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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-10-17 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Tuesday, October 17, 2023 @ 5:15 PM City Council Chambers MEETING MINUTES City Councilors Present: Davitt, Leonard, Schaefer, Sprague, Tremble. City Staff Present: Krieg, Laurie, Stanicki. Chair Sprague called the meeting to order at 5:15 P.M. 1. OUTSTANDING ISSUES FOR FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSIONS AND ACTIONS, Overview from Committee Chair Sprague Chair Sprague presented to the Committee. Brought this overview to the previous Committee meeting. Reported that Development Director Anne Krieg has responded to several items on this list and noted which ones are pending additional staffing, warrant further discussion, etc. Noted that one of the highest-priority items is the final draft of a 12-14 month housing action plan. The current status of projects has been provided by staff. Recommended formal adoption of a housing action plan by the next City Council. Asked Committee members for any questions or comments. Councilor Schaefer clarified that all listed projects are ones that take much longer than one Council year to complete, so this list of outstanding items does not reflect any failure on the part of this Committee and Council. This list is merely intended to be a status update on ongoing projects. Councilor Leonard expressed that any housing strategy should not be treated as insular to the City, and that collaboration should occur with neighboring municipalities and County leadership. Chair Sprague noted that the Government Operations Committee recently recommended regular meetings between the City Council and County Commissioners. Recommended to Development Director Krieg that the draft be updated to reflect the Committee's recent recommendation to implement rental registration immediately, separate from the full licensure pilot program. Asked if staff needs any additional guidance on this — Krieg responded that they do not. Councilor Leonard added that, in regards to the section on childcare, it may be helpful to establish a relationship with a liaison on the School Board. Chair Sprague expressed agreement and noted that adequate childcare is essential to the City's workforce. 2. DOWNTOWN NEEDS ASSESSMENT — CONTINUED DISCUSSION, No action requested Development Director Krieg presented to the Committee. Reported that she has been meeting monthly with City Manager Debbie Laurie and Betsy Lundy and Eric Mihan of the Downtown Bangor Partnership (DBP). Feels this has been very beneficial in reviewing pending events, projects, etc. Currently working on year-round sidewalk accessibility, safety & security measures, increased landscape & asset maintenance, and investing in inactive properties. Betsy Lundy, Downtown Bangor Partnership, presented to the Committee and expressed agreement that this has been helpful in moving issues forward. Chair Sprague expressed that he is glad to see the establishment of ineaningful communication between the City and DBP, as there have not always been such positive collaboration in the past. Lundy responded that this is reflected by how many long-outstanding projects have begun to move forward all at once. Sprague recommended regular updates be presented to the Committee moving forward. Noted that the Government Operations Committee has not finalized a package on response to homelessness in the City, but that he is hopeful this is forthcoming as it will be helpful for DBP. Lundy stated that she wrote a summary of outstanding projects that was not included in this evening's meeting packet — Krieg distributed hard copies to Committee members. City Manager Debbie Laurie stated that re-districting efforts are the highest-priority item on this list presently. Reported that Krieg met with the DBP Board on this topic. Hoping to have this finalized before tax assessment begins on April 1St Lundy and Krieg noted that they are putting together a stakeholder group as outreach. Krieg outlined the points in Lundy's memo. Councilor Tremble asked if the Umbrella Sky Project has been taken down for the season. Lundy confirmed that it has. Tremble asked if there was much damage to it and what efforts have been made to prevent future damage. Lundy responded that this will be a continued discussion leading up to re- installation in May. Councilor Schaefer asked if there any plans to re-install the kinetic sculptures along the waterfront. Lundy responded that she was not sure; Laurie added that many of them stopped working but the City would like to look into repairing them. 3. HAMLIN PARK BANNERS, Action requested to accept proposed design Committee members discussed with Lundy the positive effects of the bistro lighting downtown. Councilor Tremble mentioned some brickwork that needs to be repaired. Chair Sprague asked where this request should be directed to. City Manager Laurie responded that repairs have not been done to this yet as there are plans for extensive work on this section of the park next year. Lundy clarified that she received a recent update from staff that there will be a study conducted next year and construction is expected to start the following year. Laurie stated that Public Works can be asked to make minor repairs in the meantime. Councilor Schaefer moved acceptance of the proposed banner design, seconded by Councilor Davitt. Vote unless doubted, no doubt. 4. HOUSING DATA SHEET UPDATE Development Director Krieg presented to the Committee. Reported that Planning Analyst Collette and Cody Vigue have been working on creating page with this information on the City's website. Collette opened the webpage to show to Committee members. Councilor Schaeffer stated approval of the webpage and noted that it helpful to see a comprehensive list of the City's housing actions. Collette confirmed that the webpage will be kept updated by the staff. Councilor Davitt commented that it would be helpful to integrate links for additional assistance resources. Chair Sprague emphasized the importance of presenting a positive message on housing to the public. 5. PARKING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION RE: 2 HAMMOND STREET, Action requested to provide decision on Committee's recommendation Chair Sprague noted that he may have a conflict of interests on this agenda item, as his son wrote a letter of support regarding this proposal. Asked Committee members to discuss if he should recuse himself or not. Councilor Leonard stated that, since Sprague's son does not have any direct business affilitation or financial interest in the proposal and only expressed support, he does not feel there is a conflict of interests. Councilor Schaefer expressed agreement and noted that she trusts Sprague to be impartial; does not feel that support expressed by his son indicates that Sprague will share the same opinion or have any inherent bias. Development Director Krieg presented the proposal and summarized the recommendations of the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee at their September 28t" meeting. Councilor Tremble asked if the proposed use would be year-round or seasonal. Krieg responded that it would likely be seasonal, and applicant Dash Davidson confirmed this. Tremble stated that he is open to the proposal but feels it should be presented to the Parking Committee. Schaefer clarified that this has already been done, and that the Parking Committee did not recommend approval of the proposal at this time. Applicant Dash Davidson presented to the Committee via Zoom. Noted that he was unable to attend the Parking Committee and is concerned that the Parking Committee members were not aware of his broader intentions and commitment to being respectful of the Charlie Howard Memorial. Hopes to give a more comprehensive overview to this Committee now. Described the ongoing development of the building and the projects that have occurred thus far, including extensive renovations and the addition of eight apartments. Goal is to finalize building development by creating a mixed-use of housing, the Chamber of Commerce, and a speakeasy-style bar. Noted that a significant amount of negative and/or criminal activity has been observed on security camera footage directly outside of the building, and feels that utilizing the outdoor space for the business will help deter this by "filling in the void." Emphasized that great care will be taken to both continue and increase maintenance of the Memorial area. Councilor Schaefer stated that she is not in support of the proposal at this time, and expressed agreement with the Parking Committee's recommendation to hold off a decision pending the establishment of a comprehensive parking plan. Still concerned about the location's close proximity to the Memorial and stated that the location is the primary issue, rather than the proposed use itself. Councilor Leonard expressed agreement with this. Recommended that the proposal be presented to the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion and Human Rights for review and noted that a positive recommendation from them would impact his opinion. Councilor Davitt expressed agreement with this. Chair Sprague asked to clarify that the Committee's desire is to pause any decision on the proposal for now, rather than deny it outright. Schaefer confirmed this and recommended the next steps be the creation of a visual site plan and the establishment of the comprehensive parking plan, prior to referral to the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity. Chair Sprague noted that the speakeasy-style bar is not a new business proposal and that this has already been approved during the initial development process. Asked Development Director Krieg for a timeline on the creation of a comprehensive parking plan — Krieg responded that it could take up to a year. Sprague stated that he does not feel that the parking plan is essential to moving forward with this proposal if more detailed site plans are presented and approved by additional Advisory Committees in the interim. Councilor Schaefer confirmed that the Committee is only concerned with the specific location of the proposed "parklet" and not the overall business model —there are no concerns about the indoor portion of the business. Asked if the parklet use is essential to the business. Zack Pike, project manager, presented to the Committee. Stated that the outdoor seating is considered a vital component in terms of business profitability. Noted that they have been respectful of the Memorial throughout the building development process and only to seek the better the area and highlight the Memorial's presence and importance. Gave an in-depth overview of the goals of the development and parklet proposal. Councilor Schaefer responded that the creation of a visual site plan will be essential to any further decision-making. Emphasized the difference between enjoying the Memorial space and showing reverence for it; feels it is a space that calls for reverence. Davidson reiterated his concerns about negative activity in the outdoor space surrounding the building and his belief that better utilizing this space will mitigate these activities. Expressed a desire to continue working with both Development Director Krieg and Betsy Lundy on the proposal. Chair Sprague expressed support for continued collaboration with Krieg and Lundy. Noted that the City is working to rein in the amount of negative activity in the downtown area. Expressed agreement with Council Schaefer that a detailed site plan is needed. Councilor Davitt expressed agreement with this and clarified that the Committee's direction is to pause on making any decision at this time. Councilor Tremble expressed agreement with Davidson that more positive activity in the outdoor space will be beneficial. Asked staff and Committee members for clarification on the parklet approval process, as was under the impression that this is already an allowed use. Krieg responded that this proposal was brought to the Committee for approval due to the location of the parking spots within a municipal parking lot — did not think that this fit under the existing guidelines for parklet permits. Tremble stated that he does think this proposal fits into the existing guidelines. Pike expressed agreement that this is a unique location and that a detailed site plan would benefit all parties. Chair Sprague asked the applicant if adequate guidance has been given or if further clarification is needed. Pike asked for a description of the process for establishing a parking plan. Krieg explained this and added that she will work with the applicant in the meantime. Councilor Schaefer added that the efforts to create a parking plan, a detailed site plan for this proposal, and obtain Advisory Committee input could happen concurrently. Councilor Tremble added that a recent State law allows for liquor in outdoor areas that are not directly adjacent to the business, and that the applicants may also want to look into this and see if there are alternative outdoor spaces that could be used for their parklet. 6. CHECK-IN FROM STAFF A. CDBG ALLOWANCES FOR MOBILE HOMES Community Development Officer Robyn Stanicki presented to the Committee. Described efforts to meet home ownership goals outlined by CDBG and that HUD has made allowances for mobile home purchases under the program guidelines, including replacing mobile homes that were built prior to 1976. Allowances have also been made for 1-4 unit buildings, rather than 1-2 units as originally outlined. Councilor Davitt moved acceptance of staff recommendation to allow mobile home purchases under CDBG program guidelines, seconded by Councilor Schaefer. Vote unless doubted, no doubt. Councilor Schaefer asked why mobile homes built prior to 1976 can be replaced. Stanicki responded that prior to 1976 there were different building codes in place that allowed for use for more flammable materials. Schaefer asked if the same allowance guidelines apply for tiny homes. Stanicki responded that they have different definitions under HUD guidelines and therefore were not included in this proposal. Chair Sprague asked how this affects the annual CDBG action plan presented to HUD, and whether an amendment to the plan would be required. Stanicki responded that no amendment is needed as they will be staying within HUD guidelines and are not asking to substantially re-program this year's funding. Sprague asked for a projected impact on available program funding. Stanicki responded that the City has historically fallen 50% short of home ownership goals, so the budget allows for 50% more than what is typically used. Councilor Tremble asked if mobile homes will be required to be owner-occupied. Stanicki confirmed that they will. Tremble asked if they will need to be located on land owned by the home owner. Stanicki responded that this is not required but that it can be mandated by the City if desired. Tremble stated that he is not favoring of requiring this as feels it could be a barrier to home ownership. Stanicki added that there is an allowance for mobile homes to be located in mobile home parks as long as the home owner's lease extends through the duration of the mortgage terms. Councilor Leonard asked how mobile homes are defined and whether the emerging technology of 3D printed homes could potentially fall under this definition. Stanicki responded that this was not addressed at this time as goal was to take incremental steps in opening up funding allowances, but this could be added to program definitions in the future. Committee members discussed the next steps and agreed to move the request forward to the full City Council. Councilor Schaefer moved to forward staff's recommendation to City Council for approval, seconded by Councilor Davitt. Vote unless doubted, no doubt. Stanicki presented an additional proposed change to the program's subsidy language that attempts to address affordability. Reported that HUD has expanded allowances for subsidies to be applied towards a down payment, indirectly to buy down the interest rate, directly to reduce principle, or towards the mortgage insurance. Noted that this allows for flexibility in determining what method of subsidy application will be most impactful for home owners on a case-by-case basis. Councilor Schaefer moved to forward staff's recommendation to City Council for approval, seconded by Councilor Davitt. Vote unless doubted, no doubt. B. STAFF OUTREACH AND TRAINING Development Director Krieg presented to the Committee and gave an overview of trainings and outreach events that staff has attended recently. C. C&ED STAFFING Development Director Krieg reported that the department still has several open positions — Economic Development Officer and Business Development Specialist. Chair Sprague encouraged Development Director Krieg to be open with the Committee about the need for temporary assistance to fill in the gaps until full staff capacity is reached. D. RELEASE OF THE STATE OF MAINE HOUSING PRODUCTION NEEDS STUDY Development Director Krieg noted that this study was included in the Committee's meeting packets for review. 7. OTHER BUSINESS Chair Sprague reported that a special meeting to discuss the Commercial Kitchen consultant's report needs to be scheduled. Recommended it be scheduled for Monday, November 6t". Committee members and staff in agreement. Meeting adjourned at 6:48 P.M. Meeting minutes respectfully submitted, Sarah Maquillan Admin. Asst. C&ED