City Council

27 WEST ALLEN STREET WINOOSKI, VERMONT 05404 (802) 655-6410 CITY OF WINOOSKI (802) 655-6414 (fax) JESSIE BAKER CITY MANAGER MAYOR SETH LEONARD COUNCILOR ERIC COVEY sleonard@winooskivt.org DEPUTY MAYOR BRIAN CORRIGAN CITY COUNCIL COUNCILOR NICOLE MACE COUNCILOR BRIAN SWEENEY bcorrigan@winooskivt.org Agenda Tuesday, May 16, 2017 6:00 P.M. CLAIRE BURKE COUNCIL CHAMBER I. Call to Order II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Agenda Review IV. Public Comment V. Regular Items a. Approval: Permit Amendment for the Winooski Hotel Group LLC – J Baker The Development Review Board will be present to provide guidance to the Council. The approval authority sits with the Council. VI. Executive Session a. Legal Matters related to the Winooski Hotel Group’s ACT250 Permit VII. Adjourn MINUTES The Deputy Mayor called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. The meeting began with the Pledge of allegiance led by Deputy Mayor Corrigan. Members Present: Deputy Mayor Brian Corrigan Councilors: Brian Sweeney, Eric Covey, Nicole Mace, Mayor Seth Leonard was absent. Officers Present: Jessie Baker, City Manager; Carol Barrett, City Clerk; Heather Carrington, Economic Development Director; Ray Coffey, Community Development Director. Others Present: Adam Dubroff, Winooski Hotel Group, LLC; Liam Murphy, Attorney, Doug Johnson, Harland Miller, Amy Houghton, Chad Loseby, Members of the Design Review Board; Nan Spence, Marie Miller, Irene Bowman, Maura O’Neill, Winooski Community Partnership; Joel Beard, Burlington Free Press. III. Agenda Review – None IV. Public Comment – None May 16, 2017 Minutes Winooski City Council V. Regular Items: a. Approval: Permit Amendment for the Winooski Hotel Group LLC The Deputy Mayor said we are looking for approval of the permit amendment for the Winooski Hotel Group LLC. The City Manager said we are here tonight at a Special City Council meeting with Adam Dubroff to consider a permit amendment he has submitted. She said back in March of 2016 the Council approved a permit for Winooski Hotel Group, LLC to develop on Lot 9 site. Mr. DuBroff has approached us with an amendment to the permit and we are bringing it to you for your approval. You are the decision makers, it is ultimately your authority whether to approve this permit amendment or not. The process does enable the Design Review Board to provide input to you as part of that process. Members of the Development Review Board are here tonight. Mr. Dubroff presented new proposals and other input from the community. The building has shrunk in terms of height and width. We have kept the hotel entirely lot 9. He also said there is no drop off any longer. We would work with existing parking spaces for guest arrival and departure. He said it was never intended for us to take major deliveries down here, it was only for emergency. We will have deliveries coming off Winooski Falls Way like the other businesses. Councilor Mace questioned the public spaces. Mr. Dubroff said there would be signage, hotel guest parking only. The Deputy Mayor asked how many spaces you would need. Mr. Dubroff said five parking spaces. Councilor Mace asked if part of the proposal is that, we convert public parking spaces to hotel parking spaces. The City Manager said our internal Project Review Committee reviewed this with our staff last week with Adam and Paul our Zoning Administrator. Our initial recommendation with your vote tonight is on the amendment to the permit of the location of the building all of the rest of the use is in the public right of way, so we have time to determine what that use looks like, giving the parking study we heard last night. Our intent is really to treat the accommodation for the parking need that we propose is 3 to 5 spaces of along Winooski Falls Way in the totality of that space of those existing parking spaces. We currently have spaces now used along that way that are courtesy spaces that are 15 minute parking spaces currently and we also have the bus pull off so we need look at the totality of that street and come back with a recommendation in the future about how that public way is used. The Deputy Mayor and Council had concerns about the Restaurant, patio, and parking and making sure, the pavers stay consistent with the downtown. Mr. Dubroff said the intent is to have the restaurant keeping everything on lot 9 we will not have that awning. The City Manager said we also talked about this at our Project Review Committee meeting. As you know, lot 2 is public space, its public use. There is a fair amount of space throughout the City that is public space and the City Right of Way that is used by private enterprises for particular times of the day. We have processes in place to enable that to happen. If this project is to move forward with the granting of our permit and other permitting requirements then we would look at the City and how to best program that public space between the River and Hotel and that would include a planned use that a potential restaurant would use much as what Wateworks uses. The River Walk might be an opportunity for that in the future but again that is beyond this step of permitting, we have not gone though that planning of the public way yet. Deputy Mayor Corrigan had concerns that there are no drawings of any Pad. The City Manager said the City has not worked on that yet to program that public space. Going back on development agreements it was always the intention to activate that public park once the hotel was farther along in the permitting and construction process. We are working with our Project Review Committee, Stake Holders and abutting properties, the hotel and members of the public to think about the downtown organization and how to best operationalize that space and get everyone’s needs met. Mr. Johnson, Design Review Board, Chairperson was concerned about what kind of façade are showing and what presentation do they have with the street and river side. Mr. Dubroff said we would be using the same materials. He explained the face of the building. The building was a rectangular building and will now be a more square shaped building. Ms. Houghton, Landscape Architect but speaking as a Winooski Resident, had questions to the relationship to the street, it seems bare. It is our gateway. I am also curious as to wear the garbage goes, how do you take care of that? Mr. Dubroff said we would take the garbage out and come out of the bottom part of the hotel. Councilor Covey asked if Mr. Dubroff talked with potential vendors about the feasibility of handcart deliveries. Mr. Dubroff said not specific, but I am familiar with hotel vendors, small hotels do not have loading docks. May 16, 2017 Minutes Winooski City Council Ms. Houghton asked how are you dealing with stormwater? Mr. Dubroff said there are utility easements that we will have. Mr. Harland asked what about added stormwater to the City’s System. The City Manager said it did not come up in our internal review because it was previously considered under the prior permit and submitted to ACT250. Councilor Sweeney asked if this is approved tonight, I am assuming there would be a presentation with some more detail on the actual materials, face and interaction with the street as things progress. Will there be an opportunity, I am hearing very similar, would like to see actual material. The City Manager said the materials for use on the building, our understanding have not changed from the previously approved permit, so those materials will remain the same as previously presented. The only change here as Councilor Covey indicated is the alignment and size of the building. In terms of the public right of way and lot 2 this is a city project. If this project moves forward and permitting and plan is for construction then yes we would do a community process to program that public space as outlined in past development agreements and come to the public and to the Council with a recommendation of that use of public space. There are two different public spaces reflected here, there is lot 2 and then there is the traditional public right of way is the sidewalk in front of the building. Councilor Sweeney asked in the original proposal was there a planned city contribution to re-design public space. The City Manager said the developer has indicated that he is willing to participate in that cost. We have other resources to pay for part of it. I think we will be looking to the community in general to help support that use of public space. Councilor Mace, what are the infrastructure needs? The City Manager said the basic infrastructure needs are in this picture, extending the paver sidewalk to the front door of the hotel all within the public right of way. Mr. Dubroff described what would be done with the landscaping and the paving. Councilor Covey asked what the impact on the process and timeline is. The City Manager said if the permit is approved this evening the ACT250 permit will be amend and the city will be removed from that since we are no longer a landowner, in part of that permit application and will move forward as dictated by the commission. Joel Beard, BFP asked about the public amenities on the ground level, are there any retail to entice the public who are not staying at the hotel. Mr. Dubroff said there will be internal retail, nothing outside yet and that is something we will work with the City. Ms. O’Neill asked about the proposed 100-seat restaurant and the building placement. Mr. Dubroff said he is not sure what size restaurant. He explained where the building is going to be positioned. We moved the building further away from the mill. The entire project is on lot 9. The City Manager said the public use of lot 2 got bigger. Lot 2 in its entirety will be used for public space. Mr. Miller said without the drop-off have you looked at other hotel models that do not have a place to get close to the building and have access to the hotel. Mr. Dubroff said the idea is to have drop-off with valet parking. The City Manager explained to the Council that you do have the option tonight to table this item and go into executive session to here an update on legal matters related to ACT250 if you wish you do not have to do that but you do have that as your option. The request tonight, if you so choose to is consider a vote on the permit amendment and depending on how that goes consider a vote to remove the city from the ACT250 permit. MOTION by Councilor Sweeney seconded by Councilor Covey to table the permit amendment as presented. Voted and passed 3-0. MOTION by Councilor Mace seconded by Councilor Covey to go into executive session at 6:40 p.m. to obtain legal information from our counsel on the matter that we are discussing tonight, doing so in open session would place the council in substantial disadvantage. Councilor Mace amended the motion to invite Liam Murphy, Counsel, Ray Coffey and Jessie Baker into executive session as presented. Vote and passed 3-0. MOTION by Councilor Covey seconded by Councilor Sweeney to exit executive session and to reconvene meeting at 6:55 p.m. Voted and passed 3-0. MOTION by Councilor Mace seconded by Councilor Sweeney to approve the permit amendment for the Winooski Hotel Group, LLC and that be limited to the change of the building size and the location and that we continue the conversation moving forward around whose responsible for the improvements to the public spaces around the hotel as presented. Voted and passed 3-0. MOTION by Councilor Sweeney seconded by Councilor Mace that we remove the City as the co-applicant in the ACT250 Permit process as presented. Voted and passed 3-0. May 16, 2017 Minutes Winooski City Council Mr. Dubroff said he would be responsible for the improvements that are needed for the public right of way and that we would have as part of our agreement to you. The Deputy Mayor thanked Adam but that will be negotiated when the time comes, but thank you for saying that. MOTION by Councilor Mace seconded by Councilor Covey to adjourn the City Council meeting at 6:58 p.m. Voted and passed 3-0. ATTEST: ________________________ City Clerk May 16, 2017 Minutes Winooski City Council