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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1988-10-20Mayor Jack Drago Counci 1: Mark N. Addiego Richard A. Hafi~ey Gus Nicolopulos Roberta Cerri Teglia MINUTES City Council City Council Conference Room City Hal 1 October 20, 1988 AGENDA ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING CALL TO ORDER: (Cassette No. 1) ROLL CALL: 1. Discussion of the future of the z~g~ downtown area. ACTION TAKEN ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING 6:10 p.m. Mayor Drago presiding. Council present: Council absent: Addiego, Haffey, Nicolopulos, Teglia, and Drago. None. Mayor Drago stated that after the discussion between staff and Council there would be a lot of spin off discussions with the Agency that will be a part of making this happen. He stated that the question was whether or not the Council wanted to see Grand Avenue in the same manner as it had been for the last fifty years or change the concept and concentrate on wholesale, retail or whatever. Director of Planning Smith spoke in detail of the statements in the executive summary of strategy (a copy is attached and a permanent part of the record of this meeting): to expand the retail com- ponent of the downtown to provide more diversification; continued support for the various cultural and civic uses which provide major anchors; promote the area as the financial hub; encourage existing institutions to expand, however the General Plan Policy says you don't want more financial institutions; to eliminate blight; improved public parking; create a pedestrian environment; emphasize and highlight the existing architectural style through rehabilitation and renova- tion; and expand and upgrade the housing opportunities in the area. She stated that it was thought that the downtown business area should be revita- lized to serve predominately a neigh- borhood and commercial community center, 10/20/88 Page i CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO DATE: TO: SUBJECT: FROM: INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM October 14, 1988 Honorable Mayor and City Council FUTURE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA (OCTOBER 20 Jean T. Smith, Planning Director STUDY SESSION) The attached pages quote sections of the General Plan and Downtown Revitalization Strategy dealing with both goals for the future of downtown and issues that will face the City in implementing the Revitalization Strategy. The implementation measures immediately will involve the Downtown/Central Redevelopment Project and the continuing Commercial Rehabilitation Program (using Block Grant funds). Because some of these goals are broadly stated and because some of the noted issues have not yet been addressed, the study session is designed to focus on a better definition of Council's intent and future picture of downtown. It is also designed to bring up at this time the kinds of programs and restrictions or incentives the Council wants to see implemented as part of the Redevelopment Project (for instance, types of housing and kinds of assistance that may be made available). Jesus Armas city Manager JPlanning Director JA: JTS: sp Attachment o/ao/88 Page la Ft,]'lq.~. GOAT-q ,~Nr~ r~T~qCU.qSTON T?]~IS FOR CT?Y COUNCTT. r~WN'I~WN .qTUr~Y g~SgTON Dovntown Business Distriot should be rovitmlisod to serve predominantl~ as a neighborhood and conunit~ conarcial osnter.# This policy statement implies that the area should become a fully developed shoppinq district similar to what it once was with markets, department stores and a wide variety of retail and service uses. Is there consensus on this policy statement or should other alternate policies be considered such as: Promote a more specialized mix of uses around certain themes such as food, auto sales, government, cultural centers, etc. Create a more regional-oriented commercial center that would attract a majority of the new customers from outside the community~ such uses might include an auto center, shopping center with some major anchors, transportation center, etc. Promote more residential than commercial or service uses. IT. Policy D-4 of the General Plan states that "any additional adverse uses such as bars, second-hand stores, stores selling ,,seconds,,, video &uusement arcades, and warehousing should be prohibited in the downtown area in the future.,. However, there are a number of existing such adverse uses that contribute to the existing deteriorated condition of portions of the area and may be discouraging the establishment of new, more desirable uses. Should the City have a more proactive policy to reduce the number of existing adverse uses such as: Create more restrictive General Plan policies, zoning regulations, building code enforcement, and other enforcement actions that would be designed to phase out these existing uses. The Redevelopment Agency could create a more aggressive policy to purchase these properties and resell them to adjacent pro,arty owners or 4er. lopers-that wou/d agree to establish more desirable uses. 10/20/88 Page lb IIX. The Downtown/Central Redevelopment Project will be required to emr~ark ~0% of the tax increment revenue on lev and moderate income housing. Since this could become a substantial fund resulting in more than $1 Million a year after the project is fully underway, how should these funds be spent: A' Acquire land and lease back to developers at low rates such as that approved for Magnolia Plaza. Expand the single-family and multi-family rehabilitation programs. ¢. Provide new construction financing. Provide rent subsidies for low and moderate income residents. IV. The Downtown/Central Redevelopment Project will propose to approximately double the amount of public parking in the area. Should this be the top priority of the project to attract new uses or should we only build such new parking after new uses are established. What incentives or services should tho City become involved with to attract and improve businesses? The approaches might include: Provide seed money to help finance the first year or two of a new business. Hire a marketing consultant to work with the Downtown Merchants Association to create better advertising programs, design more attractive display windows, provide guidance to upgrade their inventories, create more cultural events and generally improve the overall promotion. Increase funding for the Commercial Rehabilitation Program. Do Hire a full-time business development coordinator on city Staff to help contact and attract new businesses. Z0/20/88 Page lc Tho Dovntovn levitalisation Str&toT/ and tho Dovntown/Central Iodovelopment ~roJoot are proposing a number of public transportation measures that mat occur sometime during tho 3S-ye&r lifo or tho project. Which ones to you favor the most: A. Ferry boat terminal. B. ?ransportation Center. C. Light rail system connecting BART to other local systems. D. Increased bus and shuttle systems. VII. How much effort should we put into making Linden Avenue and Airport Boulevard more attractive and functional? Should we attempt to: Provide street beautification similar to what was built along Grand Avenue. B. Provide public parking. C. Direct some of the rehabilitation funds to those areas. Acquire marginal properties and resell for more desirable uses. VIII. How far should the City go to help a developer acquire · site and make his project more financially feasible? Should we consider: A® Acquiring some parcels at full market value and selling them back to a developer for less than full market value. Helping a developer with off-site improvements such as utilities, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, storm drainage, sanitary sewer lines, traffic signals and other off- site improvements normally required of a developer. C. Helping correct toxic contamination problems. to/~o/88 Page ld AGENDA ACTION TAKEN Discussion of the future of the downtown area. and promote a more specialized mix of uses around certain themes, i.e., food, auto sales, and create a more regional oriented commercial center that would attract a majority of new customers from outside the community. She stated that another policy in the General Plan says that any additional adverse uses such as bars, secondhand stores, stores selling seconds, video amusement arcades, and warehousing should be prohibited in the downtown area in the future. Councilman Addiego questioned if there was a contradiction between the neigh- borhood concept of a shopping area and attaining and reinforcing that, and the report says community - when he had thought of it as a subregional as opposed to regional. He questioned if there was any way to keep a neighborhood feeling to that if the City wanted to attract major anchors such as Mervyns. Councilman Nicolopulos stated that he wanted to turn Grand Avenue into a street of grandeur, and spoke in great detail of the history of the area. Consensus of Council - to delete I.A. of the goals of the downtown. Discussion followed: on prohibiting who- lesale uses in the downtown; congestion on the lanes due to trucks loading and unloading; that I.C. should read, promote some residential; definition of regional; bars on Grand Avenue with and without food; that the area was over saturated with bars; Councilman Haffey was interested in having an auto strip on Airport Blvd.; moderate income housing between Grand Ave. and Hillside Blvd, Linden and Airport Blvd.; marketing aspects of attracting people to the down- town area; taking the word government of I.A., etc. Consensus of Council - To delete I.B. 10/20/88 Page 2 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN ~ 1. Discussion of the future of the downtown area - Continued. (Cassette No. 2) CLOSED SESSION ® Closed Session for the purpose of discussion of personnel matters, labor relations, property negotiations and litigation. RECALL TO ORDER: ADJOURNMENT Consensus of Council - To approve I.C. Consensus of Council - To change the word create to develop on II.A. and II.B. Majority Consensus of Council - To prohi- bit more bars in the area, and phase them out, Nicolopulos and Mayor Drago did not agree. Discussion followed on III. on low and moderate income housing; possessory interest on Magnolia Center; this money could be used for the loss of Section H subsidies. Consensus of Council - To approve III., and IV. Discussion followed: that V.A and B were low priority; that Councilman Haffey disagreed with V.A. and B.; to expand the existing shuttle services; that IV would be addressed in the EIR; staff to arrange meetings on this subject with the Parking Place Commission, Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission; .that the report was to be redrafted; cir- culate a communication on the direction given to staff by Council to the Planning Commission; and the Executive Summary, page 2, should be reworked and brought back to Council. CLOSED SESSION Council adjourned to a Closed Session at 8:24 p.m., to discuss the item listed. Mayor Drago recalled the meeting to order at 9:20 p.m., all Council present, no action taken. M/S Haffey/Teglia - To adjourn the meeting. Carried by unanimous voice vote. Time of adjournment was 9:21 p.m. 10/20/88 Page 3 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED , Barbara A. Battaya, City of South San Francisco APPROVED. Jack Drago, May~j~ City of South San Francisco The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Council to dispose of an item. Oral communications, arguments, and comments are recorded on tape. The tape and documents related to the items are on file in the Office of the City Clerk and are available for inspection, review and copying. 10/20/88 Page 4