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Home My WebLink About02/25/2002 ORIGINAL MINUTES OF WHEAT RIDGE URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY February 25, 2002 5:30 p.m. 1. CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER The Wheat Ridge Urban Renewal Authority meeting was called to order by Chair Dick Matthews at 5:40 p.m. The meeting was held in the second floor conference room of the Municipal Building, 7500 West 29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS Commissioners present: Sandra Collins Vance Edwards Jim Goddard Elwyn Kiplinger Janet Leo Dick Matthews Kandi McKay Commissioners absent: Norm Burkpile John Hall Margy Platter Also attending: Jim Windholz, Urban Renewal Attorney Randy Young, Interim City Manager Gretchen Cerveny, Mayor (left at 6:00 p.m.) Dean Gokey, City Council (left at 6:05 p.m.) David Schneider, City Council (left at 6:20 p.m.) Harry Hanley, City Council (left at 6:50 p.m.) Odarka Figlus, City Council (left at 6:05 p.m.) Kathy Field, Sr. Secretary, Planning Department Don Peterson, Economic Development Task Force Steve Szymanski, Szymanski/Ray Arnie Ray, Szymanski/Ray Justinian Hatfield, The Transcript Bob Olson, The Chronicle Ann Lazzeri, Secretary 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the regular meeting of February 11, 2002 were not available for consideration. WRURA Minutes 02/25/02 Page 1 4. PUBLIC FORUM Don Peterson reminded the Authority that the Economic Development Task Force is hosting a lender's forum for small businesses. As a citizen of his neighborhood, he expressed appreciation to WRURA for excluding the Einarson property from the urban renewal blight study. 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Reconsideration of the 1-70 Corridor Blight Analysis Area Mayor Cerveny requested that WRURA defer setting blight study boundaries for the 1-70 corridor until there is more information. She had many questions to which she would like to have answers before the boundaries are set. Some of her questions and concerns included: (I) Hershey Corporation has not made a final decision regarding the Jolly Rancher property; (2) Ridge property is still owned by State of Colorado and the state frowns on having land placed under urban renewal; (3) the proposed redevelopment ofI-70, Ward Road and Highway 58 is not yet finalized; (4) RTD Fast Track Gold Line is proposed to come from Union terminal through Adams County, Old Towne Arvada, and end at the RTD Park and Ride on Ridge Road; and (5) the Columbine Drainage Project should be considered;. It was suggested that Tim Steinhouse from Arvada be invited to attend a WRURA meeting to discuss Arvada's plans. The City of Wheat Ridge should be working with Arvada in regard to the proposed urban renewal boundaries. Dick Matthews commented that Tim Steinhouse suggested that the city might want to include the Mesa Verde apartments in the urban renewal area based upon Arvada's plans for the property across the highway. The truck driving school is also being considered for potential park land and probably should not be included in the urban renewal area. It was moved by Vance Edwards and seconded by Sandra Collins that WRURA reconsider the 1-70 Corridor blight analysis area. The motion passed unanimously. Dean Gokey commented that it might be worth looking into the possibility of placing the truck driving school property under urban renewal and then working with Jefferson County Open Space for help in developing the property. He has talked with Dan Kimble who, although he had some concerns about urban renewal working with JCOS, expressed a willingness to explore this idea a little further. WRURA Minutes 02/25/02 Page 2 Gretchen Cerveny stated that the property being considered for park land is actually the asphalt excavating company-not the truck driving school. She did not believe it would be a good idea to put the land under urban renewal right now because there is an unwilling seller. JCOS has also adopted some recent changes in policy that might affect the situation. Vance Edwards commented that park land would not be able to pay back for improvements done under urban renewal and that he believed the Authority should focus on the primary objective of economic redevelopment. It was moved by Vance Edwards and seconded by Elwyn Kiplinger to amend the 1-70 blight analysis study area to include the Mesa Verde apartments for review for determinatiou of blight and elimination of any park laud or potential park land being negotiated for acquisition with City of Wheat Ridge and/or Jefferson County Open Space. The motion passed uuanimously. It was moved by Vance Edwards and seconded by Sandra Collius to have Arthur Anderson continue with preparation ofthe first component of the blight study and, in the meantime, work with Jim, Randy, Arnie and Steve to address the questious and issues raised earlier by Mayor Cerveny. The motion passed uuauimously. B. Olson vs. Goldeu Update Jim Windholz reported on the Court of Appeals ruling in Olson vs. Golden. The court decided that the plaintiff did not have standing under urban renewal law or general statutes to complain about urban renewal activities; you don't have to convey property for maximum value, but for fair value determined by the urban renewal law (you can convey property for covenants and not cash); the debt arrangement was found to be legal and Colorado Court of Appeals decided the taxpayer could not show any proof of damages to her or any taxpayers in Golden; they determined the urban renewal process in this case was legal. Judge Nieto also stated that these types of matters should not be settled in court but should be settled by the electorate. He also ruled that urban renewal authorities are not districts and therefore not subject to the Tabor Amendment under the taxpayer bill of rights. The attorney for the plaintiff will appeal to Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has several months to decide whether or not it will hear the case. C. Report from City Manager Randy Young, interim City Manager, recommended that Alan White be appointed as staffliaison to WRURA. It was moved by Vance Edwards and seconded by Sandra Collins that WRURA ratify the recommendation of the interim city manager that Alan WRURA Minutes 02/25/02 Page 3 White be appointed as Executive Director ofthe Wheat Ridge Urban Renewal Authority and liaison between WRURA and city staff. The motion passed unanimously. D. Joint Meeting with City Council- In response to a request from a new council member for education about the urban renewal process, it was suggested that a joint meeting be held between WRURA and City Council for this purpose. There was a consensus of the Authority to make a recommendation to City Council to hold this meeting on March 25 at 5:30 p.m. 6. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business to come before the Authority. 7. OTHER MATTERS There were no other matters to come before the Authority. 8. EXECUTIVE SESSION It was moved by Vance Edwards and seconded by Sandra Collins to adjourn iuto Executive Sessiou under C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(a) and (e) for the purpose of developing negotiatiug strategies for the potential redevelopment and/or acquisitiou of properties in the 38th Avenue Corridor, Wadsworth Boulevard Corridor, and the 44th Avenue/Ward Road redevelopment areas and instructing negotiators, consultants and attorneys; and that the following be invited to attend the executive session: Harry Hanley, city council; Randy Young, interim city manager; Kathy Field, Secretary to Alan White; Arnie Ray and Steve Szymanski. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned into executive session at 6:20 p.m. (Randy Young, Vance Edwards and Harry Hanley left the executive session at 6:50 p.m.) The executive session was adjourned to the regular meeting at 7:42 p.m. 7. ADJOURNMENT It was moved by Sandra Collins and seconded by Kandi McKay to adjourn the regular meeting at 7:45 p.m. fkM h#- Dick Matthews, Chair ~ WRURA Minutes 02/25/02 Page 4