BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Thursday, May 8, 2008
4:00 PM
Present: Chair:
Staff: Cynthia van Zelm, Lee
Cole-Chu
Guest:
1.
Call to
Order
2.
There
were no comments from the public.
3.
Approval
of Minutes
Steve
Bacon made a motion to approve the minutes.
Mike Gergler seconded the motion.
The minutes were approved unanimously.
4. Review
of Sustainability Guidelines
Mr.
Bacon said that two of the main responsibilities for the Planning and Design
Committee have been to assist with preparing the design guidelines and
sustainability guidelines. The process
of putting together the sustainability guidelines started over five years ago. The Partnership, at its own initiative, became
interested in LEED certification of the
Betsy
Paterson commended Mr. Bacon for the good work he does with the Planning and
Design Committee.
Mr.
Bacon said the Committee had gone over the guidelines extensively. He believes the guidelines will be one of the
wonderful features of the downtown.
The
Committee’s continuing role will be to make sure the designers and architects
follow the guidelines, and advise the Board on whether this is being done.
Mr.
Bacon asked Board members for questions on the draft guidelines. He said that if the Board has significant
suggestions, he felt it would be inappropriate to ask the Board to approve them
at this time. The guidelines should go
back to the Planning and Design Committee for review.
Matt
Hart asked how to distinguish between the Partnership’s draft guidelines and
LEED-Silver certification. Mr. Toledano
said it is impossible to follow the standard LEED program with a development of
several buildings such as
Mr.
Toledano said the goal for the
Mr.
Toledano said the guidelines need to be able to be revised based on changes in
the “green” industry. The Planning and Design Committee can make changes to the
guidelines.
Gregg
Haddad asked what happens if the developer says it cannot afford to implement
the guidelines? Mr. Toledano said there
is a process to check off the certification form whether specific guidelines
are being followed. The goal is to
adhere to the guidelines. But, a process
is being built that has not been done before so there will probably be some
give and take.
The
Planning and Design Committee will play a key role in the review process to see
if site plans comply with the guidelines.
The Committee can do walkthroughs of the buildings.
Mr.
Bacon said he thought the market could be ready for sustainability
guidelines. Compliance may not be as big
an issue as in the past.
Ms.
Schwab said it will be important to market the project as a LEED-ND pilot
project. There is a certain cache with
being one of the founding LEED-ND pilot programs. Mr. Toledano said the
Mr.
McNabb said he went through the guidelines in detail. He has some minor comments. He said the key is communication. Suggestions include meeting with local
neighbors, public meeting(s), and open houses to talk about the
guidelines.
Tom
Callahan asked for a clarification as to whether the guidelines allow one to
take a prescriptive or a performance-based approach? Mr. Toledano confirmed that either would be
appropriate.
Mr.
Callahan noted the reference to following the EPAct of 1992. Are these the most recent standards? Mr. Toledano said he did not think there was
anything more recent but he would check.
Mr. Callahan asked about the role of the Planning and Design Committee
in vetting the guidelines. He wants to
make sure that the most recent standards are being followed. Mr. Bacon said they did defer to the experts
on the guidelines. He indicated that if
they became outdated, they could be revised.
Partnership
attorney Lee Cole-Chu said if there are pertinent amendments to the EPAct of
1992, the guidelines could be construed to reflect those amendments. Mr. Callahan said it is important to know if
there is something more aggressive than the EPAct of 1992. For example, on page 16, he asked if the
standard regarding dark skies and pollution is the most recent standard?
Mr.
Bacon said it is important to present the guidelines as “doable.”
Mr.
Toledano will check to see if the most recent standards are being used as a
parameter for the guidelines.
Mr.
Cole-Chu said it could be added to the guidelines that they can be “amended at
the time of design.”
Mr.
Bacon said that questions have been raised which he feels should delay action
on the guidelines at today’s Board meeting.
Mr.
Lodewick said that the Planning and Design Committee will work with Mr. Toledano
to address the issues raised and bring a new version of the guidelines back to
the Board in July.
Mr.
Toledano summarized that the major issues appear to be to check the regulations
around water and light pollution.
Ms.
Schwab pointed out the issue of invasive species and referred to page 36 in the
guidelines. There is a state list of
invasive species. Mr. Bacon suggested
referencing them. Mr. Toledano said that
invasive specifies are also referred to in the design guidelines.
Ms.
Schwab also asked Mr. Toledano to check re structural soils used for trees.
Mr.
Toledano said he would also review Mr. McNabb’s written comments. One of Mr. McNabb’s comments was the listing
of professional offices within a residential zone. Mr. Toledano clarified that the zoning
regulations only allow for home office use in that zone and the sustainability
guidelines need to be changed to reflect that change.
5. Presentation of Roundabout – Lon
Hultgren, Town of Public Works Director
Lon
Hultgren and Timothy Veillette from the Town Public Works Department gave a
Power Point presentation on the possibility of a roundabout at the intersection
of Storrs Road and Route 275. Mr.
Hultgren said the Town has commissioned a study to see if this was feasible. It could be a good gateway to the Storrs
Center. BL Companies came up with a
tentative plan and also indicated that the Level of Service would actually
improve at that intersection with a roundabout.
The
application to the State Traffic Commission by Leyland will come to the Town
with a request for the Town Traffic Authority to review the application. If it is agreed to by the Partnership, Town,
and Leyland, a roundabout could be added to the application at that time. He said the intersection described in the
application, at Storrs Road, and Route 275 remains fairly close to the same as
now. Mr. Hultgren said the cost of
construction of a roundabout is comparable to replacing the signalization which
would have to be done if Storrs Road improvements are implemented. Mr. Hultgren said he will continue to meet
with other groups including the Town Council to ascertain whether there is
support for the roundabout.
LeylandAlliance would need to be supportive as well.
6. Director’s Report
Ms.
van Zelm reminded Board members to please send her bios for the Annual Report
as soon as possible. She reminded
business members that want to do an ad in the Annual Report to call the ReminderNews.
She
said the CT Main Street Community Consensus-Building Award will be given out on
June 9 in Wauregan Ballroom in Norwich.
Ms.
van Zelm reminded the Board that the Town Meeting (budget meeting) is May 13 at
7 pm in the Mansfield Middle School.
7. Update
on Storrs Center Project and Next Steps
Ms. van Zelm said the Partnership is tentatively scheduled
to give the Town Council an update on the Storrs Center project at its June 9
Council meeting.
Ms. Paterson said the results of the Town Meeting can be
petitioned by 2 percent of the voters to referendum. The referendum is advisory to the Council.
Ms. van Zelm said Leyland’s update of the economic
benefits study by HR&A was almost complete.
The Town will be having this study reviewed as well as conducting further
parking analysis and a review of Leyland’s financials. Once these are complete, Town staff will be
able to resume negotiations with Leyland on the Town’s role in the project, and
make a recommendation to the Town Council.
Ms. van Zelm said the application from Leyland to the
State Traffic Commission for work on Storrs Road, should be submitted this
week.
8. Report
from Committees
Advertising and Promotion
Dean Woods said the Committee will meet on May
28.
Ms. Kathleen Paterson had worked on the Town Earth
Day event where the Partnership had a booth and sustainability brochure. People signed up to be on the Partnership
mailing list.
Dean Woods noted that Ms. van Zelm had provided an
update on Storrs Center to the School of Fine Arts staff.
Festival on the Green
She noted that it may be more difficult to get
sponsors for the Festival given the economy.
She asked individual Board members to contribute to the Festival.
Finance and Administration
Tom Callahan
said the Finance and Administration Committee report had been covered by Ms.
van Zelm under the Storrs Center report.
Membership Development
Ms. van Zelm reported, on behalf of Committee chair
Betsy Treiber, that current paid membership is 385. There are phone calls out
from Committee members to people who have not renewed yet.
9. Adjourn
Ms. Paterson made a motion to adjourn.
Meeting
notes taken by Cynthia van Zelm.