Council Study Session

MINUTES OF THE GILBERT TOWN COUNCIL, IN SPECIAL MEETING FOR A STUDY SESSION, OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2024, AT 5:00 PM, MUNICIPAL BUILDING I, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 50 E. CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, GILBERT, ARIZONA COUNCIL Mayor Brigette PRESENT: Peterson Mayor Brigette Peterson, Vice Mayor Scott Anderson, Councilmembers Chuck Bongiovanni, Bobbi Buchli, Yung Koprowski, Kathy Tilque, and Jim Torgeson COUNCIL ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Patrick Banger, Town Clerk Chaveli Herrera, Deputy Town Clerk Judy Martinez, Redevelopment Program Manager Amanda Elliott CALL TO ORDER OF SPECIAL MEETING Mayor Peterson called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m. AGENDA ITEM 1. Discussion and presentation on Northwest Gilbert Redevelopment and Revitalization Update. Redevelopment Program Manager Elliott stated the department was seeking direction from the Council, then provided a timeline including that it was the topic at a Council Retreat in 2018. She spoke of a path for revitalization, including seeking direction from the public, business community, and organizations like the Urban Land Institute. She discussed the rise and fall of great American cities, stating Gilbert made a long-term commitment to break the cycle of decline in other cities. She discussed revitalization, including tools and tactics, improving infrastructure, and maintaining and increasing property values. She said historically, the northwest corner was an employment area and had been identified as a growth area, then provided a definition. She provided a map of the northwest growth area 1 and said it had a mix of industries and the largest mix of employment in the town. She noted it had a significant amount of Gilbert industrial products and said the market was trendy for industrial property. She said it was harder to compete with other areas due to aging infrastructure, absentee owners, vacant infill sites, and no defining character separating the northwest Growth Area from Mesa to the north, and Chandler to the west, both of whom had redevelopment plan for the areas abutting Gilbert’s Growth Area. She said in 2019, Gilbert commissioned The Urban Institute to discuss market potential, planning and design, development strategies, and implementation strategies for the northwest growth area. She noted that the Heritage District was not included because it was its own redevelopment area. She discussed data that was used, including Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS), and named nine common factors used to indicate revitalization. She discussed utilizing teams across the town and findings of necessity. She discussed dominance or defective and inadequate street layouts. She said these incidences were not unique to Gilbert but were a natural occurrence with aging. She said they looked at the tax and special assessment rate, which had a slightly higher rate of 13.6%. She said they also looked at faulty lot layout, which included parcels of inadequate size, accessibility, and usefulness, then discussed neglect factors, including vegetation and maintenance issues and then provided a map showing the areas of neglect factors. She discussed examples of businesses that needed new properties to meet their needs, then noted other efforts to retain business partners. She discussed efforts to increase awareness of the Town’s paint reuse program, block wall program, emergency and minor home repair program including reducing maintenance costs, and how some amenities would benefit from revitalization efforts. Manager Elliott summarized public/business outreach, stating even when they thought they had done enough, they could always do more. She discussed a virtual open house and provided a “word cloud” from their feedback. She provided a visual of an interactive map with pins based on feedback, then discussed their open house feedback and the top five responses of increasing visual appeal, solving for traffic and congestion, maintaining and upkeep of the area, improving safety, and attracting business. She said nothing was done in a bubble and discussed partners who assisted, including business owners, residents, and developers. She discussed what a redevelopment area was, then said the legal requirements and other information were available on a website landing page. She said before they could 2 begin working with residents, businesses, property owners, and departments across the town to identify “the how”, ARS required a determination of boundaries. She said if the Council agreed for staff to bring forth the Northwest Growth Area and a larger boundary, staff would ultimately come to the Council at a Study Session with a boundary decision once they took the input from the public by May or June. She added they were seeking a nod to determine a potential boundary and any possible suggestions from the Council. Councilmember Tilque stated she was excited to see them bringing it forward. She said conversations were being had for about 15 years, and they knew it would be important, adding she wished it would have come forward sooner. She said new trends in the workplace would be very important, then discussed the risk of not doing anything. She said it would put them in a position where they had an aging and deteriorating community, adding it should not be ignored. She said to try to come back in three months; if more time was needed, ask for more time. She agreed with extending the boundaries and not cutting communities in half. She said she would love to be part of the project as a Council liaison or help as appropriate. Councilmember Koprowski commented on boundaries and thought the timing was overdue and it was a great investment area. She said there were some areas where you would want to include both sides of a major roadway, but said it may not always be a roadway boundary. She said it may be a natural boundary instead, like a canal. She also said to follow the Chandler boundary to the south, Gilbert Road to Burke, and use the consolidated canal as a natural boundary. Councilmember Buchli said she was excited and thought timing was good. She discussed her experience living in that area, then said things were going down, especially near McQueen and Baseline. She said she would like to be a part of the process and see the boundary extended to Val Vista; that area was also aging. Councilmember Tilque noted they were not making the final decision at that time, but rather just looking for feedback from the community. 3 Vice Mayor Anderson and Councilmember Bongiovanni indicated a “thumbs up.” Manager Elliott discussed working to define the area’s boundary better. Mayor Peterson said it was long overdue, and she had been part of the process and the Land Use Intensity (LUI) study. She discussed extending the boundary and said she looked forward to the public’s feedback. She also agreed with Councilmember Koprowski’s suggestion for a natural boundary and said she would also like to participate in the process. Councilmember Torgeson discussed the natural boundary of the canal and said it brought an opportunity to take the Heritage District and possibly bring it forward. ADJOURN Mayor Peterson adjourned the meeting at 5:29 p.m. ATTEST: ___________________________ ___________________________________ Brigette Peterson, Mayor Chaveli Herrera, MMC, Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Study Session of the Town Council of the Town of Gilbert held on the 23rd day of January, 2024. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this ____ day of ____________________2024. 4 ___________________________________ Chaveli Herrera, MMC, Town Clerk 5