District 3 Advisory Board

District III Advisory Board Minutes for Feb. 7, 2018 District III Advisory Board Minutes February 7, 2018 www.wichita.gov The District III Advisory Board meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at the WATER Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita, KS 67211. Council Member James Clendenin, eight District Advisory Board members, seven City staff, and 12 members of the public were present. Members Present Staff Present Ron Tracy Deb Legge, Metropolitan Area Building and David Robbins Construction Department (MABCD) Cindy Miles Harlan Bascombe, MABCD Paul Davis Brandy Wallace, MABCD Elena Ingle Daniel Johnson, MABCD Gerald Henry Beth Nordick, MABCD Catherine Johnson Keeley Snow, MABCD Daisy Olivar Dave Yearout, Metropolitan Area Planning Council Member James Clendenin Department (MAPD) Maddy Campbell, Community Services Members Absent Representative Marco Alcocer Bruce Grass Guests Hamid Bakhtiari, CON2017-00042 applicant Christopher Clark, CON2017-00042 agent Sheri Johnson James Carr Charles Myers Michael Loop J.D. Crowley Chuck M. J. Fox ORDER OF BUSINESS At 6:30 p.m. Council Member James Clendenin called the meeting to order. The agenda for the current meeting was approved. The minutes for Jan. 3, 2018, were approved. STAFF REPORTS Scheduled Items None PUBLIC AGENDA Scheduled Items None NEW BUSINESS MABCD Neighborhood Inspection Pilot Program Presentation 1  District III Advisory Board Minutes for Feb. 7, 2018 Deb Legge, Neighborhood Housing Director, MABCD provided an overview of the District III Neighborhood Inspection Pilot Program. The project will target the areas of Hilltop, Fairfax, Longview, Mead, Grandview Heights, Meadowlark, and a section of Schweiter East for proactive property maintenance inspection and enforcement effort. Data collected and lessons learned from this Pilot Program will be used to implement neighborhood inspection changes city-wide. The hope is that a concerted proactive effort will significantly alleviate blight and improve neighborhoods’ overall wellness. Three neighborhood inspectors have been assigned to this condensed area. While responding to complaints, these inspectors will be proactive in identifying other issues in the area. They will utilize door hangers as an advisory notice for small problems rather than starting a case at that moment and will check property two weeks later for compliance. Inspectors will also be able to offer a “compliance agreement” to work with individuals who cannot make repairs themselves or need assistance. Citizens will be able to utilize the Code Enforcement Liaison (CEL) for help and have the opportunity to avoid going to court if they follow through on the compliance agreement. The CEL was allotted $50,000 for materials (paint, equipment, dumpsters, etc.) that can help citizens and volunteers make necessary repairs/clean-up. The CEL is working to grow a network of volunteer groups to assist residents who are physically unable (e.g. elderly or disabled) to complete the work themselves. Lastly, funding for this program has allowed the City to hire an outside process server to improve the efficiency of getting court notices and warrants issued. DAB members asked the following questions and made the following comments: Q: What is the process for serving warrants? A: Calls are made and letters are mailed to notify people of upcoming court dates. Currently there are two warrant officers tasked with serving roughly 9,000 notices a year. The addition of an outside process server will provide a better opportunity for warrants to be served in the field. Q: How will we balance this project to avoid making citizens feel harassed? What about those with limited income, language barriers, or victims of illegal dumping? A: The CEL is there to help those who cannot afford to fix the issue or who are physically unable. Our neighborhood inspectors have access to translators when dealing with a language barrier. We aren’t going through and “nitpicking.” Our goal is to deal with issues that can make a difference and help stabilize a neighborhood. We want to work with citizens to identify their barriers to compliance and help them resolve it. Q: Can MABCD give referrals to contractors? A: MABCD cannot provide referrals to specific businesses, but we are able to tell you if a contractor is properly licensed. C: I had an inspector tell me I needed to tear my porch out and a different inspector tell me otherwise. A: MABCD should never tell you how to do something. The way you go about getting your property up to code is your business. Q: Will mobile parks be addressed? There is one near Pawnee and Hydraulic that appears to be 50% vacant and dilapidated. This brings down the image of this area in town. A: We have actually previously targeted that area in a special project. Many cases have been started. It’s a work in progress we are actively working on. CON2017-00042 Dave Yearout, Principal Planner, MAPD presented a request by Hamid Bakhtiari (owner/applicant) for Conditional Use for Vehicle Sales on property generally located on the Southeast corner of the intersection of Broadway Avenue and East Mount Vernon Road (210 S. Broadway Ave.). The DAB heard the request so that Wichita residents had an opportunity to express their concerns. Hamid Bakhtiari, applicant, and Christopher Clark, agent of the applicant, were in attendance. 2  District III Advisory Board Minutes for Feb. 7, 2018 After staff presentation, Bakhtiari and Clark addressed the Board:  Property deed restrictions rule out the most desirable uses as listed in the South Central Improvement Plan (2006)  The local real estate market is not favorable for the desired uses of this property that are not restricted by the deed  The property has been vacant for two years and invites crime  The property is well-designed and includes landscaping and beautification, aesthetic signage, and potential for a community garden; it is vastly different from the current car lots on Broadway  All car services will take place in the building  Conditional use approval will set a precedent for the standard for this property Approximately five residents of the bordering neighborhoods addressed the Board and applicant/agent with their concerns. These concerns included:  Going against the South Central Improvement Plan  Unaesthetic signage  Too many car lots on Broadway Avenue  No living quarters on the property DAB members’ concerns included:  Property being sold—DAB is in favor of this in large part due to their trust in the property owner (applicant)  Car sales lot will not be a positive addition to the area Action Taken: Motion made by Tracy to APPROVE the application with the listed conditions. Seconded by Davis. MOTION PASSED 6-1-1 CON2017-00046 Dave Yearout, Principal Planner, MAPD presented a request by Munir and Barbara Razzaq (owners/applicants) for Conditional Use for Wireless Communication Facility (T-Mobile) on property generally located on the northeast corner of South Broadway Avenue and East Funston Avenue, which is on the east side of Broadway two blocks south of Harry Street. The DAB heard the request so that Wichita residents had an opportunity to express their concerns. After staff presentation, DAB members discussed the partnership between the bordering neighborhood and business. DAB members spoke about potential ideas for use of the land and how it could work as a community garden and gathering place. The public did not have any questions or comments. Action Taken: Motion made by Davis to APPROVE the application with the listed conditions. Seconded by Tracy. MOTION PASSED 7-0-1 PUBLIC AGENDA Off-agenda items A member of the public inquired about District III’s involvement in Project Wichita. Council Member Clendenin and DAB members expressed their desire to present ideas and represent South Wichita in Project Wichita. 3  District III Advisory Board Minutes for Feb. 7, 2018 A different member of the public reported parking issues in the Hilltop neighborhood due to landlocked property. There was a discussion on the City’s limitations in dealing with private property parking disputes. BOARD AGENDA Council Member Clendenin briefed the DAB on the new Citizen’s Advisory Board for the WPD. He informed the group that the Board will review evidence in cases that involve police as a way to hold the process accountable and provide transparency to citizens. CM Clendenin also offered to arrange various tours for DAB members (e.g. Police Academy) as desired. Meeting was adjourned at 8:42 p.m. The next District Advisory Board III meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., March 7, 2018, at the WATER Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita, KS 67211. Respectfully submitted, Maddy Campbell, Community Services Representative of District III 4