District 4 Advisory Board

District IV Advisory Board Minutes for Oct. 5, 2015 District IV Advisory Board Minutes October 5, 2015 www.wichita.gov The District IV Advisory Board meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at the Alford Library at 3447 S. Meridian, Wichita, KS 67217; Council Member Blubaugh, five District Advisory Board members; five City staff, and seven members of the public were present (one didn’t sign in). Members Present Benny Boman Staff Present Michael Gomm Phillip Zevenbergen, Transit Nick Hoheisel Lt. Matt Schulte, Wichita Fire Dept. Don McManamey Officer Dave Perkins, WPD Patrol West John Whitmer Dale Miller, Metropolitan Area Planning Council Member Jeff Blubaugh Janet Johnson, Office of Community Services Members Absent Guests Kit Corby Listed on last page Alex Garcia youth member David Kapaun Matt Lashley Phillip Mosher Rebecca Robertson Hestel Sewell ORDER OF BUSINESS At 6:30 p.m. Council Member Jeff Blubaugh began the meeting recognizing there was not a quorum present. Minutes from the Sept. 14, 2015, meeting were approved. Agenda for the current meeting was approved. PUBLIC AGENDA Scheduled Items None Off Agenda items Betty Kelley asked if it was possible for her to be moved back into District IV because she didn’t feel connected to District III. Council Member Blubaugh said the next re-districting wouldn’t take place for another seven years. STAFF REPORTS Lt. Matt Schulte, Wichita Fire, reported there has been an arsonist working in the District IV area between Harry and 31st Streets and West to Osage Streets. The arsonist has been setting cars parked on the street and dumpsters at apartment complexes on fire. He seems to be working in the hours between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Fire Investigators are asking citizens to please call in any suspicious activity. 1  District IV Advisory Board Minutes for Oct. 5, 2015 Lt. Schulte also provided last month’s statistics and reminded everyone that it is Fire Prevention Week and he listed a number of activities that are occurring related to that. Fire is also providing free smoke detectors and installation. Citizens can call 268-4441 for more information. Officer Dave Perkins, Patrol West Beat 18, reported another statute had been stolen – a boy and girl on a teeter-totter. He also reported there has been an increase in larcenies to a vehicle in the Waterwalk area. He said this is primarily due to citizens leaving purses in plain sight in their vehicle. Beats 13 and 14 are seeing auto thefts – primarily Hondas, but also some mid-1990s Chevy trucks. He said moped theft is also on the rise and there has been an increase in drag racing on south Hoover Rd. A citizen reported speeding on east Lincoln; Officer Perkins said he would let Patrol East know. A citizen asked if there had been an increase in shootings and homicides; Officer Perkins said he didn’t know about citywide, but police have seen more shootings related to road rage incidents. NEW BUSINESS Proposed Transit Changes Phillip Zevenbergen, Transit, presented the proposed changes for the City’s Transit system, including routes and fares that will go to City Council on Oct. 20. Transit performed a route, ridership and marketing study. The proposed changes are a result of that study and includes:  Focus resources on high-ridership areas  Create transit intensive corridors in areas of high ridership  Provide better crosstown service by coming routes into pairs  Streamline routes to improve travel time  Avoid high-traffic railroad crossings to improve on-time performance and route reliability  Consider creative services such as feeders and vanpools in areas of low usage  Install a complete system of bus stop signs on every route  Extend selected routes to major employment and shopping centers  Simplify the fare structure to eliminate confusion and encourage usage Council Member Blubaugh noted the Transit system only goes as far west at Meridian in southwest Wichita. Zevenbergen said there are some areas that don’t warrant all day service, but could benefit by providing Transit service during specific times of the day. He also said they are exploring more feeder services for west Wichita. DAB members asked a number of questions relating to privatizing transit services, or partnering with area businesses that benefit from the service. Zevenbergen said that could possibly be explored in the future, but isn’t a part of the current proposed changes. A citizen was present to voice her concerns that the fares actually are increasing for some riders – particularly those who have a “special citizen card.” DAB? How long has it been since fares were increase? A: Three years. 2  District IV Advisory Board Minutes for Oct. 5, 2015 Citizen comment: There is an eight block area on Maple where the busses won’t stop. A: Yes, that was an oversight on our part and we are going to correct that. Citizen comment: I go to the Independent Resource Center every day and it doesn’t look like with the changes I will be able to be dropped off there. A: We are trying to keep large buses out of residential areas, but we’re looking at feeder services for situations like this. ZON2015-00035 Dale Miller, Metropolitan Area Planning Department, presented a request for a zoning change. The applicant is seeking Central Business District (CBD) zoning for .61 platted acre located 75 feet east of the southeast corner of West Douglas Avenue and South Walnut Street. The subject site is currently zoned Limited Commercial (LC), and is developed with a row of commercial buildings that are built up to the property line and have zero side setbacks. The application area is currently occupied by restaurants. The site is located in and subject to the Delano Overlay Neighborhood District (D-O) that establishes land use and site development policies specific to the district. The DAB members had no questions or concerns, but without a quorum took no official action. ZON2015-00036 Dale Miller, Metropolitan Area Planning Department, presented a request for B Multi-Family Residential zoning. The applicant is requesting to rezone from the SF-5 Single-Family Residential (SF-5) district to the B Multi-Family Residential (B) approximately seven unplatted acres located at the southeast corner of South Meridian Avenue and West 45th Street South. The property is currently undeveloped. The applicant proposes to develop 42 townhome units with a mix of two, three and four-bedrooms. The DAB members had no questions or concerns, but without a quorum took no official action. ZON2015-00039 Dale Miller, Metropolitan Area Planning Department, presented a request for a Central Business District. The applicant is requesting a zone change from LC Limited Commercial to CBD Central Business District on the subject site located west of Seneca Street, east of Dodge Avenue on the south side of Douglas Avenue; Lot 15, Douglas Avenue, Martinson’s 3rd Addition. The site is located in (and subject to) the D-O Delano Overlay Neighborhood District. If CBD zoning is approved the site will still be subject to the D-O. The site’s brick-stucco one-story downtown row store (built 1920) is currently occupied by a dry cleaners pick-up and drop-off store. In anticipation of any change of use triggering the parking requirements, the applicant is applying for CBD zoning. The applicant owns the abutting LC zoned 25-foot (x) 125-foot west property, which functions as a paved drive-thru and unmarked parallel parking (perhaps five vehicles) for the subject site. In the past parking issues were addressed by applications for a variance. The CBD zoning district more effectively resolves such issues as parking (no minimum parking standards) that could be triggered by a change in occupancy. This is the latest application for CBD zoning in the D-O along Douglas Avenue; ZON2013-00038, ZON2014-00030, ZON2015-00023, ZON2015-00034 and ZON2015-00035. In the previous zoning cases a lack of on-site parking was an issue. The DAB members had no questions or concerns, but without a quorum took no official action. 3  District IV Advisory Board Minutes for Oct. 5, 2015 BOARD AGENDA Council Member Jeff Blubaugh shared that he is serving on a committee, along with Council Member Miller, regarding some issues in Old Town. He said he felt it was important for him to be involved in it because so many of the Patrol South resources are directed to Old Town on the weekends. Meeting was adjourned. The next meeting for District Advisory Board IV will be held at 6:30 p.m., Nov. 2, 2015, at Lionel Alford Library, 3447 S. Meridian, Wichita, KS 67217. Respectfully submitted, Janet Johnson, Office of Community Services Guests Hadassah Esther Prosser Lonny Wright Betty Kelley Sherry Oakes Byron Adrian Chuck Nelson 4