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Home My WebLink About1996-10-09 Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes COMMUNITY&ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, October 9, 1996 @5:00 PM � MINUTES COMMITTEE PRESENT: Councilor Chris Popper, Chair Councilor Pat Blanchette Councilor Charles Sullivan STAFF - PRESENT: Councilor James Tyler Rodney G. McKay, Director of Community&Economic Development John Lord, Planning Officer Dan Wellington, Code Enforcement Officer Erik Stumpfel, City Solicitor Jim Ring, City Engineer Gary Jewell, Parking Supervisor Lt. Winslow, Bangor Police Dept. OTHERS PRESENT: Various Bangor Residents (See attached listing) Sister Norberta, St. Joseph's Hospital Don Evans, Chief Operating Office, St. Joseph's Hospital • The meeting was called to order by Committee Chair, Councilor Chris Popper, at 5:00 PM. AGENDA ITEM#1 - Center Street Parking Sister Norberta of St. Joseph's Hospital spoke to the Committee stating that the hospital administration is trying to solve this issue and appreciates the concerns of the neighborhood. She extended the hospital's apologies for any inconveniences. She then introduced Don Evans, Chief Operating Officer at St. Joseph's hospital who spoke further on this matter. Mr. Evans stated that a number of different strategies have been tried by the hospital to off-set employee parking in the area. Some have worked; some have not. The City has offered the hospital and its contractors the use of the lot at the Naval Reserve Center; it has helped some with getting construction crews to park there but not significantly. The contractor has recently gone to 4-day work days with 10-hour days in an effort that on 1 day a week they have minimal crews on the construction site. St. Joseph's (with the permission of the City) is also clustering vehicles on several vacant lots on their campus;this is working well with a good response from the subcontractors also. They have adequate parking for their staff and for all the subcontractors as well who are working on this project. He did state to the neighborhood residents that, however, he has no authority to force his employees or the subcontractors to not park on a City • street; if they're parked legally there is nothing he can do;he can only ask for their cooperation and in the past 3-4 weeks he has seen the employees cooperating. He further explained the upcoming construction schedule for the next 3-4 weeks whereby the exterior work should be completed. This will take a significant number of vehicles off the site. He does not know of any additional influx of workers that will be coming onto the site. Their new emergency department 2/ � is scheduled to open on November 21 st. He admitted that the problem is not yet solved but that he will continue to work to do so. Mr. Evans then took questions from the Committee and audience. At previous C&ED meetings, neighborhood residents in the vicinity of St. Joseph's Hospital suggested that "Resident Only" permits be issued to them. City Staff has since reviewed this concept with other communities in Maine,N.H. and Connecticut. The findings were that for the most part this has been a successful program; enforcement of the program in Portland has not been a problem-the administration of the permits is done by the parking enforcement division. Lt. Winslow has some concerns with residential permit only because of service vehicles in the area. He doesn't think it appropriate to excuse ticketing such vehicles but that in most cases it probably would not be done. Councilor Blanchette asked why the signs cannot read "Residential Parking Except for Delivery or Service Vans". She sees no problem with the residential parking only permits. � Mary Sullivan of Grant Street questioned the range of the area that the resident parking only permits will cover. She also questioned as to why representatives from St. Joseph's Hospital were not present at previous Committee meetings on this subject. Councilor Popper responded that representatives were present at tonight's meeting at his invitation after the last , meeting resulted with a request that they be invited to present their role in this issue. • John Lord, Planning Officer, outlined the area to be designated for resident parking only. City Solicitor, Erik Stumpfel, indicated that as long as there is a rational basis for such an ordinance and that no particular group is being targeted,then there should be no problems withstanding the scrutiny of the court if such a situation should arise. He further recommended that if Bangor passes such an ordinance that they model it after Portland's. Committee requested that Staff draft an ordinance for first reading at the City Council meeting (Wednesday, October 16th at 7:30 PM) a Resident Parking Permit system whereby permits and signs will be used excepting service vehicles. Mary Sullivan further inquired if this will be in conformity to ordinances that have been set for Eastern Maine Medical Center's employees,patient visitors, etc. Erik Siumpfel replied that his recommendation to the Committee and the Council will be that they adopt a new schedule,then streets can be added to or deleted from that schedule as the Council deems necessary. It will be adaptable. This item will come back to the C&ED Committee on Wednesday, October 23rd (after going to the Council for 1 st reading on October 16th)with potential adoption at the Council meeting on Monday, October 28th. Passage of an Ordinance requires 5 affirmative votes. � 3/ • AGENDA ITEM#2 - C.O, 96-387-Amending Chapter III, Art. 6, Section 2.4., Schedule I of the Laws and Ordinances of the City of Bangor-Parking Prohibited at All Times Planning Officer John Lord updated the Committee on the intent of this ordinance adoption which is to institute no parking on either side of Pearl Street between Mt. Hope Ave. & Garland Street. (This item is a companion to ITEM#3). AGENDA ITEM#3 - Order-Amending Schedule II under Chapter III,Art. 5, Sec. 17 of the Laws and Ordinances of the City of Bangor- One Way Streets - Pearl Street Some residents on Pearl Street(from Mt. Hope to Garland Street) were not pleased with the one-way only travelling on their street. They have requested that it be put back to allow two- way traffic. This proposed amendment to the ordinance would reflect that change. A resident questioned how service vehicles that need to park on the street from time to time could do so since no parking is allowed. City Solicitor Erik Stumpfel replied that it is doubtful such vehicles would be ticketed, • and if ticketed, would be prosecuted by the court. Another resident stated that with a large family visiting often, her driveway does not accommodate the cars; having to ask her company to park one or two streets away is not sensible. She feels that the one-way with parking allowed on one side was fine -- she never had a problem with it. A motion was made and seconded to pass this item onto the Council without recommendation. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#4 - Main/Railroad Streets-Possible Site for the Sale of Christmas Trees Staff presented to the Committee a request from 3-4 private vendors for permission from the City to use the lot at the corner of Main and Railroad Streets in order to sell Christmas trees on a seasonal basis. The City acquired this property about 2 weeks ago. The former owner, Maine Central Railroad, had allowed vendors to sell Christmas trees on this lot. The lot is actually part of a proposed street as officially noted on the City map; consequently, no structure will be allowed to be built here. Staff feels strongly that this type of activity should not be allowed due to the additional traffic anticipated in the area with the opening of the new Shaws project. If allowed, Staff suggests it be put out to bid. • A motion was made and seconded to not approve any vendor activities on this lot as presented. So voted. 4/ • AGENDA ITEM#5 -Recommendation to Terminate Lease - Billboard on Main Street The Committee entered into the record a letter recently received from Jon Dawson stating his objection to allowing such a billboard in this location. This particular lease pertains to two billboards on Main Street which have been maintained by WHCF and Bangor Baptist Church on land which the City recently acquired from Maine Central Railroad. The billboard has been in place since 1982 and is exempt under state law and the City's ordinances from any requirement that it be removed within any set time frame; however, as landowners the City of Bangor now has an option to give a notice of termination of the lease that they formerly held with Maine Central Railroad. This lease allows 60 days in which to give notice. Staff recommends that notice be given because the policy within the City of Bangor has been to eliminate off-premises billboards and this has been consistently done over the last 10 years. This is the only off-premises billboard within the City of Bangor at present. A motion was made and seconded to direct Staff to terminate this lease as presented. So voted. • AGENDA ITEM#6 -Approving Lease with Safe-Hit Corporation Steve Bolduc, Economic Development Officer, presented to the Committee a lease with Safe-Hit Corporation for a single office,with approximately 200 s.f., located at 39 Florida Ave., at the airport complex. The building contains 3 other tenants with 1 vacant office which Safe-Hit is requesting lease of for the use as an administrative and sales office for their local representative. Safe-Hit provides trafFic management signage and other equipment. A motion was made and seconded to execute this lease as presented. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#7 -Approving Lease with James McClure d/b/a McClure's Landscaping Steve Bolduc presented a lease with James McClure who operates a landscaping business as well as a business whereby he removes communication towers for the FAA. He would combine the use of both of these aspects of his business at this site which basically requires outside storage. The site is located at the rear of the Bangor Armory - it is fenced in and has not been used since the armory vacated the parcel; it is now under the control of the Bangor International Airport.' This site is zoned Government&Institutional Use and in order to accommodate Mr. McClure's business it needs to be rezoned in order to use for commercial purposes. � A motion was made and seconded to approve this request as presented. So voted. 5/ s AGENDA ITEM#8 - Code Enforcement Update No items to report. AGENDA ITEM#9 - Planning Update Planning Officer John Lord updated the Committee on two recent items that will be going to the Planning Board at their next regular meeting-- 1)proposed medical office on Broadway near Grandview Ave. 2) contract zone change for parcel of land on Garland Street at corners of Pearl and Fruit Streets in order to provide to Habitat For Humanity for development of 2 single family residences. OTHER BUSINESS 1) Councilor Popper informed the Committee that a Public Hearing needs to be held at the next Council meeting for an amendment to the Community Development Consolidated Plan to clarify the City's intent to use future Community Development funds to repay funds borrowed • by the City for the purchase of the railroad property. 2) Rod McKay requested$8,000 in additional funds for improvements to the Snow Hill Corporation building such as drainage problems near the front door,paint the building, repair of the entryway, and replacing the chimney. The Committee had previously approved $65,000 for building improvements. A motion was made and seconded to approve this request as presented. So voted. 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