District 1 Advisory Board

DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD (DAB) I MEETING MINUTES Monday, April 2, 2012 6:30 p.m. Atwater Community Center, 2755 E. 19th, Wichita, Kansas 67214 Members Present Members Absent Guests Janice Rich Jesyka Ware (Youth Member) Roger Sheward James Roseboro Bill Wynne David Farha Twila Chaloupek Steve Brown Brandon James Lou Taylor KC Ohaebosim Mark & Joy Wilkes Janet Wilson David Mollhagen Beverly Domitrovic Paul M. Willis Steve Roberts Gerry Domitrovic Vicki Churchman City of Wichita Staff Present Lt. Jose Ortiz, Wichita Fire Department Officer Carlson Beat 21, Wichita Police Department Officer Weber Beat 44, Wichita Police Department Officer Matt Lowe Beat 31, Wichita Police Department Gary Janzen, Public Works & Utilities Scott Knebel, Planning Department Paul Gunzelman, Public Works & Utilities LaShonda Garnes, District 1 Neighborhood Assistant Order of Business Call to Order Pro-Tem Steve Roberts called the meeting to order at 6:32p.m.and welcomed staff and guest. Pro-Tem Roberts welcomed guest and advised that anyone speaking should provide their name and address for the record and that they have 3 minutes to speak. He thanked everyone for coming and proceeded with the first order of business. Approval of Agenda Roseboro (Wilson) made a motion to approve the agenda as submitted. Motion carried. 8:0 Approval of Minutes Roseboro(Chaloupek) made a motion to approve the minutes as submitted. Motion carried. 8:0 Public Agenda 1. Agenda Items No items submitted. 2. Off Agenda Items No items submitted.  District I Advisory Board Minutes April 2, 2012 Page 2 of 7 Staff Report 3. Fire Report Lt. Jose Ortiz advised that for the month of March there were 3 fires: 701 S. Lulu, 950 N. Terrace and they both were under investigation. Lt. Ortiz advised that he did not have the location of the 3rd fire. He noted that they also responded to numerous medical calls. Lt. Ortiz advised that he is the Community Risk Reduction Officer and he is responsible for going to schools, homeowner and neighborhood association meetings providing fire safety education and fire extinguisher training. Lt. Ortiz advised they are unable to predict summer fire activity due to the mild winter we experienced. He noted that residents should take heed to all alarms. The Board thanked Lt. Ortiz for his report. Action Taken: Received and filed. 4. Police Report Officer Carlson Beat 21, Wichita Police Department advised that they are working with the Old Town Association to help create direction for the association. He noted they were also working on a survey. Carlson also advised that Old Town was safe. He invited the DAB to come do a ride along after 11 p.m. so they could see what type of activity is occurring at night. He also noted that larceny to cars was still an issue. Roseboro wanted to know if this was a business association that the Officers were working with. Carlson advised that it is changing into that as there are more businesses involved than anything. Officer Weber Beat 44, Wichita Police Department advised that as the 1st of the month they completed a hot spot analysis and identified in the 1400 block of Estelle there were 6 burglaries at the end of February. He noted they had a potential suspect and was still working the case. Garnes asked Weber if he knew if a CP Officer would be assigned to work at Inwood Apartments. He noted that we he was not sure. Officer Lowe Beat 31, Wichita Police Department advised there was a stabbing on north Ash and that the victim died and the perpetrator had been arrested. He noted that they were still working through the details of the incident. Lowe advised that the Wichita Police Department was working with neighborhood associations to identify and set 1-3 goals that are achievable in 2012. Garnes asked who was responsible for ensuing that the goals are met. Lowe advised that the neighborhood associations are and that WPD would assist where they could. Officer Tiede Beat 46, Wichita Police Department advised that she was the new CP Officer for Beat 46 and wanted to introduce herself to the Board. Garnes asked if she would be housed at Inwood Apartments. Tiede advised that she was looking into that but nothing have been finalized. Pro-Tem Roberts thanked the Officers for their updates. Action Taken: Received and filed. 2  District I Advisory Board Minutes April 2, 2012 Page 3 of 7 KC Ohaebosim arrived at 6:48 p.m. New Business 5. When & Why to call 9-1-1 Elora Randleas – Sedgwick County Emergency Communications presented information on when and why to call 9-1-1. Randleas advised that April was national 9-1-1 education month. During this timeframe they like to educate the community as how to utilize 9-1-1. Randleas advised that they take approximately ½ million calls per year and that is about 1 call per sixty- nine seconds. Randleas advised that they have now taken on 9-1-1 calls for both Derby and Haysville. Randleas noted that the 9-1-1 campaign that started in 1980 was a campaign to get people to call 9-1-1 and publicize the number. She noted that now the community understands that, so the goal is to now to educate people on when and why to call. For example, on July 4th, 9-1-1 received numerous calls about illegal fireworks causing the lines to be busy, which, resulted in someone in a motorcycle accident not being able to get through, this resulted in the loss of his life. Randleas stated that people should think of calling 9-1-1 only when they need immediate. She emphasized that people should NOT call 9-1-1 when there is a power outage, unless there are medical dependencies for power. Nor should they call for loud noises, directions, phone numbers, etc. In these cases, you can call 4-1-1, 2-1-1, Police substations, look through the blue pages for assistance, and/or Google the information on the internet. Randleas advised that individuals should think it through before calling, but if you are not sure, then call. Randleas advised that they would be speaking with 1st graders about 9-1-1, teaching them how to use phones to call for help. Randleas encouraged parents to make sure that kids knew their address as this is very important in an emergency. Churchman commented that there is a difference between what Randleas was presenting and what Police Officers tell neighbors. Churchman stated, for example, Officers tell neighbors to call if they see a suspicious character, but it seems that Randleas was saying differently. Randleas advised that, no, if someone is suspiciously walking through your neighborhood you should call 9-1-1. Roseboro wanted to know if 2-1-1 was a 24-hour service. Randleas advised yes. Randleas advised that Sedgwick County would also be offering Citizen Academy every month and that the next class was begin the 2nd Saturday of May from 8a.m. – Noon. Roberts wanted to know what a neighbor should do if they need to call in a loud house party. Randleas advised that the neighbor should contact 9-1-1 ONLY if they wanted to be contacted. She noted that if the neighbor does not want to be contacted they shouldn’t call 9-1-1. Action Taken: Receive and File 6. St. Francis and Commerce from Kellogg to Waterman – Proposed Design Concept Gary Janzen, Chief Design Engineer, Public Works & Utilities presented information on the proposed design concept for St. Francis & Commerce from Kellogg to Waterman. Janzen introduced Kent Williams and Tim Aser. Janzen advised that the design concept would be 3  District I Advisory Board Minutes April 2, 2012 Page 4 of 7 presented to the City Council on April 17th and staff is looking for the District Advisory Board to recommend approval of the design concept. Janzen explained that there is some funding in the Capital Improvement Plan, and that they will also work from the policy from the downtown development plan. He noted that the downtown development policy required that private development had to be started before the City Council would look to add public funding to the project. Janzen advised that the concept study includes various options for reconstructing St. Francis and Commerce from Kellogg to Waterman. Interconnections for both traffic and pedestrians between St. Francis & Commerce have been studied and identified as well. The study also looked at various parking layouts for the rail yard between the existing BNSF Railroad and the buildings on the east side of Commerce Street. The parking area will need to be a private initiative. The study compares options for each street and provides a final recommendation for each. Janzen explained the existing conditions of the area and also advised of the opportunities this project would provide, such as, conversion of streets, creating a Commerce St. connection, an Emporia Street tie in, and some east area private initiatives. St. Francis has the following current conditions: •South Gateway to the Arena •Connect to skate park •Drainage Options •Brick pavement replacement •Undefined parking and drives Commerce Street has the following conditions and things to consider: •Preserve the feel •ADA challenge in right-of-way •New construction •Keep their feet dry (drainage) He also noted that The Design Council approved the project. Kent Williams advised that he is also a Commerce Street property owner and he is for the project. Williams advised that the goals for the Art District in this area include  Identify Place (Create a Compelling Signature identifiable locally and regionally)  Share Information (Destinations, Events and Exhibitions)  Connect Places (Arena, Skate Park, Lewis Street, and River)  Enhance Commons (Streetscape, Landscape and Gathering Place)  Mentor (Continue the Bridge to the Next Generation) He explained that the theme of the area would include nature, technology, and industrial displays.  Nature (Maximizing Plantings and Provide Habitat)  Industry (Both Historic and Contemporary; Broomcorn, Rail, Art, Warehouse, Fabrication...)  Technology (Exploiting the Overhead Plane, Sharing Information, Light and Sound) He described that the elements that would be included were: 4  District I Advisory Board Minutes April 2, 2012 Page 5 of 7  Beacon (Identification and Recognition)  Oracle (Share Information)  Western Portal (Lewis Path to the River)  Southern Common (Gathering Place)  Overhead Plane (Lighting and Sound Experience)  Street Furnishings and Lighting (MultiUse Pedestrian Facility)  Connecting Corridors (East to West) Engineer Tim Azere went on to explain the different design options. Design Option 1 would include parallel parking on the east and west side of the street, two-way traffic, sidewalks on both sides of the street, and landscaping. He noted that currently there is parking up against buildings and they have community shared dumpsters. Design Option 2 would also include parallel parking on the east, angled parking on the west, and additional landscaping. Design Option 3 would also include parallel parking on the east, angled parking on the west, and additional landscaping, but it would be a one-way street going north. Scott Knebel advised that the “Project Downtown Business Plan” included:  Public investment in streetscaping, parks, and parking  Public investment contingent upon and timed with private investment  Downtown Design Resource Center facilitates these public/private partnerships  Downtown Development Incentives Policy guides public investment Knebel also noted that the policy for such projects is limited to certain public investments like Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). He also noted that the projects must be consistent with the vision and goals of Project Downtown. Knebel explained that development incentives policy included:  Limited to certain public investments like TIF and CIP  For projects consistent with vision and goals of Project Downtown  Requires 2 to 1 ratio of private to public investment  Downtown Design Resource Center assists developers with the process Knebel explained that what this means for this project is:  Design concepts being developed now to prepare for future private sector investment in the area  Project construction scheduled for 2013 to 2015 in CIP, but ultimate project timing will depend on private sector investment –timing unknown  Feedback needed from property and business owners and residents  Future opportunities for additional feedback at final design Knebel advised that the cost is estimated at $4.3M and that this would be done through general obligation bonds. He noted that this would go before the City Council on April 17th. Churchman wanted to know what private investor might come in and invest in this area. Knebel advised that there is potential for several projects: historic rehabilitation, under utilized 5  District I Advisory Board Minutes April 2, 2012 Page 6 of 7 sites, modern building has several options, and the area has an opportunity for an eclectic mixture of uses. Chuchman wanted to know if this project was set up to take a piece meal approach. Knebel advised yes it could be, we could just complete one street or all. Roseboro wanted to know if any work was going to be done on the railroad tracks. Janzen advised that railroad tracks were privately owned so there was not much the city could do. Wilson asked if the tracks were still in use. Janzen advised that most of them are used to work on trains, but that the railroads were still privately owned. Chaloupek asked if any recreational activities would be added in this area (i.e. Skate Park). Janzen advised that no, but we are adding parking up against skate park. James wanted to know how much parking is used in the current lot C and if this lot could be used for parking for this area. He also wanted to know if the stage area, could it be a more music friendly environment verses art friendly? Janzen stated that might be an option. James also wanted to know what type of lighting styles would be used. Janzen advised that the intention it to point out the opportunities and they have not looked at the styles as of yet. Churchman wanted to know if St. Francis was too narrow to be turned into a two-way street. Janzen advised that it should not be an issue. Wilson wanted to know why the style of parking was chosen that way that is was. Janzen explained that it was to get the most parking it could on each street. Mark Wilks, 410 S. Commerce owner of Doc 410 indicated a plan needs to be developed to draw in the type of people who are wanted in the area. David Farha, 430 S. Commerce advised that $4M has already been developed in the area. That this is not a cookie cutter idea and that collaboration with city, business owners and the community should work with a committee that would monitor funding and spending for art, benches, lighting, etc. Wilson suggested allowing the artist build the art, benches, etc. James indicated that he agreed with this idea. Wilson wanted to know if there was a way to create a plan to eliminate certain types of uses in the area. Churchman stated that benches, light poles, bike racks can all be artistic, which come first. Janzen advised that downtown streetscape would allow us to limit the types of uses and that they would like to see the artistic expression in the benches, light poles, bike racks as well. Action Taken: Recommended approval of the design concept as presented by staff. (Churchman) Roseboro. Motion carried 9:0 Updates, Issues and Reports James advised that they would be hosting “Grillin with Beggs” on April 17th from 11 – 1. 6  District I Advisory Board Minutes April 2, 2012 Page 7 of 7 Chaloupek advised that Linwood Neighborhood Association would be meeting on Saturday, April 14th. Roseboro announced that WIN got selected as a finalist for the NUSA neighborhood program. Roberts that the Kansas Library Association would be hosting a conference here next week and that Corey Doctoro would be present. Churchman advised that the river clean up would take place on April 21st and all were invited to come out and help. She noted that Cargill would be providing free lunch. Woodard advised that A Price Woodard would not meet in April as they were having their annual clean up. Domitrovic advised that Schweiter hosted their Easter Egg Hunt in Rivera Park Ohaebosim encouraged everyone to come out for the Walk Against Gang Violence event on April 14th. With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, LaShonda Garnes Neighborhood Assistant 7