2014-03-24 Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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Bobette Patton, 7901 Glenside Place Ms. Patton stated that she has a problem with the fact that there will be no forum conducted by the candidates for City City Council. She stated that she knew this was going to happen and no one on this City Council could convince her that they did not know it was going to happen. Ms. Patton stated that citizens want to see all of the candidates to determine whether they can play well together. She stated that she is sure that she is not the only person that would like an answer for why the forum is not being held. Her hope is that the Mayor would provide the citizens of University City with one via email. Gary Nelling, 850 Warder Avenue Mr. Nelling stated that he trusts City Council found his comments regarding the Parkview Sustainable Neighborhood Plan both fair and amenable. Mr. Nelling stated that he is glad that the City is seeking to make Parkview Gardens a greener, more sustainable neighborhood with walking and bicycle paths and connections to public transportation. However as an architect who has performed major projects involving city planning there are a few issues that he thinks have not adequately been addressed. He stated that while the acquisition of existing buildings and the construction of new buildings by Wash U created a marvelous image for University City, it is obvious that these actions will take a lot of property off University City’s tax rolls. So for every square foot that comes off, the City should be working to ensure that that square footage is somehow replaced by Wash U. Mr. Nelling stated that Mr. Fuller provided an example of how to make this work by citing the pilot project at Yale and New Haven which requires payment in lieu of taxes. He stated that there are a number of ways that this can be accomplished, but he believes that it is important that Wash U contribute something back to the City. Mr. Nelling stated that he also thought it is important for Wash U to be responsible for the infrastructure at the site and surrounding streets. He stated that in every project he has been involved with on the developer’s side of the table have required lane widening, turn lanes, traffic signalization improvements, sidewalks, storm water improvements, landscaping, streetlights and other amenities. As such, he does not believe that it would be unreasonable for University City to make these same types of requests to Wash U. With respect to parking in the Parkview Garden’s District the new urbanism upon which this plan is based does not, in any instance he can think of, ignore the conventional needs of parking ratios that have been established in University City’s zoning ordinance. Instead they treat it discreetly. You have a road, one lane of parking, sidewalks and plaza or landscape, or a commercial building and residence. The remainder of necessary parking is put into courtyards or ancillary lots with screen walls, so that you reestablish the primacy of the pedestrian and the bicyclist, without limiting yourself to only those people who would buy a residence or rent an apartment without an automobile. He stated that University City should keep its zoning ordinance requirements as a part of the plan, because this type of limitation is something that should not be done. Mr. Nelling stated that something he also noticed in the site plan is that one of the City’s largest commercial lots between Olive and Vernon at Kingsland has been cleared and designated by Wash U for a mixed-use market rate and affordable HUD housing project. He stated that although it would be wonderful to have another project of this nature in University City, it appears to be too much land for such a small scale project. He stated that this particular location should be used to develop a tech center or light industrial park that can be used as a jump-off point for additional development along west Olive Street Road. He would encourage consideration be given to some of University City’s other large pieces of developable commercial property for the location of this mixed-use market rate and affordable housing project.