2004-01-26 Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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Session 1910 January 26, 2004 Mayor Adams said he does not see the Council as willing to exercise the right of eminent domain for the purpose of redeveloping Olive Street Road or any place else to create an economic mass. If the Council is willing to do this, so is he, but he does not see the initiative as originating with the task force. To Mayor Adams, economic development means removal and replacement, because the City is a developed community. A strategic planning group could provide ideas for the area where things have been removed, but the City Council must be prepared to exercise eminent domain. Ms. Welsch does not think the City Council needs to commit now to what it might do in three to five year's time. She believes in project-by-project analysis of suggestions. She does not believe that removal is the only means of development. Mayor Adams asked if the task force would focus development only, or look at all kinds of development. considering all kinds of development. upon commercial/industrial Ms. Welsch envisions them Mr. Munkel said that he sees the basic premise of this suggestion as focused upon dissatisfaction with development already undertaken or dissatisfied that development has not occurred rapidly enough. He mentioned development of North and South and on Forsythe Boulevard as examples. He said a diversity of housing was something highly regarded by the citizens, and he feels that redeveloping Olive Street Road needs some careful thinking and attention to this diversity. He does not see removing houses as being popular with citizens or that the City Council wants to exercise eminent domain. Mayor Adams pointed out that economic development can be "quick impact" or "slow impact" and that University City has followed the latter. Mr. Munkel mentioned a Lowe's store which never eventuated because they found a site that offered them more of what they sought. Mr. Munkel said the City staff has been asked to propose development for the Olive Street Road area, section by section. Will the proposed task force replace this effort with another study? Mr. Lieberman mentioned a previous incident when Olive Street Road was considered a spot for a hotel: the City rezoned the space; no developer was interested; the City Council would not sanction seizing homes in the area; so the Council reversed the rezoning. Ms. Colquitt said developers are not interested in this space because there is not enough space to develop sufficiently. Mayor Adams said whatever the plans, he does not see the City Council as willing to take people's homes. Ms. Welsch thinks new ideas should be welcomed by the City Council, with the option of rejecting proposals. Page 4