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17 MAY 08 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. OPENING REMARKS: The Planning Commission of the City of Jacksonville, Arkansas met in regular session on May 8, 2017. Chairman Moore opened the meeting at approximately 7:05 p.m. expressing appreciation to those in attendance. ROLL CALL: Commissioners Patrick Thomas, Jim Peacock, Jr., Scott Scholl, Rick White, Robert Price, and Virgil Healey answered ROLL CALL. Chairman Jim Moore also answered roll call and declared a quorum. PRESENT (7), ABSENT (2). Others present for the meeting were City Engineer Jay Whisker, Tommy Bond, interested citizens, petitioners, and press. CORRECTION AND/OR APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner White moved, seconded by Commissioner Healey to approve the January 9, 2017 minutes as amended. MOTION CARRIED. Commissioner White moved, seconded by Commissioner Healey to approve the February 13, 2017 minutes as presented. MOTION CARRIED. PUBLIC HEARING(S): REQUEST TO APPROVE PLAT(S): PRELIMINARY PLAT Jaxon Terrace PH 11 Petitioner representative Aaron Robinson of Bond Engineering related that phase 11 is the next phase of the Jaxon Terrace Subdivision extending Dequincy and Rainer Drive off Puritan Drive. He stated that it consist of 25 lots, noting that thus far the Subdivision has been a great success. He related that he has received comments back from the Water Department; the Wastewater Utility has approved this phase of the Subdivision, adding that he has not received Health Department approval yet. In response to a question from Chairman Moore, City Engineer Whisker answered that the Subdivision would extend north to a road that starts on the east side of the Subdivision that wraps around and goes to First Street. Mr. Robinson informed the Planning Commission that previous phases were developed as culdesacs, pointing out that this phase is the last property that can be developed with gravity sewer without having to construct a pump station by Toneyville Road or North First Street to sewer the remainder of the property. It was noted this would provide another access for the Fire Department as well as looping the water line to increase water pressure. City Engineer Whisker concurred, saying that it is a better plan than having too many culdesacs. 1 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. Commissioner White moved, seconded by Commissioner Price to approve the preliminary plat for Jaxon Terrace Subdivision PH 11 contingent on approval from the Water and Health Departments. MOTION CARRIED. BUILDING PERMIT(S): a. SITE PLAN & WAIVER REQUEST 6410 T.P. White Drive for Bill’s Fence Company Mr. Chris Brown, General and Operations Manager of Bill’s Fence Company, recalled that he was before the Commission in November requesting a four-phase project. He related that they had proposed a temporary cover over existing slabs, new lumber storage, a new pre- fabricated metal building and some site drainage. He noted that there were conversations in previous meetings relating to some joint venture work between Bill’s Fence Company and the City to help alleviate the costs of that drainage project. He stated that the last meeting he had with Mayor Fletcher; he was informed that there is not a legal precedence for the City to perform that work. He stated that having to bear the entire costs of the drainage repair would roughly add $50,000.00 to $60,000.00 to a project he had not forecasted. He related that when he reviewed his current appraisal; it becomes a situation where his loan to value ratio with the drainage project included, puts him out of line with the bank. He clarified saying that the bank is not going to give him the money for improvements if he has to incorporate the entire cost of the drainage project. He stated that when he met with the Commission in December it was requested that some paving, concrete islands, sidewalks, beautification projects and fire hydrants be done, adding that he would like to now request that he be granted a waiver from these items to help alleviate the overall construction costs. City Engineer Whisker stated that he had not spoken to the Fire Marshal regarding the fire hydrant, noting it is included as a safety concern. He then noted the extension of the waterline as it is continued and the other is sidewalks on T.P. White Drive, reminding the Commission that other sidewalks have been constructed as property has developed. He added that the other items are the asphalt parking and landscaping. He explained that he had spoken with Mr. Brown about extending some of those costs out while the project was being completed; adding that he believes Mr. Brown felt that the City was going to help with the drainage but it was not able to be worked out for various reasons. He explained that the original awning was constructed over the hydro coating slab, surmising that as the next phase adjacent to the office was about to begin, this came up and the monies were not evening out. Chairman Moore stated that in a previous meeting it was decided that all items would be within the approval of the Planning Commission, th adding he understood that the first phase was completed January 30 and then instead of proceeding with phase two, Mr. Brown is now proposing to skip to phase three because of the pre-fabricated metal building. 2 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. Mr. Brown concurred, saying that his greatest need is to expand the fabrication shop, which outweighs any of the other projects. He then agreed with Chairman Moore that phase two would now be the last phase of all the improvements. Chairman Moore stated that he does not see that a waiver is justified if they can be delayed to the final phase of the projects. Mr. Brown stated that his problem is the bank still looks at the entirety of the projects and all costs related to loans. He stated that it does not matter to the bank if it is a two or three year ongoing project in various phases. Chairman Moore stated that the Planning Commission has requirements that it must hold across the board, noting a recent development of the boat dealership, which also carried the same requirements. He stated that it would set a bad precedent to grant a waiver. In response to a question from Commissioner Thomas, Mr. Brown stated that it would not be possible to pay for the improvements without going through the bank as part of the overall plan. He related that he is at the point where he has to fund the requirements or the additional cost of the drainage. He stated that he is at a point where he cannot justify the cost of new expansions in the facility and risk the property flooding without the drainage improvements. He noted that currently water comes into almost all of his buildings with just about every rain because of the current drainage structure. City Engineer Whisker related that the property was annexed 3 or 4 years ago as part of the North Corridor Annexation, explaining that it is adjacent to the Highway that has a 5 X 5 box that comes out where this property is located. He added that there was a ditch there before and the former landowner installed a pipe for drainage so he could expand the use of his land. He stated that the drainage structure is dilapidated and in bad repair. Commissioner Thomas questioned if the State Highway Department is expected to do something regarding the inadequate drainage. Mr. Brown replied that he has met with the Highway Department, explaining that he was told that they have the right-of-way and maintain the ditch in front of the property but beyond that, they do not feel the drainage is there problem. He noted that he met with the Highway Department on three separate occasions. He stated that if the Highway Department does anything it would actually increase his problems regarding drainage if they increase the box size. 3 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. In response to a question from Commissioner Thomas, City Attorney Bamburg clarified that the Highway Department does not have any responsibility to address the situation that would put more water on this property. He pointed out that neither the State nor City can do improvements on private property. Mr. Brown stated that he has not been told definitively by the Highway Department that they are going to increase the box, saying that they only said it was part their potential master plan. He added that he is not even sure of any time line, assuming it would happen when they begin this phase of the Highway improvements. Commissioner Thomas reviewed the ramifications of the planning necessary for Mr. Brown to mitigate additional water flow if the Highway Department increase the flow of water onto this property. He added not being certain of the Highway Department’s plans, would there be any way to postpone this item. Chairman Moore stated that his thought would be to switch phase 2 with phase 3, which is the most pressing issue but added that the Planning Commission has to be careful about granting waivers for improvements that are set by Code. City Engineer Whisker stated that it has always been a standard that all improvements are to be completed by the end of the project regardless of the time frame. He stated that at the end of the project it is expected that there would be a waterline, sidewalk, and parking with landscaping. Discussion ensued regarding the importance of having a fire hydrant and waterline on the property. Commissioner Healey moved, seconded by Commissioner Price to deny the request for a waiver regarding sidewalk, parking lot, waterline, and landscaping. MOTION CARRIED. City Engineer Whisker confirmed with the Commission that Mr. Brown could be offered time to make the situation as workable as possible. GENERAL: Presentation regarding Downtown Revitalization by Dr. Robert Price Dr. Price offered the Planning Commission a condensed version of the full Master Plan, noting the full version is over 100 pages and is available through the Mayor’s office. He stated that this version outlines the basic plan. He concurred with Chairman Moore that the Mayor’s office also has a conceptual drawing of the revitalization project that is being framed. He explained that the Downtown Revitalization Plan has been in the works for approximately 1.5 years. He related that they began with a master plan, noting that any 4 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. organizations offering grants would require a master plan. He related that the plan is aimed at stimulating economic growth for the City, beautifying Main Street with efforts to increase walkability and bike- ability for people to gather downtown. He pointed out that it is a long-term plan, noting that it will be in the works for years with the bottom line being that it is strictly an investment in the City. He noted that this is an attempt to bring the focus back downtown, which is a national trend. He related that Conway, Batesville, and Pine Bluff have recently done the same. He said that this trend has been a successful strategy throughout the Country. He related that this came about following a meeting he had with Mayor Fletcher as a result of the new High School being built on Main Street. He noted that Mayor Fletcher had attended a meeting at Crystal Bridges in Northwest Arkansas regarding a group that were looking at this same issue and was interested in developing this plan. He stated that as he was working on the plan, he came across a study by Retail Attractions done some years ago that stated Jacksonville was losing 100 million dollars annually by businesses because the money is going outside Jacksonville based on a three-mile radius around Jacksonville, adding that if you move the radius to five miles it jumps up to 200 million dollars. He stated that the plan is to pull this money back into the City by taking a systematic approach to improving our business environment and the beautification of the City. He stated that this would benefit everyone. He related that a steering committee was formed to help guide the process and serves as an advisory group to the master plan. He offered that a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis was performed and a wealth of information was gathered from these four categories. He explained that the data was then prioritized and ranked, saying that he worked for three months last summer turning that data into a prioritized list of goals and 13 objectives. Objective 1 was to have “drink by the glass” legislation passed, adding that the plan has a very clear statement of purpose with very specific goals and objectives. He pointed out that each objective has a detailed set of strategies for achievement and a list of possible resources with criteria for evaluation. He noted that the wording in the master plan will be useful when applying for grant funds. He stated that the “Drink by Glass” worked its way through the Senate unanimously and was signed by the Governor. He explained that st the law will become effective around August 1 and is to be ratified by the City Council who will call for a public vote in an election sometime in the Fall. He stated that both Jacksonville and Sherwood have committees to work on campaigns to inform the citizenry of why it is important to support this initiative regarding benefits to the City. He clarified that this is not about putting in liquor stores but providing drink by the glass in restaurants where 70% of their business is food prepared on site. He stated that it would promote restaurants that do not want to form a club and pay for a club membership. He stated that “Drink by the Glass”, the economic 5 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. development plan, new business, beautification, bringing people downtown, Internet development City-wide, improving collaboration between organizations, of which Richard Moss the new Chamber president is also involved to pull all the necessary people together to make this a real City effort. He then stated that another element of the master plan is to create a business coalition, creating a group of business people that would be solely responsible for contacting and marketing potential businesses for the City. He stated that Richard Moss has agreed to take on this piece of the master plan to recruit and market for new business coming into Jacksonville. He related that he has worked with a group called Main Street Arkansas who have consultants available to the City, noting that part of the master plan is the historic preservation program. He related that Alderman Mashburn and the historic preservation society are doing a great job. He then related that StudioMAIN is an organization in Little Rock that consists of engineers and architects that volunteer to help cities with accomplishing such objectives. He went on to say that the Downtown Revitalization Committee has been working with StudioMAIN for at least 6 or 8 months, saying that they have done a lot of the detailed planning regarding lighting, signage, green spaces, and parks. He related that the goal is to pull businesses back into downtown with lots of vegetation, trees, improved sidewalks and green areas where people can gather, restaurants with outside venues. He added that all of this is very possible things that can happen in Jacksonville. He stated that the big thing is creating walkability where people can walk to all locations and events downtown. He stated that one of the activities in their fund-raising program is more events, Wally Nixon has volunteered for this particular category. He stated that there have been numerous planning meetings with StudioMAIN, acknowledging that leadership for StudioMAIN regarding Jacksonville has been Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, noting that Joe Stanley is actually the person who created StudioMAIN. He stated that the planning process has identified 3 areas on Main Street for development; the Gateway, the Loop, and Five Points. He explained that the Gateway is the area where Main Street splits, which leads into the area call the Loop, and the Five Points area is where Main and James and a few other streets come together. He then related that the property owners regarding the area at the Gateway are aware of the plan and some are actually interested in contributing to the plan. He reviewed several options for the area, adding that the south side of the Gateway area is the area for first consideration. He related that they are planning to meet with Eldon Bock, the architect for the new High School, to see what is planned for the School so efforts can be combined and together hopefully there will be some cohesive improvements through that area. He went onto review the 6 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. Loop area, pointing out that they are looking long-term at improved green spaces with trees, sidewalks, and hopefully the opening of unique businesses as the plan roles out. He stated that the property owners have been contacted and while some are reluctant, some are fully willing. He added that some have volunteered to make improvements to their property. He then reviewed what is termed the Five Points area, explaining that the area behind McDonalds and Wendy’s has been proposed to be ideal for a park/playground/dog park as a green space. Commissioner Peacock stated that before anything happens, the Police Department would have to enforce the City curfew. He stated that it will be great, but it will not work if the public is afraid to be out in those areas after dark. He related that lighting and the curfew enforcement with a police presence are ways to overcome that issue. He noted current loitering problems with people roaming the streets at midnight. He stated that it can be done but it has to be done right. Dr. Price stated that safety is addressed in the master plan. Chairman Moore suggested that someone from the Police Department be offered a place on the Committee that would address the issue of safety in the downtown area. Dr. Price noted that one item of controversy has been to keep two lanes on Main Street or cut it down to one lane on both sides and add more walking and biking. He stated that Batesville cut down to one lane each side and it worked out fine. He then noted that everything is working out good for the Historic Preservation District, which is part of this plan. He stated that it is very important to take it in baby steps and have success, adding that it is a slow process but it is an investment in Jacksonville. He brought up issues for funding, mentioning a combination of grants, industry donation, individual and business donations, City making an investment, volunteers, and special events. He stated that not one thing will pull this off financially; it will require a combination of various resources. He stated that cities that have been most successful with this are cities that have a sustainable funding stream such as a half penny tax. He stated that volunteers would be critical to the success of the program. He stated that regarding the funding program he has asked each member to take some part of the responsibility; relating that he asked Thad Gray to take responsibility for industry investment, Mike Wilson will take responsibility for business investment. Commissioner Peacock along with the entire Commission thanked Dr. Price for his time in this endeavor. Dr. Price asked for an endorsement from the Planning Commission as a recommendation to the City Council who will proceed from there. 7 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MAY 8, 2017 7:05 P.M. – 8:06 P.M. Commissioner Thomas moved, seconded by Commissioner Scholl to endorse the Downtown Revitalization Plan and recommend adoption by the City Council. MOTION CARRIED. ANNOUNCEMENT: ADJOURNMENT: Chairman Moore without objection, adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:06 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _________________________ Susan L. Davitt 8