Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 07/06/2020CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 The South Burlington City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, 6 July 2020, at 5:30 p.m., via Go to Meeting remote technology. MEMBERS PRESENT: H. Riehle, Chair; M. Emery, T. Barritt, T. Chittenden, D. Kaufman ALSO PRESENT: K. Dorn, City Manager; A. Bolduc, A. Lafferty, City Attorneys; P. Conner, Director of Planning & Zoning; I. Blanchard, Project Manager; J. Rabidoux, Director of Public Works; J. Morway, K. Epstein, J. Wilking, S. Dooley, P. O’Brien, B. Britt, J. Louisos, L. Bresee, B. Sirvis, M. Metz, D. Saladino, A. Gill, E. Langfeldt, M. Mittag, M. Cota, D. Crawford, C. Ford, J. Ilick, B. Bliss, D. Farr, E. Goldman, A. Strong, R. Maller, C. Trembley, K. Pollito, S. Mills 1. Possible executive session to discuss matters related to negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options: Mr. Barritt moved that the Council meet in executive session to discuss matters related to negotiating or securing real estate purchase or lease options. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously via a roll call vote. 2. Additions, deletions or changes in the order of Agenda items: No changes were made to the Agenda. 3. Comments and Questions from the public not related to the Agenda: Ms. Sirvis questioned having to pay a high water bill when she had no usage for the months she was out of the city. 4. Announcements and City Manager’s Report: Members reported on recent meetings and activities. Mr. Dorn: Thanked Mr. Rabidoux and his time for the great job they did at Overlook Park. He also noted that there are now trees that block the view from the Park and said they need to be sure the same thing doesn’t happen at the Underwood property. City Hall is now open to the public. Twenty-five people came in today, mostly to vote. All people will enter through the large conference room and will be tested before going further. Nobody will be allowed upstairs or to the Recreation Dept. side of the building. Over time, normal access will be restored Staff is being alternated on a 50% basis. CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 2 There have been complaints that people are not wearing masks. A letter will be sent out to business owners reminding them that they have an obligation to see that the wearing of masks is enforced. Ms. Riehle noted that postal workers have been told to abide by federal regulations which do not mandate masks. They do have plastic shields which should protect the public. Ms. Riehle suggested speaking to the Postmaster regarding entry to nursing homes, etc. where carriers go into the building. Mr. Dorn agreed to do this. There will be a Steering Committee meeting at 6 p.m. on 20 July, prior to the City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. A tour of 180 Market St. is being arranged for 5 p.m. that evening. Council members are advised to wear boots. The Summit Health Center will open on Wednesday with a Nurse Practitioner and Technician on site. Some pharmacy products will be available. Every employee will receive bio-metric screening. The Recreation Committee will meet on 16 July to go through the leases for Underwood and Common Roots. All the lumber for the Wheeler site project is on site, and the concrete is ready to be poured. Ms. Riehle noted that Maggie Leugers has had to withdraw from her Dog Park Committee work and thanked her publicly for all she has done for the city. 5. Consent Agenda: a. Approve and Sign Disbursements b. Approve the execution of a commitment letter and legal documents necessary for the Vermont Bond Bank to issue to a general obligation bond of $5 million dollars to be serviced with tax increment financing from the City Center TIF District for the construction of the South Burlington Public Library and City Hall as authorized by ballot November 6, 2018. Ms. Emery questioned why two sets of payment figures do not match. Mr. Dorn said the latter figure is the annualized payment with interest, but he suggested holding this item for Other Business and asking Ms. Blanchard to give a more complete explanation. Ms. Emery then moved to approve the disbursements as presented. Mr. Kaufman seconded. Motion passed unanimously via a roll call vote. CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 3 6. Presentation of Route 116/Tilley Drive Study: Mr. Saladino of CCRPC reviewed the history of the 3-year study. He noted that it was requested by South Burlington in 2016 and is federally funded. It looks at proposed development in the, project area, looks at the impact of that development on the road network, and suggests possible improvements to that network. The study area is 900 acres bisected by I-89 which currently has a mix of land uses. It considers how the transportation system can accommodate growth and still maintain the city’s vision. Mr. Saladino showed the project area on a map and then explained how various regulatory plans view this area: CCRPC – the area is part of the ECOS Plan South Burlington Land Development Regulations (LDRs) – zoning is mostly Industrial-Commercial (I-C) and Industrial-Open Space (I-OS), with some residential South Burlington Comprehensive Plan – medium to higher intensity development, mainly non-residential except in the western area where there is some residential in conjunction with mixed use. Mr. Saladino then showed a map of the projected build-out including planned infrastructure. A public on-line survey was conducted in 2017 which received 325 responses. Public sentiment favored parks/open space, single family homes, offices, medical offices, a new I-89 interchange at Rt. 116, and a connected network of sidewalks and rec paths. Following the survey, some potential “packages” were put together. The top scorer among those packages was a multi- modal package with connected streets and paths with the I-89 interchange. Mr. Saladino then noted that future assumptions estimate the need for 3 new buses to serve the area ($1.2 million capital costs). All major routes would have multi-use, protected bike lanes. There would be a new bike/pedestrian overpass, and a Tilley Drive/Kimball Avenue connector. Overall costs for improvements would be $15 million, $2 million of which would be for the overpass and the remainder for paths and sidewalks. Mr. Saladino then presented estimates of trip generation from future land use as follows: CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 4 Technology Park ………………. 1144 new PM trip ends Tilley Drive ……………………….. 576 new PM trip ends O’Brien Farm project ………… 854 new PM trip ends Meadowlands PUD …………… 122 new PM trip ends Mr. Saladino noted that some of that development may never happen. They are also considering 1/3 and 2/3 of projects being built, trip generation with full buildout and a 12B interchange, and a full buildout with Swift St. Extension being built. The project also evaluated intersection operations. It found that no additional lanes would be needed at existing signalized intersections, though some timing changes would be needed. New roundabouts or signalized intersections would be needed at 116/Meadowland, 116/Van Sicklen, and 116/Cheesefactory. Additional left turn lanes would be needed at 116/Van Sicklen and 116/Meadowland. 116/Old Farm Road will need a signal with 2/3 buildout. 116/Tilley Drive needs a signal now. Cost estimates for improvements at various levels of development are as follows: 1/3 buildout …………. $11,800,000 2/3 buildout …………. 23,090,000 Full buildout …………. 33,000,000 With Swift St. Ext….. 30,780,000 With Exit 12B …………. 76,635,000 ($48,340,000 of which is for 12B) Mr. Saladino noted that much of these costs would be paid for by developers. Operating costs would be about $600,000 annually. Mr. Saladino said the feeling is that full buildout is unlikely in the near term, and that it can be accommodated at a cost of $41,000,000. With regard to Swift St. Extension, Mr. Saladino noted that this would reduce 24% of the traffic on Kennedy Drive and increase traffic volumes on Tilley Drive by 4%. It will provide emergency vehicle accessibility and facilitate east-west through trips. The question is whether people want that connectivity. CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 5 Exit 12B would provide direct access to the study area from I-89 and would enhance bike/ped connectivity across I-89. It would also reduce activity at Exit 12 (by17%) and Exit 14 (by 11%). There is a study underway to continue to evaluate that Interchange. Mr. Chittenden asked whether a TIF could be put in place to address the costs of these improvements. He said he has heard this happened elsewhere and he felt it would be valuable to explore. Mr. Chittenden also asked whether Swift St. Extension could be built to serve emergency use but with bends, etc., to slow traffic down. Mr. Saladino said a 25 mph road is envisioned that would not have a “straight line concept.” Traffic calming could be used to make it more desirable. Ms. Emery asked how many people in South Burlington favored 12B. Mr. Saladino said he would get that information to Mr. Dorn. Ms. Emery cited the need to reduce traffic at Exit 12 but also to “strike a balance.” She also said she would like to explore employee housing that would be right across from workplaces to cut down on trips. Mr. Barritt said 12B seems to be a long-term investment that would pay off. People have to go a long way to reach exists 12 and 13 which creates congestion on surface roads. Mr. Barritt also noted that residents of Village at Dorset Park are opposed to the Swift St. Extension. Mr. Mittag said Spear Street residents also oppose that road. He said they were told that they could have a rec/bike path with use for emergency vehicles instead of the road.. He also felt the small number of people in the survey made it invalid. Ms. Dooley said it is very hard to keep motorized vehicles of those paths if they are wide enough for emergency vehicle use. She lives next door to one, and this is a continuing problem. 7. Appoint representative to Green Mountain Transit (erroneously listed in the Agenda as CCRPC): Mr. Chittenden nominated Charlie Baker as representative to Green Mountain Transit. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously via a roll call vote. Ms. Riehle noted this is a 3-year terms. 8. Discussion and possible Council action on further investment in the conservation of property located in the Southeast Quadrant of South Burlington known as the Auclair property: CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 6 Ms. Riehle noted that the Council had discussed possibilities for the Auclair “B” parcel. Since that time, Mr. Conner has come up with some options. Mr. Conner noted that Parcel “A” has been conserved. Parcel “C” is nearly completed. The city has contributed $600,00 toward conservation of the properties. There is a match for any non- federal money to complete conservation of Parcel “B.” Mr. Conner showed a map indicating the 3 parcels then suggested the following options: Option 1: No further action. This would conserve 2/3 of Parcel “B” with development likely on the remaining 1/3 Option 2: The city could contribute $309,000 from the Open Space Fund to conserve all of Parcel “B” except for 9 homes. Option 3: Explore and negotiate an area of land for future recreational use. The city would contribute $309,000 or NRCS match and exclude 5-8 acres for future recreational use. There could be public ownership of the land. There would be an additional cost of $30,000-$50,000 an acre, but the $309,000 would drop somewhat. Mr. Barritt asked if the city would get walking paths with Option 1. Mr. Conner said he though they could get connections as envisioned. Mr. Bliss explained the nature of the Vermont Agrarian Commons which is working on fund- raising for conservation. The land would be held in common, and there would be a 99 year lease-back to Bread & Butter Farm which could be transferred to any other farm in the future. Options for South Burlington could recreational opportunities. Mr. Bliss also noted the educational component of Bread & Butter Farms. Mr. Kaufman cited the importance of recreational opportunities. Mr. Chittenden liked Option 2B which provides future options and doesn’t deplete the Open Space Fund as much. Mr. Conner estimated $250,000 to $400,000. It was also noted that there could be recreational grants. Mr. Conner said the down side is the additional funding and the fact that until that time the land is “up in the air.” CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 7 Ms. Riehle asked if there is a time limit to finding the additional money. It was noted that the right-of-first-refusal expires in 2026. The time limit on federal money is next March. Mr. Conner said that is something to work with Dirt Capital with. Mr. Barritt said he prefers Option 1. He felt the city did its part to make the deal happen and didn’t want to spend more on that part of the Southeast Quadrant. Ms. Emery preferred Option 2 but would support 2B. Mr. Chittenden supported 1 or 2B. Mr. Kaufman supported 2B to carve out something everyone could enjoy. Ms. Riehle supported 2 or 2B. Mr. Kaufman then moved to go with Option 2B as it offers the most opportunity going forward. Mr. Chittenden seconded the motion. In the roll call vote that followed, the motion passed 4-1 with Mr. Barritt voting against. 9. Public Hearing on proposed Land Development Regulation amendments: A. LDR-19-13A: Modify existing Inclusionary Zoning requirements and extend applicability to include all lands that underline the Transit Overlay District, all lands within the City Center Form Based Code District, and all lands in the vicinity of Hinesburg Road and Old Farm Road that are north of I-89 and are outside the Transit Overlay District. B. LDR-19-13B: Modify Affordable Housing Density Bonus Standards as follows: (1) reduce applicable area to only those areas not subject to proposed Inclusionary Zoning standards (LDR-19-13A) and (2) adjust requirements for income eligibility and continued affordability for all remaining parts of the City: Mr. Conner noted these amendments were the result of a collaborative effort between the Planning Commission, Affordable Housing Committee and the private sector. The amendments were passed onto the Council by the Planning Commission with no dissenting votes. Ms. Louisos said the amendments will expand the Inclusionary Zoning area to the Transit Overlay District and nearby area. Any development with 12 or more units would provide affordable housing in perpetuity for 15% of rentals and 10% of owned units. Ms. Louisos also CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 8 noted that the law requires offsets to the developer for those inclusionary units, either for parking or additional units. There are some density increases or the dedication of land in lieu of constructing units. There are also provisions for offset credits for larger (3 & 4 bedroom, e.g.) units. In other areas of the city, there are changes to the affordable bonus program to make definitions consistent and to be sure the city doesn’t wind up with a lot of small inclusionary units. Ms. Louisos also noted that these amendments relate back to the City’s Goals and Strategies in the Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Riehle questioned the “four unrelated adults” language. Mr. Conner said different communities define “household” differently. He noted that language has been in place since the ‘70s. Ms. Dooley expressed gratitude to Mr. Conner, staff, the Planning Commission, Affordable Housing Committee, Regina Mahoney of CCRPC, and the developers who worked to provide this. There was no further public comment. Mr. Barritt moved to close the public hearing. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 10. Possible Action to Adopt Proposed Land Development Regulations amendments #LDR-19-13A and LDR-19-13B: Mr. Barritt moved to adopt LDR-19-13A and LDR-19-13B as presented. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously via a roll call vote. 11. Interim Zoning Application #IZ-20-01 public hearing seeking a Jurisdictional Opinion for the resubdivision of three parcels totaling 3.65 acres and for the development up to 15 dwelling units in buildings containing no more than four dwelling units per building for the “Park Road” phase of a previously approved Master Plan for a 450-acre golf course and 354-unit residential development, 1170 and 1180 Dorset Street: It was noted that this item would be continued to the meeting of 20 July 2020. CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 9 12. Interviews with applicants for South Burlington Boards, Commissions and Committees: The Council interviewed the following applicants for appointment to Boards, Commissions and Committees: Christopher Trembley …………………….. Affordable Housing Committee or Recreation and Parks Committee Dana Farr ………………………………………..Bike/Ped Committee Ken Pollito ……………………………………… Energy Committee Ethan Goldman ……………………………… Energy Committee Sadie Mills …………………………………….. Energy Committee David Crawford ……………………………… Natural Resources & Conservation Committee Ms. Riehle explained the appointment process to the applicants. 13. Council Acceptance of the IZ Open Space Committee report and consideration and possible approval of a statement related to certain lands identified by the Committee: This item was continued to the meeting of 20 July per a request from City Attorney Bolduc. 14. Council consideration and possible approval of South Burlington Public Library and City Hall Sign Concept: Ms. Blanchard noted that the sign will be lit from the front, above the sign. She showed the 3 possible options. A roll call vote of members selected Option #3 unanimously. 15. Councilors’ Reports from Committee Assignments: No reports were presented. CITY COUNCIL 6 JULY 2020 PAGE 10 16. Other Business: Ms. Blanchard explained the apparent discrepancy in numbers in the Consent Agenda item “B”. She noted that the figures from the bond bank are for 18 years, and the city requested 17 years. She will talk with the bond bank people tomorrow to get this adjusted. She recommended approving the term and amount. She also noted this is a good time to do this as the supply of cash is at a good level. She anticipated the city could end up with a lower interest rate than on other bonds. Mr. Barritt then moved to approve Consent Agenda Item “B” as written for a term of 17 years. Mr. Chittenden seconded. Motion passed unanimously via a roll call vote. As there was no further business to come before the Council Ms. Emery moved to adjourn. Mr. Kaufman seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Ms. Emery then moved the Council meet in executive session to discuss appointments to South Burlington Boards, Commissions and Committees and to discuss pending or probable civil litigation to which the public body may be a party and confidential attorney-client communications made for the purpose of providing professional legal services to the Council. Mr. Barritt second. Motion passed unanimously. The Council entered executive session at 9:06 p.m.