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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAC 2018-11-01 AgendaNovember 1, 2018 CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THIRD FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL 7:00 P.M. AGENDA 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of October 4th Meeting Notes 3. Presentation – Northgate Walk – Peter Stackpole and Ross Guehring 4. Presentation – Sources of Income Protection and Related Options – Andrew Hening 5. Presentation – Affordable Housing Financing Options – CAC Member Andrea de la Fuente 6. Project Updates a. Transit Center and Station Areas c. General Plan progress d. Other 7. Public comment on non-agenda items 8. Suggestions for Future Agenda Items 9. Adjournment October 4, 2018 CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THIRD FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL 7:00 P.M. Meeting Summary Notes CAC Members Present: Bill Carney, Glenn Koorhan, Andrew Naja-Riese, William O’Connell, Roger Smith CIty Staff Present: Danielle O’Leary, Simon Vuong Members of the Public: None Guest Presenter: Miriam Karell 1. Call to Order: Chair Carney called the CAC meeting to order at 7:03 pm. 2. Approval of August 2nd Meeting Notes: Approved as submitted. 3. Presentation – Small Business Development Center (SBDC) – Miriam Karell is the Director of the Marin SBDC, a nonprofit organization that provides free one-on-one business advising and offers low cost workshops to small private businesses (fewer than 100 employees). The organization works in partnership with 17 experts who provide advice, guidance and counsel to help start new or grow established businesses. The SBDC has served 950 unique business clients with over 9,900 hours of consultation time in Marin County. The Center is funded by grants awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration requiring a financial match from local operators. The City of San Rafael provides $10,000 annually as a source of local matching funds. In San Rafael, like other cities, the SBDC helps local businesses address a variety of local challenges, like adapting to “e-commerce”, helping to navigate through local laws. The biggest obstacles for local business owners include locating affordable rent and housing and finding qualified staff at an affordable rate. Additionally, foot traffic is sparse in some communities due to Marin’s population centers being too spread apart. Shopping malls, in particular, are struggling. One CAC member commented that a challenge is recruiting qualified staff who can find local housing, and that local businesses could benefit from shared employment services (e.g., pooled health care group plans across multiple businesses to negotiate lower premiums). The SBDC’s team of experts provides free private consultation and low-cost workshop services in a variety of areas, with the exception of legal advice or tax guidance. Ms. Karell described the emergent area of Internet and search engine optimization (SEO) as a key business strategy. Additionally, new California laws on employment and contractors will require greater attention in the coming years. A CAC member observed that none of the SBDC’s advisors represent commercial real estate, and recommended adding an advisor who would help small businesses negotiate leases. Overall, CAC members expressed appreciation for Ms. Karell’s presentation and discussed ways to identify businesses that could benefit from the SBDC’s services. 4. Project Updates a. Transit Center and Station Areas: Director O’Leary announced the Golden Gate Bridge District will hold a public scoping meeting to gather input and comments from public agencies and the community on the scope for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to be prepared for the San Rafael Transit Center Replacement Project, on Tuesday, October 30, 5:30-7:00 PM, at Whistlestop. Results from the Golden Gate Bridge District Survey revealed that respondents preferred the Whistlestop block concept the most, followed by the Fourth Street Gateway. The CAC discussed advantages of the “Under the Freeway” option and recommends further exploration as to what facilities could be moved under the freeway on the south and north sides of 4th St. CAC members further discussed a variety of issues related to understanding the flow and connection between buses, understanding the commuter experience to transfer between buses, and the attractiveness of the site. The CAC agreed by consensus to re-send a copy of its earlier letter to the Golden Gate Bridge District, re-affirming its previous recommendations and considerations. b. Northgate Walk. Director O’Leary communicated an announcement from Community Development Department Director Paul Jensen that the first public meeting for review of the 136-unit Northgate Walk residential development at the Fort Point Sheraton Hotel Site is tentatively scheduled for the October 23rd Planning Commission. Thirty of the units at this project are designated for seniors, and 20 percent are affordable. Because the site is entitled to 300 units, the CAC expressed concern about the reduction in housing. c. General Plan progress: Chair Carney reported that the first public meeting was held the night before. The meeting was full of good dialogue, and the group generally was in support of development and housing. Additional discussion sessions will occur in two other neighborhoods around the city. d. Others: New Downtown Businesses: Simon Vuong shared updates on new businesses that have recently opened in downtown including: Taste of Himalayas, which replaced Napoli; Better Bar, a juice bar on 4th Street, Fox and Kit, a new coffee bar with a children’s zone; Julie’s Hummus, located on 4th Street, Libation Tap Room; and L.A.B. next to Lotus restaurant. CAC members were glad to hear of these businesses and wanted more information on the materials that the City shares to recruit new businesses. CAC members also asked why businesses had left the city, and Mr. Vuong shared that it’s usually when they go out of business. It’s difficult to assess after the business has left, since they usually leave without first notifying the City. 5. Follow-up Economic Development Discussion: The CAC was pleased with the report from Director O’Leary and encouraged her continued progress. The CAC also discussed progress related to the city’s cannabis licensing program and would like future updates. 6. Public comment on non-agenda items: None. 7. Suggestions for Future Agenda Items: Andrew Henning will present on issues affecting renters and CAC Member Andrea de La Fuente will present on financing for affordable housing in November. Other suggestions include: Northgate Walk, Transit Center Updates, Housing projects, the City’s recruitment materials for new businesses, and the City’s new branding campaign. 8. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:07 pm. Respectfully submitted, Andrew Naja-Riese October 8, 2018 • • • Citizens Advisory Committee San Rafael, CA 94901 Mayor Gary Phillips and City Council City of San Rafael 1400 Fifth Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Dear Mayor Phillips and Council Members, On October 4, the CAC was informed that a third community meeting will be held by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District on October 30 to consider options for the new San Rafael Transit Center. To inform this discussion, the Committee wished to reiterate the concerns and recommendations expressed in its July 20 letter, which is attached. Respectfully, Andrew Naja-Riese, CAC Secretary Attachment: CAC letter dated July 20, 2018 Copies: Raymond Santiago, GGBHTD; Steve Kinsey; Danielle O’Leary; Jim Schutz July 20, 2018 • • • Citizens Advisory Committee San Rafael, CA 94901 Mayor Gary Phillips and City Council City of San Rafael 1400 Fifth Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Dear Mayor Phillips and Council Members, On July 5, the CAC received a presentation of the four proposed transit center concepts from Steve Kinsey. We appreciate the development of four new concepts in response to widespread reservations over the three design concepts previously presented. We applaud the City and Golden Gate Bridge District in leading a series of public forums and conducting a survey to determine residents and commuters’ preferences on the new downtown San Rafael transit center. The development of a permanent transit center presents a significant, one-time opportunity to create a new gateway to the City of San Rafael while connecting transit users with retail, housing, employment, and tourism. After discussing the four proposals, the CAC has some broad observations for consideration in moving forward with the project: 1) In the Two-Story concept, the opportunity exists to create a structure rather than a parking lot that would co-locate all 17 bus bays off-street to meet current and future needs. The CAC is concerned that this concept would be far more expensive than the others. The visual impact would also be a difficult challenge to manage. 2) In the 4th Street Gateway concept, the bus facility would be placed on either side of 4th St., along with 3 bays on Hetherton St. We are deeply concerned by bus driveways fronting on both sides of 4th St. and by eliminating right turns from Hetherton St. onto 4th St. 3) In the Whistlestop Block concept, while the design is fairly compact with 10 bus bays on the Citibank site, the bus bays located on 3rd St. are undes irable because of their negative impact on traffic and pedestrians near Lincoln Ave. Additional congestion may result on 4th St. An alternative approach to the 3rd St. buses might be to widen Tamalpais Ave. to place them there. 4) In the Across the Freeway concept, the area under the freeway south of 4th St. would be utilized, along with the Citibank site and some adjustments of Hetherton St. The CAC was intrigued with the possibility of using this project to improve and utilize a currently visually blighted area and believed it to merit thoughtful consideration. It was noted that pedestrians would be able to access buses from 4th St.; however, walking across Hetherton and under the freeway may be less desirable. Walking between the SMART station and bus bays under the freeway may present a particular challenge for individuals with limited mobility. Given their preliminary nature, the CAC did not reach a consensus on these concepts. However, members felt that the Whistlestop Block Concept and the Across the Freeway Concept were the most promising. They also were interested in a potential fifth concept described by Steve Kinsey that would take up the entire block under the freeway between 4th and 5th streets without having to use the Citibank site. We believe this option should be formally added to the mix. It would be optimal to arrive at a design that enables seamless and compact connectivity between SMART and bus routes. Most members felt that preserving the Whistlestop building should not be considered a design constraint if it materially conflicts with achieving this goal. Creating public space that is welcoming in the area of the creek was also discussed. We look forward to reviewing available data to indicate which types of bus-to-bus and SMART-to-bus transfers are most commonly used, in order to inform the location and design of the bus bays. Please see the enclosed draft minutes of the July 5 meeting for further points made by the CAC and members of the public in attendance. Respectfully, Andrew Naja-Riese, CAC Secretary Attachment: Draft CAC minutes, July 5, 2018 Copies: Raymond Santiago, GGBHTD; Steve Kinsey; Danielle O’Leary; Jim Schutz