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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-02-11 EDDA MINUTES• • • ENGLEWOOD DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 333 WEST HAMPDEN AVENUE, SUITE 602 BOARD OF DIRECTORS FEBRUARY 11, 1998 MINUTES MEMBERS PRESENT: Kientz, Collins, Oxman, Sanchez, Waggoner, Weinberger, Powell, Pfannenstiel MEMBERS ABSENT: Kaufman, Duemke STAFF PRESENT: Celva, Doyle GUESTS/VISITORS: Art Scabelli, City of Englewood, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development I • INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS AND VISITORS Chairman Kientz welcomed Art Scabelli, City of Englewood, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development to the Board meeting. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m. Chairman Kientz asked if there were any additions or corrections to the January Board meeting minutes. There being none, a motion was made by Clifford Weinberger, seconded by Steve Collins and passed unanimously approving the minutes as presented. III. TREASURER'S REPORT Gary Oxman asked if there were any additions or corrections to the December, 1997 Treasurer and Revenues and Expenditure reports. There being none, a motion was made by Steve Collins, seconded by Connie Sanchez and passed unanimously approving the reports as presented . • • • IV. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Chairman Kientz told the Board that EDDA had not received any more names for new members, but if the Board members had any names to submit, to please refer the names to either Chairman Kientz or Director Celva. Trina Pfannenstiel asked if anyone had spoken to Ted Vasilas. Kientz added that the Board had contacted Ted. Clifford Weinberger asked if anyone had spoken to Joe Donovan. Clifford also mentioned Ray DeLisle, Chief Operating Officer of Gerimed of America, who is located on the second floor of the Bank One building. Chairman Kientz told the Board that he had met with Jim Klein, McDonald's and that he was interested in being on the Board but that was unable to attend the meetings. Chairman Kientz told the Board that there was a decision made at Monday night's City Council meeting, relative to the direction that Cinderella City was going. Kientz asked if Kells Waggoner would bring the Board up to date on the final plan. Kells told the Board that Skip Miller had been officially designated as the developer and within 90 days the City would take a look at the transit oriented development plan and the public space to see if it can be done financially. Skip will be contacting developers and the tenants then come back in 90 days with a revised plan that should meet everybody's expectations . Chairman Kientz told the Board that Clifford Weinberger had some issues that he had brought up at last month's meeting and that maybe the Board needs to review some of these issues. He requested Clifford to make some of the comments known so everyone is aware of Clifford's issues. Clifford explained that he reviewed some of City council's previous meeting minutes where Wal Mart has been mentioned and was surprised that the Wal Mart project is way down the road. Clifford stated that he was concerned with what occurs at Cinderella City because the center really benefits all of Englewood. Clifford stated that he had received a call from the City when they organized the Transportation Oriented Development (TOD) and was asked to represent the business community in the Englewood phase of the CRNA study. The focus today is on a shopping center and very little is transportation oriented, only a few concepts, multi-family units and some retail. Clifford said the plan that is being presented is not what the studies recommendations suggested. He felt that the study was much more focused in Englewood on how transportation routes flow and how there is cooperation and fitting together of all the different business areas. The Wal Mart shopping center does only one thing and that is to fill up the space on the land, but does nothing for transportation connections. It does not serve the commercial businesses located in any of Situs buildings nor does it serve the City constituents. Broadway south of • v. • • Hampden becomes isolated and with the additional competition the market will be further sliced up creating additional "fall out." It will not benefit the interests of the City on a long term basis. Both Clifford and Chairman Kientz made it clear that Clifford's opinions were his and not necessarily an EDDA position. Discussion continued. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Vision Role Director Celva distributed copies of a document dealing with EDDA's vision and role in the community. He told the Board that these suggestions were derived from the downtown planning process and would help to establish a multi-year work program for EDDA. Celva stated that he felt that it would be helpful to have more information regarding additional ways and means that EDDA may have of funding projects. He related that he was regularly asked about how EDDA could help in funding projects related to the redevelopment of Cinderella City. To ascertain what means may be available, Celva suggested that EDDA consult with an attorney that was knowledgeable regarding Colorado Special Districts and stated that with the Boards approval he would schedule this for the next regular Board meeting. Several specific projects from the list were discussed, including the EURA parking lot, roadway improvements at Englewood Parkway and Cherokee, streetscape improvements along Old Hampden and the marketing of the District. Chairman Kientz added that a few of the projects could be done with little or no expense. Celva agreed with this, but felt that EDDA needed to look at all listed projects, including those that are financially ambitious and include those in prioritizing. He further added, that EDDA could advocate for these projects with the City and through cooperative efforts seek to find alternative sources for funding and implementation. Director Celva told the Board that at the next Board meeting he would have Public Works give a presentation on the widening of Broadway, from Yale to Hampden. The money has been designated at this point from COOT. Art Scabelli told the Board that CDOT is in the planning stage with 1998 being a planning stage and 1999 the implementation on Broadway. Kells Waggoner told the Board that widening involved the curb being moved back to the sidewalk (a space of four and half feet) from Floyd North thus straightening the street and expediting the flow of traffic. Facade Program At this point the El Tepehuan building has been issued permits and construction will begin shortly. The process • • VI. • has taken 3 years to get everyone in agreement, the property owner, EDDA and the tenants. EDDA took a very pro-active approach in dealing with the City with both the architect and the contractor meeting with the Building Department and with the traffic engineering group. At this point, it appears that we may be putting an 8 foot chain link fence around the front to protect pedestrians. The construction is not structural changes but, basically stucco (dryvit, foam core). The completion of the El Tepehuan and the South Broadway Tropicals will contribute a lot to the EDDA Broadway District. EDDA is still working with Ultra Legs, Sir Speedy and Ted's. EDDA has received new requests for the facade program, one at the location of the old 7-11 on Logan & Hampden. Someone wants to open a new convenience store which will be a single store operation and not a chain. The owner will be seeking to add gas pumps. The other requests received, The Lost Art, adjacent to south Broadway Tropicals and the Scientology building. The Scientology request brings up the question, what is the facade program all about. Initially, the criteria of the facade program was for retail, the small business owner as opposed to an office building. EDDA needs to formalize the program criteria. Part of the criteria would now come from the design guidelines and the Downtown Plan. When the program began it was Facade Signage because at that time EDDA felt that new signage could make a more attractive street and most of the requests are just for the signage ·and not the facade. In some cases doing only the signage works because the facade is already nice. There would be a proportionate amount between the signage and the building restoral amount for the grant. Steve Collins made the motion to establish a three or four member task force to set Board criteria, seconded by Trina Pfannenstiel and passed unanimously approving the motion as presented. The task force will consist of Director Celva, Ron Kientz and Steve Collins who will organize the criteria and present the results to the Board. Additional discussion was held on potential criteria. Ron Kientz told the Board that the Board has the right to override any decisions and that it needs to be inserted into the criteria. Director Celva told the board that the 1998 budget for the facade programs will have reached it's maximum fairly soon and that new requests will have to be balanced related to priority and "first come first serve." BOARD MEMBER CHOICE Trina Pfannenstiel told the Board that Wells Fargo has funds and grants availabie from their foundation with application • • • guidelines that will define projects (small business, education and the arts). She added that she will be available to discuss the guidelines with Director Celva for possible grant funding for the EDDA summer concerts and other projects. Art Scabelli told the Board that Wells Fargo is looking at a school career grant now for Englewood. Art Scabelli told the Board that he is heading the South Broadway effort for the entire corridor, but the City is unsure how it will relate to the Gateway and the Downtown area. There will be changes in the future. Connie Sanchez is very active as one of the Broadway merchants. The City wants enough time to be able to address the planning issues in the Downtown District for the state money so that what happens in the district is complementary to what is occurring from Hampden Avenue to the Littleton border with the streetscape in similar styles of lighting, benches, iron fencing, etc. The Public Works Department involvement has been solicited along with EDDA Director Celva. Bob Powell told the Board that Columbia Swedish Medical Center will be eliminating the name of Columbia from the center and will revert back to the original name Swedish Medical center . The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Connie Sanchez Secretary