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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 11/17/2011MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA NOVEMBER 17, 2011 The Ames City Council met in special session at 7:00 p.m. on the 17 day of November, 2011, inth the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Ann Campbell presiding and the following Council Members present: Davis, Goodman, Larson, Orazem, and Wacha. Council Member Mahayni was absent. DISCUSSION ON HOSPITAL-MEDICAL ZONE: Mayor Campbell said that each group represented has a vested interest in the area near and around the Hospital-Medical zone. She told the group that in preparation for this discussion, an effort was made to invite the participants to share their vision and discuss the future. Mayor Campbell said that City Council members desire to be the listeners as the interests of each party are discussed. She reviewed the order of the discussion. In attendance at the roundtable were: Linda Feldman, Sunrise Neighborhood Sheri Anderson, North of 13 Neighborhoodth Molly Helmers, North Old Town Neighborhood Lisa Ladd, Bandshell Neighborhood Roger Kluesner, McFarland Clinic Steve Koger, McFarland Clinic Sarah Buck, Mary Greeley Medical Center Lynn Whisler, Mary Greeley Medical Center Brian Dieter, Mary Greeley Medical Center Dave Carter, Historic Old Town Neighborhood Dr. Mike Kitchell, McFarland Clinic Peggy Riecken, Sunrise Neighborhood Peter Hallock, Historic Old Town Neighborhood Linda Feldman, Sunrise Neighborhood, and Sheri Anderson, North of 13 Neighborhood,th presented the collective values of the neighborhoods around the Hospital-Medical zone. The neighborhoods value: 1. people and a sense of community. 2. a neighborhood that is safe and welcoming for all, including families and children. 3. a central location for our families. 4. diversity in the backgrounds, income levels, and age range of our neighbors. 5. conservation, preservation and restoration of homes and the city’s cultural heritage. 6. environmentally friendly and sustainable neighborhoods. 7. established landscapes including tree-lined streets, well maintained lawns, and yards. 8. access to excellent health and medical care. 9. a cost-effective and efficient growth pattern. 10. stability (real and perceived) in the planning and zoning of existing residential and hospital- medical areas. Ms. Feldman said that the neighborhoods are here to contribute to the well-being of the community and these neighborhoods now and in the future. 2 Molly Helmers, North Old Town Neighborhood, addressed specific concerns related to the close proximity of the Hospital-Medical zone: 1. Street parking 2. Increased traffic on side roads 3. Increased heavy-load traffic on side roads 4. Lack of designated smoking areas for Hospital-Medical zone employees 5. Long-term security of our property and its value 6. The ability of our neighborhoods to attract single-family homeowners 7. The ability to attract homeowners with an interest in and ability to invest in renovating and/or maintaining older homes 8. The safety and the culture of our neighborhood with an increase in nonresident activity Peter Hallock, Historic Old Town Neighborhood, presented a vision of symbiosis. He described that vision as: •neighborhoods and Hospital-Medical entities working together for mutual benefit. •supporting Hospital-Medical growth without geographic expansion of zone. •focusing Hospital-Medical growth along Duff Avenue. •avoiding geographic expansion of Hospital-Medical zone. •affordable homes in urban core neighborhoods representing an irreplaceable resource. •protecting housing stock and addressing compatibility issues to protect and enhance the environment of surrounding neighborhoods, which can pay dividends for Hospital-Medical employers. Mr. Hallock said that the combination of a healthy Hospital-Medical zone plus healthy neighborhoods can be a major benefit for the city. Fred Bradner, 1111 Stafford Avenue, Ames, shared a packet with the group, which included several Ames Tribune articles dating back as far as 1991. Each article discussed challenges with the Hospital-Medical zone and neighborhoods. Mary Greeley Medical Center Chief Executive Officer, Brian Dieter, thanked the neighbors for their presentation. He told the group that Mary Greeley Medical Center (MGMC) is planning a significant expansion on its campus. He said they will be doing a vertical expansion since they are able to. Mr. Dieter said there is not a clear path to any expansion with regard to services or greater intensification of the Hospital-Medical zone without changing some uses on both sides of Duff Avenue and increasing the land capacity utilization along Duff Avenue. Mr. Dieter showed the map of the area, and referenced Peter Orazem’s statements a few months ago, regarding the hospital receiving praise because they were making the expansion fit within the current space. He also said that, however, the next expansion will be a different challenge. Mr. Dieter emphasized that he really cares about the neighborhood and takes ownership in the neighborhood, and wants to protect the interests of neighbors. He commented on the real benefit of the adjacency of the Clinic, which allows the hospital to provide better care. He acknowledged that it is a high-intensity site, and said that as patient demands and technology evolve, they will have a better idea of future needs. 3 Mr. Dieter said the current expansion project will be completed in 2015, and will provide some space that will give opportunity for further expansion without having to build new buildings. He said that since he has been at the hospital, they have worked with neighbors in order to mitigate areas of concern before beginning projects. He said that the timing of this conversation is good, and that MGMC would be willing to discuss what buffers could look like, and what a path to future growth might look like; and that he is interested and willing to be a part of that future discussion. McFarland Clinic Chief Executive Officer, Steve Koger, said he also appreciates the thoughts from neighbors. He introduced Roger Kluesner, also of McFarland Clinic, and Dr. Mike Kitchell, President of the Board of Directors. He said that they came to listen and learn, as well as offer a few perspectives on behalf of McFarland Clinic. He said that they are very interested in these types of conversations to address the long-term challenges. Mr. Koger said that with some assurance, he can speak to the next two to three years. He said McFarland Clinic is constantly looking ahead 12-18 months, while focusing on McFarland Clinic’s vision, which is to be the trusted choice for patient care, by providing coordinated care with professional caregivers, one patient at a time for individual well-being. Mr. Koger said that the components of the vision will work in 20 years, and is used as a map to produce the annual plans, which are composed of patient needs and concerns, staff recruitment and retention, coordination of care, services and hospitality, and recently the components of complying with the health care reform mandates. Mr. Koger said that the technology and facilities in place will allow for moderate growth, but to see beyond 24-36 months is very difficult. Mr. Koger said the Land Use Policy Plan definition for Hospital-Medical zone may need updating as the solution for this area is sought. He said it is much different now with the hospital being a major facility providing many services, McFarland Clinic operating as more than just a small collection of offices, and the changing neighborhood and its needs and desires. He said that this may need to be updated as the solution for this area is sought. Mr. Koger also said that he believes McFarland Clinic meets and exceeds the various Hospital-Medical zone requirements including parking, green spaces, landscaping, and maintenance. He said they believe they are dedicated, loyal occupants of the neighborhood. Mr. Koger said the clinic does have capacity to go up two floors on the west end of the building to gain 30,000 square feet, but it would be a very expensive project. He said they are pleased to be involved in this discussion and look forward to the beginning of a better relationship. Sarah Buck, MGMC Board Representative, added from the Board’s perspective, that it has been the expectation of the senior leaders as they develop plans for the medical center that they be respectful of the neighborhood and inclusive of the neighborhood’s opinion. She said she joins Mr. Dieter in complimenting the thoughtful, balanced presentation by the neighborhoods. Sandra Englehart, owner of 1202 Duff Avenue, Ames, said that she recently discovered that the hospital rents space on Duff Avenue and will possibly rent out some space inside the new addition. She said that she has been trying to rent her building, which is across the street from the hospital for 11 months now, and her costs are much higher than the hospital’s. Ms. Englehart asked that the hospital reconsider rental costs so that she can be more competitive. Dave Carter, Historic Old Town Neighborhood, said he had some figures to share related to the contrast in development patterns in the Hospital-Medical zone of suburban and urban types. Mr. Carter said that MGMC is utilizing an urban, or more intensive, development strategy. He told 4 the group that currently the hospital has 520,061 square feet of land, and 444,000 square feet of building space, which equates to a density of .86 square feet of space per square foot of land. Mr. Carter said the new project will add 221,000 square feet of space to the building, making the new density 1.29. He told the group that McFarland Clinic’s development is more suburban in nature. Mr. Carter said that the main McFarland Clinic site density is .34, and that the new construction project is adding space at a density of .4. When the project is complete, the McFarland Clinic facilities will have a total density of .37 square feet of space per square foot of land. Mr. Carter said there is a need for a parking structure, and a need for vertical growth. He then discussed how McFarland Clinic could also develop more intensively. Dr. Mike Kitchell, President of McFarland Clinic’s Board of Directors, discussed biking to work. He said his hope is that transportation methods such as walking, biking, and riding CyRide is one solution to the parking issue. Leah Bowman, 1207 Burnett Avenue, Ames, said that she moved her home out of the hospital parking lot in 1982, and then all houses on her block were lost, “bit by bit.” She said her concern regarding the expansion into a new area is the speculation it causes when properties are for sale. She said that speculation is very destructive and would like to see that controlled somehow. Ms. Bowman suggested the City have stricter rental stipulations in place to keep people accountable in neighborhoods. She also said that she would like to see better use of other commercial space in the City, since not all medical facilities need to be near the hospital. Kathy Corones, 1115 Burnett Avenue, Ames, said she researched the value of the block she lives on and the block facing her, which are together worth more than $1 million. She said that Kellogg Avenue to Burnett Avenue is a real asset to the City in terms of property taxes. Ms. Corones said she wondered how much of the expansion is being driven by the need to compete. Mr. Koger said that competition has not had a role in their plans or discussions of plans. Fred Bradner, 1111 Stafford Avenue, Ames, said the neighborhoods don’t have anything to offer toward a compromise and asked what would stop MGMC and McFarland Clinic from buying future residential property. Ms. Feldman said she wishes to include the issue of speculation on the list of “next steps.” Kathy Shonkwiler, 1217 Carroll Avenue, Ames, said that her property is adjacent to the current construction. She discussed the incompatibility of the zones, and showed a picture of the construction from her deck. She said some sort of protection for nearby properties should be discussed. She said that since the construction started, machines that drive steel stakes into the ground have been shaking her house for hours at a time, which she believes caused cracks in her ceiling and a crack in her foundation. She said she feels that the decisions were made to benefit corporations at the expense of individuals. City Manager Steve Schainker summarized the presentations. He said that no group wants to overlook the concerns of the other, and there is a willingness to come together to work toward a solution. He suggested taking this opportunity to discuss the next steps. Ms. Feldman said she was interested in further dialogue and brainstorming on specific issues. There was discussion on how to proceed with further conversation. Mayor Campbell requested 5 copies of the presentations, and asked the groups how they would like to proceed. Ms. Feldman suggested continuing the conversation since many members of the public were present. Ms. Feldman said she hoped that McFarland Clinic would define “regional medical center” so that everyone can have a better sense of the medical community’s needs. Mr. Koger said that a more efficient presentation could be given with more time. He said that facility-wise, the clinic will be in good shape for another two to three years. Mr. Koger said that beyond that time frame, it is unclear. Mr. Koger said that growth is challenging as far as planning. Peggy Riecken, Sunrise Neighborhood, asked if shared space is an option now with shorter hospital stays. Mr. Dieter said that although the entities are separate, with coordinated care, opportunities may arise for sharing of services and increasing efficiency. Sue Ravenscroft, Edwards Neighborhood, referenced a compromise that her neighborhood association and a developer came to after conversation and negotiation. She said she recommended that the neighbors request concrete goals and commitments from McFarland Clinic. Ms. Feldman said she believes something did go wrong in the process last time. She said she hopes that a point can be reached where speculation ends, and the safety and security of the neighborhood increases. Ms. Feldman said that if there is a need for more hospital or medical space beyond the current footprint, then hopefully all parties can work together effectively in the entire process. Ms. Helmers said that even with intensification, issues such as street parking and traffic will still be present. She said she hopes the neighborhood can be part of continued conversations and working together. Ms. Feldman said the City could be instrumental in supporting these groups and coming up with a plan that works for everyone, such as tax incentives. Catherine Scott, 1510 Roosevelt Avenue, Ames, said she thinks other locations for hospital and medical services should be considered. Dustin Evermore, 1120 Carroll Avenue, Ames, asked if there are things the City could do to assist McFarland Clinic in intensifying. Ms. Feldman added that the medical services are for the entire community, and she feels that four neighborhoods have paid a high price, when the entire city should be part of the solution. Council Member Goodman said there are options that could be considered by the City. Mayor Campbell asked if there was a consensus that a smaller group should continue the discussion. Ms. Feldman requested that the conversation be continued soon. Mr. Kindred said it was earlier suggested that City staff with expertise in these areas be involved in the collaborative effort. 6 Council Member Orazem said it would be useful to have a couple scenarios as to what patient numbers will be in the future, and the necessary footprint. He said he agrees that this is something very important to the City. Council Member Larson said he was curious to get more information on the utilization of the parking ramp and parking in general, and that maybe there are opportunities for the City to assist and address some parking concerns. Ms. Feldman asked when the Land Use Policy Plan would be reviewed again. Mr. Schainker said that early in the new year, City Council will consider adopting a process that would involve doing a review every five years. Mayor Campbell told the group to feel free to be in regular contact with staff regarding next steps. Mr. Schainker said he recommends that the smaller group composed to continue the discussion be composed of a maximum of eight to ten people. Ms. Corones asked if there could be changes made to the group members. Mr. Goodman said consistency in representation is very important, and recommended the members of the small group be in regular contact with the rest of the group. Mayor Campbell asked the neighborhoods for copies of their presentations, which will assist with continuing the discussion. She thanked the group for coming, and for the positive dialogue. COMMENTS: There were no comments. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 8:59 p.m. _______________________________________________________________________ Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor ___________________________________ Erin Thompson, Recording Secretary