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