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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-04-21 Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes COMMUNITY &ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, Apri121, 1999 @5:00 PM � MINUTES COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilor Joseph Baldacci Councilar John Rohman . Councilor Judy Vardamis Councilor Jerry Palmer OTHER COUNCILORS PRESENT: Councilor Pat Blanchette STAFF PRESENT: Edward A. Barrett, City Manager Rodney G. McKay, Director of Community & Economic Development Stanley C. Moses, Asst. C.D. Director Stephen Bolduc, Economic Development Officer Peter D'Errico, Economic Development Officer Sally Burgess, C.D. Development Projects Coordinator John Lord, Planning Officer Dan Wellington, Code Enforcement Officer Jim Ring, City Engineer Frank Comeau, Director of Parks & Recreation Norm Heitmann, Asst. City Solicitor • OTHERS PRESENT: David Beseda, Community Housing of Maine Kerry Sack, DMHMRSAS The meeting was called to order by Councilor Joseph Baldacci at 5:00 PM. ITEM#1 - Council Referral - 99-149 Ordinance, Amending the Sign Code - Chapter 260, Section 260-3, to clarify the definition of "Rotating Sign". A motion was made and seconded to recommend this amendment to the Sign Code to the full City Council as presented. So voted. ITEM#2 - Council Referral - 99-150 Ordinance, Amending the Sign Code - Chapter 260, Section 260-8A(7), to Permit One Freestanding Sign Per Primary Use Building. A motion was made and seconded to approve this amendment to the Sign Code to the full City Council as presented. So voted. ITEM #3 - Request of Habitat for Hurnanity for City Lot on Sanford Street Rod McKay, Director of Community &Economic Development, presented to the Committee a request by Habitat for Humanity for donation to their agency of a City lot on � Sanford Street in order to construct a single family house for an eligible family. This lot meets the City's minimum lot standard. Staff recommended approval. City Manager Barrett added that the City has expressed to Robby Speirs of Habitat for Humanity that the previously 2 homes built on Garland Street need to be landscaped as soon as possible. A motion was made and seconded to approve this request as presented. So voted. 2/ ITEM#4 - Request for License Agreement � Rod McKay presented a license agreement for several downtown businesses (New Moon Cafe, The Whig and Northeast International Business Journal)to hold a spring fling event on May 15 of this year. The areas to be used are the West Market Square,Norumbega Parkway, Kenduskeag Mall (a/k/a Hannibal Hamlin Park) and Broad Street in the downtown. Events to be included are a beer tent, vendors, children's events such as a petting zoo in the park and face painting, dancing and live music. This will be held as a companion event to Good Samaritan's Duck Race, to be held on the same day. A motion was made and seconded to approve this license agreement for the event and areas presented. So voted. ITEM#5 - City Interest in Acquiring Harold Slager Army Reserve Center Rod McKay stated that the City has been notified that the Harold Slager Army Reserve Center on Union Street has been determined to be surplus Government property and is available for disposal. HUD has determined that the property is not suitable for homeless purposes. The next step for the Government Services Administration(GSA) is to offer it to public entities for public use. If the City of Bangor is interested, it is required to formally notify the General Services Administration (GSA) of its interest in acquiring the property no later than May 12, 1999. Norm Heitmann, Asst. City Solicitor, has been working with GSA and the Department of � Education - the school department is interested in a facility for adult student alternative education. A motion was made and seconded to direct Staff to submit a letter of intent to GSA as to the School Department's interest in this facility for use as a location for its alternative education program. So voted. Councilor Baldacci noted for the record that Gail Kelly of Senator Snowe's Bangor office as well as staff from Senator Collins and Congressman John Baldacci's Bangor offices have worked hard on assisting the City of Bangor in this endeavor. ITEM#6 - Executive Session: Land Disposition (Pertaining to following Item) Not required. ITEM#7 - Consideration of an offer from Greenway Equipment Sales to Purchase Lot 6 in the BanAir Industrial Park Staff reviewed this item for the Committee stating that an earlier offer from Greenway Equipment Sales had been for considerable less then the asking price of$72,000. This item went before the BanAir Board; their recommendation was that it should not be sold for less then $60,000. Greenway Equipment has since submitted a second proposal for$60,000. � A motion was made and seconded to recommend to the full City Council acceptance of the current offer from Greenway Equipment of$60,000 for Lot 6 in the BanAir Industrial Park. So voted. 3/ ITEM #8 - Consideration of a Lease Agreement with Bangor Savings Bank for a Parcel of � Land on Maine Ave. Staff presented to the Committee for consideration a lease agreement with Bangor Savings Bank for a parcel of land, approximately 1.166 acres in size, adjacent to the former Federal Express Building at 203 Maine Ave. Bangor Savings Bank wishes to use this land for future expansion of their facility. They have agreed to the lease terms and conditions as set forth by the City which states that it will be coterminous with the existing land lease for 203 Maine Ave. which terminates in 2007 with two (2) ten (10) year options to extend the lease to 2027. The BanAir Board has recommended approval of this lease agreement under the terms and conditions as set forth. A motion was made and seconded to recommend approval of this lease agreement as presented. So voted. ITEM #9 - Consideration of an Amendment to a Lease Agreement with International Paper Company at 39 Florida Ave. Staff presented to the Committee for consideration an amendment to a lease agreement with International Paper Company for their location at 39 Florida Ave. They wish to terminate their lease of an office space that the�-have been using for their Petroleum and Minerals Division and would like to remove it from the description of the office space they lease. This would be � effective as of February 1, 1999; all other terms and conditions of the existing lease agreement would remain the same. The BanAir Board has recommended approval of this lease amendment and agreement under the terms and conditions as set forth. A motion was made and seconded to recommend approval as presented. So voted. ITEM #10 - Consideration of Approval of a Sublease Agreement for the Property at 361 Griffin Road from Jerry D. Conn to Hogan Road Motors Staff presented for consideration of approval a sublease agreement for the property at 361 Griffin Road from Jerry D. Conn to HoQan Road Motors. This is in conjunction with the acquisition of the assets of Beacon Cadillac Oldsmobile & Jeep by Hogan Road Motors. Provisions for subleasing are established in the lease and this request for consent of the City of Bangor to the sublease complies with those provisions. The BanAir Board has recommended approval of this sublease agreement. A motion was made and seconded to recommend approval as presented. So voted. ITEM#11 - Consideration of an Offer to Purchase 28 Maxwell Lane Staff presented to the Committee for consideration an offer from potential home buyers to. purchase the property at 28 Maxwell Lane. They have offered the City's asking price. Staff . recommends approval of this sale. A motion was made and seconded to approve this offer for the purchase of 28 Maxwell Lane. So voted. 4/ A motion was made to go into Executive Session. • ITEM#12 - Executive Session (pertaining to following Item) A motion was made to go out of Executive Session. ITEM#13 - Consideration of an Offer to Purchase 23 Randolph Drive A motion was made and seconded that the offer made on this property not be accepted. So voted. A motion was made to go into Executive Session. ITEM#14 - Executive Session- Property Disposition (Pertaining to following Item) A motion was made to go out of Executive Session. ITEM#15 - Consideration of Brooks Pharmacy Request to Purchase City Property - Corner of Broadway and Stillwater Ave. A motion was made and seconded to direct staff to continue working with Brooks Pharmacy on this project. So voted. A motion was made to go into Executive Session. ITEM #16 - Executive Session - Property Disposition A motion was made to go out of Executive Session. ITEM#17 - Consideration of Proposal from Nightingale Communities to Purchase and � Redevelop Former Naval Reserve Property - Essex Street A motion was made and seconded to direct staff to continue working with Nightingale Communities on this project. So voted. ITEM #18 - Review of Proposed FY 2000 Community Development Budget Staff reviewed the proposed Community Development Budget for FY 2000 for the period of July l, 1999 - June 30, 2000. It is espected that the City will receive federal Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG) in the amount of$1,252,000 and approximately $300,000 in program income for this period. At the next C&ED meeting to be held on May �, there will be a public hearing on the proposed use of these funds as well as to ask for a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council, at its May 10 meeting will be asked to approve the submission of the City's Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan and Proposed Use of Funds to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Discussion continued on the specific aspects and areas of the program where the funds can be used. Staff related to the Committee that at the next meeting this budget will have to be balanced and that they will be asked to recommend to the City Council a program where they would like to see these CDBG funds expended. _ ITEM#19 - Consideration of a Residential Rehabilitation Loan: 166 Broadway, Coinmunity � Housing of Maine Staff reviewed a loan request to the Committee for acquisition and rehabilitation of 166 Broadway by Community Housing of Maine (CHOM). This property will be redeveloped into a facility for women who have been abused and are having difficulties recovering from that abuse. 5/ The Department of Mental Health will provide the operating funds for this facility. A portion of � the financing ($246,210 for 30 years at 7% interest) will come from Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA); the City of Bangor is being asked to finance $58,900 for 20 years at 3% interest and the MSHA in combination with the Department of Mental Health will provide a $160,000 grant. MSHA has requested first mortgage position for their loan; the City will be in second position for the $58,900 mortgage financing and the third mortgage will be the $160,000 (0% interest no repayment schedule) for the MSHA and Department of Mental Health grant. Staff indicated that MSHA has approved its financing with all three loans secured by a first mortgage (without notifying the City of Bangor staf�. Staff does not recommend that the Committee approve this method. David Beseda of Community Housing of Maine and Kerry Sack of DMHRSAS and several others in attendance spoke to the Committee on behalf of the development of this facility. Staff recommended the approval of this loan in the amount of$58,900 with the security for the City's loan not being less then a second mortgage position subordinate only to the Maine State Housing Authority $246,210 first mortgage. A motion was made and seconded to approve this loan as Staff has suggested. So voted. A motion was made to go into Executive Session. ITEM#20 - Executive Session - Community Development Business Development Loan � Application A motion was made to go out of Executive Session. ITEM#21 - Consideration of Community Development Business Developinent Loaiz Application - Benjamin's A motion was made and seconded to approve the loan request for building improvements only in an amount not to exceed $17,000. So voted. ITEM#22 - Consideration of Creation of a New Neighbors Program Task Force Consisting of Realtors, Bankers and City Councilors to promote the Program (requested by Council Chair Baldacci) Committee directed Staff to eYplore the best approach to creating a task force for the New Neighbors Program. ITEM#23 - Planning Update No items to report. ITEM#24 - Code Enforcement Update No items to report. � Meeting adj ourned at approximately 6:45 PM.