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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Minutes 10-11-2010RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council October 11, 2010 Held 20 Mayor Lecklider called the Monday, October 11, 2010 Regular Meeting of Dublin City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Dublin Municipal Building. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mrs. Boring led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Present were Mayor Lecklider, Vice Mayor Salay, Mrs. Boring, Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, Mr. Gerber, Mr. Keenan, and Mr. Reiner. Staff members present were Ms. Grigsby, Mr. Smith, Mr. McDaniel, Mr. Hammersmith, Interim Police Chief von Eckarstberg, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Langworthy, Ms. Crandall, Mr. Harding, Ms. Puskarcik, Mr. Thurman, Mr. Husak, and Mr. Combs, APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Keenan moved approval of the minutes of the September 27, 2010 Council meeting. Vice Mayor Salay seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Mr. Reiner, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Mr. Gerber, abstain; Mayor Lecklider, yes; Vice Mayor Salay, yes. SPECIAL PRESENTATION /PROCLAMATIONS Arts and Humanities Month Mayor Lecklider presented a proclamation to David Guion, Executive Director, Dublin Arts Council and Board President Karrie Braganza in recognition of National Arts and Humanities Month. Ms. Braganza stated that the DAC was part of the Heritage Day celebration at Coffman Park. A replica of the Dublin Arts Center was included in the time capsule buried at the event. A current exhibit at the DAC is "A Common Center' by Benjamin Knepper and Kenneth Morgan. Coming in November is an exhibition of works by Masayuki Miyajima called "Refined Function." The exhibition is underwritten by Hidaka USA of Dublin. The opening reception is on Tuesday, November 9 from 6 -8 p.m. She noted that they sent out a call to artists for three new riverboxes in 2011, a project supported by Washington Township, which will create riverbox tributary installations in the Kaltenbach and Homestead Parks. She thanked the Dublin City Council, City staff and community for their support that helps the DAC realize their mission, which is to engage the community, cultivate creativity and foster lifelong learning through the arts. CORRESPONDENCE There was no correspondence requiring Council action. CITIZEN COMMENTS Wallace Maurer, 7451 Dublin Road stated that in reviewing the packet materials today, he noted a letter sent to Council from Ben Hale, Jr. He asked if it is possible to obtain copies of the back section of the Council packet. Mayor Lecklider responded that he could obtain copies from the Clerk's office. Mr. Maurer asked for clarification about points of order. He spoke at a recent meeting following testimony from a Bicycle Advisory Task Force Member and was startled that he was stopped after five minutes of testimony. He gathers that there is a limit of five minutes for citizens to speak on agenda items. The speaker ahead of him spoke for a much longer period. He believes what distinguished the BATF Member is that he was giving a report on the Task Force and this was an agenda item, while Mr. Maurer was simply testifying as a citizen on an agenda item. He has also noted that, at times, an entire neighborhood may attend a meeting and one person may speak for several, while some speak as individuals. In these cases, they sometimes exceed the five - minute limit. Perhaps a group with a spokesperson is allotted a different amount of time. To summarize, he understands that a citizen speaking on an agenda item is limited to five minutes, but it can be longer if Council consents to that. Mayor Lecklider responded that is generally correct. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 2 Mr. Maurer asked for clarification. Does this mean there are exceptions? Mayor Lecklider stated that it is Council's discretion about whether a circumstance would warrant a longer period for individual testimony. Chief Allan Woo, Washington Township Fire Department, 6200 Eiterman Road stated that he is present to provide information regarding Issue 50 on the November 2 ballot, which is a 7.25 mill replacement levy plus an additional one mill for the continued operations of the Washington Township Fire Department. As elected officials, Council may receive calls from citizens about this issue. Issue 50 is a five -year temporary levy that requests replacement of the existing 7.25 mills that has been in place since 2000 and was renewed in 2005. The new millage is being requested because of the State's phased rollout of the Tangible Personal Property taxes. Once fully implemented, these rollbacks will reduce the Fire Department's tax revenues in excess of $1.5 million per year. The decision to place Issue 50 on the ballot was designed to continue to provide the high level of services that residents expect and appreciate, as evidenced in the recent City services survey. A major consideration in this decision is that WTFD does not bill residents for any services, including EMS transports, public educational activities, and operational activities such as rescues. Currently, he is aware of only one other fire department in all of Franklin County that does not bill for EMS services. The cost of a single EMS advance call is $750 or higher. The Fire Department has used tax dollars wisely, consolidating their fleet. The fleet is actually smaller than in year 2000. They have maintained the same level of staffing. Staffing has not increased since 1997 when Perry Township and Washington Township fire departments were consolidated into one. They have consolidated service, refurbished fire and medical vehicles in lieu of purchasing new; have remodeled three buildings, including the administration building and two fire stations. They partner with the City on many items, including plan review and emergency dispatching /communications. They partner with Bowling Green State University for provision of training. They are very involved in the community, as Council is aware. They support community events without charge for services; they provide EMS services at all school sporting events as requested; provide meeting facilities for community groups; actively participate in Dublin Schools for job training and programs such as Young Professional Academies. They have maintained their ISO 2 rating, which has a direct benefit on insurance rates for commercial properties. They have attained national accreditation — one of 8 in the state. The City can be proud that it is the only municipality in which all three of their primary service providers are nationally accredited. He thanked Council for this opportunity, and urged citizens to contact the Township with any questions. Mr. Keenan noted that a significant portion of the Fire Department staff are also certified as paramedics. Chief Woo responded that of the full -time staff, over 90 percent are certified as paramedics. Mayor Lecklider asked if there is a website link where citizens can obtain additional information about the levy. Chief Woo responded that the volunteer levy Committee has developed a website for informational purposes. Citizens can also contact the Trustees or himself if they have questions. LEGISLATION SECOND READING /PUBLIC HEARING - ORDINANCES Ordinance 35 -10 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract for Health Services with the Franklin County Board of Health for 2011. Ms. Grigsby reported there is no additional information to report regarding the legislation. She added that in recent newspaper articles, there has been discussion about the bedbug issue and a program by the Board of Health established a few years RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of D City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 3 ago. Ms. Puskarcik and Scott Dring, DCVB have met with area hotels and will provide a report at the November 1 Council meeting about the status of that program. Vice Mayor Salay asked if there is a possibility that the mosquito program will be handled by the City versus contracting through the Board of Health. Ms. Grigsby responded that staff plans to evaluate the information from the Board of Health about the proposals they have in comparison to what the City could provide. One benefit of the Board of Health handling this service is that they have a much quicker turnaround time for mosquito testing for communities that are part of their program. Staff will evaluate the information when it is available and bring a recommendation to Council. Vote on the Ordinance: Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Vice Mayor Salay, yes; Mayor Lecklider, yes. INTRODUCTION /FIRST READING — ORDINANCES Ordinance 36 -10 Rezoning Approximately 28.42 Acres Located on the South Side of Perimeter Drive, West of Avery- Muirfield Drive and Northwest of Hospital Drive from PCD, Planned Commerce District (Riverside PCD, Subareas B and B1) to PUD, Planned Unit Development District (Avery Square PUD — Case 10- 115Z/PDP/FDP/CU) Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher introduced the ordinance. Ms. Husak that this rezoning area encompasses the Avery Square Shopping Center, of which Kroger is the major tenant to the south. It also includes the Burger King and Wendy's/Tim Hortons outparcel. This site was originally part of the Riverside PCD, which also included land that is now part of the Hospital PCD and land on the east side of Hospital Drive. The request is for a rezoning to have these 28.42 acres in its own PUD, known as the Avery Square Planned Unit Development District. She noted the following: • The site currently has four major access points, all of which are full - service. The main access points are the ones off Hospital Drive and off Perimeter Drive near Burger King. The City is planning intersection improvements in this immediate area, at the intersection of Perimeter/ Avery- Muirfield and at Hospital Drive /Perimeter Loop /Avery- Muirfield Drive. The plans currently call for roundabouts and they do have impacts on this site. The access point near Burger King at Perimeter Drive and the one at Hospital Drive by Walgreens will be impacted by the island stub required for the roundabouts. The access in those two areas will be only right in /right out. Planning and Engineering have been working diligently with Casto and Kroger to come up with a different access arrangement in this area, given the stacking needed for Wendy's /Tim Hortons. They have proposed moving the access farther south, out of the splitter island influence area. • The preliminary development plan was approved by the Planning & Zoning Commission on September 16. She pointed out the areas on the plan that are most impacted by this rezoning. One of the areas includes a fuel station for the Kroger store, to be operated by the Kroger store in the southern portion of the site. It also includes a future location for an outparcel. • The applicant has provided a new development text, included in the packet that addresses the fuel station as a conditional use. • Staff has requested that the applicant update the development text to include some more modern standards that are used today. • The applicant currently does not have a prospective tenant for the outparcel. Staff had originally asked the applicant to include some type of building footprint and parking for that outparcel. However, because there is no user lined up, the Commission asked them to remove those details from the plan and that has been done. They have merely set aside the area for the outparcel on the plan. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Diihlin City C ounces Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 4 • The density for this development is capped at 10,000 square feet per acre, so there is additional density remaining for development of the outparcel. It would require future approval by the Planning Commission as a final development plan. • South of the outparcel area is the entry drive relocation and the fuel station. The applicant has made major changes in this area to accommodate the fuel station. • Planning and Zoning Commission approved simultaneously a final development plan. The only difference between the preliminary and final development plan is the final has no mention of the outparcel, as there are no details available at this point. This would be brought forward at some future point. The final development plan does include the access point changes and the fuel station. • In regard to the fuel station, it is expected that the major access would be from Hospital Drive to the south or through the shopping center from the north. The station includes five fuel pumps and a 120 square foot kiosk on the roof. It includes an area for the fuel tank to deliver fuel and some landscaped islands that are sized generously to accommodate the plant material. The applicant worked hard with the Commission on this aspect. • There is a sign proposed for the fuel station as well. • The other major part of this portion of the application is the entry drive, which is much longer and curves into the shopping center. That has allowed the applicant to set aside an area for parking for the Kroger employees. • In terms of elevations, the applicant has taken cues from the building materials currently existing at the center, with stone at the bottom and masonry to the top, with shingles of the same pattern. • Planning Commission requested they mute the colors of the pumps, so they are shown in beige, matching the building. • The pumps can each accommodate three cars on either side for stacking. • For the entry drive, Planning has worked with the applicant to have a more high quality entry feature in this area. Planning felt this is an opportunity for significant improvement. There are more curved landscaping areas with some brick paver inlay in the roadway to create a more significant entry feature. A sign is proposed for this entry as well. • The applicant is also proposing another sign on the Perimeter Drive frontage. The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed three items simultaneously: the preliminary development plan and rezoning, which were approved with two conditions that the applicant has addressed; the final development plan, approved with four conditions; and a conditional use for the fuel station without conditions. The final development plan and the conditional use approval will not be effective until the rezoning is approved by City Council. Staff is recommending approval of the rezoning at the second reading /public hearing on October 25. She noted that Mr. Smith had discussions today regarding right -of -way and would like to address that. Mr. Smith stated that, after reading the staff report, Legal staff spoke with the Casto Company and will be bringing forward a change to the text to indicate that the Casto Company will agree to dedicate the right -of -way to the City for the improvements to the entrances to their site. It was always contemplated this way, but was not in the text. Initially, there were some issues with the tenants, but they have been resolved. Casto will agree as a condition of the text that all of the right -of -way will be donated to the City for these improvements. This revised text will be in the packet of October 25. Mr. Keenan asked how much acreage is involved in this right -of -way dedication. A staff member responded less than .1 acre. Mrs. Boring asked about the height of the columns and roof of the fuel station. Ms. Husak responded that the height is 22 feet to the top of the roof. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Counc Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 5 Held 20 Mrs. Boring asked what is the minimum distance allowed to the bottom of the roof. Ms. Husak responded 14 feet. Planning Commission asked to have the roof increased by one to 1 -1/2 feet to provide more balance to the roof and its materials in comparison to the columns. Vice Mayor Salay noted it would make more sense to increase the size of the square columns. The columns at the Shell station are rectangular and more balanced in appearance. The scale of these is not appropriate, and they are not attractive. Vice Mayor Salay noted that there are existing problems at the Tim Hortons/Wendy's entrance, and with the future entry drive that barely clears the splitter island and the addition of a fuel station, this will be a very heavily traveled access point. Will the traffic be able to turn left, given the continuous flow with the roundabout and the fact that there will not be a traffic break from a signal change? Will there be traffic back- ups or unsafe left turns? Mr. Hammersmith responded that this is more of a conceptual drawing and not a final engineering drawing. This item would be pulled back to have sufficient radius on a left turn for egress. Another consideration is, regardless of a roundabout or traffic signal, there is always some platooning of vehicles and speeds will be better controlled with a median. This segment of roadway will allow a greater decision point than exists currently, given the distance between the current access drive and the intersection itself. There will be some delays and patience needed for drivers during peak hours along Hospital Drive. Staff believes this will be a much safer condition than what exists currently at this location. Vice Mayor Salay asked if volumes will increase on Hospital Drive to the west with more commercial development. Mr. Hammersmith responded there will be a slight increase of volume, but most of the vacant area to the west of the hospital will have access to Perimeter Drive. There is not a significant volume increase anticipated in this subject area. With the dedicated hospital ingress lane, it has alleviated some of the volume on Hospital Drive. Vice Mayor Salay asked if staff is confident that this access point, given the proposed activity increase in the center, will be safer and better in the future, once the roundabouts are built. Mr. Hammersmith confirmed this will be a great improvement over the current situation at this location. In terms of volume, staff does not anticipate a great increase with the fuel station. Many users are already shopping center customers. Vice Mayor Salay asked about the stacking problem at the Tim Hortons/Wendy's. With this access change, will the stacking occur in the shopping center driveway? Is anything being done to address the stacking problem? Mr. Hammersmith responded that the stacking will still occur in the shopping center driveway. The intent of the access change is to preserve the integrity of the public right -of -way and to improve safety over what exists today. Staff believes this will be an improvement on site, due to the fact that there will be space available for stacking that will not be in conflict with other users of the site. There is also an option to go north and access parking spaces if there is congestion in the area. Mr. Keenan agreed that the stacking is a problem in the morning and at noon, and the same problem exists at McDonald's across the street. Mr. Hammersmith responded that staff does not have a solution for these problems, which are a result of the level of activity at the businesses and operation of the drive - thru windows. These are private site conditions that are not a City focus. Vice Mayor Salay pointed out that Council is evaluating a rezoning proposal with more activity planned in that corner of the shopping center. Mr. Keenan added that if there is a potential "fix" for this problem, this would be the appropriate time to have it done. Mr. Hammersmith responded that staff does not disagree, but the City engineering role is preservation of the public right -of -way and making this condition safe for the public right -of -way. If there is a secondary benefit of improving this stacking problem, that would be good — but staff does not have a good suggestion for the solution to that. The time to address that may be when the outparcel development is proposed. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 6 Mr. Keenan stated that the tenant and property owner would want to work together to alleviate this issue. This is the ideal time to do so. Perhaps a lane to allow for stacking adjacent to the current roadway would allow traffic to move. On the other side of the center, near Buffalo Wild Wings, at the intersection with Perimeter Drive, there is a left turn lane and a right turn lane, yet he has witnessed cars traveling straight across the street. Mr. Hammersmith responded that staff plans to review the lane assignments at that location. He added that when the land along Perimeter to the north of this center was brought in for rezoning, there was a future traffic signal planned at this location when the warrant is met. Given these access modifications, it may push this toward meeting the warrant. Mr. Keenan responded that the access near Burger King was to be closed when the traffic count reached a certain level. Mr. Hammersmith responded this has not been done because there is no physical way to prevent those left turn movements. The splitter island to be installed with the roundabout will prevent the movements. Mr. Keenan stated that his concerns have always been with access for ladder trucks to these areas. Mrs. Boring asked how another outparcel will affect Burger King and Wendy's/Tim Hortons in terms of traffic flow. Can this be projected with some modeling? Mr. Hammersmith responded that the City's traffic study considered the impact on the public right -of -way and public intersections — not on the site to other tenants. That is why the City worked with the applicant on the entry drive modifications and is working to obtain the necessary right -of -way to construct the roundabout improvements in the future. The applicant can respond to the question about potential impacts of the outparcel development on existing businesses. Mayor Lecklider noted that at the Planning Commission, there was discussion of pump colors, but that has apparently been resolved. Ms. Husak confirmed this. Mayor Lecklider asked about the lighting, and if there is any implication regarding Dublin's night sky ordinance. Ms. Husak responded that the only lighting contemplated is underneath the canopy and that does meet the ordinance in terms of it being flush within the roof of the canopy and the levels of lighting. There is a lantern proposed on the sign, and the Commission requested this lighting level be as low as possible. The applicant indicated they will accommodate this request. Mayor Lecklider asked if there are any bicycle - friendly elements for the proposed development. As some of the realignments are done to the entryways, will there be additional sidewalk or bikepath leading off of Avery- Muirfield near Wendy's/Tim Hortons — heading westbound into the center? Mr. Hammersmith responded that Council reviewed the Avery - Muirfield improvements in March, and they show proposed sidewalk and bikepath along Hospital Drive and existing ones along Avery- Muirfield. There will be new bikepath connections coming out of the roundabout as well. There is new path along Perimeter Loop Road, intended to carry over to the shopping center in the future. Mayor Lecklider asked about the bikepath to the north of the center. Mr. Hammersmith stated that connection will be made with a bikepath along the north side of Perimeter to the west side of Avery- Muirfield as it exists today. The same will occur on the south side of Perimeter Drive. Vice Mayor Salay asked about bikepath internal to the center. Is any connection being added by the owner of the center? Ms. Husak responded that staff has asked the applicant to accommodate bike racks on the site, but there is no internal bikepath or pedestrian lane proposed. Mayor Lecklider stated that when the shopping center rezoning across the street was being reviewed, there was discussion about creating a more bike and pedestrian RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin- Lty-C9unctl Meetine October 11, 2010 Page 7 friendly environment within the parking lot. However, there has been nothing proposed by the applicant for this shopping center at this point? Ms. Husak responded there has not. Mr. Reiner stated that he concurs with Mr. Keenan and Ms. Salay about resolving the stacking issue internal on the site for Wendy's /Tim Hortons. The bike /pedestrian friendly issue internal to the center should also be addressed. The new entry feature will be an enhancement to the center. He noted that the ash trees are already being replaced, and he appreciates the proactive efforts of staff in this. Mayor Lecklider invited the applicant's representatives to present testimony. Eric Liebowitz, Casto, 191 W. Nationwide Boulevard, Suite 200, Columbus noted that the application process began a year ago. The discussion with Kroger regarding this development began long before that. The driving force behind this rezoning is Kroger's critical need for a fuel center in this area. They have worked collaboratively with staff and the Planning Commission over the past months. He spoke positively of their experience with all of the City staff and Commission Members. He noted that the fuel center is of utmost important to Kroger for their long -term viability in Dublin. The team is hopeful of gaining Council's support for this rezoning on October 25 In terms of the needed right -of -way mentioned by Mr. Smith, they will work to provide reasonable and necessary right -of -way, consistent with the plans before Council tonight. In terms of the access and engineering issues related to Wendy's/Tim Hortons, Casto owns and manages the shopping center, and oversees leases of tenants. These are not new issues, but in terms of making improvements to the existing leased premises, the tenants have rights and the owner cannot change their property lines and boundaries at this time. Casto is doing the best they can to address an existing problem by means of this entry change. Mr. Reiner stated that the concept of removing some green space and stacking the morning traffic in the Wendy's/Tim Hortons area seems viable. Who owns the space directly to the west? Mr. Leibowitz responded that Wendy's has a ground lease, but for all intents and purposes, their rights during the term of the lease are the same as that of an owner. The property to the west is part of the shopping center. They would have to review what could be done in that location, based on existing utilities. There is significant infrastructure involved and operating issues. Mr. Reiner noted that this traffic back up at the current entry is a real concern, and a potential new outparcel may compound this. It would be worthwhile for Casto to explore addressing these items. Mr. Keenan stated that there will be a gain of ground in this area with the change of the ingress to the center. This will create extra space in this location. Mr. Leibowitz stated they will review this, but there are existing constraints to consider. Mr. Keenan stated that Council is challenging Casto to look at this and bring something back for Council to review. Vice Mayor Salay noted that Wendy's/Tim Hortons are certainly frustrated with the existing situation, and perhaps they would be open to exploring some options. Mr. Reiner stated that he is supportive of the new entryway to the Center. Perhaps the new driveway could be moved somewhat more distant from the intersection with Avery- Muirfield to improve safety. Lindsey Taylor Kroger, 4111 Executive Parkway Westerville noted that in the grocery business, fuel has become a critical key component in order to remain competitive. The goal is to provide customers with a one -stop shop so they can purchase groceries, pick up dry cleaning, do banking, and purchase fuel. By the end of 2010, Kroger will open its 1,000 fuel center. In Dublin, there is currently a very successful fuel center at the Marketplace store on Sawmill Parkway. Due to site constraints, there is no fuel station at the Bridge Street Kroger. Fuel at Avery Square will fill a RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin Ci y Council Meetine October 11, 2010 Page 8 significant void for customers in Dublin and will be an asset for the store in terms of remaining competitive with the grocery store across the street. As part of the development of the fuel center, they will construct the eight- shaped landscaped islands as well as installing a new drive in an effort to avoid unnecessary congestion in front of the Kroger store. The remaining modifications will be completed at the time the roundabouts are constructed. She noted that Kroger has significant ties to the community, operating three stores in Dublin. They plan to continue their longstanding relationship with the City and are pleased to present a fuel center for the expansion of this Kroger store. Kroger requests approval of this rezoning on October 25 She offered to respond to any questions. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher noted Council's interest in the internal bicycle friendly environment of the center — perhaps having designated bicycle lanes for movement through the parking lot of the center. The applicant has agreed to install bike racks as part of this redevelopment, but the need is for a path so that bicyclists can safely access the bike racks. Council is suggesting to the applicant that lanes be identified for bicyclists to travel through the parking lot. Vice Mayor Salay noted that this may be more of an owner issue for Casto. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that both entities should provide some solutions for this issue. Mrs. Boring noted that she does not have concerns with the fuel station at the center, but she has concerns with the aesthetics of the station design. The scale of the columns is not appropriate. Ms. Husak responded that staff can look at the possibility of moving the columns farther out to provide more balance, and may look at the size of the columns as well. Mrs. Boring agreed that pedestrians and cyclists need to have some safe connections within the center. Mayor Lecklider recalls that the last time a fuel station was installed in a parking lot, the City required a bond to be posted. Mr. Smith responded that this was required for BJs. He will review what was done for that fuel station, and will review the current law regarding tanks and provide that information to Council. Ms. Chinn ici - Zuercher stated that more recently, Kroger installed a fuel station at the Sawmill Parkway location. Whatever was done for that location should be done for this one. Ms. Husak noted that the Commission had reviewed this, and required the applicant to include a note in the development text on page 7 regarding removal of underground tanks and restoral of the site to pre -fuel station conditions. There are state requirements that address this as well. Mayor Lecklider noted that, as Ms. Chin nici-Zuercher has pointed out, whatever was done at Sawmill Parkway would be done in this case as well. He asked Mr. Leibowitz to come forward to respond to some outstanding issues raised by Council, including the canopy columns. Mr. Leibowitz responded that Casto and Kroger will work together on the issues raised tonight by Council, including the bicycle access, the stacking, and the columns. Mr. Gerber stated that there is a substantial effort in the City to improve walkability and bicycle access within shopping centers. He is hopeful that Casto understands what Council is seeking in this regard. Mr. Leibowitz responded that they do. Vice Mayor Salay noted that she understands why Kroger wants to have a fuel station at the center. But with respect to the outparcel, the City did not want this at the time the parcel was first zoned. She does not understand the benefit to the community of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 9 this rezoning, other than the change in the access. There are multiple gas stations in the area, and Giant Eagle deferred their plan for a fuel station. She suggests that the future outparcel be removed from the Kroger plan until such time as details are available. In observing the operation of the Kroger center on Sawmill Road, it is very busy with lots of traffic. The appearance of the center is not improved by having the fuel station out front, and the fuel station adds to the traffic congestion. She is not confident that she can support this rezoning. Mr. Gerber asked if she is suggesting that the outparcel be submitted as a separate rezoning. Vice Mayor Salay confirmed that is correct. She does not understand why the City would approve this outparcel without any detail. There is no improvement for the Wendy's/Tim Hortons situation at this point. Mr. Gerber noted he supports her position. The plan is not well thought out. The outparcel could affect the stacking and flow of traffic at the other existing outparcels. He is not convinced this will work. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that last fall, when Kroger began these discussions with the City, Mr. Smith's firm reviewed the tenant issues and the lease terms. Mr. Smith responded that Mr. Lukeman of Casto and he had numerous discussions and reviewed documents at that time. Part of the discussion related to the right -of- way and the language in the lease documents about any changes. He will check back with the parties on these matters. Ms. Chin nici-Zuercher noted that from the outset, there were issues with the entry and the roundabout plans. She recalls that there were limited options during the terms of the tenant leases. The attorneys reviewed all of these matters. She believes that the City will have a significant benefit with relocation of the entrance road to the center. There will still be stacking as exists today, but it will not be in the street — it will be in the parking lot. At some point, when the outparcel is developed, the stacking issue will have to be addressed. By that time, perhaps the issue can be addressed in the lease renewals. Mr. Keenan agreed that the City will gain from the relocation of the entrance. He uses this road on a daily basis. He added that it will be much easier for southbound traffic to use the Kroger fuel station before accessing the freeway entrance versus crossing to Shell or BP on the east side of the roadway. There was similar discussion with the residents in the area of the Sawmill Parkway Kroger fuel station. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher agreed, but noted that the majority of those who purchase fuel at the grocery stores are those who shop in the stores and use the rewards system. Ms. Taylor responded that there is a minimal increase, as existing Kroger customers will likely purchase fuel in conjunction with their grocery shopping trip. This provides a convenience to the existing customers. In terms of the comments about traffic at the Sawmill location, it is the only Kroger fuel station in Dublin and 30 percent of the customers who shop at the Avery Square Kroger are purchasing gas at the Sawmill location. Opening this fuel station will relieve congestion at the Sawmill store. Mr. Gerber stated he is not disputing the business need for this fuel station and agrees that moving the entry more to the west is a positive. But in looking at the traffic flow within the center, it does not work well. He is hopeful that the owners and Kroger will review the traffic flow — vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles — within the Center during this process. Many shopping centers in Dublin have failed because they are not reaching out to all in the community who want to walk or bike to the center. There is a need to meet the future needs of the community, not only Kroger's need for a fuel station at this time. Mayor Lecklider noted that he has some concerns with respect to the future development of the outparcel within this center and the conflicts it may create. Are there any proposed solutions to alleviate these concerns on Council's part? RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 10 Held 20 Mr. Smith responded that this discussion is similar to that with Giant Eagle center. In that case, Council will be the body making the final decision on the conditional use related to the gas station. If Council wants to be the body making the decision on the development of the future outparcel, staff will review what options are available. Mrs. Boring noted that this is her concern. For example, if another drive -thru were proposed for this outparcel, it would not be acceptable. Mr. Smith responded that staff will review what was done with the Giant Eagle rezoning. He asked if it is the consensus of Council that they want to be involved in the decision regarding the outparcel on this site. Currently, this outparcel would be reviewed by Planning and Zoning Commission, as it is included in the text. Vice Mayor Salay stated that she would prefer that this be changed. Mrs. Boring noted that as Council opts to do this more often, is Council taking on the role of Planning Commission? Mr. Smith responded that Planning & Zoning Commission will always be a recommending body to Council. This relates to Council making the final decision on this matter, if they so choose. Mr. Gerber stated that he is not supportive of having the outparcel on the plan, as the applicant has not demonstrated that the internal design of the center can accommodate a safe flow of traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians. Until he is satisfied with this aspect, he cannot support this rezoning. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher noted that she can support the project. The issue is with this outparcel and not having information about it. Currently, none of this outparcel area is utilized by other than school bus parking for customers of Wendy's /Tim Hortons. This corner of the center is in need of some interesting dynamics to integrate the current outparcels and this future outparcel into the center. This may require a reconfiguration of all of these outparcels, and may require further review by Council at a future date. Mr. Smith responded that staff will meet with the applicant's representatives and provide a memo for the next meeting in regard to all of these issues. Mayor Lecklider stated that at the time of the original rezoning, there was not such an outparcel included. So to have an outparcel included now and yet not come back to Council for the final decision is the issue. Mrs. Boring suggested it may be simpler to have the outparcel eliminated on this development plan so that it would come back as a future rezoning to be reviewed by Council. Vice Mayor Salay noted this is what she is suggesting. Mr. Smith responded that the proposal is not changing the square footage requirement, and so it would have to be achieved in another way. He understands Council's direction and will work with the applicant prior to the next reading. Mayor Lecklider noted that, as Mr. Leibowitz has stated, there has been a very collaborative effort by all involved to bring this through the process. He noted that all Council Members are users of the center and want it to continue to be successful. All of the suggestions made are in that spirit. Mr. Leibowitz stated that they appreciate Council's feedback. They will do their best to work with staff on the issues identified. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 11 Ordinance 37 -10 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Conveyance Documentation to Convey Franklin County Parcel No. 274 - 000025 to R. Steven and Dorothy J. Marcus in Furtherance of Litigation Settlement. Vice Mayor Salay introduced the ordinance. Mr. Smith stated Marcus has agreed to the City acquiring the needed right -of -way for the Avery/Tuswell roundabout for the City's appraised amount of $60,000. Marcus will be receiving a piece of City -owned property in return. The property owned by the City, shown on Exhibit A, would be given to Marcus as it is aligned in Exhibit B. The City will retain its right -of -way on Avery Road, and Marcus will give the City the right -of -way they currently have. As a result, both of the rights -of -way will become the City's. The Dan Sherri right -of -way is not addressed at this time. It is Engineering's intent that this be a private street when the hammerhead is completed. That issue will be resolved with the final development plan. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher referred to his comment about this becoming a private road. Would the people who reside on Dan Sherri in the future will be responsible for the road? Ms. Grigsby responded that this is merely the stub that leads back to the roundabout at the cul de sac. Dan Sherri will remain a public street. Mr. Hammersmith that this is not the section of road along which there are single family homes, which ends in a cul de sac at the west end. This is the stub off Avery Road and heads south for 100 to 150 feet to a hammerhead for a turnaround. It would be vacated and provided to the properties to the north and south to provide access. Mr. Smith noted that the situation for the residents will be unaltered. Mrs. Boring inquired if that piece of property would not be transferred as is shown in Exhibit B. Mr. Smith responded that the land in Exhibit B up to the cross lines on Dan Sherri is not dealt with at this time, only the Avery Road properties and right -of -way. There will be a second reading /public hearing on October 25 Ordinance 38 -10 Amending the Annual Appropriations Ordinance for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2010. Mr. Gerber introduced the ordinance. Ms. Grigsby stated that this ordinance will provide authorization for additional funding for many capital projects or capital project funds. All of the improvements have been approved by Council through previous construction contracts or right -of -way acquisition approval. There will be a second reading /public hearing on October 25 Mayor Lecklider indicated that Mr. Losinski of the Columbus Metropolitan Library would address Council at this time. OTHER • Columbus Metropolitan Library— Issue 4 Patrick Losinski, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Executive Directo recognized Michael Blackwell, the Dublin branch manager, who is very involved in City, civic and School District affairs. Also with him tonight is Randy Fortener, trustee of the seven - member Library Board. Mr. Fortener is a resident of Dublin and represents the interests of the northwest portion of the County. He reported the following: • Columbus Metropolitan Library has 20 branches. For the last ten years, the Dublin branch has ranked as the second highest circulating branch in the system; Hilliard is first. • The Library system receives 8.5 million visitors and they check out 16.5 million items per hear. • Homework help centers are located in every location. The center at the Dublin branch is under construction and will open in early January. The Library RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Cnuncil Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 12 Held 20 coordinates community volunteers and provides a safe place for kids to do homework from 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Last year, 18 of the 21 branches operated homework help centers, and 52,000 children registered for homework help. • When the economy worsened in 2009, many of the centers were re- purposed as job help centers during the earlier hours of the day. There are some wonderful success stories of those who have found jobs because of the job help centers. • Their summer reading program is the largest of its kind in the United States, with over 85,000 participating in the 2009 program. Its purpose is to keep children's reading scores high during the summer months to better prepare them for the new school year. • The Library is also a conduit to technology for many people in the Library system. They had 2.3 million reservations last year to use computing time in their 21 locations. • As many other institutions partially funded by the State, the Library has been negatively impacted the past few years. Their last increase from the State was in 2001. Through reductions and freezes the past two years, they lost 20% of the Library's budget -- $11 million. They have tried to compensate by making responsible cuts. They have eliminated 184 full -time positions since 2003 through attrition without layoffs. They have reduced their materials budget, capital expenditures and technology upgrades. During the last two years, it was necessary to implement salary and hours reductions for all employees. That coincided with an 18% reduction in hours provided for the public, including Sundays. • Their 10 -year levy expires at the end of 2010. On the November 2 ballot, they are seeking a 2.2 mills replacement levy with an additional .6 mills. The 2.2 mills is a 24 -year old levy. The additional amount will help offset the reductions from the State that they have experienced over the last eight years. • The cost to a homeowner is $5.24 per month on each $100,000 of assessed valuation, or approximately $63 additional dollars per year. • He is aware that Council has recently discussed the Library facility. They recognize that it needs some attention; however, they must first make certain that they have their operating levy, which will address capital needs over time. The biggest question is what will occur with the State budget and how much more could come out of the Library's funding. • They want to be active participants with the City in their process, because they have seen the power of libraries in all of their locations. They are considering mixed -use possibilities. Hopefully, in Dublin they may be able to look at public - public- private partnerships, and leverage what is occurring with the Library for the benefit of the community. Ms. Chinn ici- Zuercher stated that the Library is a tremendous asset in Dublin and to the community at large. Mr. Blackwell has been a great addition to the community. He is actively engaged in the community and has improved the Library's image within the community. Vice Mayor Salay recognized the Library's attainment of the Number 1 Library status. She has noticed that the Dublin library provides a happy, welcoming environment. She compliments the management for that. Mr. Losinski thanked her for the recognition of their national achievement. Three times in the last decade they have been named the Number 1 urban library in the country, and this year as Library Journal's "National Library of the Year." Their goal now is to try to make that not just an organizational accomplishment but part of the portfolio of assets for this community, along with Columbus Zoo and COSI. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City! Council Meetine October 11, 2010 Page 13 Mr. Keenan stated that the Library has come a long way. He grew up in Hilliard in the 1950s, and all that was available was a bookmobile. The youth today benefit greatly from the access they have to public libraries. Mayor Lecklider stated that Council looks forward to a continued relationship with the Library and wished them the best of luck. Mr. Losinski thanked him. He asked for Council's assistance in promoting the levy within the community. INTRODUCTION /PUBLIC HEARING — RESOLUTIONS Resolution 45 -10 Designating the City Manager as the City's Official Representative and Authorizing the City to File a Grant Application with the Ohio Public Works Commission Clean Ohio Conservation Fund. Vice Mayor Salay introduced the resolution. Ms. Grigsby stated that each year, the Ohio Public Works Commission offers funding to participate in the acquisition and preservation of public land. This past summer, the City has had discussions with the Trusts for Public Lands about two properties along Brand Road — the Wallace property and the Distelhorst properties. This legislation will authorize staff to submit the resolution in support of their application. A prescreening has approved their application to move forward through the application process, which is scheduled for the end of October. Mr. Keenan stated that he has been particularly interested in these two properties, pre- dating his service on Council. If the City can acquire and preserve these 26 acres from being developed, it will be critical to maintaining the integrity of Brand Road. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher inquired if Washington Township would also be participating in this grant application process. Will part of the $505,000 listed under the City of Dublin be paid by the Township? Ms. Grigsby responded that staff has had discussions with Washington Township. At this time, this is not one of their preferred properties on which they will financially participate. There are others, which they are considering. Ms. Chinn ici-Zuercher inquired if this property is within the Township. Ms. Grigsby confirmed that it is. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher inquired if the City is requiring annexation into Dublin. Ms. Grigsby responded that if the City acquires the properties, they would be annexed so Dublin would have authority over the activities within the park. If the City does not acquire the properties, it is anticipated the properties would remain within the Township. In order for them to develop, they would need to request annexation to the City. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that she believed that participation in this application meant that Dublin would acquire the property. Ms. Grigsby responded that if the application is approved and the process moves forward, the City could acquire the property and annex it. Mayor Lecklider noted that even if the City's application is approved, the City is not obligated to go forward with the purchase. Ms. Grigsby confirmed that is correct. The City has requested an updated appraisal. The application is based on an appraisal that the property owners completed a couple of years ago. The Trust for Public Land is in the process of securing an updated appraisal. Wallace Maurer, 7451 Dublin Road inquired what the City would do with this property RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meetine October 11, 2010 Page 14 Ms. Grigsby responded that it would be maintained as parkland. A requirement of the Clean Ohio Fund is that the applicant have a dedication or covenant in the deed that states the property will remain parkland. Vote on the Resolution Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, yes; Vice Mayor Salay, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes; Mayor Lecklider, yes. Resolution 46 -10 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with the Dublin City School District to Allow the City to Place WiFi Equipment at Dublin Scioto High School and Further Allowing the Dublin City School District to Connect to DubLink Facilities. Vice Mayor Salay introduced the resolution. Mr. McDaniel stated that the City desires to place WiFi equipment at Dublin Scioto High School on one of their light towers, and in exchange, give the schools access to the DubLink conduit, which is located in front of the school building. Each party will be responsible for their own costs of installation. Ms. Chinn ici - Zuercher inquired if the other schools already have WiFi access. Mr. McDaniel responded that not all of them do, but it is a future possibility. Vote on the Resolution Vice Mayor Salay, yes; Mayor Lecklider, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes. Resolution 47 -10 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Indefeasible Right to Use Agreement with US Signal Company, LLC to Allow US Signal to Connect to DubLink Facilities. Mr. Gerber introduced the resolution. Mr. McDaniel stated that last year, Council authorized staff to lease up to 12 optical fibers or six pair of optical fiber in the DubLink fiber system. At the time, Council indicated that as a price point, the City should not go below $3,500. The market is presently saturated; therefore, staff recommends dropping the price to $3,000. US Signal is interested in a lease agreement at that price. Staff believes it is a good price and is negotiating with other companies for the remainder of those fibers. Lowering the price will position the City to try to close some of the other lease agreements. Staff requests Council pass this resolution approving an agreement at that price. These are 10 -year lease agreements, so the City would gain revenues of approximately $2.1 million from the leases. Mayor Lecklider asked for information about US Signal. Mr. McDaniel responded that it is a telecommunications company entering the marketplace. They need fiber optics to carry their "backbone" within the region. Mayor Lecklider asked if they are a new company or just new within the region. Greg Dunn, Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn stated that the company is new in this region. They are based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and want to enter into the Columbus market. They will provide services to businesses for the most part. Mayor Lecklider inquired about the term, which is renewable after 10 years for an additional 5 or 10 years at the same rate. Mr. Dunn responded that is typical. These companies seek long -term commitments, as they will be investing in a significant amount of equipment. He believes this is a good price, as it could be much lower in another year. Mr. Keenan inquired if they do this by means of satellite. Mr. Dunn responded that what is occurring is that the State is receiving a significant amount of Federal funding for a broadband stimulus package, approximately $130 million. There will be much more fiber within the State of Ohio and Central Ohio within the next year or two. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council October 11, 2010 Page 15 Mr. McDaniel stated that the City's intent is to lock in these rates and close on all the City's other opportunities before the market becomes oversaturated. Wallace Maurer, 7451 Dublin Road referred to page 2 of 14, under "Term," line 3, which states that, "The User has the right of renewal of agreement for five or ten years at the same pricing set forth in this agreement." What if the economic context fluctuated radically higher or lower? Would this then become the starting point of negotiation? Mr. McDaniel stated that if the City locks in the $3,000 lease rate for ten years, the City will be doing well, given today's conditions. The market will very likely become more saturated, and prices will probably decrease. It would be their option in ten years to extend their agreement for the same price, or go elsewhere for cheaper service. By that time, the City's posture could change as well. Vote on the Resolution Mrs. Boring, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, yes; Mayor Lecklider, yes; Vice Mayor Salay, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes. Resolution 48 -10 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with American Electric Power (AEP) for the Installation of Electric Service along the North Side of Perimeter Drive between Commerce Parkway and Emerald Parkway. Mr. Gerber introduced the resolution. Mr. Hammersmith stated this resolution will approve a ten -foot easement to provide electrical service to Delta Energy. The document states the "south" side of Perimeter Drive and this is an error. It will be corrected to "north" side and will be corrected in the exhibit. This will provide electrical service not only along the north side of Perimeter Drive, but also west of Commerce Parkway, south of Perimeter Drive, near the Justice Center. Vote on the Resolution Vice Mayor Salay, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Mayor Lecklider, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes. Resolution 49 -10 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with TechColumbus. Mr. Gerber introduced the resolution. Mr. McDaniel stated this will extend the City's existing agreement with TechColumbus and continue its commitment for ongoing funding to support the region's Entrepreneurial Signature Program (ESP), now called "TechStart." Council may recall that ESP funds are made available through a grant from the Ohio Department of Development's Third Frontier program (ODOD) to regional agencies such as TechColumbus. In May 2010, Ohio voters overwhelmingly renewed the Third Frontier grant program. TechColumbus is in the process of seeking financial commitments from the region's corporations, governments, institutions and Ohio Tech Angel Fund to obtain matching ESP funds from ODOD/Third Frontier for 2011 and 2012. According to Dr. Stephen Buser, Professor Emeritus of Finance at OSU, Dublin's $900,000 investment in ESP has resulted in $2.6 million of investment from ESP, and those companies have raised an additional $9.517 million of other capital, for a total of approximately $13 million. The attached report references a nearly $17 million to Dublin companies as a result. Once companies are vetted through this stringent process and are granted funding, they usually are in a better position to access loans and additional grants from the State. Therefore, these companies have collectively achieved a $17 million return on the investment. Business creation is one of several key economic development strategies employed by the City of Dublin. As Council is aware, the City's efforts and results to date regarding business creation have surpassed expectations. Staff desires to extend the existing Agreement with TechColumbus for two years (2011 and 2012) and extend its financial commitment to the ESP/TechStart program. Nothing will be changed from the existing agreement. Staff recommends Council commit to TechColumbus $200,000 in 2011 ($50,000 previous commitment and $150,000 new commitment) and $200,000 in 2012. This RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 16 commitment will support the City's new business creation efforts and support the region's overall effort to obtain funding from ODOD/Third Frontier program. TechColumbus has requested the City make this commitment at this time so that they can apply for their grant by the end of October, consistent with the State's fiscal year. The City of Dublin has taken a significant leadership role in this endeavor within the region, and TechColumbus greatly appreciates that. Many other communities have observed Dublin's investment in this, the programs now being provided, and the results that the City has received from the investment. As a result, other communities in the region are also beginning to invest in this program. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher requested clarification of the request to "raise the local match to $1.00." Mr. McDaniel responded that previously the State was providing a 2 -for -1 match, now it is providing a 1 -for -1 match. The State will match every dollar the region contributes. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that the way in which they are seeking to increase funding is to ask other municipalities to either participate or participate at greater levels than previously. Mr. McDaniel stated that is correct. Mayor Lecklider offered congratulations to Mr. McDaniel and his staff for the recent award from the International Economic Development Council. Mr. McDaniel stated that the International Economic Development Council had its conference in Columbus two weeks ago and recognized the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center (DEC) as best innovation in economic development for entrepreneurship. A bus tour took place throughout central Ohio, and one of the stops was at the DEC. Most of the cities were impressed with the fact that a collaborative model was used, versus the City underwriting the entire endeavor. He credits Council for challenging him to take a different approach, when he initially proposed the other method. This endeavor has been successful without a great deal of government money being invested. Vote on the Resolution Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes; Vice Mayor Salay, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Ms. Chinni ci-Zuercher, yes; Mayor Lecklider, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes. OTHER • Central Ohio Innovation Corridor (COIC) Update Mr. Combs noted that tonight, he will update Council on the work that Planning and Economic Development have done to promote the COIC. Included in the packet is a brief overview of the current work being done at the Post Road interchange area as well as some of the exhibits to be shown tonight. • In terms of planning work, this was initially identified as the Central Ohio Innovation Center, and included the area around the US 33 /Post Road interchange. The particle therapy proposal included a medical campus and an educational component and was adjacent to the interchange. • Since that time, additional work has been done, including the Innovation District Code rewrite that was added to offer administrative approval for quick to build projects in the area. The area identified in purple around the interchange in the Community Plan greatly enhanced the intensity of the development proposed. Because of that, additional planning work was done around the interchange area with the evolution of the particle therapy development to look at what that character of the area would look like, given all the changes. • As the City has worked more on promotion of the COIC, and based upon feedback from consultants, it is apparent that every city in the country has sites available for development. What is unique about Dublin is that many amenities exist already, there is a great employment base, and many corporate headquarters exist in the City. Some of Dublin's work will be focused on the larger picture as being a very innovative environment in which companies can locate. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 17 • What was originally termed as the Central Ohio Innovation Center has been rebranded as the Central Ohio Innovation Corridor to focus on the larger aspect of Dublin, with a large employment corridor and many amenities to attract any kind of business. • Some of tonight's legislation focused on Dublin's very unique fiber system, looking at the DubLink system that staff is promoting and extending throughout the employment core as well as connectivity in Dublin to the larger region through the CORN network. There is fiber access throughout Central Ohio and to all the educational institutions within the state. • Within the Innovation Corridor, there are some major objectives staff is striving for to help promote the City as a whole. Specific areas within the Corridor have common development character — architectural or other attributes that can be used to promote to different types of businesses. • Staff is also looking at how to create common development standards within some of these areas to help speed up the ability to secure permits and build faster, as well as looking at existing businesses and potential clusters for technology and other uses. • Staff is looking at specific geographic areas in order to enhance marketing capabilities, so that as businesses come into the City and want to grow, they can consider areas that can suit their needs quickly. • In the packet is an overview of the planning areas for the Central Ohio Innovation Corridor. These areas have different attributes to promote. • Metro Center serves a specific and important business environment for the City. As those buildings age, staff is looking at redevelopment options for that area and how they can continue to remain a central office component for the City. • The area along Perimeter is being marketed because of its wide range of particular service areas to the larger community. It is anchored by the Dublin Methodist Hospital and provides a range of activities — from banking institutions to retail support services, auto dealerships, etc. • The Emerald Office Area along 1 -270 and Emerald Parkway has a different type of environment for major corporate identities. That is an area with many planned districts and infill development opportunities for high profile tenants and landowners. • The Bridge Street Corridor Study looks at the areas internal to 1 -270 for much more intense development that will meet a variety of different business and residential needs within a walkable, more sustainable type of environment. • The area around Blazer Parkway, with large component research users such as Ashland Chemical will be targeted toward laboratory and office research. Potential Code updates will be done in the future for this area. • Along Shier -Rings Road is the prime industrial component of the Corridor. For the future, Codes and development standards must meet the flexibility needs for small to mid -sized industrial, clean manufacturing and research components — whether laboratory space is needed, additional office space, or warehousing. • The overall concept of the Central Ohio Innovation Corridor is to promote and fuel economic development — looking at the larger corridor as a way to target companies and locate them in the right areas of the City. • Within the western portion, west of US 33, they are looking at the economic advancement zone as an area where the quick to build, technology and research uses can be accomplished through the administrative approval process. • In the past, this area was called the COIC. Given the larger corridor concept, this is now being referred to as the Innovation Park. The Dublin Entrepreneurial Center is an anchor to this area. • The Economic Advancement Zone supports a quick to build, administrative process so that companies can secure permits within 60 to 90 days and break ground quickly. Out in that area, Phase one of the interchange project has RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City s ouncil Meetine October 11, 2010 Page 18 been completed. The Industrial Parkway relocation is being completed at this time. Staff is focusing on some of the specifics for future development in this area. Some of the study components include some of these general elements. Of primary note is how infrastructure will be extended in this area to promote future development as well as looking at some of the land use patterns to give more refinement to what the Community Plan called for as well as the Thoroughfare Plan and internal road systems. This will help promote development. As part of this, staff has been working with some of the key landowners in the area to discuss what they see in terms of future development of their properties. Also being discussed with them are specific ideas for the road network to facilitate development. In terms of general character, some of the preliminary concepts being considered include both landscape and architecture and how they might evolve to provide a unique look and feel to that area of the City. Staff will soon move into the public portion of the planning process. Staff recently met with residents of Ballantrae to discuss the process and what they can expect in the near future. In November, the public input process for this plan will begin. Materials will be available on the website for additional public input as well. The project objectives include: completion of the Economic Advancement Zone study for the Innovation Corridor; revisiting some of the Innovation District standards to ensure that what is adopted in the plan correlates with the development standards carried out administratively; development of a web portal to all of the development information so that developers and real estate individuals can obtain information and better promote the City; once the Plan is adopted, they hope to propose rezoning of properties in the area west of US 33 into that administrative category so that the properties are ready and can be better promoted for development; as this moves forward, marketing of this particular aspect of the project; working in the future on some of the other areas — such as the Blazer and Metro areas -- for additional planning work. This is a brief update of the work being done to help promote planning and development within the City. He offered to respond to questions. Vice Mayor Salay asked staff to advise Council of the dates for public input meetings with Ballantrae residents so that Council can attend, if they desire. Mr. Combs responded that these will likely occur near the end of October or early November. They are working to secure a meeting location and will put this information on the website on a project page. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher thanked staff for this effort. She appreciates the timetable set up for this part of the project. Can he address at this point the Economic Advancement Zone and the timeframe for that? Mr. Combs responded that, based upon the calendar, they are hopeful of having that completed and forwarded to Council by March. Simultaneous with the approval process, they intend to begin working with the property owners on the ordinance to rezone the properties. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked what period of time those meetings will require for the rezoning discussions of private properties. Mr. Combs responded that staff will need to review the strategies for this — whether it is voluntary or whether the entire area will be considered at one time — and this is dependent upon whether any issues arise during the adoption process. Staff would expect the process would be fairly expeditious at Planning Commission and Council. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked for clarification: once the rezoning of the properties is completed, will the City have the standards, the Code and process in place so a project can be built? RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 19 Mr. Combs responded that when the Code is updated to reflect the approved Plan, the zoning will be in place and an applicant can come in, go through the administrative process, and get underway. One discussion item will be the implementation process in terms of infrastructure and how the improvements will be done — through phasing, programming through the CIP, and how that is done. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked if the Code updates will also be completed by March. Mr. Combs responded that the Code updates will be done immediately following the March plan adoption. Staff wants to ensure that there are mechanisms in the Code that will allow for the Plan to be carried out — whether it's land use, character, or implementation of other aspects such as infrastructure expansion. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher noted that Mr. Hale sent a letter to Council where he highlighted this plan as being very positive. However, the process and timing of the Code updates will drive the decisions for expansions in Dublin or for businesses coming to Dublin versus going to another community whose process is complete. For this reason, she wants to have a commitment for a date in 2011. Mr. Combs responded that staff's goal is for mid -2011. Much of the work will be done simultaneously, so that once the Plan is adopted, everything is calibrated and the property rezonings and Code modifications will follow shortly thereafter. Mr. Gerber asked if it is possible to provide a timetable on all of these areas with respect to Code updates. Mr. Combs responded that the Shier -Rings district is before the Commission at this time and will soon come to Council. In terms of Blazer and Metro district plans, those were in the budget for 2010, but will likely be pushed back due to the work being done on the Bridge Street Corridor project. Mayor Lecklider thanked Mr. Combs for this update and asked him to provide status reports as needed. Discussion and Adoption of Proposed 2011 Council Meeting Calendar Vice Mayor Salay stated that she is aware that Council met on the second and fourth Mondays in 2010, but in reviewing the 2011 calendar, there are some conflicts in using this model — with the BCS Championship in January, Valentine's Day in February, and APA in April. Perhaps Council should consider meeting on the first and third Mondays, which would eliminate most of these conflicts. Mrs. Boring noted that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents' Day would fall on the third Monday of the month, as well as Memorial Day and Labor Day. Another consideration may be the Final Four scheduled on Monday, April 4. Vice Mayor Salay stated that the Monday after Easter is a travel day for some, if Council plans to meet on the fourth Monday of April 2011. She is willing to meet on Monday, January 10, which is the BCS Championship game day. The Clerk offered to put together an option of the first and third Mondays, including the change to Tuesday meetings when the holiday falls on a Monday. Vice Mayor Salay asked that Council continue with the July recess versus moving it to August, as she would miss three meetings in July if the CIP is scheduled during that month due to her vacation. Discussion continued. Mayor Lecklider noted that there was a suggestion to have one regular meeting in November, along with the two operating budget workshops, due to the way the calendar falls. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher responded that Council likely cannot have just one meeting in both November and December, due to the amount of business to conduct. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 20 Mayor Lecklider summarized that the Clerk will put together another set of potential dates, including options of meetings on the first and third Mondays and the second and fourth Mondays. Mrs. Boring asked if Council desires to have the summer recess in July or in August. It was the consensus of Council to have the recess in July. This matter will be considered on October 25 STAFF COMMENTS Ms. Grigsby noted: 1. The fall homeowners association meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20 from 7 -9 p.m. at the DCRC. 2. Information was received from the Dublin Schools that they will be hanging banners in front of the schools, noting the recent award from the state for their "Excellent with Distinction" academic commendation. These banners will be displayed for a short timeframe. COUNCIL ROUND TABLE /COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS Mr. Reiner Chair Community Development Committee reported that a request was received from the Dublin Convention and Visitors Bureau for a meeting to discuss serving alcohol at Darree Fields in conjunction with an event for which they are submitting a bid. He suggested that the Committee meet on Wednesday, October 13 at 6 p.m. prior to the BATF meeting at 6:30 p.m. It was the consensus of the Committee to meet at that time. The Clerk will confirm this meeting date and time with Mr. Dring and will provide notice of the meeting. Ms. Chinni ci- Zuercher: 1. Asked about a large tree that was cut down in front of Oscar's restaurant in Historic Dublin. Mr. Hahn responded that Oscar's initiated this request and paid for the tree removal. This tree was diseased and quite hazardous. 2. Congratulated the Dublin Historical Society on the great work they did for the Heritage Day event. It was a great celebration, and hats off to Tom Holton, and Herb and Leona Jones who worked very hard on this. It is another great example of what citizens can do, if given the opportunity. The Karrer Middle School and Hilda Doyle's singing was a great touch. She is hopeful that the location of the time capsule will not be forgotten, as there is not a plaque in place. Ms. Grigsby stated that the concern with a plaque is the potential for vandalism. 3. Noted that a memo was included in the packet regarding Columbus 2020. She participated in a meeting they did with small businesses in conjunction with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. In follow -up to a newspaper article and government participation in funding, she spoke to Ms. Grigsby about this. Their goal is to bring in businesses and expand businesses and they have a formula designed for government. She would like Council to discuss whether there is a desire to participate financially at a level different from their formula in order that Dublin might have a voice in the topic. Their goals are similar to those expressed in Council's goal setting over the years and it is important that the Dublin community is as equally promoted as the central city and other communities. Mr. Keenan: 1. Thanked Mr. Hahn for the succinct response regarding the tree removal at Oscar's. 2. Raised up the issue of paper usage and its relation to securing iPads for Council. Is this considered a viable option for Council? He would like to have the opportunity to evaluate this technology in the near future. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting October 11, 2010 Page 21 Ms. Grigsby responded that staff is evaluating the iPad and a notebook computer from the standpoint of user functions. Mr. Keenan agreed that the ability to insert notes is very important to him. Ms. Crandall stated that IT is setting up the iPad and the notebook simultaneously to review these functions. They will be available very soon for Council to evaluate. Council expressed interest in evaluating these as soon as feasible. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked if these can be implemented by January. Ms. Crandall responded affirmatively, and noted that some may opt for the iPad, some for the notebook, and some may want to continue using paper. Vice Mayor Salav stated: 1. She has a question regarding the Villas at Glenealy. The buildings in the final phase appear completely different from what exists now. She would like additional information about this. 2. She left a message for Mr. Hammersmith about the Waterford landscaping. There is interest in having this material replaced. She will follow up with Mr. Hammersmith. 3. Happy Birthday to Mrs. Boring last week and to Ms. Clarke this week! Mayor Lecklider: 1. Noted that the water tower construction is proceeding well, given the good weather. 2. Echoed Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher's positive comments regarding Heritage Day. He specifically called out Tom and Gayle Holton, and Herb and Leona Jones and all of the other staff and volunteers who put their efforts into this event. The Kamer Middle School Choir and the Dublin Cornet Band /Community performed. The Coffman House was open and staffed by docents from the community. The entire Heritage Day event was outstanding, thanks to all who participated and attended. 3. Wished the Clerk a Happy Birthday on Friday! ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:42 p.m. -A.• C (2 Clerk of Council