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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/20/1996 MINUTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD WORKSHOP AUGUST 20, 1996 6:30 p.m. CITY COUNCIL CHAIMBERS Present: Board Gary McClure, President John Dillard, Council member Mary Watts, Council member Tommy Thompson Ronnie Fischer Rick Manser Staff' Dennis Watson, Staff Liaison Johnny Smith, City Manager Cliff Bormann, Building Official Absent: Jerry Sebastian Call to Order Mr. McClure called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.. 1. INTRODUCTIONS - Since the Board had a new staff member and a new staff liaison Mr. McClure requested each one: to introduce himself or herself to the group; tell how long they have lived in The Colony ; why they joined the EDC Board; and what they would like to see the city look like in the future. 2. GOLF COURSE PROJECT UPDATE - Mr. Smith briefed the Board on the environmental assessment that was completed on Stewart Creek Park for the Stewart Peninsula Golf Associates. The document is out for public review and public hearing. If there is no request to hold an official public hearing then the assessment will pass as is. Mr. Smith explained at this time staff is not aware of any questions or concerns on the environmental assessment. After the public notice stage of the process is completed, Peninsula Golf Associates currently have all of their financing in place and are ready to break ground on the project. Mr. Smith discussed the lease agreements concerning the Stewart Creek Park and the Wynnewood Peninsula golf courses. Currently the City is trying to work out the details on the terms of the length of the leases on both projects with the Corps of Engineers. Mr. Smith said that it is the City's goal to try to extend both leases out to at least 50 years. For Mr. Watson's and Mr. Manner's benefit Mr. Smith gave a brief history on the lease agreements with the City and the Corps concerning Wynnewood Peninsula, Stewart Creek Park, and Hidden Cove Park. Mr. Smith said that in a best-casescenario Peninsula Golf Associates would like to break ground towards the end of this year, but he reminded the Board that many variables such as weather come into play when trying to predict these things. Mr. Smith informed the Board that he and Mr. Watson had been in contact with representatives from CURA, an environmental consulting firm who is conducting the environmental assessment on Wynnewood Peninsula. They are scheduled to have completed the EA in the next 30-45 days. Mr. Smith cautioned the Board that CUBA may be required further down the line in the process of the EA to do an on-the-ground habitat assessment by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Association. This would amount to an approximate $6,000 increase in fee from the original agreement. 3. UPDATE ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY - Mr. Smith briefly reviewed the City's preliminary plans of creating a Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant with the City of Frisco and North Texas Municipal Water District. This requires staff to look at the big picture of expected growth and development in the city in order to have some good indicators on the size and needed capacity of the plant. Mr. Smith said he asked Tim House from Matthews Southwest to give him a time frame for his development plans on Wynnewood Peninsula. Mr. House said that he would like to break ground on the golf course within a year. He would like to start a housing development within two years. He would like to be 40% built-out within 5 years, and 80% built-out in 10 years. Mr. Dillard asked Mr. Smith what kind of population densities would the City be looking at if this projected build-out occurred. Mr. Smith explained that until the Comprehensive and Land Use Plans are completed we are projecting worst-case scenarios of the highest density development possible. That would include a 60/40 ratio (60% residential and 40% multi-family). This would mean 4 residential units to an acre or 24 multi-family units to an acre. It is projected in a worst- case scenario that once it is built-out 100%, the Wynnewood Peninsula development could have a population total of approximately 30,000 people. But Mr. Smith reminded the Board that he considered these numbers excessive and he envisions that once built out, the population would be approximately 5,000-8,000 people. Mr. McClure asked Mr. Smith if he would give a brief presentation on the history of the golf course project and where we are today. Mr. Smith proceeded to explain some of the obstacles the project has encountered since it was leased from the Corps of Engineers in the mid 1980s. He also explained that the golf course project was the primary reason the EDC was formed. 4. DISCUSSION ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION'S RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ON STAGGERED TERMS FOR EDC BOARD MEMBERS - All current Board members' terms expire December 1, 1996. The Board discussed recommending options to Council on staggered terms. They asked Mr. Smith for direction on this issue. Mr. Smith said from his past experience, if a Board was not established with staggered terms and the Board wishes to continue to serve and Council agrees; then whatever term limits are set in the by-laws (1, 2, or 3 years) the Board would put the numbers in a hat and draw. In this manner you have Board terms expiring in whatever year number the respective member draws. Discussion on other options followed. The Board requested that r. Watson research alternatives for staggered terms and report back to them on his findings. 5. PRESENTATION ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION FOR THE CITY, IN RELATION TO THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - Worth Blake introduced himself to the Board, gave a brief history of some of the projects that he has worked on in the past, and gave the board a work program outline for the Economic Development portion of the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Blake said that his role in this process is to serve as a guide and the Board would be the implementers of the plan. Mr. Blake's outline calls for the Economic Development portion of the plan to be completed by the end of November. Mr. Blake explained that in order to accomplish these objectives in the anticipated time frame, he would suggest that the Board start out meeting once a week. All Board members agreed. Mr. Blake then turned the discussion to a work sheet he had prepared for the Board on the Statement of Current Conditions concerning Economic Development in The Colony. The discussion focused on assessing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of the city. Some of the ideas that came out of the discussion were that The Colony has a major asset (the lake) that it is not utilizing to it's maximum potential. Mr. Blake also asked the members what they would like to see in The Colony. Responses included more entertainment-related facilities and controlled economic growth. Further discussion followed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:1 5) P.M. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, 1996 at 6:30 p.m., in the Conference Room at City Hall. A~ Respectfully submitted, Dennis Watson, Staff Liaison