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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996.1118.TCSM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS (410 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL NOVEMBER 18, 1996 A public meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council was convened and called to order by Mayor Miles at 6:30 P.M., Monday, November 18, 1996, in the Fountain Hills Town Hall Council Chambers, located at 16836 E. Palisades Blvd., Building B, Fountain Hills, Arizona. Present for the meeting were Mayor Jerry Miles, Vice Mayor Don Lawrence,Councilmen Bill O'Brien,Sid Apps,Pen Mower,Al Poma,and Councilwoman Marianne Wiggishoff. Town Manager Paul Nordin,Town Clerk Cassie Hansen, Town Attorney Bill Farrell, Town Engineer Randy Harrel and Director of Community Development Gary Jeppson were also present. The Community Center Advisory Committee members present were Chairman Walt Franklin, Peg Tibbetts, Tom Mann, Dana Saar, Ken and Evelyn Breting, Judy Dragiewicz, Shirley Curry, Ken Creta, Ray Baldwin and Larry Meyers. AGENDA ITEM#2 - DISCUSSION OF THE MANAGER'S 1996-97 PROPOSED PROGRAM OF WORK. Town Manager Nordin asked the Council if they would meet individually with him prior to the November 21st Council meeting to discuss the proposed Program of Work. He stated he would prepare a finalized report and place this matter on the Consent Agenda for the Council meeting. AGENDA ITEM #3 - PRESENTATION BY ARCHITECT ROB DIETZ OF HOFMANN-DIETZ ARCHITECTS,LTD.ON THE DOWNTOWN PLAN INCLUDING CIRCULATION PLANS AND REVISED DRAWINGS ON THE PROPOSED CIVIC CENTER SITE. Town Manager Paul Nordin reviewed the history of discussions regarding the downtown center plans. He reported that discussions had begun in 1989 before the incorporation of the Town and that the 1992 Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan had contained a number of options concerning the location of the civic center. He further stated that MCO had funded approximately $100,000 for map plans for a downtown location of the proposed civic center. He pointed out that the public had expressed their opinions in many ways but that the most common response was that the people wanted the community center to be the focal point of a downtown plan. Mr. Rob Dietz presented two concepts of plans for a downtown civic center in three phases of development. The first phase of option #1 centered the civic center building at the intersection of Avenue of the Fountains and La Montana, included an outdoor amphitheater area, and provided for street improvements and landscaping themes for the Avenue of the Fountains with narrowed-down street widths. He stated the balance between vehicular and pedestrian traffic was addressed by the re-routing of Avenue of the Fountains to connect to La Montana. He said the first phase of option #2 included the location of the community center off the access of the Avenue of the Fountains, but facing the intersection of La Montana. Phase#2 of option#1 and#2 provided for construction of a library building south and west of the community center. Phase #3 of option #1 provided for an indoor mall or an outdoor courtyard which would be shared between the library and the Town Hall/Police building. He said quality commercial development would be encouraged at this stage with incentives such as shared costs for parking lots, etc. Phase #3 of option #2 provided for a Town Hall building located on El Lago and La Montana. He suggested a natural pathway be developed which would lead Minutes of the Special Session of the Town Council 11/18/96 Page 1 of 4 pedestrians from Fountain Park up to Avenue of the Fountains. Mr. Dietz presented a traffic flow proposal even though a traffic study had not been completed. He suggested single lane, one-way traffic on the Avenue of the Fountains would provide a loop through the business area. He advised the Town to complete a traffic study. Mayor Miles suggested the completion of a semi-circle route around the community center to allow traffic to enter and exit onto Avenue of the Fountains at La Montana. Mr. Dietz said he favored the suggestion. He said the entire 15 acres would be graded and grass would be planted in areas for future development. Tom Mann asked if the location of the community center at the intersection of Avenue of the Fountains and La Montana would restrict future expansion of the building. Mr. Dietz answered that the routing of traffic around the building would have some impact and that future expansion possibilities of the building should be provided for the future. Councilman Apps asked about parking on the Avenue of the Fountains. Mr. Dietz said diagonal parking would be maintained. Town Engineer Randy Harrel stated traffic flow counts were being conducted this week. Councilman Apps said he was concerned about the parking plans for the existing business merchants. Walt Franklin asked about the accessibility of future parking areas not connected to Avenue of the Fountains. Mr. Dietz said alternatives for parking would include purchases of additional property. Councilwoman Wiggishoff asked if considerations to create an atmosphere to encourage pedestrians to stay in the downtown area had been weighed rather than emphasizing continuous traffic flow. Mr.Dietz said he had envisioned a glass lobbyway in the community center as a visual attraction to the building. Councilman Poma said previous discussions had also included the location of the civic center at Verde River and 41111, Avenue of the Fountains. Councilman Mower pointed out that parking close to the community center would not be possible if the semi-circle connecting route was developed. Mr. Dietz suggested future studies could provide for the radius of the roadway to be extended out and further away from the building to allow parking areas. AGENDA ITEM#4-PRESENTATION/UPDATE BY COMMUNITY CENTER ADVISORY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN WALT FRANKLIN ON THE NEW COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT. Walt Franklin said the Committee had not been delegated to decide upon specific site selections but encouraged the Council to select a location where the community center would be a focal point of the downtown commercial activities. He presented a schedule of October 1995 activities that depicted the types and times of usage at the current community center and other activities in the Town that could have been located at the community center if the facility had been larger in size. He showed an overhead of a wish list that demonstrated the types of activities desired to be located at the community center. Some of these activities included social services,kindercare,isolated lounge area for youth,cinema club, computer club,cooking and exercise classes, and limited and moderate physical activities. Mr. Franklin stated that the committee had promoted the community center to primarily accommodate family and local group activities and that business activities could create revenue for the Town as a secondary complement to the facility. He said the construction budget was originally targeted to be between 4.5 and 6 million dollars. Architectural Advisory Committee, which consisted of Tom Mann, Dana Saar and Ken Breting, had completed verbal specifications for the community center which would include many areas and uses. Mr. Franklin described the following uses: administrative offices, counseling, conference and board rooms, computer resource center,arts and crafts classrooms,fitness and dance areas as well as social areas. He noted the importance of mixing both youth and older people in activities. He reported that a banquet,meeting and major event facility with dividers could accommodate between 400-500 people and the lobby area could provide an overflow area for up to 100 Minutes of the Special Session of the Town Council 11/18/96 Page 2 of 4 additional people. He stated that since 70%of the current community center activities involved eating that a catering kitchen would be included in the specifications with the potential for a full service kitchen planned for the future. He said an art gallery area would be an integral part of the lobby and entry way and would be located in a major portion of the building. Additional support facilities for ticket sales,restroom,mechanical room and adequate storage areas would also figure into the specifications. Mr.Franklin indicated that the Committee had heartily recommended the inclusion of a center for performing arts with an multi-use auditorium and stage in the community center building. He said this area was ardently discussed and included as one of the most important elements of the center. He said half of the 12,500 square feet would be allocated for seating and the other half for a stage and backstage area. The schedule presented by Ray Baldwin's group indicated that 10% of the funds should be set aside upon the start of the design process and by the time construction began, the total of all funds should be in place. Mr. Franklin stated that the next step in the process would be to select an architect for preliminary design of the community center. He urged the Council to proceed as soon as possible and that a 6-9 month head start could occur if the schedule was currently started. Mayor Miles pointed out that the cost estimates presented by Mr. Franklin only represented the community center building and its interior. Additional costs for landscaping and additional property for parking lots were not included. Councilman O'Brien thanked MCO for working with the Town concerning a location for the community center. He suggested the location be centered at the intersection of Verde River Drive and Avenue of the Fountains at the southwest corner. Vice Mayor Lawrence stated he was opposed to alternate routes around the community center building and that the rush of traffic would deter the effectiveness of the facility as a focal point on the Avenue of the Fountains. He said the synergism of activities would be completed if the facility was located in the intersection which would close off Avenue of the Fountains and create a book-end type appearance, the other end being Fountain Park. Mayor Miles stated the Council would be considering the location of the community center at the next regular Council Meeting on November 21st. AGENDA ITEM#5-PURSUANT TO A.R.S.38-431.03.A.7;AND A.R.S.38-432.03.A.3;VOTE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR DISCUSSION OR CONSULTATION WITH DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC BODY IN ORDER TO CONSIDER ITS POSITION AND INSTRUCT ITS REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE PURCHASE OR LEASE OF REAL PROPERTY; AND FOR DISCUSSIONS OR CONSULTATION FOR LEGAL ADVICE WITH THE ATTORNEY OR ATTORNEYS OF THE PUBLIC BODY; RESPECTIVELY. Councilman Mower MOVED to go into Executive Session. Councilwoman Wiggishoff SECONDED the motion which CARRIED unanimously. Mayor Miles recessed the Special Session at 8:15 p.m. AGENDA ITEM #6 - RETURN TO SPECIAL SESSION. Mayor Miles reconvened the Special Session of the Town Council at 8:45 p.m. Minutes of the Special Session of the Town Council 11/18/96 Page 3 of 4 AGENDA ITEM #7 - CALL TO THE PUBLIC. Reldon Schirch thanked the Council for opening the dialog to the public. Phyllis Kern suggested the civic center location be moved to Verde River Drive and urged the Council not to close the Avenue of the Fountains. Jerry Kirkendall said he would speak at the next Council meeting and that he was still opposed to the closure of the Avenue of the Fountains. AGENDA ITEM #8 - ADJOURNMENT. Mayor Miles adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS By: J Miles, Mayor A 1"1hST: ( tL 1)2 Cassie B. Hansen, Town Clerk c PREPARED BY: Linda D. Lemmen, Administrative Assistant CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Special Session Meeting held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills on the 18th day of November, 1996. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 5th day of December, 1996. Cassie B. Hansen, Town Clerk Minutes of the Special Session of the Town Council 11/18/96 Page 4 of 4