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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-01-14 EURA MINUTES• • • I. ENGLEWOOD URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY January 14, 2009 CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Englewood Urban Renewal Authority was called to order at 6 :32 p.m . in the Community Development Conference Room of the Engl ewood Civic Center, Chair Weeks presiding . Present: Roth, Weeks, Bertoluzzi, Burns, Rogers , Gallardo, Weddle Absent: None Also Present: Jim Woodward, Council Liaison Wayne Oakley, City Councilmember Staff: James Anderson , Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc. Alan White, Community Development Director Mark Graham, Senior Planner 11. PUBLIC FORUM There was no one present who wished to address the Authority . 111. APPROVAL OF MINUTES l§lJ • Telephone Poll of October 23 , 2008 to approve the October 8, 2008 Minutes May or Woodward requested the following changes be noted in the Minutes of October 8, 2008: 1. Page 1, under approval of minutes, Chair Weeks should read Vice Chair Rogers . 2. Page 6, paragraph 4, second sentence, the word marketing should read market. 3 . Page 7, paragraph 4, 3 'd sentence from end should read : He said h e did not envision the sign to be a profit center . Ms. Rogers moved: Mr. Roth seconded : THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 8, 2008 BE AMENDED . AYES : NAYS : Roth, Gallardo, Bertoluzzi, Burns, Weddle, Rogers None • • • ABSTAIN: ABSENT: Weeks None The motion carried. In the future Mayor Woodward will be notified of all documents to be approved via email and/or telephone . His nam e has been placed on all distribution lists. Chair Weeks stated that the telephone poll to approve the Minutes of October 81 2008 was to be considered. Ms. Rogers moved: Ms . Weddle seconded: THE TELEPHONE POLL TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 81 2008 BE APPROVED. AYES: NAYS : Roth, Gallardo, Weeks, Bertoluzzi, Burns, Weddle, Rogers None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None The motion carried. IV . [§] ENGLE WOOD ART S Executive Director White said as indicated in the packet material Staff received a letter in December from the Englewood Cultural Arts Center Association stating their desire to terminate the Redevelopment Agreement citing their inability to meet the conditions of the agreement. Staff consulted with the Englewood Urban Renewal attorney and the City Attorney and put together a Resolution that does terminate the Redevelopment Agreement and also authorizes the Chairman to sign a Mutual Release Agreement. Mr. Bertoluzzi asked if the Authority would be requiring him to recei v e authorization to sign the agreement from Englewood Arts . The Authority members and Executive Director White stated he would like Mr. Bertoluzzi to provide said document. Ms . Rogers moved: Mr. Burns seconded: TO APPROVE THE AMENDED RESOLUT ION NO. 21 SERIES OF 20091 WHICH TERM INATES THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ENGLEWOOD URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY AND THE ENGLEWOOD CULTURAL ARTS CENTER ASSOCIATION. AMENDMENTS INCLUDE: 1 . PAGE ONE : IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHALL BE REMOVED AND CHAIR INSERTED . 2 • AYES : NAYS : ABSTAIN: ABSENT: 2 . PAGE TWO: IN THE NEXT TO LAST PARAGRAPH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHALL BE REMOVED AND CHAIR INSERTED. 3. PAGE TWO: IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHALL BE REMOVED AND CHAIR INSERTED AND TO AUTHORIZE THE ENGLEWOOD URBAN RENEWAL CHAIRMAN TO EXECUTE AND TRANSMIT MUTUAL RELEASE DOCUMENTS FOR SIGNATURE BY ENGLEWOOD ARTS . Bertoluzzi, Roth, Weeks, Gallardo, Rogers, Burns , Weddle None None None The motion carried . V. COUNCIL REQUEST ~ Chair Weeks stated the request is a Council request for the EURA to transfer property t o the City. • Ms. Rogers stated she is not in favor of the transfer. Had the agreement with Englewood Arts proceeded, she feels it would have been fine because then the City could have dealt with that piece of property together as a whole, but now we are back faced with finding a good tenant for the EURA property and they are going to want some frontage to get visibility for the Acoma property. She feels transferring the property at this time may cripple the EURA in finding the right person who would want the Broadway frontage. • Chair Weeks asked what the purpose of the request is . May or Woodward said the purpose is to put the two pieces of the property together to be more marketable . Property #29 is not large enough to build on per Code. The only way it works is if the two properties, #29 (EURA property) and #30 (City property ), are together. The Mayor noted Councilmember Oakley was in attendance and may ha v e some comments . The original Request for Proposals went out on the whole site, both the City and the EURA properties, because we were trying to market the two corner lots and all of Acoma as one development area . Ms . Rogers asked if the City can agree that that is what is going to happen as we continu e to market the Acoma property ... that is the intent and the purpose of conveying the property to the City and we can continue to put out an RFP for both properties. To remo v e that parcel from the Acoma property, she believes, changes the d y namics of someone looking at the Acoma property unless there is an agreement between the City and the EURA. 3 • • • Mayor Woodward said he is not sure how it changes the dynamics because the dynamics is that parcel #30, which is the larger part of the vacancy, is the City's property and that is what makes it possible for the EURA and the City to work together. Going back prior to the Englewood Arts Proposal and Development Agreement we were dealing with Centex and those meetings were joint between Council and the EURA as to what we were looking at. Ms. Rogers said she believes we were all on the same page all through that whole process, but will we be again? That is what I am wondering. The City doesn't need us, they could develop their parcel without the EURA property and then the Acoma property would be less desirable in light of that. If the EURA were to convey the property she believes there should be an agreement stating the EURA wants the entire parcel developed, the Acoma property and the 68 feet of Broadway frontage. Mayor Woodward said the intention is that the whole site is the development site. Chair Weeks asked if there is an intent for the property at this time. Is that why this request came through? Mayor Woodward said no , there are no prospects at this time . It came up because it seemed only more practical that those two pieces be put together as one piece. Ms. Rogers said if someone were to take the Acoma property without the City's property as happened with Englewood Arts then, as discussed at the last meeting, that property could be used for signage to attract someone to the Acoma property. It had a practical purpose . She stated she would like to see the two parcels stay together in terms of redevelopment. May or Woodward said that's fine, but just for clarification, the signage was envisioned as only temporary. Ms. Rogers said if you left that property open it could be used as a draw if you develop the entire Acoma property. The Acoma property would have visibility from the Broadway corner, thereby making it more desirable and/or marketable. Chair Weeks said there is a fair amount of value to this property . Are there going to be any issues? The last property we granted to the City was basically minor pieces here and there. Secretary's note: The answer was no, but could not hear who spoke. Chair Weeks said then the only reason for putting together this request is to assemble the two properties into one. Mayor Woodward asked Mr. Oakley if assembling the two properties would be correct. Mr. Oakley stated he would let Mayor Woodward speak . Mayor Woodward said the idea was to assemble the two properties into one . 4 • • • Chair Weeks said couldn't the same be said for the Acoma property? Mayor Woodward said yes, the same could be said and has been said. Ms. Rogers asked if anyone else had any thoughts on the proposal. Mr. Bertoluzzi asked for clarification; he would like to know if this is an official request from Council or is it, as it says in the packet, an Englewood City Council Member requesting this? Mayor Woodward stated it was a request from Council. Mr. Bertoluzzi again asked if Council is asking for it or is one Council member asking for it. Mayor Woodward again said it is Council. Executive Director White confirmed it was Council making the request. Ms. Rogers said if the EURA had another developer lined up for the Acoma property and they did not want that corner, then she would be for doing it. She said she's not for interfering with City Council having the parcel; she's for waiting until the EURA finds out what the next person really wants. It seems premature at this time. It's not a good time to ask the EURA what with having to start all over. Mr. Burns said he tends to agree. We should work with the City in developing the properties. If there is a time when someone wants to develop parcels #24 through #2 7, and doesn 't want the corner, we can always do it then. Ms. Rogers agreed that would be the appropriate time. Executive Director White stated Staff presented Council with several options. Obviously, there are some advantages to a developer having it under one ownership, whether it is City or the EURA On the other hand, having it in two separate ownerships forces cooperation between the City and the EURA He stated Staff did not have a recommendation as to which way to proceed. He believes it is workable either way. Mr. Burns stated he is not against cooperating with the City on it at all; we should look forward to doing that. Mayor Woodward asked if it is more of a timing issue. The members said yes. Mr. Roth said if there is something on the table, then it becomes a different issue . Council Request for the Englewood Urban Renewal Authority to transfer property #29 to the City failed for lack of a motion . VI. ELECTION O F OFFI C ER S ~ Mr. Roth moved: Mr. Weddle seconded: TO RETAIN THE CURRENT OFFICERS: MR. WEEKS AS CHAIR AND MS. ROGERS AS VICE CHAIR AYES: NAYS: Bertoluzzi, Roth, Weeks, Gallardo, Rogers, Burns , Weddle None 5 • • • ABSTAIN: ABSENT: None None The motion carried. VII . 2 00 9 BUDGET APPRO VA L [filJ Executive Director White reviewed the 2009 numbers and asked that the members approve the proposed Budget. The Authority discussed several line items of the proposed budget. Mr. Burns moved: Chair Weeks seconded : TO APPROVE RESOLUT ION NO . 1, SERIES OF 2009 TO APPROVE THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 , 2009 AYES: NAYS: ABSTAIN : ABSENT: Bertoluzzi, Roth, Weeks, Gallardo, Rogers, Burns, Weddle None None None The motion carried . VIII. DIRE CTOR 'S CHOI CE ~ Executive Director White stated the way finding sign proposed for the corner of Broadway and Englewood Parkway may not be located on EURA property . The consultant recommended the sign be placed in the median. The Chamber of Commerce is looking at holding a farmers market during the summer in Englewood. They have considered using parcel #29 along with City property. If it moves forward Staff will be bringing it to the Authority for approval. Ms. Rogers felt that is a good use of the property. Mayor Woodward said this is coming from the Englewood Chamber of Commerce. They are working with a group that runs several farmers markets in Denver and they have a commitment from 15 vendors . There is a preliminary draft agreement that is being developed . The agreement would require both EURA and City approval since it would be held on both parcels #29 and #30. The market would be he l d on Saturdays. Ms. Rogers said the remainder of the Acoma property could then be used for crafts. She said there is a website called Create Denver that puts out an email every week or so , so it would be very easy to contact all the urban artists . 6 • • • May or Woodward said one of the t hings the Chamber has negotiated is that they would hav e four tent areas in which they cou ld utili ze one for the Chamber, one or two for artists, one for non-profits (schools, Girl Scouts), etc. Ms . Rogers said having an art fair might be a good idea. It could start at the Acoma location and then mov e it if a developer comes along . Mr. Burns noted ther e are a number of artists in the Englewood area . Executive Director White said Staff will work with the Chamber and see what th e possibilities are . IX. COMMISSIONER'S CHOICE lfill Chair Weeks thanked Mr. Bertoluzzi and Englewood Arts for all the work they have done on the Acoma project. He stated he was sad to see the termination lette r and hopefull y the project will happen in the future. Mr. Burns asked Mr. Anderson to fill in the Authority as to how far they really got; what contacts were actuall y made and were there any expressions of support. Mr. Anderson said they didn't get to that stage . He said the problem they ran into was that they got bogged down with a lot of smaller details that we probably should have had a better handle on than we did. Looking back we should have worked more on funding rather than the site issues. There is not a good solution to the parking issues and there seems to be a very strong sentiment among the business community that the y want that lot to be a parking lot, which is going to be a problem for you going forward . He stated they are hoping to find another site in downtown Engle w ood . Mr. Bertoluzzi expressed his appreciation to everyone on the Board for all of their cooperation and support over the past 18 months . He stated Englewood Arts always f elt whatever was brought to the table was welcome and the Board treated us and th e project with great respect. He said in the 10 years he has been working on this project the first true support he has experienced with the City was in this room . Ms. Weddle said hopefull y the econom y will be mu c h improved 111 several years and suggested the y come back and try again . Mr. Burns thanked Mr. Bertoluzzi for ten years of dedication to this project. He said it was a privilege to help with it. Mr. Bertoluzzi said he appreciated that and the art center remains our number one priority. He said he hopes the project becomes a reality in Englewood. Mayor Woodward asked what the status of the Walker Parking study was. Executi v e Director White stated Staff has a draft copy the y are reviewing. It will be brought forward to the EURA and City Council as to what their recommendation is . Chair Weeks asked how the Acoma property is being advertised . How do de v elopers kno w it is available? 7 • Executive Director White said by contacting the City, looking at County records or Staff sending out a Request for Proposal. Ms . Rogers asked if the property can be listed. Executive Director White said he was not sure but would look into it. Under the Urban Renewal law you must solicit proposals for development. Mayor Woodward asked about listing it on englewoodsites.com. Executive Director White will check into that also. Placing s1gnage on the property was discussed. It was determined that a bid be obtained for signage . • • There was no further business to come before the Authority; the meeting was declared adjourned at 7:30 p .m. Barbara Krecklow, 8 • • • The recording secretary conducted a poll of seven Englewood Urban Renewal Authority members via email to approve the Minutes of January 14, 2009. DATE: January 2 7, 2009 The Minutes of January 14, 2009 were approved. AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Bertoluzzi, Roth, Weddle, Gallardo, Rogers, Weeks None Burns None