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HomeMy Public PortalAbout1994_10_19SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF OCTOBER 19, 1994 A special meeting of the Leesburg Town Council was held on October 19, 1994, in the Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia for the purpose of initiating a rezoning, setting a public hearing regarding the county complex and to discuss other items listed in the October 14, 1994 memo. Notice having been delivered to all members of the Leesburg Town Council prior thereto. The meeting was called to order by Mayor James E. Clem. Councilmembers present Mayor James E. Clem George F. Atwell Frank J. Buttery, Jr. Jewell M. Emswiller Joseph R. Trocino Kristen C. Umstattd (Umstattd) William F. Webb Staff members present Town Manager Steven C. Brown Director of Engineering and Public Works Thomas A. Mason Deputy Town Attorney Deborah Welsh AGENDA ITEMS 1. Staff assumes that the development process must take place at a rapid pace. Mr. Brown stated there is an extremely ambitious schedule to get the project underway as soon as possible. Everyone involved would like to see groundbreaking in February. This would take a tremendous amount of effort byall parties concerned. There is a real committment on behalfof Gilbane and Loudoun County. The town is being asked for a hefty commitment as well. Town staff is going to meet a schedule that will Call for a two week turnaround of plans. The town's plan review process is very thorough and complex. Any development proposed in the town must go through the plan review process and this project will require a tremendous amount of staff resources to meet this ambitious deadline that has been set. Mayor Clem briefed the Council on the necessary steps with regard to this project. He stated that a public hearing will have to be held. Mr. Brown stated this project will go through the rezoning process from B-1 downtown mixed use to GC Government Center use. Because of the ambitious schedule, staff is recommending a joint public hearing on November 9, 1994. Other steps in this process include the preliminary development plan, final development plan, all of which require signifiCant levels of staff and Planning Commission review. This will also require BAR involvement. Mr. Trocino suggested the BAR meet concurrently with the Town Council. Mr. Brown stated this would not be necessary as the BAR is on a concurrent schedule as the Council. Ms. Emswiller asked, what is driving the ambitious schedule? What is the worst case scenario? When does the county have to move? Mr. Ed Broderick, representing Gilbane Properties, addressed the Council providing an overview of the whole process, as well as the time frame of the county's occupancy and how it relates to the approval process. He stated that it is anticipated that by March 1996, the county will occupy the facility. He stated in order to have a March 1996 occupancy construction must be started in late February - early March 1995. In order to start construction certain approvals must be in place, i.e., the county building permit, town final permit for the site plan - a very complex requirement. This approval has to be received by the later part of January 1995. The preliminary approval must be received prior to Thanksgiving 1994. This is a critical date beCause it relates to the financing associated with the project. BAR approval has been targeted prior to Thanksgiving, as well as the rezoning process. All of these approvals will allow Gilban¢ to go to the bond market and issue the bonds which will allow construction to begin in February and occupancy in March 1996. The critiCality of the financing is interest rates are moving in a direction not beneficial to the project which could have a negative impact on the rent for the county. Secondly, there is a given period of Capitalized interest included in the project because of the timing of the project and the negative arbitrage associated with issuing the bonds prior to completion of the project. This drives the bonds to be issued the first week in December. Ms. Emswiller asked what the fall-back time for move in is for the county? Mr. Broderick stated this has not been discussed. Mr. Dave Culbert, representing Hazel & Thomas on behalf of Gilbane, addressed the Council passing out a proposed schedule of the project. Ms. Emswiller asked Mr. Brown if he is comfortable with the planning staff and department heads - that they will be able to accomplish what has been setforth? Mr. Brown stated the comfort does not come from whether the staff can do this. "I have been told that it can be done. Staff will work as hard as they can to accommodate the schedule, however, we will not be able to review the plans that are in now in as timely a manner as we have been." Mayor Clem asked how many plans are in that position and what can staff accelerate today before this project is started? Mr. Brown will report back to the Council. A request is made for 100 reserved parking spaces in the town parking facility for the exclusive use by the county. Mr. Brown stated there are 37 spaces available in the town's permit parking. The request is to reserve 100 spaces exclusively for the county at no cost to the county. Currently the cost is $40.00 per month per space. Mr. Atwell cautioned the Council about getting locked into this request at this time stating there are other alternatives in addition to the parking garage. Ms. Emswiller asked where the request for 100 parking spaces came from? Mr. Brown stated the request came out of Friday's meeting. Mr. Atwell stated that once the question of how many county employees will occupy the new building is answered the parking space issue can be addressed. With regard to one-way pairs. Ms. Emswiller suggested if one-way pairs are considered, a traffic study would be in order. Mr. Brown stated a request for a traffic study has been made and initiated by Gilbane. Mr. Mason stated, one-way pairs have been looked at on a general basis several times in the past. The initial evaluation prepared by Gilbane looked at currently existing traffic volumes and what will be generated. The conclusion is that if a one-way pair system is in place there is capacity in the road system to take care of the generated traffic. Gilbane is undertaking a very detailed traffic engineering study covering the Gilbane site up to Market and King Streets. This will determine exactly what has to happen transportation-wise, road-wise around the building. The town will have to initiate an update of a full one-way pairs system plan with recommendations. Technically, one-way pairs can be made to work. The town will have to undertake the technical aspect to implement the one-way system which will have to be in place before the building is occupied in 1996. Ms. Emswiller stated this Council must consider the pros and cons of one-way streets and to her knowledge this Council has not discussed the issue. Mr. Atwell asked Mr. Broderick if Gilbane's traffic engineers will be providing the town with two alternatives. Alternative A which is one-way pairs from the east Y to Market Street and Alternative B from Y to Y? This will allow the town to see what either alternative does to the intersections. Mr. Broderick stated that several alternatives will be looked at. Mayor Clem stated that a lot of the business people who were previously opposed to one-way pairs, were polled recently and agreed that this is what it will take to make businesses survive. He stated this is the third time a traffic study lias been prepared from Y to Y. Ms. Emswiller asked if the transportation issues around the site are the most critical and will take the most work? Sp ~0/I~9/94 -2- Mr. Broderick stated they would lie concurrently on a critical path of dealing with the various issues that have been discussed. Ms. Emswiller stated she is in favor of the project, however she expressed concern that all of these issues and questions must be addressed now not later. Mr. Buttery suggested that staff prepare an outline of what needs to be done, concerns and questions that need to be addressed. Mr. Broderick stated that Gilbane representatives will work with town staff to come up with a composite distribution for the Council. It is Gilbane's intent to go through every town process that is established - not to skip anything. Mr. Buttery asked that Gilbane provide the Council with specific commitments expected of the Town with respect to funding. Mr. Broderick stated he would provide an outline of all of the these issues. 3. The Council has been asked to give its position on city status during the term of the lease. Mayor Clem stated that city status is not a part of this issue. Mr. Webb agreed. MOTION On motion of Mr. Trocino, seconded by Mr. Webb, the following resolution was proposed and adopted. 94-226 - RESOLUTION - AUTHORIZING A NOTICE OF JOINT PUBLIC HEARING FOR #ZM- 142 COUNTY OF LOUDOUN GOVERNMENT CENTER REZONING APPLICATION BY THE TOWN OF LEESBURG RESOLVED, by thc Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as follows: A notice of Joint Public Hearing to consider #ZM-142 - County of Loudoun Government Center rezoning application by the Town of Leesburg to rezone a property bounded by Market, Harrison, Loudoun and Church Streets from B-1 (Downtown Mixed Use) to GC (Government Center). Notification shall be published in the Leesburg Today on October 26, 1994 and November 2, 1994 for public hearing on Wednesday, November 9, 1994 in the Council Chambers of the Government Center at 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 22075. VOTE: Aye: councilmembers Atwell, Buttery, Emswiller, Trocino, Webb and Mayor Clem Nay: None Absent: councilmember Umstattd ,/J~ames E. Clem, Mayor Sp 10/19/94 -3-