City Council - Revitalization of Historic Downtown Mansfield Sub-Committee

1200 E. Broad St. CITY OF MANSFIELD Mansfield, TX 76063 mansfieldtexas.gov Meeting Minutes - Final City Council - Revitalization of Historic Downtown Mansfield Sub-Committee Thursday, February 20, 2020 11:00 AM City Hall - Multi-Purpose Room CALL TO ORDER Chairman Newsom called the meeting to order at 11:06 a.m. Staff Present: Deputy City Manager, Joe Smolinski; Deputy City Manager, Shelly Lanners; Deputy City Manager, Joe Smolinski; City Secretary, Susana Marin; Assistant City Secretary, Holly Owens; Director of Planning, Matt Jones; Assistant Director of Planning, Lisa Sudbury; Planner, Andrew Bogda; Director of Public Works, Bart VanAmburgh; Director of Communications and Marketing, Belinda Willis; Director of Parks & Recreation, Matt Young; Special Projects Manager, Bernie McCranie; Director of Economic Development, Richard Nevins; Director of Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Theresa Cohagen Absent 1 - David Cook Present 2 - Brent Newsom and Casey Lewis CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no Citizen Comments. DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES UPDATE Shelly Lanners gave a brief overview of what stage the Downtown Development Strategies is at and introduced Halff Associates representative Matt Bucchin. Halff Associates and HR&A representatives introduced themselves as follows: Planner, Brennan Cane; Transportation Engineer, Dean Staller; Deputy Project Manager, Kendal Howard; Managing Director, Thomas Simpson; and Senior Advisor, Joseph Cahoon. Process Recap Matt Bucchin touched on the plan background to include the project purpose, anticipated duration, the intended project outcomes, the plan process and plan scheduled. He stated the project started in August 2019 and they are anticipating an end date of May 2020. Matt spoke in detail about the following intended project outcomes: confirming a vision, recommending a unified parking strategy, developing marketing strategies, updating the TIRZ evaluations, and proposing modifications to regulations. Market Analysis Findings Joseph Cahoon touched on demographics, real estate, case studies and opportunities. CITY OF MANSFIELD Page 1 City Council - Revitalization of Meeting Minutes - Final February 20, 2020 Historic Downtown Mansfield Sub-Committee He stated the following peer cities were used as comparison: Grapevine, Lewisville, and Roanoke. He explained how each of the peer cities compared to Mansfield in regards to downtown residential development, to include both multi-family and single-family; office market and retail needs. Thomas Simpson explained the TIRZ Analysis stating it is growing in value more quickly than projected. He explained how the TIRZ has grown in value, how it has operated, and what has been the most significant driver of growth. Parking Assessment Findings Dean Staller presented the parking assessment. He stated an in-person parking survey was conducted on November 2, 2019 and January 16, 2020 during four time periods; 11a.m.-12p.m., 12p.m.-1p.m., 5p.m.-6p.m., and 6p.m.-7p.m. He explained the focus areas had been divided into four quadrants and each quadrant was surveyed during each time period. Dean discussed the existing parking supply downtown and the total parking demand during the survey days. He presented the parking study findings mentioning the estimated number of parking spaces downtown are approximately 1,140. He noted the parking lots currently under utilized include the Heritage Baptist Church parking lot, Mansfield Economic Development Corporation lot, and the 4-acre tract in the NE quadrant. Vision Statement and Goals Kendal Howard discussed the Vision Statement and Goals drafted for this project. She explained the following goals: (1) Identity, (2) Activity, (3) Connectivity, and (4) Livability. She mentioned the next steps would to develop strategies and compile technical compendium. Chairman Newsom acknowledged the following citizen comment speaker: Mike Leyman, 808 Turnberry Drive - Mr. Leyman asked about the proposed rail line that runs through downtown Mansfield and asked if it was considered in the projections. Dean Staller responded to citizen comments. Chairman Newsom recessed the meeting for a break at 12:36 p.m. Chairman Newsom reconvened the meeting at 12:55 p.m. DOWNTOWN ZONING DISTRICT Matt Jones explained the Historic Downtown Mansfield Zoning regulations. He touched on rezoning downtown to a new district and city initiated rezoning. Lisa Sudbury explained the rezoning would be based on the Gateway Plan recommendations. There was discussion regarding an overlay district versus a zoning district. Halff Associates representative Matt Bucchin gave the sub-committee members and staff feedback on downtown zoning changes. DOWNTOWN BUILDING LIGHTS PROJECT Shelly Lanners gave an overview of the communication city staff has had with the CITY OF MANSFIELD Page 2 City Council - Revitalization of Meeting Minutes - Final February 20, 2020 Historic Downtown Mansfield Sub-Committee downtown business owners regarding the Downtown Lighting Project. She explained some of the challenges faced in particular the expense of the improvement and the continued maintenance. There was discussion regarding the possibility of having a third party install and maintain the lighting and the city provide funding. Bart VanAmburgh discussed the potential process of handling the project; to include, Council approval, execution of agreements reviewed by the City Attorney, and consult with ONCOR regarding meter stations available downtown. There was discussion about having a dedicated staff person specifically for downtown management. Chairman Newsom stated this item will be placed on the next Council agenda for further review. DOWNTOWN GRANT PROGRAM No discussion. DOWNTOWN PROMOTIONS/COMMUNICATIONS No discussion. Current and Future Marketing/Promotion Efforts No discussion. Update on Current Communication Efforts No discussion. Creating a Focused Effort in Promoting Downtown No discussion. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Newsom adjourned the meeting at 1:57 p.m. _________________________________ Brent Newsom, Chairman ATTEST: _________________________________ Susana Marin, City Secretary CITY OF MANSFIELD Page 3