Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Commission

A G E N D A City of Farmington Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners January 17, 2013  A G E N D A Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 4:00 p.m. City Council Chambers Farmington City Hall, 800 Municipal Drive, Farmington, NM 1. Call to Order 2. Election of Officers for 2013 3 Approval of the MRA November 15, 2012 Minutes 1 4. Discussion regarding the Implementation of the MRA Plan with Mayor Roberts 5. Discussion of an Asphalt Recycling Operation at 110 E. Corcorran in the Animas District of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area 6. Report on the “Complete Streets” Estimate for Main Street 7. Business from: a. Floor b. Chair c. Members d. Staff - Marketing Activities in the MRA 8. Adjournment ATTENTION PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: The meeting room and facilities are fully accessible to persons with mobility disabilities. If you plan to attend a meeting and need an auxiliary aid or service, please contact the City Clerk's office at 599-1101 or 599-1106, prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made.  A G E N D A Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 4:00 p.m. City Council Chambers Farmington City Hall, 800 Municipal Drive, Farmington, NM 1. Call to Order 2. Election of Officers for 2013 3 Approval of the MRA November 15, 2012 Minutes 1 4. Discussion with Mayor Roberts 5. Discussion of an Asphalt Recycling Operation at 110 E. Corcorran in the Animas District of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area 6. Report on the “Complete Streets” Estimate for Main Street 7. Business from: a. Floor b. Chair c. Members d. Staff - Marketing Activities in the MRA 8. Adjournment ATTENTION PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: The meeting room and facilities are fully accessible to persons with mobility disabilities. If you plan to attend a meeting and need an auxiliary aid or service, please contact the City Clerk's office at 599-1101 or 599-1106, prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made.  November 15, 2012 - MRA Minutes Page 1 MINUTES Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners – November 15, 2012 Commissioners Present Chairman Derald Polston Linda Barbeau Sara Kaynor George Sharpe Commissioners Absent Carletta Thompson, M.D. Staff Present Fran Fillerup Mary Holton Dee Dee Moore Others Present Julie Baird Bob Campbell Elizabeth Isenberg 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 4:05 p.m. by Chairman Polston and there being a quorum, the following proceedings were duly had and taken. 2. APPROVAL OF THE MRA OCTOBER 18, 2012 MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Barbeau and seconded by Commissioner Kaynor to approve the minutes from the October 18, 2012 meeting. This motion passed unanimously with a 4-0 vote. 3. CONSIDERATION OF CANCELLATION OF THE DECEMBER 20, 2012 MEETING A motion was made by Commissioner Sharpe and seconded by Commissioner Barbeau to cancel the regularly scheduled December 20, 2012 meeting. This motion passed unanimously with a 4-0 vote. 4. COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING 119 W. MAIN STREET AND 744 W. ANIMAS STREET. Director Holton explained that the property at 119 W. Main Street had been donated to the city about a year ago. Commissioner Sharpe stated that he thought this property was planned to be an Art Center type business. Assistant City Manager Bob Campbell shared that a Request for Proposal (RFP) was initiated and each applicant was reviewed with criteria that was consistent with the MRA Plan and to entice visitors to the downtown. There was only one response who  November 15, 2012 - MRA Minutes Page 2 was interested in opening a beauty salon, but this bid was rejected. He added that there has been very preliminary communication with the college on a possible storefront business incubator. Director Holton stated that the respondent had property along the river that could have been part of the proposal. Commissioner Barbeau stated that it was not a crucial piece of the river trail, and Director Holton added that the college’s enterprise center has a need for storefront space. Commissioner Sharpe stated he liked that idea better than the art incubator. Commissioner Kaynor asked if the property would be sold to the college. Mr. Campbell stated that it would probably be leased. Commissioner Barbeau informed the new General Services Director, Julie Baird, that the downtown building has part of the ceiling falling down, and may hinder someone wanting to lease the facilities. Ms. Baird stated that she would look into that site. Commissioner Sharpe recapped that the main direction of the MRA is not to approve the beauty salon, but to stay along the line of the art incubator or a new proposal for a business incubator. Chairman Polston stated that the MRA is looking for a walk-in type business to stimulate foot traffic, and felt that a Professional Office Building is not going to accomplish that goal. Commissioner Sharpe added that if the college’s plan for an enterprise center was going to generate income, he felt that the city should receive some of those funds. Director Holton addressed the second property location at 744 W. Animas, which was the old Public Health Building, and stated that this property was exchanged for the location where the new District Attorney’s office is being constructed. This property is just north of the hospital area and staff is requesting recommendations for its future use. Commissioner Kaynor asked about the condition of the building, and if there is a chance of asbestos. Director Holton stated that she had not been inside the building and does not have that information. Assistant City Manager Campbell stated that currently 2,000 of the 11,000 square feet are leased to Northwest New Mexico Seniors. He stated that Masada House had previously expressed an interest in using it for a transitional facility, but are not currently interested at this time. He added that there is asbestos in some of the floors and ceilings and that the cost to remedy that is about $60 thousand dollars. Mr. Campbell shared that there are two floors, one of which is the basement and could be used as an office area. He added that the Police Department was asked, but was not interested in this facility either. Mr. Campbell asked the Commission for direction and recommendations for this property. He shared that if the recommendation was to sell, the money could be returned to the MRA. Commissioner Sharpe made a motion to recommend the sale of the property located at 744 W. Animas and to have the funds deposited into the MRA fund. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kaynor. There was no further discussion and this motion passed unanimously with a 4-0 vote. 5. REPORT ON THE MAIN STREET, COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT Fran Fillerup, Associate Planner, presented the project plan to the commission, stating that Main Street currently consists of four travel lanes, two in each direction, with bulb outs at mid block and at the corner. The Complete Streets diagram shows one travel lane in each direction with a median, and designates angled parking on one side and parallel parking on the other. These modifications are guidelines based on the Complete Street approach.  November 15, 2012 - MRA Minutes Page 3 The cost estimates are based on Main Street from Auburn Avenue on the east, to Wall Street on the west. Commissioner Sharpe asked if most of change was restriping. Mr. Fillerup added that there are two different things shown that make the same basic road section. The first is the raised median with ground cover and the second is the stripped median. This layout takes advantage of existing sidewalks, bulb outs, and plantings. The cost estimate is for construction of the median, irrigation, and resurfacing the entire street. Accessible crosswalk are included with the basic elements of the plan. Commissioner Kaynor stated she liked the one with the median and to use that center lane as a left turn lane. Mr. Fillerup stated that left turn lanes could be done with a shortened median at mid-block and could improve bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Commissioner Barbeau stated that greater savings can be achieved by only having median in the middle of the block. Mr. Fillerup added that he was providing all the estimates for that the MRA could choice which elements best fit their plan. Commissioner Sharpe agreed that shortens medians and left turn lanes would be a good way to go and would be a visible change to the downtown with the MRA fund currently available. Director Holton stated that based on the recommendations of the MRA, that the cost estimate could be refined to include/exclude elements to reach a more accurate cost. She added that this recommendation could go to the City Council as early as January. Mr. Fillerup added that there is no estimate for lighting in this plan. Commissioner Barbeau asked if there is still a possibility the FEUS can place pedestrian scale lighting and retrofit to LED lights so no extra trenching or power will be required. Mr. Fillerup stated he did not have an answer and Director Holton stated that staff would research that question. Chairman Polston asked if there is no median, how is that a pedestrian refuge halfway across the street. Director Holton stated that on Main Street, because of the bulb-outs, there is only 40 feet to cross the street and can be accomplished on one “walk” signal. Chairman Polston stated that his first choice for the MRA is for land acquisition for a convention center within the MRA district. Commissioner Kaynor asked what the odds of that happening now that the city has decided to renovate the Civic Center. Director Holton stated that the city is now looking for a hotel to complement the civic center not to build a whole new site. Commissioner Sharpe added that he thought that in Las Cruces the usage for their convention center is only about 20%. Director Holton stated that the city’s number one priority for new construction is the Pinon Hills Bridge. Commissioner Sharpe also added that the MRA funds, if used to accumulate land, will not go very far. In response to Chairman Polston’s question, Mr. Fillerup stated that the estimate for street and crosswalk restriping is approximately $65 thousand. Commissioner Sharpe stated that if a change can be created just with the restriping, if it doesn’t work as projected it can be easily re- worked. Director Holton added that the MPO is currently making presentations on Complete Streets to various groups. Commissioner Sharpe stated that he would like to see the stripping done first and to use the existing lights along the sidewalks. He added that there would need to be a conceptual approval first to spend the MRA funds. He felt the concept will be the first hurdle and it will need to be forwarded to City Council. This concept will also need to change the culture of the downtown feel. Commissioner Kaynor made a recommendation to have staff look at changing the downtown traffic flow from four lanes (two in each direction) to three lanes, with the center lane to be a left- turn only lane and to include LED type lights to be place on existing trees, rather than new streetlights. Mr. Fillerup stated he could recalculate the estimate to include only the restriping  November 15, 2012 - MRA Minutes Page 4 and would check with Mike Simms at FEUS regarding the lighting and frequency of available power. Chairman Polston stated that he felt that LED lighting in the trees would remove the need for streetlights. Director Holton stated that staff would provide at least a report and cost estimate for consideration of a recommendation at the January 17, 2013 meeting. 6a. BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR There was no business from the floor. 6b. BUSINESS FROM THE CHAIRMAN Chairman Polston asked about the status on the process for the TIDD and TIF’s. Director Holton stated that staff is currently waiting for direction from the Legal Department. She added that Mr. Fillerup is also the Project Manager for this project and are hoping for movement in the early part of next year. Elizabeth Isenberg stated that she has unable to connect with Las Cruces and is still hoping for a response. Director Holton reminded the commission that the process can take up to three years to complete a TIDD and includes property owners voting during an election and state legislature approval. 6c. BUSINESS FROM THE MEMBERS Commissioner Sharpe said his goodbyes stating that this was his last meeting as a MRA Commission member 6d. BUSINESS FROM THE STAFF There was no business from the staff. 7. ADJOURNMENT The Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners meeting was adjourned at 4:46p.m. ________________________________ ___________________________ Derald Polston, Chairman Dee Dee Moore, Office Manager