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Home My WebLink About10-31-2013CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION Special Meeting Minutes October 31, 2013 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 8:10 a.m. in City Hall, Conference Room 229. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Chairman Sarmiento ATTENDANCE The following Committee Members were present: Vincent Sarmiento, Michele Martinez, David Benavides Staff present were: David Cavazos, City Manager; Jay Trevino, Planning & Building Agency Executive Director; Ryan Hodge, Assistant City Attorney; Nancy Fong, Interim Executive Director /Community Devel. Agency; Shelly Landry- Bayle, Housing Division Manager; Matt Foulkes, Senior Management Analyst; Gabriela Lomeli, Redevelopment Project Manager; Marc Morley, Economic Development Specialist III; Chris Dalton, Economic Development Specialist I; and Rosa Barela, PBA Executive Secretary. PUBLIC COMMENTS — None AGENDA ITEMS DISCUSSION WITH THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE (ULI) ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY'S PARKING GARAGE AT 3RD STREET AND BROADWAY Chairman Sarmiento welcomed and thanked everyone for their attendance and introduced the City Manager David Cavazos and Planning & Building Agency Executive Director Jay Trevino. Mr. Cavazos noted he was excited to attend his first Development & Transportation Committee meeting noted he is looking forward to ideas and advice from the ULI panelists. Mr. Trevino welcomed the panelists and thanked them for their participation, and provided background information on the ULI Mini - Technical Assistance Panel (Mini - TAP). The ULI Panelists introduced themselves: Phyllis Alzamora, ULI; John Shumway, The Concord Group; Benjamin Kasdan, KTGY Group, Inc.; Rick Choate, Choate Parking Solutions; Russ Parker, Parker Properties; Scott Read, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank; and Michael Bohn, Studio 111. Chairman Sarmiento thanked Mr. Cavazos, Mr. Trevino and Ms. Fong for assembling Mini -TAP in a short period of time adding this will be helpful to the Committee and the entire City Council. Committee member Benavides thanked staff for organizing and panelists for their participation noting their diverse background, and commented on downtown Santa Ana noting it is the heart of Orange County adding he is excited for the panel to help with a prime parcel and grateful for their help to envision that future opportunity. Vice Chair Martinez noted she is excited the panelists will provide some expertise, adding Santa Ana is the youngest city in Orange County and this is an opportunity to promote the downtown and the city, and noted the city welcomes young individuals and professionals adding they create economic vitality. Chairman Sarmiento thanked the panelists for taking time out of their busy schedules, noted the valuable city asset adding the unique downtown and the exchange of ideas to develop this asset, and provided background information on the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that were released for the 3rd and Broadway site and the YMCA building on Civic Center. Mr. Trevino provided an overview and background information on the city, the Downtown, the Transit Zoning Code, the Street Car, and urban housing and development opportunity details for the Third and Broadway parking structure which is a 3- level, 440 -space parking garage. Committee member and panelist discussion ensued on the market demand in the downtown, market -based adaptive reuse projects; financing in the post - redevelopment era; RFQ; parking standards reform; transit - oriented development standards; parking to be replicated, parking reform, shared parking, parking ratios, linear approach, parking structures and facilities in the downtown, Circulation Element, Transit Zoning Code, bifurcating the site, Sycamore Street alignment, pedestrian only on Sycamore Street; underground parking; bike parking; ideas for the development of the property including: food, hospitality- boutique hotel with a lounge, small sports club activity center, experience centers with a lab and a cam dominated by food with no major tenant; food hall tenants on first floor with density above, mixed - retail, creative office, hotel to provide a community benefit, arts and cultural conference center RECESSED AT 9:59 A.M. AND RECONVENED AT 10:22 A.M. Discussion continued on the possible bifurcation of the site with two parcels; creative offices; possible at -grade retail with residential component; affordable artist -owned housing; depth of the market in the downtown for hospitality; demographics in the downtown; delaying the transit occupancy tax; the financial viability meshing daytime and nighttime; boutique hotel with live entertainment aspect; discussed the RFQ and refining it to be more specific and feasible and what the Council would like to see; the 10 -story height limit; and the green factor should be sustainable and set example with LEED certification. Development & Transp. Council Committee Minutes 2 October 31, 2013 A resident noted his appreciation to the panelists to help the City and noted he is impressed with the group adding he would like to see a long -term development plan. A resident noted concern that the city has young residents and in order for them to remain in the city the need to offer jobs and affordable housing adding he feels the boutique hotel is a great idea. Ms. Alzamora noted she is pleased and noted panelists are available if additional questions may arise that were not covered at the meeting. The Panelists thanked the Committee and staff for the opportunity noting it was a pleasure; noted green factor should be sustainable and set an example with LEED certification; noted an exhibit should be added to the RFQ that list the area parking; noted bifurcating the site makes sense and gives flexibility to possibly two investors; advised on changing wording on RFQ from "Parking Garage" to "Vibrant Downtown Mixed -Use Opportunity" and place an aerial of the area and identify the uses currently there or is to come and what the city envisions; and recommended talking to other cities such as Long Beach who are focused on their downtown. Mr. Trevino then reviewed items that were discussed: authenticity is the city's strong suit and need to stay true to that; the need to look at all parking in the downtown to allow the city to take a different approach if spaces get replaced and how pedestrians move about; reopening Sycamore Street; the need to look at a narrowed Sycamore right of way; Sycamore could possibly be a flex street with opportunities to close for events; boutique hotels; creative office; ground floor retail; layering or mixing of uses. Also noted the need to get a broker to reach out to developers and write, call and invite them to provide personal tours. Lastly noted sustainability and not just for its own sake because it has value and is an asset to the community. Mr. Cavazos noted the replacing of the 440 parking spaces would be restrictive and noted this project needs to scream Santa Ana and have a design and concept competition to look at the uses and the need of an engineering analysis where we can go below grade and provide a cost estimate. Committee member Benavides thanked the panelists for the investment of their time and their expertise noting this will be a turning point for this project and will bring in significant interest towards the future of the downtown. Vice Chair Martinez thanked everyone or the participation and their energy, noted excitement and passion for the downtown, city and county; noted valuable interaction from experts; noting the community benefit whether a gymnasium, conference room center, boutique or anchor hotel, and environmental sustainability needs to be a priority; noted she is looking forward to a new RFQ; noted the hope of removing some of the language for the parking and the 10 -story restriction on the height. Chairman Sarmiento thanked colleagues for devoting and investing their time, thanked staff for organizing, noted the success of the Mini -TAP; commented on the financing of the project and the feasibility; the replacement of parking spaces which Development & Transp. Council Committee Minutes 3 October 31, 2013 is a deterrent for anyone who wants to invest; noted when the RFQ is re- circulated it will have a better vision of what they would like to see; asked staff if Committee should re- convene to make final decision on recirculating or redrafting the RFQ. Mr. Trevino noted there will be a special meeting to further discuss the recirculation of the RFQ. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS — None ADJOURNMENT —11:55 A.M Jay M. Trevino Executive Director Planning & Building Agency J MT: rb rb:Counpll CommOevel & Transp CCV 031 -13 Devel & Transp CC Mlnutesapeclal Development & Transp. Council Committee Minutes 4 October 31, 2013