to allow up to 7 floors with all floors above the 4th floor to be stepped back on all sides with street frontage. Chris presented the recommended minimum parking requirements as follows providing existing development examples showing similar outcomes in terms of the number of spaces. The basis of these recommendations is to extremely simplify the calculations by reducing the number of land use categories from 20+ to 3 and eliminating all the discounts and reductions. Residential requirements would be: 0.5 space per studio; 0.75 per 1- bedroom; 1.0 per 2-bedroom; and 1.5 per 3-bedroom. Hotel requirement would be 0.6 space per room. All commercial uses would be 1 space per 1000 gross square feet. Cory commented on Chris’s scenario that a hotel’s average occupancy is at 85% saying the top 5 hotels in Bozeman have average occupancies of 75% while the rest are at 65%. Therefore, he pointed out that the hotel requirement of 0.6 space per room is conservative, which is good. Jeff Krauss said he would like to see one additional map just showing the Plan’s project boundary out of context show it clearly shows downtown. Then the next map would show downtown in its adjacent context. Bobby noted that the revised NCOD recommendations would accomplish the intended outcome of the URD board’s previously submitted request that downtown be excluded from the NCOD entirely. She thinks keeping the letter on record serves as a notice of what “Plan B” is if the Downtown Plan’s recommendation is not incorporated into the update of the NCOD plan. Bobby also noted that the board received an e-mail from Bob Hietala in his absence expressing his support for recommending adoption of the Downtown Plan. Tony voiced that the Downtown Plan is visionary and comprehensive thus warranting full support of the URD board and the City Commission. Paul Neubauer offered the following public comment. On page 44 the Plan states that parking did not exceed 85% in the 2017 WTI parking study yet the subsequent page shows two maps with black stars where utilization did exceed 85%. Page 98 includes the statement that we need to choose between growing downtown for cars and parking or for people and jobs (paraphrased). He said that is a false choice and antagonistic and that he hopes that can be revised to talk about finding the balance between the two. Page 125 shows a map of the parks in the core of the City but does not show the BMX park and should. He said he likes that the residential parking requirements are recommended to be tied to number of bedrooms rather than units but thinks the studio and 1-bedroom should both be 0.75 as they will function the same. ACTION: Cory Lawrence moved that the Downtown URD formally recommend the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan be adopted by the City Commission. Bobby Bear seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Meeting was adjourned at 1:05 pm TO: Downtown BID and URD Boards FR: Chris Naumann DA: February 8, 2019 RE: Updated NCOD recommendation from draft Downtown Plan After considerable consultation with City of Bozeman Community Development staff, the Downtown Plan’s recommendations regarding the NCOD have been revised. The previous recommendation was to exclude the downtown district from the NCOD and develop design guidelines specific to downtown. We learned that the issue with this approach is that the City’s only historic preservation provisions are contained within the NCOD. Considering the need to retain the existing historic preservation tools for the Main Street Historic District and individual historically designated buildings, the formal draft Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan recommends: • Recognize downtown within the NCOD as a distinct and independent ‘neighborhood’. • Adopt a specific set of downtown design guidelines that inform urban design, architecture, and landscape/streetscape elements. This approach not echoes the conclusions of the 2015 NCOD report, but also resemble some of the policy ideas proposed by the current NCOD consultants: 2.3 NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN STANDARDS + GUIDELINES (P.18) Recommendation: Create design standards and guidelines for each neighborhood within the NCOD. https://www.bozeman.net/home/showdocument?id=8411 I think the revised NCOD recommendations in the draft Downtown Plan will clarify the past ambiguity about how the design and historic preservation guidelines apply to the downtown B3 district. As a distinct ‘neighborhood’ within the NCOD with a set of unique design guidelines, downtown will be able to further evolve as Bozeman’s most dynamic mixed-use district— honoring the past while embracing the future. We will discuss these revised recommendations, in addition to the rest of the draft Downtown Plan, at our board meetings later in February. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions. Below is an excerpt of the NCOD narrative from the draft Downtown Plan. DEFINE DOWNTOWN’S DISTINCT DESIGN CHARACTER (page 112) Downtown is currently part of a large overlay district, the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD). The NCOD’s purpose 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.” The NCOD is a useful tool to guide historic preservation goals, but it is important to recognize the distinct differences between Downtown and the adjacent residential neighborhoods included in the district. Downtown (including the entire B3 District) needs to be recognized within the NCOD as a distinct and independent ‘neighborhood’ with its own set of design guidelines. Alternatively, Downtown could explore creating its own separate overlay district. Acknowledging the complexity of urban development, projects in Downtown should be encouraged to create high quality design that is responsive to its unique site, use, and the historic context. To promote this, more code flexibility can be added Downtown for design merit in existing and new buildings (which may include departures, deviations, or relaxations). Create Downtown Design Guidelines Design guidelines can be a helpful guidepost related to site, mass, form, materials, and quality. In some peripheral areas, they contribute to creating the right transition between urban core and residential architectural styles. Article 5 of the UDC applies city-wide; yet, some distinctions are needed for Downtown’s unique needs and merit adopting a specific set of Downtown Design Guidelines. Likewise, Downtown guidelines should incorporate the foundational elements of Chapter 4B in the current NCOD guidelines. A comprehensive design guidelines package can include urban design, architectural, and landscape/streetscape design guidelines. Periodically, they should be revisited so that building design guidelines ensure that new construction fits in with the rhythm and scale of Downtown’s unique, evolving streetscape. The Downtown Design Guidelines should address design elements, issues, and aspirations that are not already informed by the B-3 zoning provisions and UDC Article 5. They can include historic preservation considerations for the Main Street Historic District and designated historically significant buildings. Ultimately, they can replace Chapter 4B in the existing NCOD guidelines. This recommendation echoes sentiments from the earlier 2015 NCOD report which recommended that Downtown should be a separate overlay district with its own specific design guidelines. DRAFT DOWNTOWN PLAN Additional Details Prepared by: Chris Naumann Downtown Bozeman Partnership 222 East Main Street #302 406-586-4008 chris@downtownbozeman.org PARKING RECOMMENDATIONS Manage and regulate parking to ensure appropriate access and balanced supply. 1. Unlock Existing Spaces: Simplify Parking Code Requirements & Encourage Shared Parking 2. Create More Choices: Expanding Access to Multi-modal Transportation Options 3. Expand Parking: Add On-street Parking & Structured Parking • Minimum Parking Requirements. Simplify the math. Currently there are over 20 land-use categories with specified parking requirements and six types of reductions that can be applied to the calculation of a project’s parking requirement. The Plan recommends three land-use types and no reductions. o Recommended Commercial Requirements  0.6 parking spaces per hotel room  1 parking space per 1000 sqft for all commercial uses o Recommended Residential Parking Requirements to promote smaller units and enable more diverse supply  Studio unit – 0.5 spaces  1-bedroom unit - 0.75 spaces  2-bedroom unit – 1 space  3-bedroom unit – 1.5 spaces • Eliminate all parking requirements in the core area. The UDC defines the ‘core area’ as: Main Street from Grand to Rouse and to the alleys one-half block north and south from Main Street. HOTEL—Current Minimum Parking Requirement Calculation Example Actual calculations for Element Hotel with current code requirements Rooms 1.1 spaces per Employees 1 space per Subtotal Reductions Total Spaces 104 114 16 16 130 55% 60 Element Hotel with 2019 Downtown Plan Recommended Minimum Parking Requirements Rooms 0.6 space per Total Spaces 104 62 62 For comparison sake, here is a hospitality industry standard for estimating hotel parking demand Rooms Occupancy Rate Occupied Rooms Personal Car Rate Needed Spaces 104 85% 88 75% 66 RESIDENTIAL—Current Parking Minimum Parking Requirement Calculation Example Actual Parking Calculations for Block M at existing “one space per unit” requirement Unit Type Number of Units Number of Spaces 3-bedroom 18 18 1-bedroom 6 6 Studio 12 12 36 total spaces Block M with 2019 Downtown Plan Recommended Minimum Parking Requirements Unit Type Number of Units Number of Spaces 3-bedroom @ 1.5/unit 18 27 1-bedroom @ 0.75/unit 6 4.5 Studio @ 0.5/unit 12 6 38 total spaces RESIDENTIAL—Current Parking Minimum Parking Requirement Calculation Example Actual Parking Calculations for the revised/approved Black Olive at existing “one space per unit” requirement Unit Type Number of Units Number of Spaces 2-bedroom 28 28 1-bedroom 19 19 47 total units 47 total spaces Parking calculations for original proposed Black Olive at requirements recommended by 2019 Downtown Plan Unit Type Number of Units Number of Spaces 1-bedroom @ 0.75/unit 56 42 56 total units 42 total spaces COMMERCIAL—Current Minimum Parking Requirement Calculation Example From informal concept review for 106 East Babcock (former BSWB building) 24 separate calculations including: • Adjusting net square footage from gross square footage for each area/floor • Factoring 6 reductions (B3, 1st 3000sqft, structured parking, transit, bike, SID) 2019 Downtown Plan recommended minimum parking calculation for the same proposed development at 106 East Babcock (former BSWB building). Total Building Gross Square Footage Blended Commercial Parking Calculation Minimum Required Parking Spaces 49,000 1 per 1000sf gross 49 BUILDING HEIGHTS Reinforce Downtown as the city center, through new and existing buildings of urban density, considerable height and a diverse mix of uses. • Planning for Growth & Future Projected Development o Housing: 400 to 800 new units by 2045 o Office: 250,000 to 350,000 new square feet by 2045 o Retail & Restaurant: curate the mix and support the success of the existing businesses Design new buildings for sustainability, durability and design excellence. • Encourage a Mix of Scales o Align Downtown Building Heights with Community Plan  Three- to seven-stories with upper floors (5-7) stepping back o Maintain sensitive transitions between adjacent residential zones The draft Community Plan includes a vision statement about ‘the shape of our city’: “The shape of our City is defined by our three- to seven-story skyline, streetscapes, and the spectacular natural landscapes that surround us.” Unlike the 2009 Downtown Plan, which called for the tallest buildings to be downtown, the 2019 Plan recognizes that it is important for several mixed-use districts to have the “tallest” buildings, but downtown must be one of those districts. The most important aspect of allowing slightly taller buildings downtown is to address the initial height at the street frontage, often called the ‘street wall’. Jan Gehl’s seminal urban planning book Cities for People establishes that human contact between a building and the street is possible within the first 45 feet of height and beyond that contact is lost. Therefore, the Downtown Plan recommends all buildings taller than 4 floors (45’) must ‘step back’ the upper floors. In other words, this creates a height transition between the street and the building like the transition we currently have between B3 buildings and R2 houses (see below). The goal is to allow more height and density without negatively impacting the human experience from the street and sidewalk. Gehl summarizes this, “the challenge is to build splendid cities at eye height with tall buildings rising above the beautiful lower stories”. NCOD & HISTORIC PRESERVATION Design new buildings for sustainability, durability and design excellence. • Encourage a Mix of Scales o Maintain sensitive transitions between adjacent residential zones The Downtown Plan offers a much-improved diagram (below) illustrating the existing B3-R# transition requirements. Protect the character of the Main Street Historic District and enhance the residential neighborhoods through context-sensitive development. • Strengthen Downtown Character Areas o Wallace Avenue--Celebrate Industrial Heritage o Rouse Avenue--Create a Civic Gateway o Black Avenue--Imagine as Downtown’s Biking Hub o Grand Avenue--Expand as the Cultural Arts Heart • Historic Districts and Protected Character • Keep Investing in Great Streets and Enliven the Alleys Design new buildings for sustainability, durability and design excellence. • Define Downtown’s Distinct Design Character o Recognize Downtown as a distinct and independent ‘neighborhood’ within the NCOD o Create a specific set of Downtown Design Guidelines As I presented in my memo to the board (dated February 8), I think the revised NCOD recommendations in the Downtown Plan will clarify the past ambiguity about how the design and historic preservation guidelines apply to the downtown B3 district. As a distinct ‘neighborhood’ within the NCOD with a set of unique design guidelines, downtown will be able to further evolve as Bozeman’s most dynamic mixed- use district—honoring the past while embracing the future.