Minutes Downtown Plan 7 14 03 MINUTES
Downtown Planning Committee
Long Range Planning Advisory Commission
Monday, July 14, 2003
10:00 a.m.
Conference Room 2. City Hall Annex
1300 Main Street. Dubuque. Iowa
PRESENT:
ABSENT:
Chairperson David Rusk, Committee Members Jim Giesen, Doris
Hingtgen, Pam Jochum. Dan LoBianco, Ann Michalski Mike [ronside
Judie Fjellman; Staff Members Laura Carstens. Rich Russei David
Harris Jerelyn O'Connor and Beth Conlon.
Committee Members Bob Felderman, Jim Gibbs, John Walsh. Dick
Wertzberger, and Steward Sandstrom; Staff Member Bill Baum.
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was catied to order at 10:08 a.m.
AFFIDAVIT OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying the
meeting was being held in compliance with the Iowa Open Meetings Law.
MINUTES: Motion by Michalski, seconded by Hingtgen, to approve the m~nutes of the
June 9, 2003 meeting. Motion carried unanimously.
ACTIONITEMS:
Review Revised Opportunity Map: Anne Ricker of Leland Consulting Group, Denver,
Colorado was contacted via conference call to answer questions about the revised
opportunity map of the downtown area. Bob Kost of SEH, Minneapolis, MN. was unable
to participate in the conference call.
Ms. Ricker updated the Downtown Planning Committee on her conversation with the
Pfohl family regarding the Downtown Master Plan strategy. She will be sending a
packet to the Pfohl family of what Downtown Planning Committee has received so far.
She will send a summary memo of her conversation with [he Pfohl Family to the
Downtown Planning Committee.
Ms. Ricker also reviewed the Greater Dubuque Development presentation at which
speaker David Lyons asked the question. "What's next?" for Dubuque. Ms. Ricker
commented that the Downtown Master Plan strategy will continue on a positive note.
The Committee discussed whether they should release [he City Council report from
Leland Consulting and SEH to the public before the City Council presentation or at the
same time that the report goes to the City Council It was suggested that there be a
review and confirmation of the draft schedule on August 5th with the Downtown
Planning Committee for the City Council presentation, but no draft reports will be sent
Minutes - Downtown Planning Committee
July 14. 2003
Page 2 of 3
out to the public or stakeholders for comments. The Downtown Planning Committee
will also meet on August 11'" at 10:00 a.m. to confirm the results of the August 5t~
meeting and a revised report will go to the City Manager and City Council by August
14th. The final report will then be made available to the media and general public and
posted on the City website on August 29t~.
Ms. Ricker reviewed her memo regarding the revisions to the opportunity map with the
Downtown Planning Committee. She explained the function of the map and how to .~se
it to identify potential opportunities. She and the Committee also discussed how to
relate the map to market demand and the differences between the downtown core and
the surrounding areas of influence. Chairperson Rusk asked Ms Ricker to include this
explanation in the preamble to the opportunities map.
Ms. Ricker and Ms. Michalski discussed setting City expectations without dictating
exactly what has to happen Dan LoBianco pointed out certain planned projects, which
are not colored on the opportunities map, where property owners are receptive to
redevelopment--for example, the Weber Building, the Gronen properties and the
Masonic Temple. The consensus of the Committee was to add the Weber Building,
Gronen properties, and Masonic Temple to the map, but to delete the Iowa Street
parking ramp commercial redevelopment at this time.
There was a discussion by the Committee of the conversion of Central Avenue. White
Street. Bluff Street, Locust Street, 9TM, 10TM, and 1tTM Streets from one-way streets to
two-way streets. It was the consensus of the Committee that indicating street
conversion on the opportunities map was not appropriate. Committee consensus was to
emphasize one-way streets for the transportation map and to add discussion to the
transportation element regarding the importance of retail vitality with two-way streets,
especially Bluff and Locust Streets.
There was discussion and consensus of the Committee to use a mylar overlay of
numbers for the map rather than numbers on the map for the City Council presentation.
and then ask the City Council to decide whether or not to show it this way in the final
report.
There was discussion by the Committee that the map was intended to depict areas, but
that the map still seems site-specific. The relationship of the map to the five Dubuque
Main Street Limited districts and character districts also was discussed Ms. Ricker
rewewed the outline of her report, introduction and format for each element and the
final section. Chairperson Rusk asked how the plan will relate to the five DMSL
districts and how it will describe what makes these districts distinctive. Chairperson
Rusk and Ms. Ricker discussed the distinctions between the five DMSL districts
Jim Giesen felt that the Committee should not micro-manage the downtown by looking
at redevelopment opportunities for character and DMSL districts. Committee Member
Minutes - Downtown Planning Committee
July 14. 2003
Page 3 of 3
LoBianco commented that DMSL would continue to use smaller districts as part of the
arger Port of Dubuque and downtown way-finding tourist districts. Chairperson Rusk
stated that linking the plan to the DMSL efforts is important and Dan LoBianco agreed.
The consensus of the Commission was to treat downtown as a composite of five DMSL
districts with a separate map and discussion. Ms. Ricker suggested the value of a
glossary of terms for the report. There was a discussion about what a gateway consists
of- a big welcome sign or buildings, streetscape and landscape elements. Committee
consensus was that gateways need to be more than a welcome sign. There was a
consensus of the Committee to add a secondary gateway at 8th and 9TM Streets west of
Bluff Street. Consensus was to identify new institutional properties as a land use,
using light blue. Finally, there was a suggestion to shift the map so that the western
portion of the map includes the merger of 8th and 9th Streets. which are within the
western gateway, and to identify the gateway at the south Ice Harbor area.
Chairperson Rusk also confirmed the necessity to reinforce the links of Vision 2000.
Vision Downtown. and the Comprehensive Plan to the Downtown Master Plan for the
Council presentation.
ITEMS FROM STAFF: Revised Downtown Plannin,q Comm ttee Schedule'
Chairperson Rusk reaffirmed the additional Committee meeting on August 1
Confirm Nomination Of Representatives For Presentations To The Lonq Ran,q~
Plannin,q Advisory Commission And City Council Meetin,q: Committee members
discussed having Chairperson Rusk make introductions, having Committee members
Bob Felderman and John Walsh make presentations or speak in favor of the plan.
Consultants would cover the more technical aspects, and Committee members would
provide supporting statements from their organizations.
Due to the lack of time. there was a short discussion of nominations and it was decided
that the Committee would address the nominations at the next meeting in August.
Committee Member LoBianco mentioned that Call Bea]s of the Iowa Department of
Economic Development appreciated her update on the Downtown Planning Committee.
and suggested she be sent upcoming meeting agendas.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 12:1 0 p.m.
Respectfully submitted.
Elizabeth Conlon. Assistant Planner
Adopted