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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-10-05 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011, 5 pm, City Council Chambers Minutes Councilors Present: Chair Weston, Blanchette, Durgin, Gratwick, Hawes, Longo, Nealley and Palmer Staff: Conlow, McKay, Pereira Chair Weston stated that the Executive Session item would be taken up first (Item #2 & #3 on the Agenda). 1. Executive Session - Economic Development – Negotiations for Disposition of Waterfront Property – 1 M.R.S.A. § 405 (6) ( C ) 2. Committee Action on Above Item No Committee action was taken. 3. Update on Planned Waterfront Improvements – Staff Presentation Rod McKay presented an update on planned waterfront improvements stating that design work and permitting is progressing for the next phase of construction on the waterfront. It is hoped to get the permits and go out to bid by January 2012; receive bids back in February; begin construction in spring 2012 and complete it in the early part of 2013. Staff provided an overview of what remains to be done at the waterfront and begin the process of getting the Committee’s guidance on what areas they would like staff to undertake next. Rod stated that the areas being focused on are from Railroad Street downriver to Dutton Street and to several other areas of potential improvement work that might be done. The City Council authorized staff to do the design work and proceed with Part 5 & Part 6 of the planned improvements which come to about $483,000 and also to include Part 3 in the next bid set as an alternate. Since then there have been some changes; the recommendations for the 2011 bid approved by the City Council was a restroom building and the waterfront walkway at the coal tar area - the total estimated costs of these two areas was $483,522. The alternate, Part 3, had a cost estimate of $366,113 for a total of $849,655. The area currently being concentrated on is Part 5 & Part 6 which is the staging area for the coal tar remediation that was done and the location of the building to house the restrooms, control facilities for underground storm water containment tank. Later on it was recommended that the building be enlarged to include the potential of a take-out food restaurant to serve the waterfront area. The total estimated cost has increased to $904,600. Remaining future phases in the Waterfront Park are estimated to cost $3.6 million if everything is done as shown on the concept plan. Amphitheater area would be $1.5 million; wet playground at $960,000 (that the Council has told staff to hold off on); the dry playground that we have not moved forward on yet but the cost estimate is $530,000; great lawn at $284,000; Arboretum (downriver) cost of $340,000—all totaling $3.6 million. Staff is recommending that the Arboretum and dry playground be considered for the next projects to be undertaken. The great lawn is still a useable area; the amphitheater area is still useable and additional improvements to these areas could be delayed until staff is absolutely sure there is not more work to be done on coal tar cleanup. This is work that would be designed during 2012 and hopefully go out to bid as early as 2013 for whichever areas that the Committee decides should be done next. Staff is now looking for guidance from Committee on their thoughts. Councilor Longo and Nealley both expressed that the wet and dry playgrounds proposed should be deleted from the plan due to the high costs - do not see a need to spend a half million on this. Councilor Nealley added that we need to move very cautiously forward with the other projects as there may be parties interested in developing parcels at the waterfront; once the stage has been at the waterfront need to see what the City determines with respect to that. He further said he’s asking for more guidance from the Dept. of Community Development as to what it means to have the stage moved – where a permanent location may be and whether investments like the great lawn investment and place for the amphitheater right now are things that are even feasible to move forward on. Councilor Hawes is in favor of reassessing the dry playground – perhaps reconfigure it differently and costs; then start on the other end of the waterfront and do what is necessary on the other side of the tracks for the concerts. Councilor Durgin asked Rod McKay to give actual progress on Plan 5 & 6 and the alternate as described. Rod McKay replied that the design work for Parts 5 & 6 is nearing completion. Part 3 has not been done. The cost estimates, due to the expansion of the building, have taken up more money so we’ve held up on Part 3. Staff is in the process of permitting that work now and intends to get the permits before the end of this year and go out to bid in January 2012 with bids back for the Council’s consideration in February. In response to Councilor Gratwick’s inquiry as to where the money is coming from to pay for this, Rod replied that to date for Waterfront improvements, 40% of the funding has come from the Federal government; 30% from the state and 30% from the City. Funding for the next phase of work will come through the downtown TIF and the Downtown Community Development Block Grant allocation. The Council in recent years has appropriated $400,000 annually for waterfront improvements and $100,000 annually from Community Development funds. We presently have available in Downtown TIF funds and Community Development Block Grant funds already approved and allocated by the City Council of $777,000. If the Council does what they have done in the past, in June 2012 another $400,000 of TIF funds will be appropriated and another $100,000 in Community Development funds allocated for waterfront improvements, which allow the 2012 work to be done. Councilor Blanchette stated that the City Council needs to give serious thought as to what they want to develop at the waterfront to be all inclusive of families. Councilor Gratwick stated that he’d like to know some of the specifics of the dry playground as he feels the park is very important. He questioned the expense of putting a restaurant on the waterfront; likes the idea of starting with the arboretum. The great lawn and amphitheater can wait. Councilor Palmer stated that the cost for the park is too much – it would have to be a ‘spectacular’ park to justify that cost; it needs to be done with less of a budget. He is in favor of an arboretum but does not feel it is strong enough for that end of the walk and would recommend a piece of sculpture (that we already have envisioned to go at the other end). Suggested to consider asking the users of the dry park what they want – enlist the Bangor School Dept. and the schools, and Parks & Rec. to get ideas. Aside from the topic at hand, he mentioned that the skateboard park that is supposed to be built has not been started – the pieces of it are lying behind Public Works – it needs to be completed. Rod McKay stated that he is not looking for any decisions of the Committee tonight – he just wanted to bring them up-to-date where we’re at, what the current thinking of staff and the designers is so that Committee members can think about them as well. In the coming months, Committee can be prepared to make a decision on which of the individual elements to go forward with first. The decision needed in the immediate future is on the building itself – whether or not we want to include the take-out restaurant (so staff has the set of bid out documents ready to go out in January 2012). Staff will bring the planning and design people back for a meeting with the Committee to show what they have in concept for the playground. Rod added that he agrees with the Committee’s sentiments tonight that it would have to be a spectacular park for $500,000+ because we have been doing playgrounds for less than $100,000 all over the City. City Manager Conlow added that the direction that we are going in is to take a closer look at the playground – she also agrees that the $500,000 price tag is high. The next step will be the arboretum which is consistent with the direction we got last year; we will cost out the dry playground – we will not remove these elements from the drawings but keep them for some point in the future with the understanding that we’re not moving forward with paying for them unless the Council feels differently. We presume that it is the desire of the Council to move forward with the 700 foot addition for the take- out food restaurant, so we’re continuing with that approach. If there’s a change in this, staff needs to know so that they don’t bid out something Council doesn’t want. Councilor Durgin stated that we haven’t been asked this evening to vote on anything specific but if we’re going to go out to bid in the next couple of months for the work to be done in 2012 it is imperative for the Committee to express a position on this so that we can move forward. The information before us states what is going to go out to bid this Fall. He inquired of Rod if he has enough information at this time to move forward or does he need something more from this Committee? Rod replied that its his understanding that we’re moving ahead with the restaurant. The City Manager has meetings with the party that is interested in the take-out restaurant on the waterfront later this week so unless it changes, we won’t come back to the Committee. Councilor Durgin stated that we’re talking about conceptually doing something that needs to be done to finish this entire project – the arboretum, the amphitheater, the restaurant take-out building – these are all key to getting more people to use the waterfront. Important to move forward on this now. He emphasized that the restaurant proposed will be a ‘take-out’ food stand to be attached to the new restroom facility building. It will not be a full service restaurant nor will it be in competition with full service restaurants in that area. With respect to the dry park, he feels the cost figure needs to be looked at again and details as to what it will include and how will the money actually be spent. Chair Weston shared Councilor Bronson’s comments (in his absence) with the Committee that he is looking for a shade structure of some sort to be considered next to Part 4 area where there could be public seating and shade. Chair Weston added his comments that it is important to have well lit, well manicured trails from one side to the other of the waterfront, regardless of what is placed there (playground or amphitheater) with open green space. If that’s the only thing we accomplish – he would be pleased to put the cost into these amenities. Meeting adjourned.