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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-17-12 Minutes CRA 11 1/411VIIA P COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING Ocoee Commission Chambers 150 North Lakeshore Drive Ocoee, Florida April 17, 2012 MINUTES 6:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER CRA Vice Chair C. Johnson called the Community Redevelopment Area Board together at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. City Clerk Eikenberry called roll and declared a quorum present. Roll Call: Member Hood, Member Wilsen, Vice -Chair C. Johnson, Chairman Vandergrift (absent), Member Corless, Member R. Johnson, and Member Keller Also Present: City Manager Frank, City Attorney Cookson, City Clerk Eikenberry, CRA Administrator Russ Wagner and Assistant City Manager Shadrix. I. Approval of Minutes of the October 4, 2011, Regular CRA Board Meeting Member Keller made a motion to approve the minutes as revised and presented by staff. Member Wilsen seconded. Motion carried 6 -0, with Chair Vandergrift absent. II. Distribution — CRA FY 2010 -2011 Annual Report CRA Manager Wagner distributed and explained the Annual Report. He stated that they are required by law to create this report from the previous year's numbers, similar to an audit, once all the accounting is completed. He said these are the same numbers that they saw at budget time, so there is not much new information. No members had questions. III. Projects Update • CRA Manager Wagner stated that he will review the progress made since they last met in October 2011. He said this would be an informal presentation and members should stop him at any time with questions or comments. He said the presentation on the projection system will not be as clear as he would like because they had to use a low resolution to get them to load quicker. He will email the presentation to Board Members tomorrow and then can view them on their computer or iPads. He discussed the projects as follows: Blackwood Avenue Streetscape Project CRA Manager Wagner advised this project is almost final. It includes new landscaping and irrigation (reuse water, street lighting, bus shelters, Ocoee icon sign, and the new crosswalk at the Wal -Mart entrances. Commissioner Johnson asked Mr. Wagner to call Valley Crest because the weeds in the median are two feet high and you cannot see the flowers. The will be doing some retrofits, such as the three dimensional sign, the flower at the top has been reoriented and new LED lighting will be installed. The sign was hit by a vehicle once, but that will be fixed when the new lighting is installed. The other gateway signs will be a two - dimensional version of that sign. This is one of the first LED street lighting projects in the area, and we hope to get some publicity on that. If you stand in that area you can see that the lights are very bright and disperse light around the whole area. There will be four more similar lights added to the crosswalk area to replace the pedestrian lights. He added that we have money left over for these additions because the bids carne in under the estimates. Bus Shelters CRA Manager Wagner stated that these have gone up all over town with the modern benches and trash receptacles and create a much nicer appearance that the old ones. In the future they may add some of the pedestrian lights, such as those removed from the Blackwood Avenue crosswalk, to help light them up in the evening. Health Central CRA Manager Wagner said Health Central was recently purchased by Orlando Health, making it part of a more regional health care system. They are making significant additions and capital improvements. He stated Orlando Health is purchasing the hospital from the West Orange Health Care District, which means the district will receive approximately 12 -15 million dollars annually over the next thirty years. Orlando Health will be utilizing more dollars for health care in West Orange County, most significantly to build a larger health care facility on that campus. He said they hope to make some contacts and solidify our relationship with the management group there to make sure we are a part of the process. Target Areas CRA Manager Wagner showed a map with the Target Areas. He said there have been some developers showing an interest; they are hoping to attract a higher level of developers who have our vision for the more urban type of intensity of project in the area. We are working to get that word out there. Mr. Wagner stated they have some additional money in the current budget for some Target Area plans. He will discuss later how best to utilize the money. Blackwood Avenue North CRA Manager Wagner said they have moved further with the planning of this project to update the landscaping and streetscaping; however we do not have the capital funds to do this project for a few years. They do plan to make both north and south sections of that road similar. Gateway Signs CRA Manager Wagner showed the proposed gateway signs with the welcome banner. It will have much better lighting for the letters and coming out from the sign; it will be very noticeable conning into town. He discussed the locations for the gateway signs. One will be in the area of Clarke Road and State Road 50 (SR50); another near Good Homes Road on SR50, depending on the location of the new bridge that is being built. Member Corless asked about the locations of the signs being outside of the CRA. Member Wagner said some of the things that they do for the CRA may be outside the boundaries, but most of the benefit would go to the CRA areas. Member Corless said she likes the idea of the citywide locations for the signs, she was just questioning if the CRA funding would still cover that. Mr. Wagner said he is quite sure it is a legitimate expense, but will double check before proceeding with that sign. Member Corless also asked if they have obtained permitting from FDOT Right -of -Way for the signs on SR50. CRA Meeting 4 -17 -2012 Page 2 Mr. Wagner said the signs are designed with the frangible fittings so they can be moved when needed for construction. He said they are aware they need to submit the application before placing signs on the state roads. Member Corless said she had contacts with people who do signage permitting for gateways and way - finding, who would be a good person to use as a reference. Overpass Signage CRA Manager Wagner said they are working on different types of signs for placement on the turnpike overpasses. Getting the permitting for that has proven to be difficult, but he feels they are getting closer to accomplishing it. He said it will be worthwhile once it is done because it is a great marketing tool. Lake Bennett Fountain CRA Manager Wagner said that today they received permit from the water management district. We are now in the position to move ahead with this once the plat is recorded; we do not have to wait for the developer. He will be contacting manufacturers to get ideas of costs and types of fountains. He asked if the board wanted input into the design of the fountain. Consensus of the board was to send the designs out to the CRA Board Members and get input. The fountain will be a great addition for beautification and identity. FDOT Widening Project for State Road 50 CRA Manager Wagner said a team of staff people have been meeting with FDOT regularly; they have been successful at getting them to eliminate extended right turn lanes to minimize the distance across the SR50 for pedestrian safety. They also have considered adding lanes in a few places. The City is more focused on the cross traffic issues while FDOT is looking at how traffic will move on SR50. The portion from Good Homes Road to the Mall will start later this year, but the rest will not happen until 2015. Lynx State Road 50 Corridor CRA Manager Wagner said they have had good discussions with Lynx. They have had discussion regarding our new bus shelters. They are working on an Alternatives Analysis for the SR50 corridor and various modes of transportation. They are focused on a variety of bus services (regular bus, bus rapid transit, premium buses, and circulators). We want to move them in the direction of considering our existing rail line. Previously, we were not successful at getting included in the Alternatives Analysis for the Orange Blossom Express Line to Tavares. They have made the argument that we should really be looked at in this study, however it appears that it will be a long way out in the future. Multi Model Mobility Plan CRA Manager Wagner said they are still having conversations with the consultant. They are hoping to wrap this up in the next few months and they are hoping to get a product that they are happy with. He will present it to the CRA Board when it is ready. Member Corless asked how he envisions the SR50 Multi Model Plan feeding into the Lynx's Alternatives Analysis. Mr. Wagner said that bus transportation is one of the areas that he is discussing with the consultant where we are lacking. Lynx has not even started yet. so it will be hard to incorporate many of their core concepts. Member C. Johnson asked what the product of the Multi Model Plan; will it be recommended mobility strategies, CIP to support transit, etc. Mr. Wagner said the primary focus was the CRA area, tying in into the FDOT work, such as where do we need turn lanes, CRA Meeting 4 -17 -2012 Page 3 extended roadways, intersection improvements for signalization, etc. We are not yet into what happens when we have the alternative transportation modes such as buses. They did make some argument that SR50 may not need to be widened, but instead improved with better intersections. They did not get far with that argument. Eventually the road will get packed and these alternative transit types, such as buses and trains) will be needed. At this time the study primarily looks at existing roadways, with projections made in the Capital Program. They are still looking for a matrix that shows different scenarios, such as options of putting more money into transit rather than more roads and lanes. Member Corless confirmed that Renaissance Planning Group is the consultant. She asked if we are looking at bike /ped. Mr. Wagner said pedestrian and bike transit is an area where they need more work. Railroad Project CRA Manager Wagner said the Railroad Company is negotiating Memorandums of Understanding with other local governments who will help fund this project. Ocoee's piece will be later in the process because ours is very inexpensive. He talked about the excursion train in Tavares is a Wood - burning steam train; he said it is one of the things that we hope to bring to Ocoee and Winter Garden for the short term. He said the train in Tavares is always booked; it is very popular. He talked to the company owner who is interested in bringing that type of train service to Ocoee. It is a fun project that would be valuable to the community over time. Referendum for Tax Abatement for Job Creation He said the referendum for Orange County, Ocoee, and Maitland all passed very easily on the last election. Orange County had developed materials for that program so we are in good position to piggy -back off of that. Companies considering relocating will now have two incentives, one from the County and one from the City of Ocoee. Tri City Partnership (Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka) CRA Manager Wagner said a resolution was adopted entering into an agreement with Winter Garden and Apopka on Economic Development. There is a synergy between the three entities that each city can benefit from economic development in other cities. By promoting the entire area, we can attract more business. The population of the three cities is close to 200,000 people. The partnership wants to hire an economic development consultant to help us brand the area and do some marketing. A project being considered is an hlterchange Master Plan. When State Road 429 is completed and connected to the turnpike, there will be a very significant impact to Ocoee and Winter Garden. We are trying to get ahead of the game and get developers looking into that area. There is a Tri City Agreement in Washington that has been very successful where three smaller cities got together. There will be a website devoted to this. There should be many spinoff benefits to the CRA. Regional Event Center This is a proposed 60,000 sq. ft. facility with 30,000 feet of meeting space. It is a 25 -30 million dollar project. We will need to establish partnerships. We have been holding out on this due to the present economy, but as we see improvements we will move forward. We may be able to develop partnerships with Orlando Health, or even a satellite facility for the Orange County Convention Group. This type of facility would be a catalyst for spurring development in the area. The Board would have to approve moving forward with this and one of the first things we would need to do is pick a location. CRA Meeting 4 -17 -2012 Page 4 Cenflo Movie Festival CRA Manager Wagner said we are again sponsoring the Cenf lo Movie Festival; it is still small but attracting more people every year. Our Firemen will be there Friday night with a "Homes for Heroes" event. We will also sponsor the meet and greet with whatever actor they bring in on Saturday night. They will be sending out free tickets to the board members. I Shop Ocoee CRA Manager Wagner said this gets the residents familiar with all of the businesses in town. So, if you are looking for a doctor, a good restaurant, a towing company, etc. that information would be available. They met with small businesses about this and they are very excited. He showed the website of Crystal Lake IL has done a similar thing and provided a good model. He explained how local business can connect to this site and link to their own website. They can also link YouTube videos, etc. Businesses would have a sticker in the window showing they are a member of I Shop Ocoee. Residents would have a card to show when they go into businesses providing certain discounts and rewards. Member C. Johnson asked that they be notified when there is a launch date on that website. Member Corless asked how we are promoting that website. Mr. Wagner said they already used the City newsletter to let them know it is corning. As they get closer to the launch date, they will advertise via water bill, website, flyers, etc. He said Crystal Lake, IL is very successful; they have 60,000 hits per month on their site. Commissioner Hood added that it was mentioned at the small business meeting they recently held and business owners seem very much in favor of this. Mr. Wagner said the City of Orlando has a similar program, but he is not aware of small cities in the area doing anything like this. IV. Discussion - Business Improvements Grant Program CRA Manager Wagner discussed that many CRAs have a facade improvement program (Winter Garden, Mount Dora, etc.) where they give you some money to fix up your property. He thought that should be considered for the next CRA budget year. Commissioner Hood and Commissioner Keller spoke in favor of it. Commissioner Keller said it would just have to be set up in such a way that it is fair because funding would be limited. Member Corless said she has some examples of other cities doing this that she will send to Mr. Wagner. Member C. Johnson said she would like to set it up to make sure the improvements are consistent with the overall CRA plan and also to ensure that there is a return on the investment to the CRA. Member Corless said most cities do have a match program. They also have intent for maintenance and maintenance agreements as well V. Board Member Comments No further comments VI. Public Comments None CRA Meeting 4 -17 -2012 Page 5 VII. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:57 p.m. APPROVED: Attest: ' v 6_10_ Bet i Eikenberry, Secretary S. Scott Vandergrift, air CRA Meeting 4 -17 -2012 Page 6