Chambana Sun

City of Champaign Plan Commission met Oct. 2

Here are the minutes provided by the commission:

The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m.

Roll Call:

Members Present: Barkstall, Cole, Elmore, Kroencke, Sanchez, Trautman

Staff Present: Knight, VanBuskirk, Marino, Horwick, Carlson, Trotter, Rains Lowe, Saphiere

Approval of the minutes from the September 18, 2024 meeting. Cole: So moved.

Kroencke: Seconds. Approved by unanimous “yes” vote.

Knight: We will have two study session items today. When the Commission was discussing the Planned Development at Prairie and State there was lots of discussion about affordable housing. Jennifer Carlson, Neighborhood Programs Manager has come today to share the Consolidated Plan for FY 2025-2029.

Carlson: Jennifer explains what her department does and how they work

What the Consolidated Plan consist of is explained. It is the 5-Year planning framework for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnership (HOME) programs, which includes needs assessment and market analysis which outlines goals and priorities, and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded activities.

The Consolidated Plan consists of five Annual Action Plans. These plans are reviewed, what the activities are and what funds are allocated to them are reviewed.

She explains that Bruce indicated that the Commission was interested in affordable housing.

What the City is doing to create and preserve affordable housing is reviewed in detail. Jennifer explains in detail the programs that the City runs to help preserve the affordable housing stock and keep people in their homes.

During COVID the City received several pots of one-time money, and a lot of this money was prioritized to doing needed home repairs and to help develop housing that will be subsidized by housing vouchers that have gaps in construction funding.

The funding sources that the department has available to them include CDBG funds and HOME funds are explained and what can be done with each of these is reviewed.

A chart is shown that explains what is considered low income by the Federal Government. The Champaign County community needs that were developed as a result of the Community survey results are reviewed.

The budget for their programs is given and the timeline for the Plan is shown. Jennifer explains that there will be public hearings, and they are available to come to community events and they have a page on Engagechampaign.org where you can take the survey and learn more about the plan.

Does anyone have any questions?

Elmore: Of all the key needs the lack of stable housing means you can’t do anything else well.

That doesn’t mean that our community doesn’t need to address all the other needs, but I think stable housing is critically important. In that context what has come up is question that were asked of the Commission “Is there any way that this Commission can do specifically to help?”

Carlson: That is a wonderful offer. This is a transitional period for our department. We are in the process of hiring someone to focus on neighborhood wellness and affordable housing. We have money allocated to do an affordable housing study and part of that study will allow us to hire a consultant to help direct us to do what we need to do to make improvements. We could come back to you with a better answer to that after this study.

Knight: Once we have a better understanding of the issue we are dealing with and can document that and point to it then we can begin to have conversation about requirements involving tearing down affordable units and replacing them with less affordable units. Should they have to contribute to an affordable housing fund? Or add a certain percentage of their units as affordable. But we have to be able to demonstrate the need first with real numbers and then we have to make it a requirement that applies across all developments and not put it on the back of one developer. It has to be a consistent policy. Developers as they plan projects will need to build this into the financial proforma that they will have to have X number of units or make X contribution as part of this development and that gets built in up front and can be built into their financing. Down the road once the study is done, we will be able to come back and have a conversation about should there be a requirement in the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations or somewhere else to have some contribution to address the affordable housing issue.

Commission discusses what HOME and CDBG funds are. It is also discussed where these types of funds can be used for apartments. Jennifer explains that rehabilitation for accessibility reasons is eligible if the landlord is agreeable to the modifications. The Safety Repair Program is only available for homeowners.

Commission discusses the HOME funding and if they ever use this for downpayment assistance and does the City own rental property. The City does not own any property. The HOME funds must create a new unit of housing but feel like there are other avenues for down payment assistance. We have been using our funds toward finance funding gaps in some of the larger housing development projects.

Commission discusses the funding sources available Jennifer indicates that another task that we are taking on is that we are partnering with IDEA to develop a Strategic Plan.

Elmore: I want to give a pitch to people to take the survey. It is important for all of us to take the survey. It was very enlightening to me. Carlson: The survey is a very big component of creating the next plan. We are going to do mailings targeted neighborhoods and to our services providers.

Knight: The other side of this is the work force development side. You can help people who don’t have the income for housing with their cost of housing side or you can help them raise their ability to earn income to be in a situation where it a livable wage and they can afford housing.

Neil Street Public Realm Improvements

Knight: This is a series of different work efforts that together we think will change the image of Neil Street as you enter our community and drive through downtown. It really starts to also shape future improvements. We have Taylor between Neil and Walnut in our Capital Improvements Plan, and we have Neil Street from the Church and Main intersection down to University in our Capital Improvement Plan. The design work we are doing on these three phases is going to set the tone for the future of what those streets will look like as well. Jeff Marino, Planning Manager; Dan Saphiere, Associate Planner: and Lacey Rains Lowe, Planning Manager have all been working on these three related, but separate projects and they are going to present them to you. the next presentation and explains that it is three separate projects that tie in together. The Neil Street piece is a direct implementation effort from the Neil Street Corridor Plan that the Commission approved, and then other pieces are going to tie into our Downtown planning effort.

Marino: Explains the area that the Neil Street Corridor encompasses. This is the beautification piece it. The City hired a consultant to examine the area and it was determined the area would benefit most if the City invested in the infrastructure along the corridor. It is an entry way corridor to downtown Champaign. 

In 2018 we worked with Ratio Architects to come up with an improvement plan. The plan initially has three concepts and six goals (beautification, corridor identity, safety, wayfinding, entry node, and sustainability). With all of those goals in mind they created three concepts.

Jeff explains that the different options that were presented to try and achieve this goal. There was a lot of public engagement done and during the process the residents chose the option that would do a three-lane cross section to increase pedestrian safety and vehicular safety which would create more space for other amenities to create that corridor identity and corridor entry node that the goal wants to achieve.

There is a separate on-going study for the actual design improvements. Fehr Graham is working with Clark Dietz and MKSK to come up with a plan for the curb alignments and the turning movements, the geometrics, intersection improvements and what those will look like to implement this study.

We are now at the implementation stage of the Neil Street beautification piece, and it will be done in conjunction with the engineering piece. We have been getting public comment. The two concepts that are being reviewed are shown. After public engagement was concluded the results people like the street grid pattern and liked the limestone veneer. The consultant will take the comments and work towards a final design.

The project timeline is reviewed.

Commission discusses the possible three lanes cross section changes and Jeff explains that there will be a study session and open house with engineering to discuss the design process of the streets and it will be several years before construction begins.

Downtown Plaza

Rains Lowe: They say a goal without a plan is just a wish. In the 2006 Downtown Plan there was a proposal or an idea that was shared through community input to take the space that is currently a parking lot that is the first thing you see when you come into downtown and reimagine that as a community gathering space. Then that idea was picked up and adopted in the Downtown Plan and eventually became a Council Goal, we then created a Placemaking Plan for the design through lots of community engagement and ultimately were fortunate enough to see that coming to fruition.

This will be the place that you will bring your guests, friends, people you want the recruit to hire, or people who you potentially want to attend or work at the U of I to show them the best of what Champaign can be.

Three images are shown that were looked at when the placemaking plan was being completed.

All of the images show the places filled with people. We have seen post Covid-19 that people have retreated to their private spaces. That is not good for the economy or our mental health.

We are excited to be able to bring this space to fruition and hopefully create a venue where we can have shared memories and experiences together.

The project will have two phases. Phase 1 is currently under construction. We our very fortunate to be able to receive a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant that has allowed to move this project forward. We also received 12 million dollars in state funding to create a community gathering space which has now allowed us to building Phase 2 as one project.

Lacey explains that Hill Street will be a raised intersection or a tabled intersection that will create a gateway to the area and will also slow the traffic down. This will also create a gateway to area at Hill Street.

At Washington Street there will be angled parking at both the north and south sides. There will be parallel spaces on the Neil Street side of the space. If the space is closed for an event of some kind, you will still have readily available parking.

When the intersection at Neil and Washington is reconstructed, we will essentially eliminate the northbound turn lane and provide bump outs at the intersection and with all the parking that is available the concept is to move the traffic from Washington.

The timeline for the project is reviewed with Phase 1 being completed in May 2025. Renderings of the space are shown and the purpose of the patterns in the concrete is explained.

Phase 2 will go to final engineering in November 2024. The amenities that will be added in this phase are described. At the entrance into the space from Hill Street there are two little retail kiosks that will be like shipping containers that are removable for pop-up retail spaces. They will be rotating vendors. There will be a lawn space, nature play space, more swings, lots of art. There is a one way south bound drive aisle adjacent to the businesses. There is parking available particularly ADA accessible parking that is available. One thing that is really interesting is that we get to reclaim the space just south of the Orpheum. This is City owned property and that will become a really wonderful gateway from Fremont Street and the parking at Walnut and Washington. We are looking at some interesting and exciting art pieces that will draw you through that space as you come in. This area will all be curb less so it will be very accessible and easy to shut down for events.

Commission talks about restrooms, parking, and the street reconstruction on Neil Street, and parking availability.

Rains Lowe: Reminds everyone that there will be a groundbreaking in 2026, and the project will be complete in the Spring of 2027.

Park Avenue

Saphiere: Explains the area between Park Avenue and Randolph and Neil is what he will be talking about today. It is best understood in the larger context of what we are thinking about for downtown and walkability downtown. In the 20026 Downtown Plan we identified an east/west pedestrian corridor that ran from West Side Park all the way over to First Street. This would run through Park Avenue, over Taylor and jog around Market Street and Main Street as well.

The project today Park Avenue is one part of that overall project. These projects have been coming together for the Downtown Plaza and for Neil Street reconstruction we have contracted with engineering and landscape architecture consultants to think about how we can make this area more walkable. He explains how each of the street’s function and how we want them to function.

We had our consultants look at a few different ways of accomplishing these goals. The concept that was chosen is shown. Dan explains that staff has talked with every business owner on Park Avenue and engaged with Busey Bank who own the parking lot about this concept, and they are all very supportive and excited about the plans.

He explained that at the intersection of Park and Neil and Park and Randolph they will be raised intersections. These work best when they are paired. So, the Neil and Park raised intersection will work in tandem with the Neil and Hill raised intersection to slow speeds down.

We are also proposing to raise Park Street between Randolph and Neil. Dan describes how this will be delineated.

Busey Bank owns the parking lot to the north of Park and to the south of Park and they were very excited to close the curb cuts and the entrances on to Park Street because there is a lot of cut through traffic that they get in there parking lots. They will have a new curb cut on to Randolph. This will also allow us to put in some angled parking on the north side of Park and parallel parking on the south side of Park.

The different colors and textures of the pavers will be used to delineate different areas. The storm management method that will be used is explained. Bollards are not the only thing that will delineate where cars will be allowed, they will also use benches and landscaping.

Tivoli lighting will be used to create a wonderful atmosphere at night and a visual cue that this a pedestrian corridor and that you are allowed to walk and be.

The seating here will also be a replication of what is in the plaza to continue the feeling of it being a special place. The festival streetscape is shown. It includes high canopy trees so you can see down the corridor and see the Virginia Theatre and West Side Park. The timeline for construction next year.

Commission discusses parking elimination and the need for more wayfinding features and better signage needed.

Rains Lowe: We are trying to limit disruption as much as possible. Phase 1 of the plaza is under construction. We will start engineering of Phase 2 this fall and it will continue through 2025. Construction of Phase 2 will start in 2026. Park Street will be under construction in the 2025 construction season.

Questions?

Commission asks about plans for other tabled intersections and consistent furnishings. It is explained that the Downtown Plan is being updated now and these things will be incorporated into the updated.

VanBuskirk: The Landmark nomination of 710S. Elm Boulevard passed City Council last night. Marino: We will have a Developer’s Forum meeting on Monday, October 7, 2024. All are welcome to attend.

Adjourned at 5:30 p.m.

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