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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRA Minutes 1996-10-07SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 1 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1996 AT 7:30 PM Regular Meeting: San Rafael Redevelopment Agency: Barbara Heller, Member Cyr N. Miller, Member Gary Phillips, Member Present: Albert J. Boro, Chairman Paul M. Cohen, Member Absent: None Also Present: Rod Gould, Executive Director Lee Rosenthal, Agency Attorney Gary T. Ragghianti, City Attorney Jeanne M. Leoncini, Agency Secretary ORAL COMMUNICATIONS OF AN URGENCY NATURE 7:30 PM None CONSENT CALENDAR: Member Phillips moved and Member Cohen seconded, to approve the following Consent Calendar items: ITEM RECOMMENDED ACTION 1. Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting and Special Joint Public Hearing of Monday, September 16, 1996 2. Andersen Drive Extension Resolution Approving Payment of $250.00 for Quitclaim Deed from the PAYMENT Approved as submitted. RESOLUTION NO. 96-71 RESOLUTION APPROVING Tenant on Lands of: (PW) OF $250.00 FOR QUITCLAIM a. Anderson Settlement, APN: 018-011-36, 29 DEED FROM TENANT ON LANDS OF - File R-359 x R-246 ANDERSON SETTLEMENT, APN: 018-011-36, 29 4. Resolution Authorizing Execution of an AgreementRESOLUTION NO. 96-72 - for Professional Services with Keyser Marston RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING Associates Inc. for Marketing and Developer EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT Selection Assistance in Association with the FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Macy's Reuse Project (Not to Exceed $25,000) (RA) WITH KEYSER MARSTON ASSOCIATES - File R-374 INC. FOR MARKETING AND DEVELOPER SELECTION ASSISTANCE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MACY'S REUSE PROJECT (NOT TO EXCEED $25,000) (Term of Agreement One Year, Commencing 10/8/96 and Ending 10/7/97) 5. Resolution Authorizing Execution of an AgreementADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 96-73 for Professional Services with Resource Management RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING International (RMI) for Mahon Creek Stormwater/ EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT Wetland Improvements, Wetland Delineation and FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Buffer Recommendations (Not to Exceed $8,400) (RA) WITH RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - File R-375 INTERNATIONAL (RMI) FOR MAHON CREEK STORMWATER/WETLAND IMPROVEMENTS, RECOMMENDATIONS (NOT TO EXCEED $8,400) WETLAND DELINEATION AND BUFFER SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 1 SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 2 6. Settlement Agreement and Release of Claims on RESOLUTION NO. 96-74 Andersen Drive Construction Project for Marin RESOLUTION APPROVING Produce Company (RA) - File R-359 x R-246 SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH MARIN PRODUCE COMPANY AND AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE SAID AGREEMENT. AYES: MEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Chairman Boro NOES: MEMBERS: None ABSENT: MEMBERS: None ABSTAINED: MEMBERS: Heller (from item #1 only, due to absence from meetings) The following item was removed from the Consent Calendar for further discussion: 3. REPORT ON DOWNTOWN RETAIL SPACE VACANCY RATE (RA) - File R-140 #8 Chairman Boro stated Economic Development Director Jake Ours had done a very good job on this report, noting the current vacancy rate, excluding the Macy's building, was about 3.1%, or approximately 18,800 square feet out of 610,000 square feet of retail space in the Core, and stating it appeared this was the best the results have been during the past three years the Agency has been tracking this. Chairman Boro noted we do have other spaces we hope will be leased, and pointed out that in dealing with an issue like the Downtown, there will always be turnover; however, he felt it was a very strong sign, with this kind of a vacancy rate, and we should all take note of that. Member Heller stated she was very pleased to see this report, as she has been worried about the vacancies Downtown. She asked if Mr. Ours had heard about any action taking place on some of the buildings that have been vacant for a long time, or if he had heard of any reasons they have been vacant for so long, and if perhaps there was something the Agency could do to help the owners make the buildings more rentable? Mr. Ours stated the biggest problem was with the PM Sleep Shop, noting the owner has had a lot of offers on the property, but the offers have been lower than the owner is willing to take. He noted the Downtown Arts Group is now looking at that building and trying to negotiate for an art gallery, which would be doing a lot of things such as we see in the windows now, but would be established as a permanent art gallery downtown. Mr. Ours stated the vacancy rate is actually a little lower than 3.1%, as he discovered today that the Pet -Agree building, a 1, 600 square foot building, has just been leased to a business that is moving in from San Anselmo. Member Heller asked when the restaurant would be going in to the Crown Books building? Mr. Ours stated the remodeling is being done now, so it will not be long. Member Heller moved and Member Cohen seconded, to accept the report, as submitted. AYES: COUNCIL ERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Chairman Boro NOES: COUNCIL ERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL ERS: None AGENCY CONSIDERATION: SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 2 SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 3 7. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A PUBLIC HEARING ON AMENDMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO PROVIDE FOR AN AGENCY PROJECT FOR SOME OF THE PARCELS ON THE BLOCK BOUNDED BY SECOND, THIRD, "A" AND "B" STREETS AND A HEARING TO DETERMINE THAT PARCELS IN THAT BLOCK DO NOT CONFORM TO THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND REQUIRE ASSEMBLAGE FOR PURPOSES OF REDEVELOPMENT (RA) - File R-140 XVI Chairman Boro noted the Agency would not be taking any action at this time, except to set two Public Hearing dates for the 18th of November, dealing with an Amendment to the Agency's Plan and to determine whether or not to go forward with the solicitations for proposals for Redevelopment. Mr. Ours stated the Redevelopment Agency has been interested in the "B" Street area for several years, noting both the Agency and private development have been occurring in the area, pointing out the parking structures on both "A" and "B" Streets, and CenterTown one-half block away on "C" Street. He reported the Agency is currently in the planning stages for the second phase of CenterTown, named Lone Palm Court, which is another sixty units on "C" Street that backs up to "D" Street. He stated we have the private development of Annie Bowman's Sunrise Home store and Safeway, who has stated they would like to do something, and then Fair, Isaac only another half a block away. Mr. Ours stated we are doing a lot of things on all sides of "B" Street, pointing out that at this time we are discussing getting the process started to do something on "B" Street. Mr. Ours reported there have been discussions with a number of people over the years in regard to buying property, as well as with potential developers; however, in order to move beyond the discussion stage, there is a critical step the Agency must take, and that is amending the Agency's Implementation Plan, which is a specific plan which states what the Agency will be doing for the next five years. Mr. Ours noted this plan may be amended, and we can do it with a Public Hearing. Mr. Ours stated an amendment to the Plan requires a notification process, which we will be doing, noting it could take up to 31 days to do the notification; a Hearing date of November 18, 1996 would probably take care of the notifications. Mr. Ours explained that in developing a specific project, the Agency must determine that the involved parcels do not conform to the Redevelopment Plan, and/or require assemblage and coordinated redevelopment with other parcels. In addition, the Agency will solicit proposals for redevelopment from the current owners, and from other interested parties. Mr. Ours referred to the attachment to Exhibit "A", noting it shows those projects the Agency has done in the area, as well as the area now being discussed for possible inclusion, which are the parcels on the southern half of "B" Street, the frontage on "A" Street, and the southern half of "A" Street. Mr. Ours pointed out how this area flows from the things we have already done to things that are starting to happen, noting that is a key segment in the center of what will become the new, revitalized Second, "B", and "A" Streets corridor. Mr. Ours stated staff is requesting the Agency set the Public Hearing, and they will do the notifications and go on from there. Member Cohen noted there were two Public Hearings, both of which are to take place on the same night, and asked if they were two separate actions that would be brought back before the Agency on November 18th, one being the Plan Amendment, and the other a discussion of specific parcels to be included within the Plan Amendment? Mr. Ours stated that was correct, noting there would be a discussion of the condition of those parcels that would justify the Redevelopment process. Mr. Ours noted there would be very detailed information on each parcel presented that night. He explained that there would be one Public Hearing which would combine both issues. SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 3 SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 4 Francis Dieli addressed the Agency, stating he was a homeless person in San Rafael, and noting he was a carpenter by trade, and also has a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Dieli stated he puts up with a lot of harassment on the streets, and referring to "B" Street, he noted he does not tolerate everything that goes on there, nor does he tolerate everything that goes on at Vinnie's (St. Vincent de Paul's). Chairman Boro noted this was not the topic being discussed at this time, and the St. Vincent Dining Hall would be discussed during the City Council meeting. Mr. Dieli reported a flyer had been posted by the Downtown Business Improvement District, which stated they would be speaking at this meeting regarding St. Vincent de Paul. He stated that although he does not approve of what goes on there, and he is not one of the culprits, he has become one of the victims, because the Police Department's beat officers cannot discriminate between the people who make trouble and the people who do not, and everyone gets caught up in the wash. Mr. Dieli noted he must go to court for sleeping outside, but he cannot help that he must sleep outside. He noted this may be a good time for the people in Marin, but it is not passing on to all people. He stated he is making an honest effort, working with his tools, and it is not working out so well for him. He stated he was tired of being victimized by the Police, and tired of being victimized by the propaganda, noting it is nothing but prejudice. Dave Zappetini, owner of property on Second Street in San Rafael, addressed the Agency, stating he had spoken to most of the property owners who are involved, and with the exception of one group, all of them are in favor of this, noting they had opened their hearts and minds to look at this very hard. Mr. Zappetini stated he felt now was the time for this to happen, and believed the Agency would get support for this Plan Amendment, stating it was a good idea and a good project. He reported he had also spoken with a few developers who are interested in doing the assemblage, noting he hoped everyone could work together and improve the City. Elissa Giambastiani, President & CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, addressed the Agency, asking to read into the record a letter from the Chamber of Commerce: "The Board of Directors of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce is pleased to learn that the Redevelopment Agency is again considering a redevelopment project in the areas encompassed by Second and Third Streets and "B" and "C" Streets. "Members of the Chamber were involved in previous discussions of redevelopment for this area which took place when the City was considering the construction of a new library on "C" Street. Our Economic Development Committee and the Redevelopment Agency staff discussed a number of retail and mixed-use projects that could be incorporated into a redevelopment plan. Now that the "C" Street site has been approved for housing instead of a library, it is timely and quite appropriate to look at how the rest of the area can be revitalized. Improvements that will be made to "A" Street through the Andersen Drive extension project and on "C" Street during the Bridge/Schafer Development housing project need to be duplicated on "B" Street. "Downtown San Rafael is undergoing a major renewal that will bring new energy and excitement into the community. We think it is imperative to the future economic health of the downtown that this redevelopment project go forward. Please call on us for any assistance you may need in implementing a project for this area". SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 4 SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 5 Charles Garfink, President of the Downtown Business Improvement District, addressed the Agency, stating they had also sent a letter in support of the Plan Amendment. He noted the Agency has taken a number of steps to revitalize the Downtown, particularly along Fourth Street, giving the Rafael Theater, Downtown Vision, and the recent purchase of the former Macy's building as examples. He stated they believe this is the perfect time to move forward and redevelop the "B" Street/"A" Street area. Mr. Garfink noted they would like to do anything they can possibly do to assist the Agency on this, and urged the Agency to begin the implementation of this project. Tom Obletz, President of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods, addressed the Agency, stating he was pledging the interest of the Federation of the San Rafael Neighborhoods, and urged the Agency to call upon them, as they would like very much to be part of the process. Michael Quinlan, partner in ownership of the Flat Iron Sports Bar on the corner of Second and "B" Streets, stated anything the Agency could do to help on "B" Street would be long overdue and very much appreciated. He noted it had been a struggle for nine years, but with the leadership at hand, he felt they could get a lot done, stating they are looking forward to being a part of that in any way. Jonathan Parker addressed the Agency, noting he was one of the owners of the old Gonzales building on the corner of "B" and Second Streets and the adjacent parking lot, and was also currently redeveloping the corner of Third and "A" Street, at the old Lynch Restaurant space. Mr. Parker stated he would be very much in favor of a Redevelopment project on "B" Street, and would like to participate in terms of possibly being one of the developers to submit a proposal, asking to be included in any discussions that go forward. Steve Bowman of Sunrise Home in San Rafael, addressed the Agency, stating they have been located on "B" Street since 1991, noting they are looking forward to a revitalization of the area, and that had been the assurance they had been given by the City Manager at the time they moved onto "B" Street. Mr. Bowman stated they are looking forward to the project going forward, and being a part of it, as well. Member Cohen moved and Member Heller seconded, to adopt a Resolution authorizing the Public Hearing that has been described, to be held on November 18, 1996. RESOLUTION NO. 96-75 - RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A PUBLIC HEARING ON AMENDMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO PROVIDE FOR AN AGENCY PROJECT FOR SOME OF THE PARCELS ON THE BLOCK BOUNDED BY SECOND, THIRD, "A" AND "B" STREETS AND A HEARING TO DETERMINE THAT PARCELS IN THAT BLOCK DO NOT CONFORM TO THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND REQUIRE ASSEMBLAGE FOR PURPOSES OF REDEVELOPMENT (Public Hearing set for 11/18/96) AYES: MEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Chairman Boro NOES: MEMBERS: None ABSENT: MEMBERS: None 8. ADD ITEM RE: CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY CRAFTS FAIRE AT FORMER MACY'S BUILDING - File R-140 #8 Economic Development Director Jake Ours requested to add this item to the Agenda as an Add Item, which had just been brought to his attention. He noted the Macy's building is a very attractive building, and reported staff had been approached by a group, including the Business Improvement District, to have SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 5 SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 6 a Christmas Holiday Crafts Faire in the building, which he felt would continue with the idea of making it active during the Christmas season. He stated he would like to do this in a way that would have quality crafts and gift items that would be available, non-competitive with other stores on Fourth Street. Mr. Ours reported staff would probably bring a proposal before the Agency within the next couple of weeks, noting they are very much looking forward to getting some activity in the store, as well as more activity in the Downtown. SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 6 SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 7 Chairman Boro asked Mr. Ours to refresh the Agency's memory on the schedule for the Request for Proposal on the building itself. Mr. Ours stated they are having a meeting with Kaiser Marston tomorrow to review this, noting it would be two to three weeks before it is completed. He stated staff would report to the Agency again in two weeks to inform them as to where we stand on this issue, and perhaps have more detailed information at that time. Member Miller referred to the use of the Macy' s building, and asked if we were going to be able to accommodate both the Canal Alliance and the Ritter House in terms of their Christmas programs? Mr. Ours stated that we were, noting they have discussed putting the toys in the basement, and it was felt that this would work very well for them. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 7:50 PM. JEANNE M. LEONCINI, Agency Secretary SRRA MINUTES (Regular) 10/7/96 Page 7