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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-08-17 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wed., August 17, 2011, 3:00 pm City Council Chambers MINUTES Councilors: Chair Weston, Blanchette and Durgin Staff: Conlow, McKay, Bolduc, Patterson (Shirar), Pereira, Heitmann, Willette and Inman 1. Approval of Revised VOANNE Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement and Maine State Housing Authority – Amended and Restated Assignment of Credit Enhancement Agreement Rod McKay reviewed this item for the Committee. There are several lenders involved with the project on Harlow Street built by VOANNE (Volunteers of America Northern New England). The two documents at hand deal with agreements between the lending parties should anything go wrong with the project. The City Council agreed to make an $18,000 loan to the project to do landscaping off-site on City of Bangor property between Curve Street and the project site. This is a loan that’s forgiveable th 1/20 each year for 20 years as long as the project rents to low and moderate income people. The agreement states that the City is in last place if anything should go wrong. City Solicitor Norman Heitmann requested that staff put this item on the BED Committee agenda. However, he’s not ready to put it on the City Council agenda; when it does get to the City Council it will be in its final version. Staff is requesting Committee’s approval to move forward with these two agreements to the City Council. Councilor Durgin made a motion to table this item for now and that staff bring this item back to the BED Committee for further discussion. Councilor Blanchette seconded. Unanimous Committee vote. 2. Ongoing Committee Topics a. Power Point Presentation – Landscape Buffer Requirements, History and Current Requirements Rod McKay stated that there has been concern about the requirements in business and industrial zones with respect to the amount of landscaping the City requires between the buildings and the property line referred to as set back buffer yards. In the City’s site plan approval process there are buffer yard requirements. Staff reviewed these requirements and how they evolved. Councilor Blanchette inquired as to what federal and state restrictions the City of Bangor is under and why we have to do several different types of hardwood or fir trees in one development. David Gould, Planning Officer, responded that there are no federal or state requirements with regard to trees and shrubs if the City doesn’t want to. You don’t have to review any site plans if the City doesn’t want to – that’s something that the City has seen value in and has chosen to do – it’s not required. Councilor Blanchette responded that she agrees with the requirement for site plan approval but when you have abutting lots that are owned by the same landlord she feels it is unnecessary to put a buffer of 17-18 evergreens between Lot A and Lot B if they’re owned and are not infringing on Lot B’s rights as a tenant. She added that the City has never adjusted their site plan development to downscale it for industrial parks. Putting the same restrictions on industrial parks as are on residential/abutting residential she does not agree with. Chair Weston asked David Gould if there’s a summary of this particular ordinance that he could verbalize. David responded that in the industry and service district there is no requirement for buffers in the side yards for permitted uses; this was eliminated from the ordinance in 2007 - 2009. David further responded to concerns about amount of landscaping required vs. being able to see the building(s). He stated that all buildings in Bangor that meet these landscape standards are very visible - all of the new developments done in General Commercial and Service, such as Tractor Supply, Lowes development, the Marriott Courtyard, the Hilton Garden Inn, are all designed to meet the City’s standard. This is the same standard the City is asking to be done on Odlin Road. When it’s an industry site, the rear and side buffer requirements were deleted. If it’s development at the Maine Business Enterprise Park (MBEP) the covenants in which those medical offices are in, it is a covenant – it can be taken out of the zoning. b. Downtown / Lower Main Street Zoning Rod McKay stated that staff is working on a Community Development Plan for the lower Main Street area. The entire area encompasses Main Street to Third Street and from Union Street to Buck Street. The proposed development plan will include existing land uses, conditions of infrastructure, zoning, utility services, parks & open space, nonconformities, and a recommended improvement plan. He proceeded to review its progress and seek further guidance from the Committee on issues they want addressed. David Gould further reviewed the outline of staff’s plan to the Committee. He stated that staff discussions have proposed that this plan should be continued all the way down Main Street. This is possible as much of lower Main Street is industrial with some inter-mixed residential but staff does not have a clear boundary as to what the Committee wants to include in the evaluation in terms of how far back into the industrial park they want to go or to address only properties that front on Main Street. GIS data shows that there are 171 parcels within this district that are zoned URD-1 (single family residential); 63% of those are single family homes. In the area that is URD-2, 38% of those are single family homes. But within the URD-1, 81% of the lots are sub-standard (they do not meet the minimum lot size). These are older lots and do not meet today’s land development code requirement for a 10,000 sq. ft. minimum. In the URD zoned part, 69% of those lots are sub-standard in terms of area to accommodate the number of units that are in the buildings. This information gives insight about this project area as it shapes up, compared to the minimum zoning requirements. Councilor Durgin asked if the sub-standard lot sizes preclude current owners from making changes on their property or does it just affect anyone buying that property and moving forward. David replied that these lots are generally ‘grandfathered’ – the lots preexisted long before the City’s minimum requirement of 10,000 sq. ft. However, if the situation is where you’ve got at or more the lot coverage, you cannot expand your house because you cannot increase the non-conformity. Councilor Durgin further asked David if he’s recommending a clarification of that or change to that. David replied that staff wants to make sure if they go down the analysis through as is in the outline and evaluate the condition of the streets, the width of the streets, the sidewalks, the buildings and the uses and come up with potential recommendations, that’s what you’re looking for. We just want to make sure that if we put 2-3 months in to doing this, we end up with a project that Staff and Committee were looking for. Chair Weston asked David Gould to put into written form his presentation so that it can be circulated to the full Council. Chair Weston added that he will get clear direction from Council for David in order that this can be moved forward, as time is of the essence. c. Power Point Presentation – Overview of City Development Parcels Leased, Sold and Available for Development Rod McKay did a power point presentation of the City’s properties/sites that are available or presently have been developed in their various business and industrial parks or sites that are available for development. Properties covered in the presentation were the Dow Air Force Base that included the Godfrey Field that was deeded back to the City in 1968; the area off TelCom Drive; the Ermetia & Valley Development on Union Street; and the Maine Business and Enterprise Park. All of these properties were released from the original deed restrictions that allow the City to sell the property rather than just leasing and also released all of the restrictions that all revenues had to go to support the airport operations, allowing those funds to come back and go into the City’s Economic Development fund which was established in 1996. These funds are used to develop our business industrial parks and to do our economic development operations. Properties in the aeronautical area of the airport such as the terminals, runways, hangars are all managed by the airport and any revenue we derive from those properties go to the Airport fund. All of the non-aeronautical areas of the former Dow Air Force Base under the City ordinances are managed by the Dept. of Community & Economic Development. The revenues depending on where they’re located either go to the Airport fund or to the Economic Development fund. There are also various properties around the City that they own and use for economic development purposes that go to the Economic Development fund. The City has a side agreement with the BanAir Corporation to market and manage many of the airport’s non-aeronautical properties. BanAir is staffed by Community and Economic Development staff. BanAir performs functions for the City at their direction and permission. BanAir Executive Manager, Steve Bolduc of the Economic Development office, reviewed through a power point presentation, the various properties and locations BanAir manages. Chair Weston stated that he’d like to take Item 5 - Golf Course issue next, putting the Executive Session item last. 3. Golf Course 12-Month Financial Review Tracy Willette, Parks & Recreation Director, stated that as the BED Committee members had asked for some financial review of the golf course. However, it has comes to his attention today that the City’s Finance Director, Debbie Cyr is not available today as she had to go home sick. She was to present a financial report for Committee at today’s meeting. Tracy asked with the Chair’s indulgence that this item be tabled until the next meeting. Committee agreed to table this item until the next regularly scheduled Business and Economic Development Committee meeting. A motion was made by Councilor Durgin to go into Executive Session – Economic Development – Land Disposition – 208 Maine Avenue – 1 M.R.S.A. § 405 (6) ( C ). 4. Executive Session – Economic Development – Land Disposition – 208 Maine Avenue – 1 M.R.S.A. § 405 (6) ( C ) 5. Committee Action on Above Item No Committee action was taken.