DDA Board Minutes

Cascade Charter Township

Downtown Development Authority
Board of Directors

March 21, 2006

Cascade Museum Building
2839 Thornapple River Dr. SE

ATTENDEES: Lori Chu, David Huhn, Ray James, Julie Johnson, Mike Julian, Joann Noto, Dan Wallace.
Absences: Ron Clark (excused), Diana Kingsland (unexcused)
Others Attending: Assistant to the Township Manager, Sandra Otey; Manager Jay Cravens; Planner Mike Deem; Admin. Assistant Lisa Hern.
Guests: Centennial Park Business Association.

ARTICLE 1: Call the Meeting to Order
Vice-Chair Chu called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.

ARTICLE 2: Approval of the Agenda
Vice-Chairman Chu requested a motion of approval of the March 21st DDA Agenda. Member James motioned for approval, supported by Member Noto. All in favor of motion, none opposed. Motion carried.

ARTICLE 3: Approval of the Minutes of January 17, 2006
Vice-Chair Chu requested a motion of approval of the January 17th minutes.

Member James motioned for approval of the January 17th minutes, supported by Member Wallace. All in favor with none opposed. Motion carried.

ARTICLE 4: Presentation by Cascade Centennial Park Business Association/Status of Centennial Park
Assistant to the Manager Otey noted representatives from the Centennial Park Business Owners' Association were present for tonight's meeting.

Centennial Park was established as Cascade's first PUD in June 1967 and in early April 2004 was added to the DDA District. The representatives are here to provide a status of the park and their Master Plan for the future.

George Wanty, President of the Centennial Business Park Association, provided background on the business park noting that Foremost controlled the properties until the late 1980's, when they relocated their offices. Another large building that will be vacating soon is the current D & W Food Stores Corporate Offices building. Spartan Stores is purchasing D & W and they have no plans to keep the D & W building.

During the Foremost days, there was a business association within the development, but once Foremost relocated, the association started to dwindle. Wanty purchased an office within the Park and approached Foremost to ask if they would continue to support the association but they no longer had an interest and declined. As new owners purchased buildings, interest was expressed in the value of forming a strong Centennial Park Business Owners' Association. The Association now has very strong owners now and they meet once a month at the various businesses throughout the park. The Association has also established a web site and hired public relations for long range marketing plans, new logo and a strategic plan.

Harry Wierenga and Larry Fleis, Members/Owners Centennial Park Business Owners' Association, were introduced.

Fleis noted the Centennial Business Park is currently seventy-eight (78%) percent full but this number will change once D & W moves. He provided the board members a presentation noting the lack of park identification and overgrown entrances. Areas of old, mismatched lighting and limited pedestrian accesses were also shown.

The Business Association would like to improve the roads and provide pedestrian connectivity and amenities including gathering areas. The business association would like to draw in a variety of business owners, not just office building owners.

Wierenga reviewed the Centennial Park District boundaries with the board and noted many of the buildings are outdated or obsolete; most of the buildings are twenty-five (25) to thirty-five (35) years old and not equipped with the technology many business owners seek today. He also noted the poor conditions of the roads within the park and the number of vacant buildings.

The strategic plan the Association has developed focuses on converting some of the outdated buildings and demolishing those that are too costly to renovate. Consideration is also being given to expanding some of the newer buildings to attract a variety of new owners. The Association would like to feature a mixed-use of the buildings and maybe bringing in industrial, food service and other business owners into the park.

Wierenga referred to the hand-out provided by Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering, Inc., within the board members' packets, noting the best approach to develop a Master Plan. Evaluation and assessment will need to be conducted regarding the enhancement value and overall benefit to the park and the community. An assessment of the park's configuration and character of the parcels should be conducted.

Accessibility to the park and various buildings in and around the park by pedestrians is lacking to non-existent. Pedestrian circulation, both physical and perceived, in and around the park needs to be developed. Alternatives will provide connectivity inside and outside of the park and look at organic as well as lineal configurations. In conjunction with the pedestrian circulation, the street network will be analyzed for traffic flow and calming improvement, way finding, friendliness, physical condition and character value.

In addition to way finding, signage systems will be evaluated throughout the park. Alternatives for unification, consistency and park identity cohesion will be considered. Wierenga further said that entrances and park edge definition are important elements that queue the visitor to the arrival and identity to the park and establish the tone for the perceived character and importance of the park. Existing signage, and lack thereof, will be analyzed relative to the scale, placement, materials and character of the signs.

To develop an understanding of the characterization of the park through identity elements, evaluation and alternatives for the very dominant architectural components of the park will also be considered. The buildings and their associated architectural accessories shape and define the physical character of the park. Alternatives will be prepared that address materials, color, form, texture, character and surrounding base or foundation of the buildings in an effort to find a means to project a strong, vital, unified, contemporary image of the structural content of the park.

The landscaping of the park will be receiving a review and evaluation. Street tree plantings that have now matured and developed their potential for form, scale and character need to be evaluated for their purpose, quality, perceived effectiveness, character and contribution toward the identity and character of the park as a whole. Accent and building foundation plantings will also be reviewed.

Fleis noted he is also a Director on the Centennial Park Association and said the Development Authority can see there are a lot of needs within the park. The Association is approaching the board for their thoughts regarding the Master Plan as they are trying to encompass all elements of the park. He also noted that the DDA has included Centennial Park within their ten (10) year plan but want to know what they can do now and asked advice as to what can be publicly funded.

Manager Cravens distributed a spreadsheet containing millage information the DDA is able to capture. He further explained the information provided on the spreadsheet noting the millages and the Initial DDA Capture and the Phase II DDA capture. Member Julien asked if the total assessment for the park is available and Manager Cravens said he could provide that information but does not have the information this evening.

The question arose if the park's roads are public and Manager Cravens said fifty-five (55%) of the roads are owned by the Township and forty-five (45%) is owned by Kent County.

Manager Cravens noted the Development Authority needs to establish a rational nexus and if appropriate to allocate funds towards this Master Plan. He said the Association wanted to discuss the Master Plan this evening and is not asking for definitive answers, as park improvements are not budgeted for 2006.

Member Julien asked if the Association has a projected final cost to get the park in shape, as there is not enough money within the Township's government to fix it. Fleis noted they realize they will have to make requests both public and private and form a public/private partnership. Wierenga also said they have not projected the percentages from public versus private but anticipate ten (10%) to twenty (20%) percent being public depending on grants and other private finances. He also noted that if the Master Plan is in place, they could market the park with the potential of moving forward with private enhancements.

Johnson initiated discussion regarding it being the first PUD the Township has had and asked if discussion was held regarding the park's zoning and if they should be approaching the Zoning Board of Appeals prior to the DDA's support. Planner Deem noted Staff is normally reluctant to amend a P.U.D. but this one is over thirty (30) years old and the board may want to consider amendments. Manager Cravens also said the Master Plan needs to be established first and then establish the rules and ordinances with the park. Planner Deem also noted that over the years Centennial Park has been treated as Office Zoning and B-2 Zoning with no setbacks. Manager Cravens further explained that when new additions developed within the park, such as the Gatehouse, a separate P.U.D. was written; Heathmore is another example.

Member Noto asked how many business owners are not members of the Association and Fleis said approximately twenty (20) owners are not members, meaning approximately sixty-five (65%) are Association Members.

Member Julien questioned if the DDA would finance the assessment and Manager Cravens confirmed the Township would and Member Julien requested that the public message be sent that this is a public/private partnership.

Member Huhn expressed his concern that if the sixty (60%) to seventy (70%) of the owners cannot fund the assessment, how can they fund the improvements. Member Julien noted the recent successes of Downtown Grand Rapids whose redevelopment has been a public/private partnership and the transformation that has taken place over the past twenty-five (25) years.

Member Julien noted the DDA should help with part of the funding for the study and would like Staff's input regarding taxes and government assistance for the next DDA Meeting in May.

Member Noto questioned if the Association can approach those who are not members within the park and ask for their support. Fleis noted there are many individual owners, some are a part of a large corporation or are out of the area; it is hard to bring everyone in.

Fleis asked the DDA to consider the Master Plan for Centennial Park since it is included within the DDA's plans in the future. The Association just wants to get some of the improvements going.

Member James asked if Township Staff could do a portion of the plan and Manager Cravens said the design should be outsourced and Staff can review the plan. He also noted this is a good opportunity for improvements with the addition of restaurants and other business opportunities. The Master Plan seems to provide synergy and opportunity.

Member James asked if bids would be sought for the project and Manager Cravens confirmed yes, there are several within Grand Rapids who are eligible and qualified. He noted the general timeline for the project, if scheduled for 2007, would seek RFP's (Requests for Proposals) in September of 2006, obtain a consultant in January 2007 and proceed with the project. He also noted the DDA should consider a decision within the next one hundred eighty days for inclusion within the budget.

ARTICLE 5: Other Business
Member Johnson asked why the pots have not been cleaned out that are in the Village. She noted the cost of cleaning out the pots is included in the budget and she made the request at January's meeting to cut the dead out. Nothing has been done yet and Manager Cravens noted he would contact the Parks Department.

Member Julien acknowledged that January's DDA Meeting Minutes have already been approved but requested one (1) correction. Page 6, last paragraph of Article 6, second sentence change "He also asked if a new member…" to "He also stated a new member…".

ARTICLE 6: Vice-Chair Chu requested a motion for adjournment. At 8:30 p.m. Member James motioned for adjournment, supported by all members.

Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa Hern, Recording Secretary

Approved as to form by:
Jay W. Cravens, Executive Director

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