Minutes Downtown Plan 3 10 03PRESENT:
ABSENT:
MINUTES
Downtown Planning Committee
Monday, March 10, 2003
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon
Conference Room 2, City Hall Annex
1300 Main Street, Dubuque, iowa
Committee Members Doris Hingtgen, Bob Felderman, Jim Gibbs, Dan
LoBianco, Dave Rusk, Mike Ironside, Judie Fjellman; Staff Members Laura
Carstens, Elizabeth Conlon, Rich Russell, David Harris, Bill Baum and
Jerelyn O'Connor. Also present were Anne Ricker of Leland Consulting,
Denver, Colorado; Bob Kost, Eric Paget and Dan Myers of URS/BRW, of
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Jim Holz of MSA Professional Services Inc. of
Dubuque; and Kyle Williams from LSA of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Committee Members Jim Giesen, Pam Jochum, Ann Michalski, John Walsh,
and Dick Wertzberger.
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 10:08 a.m.
CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying
that the meeting was being held in compliance with the Iowa Open Meetings Law.
MINUTES: Motion by Gibbs, seconded by Fjeltman, to approve the minutes of January 13,
2003, as submitted. Motion carried unanimously.
ACTIONITEMS:
Report: Downtown Master Plan Consultants
Anne Ricker of Leland Consulting Group and Bob Kost of URS/BRW, Inc. presented a
report on their progress to date with the Downtown Dubuque Master Plan project strategy.
Ms. Ricker stated that today's meeting was an administrative meeting. She distributed
workbooks and handouts to the Downtown Planning Committee for their use. Ms. Ricker
discussed the handouts and how they pertained to the downtown project. She also
commented that the Downtown Dubuque Master Plan strategy would incorporate the
context, opportunities, implications and impacts of Vision Downtown.
Public Outreach Plan:
Ms. Ricker introduced the public outreach process to the Committee members. She stated
that the point of public outreach is to educate, validate and elevate the downtown civic
agenda to grow consensus in the community. She also pointed out that public outreach
would validate what has been accomplished and should be updated every two to three
years.
Minutes - Downtown Planning Committee
March 10, 2003
Page 2
The Committee reviewed the stakeholder interview list that Ms. Ricker provided to the
Committee members. The members discussed the stakeholder list, made changes on the
list, and added names. Ms. Ricker commented that she would incorporate information from
80 former stakeholder interviews in the Downtown Dubuque Master Plan project. Rather
than interviewing the same stakeholders again, Ms. Ricker stated that she would ask the
stakeholders to participate in focus groups on May 6th, 2003. The Committee's consensus
was the three focus groups will include the Downtown Dubuque Master Plan, downtown
business owners and property owners, and downtown residents and other interested
parties.
Consensus was reached that the Downtown Dubuque Master Plan public outreach
strategy would include:
Written articles and announcements in the Chamber newsletter, the Dubuque Main
Street newsletter, City Focus newsletter and the Dubuque Telegraph Herald
Presentations to the Rotary, Optimists, and other service group meetings
Presentations to schools such as the community college, civics classes and Youth in
Government.
Presentations to the Boards of the Chamber of Commerce and Dubuque Main Street,
Ltd.
Open Houses: March 10th and June 9th at Five Flags
Traveling displays on easel boards that will circulate throughout the community:
March-August
Focus groups-May
Stakeholder interviews: May
Council Meetings/Public Hearings:
May and August
Preliminary Existing Conditions Analysis:
Bob Kost of URS/BRW, Inc. presented information regarding the existing transit conditions
in downtown Dubuque and informed the committee of his work on land use.
Mr. Kost gave the Committee members handouts of downtown maps showing the density
of employees, the concentration of population~ and the historical properties in the area. Mr.
Kost also discussed the forces, issues and conditions of the downtown area with the
Committee. He talked about gateways, greenways, landmarks, Signage and the emergence
of various districts in the downtown area, such as the office/corporate district, the Bluff
Street tourism district, the South Main entertainment district, the river district and the
attractions at the Port of Dubuque. Mr. Kost commented that Minneapolis, for example, has
effectively designated various districts. Ms. Ricker commented that she is an advocate of
benchmarking standards. The Committee members and consultants discussed the
possibility of Dubuque adopting a different set of design standards for the downtown area.
Minutes - Downtown Planning Committee
March 10, 2003
Page 3
Ms. Ricker said that her firm has conducted a survey of the City's entire retail market. She
presented a demographic and tourism profile of the downtown area, and the Committee
discussed tourism in Dubuque County and the seven-county regional trade area.
Dubuque Downtown Transit Alternatives Analysis Study:
Dan Myers, of URS/BRW, Inc. spoke about the Dubuque Downtown Transit Alternatives
Analysis and reviewed the draft purpose and need study. Mr. Myers stated that the
transportation focus analysis was driven by local stakeholders for a locally preferred
project. He said the analysis integrated public involvement with interviews, a kick-off
meeting with the community and feedback from an e-mail newsletter. The three-pronged
approach established a purpose and needs statement with goals and objectives to
achieve.
Eric Paget of URS/BRW, Inc. presented the draft purpose and needs statement for the
Downtown Dubuque Transit Alternatives Analysis. He noted that the primary purpose of
the transit study is to analyze and evaluate the feasibility of a range of transit alternatives
that could be implemented. The Committee discussed the draft purpose and needs
statement for the transit study with Mr. Paget and Mr. Myers.
March 10 Open House-Five Flags:
Anne Ricker reviewed that the purpose of the Open House at Five Flags Center on
Monday, March 10th, from 5-7 p.m. is to help explain the process, vision, and existing
conditions to the public. She said City staff and the consultants will use the downtown
maps and the demographic tourism profiles to help generate public comments.
April 11 Retreat - Four Mounds Conference Center:
Ms. Ricker commented that she would like the meeting format to be casual. She stated that
it is important for all parties to participate in the discussion. She reviewed that the agenda
will cover market demand in the downtown area, look at catalyst projec{s with locations and
criteria, a planning exercise, the implications of office and industrial use, and the larger
impact on the community. The Committee discussed the objectives for the retreat.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Conton, Assistant Planner
Adopted