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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 12-13 CCM STUDY SESSION MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA STUDY SESSION DECEMBER 13, 2021 VIA ZOOM CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Study Session called to order by Mayor Mike Elliott at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor Mike Elliott and Councilmembers Marquita Butler, Kris Lawrence-Anderson, and Dan Ryan. Councilmember April Graves was absent and excused. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Community Development Director Meg Beekman, and City Clerk Barb Suciu. CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION OF AGENDA ITEMS AND QUESTIONS Dr. Edwards requested to remove item 10a. Resolution Approving Allocation of American Rescue Plan Act Funds as he would be presenting that item in January. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson requested to move 61. Public Safety Act- Professional Service Contract (LEAP) from the Consent Agenda to Council Consideration item 10a. Mayor Elliott stated he will have to step away at some point during the meeting and Acting Mayor Butler will take over at that point. Hearing no objections, it was the majority consensus of the City Council to accept the changes to the December 13, 2021 agenda. MISCELLANEOUS City Manager Reggie Edwards noted Councilmember Graves was ill and unable to attend the meeting. DISCUSSION OF WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEMS AS TIME PERMITS OPPORTUNITY SITE PILOT PROJECT - CONCEPT PLAN REVIEW Dr. Edwards introduced the item and invited Community Development Director Meg Beekman to make the presentation. 12/13/21 -1- Ms. Beekman explained a concept plan review is an opportunity for the City Council to review a development concept, ask any questions, and provide input before a formal application from the developer. This provides the City Council an early opportunity to weigh in on a project and indicate what their priorities are during the City's negotiation process. It is a critical step for Staff and developers to gauge the Council's level of interest and goals while the project is still being developed. Concept plan reviews are an informal step in the process. They are considered advisory and are non-bonding for the City and the application. No Council action is being requested as part of the concept review process. Instead,the developer will receive the input from the Council, and, based on that, determine whether to proceed with a full formal application and review process. Ms. Beekman stated the Opportunity Site Study Area is approximately 80 acres north of Bass Lake Road and West of State Highway 100. The City has been thinking about the area for 20 years. In the early 2000s, there was a study done in partnership with the Metropolitan Council. It intended to look at how aging retail was a challenge for the community and introduce value-adding opportunities. The 2002 Calthorpe Study introduced a concept of a mixed-use walkable town center as a vision for the area. Ms. Beekman explained the plan was further refined in 2006 as the City created a master plan for the area. The master plan identified a series of redevelopment concepts and design guidelines. The 2006 plan continued to support the vision of the area as an opportunity for a cohesive mixed- use neighborhood and City center. Ms. Beekman stated the Council updated the 2030 Comprehensive Plan in 2007 and included the Opportunity Site Master Plan and Development Guidelines. They acknowledged the fiscal challenges of land assemblage and the economic viability of implementing the plan given the current market conditions. The planning stalled out in 2008 during the recession. During that time,the Economic Development Authority began assembling land in the area. The City has been able to acquire 44 acres of the Opportunity Site. Ms. Beekman stated there have been several development concepts brought forward. Those have not moved forward for various reasons, such as financial feasibility or misalignment with the City's vision of a mixed-use town center. In 2018, the City invited master developers to propose concepts for the 35 acres of City-owned land on the south half of the Opportunity Site. Three concepts were received, and, in April 2018, the City entered into a Preliminary Development Agreement with developer Alatus that would allow them time to develop a master plan for the EDA-owned 35 acres within the Opportunity Site and to conduct due diligence on an initial phase of that development. Ms. Beekman noted the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan included the creation of guided land use of transit-oriented development. The land-use policy is driving the conversation of introducing more housing types, more density for more walkability, and connection to existing facilities. Ms. Beekman stated by early 2019, Alatus had refined their overall concept for the site, and the City took the lead on the master planning work and expanded the focus to the full 80 acres. Altus 12/13/21 -2- began to hone in on implementing an initial phase of development. The City engaged Bolton & Menk and the Cunningham Group to update the 2006 Master Plan. Ms. Beekman stated in June 2021, the Council adopted the Opportunity Site Master Plan Infrastructure Framework which set the overall vision for the area and outlined four major areas of the overall plan: transportation and access network, parks and open space network, land use plan, and stormwater plan. Once the current phase of community engagement is completed, the work will be incorporated into an Opportunity Site implementation phase,which will complete the Opportunity Site master planning work. Ms. Beekman explained the Master Plan is significantly different than development applications. A master plan is a big picture, the values-driven plan that will inform the development of a future downtown Brooklyn Center. It is a guiding vision for community goals, principles, and benefits that future development should support. It does not grant permission to build on the site, nor does it specify developers. Approving a master plan means the community agrees to a shared vision for the area that will guide future development. A development application includes much more detail and required City documents covering what a developer would build on a site if approved. Ms. Beekman stated the community engagement process has revealed several themes for the project reflecting the values of the community: diversity and inclusivity, affordability, health and wellness, fiscal responsibility, flexibility, community pride, environmental sustainability, local benefit, and counteracting displacement. Ms. Beekman explained the Master Plan is a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood built out through multiple phases of development. The plan includes mixed-density housing, community-driven, affordable incubator markets for local entrepreneurs, outdoor recreation, pocket parks, playgrounds, a park and trail network, public infrastructure, and civic spaces. Earlier versions showed a theater or hotel with the point being entertainment opportunities as driven by the market. There will be opportunities for new retail, restaurants, and grocery with an emphasis on local, smaller-scale establishments and sports and recreation. There is also the potential for some office and light industrial spaces depending on the market. There are goals around the number of units and a certain percentage of affordable housing with further refined affordability bands. Additionally, there is a focus on affordable commercial spaces. Ms. Beekman stated the concept review up for discussion is a smaller portion of the Opportunity Site at the corner of Shingle Creek Parkway and Bass Lake Road. The project team has expanded since the last presentation. Over the last year,Alatus has formally partnered with Project for Pride in Living and Resurrecting Faith World Ministries on the development project. Design by MELO and BKV Group is working on the design portion of the project. Ms. Beekman explained the Pilot Site Development Plan includes 744 housing units, 289 being market-rate, 205 designated as mixed-income units, meaning a little over half of the units would be income-restricted, and 250 units would be affordable where the units would be restricted for those earning 30 to 60 percent of the City's area median income. There is an emphasis on family housing and units with three or four bedrooms. Also included is a community event center, a childcare center, mental health and therapy suites, barbershop and small business suites, 12/13/21 -3- entrepreneurial incubator controlled by the Economic Development Authority, a partnership with Three Rivers Park District for a multi-acre park, a public plaza, and a flex street to allow for more gathering. Ms. Beekman stated NEOO Partners leading the work of community engagement, and African Career, Education & Resource has been overseeing the Citizen Advisory Taskforce. Currently, they are working on round two of engagement, which was somewhat paused due to COVID-19. The Citizen Advisory Taskforce is receiving the community engagement information. Ms. Beekman stated as for the next steps, they will continue to engage with community partners. The development team will host a series of community-wide events, further collaborate with the Citizen Advisory Taskforce on negotiated community benefits agreements,and develop a site plan. There will also be an environmental review done. The entrepreneurial incubator implementation plan is in the works, and there is an upcoming formal land-use review that will go through the Planning Commission and City Council. Finally,a financing plan and a public subsidy application will be reviewed. Chris Osmundson, Director of Development with Alatus, explained they have tried to incorporate input from the community feedback. He noted the Opportunity Site is in a federal mandate zone. In 2018, Alatus created a potential plan. Since then, they changed the development partnership team to include Resurrecting Faith World Ministries. Resurrecting Faith World Ministries has promoted a campus-style development with goals to gather a diverse community together in a safe and pleasurable environment, to unify a diversified community with services and entertainment, to meet the affordable housing needs of the Brooklyn Center community,to provide an affordable and excellent 24-hour child care and learning center for Brooklyn Center,and to provide affordable services in the campus-style community development. It would serve residents of the Opportunity Site and the greater Brooklyn Center community. The core focus was overall wellness. Mr. Osmundson added they have also been partnering with Project for Pride in Living, an organization that specializes in affordable housing developments around the Twin Cities. The organization's mission is to build the hope, assets, and self-reliance of individuals and families who have lower incomes by providing transformative affordable housing and career readiness services. The three organizations have since been working together to gather community feedback. Mr. Osmundson noted in 2019, there were four community workshops with discussions. Since then and as different development sponsors have been brought on, they have had regular virtual meetings. They have talked about the plan, safety, and accountability on the site, how it can be a better place, and involving those that have not been engaged in the past. The developers have also had meetings with community stakeholders such as the Liberian Business Association and Minnesota Zej Zog. They have been introduced to the Citizen Advisory Task Force and hosted a recent in-person event at the Community Center for the public. Both Brooklyn Center and Alatus have websites with more information about the forthcoming development for the public to access. Mr. Osmundson noted benefits of the project such as an increased tax base, benefit to community schools, new parks, and recreation amenities, increased shopping, dining and entertainment options, more housing options, spaces for local businesses, and water quality improvements to 12/13/21 -4- Shingle Creek. Four guiding principles emerged over several community workshops that reinforce a sense of community pride in Brooklyn Center. The principles include embracing the growing diversity of the community,producing places that bring the community together, creating a vibrant and distinctive destination for the community and region, and considering sustainability in the design of the development. As noted by Ms. Beekman, the community engagement process has revealed several themes for the project reflecting the values of the community such as diversity and inclusivity, affordability, health and wellness, fiscal responsibility, flexibility, community pride, environmental sustainability, local benefit, and counteracting displacement. Mr. Osmundson explained the developer team has worked through the feedback to translate it into action items. Alatus LLC was originally the sole developer sponsor, but it became clear they would not be able to provide the diverse and specialized project needed for Brooklyn Center without additional sponsors. They decided to partner on the Pilot Site with Project for Pride in Living and Resurrecting Faith World Ministries. The original proposal was predominantly market- rate housing, but feedback showed a desire for a housing spectrum that is more representative of community standards. The new plan is to include housing that is one-third market rate, one-third mixed-income units, meaning a little over half of the units would be income-restricted, and one- third affordable units where the units would be restricted by 30 to 60 percent of the City's area median income. Mr. Osmundson noted there was an initial emphasis on hospitality and theater entertainment district. Community feedback revealed that local businesses have been priced out by larger entities, and that showed the need for an entrepreneurial business incubator to be owned and programmed via community stakeholders,the City, and the Citizen Advisory Task Force. Alatus and Brooklyn Center were engaged in a development agreement, and they needed a document that holds development sponsors accountable to the needs and requests of the community so long as feasible. This led to the creation of the Citizen Advisory Task Force, a community benefits framework, and a community benefits agreement for the Opportunity Site. Mr. Osmundson explained the original vision of the Opportunity Site was a downtown destination center. The Pilot Site and Opportunity Site need to create tangible benefits and opportunities for all community members. The campus-oriented development proposal responds to the need and includes complimentary uses such as housing, gathering, and event space with daycare, wellness, and therapy offerings, and a focus on local businesses. Mr. Osmundson noted they have done outdoor peacemaking and have partnered with the Three Rivers District to create a multi-acre green space. In addition to the things they have already integrated, there are more items to discuss with the Citizen Advisory Task Force related to the level of affordability,contracting choices,the target population for housing,incorporation of urban agriculture component, and a community-led design process for the incubator and plaza spaces. ADJOURN STUDY SESSION TO INFORMAL OPEN FORUM WITH CITY COUNCIL Hearing no objections, the Study Session adjourned at 6:48 p.m. 12/13/21 -5- STATE OF MINNESOTA) COUNTY OF HENNEPIN) ss. Certification of Minutes CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER) The undersigned,being the duly qualified and appointed City Clerk of the City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, certifies: 1. That attached hereto is a full,true,and complete transcript of the minutes of a Study Session of the City Council of the City of Brooklyn Center held on December 13, 2021. 2. That said meeting was held pursuant to due call and notice thereof and was duly held at Brooklyn Center City Hall. 3. That the City Council adopted said minutes at its January 10, 2022, Regular Session. klitOkti4 City Clerk Mayor 12/13/21 -6-