Old Orchard Business District Advisory Commission

Old Orchard Special Business District Advisory Commission MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 LOCATION: Zoom CALLED TO ORDER 8:05 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 8:25 AM NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, September 14, 2021 NAME PRESENT ABSENT Bob Weber, Chair X Holland Saltsman, Vice Chair X Angel Venegoni X John Barr X Steve Zielinski X Abby Culleton X Ken Creehan X Vacancy Vacancy Emerson Smith, Council Liaison X Eric Peterson, City Liaison X Also in attendance: Mara Perry – Director of Planning and Development, City of Webster Groves Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support Approval of Minutes Motion to approve the July minutes was made by Angel Venegoni, seconded by Ken Creehan, and was unanimously approved. Streetscape Update No new updates. As soon as on the materials for the new lamp posts for construction to start. Fall Events Gazebo Series Update – Fran Sudekum provided a status update for the Old Orchard Gazebo Series. There are 32 committed sponsors for a total of $9,400. A record according to Bob Weber. Soliciting the Old Orchard businesses in person, face-to-face netted this result which is three times higher than in recent years. Posters and counter cards are currently in the process of being delivered. The first ad in the Webster- Kirkwood Times will be in the August 13th issue; a half-page color ad (the Times is waiving the color charge). Missouri 2021 Ice Cream Social – Missouri is celebrating its bicentennial this year and all over the state today, there will be Ice Cream Social Events celebrating. Old Orchard business Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream will be participating. Beckie Jacobs has created two special flavors for the day. The first one is a Bourbon Walnut Toffee Ice Cream; an all-Missouri collaboration using Bourbon from StilL 630 (St. Louis, MO), Page 1 of 3 walnuts from Hammons Black Walnuts (Stockton, MO), and toffee from Belle Toffee (Lee's Summit, MO). The second is a Gooey Butter Ice Cream. As a throwback to the introduction of the ice cream cone at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair a waffle cone upgrade at no extra charge. In addition Serendipity’s ice cream will be served at the Ice Cream Socials held on August 10th at the Webster Groves Historical Society and the Eugene Field House. Fall Festival – Civil Alchemy is talking about putting on their Fall Festival this year possibly the October 23rd. Staffing is still dire, so organizing the event would be a challenge and is therefore still being discussed. Trick or Treating – Old Webster is holding their Trick or Treating event the Saturday before Halloween which is the 30th. In the past, it has been jointly held in both Old Webster and Old Orchard. Bob Weber and John Barr felt confident Old Orchard businesses would participate; reach out to them. BDC Update The BDC continues to work on ways to bring the business districts together. The BDC is looking at possibly doing a fall scavenger hunt; it’s still in the early stages. They are also looking at identifying ways to help businesses piggyback on civic events. Old Orchard no longer has a representative on the BDC; Holland Saltsman has an employee that has submitted her application. City Update • Union Studio is moving to a new location a couple of doors down from their current location in Old Orchard. • Construction work continues on the following business: o Wingstop and Zushi, two restaurants in Yorkshire Plaza. o Betty’s Books in a portion of the former Gymboree location in Old Orchard. o Union Bagels in Crossroads. o Total Access Urgent Care at Big Bend and Laclede Station. • Webster Arts is holding three Saturday events at Gazebo Park in August. • The Gazebo Series worked very nicely together with Webster University to get their over-the-street banners up; two banners, same time frame, but only one location in Old Orchard. When the Gazebo Series was held in early summer it didn’t collide with Webster University welcoming students at the end of summer. Now that the Series is also at the end of summer there was a conflict, but it was worked out nicely between the two organizations. • The CUP for Play Daze daycare center for a space in the Zeta Dell business neighborhood was held; they are working on some issues. • A CUP was approved at Plan Commission for a used car lot on Watson to do some repairs and will move forward to City Council. • Text amendments in C and D Commercial zones to address multi-family as a permitted use had its first and second reading at City Council and will go for its final vote at the next Council meeting. Passage would give an opportunity for a mixed- Page 2 of 3  use type development with possible multi-family units at the old Subaru location in Old Orchard. • Plan Commission did a full analysis of the Douglass Hill Project Redevelopment Project at its meeting on August 9th. A special zoom-only meeting is scheduled for August 31st for public comments only. Douglass Hill will be the only item on the agenda for the regular September meeting. • Proposition #1 passed and repels the changes that were made to the A4 residential zones related to two-family structures. • Tonight is a special City Council meeting to finalize TIF Commission appointments for the Douglass Hill Redevelopment Project. The City appoints three seats to the twelve-member commission. • City Council will be making their final action at their next council meeting to mandate all City employees be vaccinated. • The next “City Chat” will be held tomorrow live on Facebook. City Chats are an opportunity for citizens to ask Dr. Peoples and Eric Peterson questions. Adjournment – Meeting adjourned at 8:25 AM. Page 3 of 3