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AGENDA--OWOSSO DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY,
OCTOBER 4, 2006
7:45 A.M.
-- CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
BUILDING
1) Call meeting to order, roll call [see attendance chart on
reverse side].
2) Approval of minutes—Meeting of
September 6, 2006
3) Communications:
Advice on Newsletter Content
4) Financial Status and Report—Operational Funds:
A. Checking.......................
$ 4,865.94
B.
Savings......................... $ 25,256.41
....................... Total $ 30,122.35
5) Tax Increment/Development Plan Budget Status (see attached
sheets for discussion).
6) Citizen Comments.
Items of Business.
1) Bills to be paid:
a. Organizational
Expenses—
Michigan Downtown
Assoc. Reg’n Fee............... $ 85.00
Chamber—Retail
Recruitment Contract$............. $ 1,500.00
Fred Peterson—Sidewalk Sign Construction........
$ 120.00
Total:............................................. $
1,705.00
b. Tax Increment
Development Plan Expenses—
Focus Owosso
Contract Payment #1.................. $ 4,000.00
Total:............................................. $ 4,000.00
2) Old Hotel Site Status—Purchase Offer/Grant Amendment Request
3) Work on Definition of an Entertainment District Boundary
4) Reports:
a) Retail Recruitment/Retention Report
b) Loop Trail Work Plan Status/Boundary Amendment
c) Armory Development
d) Welcome Sign
e) Capitol Bowl Infrastructure Work
f)
Focus Owosso Activity and
New Assistant
Member and Citizen Comments
Adjournment
[The City of
Owosso will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such
as signers for the hearing impaired and audio tapes of printed materials
being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities at the
meeting/hearing upon 72 hours notice to the City of Owosso. Individuals
with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids on services should contact the
City of Owosso by writing or calling Gregg Guetschow, City Manager, 301 W.
Main St, Owosso, MI 48867 (989) 725-0568 or on the Internet. The City of
Owosso Website address is www.ci.owosso.mi.us.]
MINUTES – CITY OF
OWOSSO
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
MEETING OF OCTOBER 4, 2006
Chairman Oliver called the meeting to order at 7:47 a.m.
Roll Call.
Members Present:
Chm. John Oliver, John Hankerd, Craig Wright, Dave Lazar,
Barb Bucsi, Mayor Robertson, Rich
Collins, April Treen and
Bill Gilbert
Members Absent: None
Others Present:
Dir. P. Hathaway, Renita Mikolajczyk, G. Ramos, L. Shepard,
and B. Constine
Chairman Oliver welcomed April Treen to the Board. She replaces the term
of Jamie Irish.
Approval of Minutes.
The minutes of the meeting of September 6, 2006 were approved with the
correction that John Oliver should have been named as Chairman.
Wright/Bucsi m/s/p
Communications:
The City Council adopted the 2006 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The
plan has two major projects for the downtown in the next five years and
that is the upgrade of Jerome Street for trail purposes and the
renovations of Curwood Castle Park.
The contents of a Fall Newsletter were discussed with the main
purpose being the introduction of Dave Gapinski as the Holiday Events
Coordinator for Focus Owosso.
Citizen/Member Comments:
None.
Financial Status.
A. Operational Budget.
Checking.............................................. $ 4,865.94
Savings................................................ $
25,256.41
Total.................................................... $
30,122.35
B.
Development Plan Budget.
Funds Expended...................................
$ 90,473.12
Remaining Activities Budgeted...............
$ 83,269.88
Projected Fund Balance........................
$ 68.00
Items of Business.
A. Payment of Bills.
The following
expenses were authorized for payment:
1)
Organizational Expenses:
(1) Lennox
Electric (duplex outlets on Exchange)..... $ 650.00
(2) Mich. Downtown Assn Reg’n Fee..……………….$ 85.00
(3) Chamber-Retail Recruitment Contract…………..$.. 1,500.00
(2) Fred Peterson –
Sidewalk Sign Construction....... $ 120.00
Total:........................................................ $ 2,355.00
Gilbert/Robertson m/s/p
2) Tax Increment
Development Plan Expenses
(1) Capitol
Consultants Trail Engineering.................. $ 1,809.40
Gilbert/Robertson m/s/p
DDA
Minutes
October 4, 2006
Page 2 of 3
B. Old Hotel Site Status.
Hathaway distributed a site plan offered to the City Council for the
relocation of Fifth Third Bank. The elevation plan is in production and
could not be viewed at this time. The City Council advised staff to
relate concerns they had for the outstanding refund balance that would be
owed to the State of Michigan ($157,000) and encouraged an expanded
occupancy concept for the site to gain employees—the way to reduce the
obligation to the State. Additionally the site was deemed to be underused
by the structure’s footprint. The $100,000 was appreciated and continued
discussion with the bank was encouraged.
DDA members discussed the proposal and observed
that the parking plan did not take into account the surrounding alley, the
available city lot in the southwest corner of the block, and the Gilbert’s
lot to the west where some site design improvements were shown to be
possible with the prior development proposal. Members concurred that this
was a suburban land use model and that it broke the continuity of
buildings characteristic to the downtown and pedestrian friendly. The
left turn lane on M-21 was deemed too short a distance; it would clash
with the north bound left turn lane at
Washington Street. The
diagonal parking was considered very important on S. Washington because
this block is part of the entertainment district. Any need to create
vision clearance with parking removal would be a detriment to established
businesses. There was little support for the drive-through in this
historic corner of the downtown and perhaps too small a staging area for
only four vehicles on “payday” rush hours. Hathaway stated that the
drive-through would probably be considered a principle use feature and
requires a variance application with the City’s Zoning Board of Appeals
(Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Tim Horton’s and Chemical Bank branch bank are all
zoned for their drive-through facilities with their locations on the CBD
fringe). Bill Gilbert encouraged that if the site were to go to a town
square concept that more parking could be added without the loss of
significant greenspace and help the entertainment district evolving in
that area. Others preferred to retain the $247,000 for its dedicated use
for business development loans that have been the key to retail
development in small and large buildings.
The Fifth Third purchase offer extends to the end
of November, and the Council has asked staff to use that time to relay
concerns to the bank so that they have the opportunity to respond with
design solutions, financial offset and/or employee additions through
multiple tenant options.
C. Entertainment District
Designation and Enhancements.
With the opening of the Hot Spot at Capitol Bowl, Ex. Dir. Hathaway asked
the membership to discuss the timing and extent of marketing downtown
Owosso as an entertainment district. Given the nature of the widely
dispersed venues it was decided not to map a district at this time but to
adhere to the earlier action to establish a design group to lay out the
connecting walkway between the footbridge and the 1225 Museum. The new
liquor license provisions for downtowns were reviewed and the potential
for more dining/club establishments in the downtown was evaluated or
adding liquor licenses to existing restaurants. In the future a banner
program featuring the entertainment nature of the downtown will be
considered. Focus
Owosso has been asked to upgrade its marketing to build-on the perception
of Owosso’s well-earned reputation as a leisure time center in the County
and region. Focus Owosso will increase special events in the downtown
that will draw people who will take advantage of the entertainment
outlets.
D. Reports.
1) Retail Recruitment/Retention.
George Ramos had no
updates since the last meeting. Hathaway reported that the Strawberry
Patch vacancy has been added to the potential retail outlets in the
downtown. The east vacant space in the
Dollar Daze Building
has been renovated and is available for lease or purchase on the ground
floor. Jeff Bowen is returning to the Owosso area to open an electronics
repair shop at what used to be Ray’s Printing on W. Main Street. The
second story of the Martial Arts Center is now a completely remodeled
dance studio called The Dance Place. It expands the use of the downtown
in the evenings with parents doing errands while their children are in
dance class.
DDA
Minutes
October 4, 2006 Page
3 of 3
2) Loop Trail Status. The City Council conducted the
hearing on the boundary amendment and there was no public comment. The
resolution to amend the boundary is scheduled for November 20, 2006. The
engineering for the trail is 80% complete and that allows a grade
inspection by MDOT and the signing of a grant contract with MDOT. The DNR/MDEQ
continues to grub and clear the trail on the south side of the river.
They are now working near the Washington Street Bridge. The next two
weeks will see contaminated soil removal. The City
approved the bid on the earth materials that the DDA will buy for the
trail and the low bid is within budget; the actual purchase of material
awaits MDOT approval of the engineering specifications.
3) Armory Development.
There is no word from the
State on the grant application for acquisition of the site. This is
another grant that requires new employment and the recent experience at
the old hotel corner may argue against the grant if there is no acceptable
buyer identified prior to the commitment to use the state funds. The sale
date for the Department of Military Affairs remains uncertain despite the
November/December move-in date at the new Armory in Corunna. Letters to
interested persons, about 13 from prior marketing efforts, will be mailed
again and the ad hoc committee should meet in October or November to
discuss the relative merits of the acquisition plan. There is no response
to date on our effort to gain an easement for the trail behind the
building.
4. Welcome Sign.
The sign face will cost $300 and Agnew Graphics will make the sign. There
was consent to seek a landscaping plan for the sign front and sides and to
present the cost at the next meeting. The sign budget at $4,000 is low
and will likely exceed the $5,000 cost of the 1985 sign at Taco Bell. The
Welcome Sign is budgeted in the operational budget after a city decision
to defer payment on the principle for the demolition loan at the old
hotel.
5. Holiday Decorations.
It was decided during the
budget discussion above to place all six wreaths on the south side of
Exchange Street from Ball Street to Washington Street.
6. Capitol Bowl Infrastructure Work. The trees are installed and will be lighted for the
holidays. The sidewalks will be completed by October 7th.
Hathaway showed the landscaping plan along the east and west walls of the
building—a first for the west wall in a public sidewalk. A maintenance
agreement with the owners will provide for care and appearance for the
landscaping.
Two
trees behind JC Penney’s were removed at the same time because they have
been a source of trip and falls. Sidewalks had to be removed about the
tree islands because the locust tree roots lifted them. Hathaway asked
that the tree budget for East Main, in part, be relocated to these two
trees. This pattern of sidewalk upheaval and the effort it takes to
remove the locust trees will reduce the expectations for what $10,000 per
year can do in a city block.
7.
Focus Owosso Activity.
Bill Gilbert outlined the fall and holiday events, the 4th
Quarter coordinator’s duties, the longer term objectives of the
organization and his optimism for the promotional efforts underway. The
Art Walk was deemed a great success and demonstrates the power of
partnerships to enable organization and implementation of a special
event—in this case the contributions from the Shiawassee Arts Council.
Citizen/Member Comments.
None.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:10 a.m.
___________________________________________________
Philip B. Hathaway,
Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director
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