Downtown, Campustown, and the Depot
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Bronwyn's Council Preview |
The City Council meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. this Tuesday at city hall. The agenda includes (but is not limited to):
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This presentation includes some methods for downtown economic development which we already employ (TIF and revitalization districts), as well as a few state and federal historic district tax credits.
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47. Request for sign (Cornbred BBQ) approval at 500 Main Street (The Depot Building).
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This staff report is in response from a request from Cornbred to put a sign with larger letters than typically allowed in the Depot. Council will need to determine if the sign significantly impacts the historical look of the building.
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48. Resolution approving Downtown Facade Grants.
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Four properties applied for facade grants for a total of approximately $54,000. (Facade grant applications are limited to $15,000 each.) The businesses that applied include the Frame Shop, London Underground, Gilger Designs (2nd floor renovations) as well as the Ali Cakes building on the corner of Main and Kellogg. While 2nd story renovations aren't typically covered by facade grants, staff recommend proceeding with all four applications since funding is available.
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49. Annexation boundary determination for Burgason property.
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This pre-annexation agreement would allow for future annexation (100% consenting) of eighteen parcels of land to the south of Ames. Approving this pre-annexation agreement will send this topic on to Planning and Zoning, and due to the proximity of this land to Kelley, the state's approval is also required.
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50. Staff Report regarding Campustown planning, plazas, and parking.
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At a meeting last year, Council asked staff to bring a report on turning city parking lot "Y" into a plaza, and possibly extending this plaza by closing some or all of Chamberlain. This report outlines our options for a plaza in Campustown on Chamberlain, with a variety of options regarding parking in the area.
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With the reconstruction of Welch Ave., parking in the area will already be reduced and the staff report suggests several methods to mitigate this parking loss, such as changing 10-hour-limit meters to 2 or 4-hour as well as changing some of the parallel parking to angled parking.
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51. Update regarding Campustown Public Improvements (Welch Avenue).
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The renovations to Welch Ave were scheduled for 2019, but staff now recommend scheduling bids for construction in 2020 because outreach efforts with affected businesses are only about half done.
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Non-Agenda Packet: The following items are requests and communications to the council that are not on the agenda. This includes staff reports and communications/request from constituents/developers. By tradition the council can ask city staff for more information (a report), put the item on a future agenda for discussion or just accept the communication (taking no further action). This usually takes place at the end of the meeting during council comments.
Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
At-Large Council Member