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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-08-14 ACE MINUTES• • A L LIANCE F OR COMMER CE IN ENGLEWOOD August 14, 2003 I. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Alliance for Commerce in Englewood (ACE) was called to order in the City Council Conference Room of the Englewood Civic Center at 11:35 a.m., Chairman Pa- netta presiding. Present: Absent: Alternate: Liaisons: Staff: Cook, Guinther, McDermott, Rees, Panetta Ashenfelter (with previous notice); Schalk (without previous notice) Vasilas Yurchick, Ackerly Robert Simpson, Director of Community Development Mark Graham, Senior Planner Darren Hollingsworth , Business Development Specialist II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES July 10 , 2003 Chairman Panetta called for consideration of the Minutes of July 10, 2003 . It was moved and seconded that the Minutes of July 10, 2003 be approved as written. The mo- tion canied by voice vote , and the Minutes stand approved as written . III. NEW BUSINESS Nothing was brought forth for discussion under new business. IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Occupational Privilege Tax Mr. Simpson provided an update on status of the proposed Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT) for members of the Alliance. Mr. Simpson advised that several City Council members are not sup- portive of the OPT at $5 per month from both the employer and the employee, and that Council is considering a variety of revenue generating/expenditure cutting proposals. Some of the pro- posals include lowering the OPT to $2.50 per month from both employer and employee; impos- ing 10 % across the board budget cuts in all departments; cutting staff and delay or elimination of some projects ; possible property tax increase; imposition of special OPT on auto sales lots and auto-related uses. Mr. Simpson stated that City Council will consider issues to be placed on the November ballot at their meeting on August 18 , and the OPT is one issue. Mr. Cook asked how the OPT would relate to employees that are 1099 employees -contractual • people, for instance, or commissioned employees. Mr. Simpson stated that the mechanics of a H:\GROUP\BOARDS\ACE\Minutes\2003\8-14-2003 .doc 1 • • possible OPT are still being worked out. Ms. Wolosyn stated that one determination made early on is that the OPT will not apply to persons earning less than $500 per month. Mr. Rees distributed a draft of a letter to the City Council from the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce in opposition to the OPT. Mr. Panetta asked for an update on the latest revenue picture for the City. Mr. Simpson stated that total revenues for July was up slightly -less than 1 %. Revenues have been relatively flat or inconsistent in recent months. Mr. Simpson noted that the economic outlook on the national level is more positive now. Mr. Rees discussed his attendance at Council study sessions and meetings when the OPT has been considered; there was no discussion of a "sunset" provision in relation to the OPT at the latest meeting even though such a provision was included in the paperwork he saw. Mr. Rees also expressed concern that only one Councilperson currently serving can be expected to still be on the Council within five years, and he felt it imperative that if an OPT is placed on the ballot, that a sunset provision be included as part of the ballot issue. Mr. Panetta stated that he had attended the public forum before City Council regarding the OPT, and that he was impressed with the business people who attended, and pleased with the profes- sional level of the meeting; it did not degenerate into name-calling or finger pointing. Mr. Pa- netta stated it is a shame the business community cannot come together on issues that could be of assistance to them and to the City as a whole. He hoped that the business community could be made to see the benefit of participating with ACE, the Chamber of Commerce , and the City to resolve any number of issues. He emphasized the need to let the business community know the importance of their involvement in what goes on in the City. Mr. Cook asked how the business community is made aware of what is happening in the City . Mr. Simpson stated that the Englewood Citizen goes to every household and business in the City, and a business newsletter is faxed to all businesses . Mr. Hollingsworth also noted that the City web page has information on City issues and activities. Ms . McDermott noted that a lot of businesspersons are not aware of the ACE, or the potential that ACE has . Ms. McDermott also noted the turnout of the business community at the public forums on the OPT, and stated that it would be a huge disappointment if the statements and opin- ions expressed at that time were ignored by the City Council, and if Council did not hear the message that was being sent by the business community. Ms. Guinther noted a letter regarding the Police/Fire pay raise issue that has been sent to every- one; she asked what steps will be taken to counter this action. Mr. Simpson emphasized that this communication was not sent by the City, but by the unions representing the uniformed personnel. Mr. Rees questioned that the proposed 10 % across the board cut is fair, and wasn't sure how much he could support this proposal. He noted that the Safety Services Division appears to be hit hard by this proposed budget reduction. • Mr. Simpson reiterated that the OPT is on the agenda for discussion on August 18. H :\G ROUP\BOARDS\ACE\M inutes\2003\8-14-2003 .doc 2 • The general state of the economy was discussed. Mr. Rees noted that it appears the economy is beginning to recover, and he would like to see more information on revenues before the OPT is placed on the ballot. • • Mr. Yurchick pointed out that in 2007, the EURA bond issue is due to expire; this will mean that property taxes and all sales tax revenues generated within the EURA district will revert to the City and the School District. This is one consideration in establishing a sunset provision for the OPT. Ms . McDermott suggested that a communication be forwarded to City Council regarding the OPT and the opposition of ACE thereto. Mr. Panetta suggested that the communication reflect the opposition of the business community to the OPT, and that it is the recommendation of ACE that if the OPT is placed on the ballot a sunset provision must be included. Mr. Panetta stated that such a recommendation is within the rights of the Alliance. He stated that, speaking as an individual, it should be a very strong recommendation. Mr. Panetta stated that he understands the concern expressed by Mr. Rees regarding the Council turnover. Rees moved: McDermott seconded: City Council be notified that the Alliance for Commerce in Engle- wood (ACE) membership is very opposed to enactment of a Head Tax in the City of Englewood . If, however, City Council votes to place consideration of an Occupational"Privilege Tax (OPT) on the November ballot , such ballot issue must contain a five-year or less sunset provision. The motion carried unanimously . Mr. Cook asked for cost figures to administer the OPT if it is approved in November. A cost range was cited, and Ms. Wolosyn indicated that the actual cost figures have not been deter- mined. B . South Broadway Plan Mark Graham, Senior Planner Mr. Panetta introduced Senior Planner Graham to members of the Alliance, and asked that Mr. Graham lead the discussion on the South Broadway Plan . Mr. Graham stated that the South Broadway corridor, including the downtown area, has been studied for the past eight months . Mr. Graham discussed the need to revitalize South Broadway, increase revenue-producing capabilities, and create a synergy to attract new businesses and cus- tomers. A draft Plan is in process, and he hopes to present the draft to the Planning Commission, City Council, and ACE in September, with a possible public hearing date before the Commission sometime in October. H:\G RO UP\BOARDS \ACE\Minutes\2003\8-14-2003.doc 3 • • • Mr. Graham directed the attention of the membership to five "issue" pages included in the packet. Issue #1 -Lot Depth. Mr. Graham discussed challenges presented by zoning depth along South Broadway. Assemblage of land, vacation of the alley, relocation of utilities, and rezoning of land fronting on either South Lincoln or South Acoma Street would have to be ac- complished to accommodate large format or moderate-sized retail uses unless north/south linear structures were developed. The depth of the Broadway zoning makes it difficult to develop "nodes" to accommodate commercial development in the four districts identified along the corri- dor. Mr. Graham pointed out that a large area of the block would still have to be used for park- ing purposes, even with the proposed reduction of required parking from 5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. retail area to 3 spaces per 1,000 sq . ft. of retail area. Mr. Cook noted the historic character of structures along the Broadway corridor, and cautioned against destruction of those structures. He urged that effort be exerted to preserve the fa~ades on the corridor for the historic "value". Mr. Simpson stated that staff does realize the fa~ades have historic value; he reiterated Mr. Graham's statement that the intent is to revitalize the corridor, make improvements that will bring in new businesses and customers, and result in an increased revenue stream for the City . Mr. Simpson stated that another goal is to encourage development of residential uses along the corridor -at present , there is limited residential use along Broad- way . Mr. Graham stated that goals of the Plan would not be accomplished in one step. He stated that a point of concentration is "use patterns" along the corridor, and trying to devise ways to encour- age tenants to fill the "void" of uses in Englewood and limit further uses that do not produce revenue for the City, such as car sales lots . Mr. Graham stated that in discussions with the Planning Commission, they had no problem with use of alleys as a means of circulation to signalized intersections. Mr. Graham reiterated that most utilities are located in the alleys , and to make good use of the alley the utilities would have to be relocated. A part of the Plan is to have minimum curb cuts along the corridor, and to en- courage pedestrian movement in the downtown area. Issue #2 -Building Relationship to the Street. Mr. Graham described the "fractured" frontage presented along Broadway. Mr. Graham discussed possible solutions to the parking issue, one of them being development of parking "districts". He stated that Walker Parking, a consulting firm, has indicated that the City is not at a point where we could begin charging for parking, but park- ing districts could be created. This would eliminate the "over-building" of parking lots to serve the businesses. Mr. Graham noted that in the new Unified Development Code (UDC) that is be- ing written, it is proposed that staff be allowed to accept building plans that do not meet mini- mum parking standards if the owner agrees to participate in a parking district. A "Parking Au- thority" would be created to assure proper use of the parking district. Mr. Rees asked when zoning designations along street frontages east and west of Broadway be done -before or after a developer purchases property. This determination would have an eco- nomic impact on potential development. H :\G ROUP\BOARDS \ACE\Minute s\2003 \8 -14-2003 .do c 4 • • • Issue #3 -Absence of Multifamily Housing. Mr. Graham discussed the absence of residential development along South Broadway. Broadway has 24-hour bus service, but is lacking enter- tainment and restaurants to encourage a residential development. Mr. Graham emphasized that there is approximately 2/3 of the corridor that does not contribute to sales tax revenues (car sales lots), and that the entire corridor "goes dark" during evening and nighttime hours. Mr. Graham referenced the street frontage on South Acoma Street west of the Kaiser Permanente development -there is nice landscaping , and a wall separating the residential uses on the west side of South Acoma Street from the use of the east side of the street by Kaiser. He envisioned there could be something similar developed along other portions of Broadway to mitigate any impact on residential uses on the west side of Acoma, or the east side of South Lincoln Street. Mr. Cook asked what consideration has been given to developing activities and housing facilities for families with youngsters along the corridor. Mr. Graham noted that recent studies have indi- cated that only about 25 % of households have children, and Englewood has a smaller percentage because this community has a large population of older, retired , citizens. Mr. Simpson stated that any residential units constructed along Broadway would be marketed to the general popula- tion -not any specific group. Mr. Grah a m further stated that recent studies have indicated a de- mand for 600 new housing units in Englewood over the next few years. Issue #4 -Dispersion of Retail Uses. Mr. Graham reiterated that the dominant use in the corri- dor (car sales lots) do not generate sales tax revenue for the City . If some of this land were available for development of other uses, a diversity of shopping opportunities would be avail- able , and could attract additional customers to the corridor. Mr. Graham emphasized the need to generate a synergy along the corridor, accommodate retail traffic, generate improved revenues through sales tax and increased property tax. Mr. Graham pointed out that Englewood has ap- proximately 10 times the amount of land devoted to auto-related uses than required for a typical city of comparable size. Issue #5 -Underutilized and Vacant Properties. Mr. Graham discussed the "under used proper- ties" along Broadway, which include the auto sales lots and other auto-related business sites. Mr. Graham stated that determining "under utilized or under-used" lots is done by weighing the value of improvements against the land values. He noted that Broomfield has used this formula to encourage use variety. Mr. Graham also discussed a two-tier tax structure that can be imposed on under-used property. Pennsylvania has used this system successfully, but this proposal would require State-enabling legislation to accomplish. Mr. Cook inquired whether issuing tax credits for improvement to a site has been considered. Other means to provide incentives for businesses to improve or locate along the corridor were discussed . Mr. Graham discussed the goal to promote mixed-use commercial development along the Broadway corridor. Mr. Panetta asked if each of the five issues are inter-related, or mutually exclusive . What will it take to get this from paper to reality? What is the time-line? Mr. Graham stated it is his intent H :\G RO UP\B OARDS\ACE\Minutes\2 003 \8 -14-200 3 .doc 5 • • that the entire Plan, in draft form, will be to ACE at the September 11th meeting. He reiterated his goal to present the draft Plan to the Planning Commission in September, and have public hearings before the Commission in October, with the Plan then referred to City Council for ap- proval and adoption. He emphasized his hope to have the Plan enacted by the end of 2003. Mr. Simpson stated that the Broadway Action Plan was developed in approximately 1996, and full implementation of the Plan took about 5 years. He stated that this Broadway Plan edition contains several broad ideas. Mr. Panetta asked what role the City has in property assemblage. Mr. Simpson stated that this is a big issue, because the City does not typically exercise eminent domain . The City will provide assistance as appropriate, and when we can ; however sale and purchase of property is market driven. The City may know of available properties and a contact person. Mr. Simpson stated that there is a lot of interest in the Englewood community by businesses, but one problem is size of parcels available. This has been a problem not only for new businesses seeking to locate in Englewood, but also existing businesses wanting to expand. Mr. Simpson stated that the City is willing to work with prospective businesses on a case-by-case basis . Mr. Simpson discussed a large ownership at Broadway and Belleview -this site has approximately 16 acres, and the busi- ness is not performing well. He noted other business entities that might be interested in this site that would do well at this site . Mr. Cook suggested that satellite businesses located on the perimeter of the site could be devel- oped and improved , which in turn could contribute to better performance by the anchor store . Mr. Simpson agreed that satellite businesses are very important. Mr. Vasi las addressed the issue of utilities in the alleys, and the fact that the large power poles contribute to congestion and poor usage of the rear of properties. Mr. Graham stated there is a franchise agreement between the City and Xcel Energy, and it is his understanding that if a pole must be relocated it is up to the City to pay for the relocation. Mr. Simpson discussed the improvements that have been accomplished in the Cherrelyn District of South Broadway , and the under-grounding of utilities. This has been a very positive action and certainly improved the appearance of Broadway in this immediate area. Mr. Vasilas also noted that the lights in the EDDA parking lot in the 3400 block of South Broadway are on 24 hours per day, every day . Mr. Graham stated that he would investigate this issue. Mr. Vasilas stated he would like to see something positive happening on Broadway, and that we have a lot of good stores. V. COMMENTS AND EVENTS Mr. Panetta asked for comments from the members. Mr. Cook suggested a list of "action items" from each meeting be included at the end of the Minutes . He stated that he wanted to see the purpose of the meeting , and what is accomplished . • Discussion on the charge to ACE and the activities and accomplishments of ACE in the last two H:\GRO UP\BOARDS\ACE\Minutes\2003\8 -14-2003 .doc 6 • • • years ensued. The Action Items will be listed in the Minutes. Ms. Wolosyn stated that she felt two important items that were discussed today include the issue of possible rezoning to accom- plish greater commercial depth on Broadway, and the need for housing along the corridor. Mr. Panetta noted that staff has been setting the agenda for the meetings. He suggested that if any member of the Alliance has an item they want discussed at a meeting to please notify staff so that it may be included on the agenda. Mr. Panetta recalled that ACE was going to communicate accomplishments to City Council on a quarterly basis; however, no member of the Alliance has agreed to assume the responsibility to write this communication. Ms. McDermott stated that she would assume this responsibility and asked that Chair Panetta and Vice-Chair Rees meet with her on this issue . Ms. McDermott sug- gested that this communication not only be sent to City Council, but also included in the Cham- ber newsletter and in the local newspaper. Mr. Panetta raised further discussion on the OPT; if the revenue stream improves prior to the proposed 5-year sunset provision, what is to prevent the City from "reloading"; should the sunset provision be 5-years or less dependent on the revenue status? Ms. Wolosyn briefly discussed her desire to change the way the City government is financed. She stated that she would not support a "stop-gap" measure or tax imposition, but wants to see something long term and creation of a "community fund" wherein monies can be deposited and made available for assistance of small businesses, for example . Mr. Rees stated it has to be made clear that the ACE membership does not like the idea of an OPT, but if it is approved, a 5-year sunset clause must be included . Mr. Simpson stated that in his opinion , ACE has the ability to make changes in the direction the City is headed, and to help determine what economic development means in Englewood. He stated that part of economic development is helping businesses become successful, but another side must be considered -that of location of businesses. Where can a business thrive, and will customers be attracted to the site. Other measures to attract businesses were briefly discussed; decreasing the rate of sales tax charged in Englewood was an option mentioned. Mr. Cook asked if the ACE membership has considered getting together in a social setting -go- ing out for dinner and getting to know one another. Ms. Ackley asked that the letter distributed by Mr. Rees be returned to her; it contained some errors she wanted to correct prior to submission to City Council. Mr. Rees suggested that a review of accomplishments during the last two years be placed on the agenda to bring new members up-to-date. Mr. Panetta also suggested that a copy of the Mission Statement be made available. ACTION ITEMS: 1) Recommendation to City Council reiterating opposition to the OPT, but recommending a 5-year sunset clause be included in the issue if it is placed on the ballot. 2) Determine why parking lot lights bum 24-hours per day in the EDDA parking lot in the 3400 block of South Lincoln Street. H:\GRO UP\BOARDS\ACE\Minutes\2 003\8-14-2003 .doc 7 • AGENDA ITEMS 1) Update new members on ACE activities for past two years . 2) Mission Statement 3) Social gathering of ACE membership The meeting was declared adjourned at 1: 10 p.m . • • H:\G ROUP\BOARDS\ACE\Minutes\2003\8 -14-2003 .doc 8