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City Council Minutes <br />September 4, 2018 <br />Page 3 <br />study of the historic nature completed by the HRA and Historic Preservation <br />Committee analyzed the downtown buildings in 2002 but they were not considered <br />historic according to the National Park Service standards. She stated the next steps <br />would be to work on obtaining site control using an assumable option agreement <br />with a developer who would pay that cost later in the project. Sending out a RFQ for <br />developers to share their vision and suggest their goals based on the <br />frameworks/plans we have established would afford the city the flexibility and <br />follow our requirements of what we would like to see in the downtown. <br />Mr. Galli asked for comments regarding the redevelopment from 15 years ago and if <br />it was successful. <br />Mayor Dietz stated he felt the redevelopment from 15 years ago was a good idea but <br />the recession hit as soon as it began. He stated some recently purchased both <br />buildings and they are viable, and the main goal for both of those buildings was to <br />bring more people downtown. Perhaps it wasn't a total success at the time but it <br />seems now to be a successful project. <br />Mr. Galli stated the density has helped a lot. He doesn't think the downtown needs <br />more density. He stated there will be considerable costs to business owners even if <br />they receive funds to fix their businesses and how would the business remain viable <br />during construction. <br />Mayor Dietz stated that would be something to consider and businesses would need <br />to plan for during this project. <br />Chair Toth asked Mr. Galli if he felt there was adequate parking in downtown today. <br />Mr. Galli stated aside from the Thursdays when the Farmers Market occupies the <br />entire Jackson Avenue parking lot, he does feel there's adequate parking downtown. <br />Chair Toth asked the question because he's hearing from people stating there aren't <br />enough parking spots as employees are using them. <br />Ms. Othoudt stated this project could potentially help with parking concerns but <br />noting the time constraints, she asked if the council had enough information to <br />move forward with the process of obtaining site control through an assumable <br />option agreement and send out an RFQ to seek requests from developers to provide <br />their vision and goals. <br />Councihnember Wagner stated she was not sold on the redevelopment project idea <br />and stated there were too many unanswered questions. She stated a more concrete <br />direction was required by city members to determine what they want this area to <br />look like and not receive that information from a developer. <br />Commissioner Chuba supports going to the next step as proposed by Ms. Othoudt, <br />noting they weren't developers. <br />PRMERII RI <br />Ih1ATU I T <br />