RDA RAC Workshop

CITY OF HENDERSON RDA RAC WORKSHOP MINUTES Tuesday, November 12, 2019 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman March called the Redevelopment Agency and Redevelopment Advisory Commission Joint Workshop to order at 3:37 p.m., in the Mayor and Council Boardroom, City Hall, 240 Water Street, Henderson, Nevada 89015. Chairman March announced the meeting is being video recorded and will be available for viewing on the City of Henderson website tomorrow. II. CONFIRMATION OF POSTING AND ROLL CALL The Secretary confirmed the Redevelopment Agency and Redevelopment Advisory Commission Joint Workshop had been noticed in compliance with the Open Meeting Law by posting the Agenda three working days prior to the workshop at City Hall, the Multigenerational Center, the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center, Fire Station No. 86, the Nevada Public Notice Website, the City of Henderson Website, and by mailing and emailing a copy of the Agenda to everyone appearing thereon on the Agenda Master Mailing and Emailing List. Present RDA: Debra March, Chairman Michelle Romero, Member (arrived at 3:38 p.m.) John F. Marz, Member Dan H. Stewart, Member (arrived at 3:38 p.m.) Dan K. Shaw, Member Absent: None Present RAC: Ronald Leavitt, Chairman Nathan Henderson, Commissioner John Vanderploeg, Commissioner Laura J. Spina, Commissioner Mark McGinty, Commissioner Richard Serfas, Commissioner (arrived at 4:02 p.m.) Tom Foster, Commissioner Officers: Richard Derrick, Executive Director/CEO Sabrina Mercadante, Secretary Nicholas Vaskov, General Counsel Absent: None RDA/RAC WORKSHOP Page 2 of 7 Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Minutes Staff: Jim McIntosh, Treasurer Bristol Ellington, Chief Operating Officer/Deputy City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause, Chief Strategy Officer/Asst. City Manager Anthony Molloy, Manager of Redevelopment Ed McGuire, Director of Public Works Michael Tassi, Community Dev. and Services Director Victoria Dasis, Deputy City Clerk Andre Dixon, Deputy City Clerk Amber Ellis, Supervising Deputy City Clerk Daphney Jeffers, Senior Administrative Analyst Tiffany Reardon, Redevelopment Communication Specialist MaryAnne Cruzado, Redevelopment Program Specialist III. PUBLIC COMMENT There were no public comments presented. IV. ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA (Motion) Member Dan K. Shaw introduced a motion to accept the agenda as presented. The roll call vote favoring passage was: Those voting aye: Nathan Henderson, Tom Foster, Ronald Leavitt, Mark McGinty, Debra March, John F. Marz, Michelle Romero, Dan K. Shaw, Dan H. Stewart, Laura J. Spina, and John Vanderploeg. Those voting nay: None. Those absent: Richard Serfas. Those abstaining: None. Chairman March declared the motion carried. V. ITEMS OF BUSINESS RDA-1. WELCOME AND WORKSHOP OVERVIEW REDEVELOPMENT Stephanie Garcia-Vause, Chief Strategy Officer/Assistant City Manager, will welcome attendees and give a workshop overview. Stephanie Garcia-Vause, Chief Strategy Officer/Assistant City Manager, welcomed those present and stated the workshop will review an analysis and happenings in the Downtown Redevelopment Area. She encouraged the Agency and Commissioners to provide recommendations on what they want to see developed in Downtown Henderson. RDA/RAC WORKSHOP Page 3 of 7 Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Minutes RDA-2. PRESENTATION DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT REDEVELOPMENT Anthony Molloy, Manager of Redevelopment, will present an overview of the Downtown Redevelopment Area, the Downtown Investment Strategy and Master Plan, existing incentive programs, current development projects, and significant downtown investments. Anthony Molloy, Manager of Redevelopment, gave a PowerPoint presentation titled Downtown Redevelopment RDA/RAC Workshop, which provided an overview of the current state of the area and future plans for Downtown Henderson. Topics of information included: demographics, investment strategy, opportunity districts, master plan and vision, incentive programs, current developments, cottage home concepts, and vacant properties for development. RDA-3. PRESENTATION DOWNTOWN INVESTMENT AND GAP ANALYSIS RESULTS REDEVELOPMENT Jeremy Aguero, Principal from Applied Analysis, will present his findings on downtown investment and identify any gaps that exist. Jeremy Aguero, Principal from Applied Analysis, gave a PowerPoint presentation titled Downtown Land Use Analysis, which provided an overview of the following key findings: economic growth trends, real estate trends, downtown demographics, downtown land use mix, and downtown jobs-housing balance. Mr. Aguero said the primary challenges existing for economic development in Downtown Henderson include: 1) the age of existing properties in the surrounding area; 2) proximity to residents, infrastructure, and other investment; 3) the size of downtown and available space; 4) area less affluent than Henderson overall; and 5) lack of “destination” amenities and commercial density. Chairman March inquired if the job-housing analysis took consideration of the developments in progress. Mr. Aguero responded the analysis provided data on Downtown Henderson’s present state and did not include the projects in the drafting stage or under construction. He said he anticipates the data to change once those developments are complete. RDA/RAC WORKSHOP Page 4 of 7 Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Minutes A brief recess was taken from 4:20 p.m. to 4:26 p.m. RDA-4. VISIONING EXERCISE TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA REDEVELOPMENT Workshop participants will discuss and determine Downtown Redevelopment Area priorities and goals in the areas of 1) economic development, 2) available opportunity sites, and 3) housing. The workshop participants will provide feedback on ways to enhance goals within the three priorities through visual preference surveys and prioritize them for use by the Redevelopment Agency. At the direction of Jeremy Aguero, Principal from Applied Analysis, the Redevelopment Agency members (RDA) and Redevelopment Advisory Commissioners (RAC) engaged in an exercise where they voiced their priorities and visions for the Downtown Redevelopment Area. When the RDA and RAC members were asked what their vision or goal for what Downtown Henderson aspires to be, the following ideas were stated:  Vibrant, accessible, revitalized, hip, destination, and well-planned. Examples included: Activity on the street; programming/marketing; choices of restaurants and retail; entertainment; date night; playground; adequate parking; safety; transportation and connectivity; add character with streetscapes/landscaping; and have a variety of housing. The RDA and RAC members voiced there is a perception of Downtown Henderson that it has not changed in years and is unsafe. They expressed the need for a new marketing approach to transform the preconceived beliefs. When the RDA and RAC members were asked what needed to be done to enhance the priority for economic development on Water Street, the following ideas were stated:  Build on educational environment with transportation from other campuses  Replicate East Fremont Street experiences, such as housing, art, and breweries  Have hi-tech jobs available in the area  Mobility/transportation/connectivity  Entertainment/destination uses and walkability  Strategic and opportunistic developments  RDA as gatekeepers for future developments RDA/RAC WORKSHOP Page 5 of 7 Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Minutes When the RDA and RAC members were asked what short-term strategies can be used to accomplish the priorities on Water Street, the following ideas were stated:  Actively seek developers for the City’s land assets  Marketing and placemaking of land  Address and transform the perception of Water Street  Reconsider the housing grants and assets When the RDA and RAC members were asked what needed to be done to enhance the priority for housing on Water Street, the following ideas were stated:  Variety of density and type of housing  Currently cost-prohibitive/bridge the gap to make development of new housing stock more cost-effective  Consider eminent domain on non-owner-occupied units  Incentives to assist in new housing projects  Enforce building code requirements  Consider going to the Legislature to lobby for tax incentives for investment properties Nicholas Vaskov, City Attorney, cautioned the RDA and RAC members that eminent domain can only be done if it serves as a public purpose. He explained that it would be a very challenging process to enforce eminent domain on residential properties. When the RDA and RAC members were asked how staff can best leverage the City’s current assets, the following ideas were stated:  Complete streets investment  Strategize remaining vacant property  Leverage assets to accomplish housing, critical mass, and destination goals  Campaign to attract developers/owners/users  Pressure on non-performing developers to complete construction according to their development agreement or take back the property if needed  Redefine Water Street’s image and tell the story of Downtown Henderson  Be proactive in developer search When the RDA and RAC members were asked what needed to be done to enhance the overall Downtown Investment Strategy, the following statements were made:  Market Downtown Henderson to new visitors and residents from other areas of Henderson  Develop a sense of vibrancy  Placemaking: design and management of public spaces RDA/RAC WORKSHOP Page 6 of 7 Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Minutes Mr. Aguero ended the exercise and reviewed the ideas that were presented. He encouraged the City to address the current perception of Water Street so their aspirations for a vibrant Downtown Henderson can be a reality. (Motion) Member Dan H. Stewart introduced a motion to accept the discussion, directed staff to consolidate all the information that had been gathered and return with a report to the Redevelopment Agency; to develop a strategy around that report, which might include putting some resourcing behind marketing, what tools are available, what the Members and Commissioners envision, and to hold future discussions regarding each of the categorical areas including prioritization. The roll call vote favoring passage was: Those voting aye: Nathan Henderson, Tom Foster, Ronald Leavitt, Mark McGinty, Debra March, John F. Marz, Michelle Romero, Richard Serfas, Dan K. Shaw, Dan H. Stewart, Laura J. Spina, and John Vanderploeg. Those voting nay: None. Those absent: None. Those abstaining: None. Chairman March declared the motion carried. RDA-5. CLOSING REMARKS REDEVELOPMENT Anthony Molloy, Manager of Redevelopment, and Jeremy Aguero, Principal from Applied Analysis, will close with a recap of the workshop and review the goals in the three priority areas identified in the visioning exercise. Chairman March provided a brief overview of the workshop and stated it was a valuable workshop to get the ball rolling on opportunities for new businesses in the Downtown Redevelopment Area. Member Stewart and Commissioner Serfas thanked Jeremy Aguero, Principal from Applied Analysis, and the City staff for their efforts put into this workshop. VI. CHAIRMAN\MEMBER COMMENTS There were no Chairman\Member comments presented. VII. PUBLIC COMMENT Windom Kimsey, TSK Architects, 89074, stated he believes the grant programs have motivated businesses to relocate onto Water Street, including restaurants; however, he believes the completion of the Water Street District will take time to develop. He recommended staff create a “sales center” to market available property, and its targeted use, in the city. Mr. Kimsey also suggested the pricing of land be its own focus of discussion in the future. RDA/RAC WORKSHOP Page 7 of 7 Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Minutes Maria Bailey, Water Street District Business Association, 89052, stated members of her organization are envisioning Downtown Henderson as place of possibility and positive energy. She noted the product which businesses produce is an important component to attract people to Water Street. Ms. Bailey invited those present to attend the Shop Small Saturday event on November 30, 2019, at the Event Center. Sandra Parker-Burns, 89015, stated she owns a townsite home in Downtown Henderson and has a great desire to build smaller homes in the area for those who want a walkable lifestyle. She recommended the City have additional incentives so homeowners are motivated to renovate their townsite properties. Ms. Parker-Burns thanked the City staff for their efforts to enhance the economic development in Downtown Henderson. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Redevelopment Agency and Redevelopment Advisory Commission, Chairman March, in concurrence with those present, adjourned the Redevelopment Agency and Redevelopment Advisory Commission Joint Workshop at 5:44 p.m. PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 17TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2019. ______________________ Debra March Chairman ATTEST: _____________________ Sabrina Mercadante, MMC Secretary