Redevelopment Commission

REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MINUTES OF STUDY SESSION AND REGULAR MEETING MARCH 17, 2021 6:00 P.M. MUNICIPAL CENTER, COUNCIL CHAMBERS 50 E. CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, GILBERT, ARIZONA COMMISSION PRESENT: TOWN OF GILBERT STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sciacca, Chair Amanda Elliott, Redevelopment Program Manager Ryan Hamilton, Vice Chair Dawn Prince, Assistant Town Manager Boe Bigelow (WebEx) John Baird, Assistant Town Attorney Casey Kendel Amy Temes, Principal Planner Cassandra Mehan Sydney Bethel, Planner II Jocelyn Smith, Administrative Assistant COUNCIL LIAISON PRESENT: Kathy Tilque, Councilmember Options were available for the public to attend in person or participate remotely. CALL TO ORDER Chair Sciacca called the regular meeting of the Redevelopment Commission to order at 6:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Amanda Elliott, Redevelopment Program Manager, called the roll and determined that a quorum was present. COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS Chair Sciacca opened the floor to the public for any comments or communications on items not on the agenda. The Commission’s response is limited to responding to criticism, asking staff to review a matter commented upon, or asking that a matter be put on a future agenda. Doralise Machado-Liddell, Gilbert resident in the Heritage District, stated that noise should always be part of the architectural design, even though that was not part of the Design Guidelines. Noise is a factor and needs to be mitigated, in her opinion. The Heritage District is an entertainment district, although that does not give property owners the right to make as much noise as they like, it is only allowed because of churches and schools. It is not just about noise; it is also about livability. Parking is going to be extremely difficult. The new parking study should be made available to the public and should also be utilized in the decision-making process. The last time she saw this proposal, they utilized a 1,000 foot area, which included the residential area. That will have a major impact on parking. There is an impact today with the Saturday morning Farmer's Market as many, many people park in the neighborhood and walk over to the market. Regarding the Water Tower and the line of sight, by right the property owner has 55 feet. People have been trying to protect the Water Tower and the viewshed for a very long time and it should be protected for the benefit of all people of Gilbert, not necessarily just one property owner having the viewshed of the Water Tower. It is 55' by right and hopefully, that is the way it will be. She noted that COVID had one positive impact for her in that she did not have to listen to the Whiskey Row noise on Friday and Saturday nights. It is extremely loud and the noise level is not mitigated. There needs to be sound architectural design to reflect noise mitigation. The public lines were opened for additional comments. There were none. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS 1. Meeting Minutes – Consider Approval of the Minutes for the Regular Meeting of February 17, 2021. MOTION: Vice Chair Hamilton moved to approve the meeting minutes of February 17, 2021, seconded by Commissioner Kendel. The motion passed 5-0. STUDY SESSION For the benefit of the new Commission members, Chair Sciacca explained that a Study Session is an opportunity for the Commission to ask questions and provide feedback. No motions are made during a Study Session. He invited staff to present Z21-01 The Brundrett Building. 2. Z21-01 THE BRUNDRETT BUILDING: Request to rezone approximately 0.365 acres of real property generally located at 226 North Gilbert Road from Heritage Village Center (HCV) zoning district to Heritage Village Center (HCV) zoning district with a Planned Area Development (PAD) overlay zoning district to modify the maximum building height permitted in the Heritage Village Center (HCV) zoning district from 55' to 68'. Planner Sydney Bethel presented Z21-01 The Brundrett Building rezoning request. The subject site is located within the Heritage District at the southwest corner of Gilbert Road and Page Avenue between Norwood Furniture and the Farmhouse Restaurant. It is presently a vacant lot of approximately 0.365 acres with 3 parcels that will be combined in order to create one development. The applicant is maintaining the Heritage Village Center (HVC) base zoning district, but is requesting a Planned Area Development (PAD) Overlay to deviate from the Land Development Code (LDC) standards for height restrictions from 55' to 68' to the top of the building. This is the first presentation for this project in order to gather feedback from the Redevelopment Commission. The project will come back to the Commission for a formal recommendation in the coming months. It will then go before the Planning Commission for their recommendation before moving on to Town Council for formal approval. Ms. Bethel is seeking input from the Commission on the project in general as well as the PAD request to increase the height. The Development Plan will set the parameters to which this project will develop when it comes in for Design Review and ultimate construction. It is in compliance with LDC standards in terms of setbacks. The applicant has provided a conceptual site plan that incorporates some of the elements that are encouraged and required through the Heritage District Design Guidelines and Redevelopment Plan. They are proposing some pedestrian-oriented seating on the front and rear, along with a pathway on the south side to allow access to the existing park. The applicant has provided conceptual renderings of what this building may look like and why they are looking to achieve the 68' as opposed to the 55' height. They are proposing a 4 story building with the first 3 floors being traditional and the 4th floor having a proposed atrium on top that is set back to allow rooftop access and gathering space. The proposed use for this mixed-use building will be a combination of retail, restaurant, and office on all 4 floors. Conceptual elevations of the building were reviewed. A neighborhood meeting was conducted virtually on July 7, 2020. Residents and property owners joined the meeting with questions and concerns on the project compliance with the Heritage District Redevelopment Plan, impacts of the increased height, impacts to neighboring properties, and site access and connections. COMMISSION QUESTIONS/COMMENTS Vice Chair Hamilton asked for clarification on whether the intended use was allowed and that the only request was for the PAD overlay for the deviation to increase the height. The request is not on the proposed use. Ms. Bethel stated that was correct. The request is just for the PAD for the increased height. The proposed uses are all either permitted or are permitted with a conditional use permit in the HVC zoning district. Redevelopment Commission March 17, 2021 2 Vice Chair Hamilton asked about the height of the awning on the top level as shown in the renderings. Ms. Bethel noted that the applicant has provided conceptual elevations with the height listed as 48' stopping at the 3rd story and then 68' to the top. Vice Chair Hamilton noted that the 68' portion may not even be visible from a pedestrian perspective. He liked the idea of increased height in this portion of the district and on this portion of Gilbert Road. We have some densities in height and then it goes down and levels off. Some disparity in elevation and in height would be a healthy density increase in this area. He felt both staff and the applicant have done a terrific job of softening the height as it backs off the street a little bit, and the trees on top also mitigate and soften the feel of the height. Those elements he would want to see preserved instead of a sheer 68' foot wall right on Gilbert Road with zero setback lines. He felt it was extremely important that those mitigation measures to soften the height are carried through in the final rendering. Commissioner Mehan understood that the applicant would not be allowed to add an additional floor as they were maxed at 4 floors, but they are just looking to increase the height. How does their goal in achieving that height increase support the initiatives and overall goals for the Heritage District? Ms. Bethel had requested that the applicant provide additional information on how they are meeting that criteria to justify their request. The applicant stated through creating a mixed-use building, having the pedestrian amenities such as the pathway that connects to the Water Tower Park, and providing ground floor seating on the rear and front will activate the streetscape. Their primary need for this request is that they would like to have some type of entertainment or restaurant on top of the building in order to make it a complete mixed-use building as well as capture views of the Water Tower and downtown. She acknowledged that this explanation did not fully answer the question of how this specifically meets the intent of the Redevelopment Plan or the Design Guidelines. She will ask the applicant to provide further details. Commissioner Mehan confirmed that it was the mechanical screening that would reach the 68' height, not the top of the terrace. She asked what would prevent them from deviating from this proposed plan and building up to 68' having the actual parapet at the street at 68 feet. That may look much more overwhelming than what is being shown today. Ms. Bethel stated as this is not a Design Review package, they are not tied to this specific plan. Staff is looking at ways to preserve this design by including in the ordinance that a step-back of a certain number of feet from the 3rd floor is required for the 4th floor. Some other zoning districts do require step-backs. We can work with the applicant to come up with a number that the Commission and Council would be comfortable with. Other elements can include requiring a certain amount of rooftop green space or other softening features. Commissioner Mehan noted there are more taller buildings on the north side of the Heritage District and it does slope down. She liked how this would start to balance some of that. She asked if the town has approved anywhere else in the Heritage District this additional height request or would this be the first parcel to have that? Ms. Bethel stated we have previously approved a PAD to increase the height for the University building, which is in the Heritage District although it is off of Gilbert Road. She can bring that specific height to the next study session. Commissioner Kendell asked if there was an established timeline for the beginning and completion of this project, given the density of visitors and daily interactions within the downtown area. Ms. Bethel stated the applicant has not shared a construction timeline. She will request a projected timeline from the applicant. Commissioner Kendell asked about a traffic study for that area. Ms. Bethel advised that when the applicant submits for a Design Review application after zoning, they will be required to submit a traffic study, which will be reviewed by our traffic engineering team in order to assess what is needed to accommodate their building. Parking in the Heritage District is handled in a group manner through an Administrative Use Permit to accommodate parking in the Heritage District. Commissioner Kendell asked if the applicant anticipated any of the sidewalks or streets being torn up for utilities. Ms. Bethel stated the applicant has provided an ALTA survey that would show those items. She can confer with our engineering team on that survey to determine if anything like that is projected. Redevelopment Commission March 17, 2021 3 Commissioner Bigelow understood that the highest terrace would be at 48' and the mechanics would go to the 68' height. He loves the trees and felt the greenery was awesome. He loved the renderings and the pedestrian walkway. He asked for confirmation that those trees would not be allowed to go past the height of the building. Ms. Bethel advised that we have not run into this situation before where there are trees on that high of a building. There are certain items that are allowed through the LDC to go above the height, such as mechanical screening and steeples. She will review the code to see if trees would be permitted to go above the building height. She will report back to the Commission on that question. Commissioner Bigelow noted Doralise Machado-Liddell's concern about preserving the Water Tower views and this building being higher than all the others. He asked if the Water Tower was 230 feet tall. Ms. Bethel believed the Water Tower was in the 120-130 foot range. Staff will look up that information. Commissioner Bigelow did not want to encroach within 10 or 20 feet of the height of the Water Tower. If this is half the height of the Water Tower, he would be more comfortable with the proposed height. He noted that Norwood built a structure across the street that looks like it is built on stilts. He asked about any safety concerns and access for fire trucks or dumpsters in that area. Amy Temes, Principal Planner, addressed several questions raised by the Commission. She advised that trees would not be counted toward height, only the built structure, which is measured to the mean elevation of a sloped roof, or the middle of the pitch of the roof from the eave to the ridge. This is projected as a sloped roof in the renderings provided. She reported that Norwood thought ahead and actually built their foundation so that they could go to 4 stories today. Of course, they would have to go through a Design Review process. To go back and re-engineer those foundations today would be almost impossible. The bridge over the alley is through an agreement with the Town that is currently in place. It is an architectural bridge, not foundation anchored into the alley because there are live utilities in that alley. You cannot construct in the alley as it is Town right-of-way. This agreement allowed them to bridge or connect one element of their store to another. As of now, Norwood would like to keep that bridge in place because it is part of the design element for what they have intended for the site. That is still up for negotiations and would be discussed during Design Review. It is a key element that someday could open up the back of the area in question. Commissioner Bigelow appreciated the detailed explanation. He loved the project and was excited to see further details as this moves forward. Amanda Elliott had looked up information regarding heights in the Heritage District. The University building PAD was approved at 68 feet 8 inches and the Water tower is 130 feet tall. Chair Sciacca asked from a pedestrian sidewalk on Gilbert Road, what is the tallest building in this corridor? Ms. Bethel believed that Building 313 would be the tallest at 55 feet and 3 stories. Chair Sciacca felt 55' on the plane of a lot line, whether it be the front or side plane, is a lot different than this being 48' on the front where the terrace is. There is a difference visually from a pedestrian standpoint of 48' to that top floor versus 55' to the plane. He thought the architect or design team did a great job. He noted an earlier comment that the 48' might change and the question of whether it is 4 stories or 5 stories. He asked how much change could potentially take place? He liked what was being shown now at 48 feet. Ms. Bethel stated it could change. The applicant would be locked in through the Development Plan for the building footprint, and if approved, they would be granted the additional height. The actual massing and style of the building to that 68' would not be locked in unless there were other additional conditions of approval that we put in the ordinance, such as a step-back, additional landscaping or other items. Staff can include those things in the ordinance Redevelopment Commission March 17, 2021 4 to be applied to the Design Review and present that to the Commission when this item comes back for a formal recommendation. Chair Sciacca noted when the gelato shop came forward, staff had recommended a certain type of plant for various reasons and different aspects of the design. Does staff or the Commission have any say in the kind of greenery or screening for this project, such as deciduous versus evergreen species. Even though this is stepped back very nicely, what can be done to make sure the screening will be effective as a tool to diminish the extra height? Ms. Bethel stated through the Design Guidelines, there is a specific plant palette that should be requested and there are additional items through the LDC. Through the PAD, we don’t typically dictate the type of landscaping that will come in. That is usually handled through the Design Review. We could pursue an option to require a certain percentage of landscaping on the terraces and identify the specific areas. We could possibly pursue specific landscaping, although that would not be recommended until we see the full design for the project. Chair Sciacca noted this looks like a zero lot line build where there is really no soil to plant trees. Will the trees be in large planters and would they be movable? Those are the types of questions that could be asked as the applicant comes forward. Ms. Temes had explained how the height is measured with the peak making it an additional 8'. He would not lose sleep over the extra 13 feet nor over a precedent where a future applicant may ask for 74 feet. The way this is designed, they have taken that into consideration. He liked how it served to bookend the downtown. He liked the progress the applicant has made with staff. It looks like a very expensive building. Ms. Bethel appreciated all of the comments. COMMUNICATIONS 3. Report from the CHAIR on current or future events. Chair Sciacca wished everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. If you will be celebrating, please be safe. 4. Report from COUNCIL LIAISON on current or future events. Councilmember Tilque welcomed Cassandra Mehan to the Redevelopment Commission. She wished everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. The Gilbert Sister Cities program is working on a Sister Cities Garden which will be located by the Southeast Regional Library lake. She is excited to move that project forward. Council Study Sessions have been reinstated and will be held at 5:00 p.m. before the regular Council meeting. This will allow Councilmembers the opportunity to discuss major issues that are coming forward. Over the next few months, those discussions will mainly focus on budget items. Council approved the Heritage District Design Guidelines. She thanked the Redevelopment Commission and staff, especially Amy Temes and Amanda Elliott, as well as all of the citizens who participated in that process. Council has approved a lease and tenant improvements for the University building for the University of Arizona. We are excited for the expansion of our education community downtown. There is a sewer line project along with several water line projects along the canal. We are looking at all available options to work with the neighbors in order to reach the best solution and make sure the water service is not interrupted for over 1,500 homes. Redevelopment Commission March 17, 2021 5  5. Report from COMMISSIONERS on current or future events. Chair Sciacca noted that last month, the meeting was very short and new Commission member Mehan was sworn in. He welcomed her aboard. Cassandra Mehan was honored to be a part of the Redevelopment Commission. She was raised in Gilbert and is an architect registered in Arizona and has also worked in other states. She is excited to serve the community that she was raised in and that she is now raising her children in. 6. Report from STAFF LIAISON on current or future events. Amanda Elliott had reported last month on the process to interview candidates for a Redevelopment Specialist to help with the downtown Heritage District. She announced that Sydney Bethel with the Planning Department has accepted that position and will transition over to Economic Development next month. We are thrilled to have her on our team. ADJOURN Chair Sciacca adjourned the meeting at 6:42 p.m. ___________________________________ Peter Sciacca, Chair Redevelopment Commission March 17, 2021 6