Advanced Plans Committee

Advance Plans Committee Meeting Summary Thursday, October 7, 2021 Meeting is conducted virtually via GoTo Meetings andin-person in the MAPC Conference room on the second floor of the Reagan Building Attendance AP Committee Members: Ann Fox (Chair), Chuck Warren, Joe Johnson, Rob Hartman, John McKay; Members Absent: Bob Dool, Cindy Miles; MAPD staff: Scott Wadle, Mary M. Hunt, Stephen Banks, Matt Williams, ThaiBinh Ninh, Paul Gunzelman – Public Works Dept.; Other: Kurt Yowell; Discussion Summary 1. The meeting commenced at 10:30am with Chair Ann Fox welcoming all attendees including returning Committee member John McKay. Mary Hunt, Principal Planner introduced ThaiBinh Ninh, a recently hired member of the staff as part of the graphics team. ThaiBinh will be coordinating the technology associated with the Advance Plans Committee meetings. The Committee welcomed ThaiBinh to the MAPD team. 2. The September 9, 2021 meeting summary was approved 3 votes to zero with one abstention. Commissioner Warren motioned to approve; Commissioner J. Johnson second the motion to approve. 3. The August 5, 2021 meeting summary (with corrections) was approved 3 votes to 0 with two abstentions. Commissioner Warren motioned to approve; Commissioner J. Johnson second the motion to approve. This vote renders the vote from the September 9, 2021 meeting void. 4. Matt Williams, Senior Planner introduced Paul Gunzelman from the Public Works Department who presented information on the Chisolm Trial Parkway project in Delano. Paul explained how the different phases of the trail have been, or will be constructed. Different renderings of amenities along the path were shared with the Committee including the long horn art sculpture. To the west will be a cycle track that will separate pedestrians from bicyclist. The block between Walnut and Seneca will have playground equipment. Further west between Seneca and Dodge will include a Hawk signal for pedestrian and auto control. The portion between Dodge and Exposition will include additional parking. Food truck hookups will be available at this part of the Parkway. This project is programmed in the CIP with construction completed by spring of 2022. The Public Works staff is coordinating with the Parks Department to maximize greenspace along the Parkway. 5. Mary Hunt, Principal Planner updated the Committee on the Wichita: Places for People Plan (2019). The 7th, and last appointment for the Land Bank Board of Trustees was completed by Advanced Plans Committee Meeting Summary – October 7, 2021 1  Councilwoman Claycomb by appointing Mr. Alex Iberra. Staff has prepared a list of possible initial tasks for the Land Bank including approving the By Laws and the Administrative Policies that are currently in draft form. Staff is examining ways to measure success including vacant lot reductions, increases in property values, code enforcement activity reduction and tracking the number of affordable housing units. Mary shared a GIS map of digitized nodes on a map from the Wichita: Places for People Plan (2019). The map indicates the location of each “node” with the “transition area” and the residential area between the core of the node and the residential area known as the “edge”. The edge area supports the commercial businesses located at the center of the node. 6. Scott Wadle, Planning Director presented information on Planning and Managing Parking. There has been considerable development in the Delano Business District as the map presented illustrates. Additional parking will be available through the Multi-modal Center. Questions about parking center on how do you accommodate parking; how much do you provide and how is it managed? Parking requires land and if you require more than two spaces per 1,000 square feet of commercial space, you are then requiring more land for parking than the use it is supporting. Scott provided an example from Silicon Valley and how parking is incorporated into a mixed-use development where all of the uses are separated from one another with vast amounts of parking – requiring people to use a car to travel between different uses. A map of downtown Wichita was shared illustrating the prevalence of parking lots in contrast to the buildings. Parking is never free; it can be subsidized or paid for directly by the user. It costs $5,000 to $10,000 per space on flat ground. A parking garage costs between $15,000 and $20,000 per space. Parking maintenance and operations costs approximately $1,770 per year, per space. There are three ways to manage parking including 1) provide more parking; 2) manage parking better; 3) encourage people to drive less. If you reduce trips by 10%, on the most congested roadways, the traffic jam is solved. Scott shared information on new parking meters that use all forms of payment and alert a user to add time to the meter if desired. It can also collect user data and allows changes in pricing depending on demand. Developers and business owners are the most knowledgeable about the parking needs of their clients and customers and should be free to determine what is necessary. Use technology to help manage parking as the purpose of parking is to provide access to the places people want to go. Current trends include the decrease in the number of driver’s license and auto purchases. This too will impact the need for more parking. Younger people want the option to drive, however not be forced to drive. Questions to consider include do our existing codes reflect our community values and do they get the outcomes of our values and goals? Do our budgets reflect the same? 7. The next meeting of the Advance Plans Committee will be Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 10:30 am. With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 12:00 pm. Advanced Plans Committee Meeting Summary – October 7, 2021 2