73rd Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting
January 27, 2011
11:00 a.m.
City Hall
Members Present:Chairman Rick Buckner, David Warner, Mark Phillips, Dean Infinger, Ron Anderson
Members Absent: Joseph Bagwell and Ron Henderson
Staff Present: Jeff Molinari, Assistant City Administrator and Daniel Ben-Yisrael, Planning Director
I. Call to Order - Chairman Rick Buckner
Mr. Buckner called the meeting to order at 11:10 a.m.
II. Approval of Minutes:
Mr. Infinger made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 14, 2010, meeting. Mr. Phillips seconded the motion. Hearing no discussion, Mr. Buckner called for a vote. All in favor, none opposed. Motion carried.
III. Discussion - CRDA Board Membership:
Mr. Molinari stated they have had several discussions over the past two years about the Charleston Regional Development Alliance and their revised governance model. He stated at the time of the revision in 2009, Mr. Buckner was sitting on the Board of the Alliance and the City of Goose Creek was the lone dissenting vote regarding the proposed "pay-to-play" model. Mr. Molinari stated that as the largest municipality in Berkeley County, the City of Goose Creek was already paying a per capita rate to be a member of the Alliance, and objected to paying an additional $10,000.00 membership fee. He stated members of City Council were interested in exploring the possibility of becoming a part of the Alliance. Mr. Molinari stated he had coordinated a meeting between City representatives and David Ginn from the CRDA to discuss the benefits a membership to the Alliance would bring to the City. He stated after the meeting, the EDAC would deliberate and ultimately decide to make a recommendation to City Council to participate on the Alliance board. There was a brief discussion regarding the benefits of having representation on the board.
Commercial Buffer Zones:
Mr. Molinari introduced Daniel Ben-Yisrael, Planning Director, who has been working closely with the Planning Commission to update the City's buffer ordinance. Mr. Molinari stated the current zoning ordinance required a minimum fifteen (15) foot buffer between incompatible uses, and the Planning Commission was attempting to add substance to the ordinance as well as protect existing residential subdivisions when new development occurs. Mr. Molinari stated he would provide committee members with a draft ordinance in order to provide feedback from the business community. He stated there was no definite timeline for bringing the ordinance before City Council and anticipated a revised ordinance would be submitted mid-year.
Mr. Ben-Yisrael stated the existing section of the zoning ordinance stipulating a 15' buffer was found to be inadequate when applied to a commercial application abutting a residential neighborhood. He stated there were several instances throughout the City where the buffer had proven to be inadequate; the ultimate goal was to provide adequate protection for the residential and commercial property owners by balancing the impacts of the different types of land uses. He stated the Planning Commission expressed interest in mandating buffers between land uses as well as street buffers in front of commercial establishments. Mr. Ben-Yisrael stated the Planning Commission understood the benefits of aesthetics, but did not want to unduly impact commercial property owners by having too much of a buffer. Mr. Ben-Yisrael requested the Committee review the information he provided and make recommendations for changes to the proposed ordinance. Mr. Buckner stated the Committee should consider the impact the changes would have on existing commercial businesses, as well as gather the opinions from property owners on what they think the buffer should be. Mr. Ben-Yisrael stated the Planning Commission was crafting the ordinance to be as site-specific as possible in order to maintain flexibility with property owners. He stated there were several options to soften visual impact, and it was not the intention of the ordinance to require a screen that would mask storefronts or negatively impact businesses. There was a brief discussion regarding the proposed buffer ordinance. Mr. Buckner stated the committee should keep the needs of the business owner in mind, in order not to give the impression that the City is difficult to conduct business with. He requested a digital copy of the proposed document be sent to all of the members of the committee in order to review it thoroughly and provide feedback.
Comprehensive Plan Update:
Mr. Molinari stated that the effort to update the Comprehensive Plan has been going on for two (2) years, and he appreciated Chairman Buckner willingness to be actively engaged as the representative of the EDAC on the Steering Committee. Mr. Ben-Yisrael stated since reviewing the feedback from the EDAC, the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee had developed an Economic Development element to the Comprehensive Plan. He stated the main focus of the Comprehensive Plan was to outline the goals and objectives and the steps to accomplishing the goals. He stated the focus of the EDAC element of the plan was small business development, recruitment and retention. Mr. Ben-Yisrael stated each of the broad goals in the section included a policy statement, as well as specific steps necessary to implement each goal and policies. Mr. Ben-Yisrael stated after City Council adopted the document, it was their prerogative to identify the lead parties and assign tasks. He stated the document listed persons who collaborated with developing the document, in order to determine what resources were needed to achieve the stated goals. He stated there were several elements not found in the Economic Development section, because for one reason or another, fit better in another element of the plan.
Downtown Redevelopment:
Mr. Molinari stated the Central Avenue redevelopment project was projected to be completed in spring of 2011. The majority of the subsurface drainage was already in place and significant portions of the sidewalks have been installed. He stated the project has been a grueling process because of the contractor and utility contract conflict issues, but it was gratifying to see the project take shape. Mr. Molinari stated the final touches to the project, such as planting trees and installing decorative lighting, should be finished in the spring. He stated the redevelopment was a strong first step in the effort of City to create an identity for itself. Mr. Molinari stated City Council awarded the contract for the redevelopment of Thomason Boulevard to AOS Contractors, Columbia SC, to begin working in April 2011. He stated there is a wider right-of-way on Thomason Boulevard, so the City would not need to secure temporary construction easements, which would make the project easier than the Central Avenue project. He stated Banks Construction had begun construction on the Highway 52 landscaping project after the New Year, and they anticipated to be completed in mid-March.
IV. Chairman's Time:
Mr. Buckner stated the EDAC should continue efforts to make the City easy to do business with. He stated new businesses should have access to all of the forms and procedures, as well as information to other utilities and entities involved with business relocation, on the City's Web site. He stated although City staff is familiar with the process, and perceives it as easy, new business owners only go through the process once to receive a business license. Mr. Buckner stated the City has large economic development perspective through the Alliance, and should have small economic perspectives through the Web site. Mr. Phillips inquired if a survey had been conducted to see what issues small business owners had with starting a business. Mr. Buckner stated any business owner in the City would be able to attest how the difficult or easy the process was.
V. Comments from Staff:
Mr. Molinari stated The City of Goose Creek had been named "The Best Place to Raise Kids in South Carolina" by Business Week Magazine. He stated there was also a favorable article in the Post and Courier about the changing dynamic of Goose Creek.
VI. Adjournment:
Hearing nothing further, Mr. Anderson made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Phillips seconded the motion. All in favor, none opposed. Meeting adjourned 12:52 p.m.
Minutes approved and adopted: Rick Buckner, Chairman
Date: April 27, 2011
