Business Development Commission

Business Development Commission (BDC) MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Thursday, June 24, 2021 LOCATION: City Hall CALLED TO ORDER: 8:04 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 8:46 AM NEXT MEETING: Thursday, July 22, 2021 Name Present Absent Mike Pincus Chair (Citizen at Large) X Pam Neihaus, Vice Chair (Citizen at Large) X Kara Bowlin (Citizen at Large) X Andrew Scavotto (Citizen at Large) X Erbab Majeede (Business Owner-C) X Ceci Bartels (Business Owner-H) X Rebecca Now (Chamber of Commerce) X Tim Delanty (Old Webster) X Vacancy, Old Orchard Rep Laura Arnold Council Liaison X Vacant, City Manager Designee Mara Perry, Staff Liaison X Also in Attendance Eric Peterson – Assistant City Manager/Director of Finance and Administration, City of Webster Groves Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the May minutes was made by Ceci Bartels, Rebecca Now seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved. OLD BUSINESS BDC Working Group Sub-Committee Recommendations – Commission Members continued their discussion of the recommendations from the BDC Working Group Sub- Committee. Discussion focused on the many and varied challenges of engaging the businesses; i.e. businesses that reside in a “Special Business District” vs. those that do not, Special Business Districts that have an associated Trade Association vs. ones that do not, burn out of previously engaged business owners and managers, etc. Discussion continued around the recommendation to have a project in each business district or area specific to them that each would work on together. Such a project to inspire businesses to participate would need to be creative and meaningful to the targeted group. Andrew Scavotto suggested that developing such a project while worthwhile may not be the most practical or viable path for the BDC recognizing the challenges discussed and perhaps providing support of available resources, making forums available, and communicating regularly with the three business districts and the business neighborhoods is the viable approach. 1 of 4 Ceci Bartels suggested conducting a Webster-wide scavenger hunt. Ceci will put together a one-page plan and present it at the August BDC meeting for perhaps a fall scavenger hung. Two sources of scavenger hunt info: Webster Groves Public Library recently took park in a St. Louis scavenger hunt and in a previous year, The Novel Neighbor took part in a national Where’s Waldo hunt. Pam Neihaus and Andrew Scavotto expressed interest. Perhaps taking advantage/piggy backing existing events put on by others should be looked at. August-September-October known and potential events in business districts include the Old Webster Walktober Fest, Trick or Treating in Old Webster and Old Orchard, possibly “Civil Alchemy’s” Fall Artisan Festival, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, Old Orchard Gazebo Music Series, Mini Webster Arts Festivals at Gazebo Park in Old Orchard. Discussion on the remaining recommendations touches on items under the purview of the revamping the new City website which will not start until the new fiscal budget year; follow up will tentatively be on the July agenda. DISTRICT UPDATES Crossroads – The funds the Streetscape Project has been approved in the 2022 City budget. Old Orchard – Streetscape construction is still delayed and hope to be able to start at the end of the summer. Old Webster – Had a good turnout for the Summer Night Street Dance, even with a thunderstorm in the middle of it, which bodes well for attendance at the Jazz & Blues Festival. CITY UPDATES • Amy’s Cake Pop Shop and Boozy Bites in Old Orchard is open. • Wingstop in Yorkshire Plaza is under construction. • Zushi in Yorkshire Plaza is under construction. • Le Macaron in Old Webster expects to open any day now. • DD Mao in Old Webster is finalizing their inspection. • Union Bagels in Crossroads continues their construction. • A new interior design firm, Eurotrash, will be moving into the former dry cleaners location next to Dewey’s in Old Webster. • A comic bookstore, Betty’s Book, is under construction in part of the space that was the former Gymboree location in Old Orchard. • Rolling Ridge’s CUP for the “Willow in Webster” to hold small events in a portion of their existing space in Old Webster during their off hours or off season was approved. • Patterson Performing Arts applied for a CUP to use “classroom” space in Webster Groves Presbyterian Church; final reading is before the upcoming City Council meeting. 2 of 4 3 of 4 • Total Access Urgent Care at Big Bend and Laclede Station completed their demolitions and is starting their construction. • Play Daze daycare center has submitted a CUP, they are moving out of a space in the Webster Groves Congregational Church and looking to go into an area on Marshall; the CUP is needed for the required parking. • Working on a code amendment changes for D and C Commercial to address multi- family as a permitted use with a specific set of regulations, such as setbacks, height, intensity of use, required parking, and landscaping has finished with the Plan Commission and now goes before City Council. • Two-family code amendment changes in the A4 residential zone were passed by City Council, it had a referendum, the City Council then voted not to overturn the changes, which resulted in a public vote on the August ballot. Information is available on the City website. A No vote keeps the changes and a Yes votes overturns them. • The Planning and Development Department has been extremely busy and in the new budget year will be adding two additional positions; a new inspector has been hired and started this past Monday and the other position is for a permit technician. NEXT MEETING Meeting Date – July 22 at 8:00 AM via Zoom 4 of 4