11-14-16 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 14, 2016 It does not seem unreasonable to come to the City Council and ask for a public meeting, have public input and hear from the neighbors on this issue. We have had fifty (50) some letters of public support, mostly from people living in the neighborhood. Of the people who spoke against the project today, one (1) person lives in the immediate neighborhood, one (1) person lives a block off of Eddy Street, and everybody else either lives out of state or not in this neighborhood. This project has a lot of community support and from the neighborhood organization of the area. It also has support of the business owners and leaders of downtown. Going through the process of asking the Council made the most sense and it gave the Council more control than if we just changed the height limit. We need a path that developers can go through and the PUD is a great path because we have to say what we have to do and provide a site plan. There are a lot of commitments we had to make in the application process which binds our project to what we said we were going to do. If the limit is just blanket raised, the City Council and community loses that control. That is why this was the right path. Chairperson Ferlic stated that each Councilmember will have an opportunity to speak and then a motion will be entertained. Councilmember Williams- Preston thanked everyone for sticking around so late into the night and sharing their thoughts. She. stated she has not spoken to a person on the Council that is against the development but what we know is we have to take the time to make sure the process is handled in the expectation of the law. We do need to shepherd this growth in the right way. It is also important to honor the decisions of people made before us. There are laws that are guiding this process and we do have things we have to abide by. She stated Mr. Mathews is brilliant and kind and has demonstrated his commitment to our community, there is no denying that. One (1) thing that people didn't say though is that he is also very tough and we are scrutinizing his project because it is our job and he can take it. This process is important to make sure we get this right. This issue of the young professionals is interesting and it is important we did hear from some who buck the trend a bit. She thanked the teacher who came because she sees a lot of Millennials who may not afford this development. We have to make sure we don't rush into something because there are people in her neighborhood who are not seeing this growth or see themselves in these plans. Something that feels like it is low income is not necessarily affordable. We have to have more conversations as a community to demonstrate what true affordable housing is. She stated she will stop talking about this issue when the developers start talking about this issue. She stated she is not sure tonight has been a true representation of everybody and the people she is supposed to represent. Young Millennials have stated they want a diverse community in terms of race, education, income, and thought. It is important that while we do this amazing development that we are also paying attention that we have a space for the people who live here now and the majority of whom would not be able to live in those. spaces. We want to see this amazing revitalization, which is happening in other cities, but we need to do it in an equitable fashion. Hand in hand with these great developments we need to make sure we come up with some practical measures to keep that in mind. Gentrification is real and it will happen if we don't pay attention but we can have revitalization without displacement. Let's make that commitment together. Councilmember Randy Kelly stated the 2008 East Bank Master Plan is a very good plan and he knows a number of the people who worked on it. He stated it is a guide to our future. The plan called for about $90 million in private investment by 2016. We have not gotten there at this point. It also called for a technology and medical corridor to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center which would be a very long corridor now as they moved to Mishawaka. The plan can morph and change with changing times. To that end, the viability of this project will be born out in whether it can get financed and the details to come. He stated he supports this proposal. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated in many ways this has not been a big enough process. We have to get it right and make sure the how matches the outcome. Impulsing developers and doing research with urban planners in our City, to create unique and viable spaces. There is not a single Councilmember here, who do not want any of the same goals that the remonstrators spoke for nor the folks who spoke in support. We want individuals in houses. We want individuals stopping by cafes, restaurants, and frequenting our parks. Despite that, we have to get it right and 24