City of Urbana Plan Commission met April 5.
Here is the minutes provided by the Commission:
Members Present: Jane Billman, Andrew Fell, Tyler Fitch, Nancy Esarey Ouedraogo, David Trail, Daniel Turner, Chenxi Yu
Members Excused: Barry Ackerson, Lew Hopkins
Staff Present: Lorrie Pearson, Planning Manager; Marcus Ricci, Planner II,
Others Present: Adam Bengtson, Amy Stubenfoll
1. Call To Order, Roll Call And Declaration Of Quorum
Chair Fitch called the meeting to order at 7:59 p.m. Roll call was taken and a quorum of the members was declared present.
2. Changes To The Agenda
There were none.
3. Written Communications
There were none.
4. What’s In Your Square? Visioning Exercise
Chair Fitch opened this item on the agenda. Marcus Ricci, Planner II, presented a short PowerPoint presentation on the following:
§ What’s In Your Square? project initiative
§ History of the mall and of the Lincoln Hotel
§ Exercise: A Great Place
§ Close eyes and imagine a great place that they have been to
§ What makes this place great?
§ What is happening around you? What are people doing? Why are you here?
§ What can you see? Hear? Smell? Taste? Feel?
§ Write down your first thoughts that come to your mind about what makes the place great
§ Write down the name of your Great Place
§ Exercise: The Square Cloud
§ Five adjectives or verbs that come to mind when remembering your great place
§ Responses included play, activity, active-not passive space, vibrant, green (parklike), kids
§ Three activities or destinations you would like to experience
§ Responses included bookstore/coffee shop, residential, park with amusement rides, ferris wheel where the hotel is, Spark (kids space) with indoor playground, eating
§ General notes, suggestions or thoughts
§ Responses included expand the cloud session by having more discussion and mapping
§ Exercise: Mapping Your Square
§ Members broke into two groups – each working on a map at a side table
§ Mark or write on the maps what you would like to see
§ Team 1 - Reuse the older part of Jumers, remove the mall, run Broadway and Green Streets through, construct parking deck with commercial below and residential above, put in a green space with a pavilion, fountains and art sculptures, and move the Civic Center to this location.
§ Team 2 – Construct an iconic structure, replace the existing hotel if it’s not financially feasible, make co-working space south of the IMC/Post Office, keep the Yoga area and the Co-op area, construct an ice rink or open tavern-on-the green type area, perhaps have a child care use, run Green Street through for pedestrians and bicycles or maybe all transportation, increased residential in the nearby area (possibly at 200 S. Vine), and a place for a larger company investment.
5. Audience Participation
There was none.
6. Adjournment Of Meeting
The meeting was adjourned at 8:57 p.m
https://www.urbanaillinois.us/sites/default/files/attachments/02%20-%20APPROVED%20Meeting%20Minutes%20-%2004-05-2018%20Special.pdf
Alerts Sign-up