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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-14-18 Work Session minutesDublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Council Chambers Minutes of Meeting Mayor Peterson called the Monday, May 14, 2018 Work Session of Dublin City Council to order at 5:36 p.m. at Dublin City Hall. Members present were: Mayor Peterson, Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes, Ms. Alutto, Ms. De Rosa, Ms. Fox, and Mr. Reiner, and Mr. Keenan. Staff members present: Mr. McDaniel, Ms. Goss, Ms. Mumma, Mr. Earman, Ms. O'Callaghan, Mr. Foegler, Mr. Papsidero, Ms. Rauch, Ms. Husak, Mr. Kridler, Ms. Shelly, Ms. Gilger, Mr. Rayburn, Ms. Burness and Mr. Plouck. Council Retreat Items Mr. McDaniel stated that the information provided in the packet was the follow-up to the retreat draft report. The intent was to summarize all items and discussion topics. Some items are longer term ones and others are more tactical in nature and could be executed more quickly. A spreadsheet was developed and provided to Council to associate timelines with items. There are many subsets with the 18 topics. Mayor Peterson reviewed the items and who initiated each item at the retreat. He asked for comments from Council regarding whether or not the spreadsheet is accurate and if there is any comment regarding the proposed timelines. Mr. McDaniel stated that staff owes Council more information so they can give guidance on next steps. Mr. Reiner summarized the items he initiated at the retreat: • Field Trip - ascertain where competitors are and what is happening in those areas; • Emerald Parkway landscape improvements and Avery Road screening will need to be visited in the Fall; Mr. McDaniel stated that property owner agreement is required for the Avery Road screening, so it would have been difficult to turn that around in time for planting season. The Emerald Parkway landscaping was not budgeted, so it would be considered for next year. Mr. Reiner stated the City's Landscape Architect could put together a nice cohesive design. The Avery Road screening will need a door-to-door visit to everyone that faces that street to notify them that the City is willing to invest some money and upgrade the view sheds. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes clarified that staff was seeking direction in terms of whether or not all the topics were on the spreadsheet and that the report is accurate. Mr. Reiner continued: • Council needs to decide whether or not more funds will be allocated to the Glacier Ridge Park improvements. Metro Parks has built amenities at our request. Regarding the Spartan course, does Council want to invest another $25,000-$30,000 to upgrade it or not? Mr. McDaniel suggested that staff provide Council an update on what has been installed in preparation for a discussion about what else should be considered. This could be looked at more when the capital budget discussions occur. This would give the opportunity to assess how it is being used before making the decision for any fiscal modifications. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 2 of 14 • Staff will let Council know about whether or not we can economically upgrade our bicycle friendly program to Silver status, which would be the first in the state of Ohio. • He appreciated the team building events and would like to continue to do more of them. • Proposals for marketing the city's image, banners and signage on project sites; • Corazon is still under discussion. Ms. Fox stated that she likes the suggested steps and the community engagement regarding her retreat topic. She believes that involving and utilizing input from the residents is very important. She stated that Llewellyn Farms and the neighborhoods continue to talk about the Dublin Community Area Plan, which she would like to support and encourage. Her goal of community engagement is more than public meetings. She is still looking at the five level spectrum and to begin to look at ways to empower our public conversations to help share in making municipal policy. She would like to see opportunities for resident involvement at the beginning of a project and not at the end when asking for approval or comment. There is so much resident expertise in this community that a consultant is not always needed for new or good ideas. Her belief is that HOA officers are interested in social events as well as informing their neighborhood of current activity in the City. She does not believe that they signed up for a citizen engagement role. She challenged Council to think about a new platform for community engagement. For example, the Volunteer database could be utilized. Although a solution is not budgeted, she wants Council to think about how to bring together community voices to be heard about decisions that are being made. Relationship building is important to obtain their feedback and, in turn, make better decisions. She would like to build up public thought leaders and is looking for an entire program to be built around community engagement. Ms. De Rosa thanked staff for the spreadsheet. She appreciates there are very definitive steps under each of the areas of the economic landscape. One of the trends that came out of information that she received was the need to build our data maps, data needs and dashboard needs. She shared that she and the City Manager had a conversation about analytics, and there are many analytic experts in this community that could come and help determine what the future of data collection and the future of analytics looks like. She looks forward to seeing the first phases of what she believes will be a bigger data strategy and bigger data plan in terms of forecasting. Mr. McDaniel stated that there is a lot of information front loaded into this spreadsheet, which was intentional, because there are a lot of things that we already have in place. Council's direction before summer recess will help plan the back half of 2018. Ms. Alutto stated that as the community conversations about aging in place roll out, she wants to be sure that staff captures not only what is happening with the conversations, but also what is taking place over the summer, such as: the Alexa pilot program, mobility with the DCRC, and DCRC programming. Mr. McDaniel stated that Ms. Crandall is well aware. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated she appreciated the summary of her topic and believes the intent was captured. In regard to timing, her expectation is that the "low -hanging fruit" should be picked early. Some of the topics are much bigger than others, and therefore the timing will be different. She doesn't want to delay the uncomplicated items for the more difficult ones. She added that the Code update doesn't need to be done all at once. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 3 of 14 Mr. McDaniel agreed and encouraged feedback from Council. Mr. Keenan stated that his topics have been under scrutiny for some time. The western and southern boundary district discussions need to be prioritized. Land acquisition is the most important topic, in his view, and more land needs to be secured in these areas -- not just for economic development, but also to protect the borders. Engagement opportunities and communication are well done and a source of pride in this City. The Bridge Park topic was discussed numerous times over the last six years. He has asked staff for a list of communication tools that have been used for Bridge Park. He believes that no city in the state values community engagement more than Dublin. Mr. Reiner stated that the bicycle friendly award submissions are twice a year. Is this a topic for next year? Mr. McDaniel stated that he will check the application dates, but he does believe that the difference in levels is significant. Ms. Crandall and Mr. Plouck have been working on specifics. Mr. Reiner stated that once a cost analysis is done, it may not be feasible and therefore should be eliminated from the list. Ms. De Rosa asked what engagement opportunities were being envisioned regarding the US 33 Corridor. Mr. Keenan stated there are on-going meetings between the townships, Marysville, Union County etc. When he was part of the Corridor group in past years, many relationships were established with people including Gary Lee, Steve Stolte, etc. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that meetings and interpersonal relationships are important to advance partnerships. Mr. McDaniel stated that at the staff level, there are many good relationships existing. Ms. De Rosa stated that extending invitations and information sharing about all the important things impacting this Corridor would be great. In response to Mayor Peterson's question regarding when an evaluation and feedback of the status on the LimeBike program will be available, Ms. Shelly stated that she and Ms. Weisenauer will be preparing a monthly update. Mr. McDaniel stated that daily data can be checked on location of the bikes. They can be geo- located. Mayor Peterson asked whether the bikes are corralled. Ms. Shelly stated that locations have been established where they want the bikes to be located. Staff has weekly check -ins with LimeBike for the next six weeks, then monthly, to see where the bikes are coming from and their destination. This information will be used to determine what is working and what isn't. Mr. Reiner asked if the study involving upgraded housing styles and higher -end home builders could be done by city staff members. Mr. McDaniel stated that the cost item is data collection, tracking commercial real estate, valuation of homes, trends, etc. Senior CEOs are taking up residence in condos such as in Bridge Street. He would like to do this in 2019, as it warrants a deeper analysis about the future of housing relative to cost. There are major issues that need to be addressed with the housing topic. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 4 of 14 Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that it would be a great intern exercise to select 50 houses in Muirfield and 20 along Tara Hill — essentially going into different pockets of the community -- and track certain things about the value when built and the value now. It would be helpful to determine what kind of attributes of the community are preserving the value of real estate. This discussion of housing will be difficult and she believes it needs to be done in order to be meaningful regarding aging in place. Empty nesters want the same finishes, the same feel and the same experience. Mr. McDaniel stated that it would be interesting to hear input from residents on this topic. He suggested having a discussion about this topic in the fall so staff could begin the project in 2019. He would like Council to determine what kind of research they would like to have done. Ms. De Rosa suggested obtaining some insights from other communities who are wrestling with this issue as well. Mr. Reiner referenced a conversation he had recently with Casto about retirement areas. He stated they were working on that. It is basically a supply and demand issue -- finding that custom builder who can build the custom homes with the finishes that attract these home buyers. Mr. McDaniel stated that he will lean more into this issue in the fall. He will come forward with a framework for discussion. Ms. Fox suggested encouraging these discussions during the aging in place community conversations. Perhaps people who attend should be asked what they are looking for in housing. Mayor Peterson stated this is mostly market driven, so the question is how to incentivize and have the kind of developments we desire. Mr. McDaniel stated that the City does that primarily with a focus on commercial property and jobs. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that such incentives would be social policy -- Council would have to decide to step into that arena. Ms. De Rosa stated that high priced areas of the country have made those policy decisions to purchase land in order to have the developments that they desire. Mr. McDaniel stated that some projects could be used to test the models and make sure we are promoting the dialogue around the citizen engagement framework. This housing issue could be addressed using the five level spectrum framework. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes added that the aging in place is two -fold: what do people say they want to do; and what do they actually do. Mr. Keenan shared an experience of seeing a rental development that would be desirable for people looking to downsize economically. Many people spend winters in the south, so maybe they would prefer to rent when they are in Dublin other times of the year. Condos quickly escalate in price due to amenities added, but there are many homes in the Dublin area that are under $300,000 also. Mr. McDaniel stated that he will bring the retreat report to Council for formal adoption next week. Mayor Peterson agreed with Ms. Fox in that the City should cast a net as wide as possible for public input. However, what sometimes occurs is some people come forward for input, decisions are made and then a different group of people come forward claiming they had no knowledge of the matter. He is supportive of her "thought leaders" platform. Ms. Fox stated that when you create a structure that is expected and known, it creates opportunities for people to become involved and offer input. Having conversations with the public is engagement, collaboration and giving the public a voice. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 5 of 14 Mr. Reiner stated that the City has no control over the land on Hyland -Croy, but perhaps could make suggestions to developers on the need for certain types of housing. Ms. Fox stated that when the analytics are received and needs identified, there are small pockets of land to perhaps build upon. Bridge Street District Policy Discussion Mr. McDaniel stated that there is no staff presentation this evening, as Council is leading this discussion. Staff is present to respond to any questions, of course. Ms. De Rosa stated that, although there were many years of planning, the actual development of Bridge Street once construction began has been fast and there is a lot developed now. She believes a useful conversation could follow by answering these questions: • What did you think was going to happen? • What have you seen happen? She gave the example of retail. There was discussion initially that retail would be present in the development of Bridge Street. The "Amazon effect" has had impact on that, resulting in no retail in Bridge Park at this point. She invited Mr. Keenan and Mr. Reiner, as Council Members who served during the planning and development of Bridge Street, to respond and offer any insights. Mr. Reiner stated, "Don't substitute success for perfection." The reality of Bridge Park is that it rose up quicker than anyone thought it would or could. Dublin had to eget in the race" with other communities who were/are already doing this and offer a different kind of venue. There wasn't much in place initially and Dublin needed a downtown. The mission was to have an urban core so that people could enjoy it. He believes that has been accomplished. Ms. De Rosa asked what surprised Mr. Reiner about the development, if anything. Mr. Reiner responded that it is even better than anticipated. While the retail development did not occur, Bridge Park is now filled with restaurants. What has resulted is a neat downtown alongside an historic area to explore. He is very pleased with the outcomes. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that the challenge before Council is how to activate those streets. Since retail cannot be provided, allowing people to walk around and shop, what should that space consist of to keep people in the area? The park will be a tremendous asset in the nice weather months. But the newness of the restaurants will wear off. Ms. De Rosa stated that Europe encourages walkable cities really well by making non -drivable streets. Walkability can be achieved in a nice way, resulting in flow-through and activity. Mr. Keenan stated he believes a library, a park, pathways all over the city and the pedestrian bridge will keep people's interest. He believes there will be even more pedestrian traffic when the bridge is completed than exists now. Mr. Reiner stated that he believes Bridge Street is walkable. He gave the example of Milwaukee where they have epic festivals by the riverfront and people love them. There is always something to do. It adds to the quality of life for the community. He didn't believe there was a choice other than building Bridge Street District -- or the City would have regressed from a competitive standpoint. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 6 of 14 In response to Ms. De Rosa's question regarding what might have been done differently, Mr. Keenan stated that Bridge Street has exceeded his expectations. He would like to see a bakery and some other shops — it may take time, but will happen. This plan was a risk for Council to take at the time, but Council embraced it and went forward. Many people don't like change, but this needed to occur to continue to attract and retain millennials, businesses, etc. Mr. Reiner stated that Council discussed whether or not the City should incentivize to fill out the storefronts. He recalls all that was discussed and how young entrepreneurs are doing some fun things in business. Just because retail has not been built does not mean this was a failure. Mr. Keenan stated his recollection was it required some time to secure the support from the School District. At the end of the day, the results are a win for everyone. He was concerned about the viability, but after all the visioning and planning for the bridge ten years ago, he is very proud of it. Although things tend to cycle in and out over time, it is important not to lose sight of the vision that started it all. Mayor Peterson inquired about the Bridge Park West building and tenants. Mr. Foegler stated that the restaurant space on the north end is advancing through the planning process now. The upper floors have a few office users in them. This is not a stress project economically by any means, as most of the space was pre -sold. The two end pieces include The Avenue that is now open and the restaurant space at the northern end of that. There is no work, to his knowledge, being done yet to the middle portion of the ground floor. In response to Ms. De Rosa's question regarding pop-up shops, Mr. Foegler stated that there was debate about putting residential in front of the parking garage on Longshore Block B, but ultimately settled on a series of ground floor retail, small shops. They are working on concepts related to the food side. Mr. Foegler returned to Mayor Peterson's earlier question, noting that early on the projections on retail were modest. When Crawford Hoying came in and did analysis, the retail was very small in relative terms, it was mostly housing, office and restaurant as the energizers. The conference center and hotel also are activating pieces. Based on the nature of retail and the way retail trends have gone, it was never planned to have a large amount of retail. In terms of what the goals were with this project, it was consistent with what was contemplated. They did add additional office at the second levels and that has worked well. It is anchored with food and activity from the workforce on the office levels and various activity. Ms. Fox stated that it is valuable to stop and consider what the initial thoughts were and to find out what is working. She anticipated some of this but not all of it. It is important as we continue to understand how we can improve upon what we have done. The principles of walkable urbanism are interpretive. For example, the Short North is walkable urbanism. The conversation is worth having about whether we accomplished what we were trying to accomplish. As development agreements come forward, she would like to feel confident that it meets the goals and vision intended. She would like to continue the conversation about what's working, what isn't, how we can improve it and how we obtain good community involvement. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that current demographics of Dublin have always been vastly Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 7 of 14 different than the region. A question that needs to be discussed is do we want to be different? What housing types should be discouraged? What are the legal limitations? There will be development submittals that result in Dublin being really heavy in certain segments of population in that area. Is that the direction we want to go? What is the legal capacity to say the demographic you are trying to attract in this particular building is not the demographic we are trying to attract in that quantity in that area? She believes these questions are on the horizon. In regard to the incentive tools -- the financing tools for purely residential versus mixed-use versus retail -- there have been some legal decisions that have come through that addressed the appropriateness of TIF financing for purely residential. This may be a loop -hole because it is multi -family and not viewed in the same way. Was that the intent or the heart of the way government will work best? The question is also rental versus ownership of residential property — Council needs to determine what they would like to incentivize — renters or those fully vested in the community. Mr. Keenan inquired if fully vested means they have to own. To him, fully vested means is that someone has an ownership position. Mr. Reiner stated that the market may determine that. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that the market may have driven a big box store and many other things that Dublin did not embrace, so the market doesn't drive every decision. Mr. Reiner stated that one reviews statistics on the happiest cities across the countries, they are usually the cities that have more home ownership. There is no doubt in his mind that if you own a piece of property, you take care of it; but if you rent, you may not. If there are rental situations, then a requirement could be made regarding materials, quality and maintenance. Ms. De Rosa asked what percent of the properties in Dublin are rentals. Mr. McDaniel responded that it is a very small percentage. In response to Mayor Peterson's question regarding the policy making process, Mr. McDaniel stated that issues need to be addressed one at a time. He stated that Council would need to drill down on the types of housing they want and in what areas. Ms. De Rosa stated that housing stock is not available to address the need of the "graying nation." Mr. McDaniel asked if Council needs additional information about any topic, or are there any topics on this list that have been discussed adequately to move forward. Mr. Keenan stated that the difficult relates to the fact that Council is in transition, with new members. New members are not familiar with previous direction regarding goals. Mr. McDaniel restated the following questions for consideration: What works well? What isn't working well? What can we do better? Incremental adjustment needs to be done. There is a need to be informed in order to provide basis for good decisions. Bridge Street continues to unfold, and there are many directions to take the conversation moving forward. It's changing and will continue to do so. Fundamentally, a new library is a good thing, the connectivity between Bridge Street and Historic Dublin is a good thing. He added that a memo has been provided with all of the City efforts for Historic Dublin in order to keep it viable. Mr. Reiner stated that a key element should be the pedestrian friendly nature of the northern area Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 8 of 14 of the Historic District. He believes the pedestrian bridge will highlight and amplify the pedestrian friendly message. There is great potential in future planning, but he believes it is on the right track. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes commented in regard to the question about what housing types should be discouraged and the legal limitations? Council may find that they have more latitude than they believe. This development has been promoted as walkable urbanism and mixed-use. One of her significant concerns is that we maintain the mix of community and sense of belonging. If a certain demographic is exclusively living in a building, then it is no longer urban and it is no longer intergenerational. The vision principles for the Bridge Street Corridor that were established did not dictate a specific demographic or use. Those limitations do not make the kind of the district that we desire to create. What is Dublin's position about incentivizing facilities that are 100% residential? It is healthy to have the ability to continue to look at things with fresh eyes and evaluate and think critically about what is working and what isn't. The financial incentive question is a significant one. She is not willing to incentivize a single -use building that is residential on the first floor. She would be interested in incentivizing transportation modes to make things more accessible. Ms. De Rosa agreed. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes added that MORK is participating in a pilot program with COTA and the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, offering a C -pass at no cost to workers who travel to downtown employment. Ms. Alutto stated that when discussing incentivizing housing for a purpose we may be trying to create a solution for the wrong problem. Mobility is a major issue for the workforce. She is not interested in providing financial incentives for an all residential building. She agreed that walkable urbanism is the goal. She also acknowledged the transition resulting from new members on Council during the past couple of years, but fresh perspective is good. She doesn't agree with using TIF funding for an all residential area and believes that single -use buildings could put a strangle hold on the flow we are seeking. Ms. Fox stated that one of the things she is striving for is having the best walkable environment possible out of the City's investment. She shared her thoughts on this project, what she likes and what she doesn't like: • It concerns her that the massing of it is all very similar and she believes that as we go forward, everything is starting to look the same; • The streets seem narrow and do not allow for people and activity to "spill into the street;" • When we consider housing, it should be unique and timeless. She is not a fan of Tuller Flats. She believes the City should be tougher on what it will accept; • If seniors want to live in the Bridge Park area, then a variety of housing is needed; • Her desire is to create a public realm in Bridge Park that is attractive, engaging, timeless and beautiful; and • It is important to keep the sense of connection and get back to the principles in the community plan. Mr. Reiner agreed with all of those principles, but posed the question, "How far do you believe this Bridge Street area should be expanded to meet your expectations of walkable?" Ms. Fox responded that there is new development on the east side and old development existing Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 9 of 14 on the west side. The people who live in the Historic District don't want to lose the character. If there will be additional development, it should be a soft transition with like architecture, size and scale. If there is additional development around Dublin Village Center, it needs to be inviting. Currently, with Tuller Flats, it is an avenue of flat -faced buildings, not inviting to walk and enjoy. She urged Council to stay true to the foundational principles of what is desired. Ms. De Rosa stated that when looking at other communities, most of them have distinct personalities. You know where you are by the feel. It is useful to examine the question, "What is the feel and distinct nature we want in this area?" In the West Innovation District, she is excited about the personality it will have. Given the way it's being developed, one can almost ensure creativity. When planning these different areas, it is important to consider the transition and connection between the personalities and to be very deliberate to measure the differences. Her family moved to Dublin 25 years ago because it had the reputation of being the best place to raise a family. She wants to keep that measure on it. Attracting young families who will have that ownership is important. Historic Dublin Discussion Ms. Fox stated that she feels strongly about the Historic District Guidelines. She has lived in the Historic District for 25 years and described the guidelines. When the Bridge Street Code was developed, any potential conflicts with the guidelines were not addressed. Developers came forward and wanted to build projects. The Historic District Guidelines were not considered, but when residents of the HD wanted to build or change something, they were considered. People were being treated differently. The Architecture Review Board (ARB) understood that the Bridge Street Code was for commercial development and the Historic District Guidelines were for residential. When ARB tried to apply the Historic District Guidelines to the commercial development, in furtherance of their charge to preserve the district, the Bridge Street District Code governed and the Historic District Guidelines were simply guidelines. The outcome was: • it was impossible to preserve the Historic District using the Bridge Street Code; and • if the old buildings of South High Street were torn down, they could not be rebuilt again as they previously existed. They were governed under the Bridge Street Code. The reason this is so important to her is that if the City is to preserve the Historic District, then a policy decision must be made regarding Historic District review. Will it be an updated version of the Historic District Guidelines or will it be the Bridge Street District Code? The Code will always overrule the guidelines. If Council desires to preserve the Historic District, then the Historic District Guidelines need to be codified and be the authority for review in the Historic District. In response to Mr. Reiner's question regarding the geographical area encompassed by the guidelines and his suggestion to designate areas, Ms. Fox stated one option would be to designate a certain geographical area under the guidelines and another under the Bridge Street Code. Mr. Reiner suggested just drawing a boundary line around the Historic District where only the guidelines would be used and doing the same for the Bridge Street District relative to the Bridge Street Code. Ms. Fox stated some of this is a question for the Law Director. The HD residents need to have some protection and assurance. Mr. McDaniel stated that he would like to have the Planning Director weigh in also. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 10 of 14 Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that earlier comments were made in reference to the pedestrian bridge and the ability to go from the "old to the new." But if Council doesn't take some action, there won't be any "old" remaining. The citizen survey revealed that the Historic District was one of the most intrinsically valued parts of the City that people identified with and that it was important to them. There are two different visions on the same piece of property, but the Bridge Street Code prevails. Mr. Keenan stated he understood this was no longer an issue and was already being addressed. Mr. Papsidero responded that Council created a new zoning district for the South High Street neighborhood to protect the adjacent residences from any kind of commercial intrusion. The new zoning district was adopted by Council within the last year. There are differences between north of SR161 and south of SR161. The Bridge Street Code as it stands today relative to the area south of SR161 incorporates the prior zoning that applied to that neighborhood before Bridge Street was created. There are some conflicts between the Bridge Street Code and the Historic District Guidelines, but they are minimal and basically speak to building height north of SR161. Staff is initiating a project within the next couple of weeks with a neighborhood community group to look at updating the Historic District Guidelines, which could lead to some Code changes, if determined appropriate, to help ensure that they align more clearly. Currently, there are no development proposals to speak of south of SR161 or north of SR161. Mr. Keenan stated that what has changed in the area is the demolition of the library, which was not historic. An office building that was not historic was demolished to facilitate the condos and restaurant The Avenue. There are also existing buildings constructed in the mid 1950s, which are not historic by any standards. He is in support of an overlay that would identify the area as having different standards. He agrees that the conflict between the Bridge Street Code and the Historic Dublin Guidelines should be addressed. Ms. Fox stated that if the intent is truly to preserve the Historic District, then an overlay on two or three blocks does not protect the district. For example, if the historic building housing Donato's burned down, it could not be rebuilt because it is not protected by the guidelines or the overlay. The Bridge Street Code would prevail. The standard of a historic review must be to review and replace the architecture, scale and mass that existed. Mr. Keenan stated that Dublin is not the only city that struggles with this issue. He is aware of similar issues in Savannah, Georgia. There is a need for improved guidelines. In regard to the question about Donato's at Bridge and High, perhaps it is a question of what the economics would be with rebuilding the restaurant in the historic building? It may not be economically feasible. Ms. Fox stated that if the design guidelines are followed and improved upon, it is possible to maintain the character of the District when looking at replacement. It is really more about maintaining the character and the ambience. Mr. Reiner suggested that the historic parameters need to be identified, the district needs to be reviewed and ensure the guidelines are followed. There are some unattractive and not historic buildings that exist in the Historic District, as everyone is aware. When they are taken down, they can be rebuilt according to the guidelines. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 11 of 14 Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes inquired about a comment made referring to "Disneyland Historic." She asked Mr. Keenan if the Town Center I building is historic, in his opinion. Mr. Keenan responded that he believes many people would agree it is historic. He believes it is fine and acceptable. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes then asked about BriHi building (northwest corner of Bridge and High). Mr. Keenan recalled that there were height and scale issues, which were problematic when it was first proposed. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes commented that she doesn't believe Town Center I is Disneyland Historic whatsoever. Mr. Keenan stated that he does not see the difference between the two corner developments in Historic Dublin at Bridge and High. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that she doesn't believe anyone wants to build buildings that look like they are old; rather, what they want is to have authentic buildings that are sensitive to the size, scale and character of the area. Mr. Reiner stated that he understood her point. Ms. Fox stated that if Council members have not reviewed the Historic District Guidelines, she recommends they do so. Not only do the guidelines help protect the integrity of the architecture, they also protect the integrity of the public realm and the landscape. Mayor Peterson asked Mr. Papsidero what would result if Council decided to apply the guidelines to that area. Mr. Papsidero stated that ARB does apply the guidelines in their duties today. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes asked if the guidelines were the governing document instead of the supporting document. Mr. Papsidero stated that the substance of the guidelines would have to be rewritten in legal terminology. Guidelines are a should, whereas the Code is a shall. It is important to look at the substance to determine exactly what is more appropriate as a legal requirement versus what ought to be more flexible because of the characteristics of the site. One of the issues of the Bridge Street Code is that it is too prescriptive as law and requires waivers because one cannot predict what every building ought to be on every site. Guidelines are necessary to interpret the intent and allow more creativity. In his opinion, both are needed. Mr. McDaniel stated that from a policy perspective, if Council desires that everything in a certain geographical area should look like historic Dublin, it is important to articulate that. For the area north of SR161 -- the cinder block one-story buildings — is it acceptable to take those down and replace them with buildings similar to the Town Centers? Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes commented that the Z buildings are not architecturally sensitive. Mr. McDaniel stated that, currently, there is zoning in place that suggests that the houses along North Riverview Street could be torn down and replaced with something other than that. These are policy decisions for Council. For the HD south of SR161, Council wants to retain the existing look. Staff is not trying to change any of this, they are merely reacting. Ms. De Rosa stated that if all of this direction could be written with some specifics around it, it would be more clear what action Council is taking or not taking. Discussion about the boundaries of the District can differ, depending on perception. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 12 of 14 Mr. McDaniel asked what Code does Council desire for the HD, given all of this discussion? Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that it may have to be PUD -like town centers. These seem to work well. Mr. Reiner stated that this should come into play for the buildings that are not historically interesting. Ms. Fox stated that when Bridge Street was proposed, it was fast tracked. She suggests taking the guidelines and making revisions, but not so much that it takes away from the character. She recommended the ARB should be the reviewing body for all related to the Historic District streetscapes as well as the buildings. Either this is the Historic District that is different and unique and treated that way, or it is Bridge Street District and anything is acceptable. Mr. McDaniel stated that this "free-for-all" perception was never the intent of the Bridge Street Code. Ms. Fox reiterated that there needs to be a commitment that the Historic District is treated differently, and that the guidelines become law. Mr. McDaniel stated that he will return to Council with some high level policy guidance and how it translates. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that she would like to look at the PUD process for the Historic District. It is very difficult to codify character. Property Maintenance Code Discussion Ms. Fox stated she hears a lot of complaints about property maintenance code issues. Is there additional measures the City can take to improve the Code? Mr. McDaniel stated that the Law Director provided a memo in the packet. Many cities are in a similar situation. The property maintenance code is in place, but the enforcement must be a balancing act. Unfortunately, there has been an issue with absentee owners allowing properties to deteriorate. Staff is looking at examples from other cities of what and how they are more aggressive about that. Staff needs more time to research this. In response to Ms. Fox's question regarding fines per day for Code violations, Mr. McDaniel stated that the City's attitude is to work cooperatively with property owners to encourage them to make the repairs/improvements. It is not about the fines, but requiring the maintenance to be done. Mr. Reiner asked if there are urban areas that have property maintenance requirements in the warranty deeds for properties. Mr. McDaniel stated that if there were deed restrictions, it would be easier, but he doesn't believe the City can impose that. Mr. Reiner stated he believes it should be a requirement to have this in the warranty deed. Mr. McDaniel stated he would follow up with the law director on that. Mr. Reiner stated he is supportive of adopting a policy that requires developers, home builders, etc. to have a warranty deed mandating cooperation/adherence to the property maintenance code. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 13 of 14 Mr. McDaniel will check with the Law Director about whether that is possible to do. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes asked if it is possible to impose these requirements on a district. Mr. McDaniel stated that he will consult with the Law Director. Next Steps Mr. McDaniel summarized the direction he has understood from tonight's meeting: • Retreat report will be adopted at the next meeting (May 21) • Follow-up to the Bridge Street Code discussion, "What are those fundamental principles that are important to Council relative to the Bridge Street District going forward?" He recommended Council contemplate that issue. Mayor Peterson agreed it would be good to be able to point to a policy or code for requirements/restrictions. • Regarding incentives for development, he will circle back to Council on this issue. He wants to ensure that there is no confusion between a TIF District that applies to a large geographic area, but that doesn't necessarily incentivize a specific project as it may relate to housing. The TIF helps to fund capital projects that are in that district. Ms. De Rosa asked about the process once a TIF district is established and how the funding is applied to that TIF district. Mr. McDaniel stated that a policy could state, for example, that Council's intent is to maximize the investment in the area to build the infrastructure and the amenities desired. Council can be specific, more or less, to that, but there is need to be cautious about what is translated into use and zoning relative to TIF districts. Ms. De Rosa stated she is seeking clarification on the application of the funding in the district and what is permitted. Mr. McDaniel stated that TIFs are applied in numerous districts throughout the City, but for the most part, 95% or more of those districts are commercial in nature. Roadways are being built to accommodate employment, adding jobs and income tax revenue. Bridge Street District TIF was established because it was a redevelopment scenario, which is more difficult. It was about incenting the uses in the BSD that did include housing, but that was a one-off from what is normally done. There have only been three times that Dublin has ever done that: Tuttle Crossing, Bridge Street and Riviera. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes asked that when information is brought back regarding the TIFs, she would like to have included what demands were placed on the services that the TIF funding utilized. Mr. McDaniel stated that different uses can have different demands. True senior housing, for example, will require more medic runs and have an impact on services as Washington Township is currently experiencing. Ms. Fox referred to the question regarding the zoning on the six properties on North Riverview Street. As she understands, these properties are open for purchase. Mr. Papsidero stated that these are currently non -conforming uses. In response to Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes' question regarding rebuilding, Mr. Papsidero stated that they could not be rebuilt as is. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated she would like to have Council consider that if someone wants to purchase those and remodel, one could not rebuild them as houses. Dublin City Council Work Session Monday, May 14, 2018 Page 14 of 14 The meeting was adjourned at 8:26 p.m. Deputy Clerk of Council