12-13-10 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING DECEMBER 13, 2010 Councilmember Henry Davis stated that he would still like to have a resolution or something in writing. He thanked Mayor Luecke for the offer but would like to have the Council needs to take care of that business rather than administration or outside forces. Councilmember Oliver Davis stated that he would follow up with Councilmember White request and Councilmember Varner’s suggestion to write a letter to the Redevelopment Commission asking for the Council to have an appointment to the Architectural Review Board, per Mayor Luecke’s commitment. Councilmember Henry Davis stated that it was not Councilmember Oliver Davis’ place, that it was the Chairperson of the Zoning and Annexation Committee. Councilmember Al “Buddy” Kirsits, Chairperson, Zoning and Annexation Committee stated that he understands Councilmember Henry Davis’ concern and asked Chief Deputy City Attorney Aladean DeRose could they make an amendment to the PUD on page 21 regarding the Architectural Review Board. Ms. DeRose advised that they could amend the PUD to include on page 21 (c) to include: An Architectural Review Board (“ARB”) shall be established for Ignition Park to include an appointment from the South Bend Common Council. Councilmember Henry Davis, Jr. insisted that a resolution or an attachment be drawn up requesting that the Council has an appointment to the Architectural Review Board. Councilmember Henry Davis, Jr. stated that he would make a motion requesting that the Council has an appointment to the Architectural Review Board at the end of the presentation. Mr. Valenzano continued his presentation stating that what they tried to do with the PUD is to establish rezoning for the 84 acres or main portion called Ignition Park. 1. The other areas 2, 3, and 4 combined with that could lead up to a combined park area up to 140 acres. The uses that they have identified for area 1 which is the main part are basically three groupings: 1. Educational uses being colleges, universities or commercial trade schools. 2. Industrial uses primarily featuring engineering or research lab proto- type facilities and testing facilities; 3. Corporate offices and other professional type offices. Those are three main ideas that are proposed here. There are some support uses or accessory uses such as a conference center and some retail uses. Within the PUD they have established some development standards that have an urban feel to them. The provide protection to the park itself and the surrounding developments such as set backs that will be provided and landscaping. They also provide protection from the surrounding areas within the park. They have standards set up that deal with the building set backs, site landscaping, deal with access to the overall park, parking, loading, lighting, and size. The idea is to set up regulations that are stringent around the perimeter so that just like any zoning ordinance you are protecting yourself from the outside and the outside from the inside, but also be flexible enough on the interior of the site so that you get a true campus feel as this project grows over time and have all those areas properly protected. He reiterated that Areas 2, 3, and 4 are not included in this rezoning at the present time, but they have tried to do is plan ahead as the Redevelopment Commission buys property in areas 2, 3, and 4 and reach that critical mass for redevelopment they can be brought in and attached to the same document with a new legal description and everything can fit together like hand and glove and that is the whole idea of what they are trying to do for the entire 140 acres and give specific zoning on the 84 acres at this point in time. He stated that the whole reason for doing this is to establish a high tech research park feel for Ignition Park. With all the amenities that are needed to be in place to create what everyone says is so desirable as the live, work, play environment, they feel that this is necessary to attract new businesses, new jobs to the City of South Bend within this park. He stated that they chose a PUD to do this because to be very honest, the uses that they are talking about going into Ignition Park, could go into the Park under General Industrial classification, but there are a ton of other uses that could come into the park under General Industrial classification. He reiterated that they have limited uses that 5