Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8338 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8338 July 10, 2001 ,A�rA Page 1 of 4 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council 9 Fx SUBJECT: Designation Of Commercial Corridor Urban Villages And Surrounding Neighborhoods As Neighborhood Empowerment Zones This Informal Report is a follow-up to the City Council's discussion at the April 17, 2001 Pre-Council meeting regarding the schedule for designating future neighborhood empowerment zones (NEZs) and their relationship to the designation of mixed-use urban villages along targeted commercial corridors. The information that follows discusses the measures that the City Council has approved or endorsed and discussion on three related issues: 1) Assessment of the Stop Six Pilot NEZ, 2) Procedures for NEZ designation, and 3) Impact on the Model Blocks program. Also included is a proposed schedule of future actions ultimately leading to the final designation of priority urban villages as NEZs. I. Summary of Council Action A. NEZ Program: An interdepartmental Work Group — comprised of the Housing, Planning, Law, Water, Development, Finance, and Engineering departments and the Economic Development Office - has collaborated on the development of the NEZ Program. The Work Group has developed criteria for NEZ designation, program implementation and basic NEZ incentives. City Council was briefed on the Work Group activities and approved their recommendations as follows: • On April 25, 2000, the City Council approved M&C G-12897, which outlined the local criteria for designating NEZs and directed staff to identify potentially eligible NEZs and to develop administrative procedures for the NEZ program. • On October 3, 2000, the City Council approved M&C G-13030, which outlined the NEZ administrative procedures. That M&C reiterated the September 12, 2000 Safety and Community Development Committee (SCDC) recommendation to select the initial NEZ as a pilot project to assess the fiscal and programmatic impact and staff resources required. This assessment would also provide a basis for the City Council to determine the number of NEZs that the City will designate at a given point in time, and the need for long-term staff support for the program. The Work Group recommended that the pilot NEZ project should be studied for approximately one year before the next NEZ would be designated to allow for sufficient study and to make any necessary modifications to the administrative procedures. • On January 2, 2001, City Council gave preliminary designation to the Stop Six neighborhood as the pilot NEZ (Council Proposal # 217). • On April 17, 2001, City Council approved a resolution (Resolution No. 2721) granting final designation for the Stop Six pilot NEZ. B. Commercial Corridors Task Force Activities: As the interdepartmental work group developed administrative procedures for the NEZ program, the Planning Department initiated the commercial corridor revitalization study led by the Commercial Corridors Task Force. The City Council was briefed on the 6 progress of the Task Force as follows: ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8338 July 10, 2001 r `Aeo To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 4 ex• SUBJECT: Designation Of Commercial Corridor Urban Villages And Surrounding Neighborhoods As Neighborhood Empowerment Zones • On August 29, 2000, a progress report was presented on the Task Force activities of selecting five priority corridors for initial study, developing a scope of work for the corridor study, and recommending a general time line. The time line recommended that the City hire a consulting firm in December 2000, with the completed conceptual redevelopment plans presented to City Council for approval in September 2001. • On November 21, 2000, a progress report was presented on the results of the consultant selection process, the Leland Consulting Group Team. The presentation reaffirmed the time line and scope of work for the project, with September 2001 as the projected date to present the conceptual redevelopment plans to City Council for approval. C. Coordination of the NEZ Program and Commercial Corridors Task Force Activities: • On December 12, 2000, the City Council informally approved the Task Force's recommendation, that NEZs be designated around the mixed-use urban villages. • On February 27, 2001, the City Council was apprised of the ten urban villages in a presentation regarding the commercial corridors process as part of the overall central city redevelopment strategy. Out of the 10 urban villages, five were selected as priority areas. A profile of these areas was presented to Fort Worth's Congressional delegation during the March National League of Cities Conference. These five areas are: Polytechnic/Wesleyan, Hemphill/Allen, West Seventh, Westridge/Camp Bowie and Handley. II. Issues A. Assessment of the Stop Six Pilot NEZ: As stated earlier, M&C G-13030 established the procedure to designate the first NEZ as a pilot project to assess the fiscal impact and staff resources required. Staff recommends that the Stop Six pilot NEZ be studied until the end of its first year, April 17, 2002, before City Council grants designation to any future NEZs. Evaluating the program after one year of operation would give sufficient information to assess the fiscal, staff and programmatic impact of the pilot program. The Commercial Corridors Task Force plans to present the conceptual redevelopment plans for the 10 mixed-use urban villages to City Council in September 2001. Additionally, the City has already completed conceptual redevelopment plans for North Main Street, Berry Street, and the Downtown portion of Lancaster Avenue. Therefore, staff recommends that the Commercial Corridors Task Force, in cooperation with other appropriate steering committees, task forces and community organizations, recommend to the City Council an appropriate number of urban villages to receive NEZ designation after September 2001. Given the uncertain impact of the NEZ program at this time, staff recommends that the Task Force recommend no more than five urban villages to receive NEZ designation, not necessarily limited to the five priority areas previously selected for presentation to the Congressional Delegation. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8338 P July 10, 2001 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 3 of 4 fail's SUBJECT: Designation Of Commercial Corridor Urban Villages And Surrounding Neighborhoods As Neighborhood Empowerment Zones B. Procedures for NEZ Designation M&C G-13030 authorizes the City Manager to amend the administrative procedures as needed to achieve NEZ goals, provided that the amendment is within the scope of the NEZ Policy Statement and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Staff recommends amending the administrative procedures to modify the plan requirements for NEZ designation, taking into consideration limited staff resources and an increasing demand to utilize this incentive for mixed-use urban villages. This amendment would enable previously approved community plans to suffice as guidance to the City on the application of appropriate NEZ incentives in that area. However, staff would conduct a public process to establish the NEZ boundaries and refine the existing community plan, as needed. C. Impact on the Model Blocks Program: Both the NEZ and the Model Blocks programs seek to promote affordable housing, economic development and improved public'services, with a focus on the central city. The NEZ program, however, does not provide funds to implement community goals, as the Model Blocks program does. Given the compatibility of the (01 "EZ and Model Block program purposes, staff recommends that City Council consider relating these two programs. Staff has identified the following alternatives: 1. Eliminate the Model Blocks program and create a NEZ fund from the $1.2 million originally allocated annually to the Model Blocks program for CDBG-eligible community and economic development projects in NEZs. 2. Continue the Model Blocks program under current policies and administration for the 2001 Model Blocks XIII round and all subsequent rounds. 3. Continue the Model Blocks program under current policies and administration for the 2001 Model Blocks X111 round only. In subsequent rounds limit the neighborhoods that can participate in the Model Blocks application process only to neighborhoods in NEZs. 4. Keep the Model Blocks program open to all neighborhoods within CDBG-eligible areas. For the 2001 Model Blocks XIII round of funding, give bonus points during the initial application scoring process to those neighborhoods within NEZs and priority urban villages recommended by the Commercial Task Force and accepted by City Council. For all subsequent Model Blocks rounds, give bonus points during the initial application scoring process to neighborhoods within NEZs. Staff recommends this approach. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NO- 8338 July 10, 2001 dA-XRTJr1.1!% To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 4 of 4 sera A SUBJECT: Designation Of Commercial Corridor Urban Villages And Surrounding Neighborhoods As Neighborhood Empowerment Zones Ill. Proposed Schedule Staff recommends the following schedule to create NEZs around urban villages: July 2001 City staff recommends the NEZ Basic Incentive Package to the City Council for adoption. The Basic Incentive Package will detail incentives that will be applied to all NEZs and their criteria. The City Council can expand incentives for each NEZ, including urban village NEZs. July 2001 Development program concepts prepared for each village. Urban design strategies formulated for each village. Sept. 2001 Action plans for each village and general recommendations for other 26 commercial corridors presented to City Council for approval. Action plans recommend tailored redevelopment incentives for each village. Oct. 2001 In partnership with other appropriate steering committees, task forces and community organizations, the Commercial Corridors Task Force begins prioritizing urban villages along the commercial corridors to recommend to the City Council for NEZ designation. Oct. 2001 — Feb. 2002 City staff works with the community to define the NEZ boundaries for the purposes of NEZ designation for the appropriate urban villages and refines corridor or community plans, as needed. April 2002 City staff assesses the impact and effectiveness of the NEZ pilot program. Appropriate refinements to the program are made. May 2002 City Council begins approving final NEZ designation for qualifying NEZs. ry Jackson ity Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS