Plan of Conservation & Development Plan Implementation Committee

PLAN OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2017 - 6:00 P.M. 100 BROADWAY, NORWICH CONNECTICUT RM #335-THIRD FLOOR SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES A. CALL TO ORDER: Art Sharron, Chairman of the Commission on the City Plan called the meeting to order. He asked for everyone to introduce themselves and from what committee or department they were representing. B. INTRODUCTIONS: Representatives Also present were Richard Morell, Chairman of IWWCC; Douglas Lee, Vice-Chairman of IWWCC; Fawn Walker from NPU; James Quarto, RDA Chairman & Board of Dangerous Buildings; Bob Mills, President of NCDC; Steve Garstka, Norwich Housing Authority; Les King, CCP member & Chairman of CDAC; Deanna Rhodes, City Planner; and Linda Lee Smith, recording secretary. C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 09/13/17 Special Meeting Motion was made by Richard Morell to approve the minutes with the spelling correction be made just in the introduction from “Morrell to Morell.” Les King second. Fawn Walker abstained as she wasn’t in attendance last month. Motion carried unanimously. D. DISCUSS STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD W/ POCD IMPLEMENTATION: Deanna Rhodes gave a brief explanation of the Implementation tables and handed out the appropriate packages to the agencies in attendance. She also stated she would be sending them out to the other agencies not in attendance. Ms. Rhodes stated the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) is online and she explained the agencies all have tasks. Bob Mills, President of NCDC arrived. Ms. Rhodes stated there’s tasks for a Design Review Committee but there hasn’t been one established by the City Council to date. Ms. Rhodes noted that Historic Commission has tasks assigned to them in the POCD and Regan Miner, who is working in Planning Office as a consultant for the Uncas Leap Project, told Deanna that no one informed them of this. Deanna Rhodes asked if there was a single Neighborhood Revitalization Committee. Les King stated that there are ones in Greeneville and Taftville. Ms. Rhodes wanted to know if they were their own entity or affiliated with the City. Les King and Art Sharon both expressed that they understood that they were their own entity. Bob Mills stated there was a downtown revitalization committee, but it has been defunct for many years. Richard Morell stated that he felt that the first task is that everyone who is assigned a task should attend POCD PIC meetings. Ms. Rhodes stated she will email the calendar for next year’s meeting dates, and include the links for the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) & Implementation Element, and also attach their specific task pages from the Implementation document. E. UPDATES FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Richard Morell shared that Michael Lahan, Deanna Rhodes and he took walks together through various reservoir properties that are controlled by the City or NPU. These included Bog Meadow and Taftville Reservoirs 1&2 for potential opportunities for recreation which is a recommendation in the POCD. Mr. Morell stated that at the last IWWCC meeting, there was some discussion and members noted concern relative to hunting that is allowed on some of these properties and potential impact to nearby conservation areas and farms. At the previous PIC meeting, Jeff Brining from NPU was asked to discuss the matter with NPU and report back at this meeting. Fawn Walker, representing NPU, was not aware of this and did not have an update to share. She stated that she would get back to the committee. A discussion then ensued regarding possible sites for passive recreation and illegal use of dirt bikes. Bob Mills, President NCDC gave a positive development update and praised the department heads for closing the gap with potential investors coming to the City. Mr. Mills stated that he feels it is dramatically different now when he speaks with developers and that there’s less investors who are just buying properties and holding on to them. He said the development team approach is working and other communities are noting Norwich’s successes. Deanna Rhodes briefly explained the City’s partnership with the United Way on the Working Cities Grant. The grant is funded by the Boston Fed and is being used to determine how best the City can meet a specific challenge which was determined locally to be the following based on the ALICE report: 47% of Norwich households cannot meet their basic needs. Deanna Rhodes also noted that there were 2 RFP's respondents for 80 Broadway, which is the old human services is building. She stated that one was for a small brewery and the other for a food hall/restaurant incubator. Jim Quarto, who is on the Board of Dangerous Buildings and Chairman of the Redevelopment Agency (RDA), gave a brief explanation about activity in the Shipping Street waterfront area and support for the creation of a new City property disposition committee. Mr. Quarto was of the opinion that maybe the City should hold onto certain properties and not sell them. Bob Mills stated he was in support of a property disposition committee and possibly eliminating and combining some of the development committees to instead be handled by the RDA. Deanna Rhodes talked briefly about the recommendation in the POCD to establish village districts in the City. Regan Miner, the City’s consultant working on the Uncas Leap project and who is also with the Norwich Historical Society, is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree at Central Connecticut State University in Public History. For her Master’s project, she is working with Deanna to create regulations to establish a Village District in Norwichtown. Bob Mills stated he had potential economic development projects with two interested parties looking for flat land to build sports fields for commercial baseball and soccer facilities. These would bring in a large following from out of state. He stated that they are in need of 5-20 acres of flat land. Discussion ensued on available properties that aren’t already under contract. Richard Morell said he wants more access points along the river with a few parking spaces with a small sign for people to reminisce. Richard Morell stated there is a kayak and canoe dock at the Occum Park. Fawn Walker stated it is not advertised as such and is required to remain passive. Bob Mills asked if the board knew there was an existing kayak launch at the transportation center onto the west branch of the Yantic River. Deanna Rhodes asked Fawn Walker if there was a public relations person to contact at Norwich Public Utilities to discuss the positive aspects of opening the reservoir properties up to passive recreation. Fawn Walker stated Chris Riley would be the contact person. Fawn Walker stated that one of the nice things that NPU does is provide a bus tour of the fish ladder in the spring. Deanna Rhodes stated Bob Mills was incorrectly identified in the minutes and agenda as “Director”. His title is actually "President" of NCDC. Bob Mills stated Norwich Events they just received their 501C status. F. SET CALENDAR FOR FUTURE MEETINGS: After a brief discussion about whether or not to hold a meeting in July, everyone was in agreement for the meetings to be held every other month, on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in room 335, 100 Broadway. Motion was made by Richard Morell to approve the calendar. Motion was seconded by Art Sharron. Motion carried unanimously. G. ADJOURNMENT: Being no further discussion, Art Sharron asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Les King made the motion to adjourn. It was seconded by Jim Quarto. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:11 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Linda Lee-Smith