CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Provide direction on potential options for moving forward on the 5th Avenue development.
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DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office
SUBMITTED BY: Marcie Schatz, Deputy City Manager
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
NA
BACKGROUND:
At the October 15, 2019 City Council meeting, seven residents spoke in public forum requesting that the City continue to move forward with the 5th Avenue project. City Council directed staff to bring back options to move the project forward.
DISCUSSION:
After the October 15th City Council meeting, staff met with Jim Ruhl, Dr. Bob Buckman and Jessica Lyzun to discuss the project. Each is a member of the 5th Avenue Steering Committee and also spoke during public forum at the last meeting. Dr. Bob Buckman and Jessica Lyzun presented specific proposals on how to proceed.
Options
Option #1 Neighborhood Driven Planning Process (presented by Dr. Bob Buckman) - This option consists of 9-11 residents from each of the surrounding neighborhoods (Pilgrim Addition, Park Addition, WHOA and ECHO for 36-44 participants) meeting together to create an acceptable plan for development in the 5th Avenue area. The participants would also include commuters. The concept is a neighborhood driven planning process that would reach out to members of the Working Groups to leverage the work completed by those groups in early 2018. The process would culminate in a workshop or public meeting with the City Council to present the consensus. It is anticipated that this proposal requires limited staff resources and that Ryan Companies would be involved in the discussion. Initial estimates for this timeframe is three months with a public meeting at the beginning of February. This proposal suspends or disbands the existing 5th Avenue Steering Committee. A written proposal and document pertaining to the existing Steering Committee are attached for your use (Attachments 1 & 2).
Option #2 Revised Steering Committee Approach (presented by Jessica Lyzun of Pilgrim’s Addition) - This option consists of reconvening the Steering Committee (adhering to OMA) with a number of changes to move the 5th Avenue project forward. The proposal includes adding a facilitator to the committee, changing how the meetings are run to be more iterative and working oriented sessions, setting and publicizing a regular biweekly meeting schedule, and incorporating costs and tradeoffs into the discussion. The 5th Avenue Steering Committee should provide guidance and direction to the project. The proposal includes development of a parking task force with a goal of minimizing congestion and reducing commuter parking in the area, a concern identified by some residents in the baseline concept. The proposal anticipates a continued relationship with Ryan Companies and relies on staff resources for technical support. City Council consensus on moving forward and priorities for the project are requested. The full proposal is attached for your reference (Attachment 3).
Option #3 City Council Workshop - During the deliberation of the whether to move forward with the baseline concept at the October 1st meeting, the City Council discussed the concept of holding a workshop. The purpose of the workshop would be to achieve City Council consensus on changes to the current concept, affirm or modify previous policy direction (affordable housing, commuter parking, etc) and provide any additional policy direction. There has been limited discussion thus far on the potential financial impacts and funding mechanisms for the project. This could also be included within the scope of the workshop. The City Council should also discuss how to manage the project moving forward, including consideration of the existing Steering Committee, and options #1 and #2 above. Based on the existing City Council calendar, a workshop would not likely be scheduled before January 2020.
Option #4 Consider 5th Avenue with other City priorities in overall Strategic Planning and continue implementation of the Commuter Parking Work Plan - This option would incorporate the discussion of 5th Avenue into the overall discussion on citywide priorities in the first quarter of 2020. The outcomes and required resources, both from a community and city perspective, would be considered and weighed against other projects and initiatives to determine whether we should continue moving forward. Concurrently, TED staff continues to implement the multi-year Commuter Parking and Access Work Plan. Through plan implementation, we improve the management of and become better informed about commuter parking. This plan is attached for your reference (Attachment 4).
Option #5 Referendum - This option was raised in an effort to gather feedback from the community as a whole about the development of 5th Avenue. Referendum wording and education are seen as significant challenges with this option.
No action - If no action is taken, the decision from October 1, 2019 to not move forward with the baseline concept will stand and no further action will be taken on the project at this time.
As City Council considers the above options, staff has two recommendations regarding the decision:
1. Require six positive votes from the City Council on moving forward with any option. Residents, the City Council, city staff and Ryan Companies have expended an enormous amount of time and energy over the last two years on this project. While a significant amount of effort has occurred to date, we are still very early in the development process. Significant discussions on design, engineering, financing, and ownership still need to take place. Recognizing the amount of compromise and negotiation that will still need to occur, and the fact that any land sale will require a three-quarter vote (seven positive votes), staff recommends that the City Council seek at least a two-thirds vote (six positive votes) on any of the options to move forward.
2. If Option #1 or #2 are selected, reaffirm or modify previous policy guidance. If Options #1 or #2 are selected, these citizen groups would be best served by understanding the development requirements and priorities of the City Council. These topics should include commuter parking, affordable housing, desired land uses and density.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The initial fiscal impact of the options is directly tied to staff resources needed. The longer term fiscal impact will be primarily dependent upon a development concept, land sale/lease terms and public improvement costs.