11-24-03 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 24, 2003 Ms. Jennifer Hughes, Economic Development Division, 12th Floor, County -City Building, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Ms. Hughes advised that this Resolution is the third step in the process of designating a new Development Area for the City of South Bend. She noted that there are currently five (5) Development Areas and this will be the sixth such area which is the Northeast Neighborhood Development Area. Ms. Hughes noted that a Declaratory Resolution was passed by the Redevelopment Commission on November 17th approving a Development Area Plan for this neighborhood. On November 18th a Resolution was passed by the Area Plan Commission of St. Joseph County which signifies that this Plan is in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan for the County. The statute now requires that this Plan and the Resolution come before the Common Council for approval before the process can continue. With the approval of the Council, with any amendments, a Confirming Resolution will come before the Redevelopment Commission on December 19th at which time a Public Hearing will be held before the Redevelopment Commission is asked to take final action. Ms. Hughes noted that the area affected by this Plan is approximately six hundred sixteen (616) acres in size with its boundaries being the St. Joseph River to the west, Twyckenham Drive to the east, Napoleon and the current South Bend City limit boundary to the north and LaSalle to the south. She noted that Map #8 in the Development Area Plan outlines the boundaries of the area and also illustrates some sub areas that have been identified in the Plan for strategic economic development strategies. Ms. Hughes noted that improvements to State Road 23 and five (5) points include some commercial development and neighborhood scaled mixed use development. The potential reuse of the St. Joseph's Medical Center site, and the growth of the Madison Center campus at its periphery are all major components of the Plan as well as some home ownership preservation strategies and targeted housing redevelopment. Ms. Hughes noted that the strategic Revitalization Plan calls for a renewed social center and a commercial node at the center of the neighborhood which is missing. She stated that a lot of the residents miss the commercial opportunities and being able to walk to a neighborhood store for convenience. Also, revitalization of Eddy Street is called for in this Plan as well as clean up of the street scape and uniform setbacks. These are the principals that have been incorporated into the Redevelopment Plan. Ms. Hughes noted that the neighborhood residents have had a great deal of input into the Plan beginning in 1998. This Plan also calls for a renewed emphasis on partnerships with the institutions in the neighborhood including the University of Notre Dame, Madison Center and Memorial Hospital. The creation of the northeast neighborhood revitalization organization has been strongly influential in this process in working hand in hand with the City in what can only be described as a very commendable partnership process and a model to go forward with. Ms. Hughes noted that the neighborhood institutions that are currently present at five (5) points have been working with this process in making sure that these institutions will remain. These include Perley Elementary School, the First AME Zion Church and the Robinson Center which are all critical to the identity of the neighborhood. They also wanted to make sure that this neighborhood still looks like the northeast neighborhood and they will introduce the incremental changes that will make it a better neighborhood for everyone. They fell that they have done this and have gotten a great deal of neighborhood support, have done a lot of consensus building and have taken the time to do it right. Ms. Hughes asked for the Council's favorable approval of this Resolution and noted that the Plan will then proceed to the Redevelopment Commission for final action. Councilmember Varner asked for a clarification in that State Road 23 is part of this Plan although the decisions on that area have not been made. He noted that one of the concerns expressed to him is that the creation of this area allows for eminent domain proceeding. He stated that he wanted to make sure that this document does not make it easier for the state or some entity to take property. Ms. Hughes responded that actually they are two (2) separate issues. She noted that this Plan creates a redevelopment area which carries with it those powers. The state's decision however is it's own and will come with it's own relocation guidelines. Every development area or redevelopment area that is set forth comes with uniform relocation policies that are aimed to be fair across the board. She stated that they would hope that people who are impacted in any way would choose to locate in la 1 1 F-�