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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-09-25 Special., MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING BOARD OF ALDERMEN RIVERSIDE, MISSOURI Tuesday, September 25, 2007 6:00 p.m. The Boazd of Aldermen for the City of Riverside, Missouri, met in special session in the Boazd of Aldermen Chambers at City Hall, 2950 NW Vivion Road, Riverside, Missouri. Mayor Rose called the meeting to order. Those in attendance were Mayor Kathy Rose, Aldermen Mike Fuller, Bernie Bruns, Pam Darata, Dave Hurt, Mazk Salyer and Ron Super. Also present were David Blackburn, City Administrator, Sazah Wagner, Executive Administration Clerk, Chief Gregory Mills, Jeff Rupp, Public Works Director, Mike Duffy, SKW City Engineer, Ned O'Conner, Sabin Yanaz and John McClelland, City Attorney. Motion to enter into Alderman Bruns moved that the meeting go into closed session, Closed Session pursuant to RSMo 610.021(1) Legal Issues (2) Real Estate Issues (3) Personnel Issues with the City Attorney, and was seconded by Alderman Darata, the vote was: Aye: Alderman Bruns, Hurt, Fuller, Super, Darata, Salyer. Motion carried. Motion to enter into Open Alderman Hurt moved to enter into open session and Alderman Bruns Session seconded. The vote was: Aye: Alderman Bruns, Hurt, Fuller, Super, Dazata, Salyer. Motion carried. Streetscape Presentation Brent Miles, Director of Planning and Economic Development gave a presentation to the Board in regazd to the City Streetscape. He explained that this is a very exciting project. All but one member of the Strcetscape Committee was present at tonight's meeting. The City has spent over $13 million on improvements to Gateway, West Platte Road, Valley and Vivion. This will tie in with the Skyline Redevelopment Plan and the West Platte Redevelopment Plan to incorporate City signage, pazks, trails, irrigation and landscaping. When the City conducted a survey of all the citizens 27% were dissatisfied with the overall image of the City, while 30% were dissatisfied with the overall appearance of the City. Staff believes that this will help minimize that opinion and show a new Riverside. A goal from the Master Plan sums it up best by saying that the City would like to "Communicate the new character of Riverside in a snapshot at the entrances to the City." The City is not hitting all the entrances at this time, but it is making a huge impact. Brick Owens from Nearing, Staats, Prelogar and Jones Architecture Firm addressed the Board and explained the process for the Streetscape plan. He explained that the design schedule was set out in five meetings beginning July 12, 2007 where they began by establishing the image of Riverside and ending tonight with the final presentation to the Board of Aldermen and the public. Owens listed out and explained all of the project goals for the Streetscape plan. They were: • Timeless, Classic, Tasteful • Elegant Beauty • "Wow" Factor • Look to Past -Incorporate History • Continuity/Consistent Theme • Marketing Tool • Safety/Longevity • Quality/Ease of Maintenance/Sustainable Construction • Coordinate with Other Projects within the City (Gatewoods, Briarcliff) • Create re-usable elements for future gateways • Variety of mediums/components • Build on what's started • Create a sense of place • Increase Walkability With all those goals in mind the committee wanted to describe the unique characteristics of Riverside which included: • Bluffs/Geography • History (Interurban Railroad, Belgium Bottoms, Race Track) • Small Town Feel • Brick and Stone • Regional Connectivity/Access • Riverside is the Gateway to Platte Co. Finally, they took into consideration the history of Riverside which included: • "Where the past and the future flow together." • Landing -Origin -River -Belgian Bottoms • Interurban Railway • Race track • Farming • Physical History-Natural Formation of the Land • Native Americans The Committee took into account the history and identity that the towers in E.H. Yung Park bring to Riverside and to many small towns through out history. They tried to incorporate the river and the bluffs as well. All these elements have been brought together to make up the plan for the City Streetscape. There are five project sites that have been discussed. They include: 2 • I-29 and Gateway Ave.: o Ideally use whole interchange, Monumental Design • Intersection of Vivion Road and Gateway Ave: "Welcome Plaza": o '/2 acres piece of land, Entrance to Civic Area • Vivion Road Corridor-Gateway Ave. to High Drive: o Connect City Hall to the Welcome Plaza • Riverway Boulevazd Corridor o Link NW Platte Road Improvements adjacent to Briazcliff • West Platte Road & Levee o Detention Pond Improvements The first site is I-29' and Gateway Ave. Here the Committee has analyzed how to use this entrance into the City as a point of interest and place the sign where it can be seen by all movement on that interchange. The idea is to incorporate river, bluffs and towers which are all aspects of the City. For best placement of the sign it will actually have to be located in Kansas City, Missouri. The landscaping for this sign will extend down the threshold of Gateway and tie in with the Village at Gatewoods. This will use all the same materials that are already seen in the City such as the stone, rocks and bricks. The crossings will also include embellished pavement throughout the City. The next site is the intersection of Vivion Road and Gateway Ave. The Committee has been calling this the "Welcome Plaza". The concept here is to do something to enhance all the corners and focus views to the center. The center piece will be a 50 foot clock tower and there will be a 20 foot waterfall that drops four feet over the word Riverside. The "Welcome Plaza" will include historical signs and commemorative bricks that citizens can purchase. There will also be a do-it-yourself sundial. The construction will tie in bricks, stones, and the same fencing that is used at E.H. Young pazk. There will also be a digital information sign on the comer in front of Deb's Diner because that is a location where the sign will be able to be read from any of the stoplights. The next site is the Vivion Road Corridor which will extend from Gateway to High Drive. It will incorporate sidewalks and trails on the south side of Vivion Road and will connect to Jumping Branch. Next is Riverway Blvd. This will include heavy landscaping to create a screen and future path for trail connection. There will be green space on both sides of the road. Finally, there is West Platte Road and the Levee which includes the detention pond. There are two phases to the detention pond. Ideally the City would like to see if the water that the detention pond holds can be detained up on the bluffs eliminating the need for the pond. The first phase will be landscaping along the walkway and planting trees along the high side to block it. If the water can not be detained on the bluffs then the next phase will be to lower the basin of the detention pond and 3 create a fountain it the center. A brick wall will be built in and the same fencing used at E.H. Young Park will be put around the pond and heavily landscaped. If the water is able to be detained on the bluffs then the next step will be to remove the pond all together. Miles commented that the landscaping is an immediate fix to the detention pond while Briarcliff looks into detaining the water on the bluffs. If the detention pond is not needed, all the landscaping will be able to be moved and used somewhere else. Owens explained that the timing for these projects will be stretched over three fiscal years. The 2007/2008 fiscal year will be the "Welcome Plaza" and the first phase of the detention pond. The 2008/2009 fiscal year will be design and construction of the entrance off I-29 and the entrance off of Riverway Blvd. These are timed so that they will coordinate with the developments going in at Skyline and Briarcliff. Finally, in 2009/2010 Vivion Road will be complete and the second phase of the detention pond. The next steps for this project will be: • Contract /Ordinance for Construction Design of Welcome Plaza and Gateway Park Phase 1 • Begin Design of Welcome Plaza • Completed Design /Final Review by Board of Aldennen • Bid Construction of Projects Owens commented that his goal is to have the grand opening of the "Welcome Plaza" ready for July 4, 2008. Mayor Rose commented that the Committee work very well together and has created a wonderful concept. The vision is softening and shows strength. Alderman Super commented that if the City is building something to last forever they should do it right the first time and this is right. Alderman Darata commented that the plan is sustainable and sets a tone for the City. Alderman Bruns asked what entrances and aspects of the City are left out of this plan. Miles replied that the far west entrance to the City is where Embassy Landscaping is going in and the City plans to work with them on developing something for the future. The entrance off I-635 the City is working with MoDOT to develop something there. Sixty-nine Highway has not been studied yet and West Platte Road is part of the redevelopment plan for that area. The City plans to do another plan in the future to coordinate and tie everything together. Alderman Hurt commented that the sign on I-291eaves a mark and the "Welcome Plaza" really gets to the heart of the City. 4 Miles said that staff will start on an ordinance contract with NSPJ for design. Horizons Project Bridge Sabin Yanez from Cook, Flatt and Strobel Engineers addressed the Board to give them an update on the Horizons Project Bridge. He explained that it ties in with the Streetscape Plan. The bridge that will cross over the railroad can tie in some of the same elements that are used through out the City. The bridge will eventually be high visibility with the build out of the Horizons Development. This matching fence will be a nice added feature to tie everything together. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent. ah Wagner Administration Clerk