HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-P&DB-1997-03-19 PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
MINUTES
MARCH 19, 1997
Present: Susan Blumenthal, Chair;Alan J. Cohen,Mayor;John Efroymson,Rick Gray,John
Johnson,Pam Mackesey,Jane Marcham, Sara Shenk. Staff: H. Matthys Van Cort,Director of
Planning &Development, Herman Sieverding,Deputy Director of Planning &Development,
Rick Eckstrom,Building Commissioner.
Committee Members' Reports
John Efroymson reported that he had met with Pam Mackesey and Cynthia Yahn to discuss the
issue of parking on Fulton Street. He said it is their intention to ask the governor to become
involved in this issue. The assistance of Assemblyman Luster and Senator Seward is also going to
be requested.
Public Comment
Daniel Klein, Citizens Planning Alliance,read a statement in opposition to the city's disposing of
the"festival lands"to Finger Lakes State Parks.
1. Disposition of City-Owned Land
Herman Sieverding gave background on the work staff had done to assemble a list of all city
owned land. A spreadsheet has been created,which identifies certain parcels as suitable for
disposition. As an example, Sieverding said that the BPW had described a 100' right-of-way
along Elmira Road. This left certain other parcels as surplus. The department will use the digital
camera to add images to the files for each of these projects. Sieverding will distribute the list to
city department heads for verification of the data, and to determine if there are uses for the parcels
by the city.
Council Committee Structure
John Efroymson commented on the Council's new committee structure. He said that it was his
feeling that because the committee's are now made up of all Council members and the Mayor,
that members are no longer taking ownership of the items that come before them in committee
and are becoming estranged from the process. He suggested that the committee structure should
be on the agenda. Blumenthal suggested that the three committee chairs' meet with the Mayor to
discuss whether the new committee structure is working.
2. Economic Development Plan
Blumenthal discussed the proposals for conducting an Economic Development Plan that were
submitted to the city by East-West Consultants and Tom Niederkorn. Blumenthal said that
Mayor Cohen, Rick Gray, Sara Shenk,Art Pearce, Fred Rogers, Angela Noble, Cindy Phillips,
Joyce Walker, Michael Stamm,Van Cort, Sieverding and she had met the previous week to
discuss the alternate proposals. Blumenthal also explained that a small group, including Joyce
Walker, Angela Noble, Art Pearce, Fred Rogers and she had met in the Fall to work on a vision
statement. Mayor Cohen explained that he felt it was important for the city to do its own
Economic Development Plan,since there are issues that pertain specifically to the city, such as
employment, specific city sites available for development,zoning and other laws which affect the
regulatory environment.
Mayor Cohen said that the TCAD process was likely to be less inclusive than that proposed for
the city.
Mackesey stated that she would like to see another city representative, in addition to the Mayor
involved in the TCAD plan. Van Cort noted that he would be on the technical committee for the
development of the TCAD plan.
Blumenthal asked whether the committee was ready to consider these proposals for action at the
April meeting of Common Council. Johnson said that,although he was in agreement in principle,
he wanted to see the proposals in writing before acting.
Mackesey said she was strongly in favor of preparing an Economic Development Plan,both the
city's and TCAD's. She also said she was strongly in favor of the most participatory process
possible. She said she feared that the city might be"penny wise and pound foolish"if too little
money was spent on preparation of the plan. She stated the city should prepare the best plan
possible even if it were slightly more expensive.
Blumenthal said that staff participation under the Niederkorn proposal would be relatively minor,
and that was an important consideration given present staffing limitations in the department.
Sieverding suggested that Tom Niederkorn and East-West Consultants get together to discuss
how they could work together on the Economic Development Plan.
Efroymson asked who on Council actually had discussed this plan. He suggested that more time
was necessary to make sure the plan was in the form that Council wanted. He said that he was
concerned that the city's plan not duplicate the work done by TCAD. Gray and Mackesey both
said that the committee should meet again to discuss this and that Council should take the time to
do this right.
Staff was directed to talk with East-West and Niederkorn Associates to see if there is interest on
their part in working on the plan together. As soon as staff had a combined proposal, it would be
brought back to the Council subcommittee for consideration.
3. Zoning Changes
Accessory Apartments
Rick Eckstrom said that since the passage of the accessory apartment ordinance in 1985, only 14
permits had been issued for accessory apartments. Two of those were not built and three of those
that were built are no longer in use.
Eckstrom said he could not conceive of a reason why a permit would not be reissued upon sale of
a property. Shenk moved and Efroymson seconded that the proposed amendment, allowing
accessory apartment permits to run with the land,be brought to Council for action.
In response to a question by Mackesey,Eckstrom explained the difference between a duplex and
accessory apartment. In response to a question,Eckstrom said that there are no complaints on
record regarding properties which contain accessory apartments.
The committee directed the Building Commissioner to report back in 18 months regarding the
volume of permits that have been issued during that time. After a brief discussion,Efroymson
moved and Mackesey seconded that the proposed changes be referred to Council for action.
Carried unanimously.
Temporary Structures
Eckstrom explained that concern had been expressed regarding temporary structures specifically
along Meadow Street and Elmira Road These included flower vendors,BBQ chicken vendors,
purveyors of velvet Elvis pictures and sales of second-hand furniture. Eckstrom said that there
are no provisions in the zoning ordinance to regulate these uses. At this time,the only regulations
which control them are fire regulations.
In response to a question as to who was concerned about this, Efroymson said that'the owners of
retail businesses and restaurants feel that these temporary vendors compete unfairly with stores
and restaurants that pay taxes and have other overhead expenses. He said that, in his opinion,
these temporary businesses generate trash, are unattractive, and create traffic problems.
The committee unanimously agreed that they would like to regulate these uses. It was suggested
that time limits could be imposed on the use of such structures. Such regulations could limit both
the total amount of time during any year that such a structure was in place,as well as regulating
the continuous period during which such a structure could be erected before its use had to be
discontinued. Marcham suggested that she would be interested in what other communities do to
regulate similar uses.
4. Downtown Design Plan
After a brief discussion of minor changes to the proposed resolution,it was referred to Council
for approval.
5. Work Program
Blumenthal explained the proposed changes recommend by the Planning and Development Board.
Efroymson urged the Council to include cable refranchising in the department's work program.
With relatively minor modifications,the work program was unanimously referred to Council for
adoption by the committee.
6. Flood Control Channel Dredging
Van Cort gave a short history on the Army Corps of Engineers plan to dredge the Flood Control
Channel south of State Street. After a brief discussion, Van Cort was asked to come back to
Council with prices for using heavier stone along the banks of the Flood Control Channel than
were called for in the Army Corps of Engineers specifications. No action was taken.
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