61st Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting
January 14, 2008
10:00 a.m.
City Hall
Members Present:
Chairman Rick Buckner
Mayor Pro Tem Joe Daning
Ron Anderson
Joe Bagwell
Dean Infinger
David Warner
Members Absent:
Ron Henderson
Staff Present:
Jeff Molinari, Assistant City Administrator
Press Present:
Jared Goyette – Goose Creek Gazette
I. Call to Order – Chairman Rick Buckner
Mr. Buckner called the meeting to order at 10:09 a.m.
Mr. Buckner introduced and welcomed David Warner, the newest member of the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC). Mr. Warner stated he was pleased to be a new member of the EDAC. He stated he lives in Crowfield and lived in the area for ten (10) years. Mr. Warner stated he presently works at AAI located in the Crowfield Corporate Center.
II. Approval of Minutes:
Mr. Infinger made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 8, 2007, meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Daning seconded the motion. All in favor, none opposed. Motion carried.
III. Restaurant Outlook 2008:
Mr. Molinari stated the owner of St. James Restaurant was in the process with the redevelopment of the restaurant with the addition of a small strip mall. He stated there would be some space for shopping and on the end would be a Dunkin’ Donuts with a drive through window.
Mr. Molinari stated he met with Mr. Derrick Witherspoon of Agent Owned Realty, who played football for Clemson University before moving on to play in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. He stated Mr. Witherspoon was a realtor, but also has investments with other retired NFL players. One of the businesses they invest in is restaurants. He stated they were initially looking at a sports bar/wing type of restaurant in the City, but when Mr. Witherspoon ran his numbers, he stated there just was not an adequate lunch crowd. Mr. Molinari stated it was a little discouraging, but felt Mr. Witherspoon was an excellent contact and was someone who knew the area.
Mr. Molinari commented about the commercial area at Carnes Crossroads and stated he was very optimistic about future prospects for restaurants. He reminded the EDAC that at previous meetings they were shown conceptual renderings of the Carnes Crossroads development and he felt there would be success in bringing restaurants to the area. Mr. Molinari stated he would continue to work with the local and national restaurant chains in the hopes of finding someone interested in coming to the City.
Mr. Infinger stated the obvious problem was due to the lack of population during lunch time and was curious what it would take to correct the problem that so many restaurants had stated as a concern. Mr. Buckner stated it would probably take a few office industries moving into the area. Mr. Infinger inquired if Google would make a difference. Mr. Molinari stated, probably not, and that Google was a self contained business and that the company provided for meals on site.
Mr. Warner inquired if the EDAC has surveyed people who worked in the City as to where they go for lunch. He stated there were three hundred (300) people within the AAI facility. He stated when customers visited AAI, he would have to cater in lunch or go to Summerville or North Charleston. Mr. Buckner stated he was not sure if the City had enough people to survey about lunch.
After some discussion in regard to restaurants currently located within the City and the amount of business they bring in during lunch, Mr. Buckner stated it may be worth getting more information in regard to the traffic flow in and around the City and to present the findings to the South Carolina Restaurant Association. He stated traffic flows pull people in to areas during lunch.
There was a brief discussion concerning Chick-Fil-A wherein Mr. Molinari stated they probably would not be opening until later in the year.
IV. Downtown Redevelopment Update/Role of EDAC:
Mr. Molinari reminded the EDAC that at the last few meetings he showed them a cost breakdown in regard to the scope of services from the Landplan Group South. He stated the first project LPGS was working on was landscaping and drainage improvements along Highway 52, from the intersection of Highway 52, Highway 176 and Red Bank Road all the way up to and past the property referred to as XO Bunch.
He stated City Council and City staff envisioned for the EDAC to serve this year as a review board and to look at the designs and make recommendations to take to City Council to act on. He stated he would like to coordinate a meeting between the EDAC and the principals of Landplan Group South in order to give EDAC members an opportunity to meet them and see some of the initial design work. He stated they would be working on the open spaces which consists of the XO Bunch property (approximately 60 acres) and the Central Park property (approximately 50 acres).
Mr. Buckner inquired what he anticipated the area would look like. Mr. Molinari stated City Council envisioned a combination of walking trails, open meadows and a lake system. Mayor Pro Tem Daning added that City Council looked at the project as being passive recreation, not organized recreation, a place to play some ball, with picnic tables, a lake system, which would help to take care of any drainage issues, hiker biker trails, somewhere that would be totally family oriented and could be enjoyed by all.
There was a brief discussion in regard to security on the hiker/biker trails. Mayor Pro Tem Daning stated that in the summer, when the trails are more active, there are bike patrols riding the trails. Mr. Molinari stated the City’s hiker/biker trails were generally designed to be wide open with no vegetation blocking the view of the trails from the street.
Mr. Buckner inquired if the City was abandoning the idea of having a water feature at the entrance of the City. Mayor Pro Tem Daning stated City Council still wished to have a distinctive entranceway. He stated Landplan Group South had also been tasked with looking at trying to redesign the intersection at Highway 52, Highway 176 and Red Bank Road; and try to put some kind of feature at the intersection that says, "Welcome to Goose Creek". He stated he personally liked the idea of having a water feature tying in with the Municipal Center.
Mr. Molinari stated the concept of a Main Street was no longer in play. He stated City Council was looking at a pedestrian mall down Etiwan Drive, essentially a sidewalk, making it much more pedestrian friendly and also connecting to the sidewalk system the City plans to have on Brandywine Boulevard, as part of the larger project.
Mr. Infinger inquired what the first task would be on the development project. Mr. Molinari stated there would be tree plantings, landscaping and drainage work from the intersection at Highway 52, Highway 176 and Red Bank Road up to the Colonial Heights canal, in between the CSX rail line and the road right-of-way.
V. Tax Increment Finance District (TIF):
Mr. Molinari stated at the last EDAC meeting Mayor Pro Tem Daning inquired about the life time of the TIF and when the City would have to turn the funds over to the taxing entities. Mr. Molinari stated the TIF was due to expire in 2012. He stated he reviewed the state law and all surplus funds must be returned when redevelopment project costs have been paid or budgeted pursuant to the redevelopment plan and added the TIF was in excellent shape and it looked like the City would approach $3 million in revenue.
Mr. Buckner requested Mr. Molinari explain what a TIF was to Mr. Warner, since he was the newest member of the EDAC. Mr. Molinari continued to explain what a TIF entailed and gave him an example.
On another note, Mr. Buckner inquired if the property concerns in the area of The Oaks had been resolved between the City of Goose Creek and the City of North Charleston. Mr. Molinari stated The Oaks Plantation was not inside the City limits and that it was part of the unincorporated area of Berkeley County, but all of The Oaks Subdivision was inside the City limits.
VI. 2007 Economic Statistics:
Hearing nothing further on the TIF, Mr. Molinari moved on to the 2007 Economic Statistics for the City. He stated even thought there was a slow down in new housing construction nationally, the City of Goose Creek stayed consistent. In 2007, the City had 479 new housing starts compared with 481 new housing starts in 2006. He stated the City’s Local Option Sales Tax Revenue continues to move upward, moving up 4.5% on the Municipal Revenue side and 3.1% on the Property Tax Credit side. He stated by law the City was required to allocate a minimum of 71% of the local option sales tax proceeds towards property tax rebate and it is reflected on the Berkeley County tax bill. He stated the City can take the remaining 29% and create a Municipal Revenue Fund and added that the City has been very successful with that Municipal Revenue Fund, more specifically with funding public safety positions.
He stated Business License Revenue was up for the City from $3.8 million in 2006 to $4.7 million in 2007. He reminded the EDAC that the City created a new staff position in 2007, Business License Inspector, and some of the increase was reflected due to the new position, but added that the City continues to grow.
Mr. Buckner inquired if at the next meeting the traffic studies could be brought back before the EDAC, maybe in graph and/or map form, for review so they can get a feel for what the economic development centers were developing and where there would be traffic to support new business. Mr. Molinari said he would have the information available for the next meeting.
VII. National Car Rental:
Mr. Molinari stated it was recently announced in the newspaper toward the end of November 2007, that Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which owns National Car Rental, will be closing their Goose Creek facility on May 31, 2008. He stated there would be 250 jobs lost. He stated this project prospect has generated a lot of interest and he has fielded calls from real estate agents, SC Department of Commerce, Charleston Regional Development Alliance and Berkeley County Economic Development. He stated the facility is 83,000 square feet, with 20,000 being unoccupied and unimproved, with 500 work stations. Mr. Molinari proceeded to describe the inner workings and capability of what the building space would offer for a new business to come in and take over the location.
Mr. Buckner inquired if there was a way to track the number of jobs within the City. Mr. Molinari stated he had data on all the major employers, but not on all the businesses located within the City. Mr. Buckner asked that the City look into tracking that information. Mayor Pro Tem Daning asked if the Business Licenses had a question as to the number of employees within the business. Mr. Molinari stated he did not believe there was a question in regard to this on the Business License form. Mayor Pro Tem Daning suggested this question be asked on the form, thus giving the City the capability to track the information.
There was a brief discussion concerning the benefit of obtaining this information in order to supply restaurants with accurate information when soliciting restaurant businesses to locate to the City of Goose Creek.
VIII. Entry-Way Landscaping:
Mr. Molinari stated a few years ago, when Highway 52 was widened, the City had to raise the entrance sign. He stated in looking at upgrading and enhancing that area, ADC Engineering did a design for the City and they will be presenting the proposed design to City Council. Mr. Molinari stated it was impressive and certainly it would enhance the City as you enter from the south.
He stated the actual construction would be contracted out and upon completion the property would be maintained by City staff at the Department of Public Works. He stated the Director of Public Works, Steve Price, has figured out how to provide electric service for the base lighting and to also boar under the road to provide irrigation for the median.
Mr. Buckner asked if there was a verbal description available for the newly proposed entryway. Mr. Molinari stated the City would remove almost everything currently in place with the exception of the brick structures and leaving some of trees there with a few additions (Live Oaks, Crepe Myrtles, and Southern Magnolias), and that the entryway would consist of low maintenance plants. Mr. Molinari stated there was no entryway features at the northern end of Highway 52 because the City was continuing to grow in that direction.
IX. Chairman’s Time:
Mr. Buckner stated he would like to again welcome Mr. Warner to the EDAC and added the EDAC and City appreciated his willingness to volunteer his time and welcomed his input.
X. Adjournment:
Hearing nothing further, Mr. Buckner asked for a motion to adjourn. Mayor Pro Tem Daning made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Infinger seconded the motion. All in favor, none opposed. Meeting adjourned 11:01 a.m.
Minutes approved and adopted:
_________________________________ Date: April 14, 2008
Rick Buckner, Chairman
