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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRequest for Funding for Preparation of a Neighborhood Plan for Downtown Bozeman Report compiled on July 9, 2008 Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Jody Sanford, Senior Planner SUBJECT: Request for Funding for Preparation of a Neighborhood Plan for Downtown Bozeman MEETING DATE: Monday, July 14, 2008 RECOMMENDATION: The City Commission approves the funding request outlined in the attached proposal from the Downtown Business Partnership. BACKGROUND: The 2001 Bozeman 2020 Community Plan recognized the need to support downtown Bozeman “so that it remains a pleasant and economically viable location to live, work, recreate, and conduct commerce.” To that end, the plan contained the following implementation policy: “Prepare and implement a neighborhood plan for Downtown to evaluate issues such as parking, traffic circulation, economic development, the economic impacts of commercial development located outside the commercial core has on Downtown, building rehabilitation, expansion of the Downtown business district, increasing building height limits, rehabilitation of Bozeman Creek, and so forth.” Most of the implementation policies recommended in the 2001 Bozeman 2020 Community Plan have been accomplished or are on-going. This implementation policy regarding a neighborhood plan for downtown is one of the few implementation policies recommended in the 2020 Plan that have never been accomplished. Because there has been a lack of planning specifically for Downtown, many of the issues listed above remain relevant yet unresolved. The Downtown Business Partnership has prepared a brief proposal for the preparation of a neighborhood plan for Downtown Bozeman to address these issues. The Partnership is offering to contribute approximately $40,000 for preparation of a plan, and is asking the City Commission to consider matching that contribution with $100,000 in Big Box Economic Impact monies. UNRESOLVED ISSUES: If this request is approved there are several issues which will need to be addressed including: possible creation of a steering committee, creation of consultant selection committee, the role City staff will play in the planning process, etc. However, these questions can be addressed at a later date once a commitment to fund the project has been made. FISCAL EFFECTS: Approval of this request will result in a $100,000 decrease of monies available through the Big Box Economic Impact fund. ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission. CONTACT: Please feel free to email Andrew Epple at aepple@bozeman.net if you have any questions. APPROVED BY: Andrew C. Epple, Planning Director Chris Kukulski, City Manager ATTACHMENTS: Big Box Funding Request Summary of comments from the Downtown 2020 Forum 8 July 2008 City of Bozeman City Commission 411 East Main Street Bozeman MT 59715 City Commissioners- On behalf of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership, I am requesting an allocation of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) from the Development lmpacts Fund to help finance the Downtown Neighborhood Plan as part of the update to the Bozeman 2O2O Community Plan. The Bozeman Community 2O2O Plan substantiates the appropriateness of granting Big Box lmpact funds towards a revised downtown vision document:"Some have estimated that the commercial acreage already platted and approved on North 19th [as of 2000] is equal to more than ten times the commercial acreage of Downtown Bozeman...The long-term implications of this and other related developments are only now being realized and will likely have profound impact on Bozeman in the coming century." [Bozeman 2020 Community Plan, page 3-10] I would argue that indeed the explosive commercial development that has occurred over last 10 years has greatly impacted the downtowrf district. That being said, I acknowledge that Bozeman is extremely fortunate to have a thriving and diverse downtown core that has weathered the economic storm quite well. But, without proactive visionary planning, Bozeman would be taking our robust downtown for granted and risking its eventual demise. Again, the Bozeman 2020 Community Plan emphasizes the need for a comprehensive vision for downtown's future: Local residents recognize that Downtown Bozeman is indeed the heart and soul of our community. They have consistently valued the importance of Downtown Bozeman as an irieplaceable asset that defines our historic identity and contemporary sense of place. Protecting the character and appearance of the unique environment-while supporting its growth in thoughtful and appropriate ways-is an essential component of preserving Bozeman's cherished livability and quality of life for present and future generations." [Bozeman 2020 Community Plan, page 4-211 On the subsequent pages, I have outlined the following aspects of this funding request: Need, Objectives, Partners, Funding, Timeline and Process. Thank you for your time and consideration of this request. Chris Naumann Executive Director t)()WI{T()WI{ B()ZEMAT{ PARTI.ITRSHIP 224 tAsI MAil{ StRtil E0ztMAt{, M0t{TAitA 597r 5 p. 406.586.4008 f.406.586.3882 www.hislorkbozemon.com cAl il BOZEMAN ly Submitted, DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN PARTNERSHIP BIG BOX FUNDING REQUEST FOR DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN NEED Currently, Downtown is operating under two antiquated vision documents: the 1995 Downtown Urban Renewal Plan and the 1998 Downtown Improvement Plan (also referred to as the Maker’s Plan). Many of the objectives prescribed by these two plans have been accomplished, others are no longer relevant, and still others yet to be addressed. Nonetheless, downtown Bozeman has changed dramatically in the last decade which necessitates the formulation of an updated vision for Bozeman’s historic core. Specifically, the 1995 Downtown Urban Renewal Plan identifies that the City of Bozeman may need to revise the downtown “master plan, zoning requirements, development standards, and regulatory practices to facilitate the execution of principles, policies and implementation actions set forth by the Plan”. [1995 Urban Renewal Plan, page 22] The Bozeman 2020 Community Plan calls for creation of an updated vision for downtown: “The Bozeman 2020 Community Plan planning process has identified a need to prepare a more comprehensive neighborhood plan for downtown. This new plan would examine and make recommendations on many complex issues that could have a substantial effect on the heart of Bozeman.” [Bozeman 2020 Community Plan, page 4-21] OBJECTIVES The Downtown 2020 Neighborhood Plan would be a comprehensive planning document that would address the myriad of issues facing Bozeman’s downtown district. The Bozeman 2020 Community Plan identifies several areas to be considered: “The issues include, but are not limited to, the following: parking, traffic circulation, economic development, building rehabilitation, expansion of the Downtown business district, increasing Downtown building height limits, and rehabilitation of Bozeman Creek through Downtown.” [Bozeman 2020 Community Plan, page 4-21] The Downtown Bozeman Partnership hosted a Downtown 2020 Forum in May of this year to further explore the issues and concerns of downtown business and property owners. A summary of the forum is included as an attachment. Below is a list of potential objectives to be considered in the Plan: Development Policies I. Land Uses and B3 Zone II. Growth Management, Infill Development and Redevelopment III. Economic Development IV. Historic Preservation V. Parking VI. Parks, Trails & Public Spaces Physical Elements VII. Urban Design & Streetscape VIII. Municipal and Private Infrastructure IX. Design and Building Guidelines Strategies X. Market Analysis XI. Redevelopment Opportunities XII. Business Recruitment & Retention XIII. Tourism Development XIV. Implementation Strategies & Timelines DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN PARTNERSHIP BIG BOX FUNDING REQUEST FOR DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN Several of these objectives will be covered by other municipal plans that are currently being updated such as the Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan. Other objectives may be addressed by other pending plans such as the Bozeman Economic Development Plan. Every effort would be made to incorporate other municipal planning content rather that duplicate existing materials. Ultimately, the final objectives to be explored by the planning process would be determined by input from a series of public forums conducted as part of the scoping stage. The project partners (identified below) would also have a considerable voice in the content of the plan. PARTNERS The Downtown 2020 Neighborhood Plan will come to fruition as the result of a collaborative effort on behalf of many downtown interests. Key partners in the process would include: the City of Bozeman Planning Department, the Downtown Business Improvement District, the Downtown Tax Increment Finance Board, and the Bozeman Parking Commission. Ideally, a Project Oversight Committee would be appointed to oversee the initiation and completion of the project. Committee members would include representatives from the four partners listed above in addition to other interested parties such as but not limited to the Design Review Board, the Historic Preservation Board, Montana State University, and additional downtown property owners. FUNDING Although the final cost of the Downtown 2020 Neighborhood Plan is difficult establish at this time, a reasonable range would be between $100,000 and $150,000. The members of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership are willing to contribute a minimum of $40,000. This figure is just an estimate at this time as both the BID and TIF are finalizing their budgets the week of July 14th. Therefore, the $100,000 of Development Impacts Fund being requested would be supplemented by a considerable amount of monies derived from the downtown district itself. TIMELINE & PROCESS The downtown community, the Planning Department and even the Commission would benefit from proceeding with the formulation of the Downtown 2020 Neighborhood Plan as soon as possible. Once funding has been secured, the Partners and Project Oversight Committee would initiate a standard Request for Proposal process. A contract could be finalized to prepare the Plan as early as October of 2008. Upon contracting the consultants, the project timeline would run for 6 to 8 months depending on the amount of public involvement. This schedule would yield a completed Plan no later than May 1, 2009. EXAMPLES Below are some internet links that lead to examples of downtown vision plans similar in size and scope to the proposed Downtown 2020 Neighborhood Plan. http://www.whitefish.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={8720016B-876B-4A1E- 80E9-AB92AE9B4C6A} http://www.ci.walla-walla.wa.us/vertical/Sites/%7B5C31B82F-5E63-4200-9CF4- 237E5245E279%7D/uploads/%7BDFB7CC93-4EC2-41DD-9243-47DB68CA46FD%7D.PDF http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/communityplanning/vision_fairbanks.htm