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Res 1845 9/7/1976RESOLUTION NO. I4 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION CHAPTER OF THE MIDTOWN 2000 PLAN WHEREAS, on May 4, 1976 the Board of Aldermen approved the draft of the MIDTOWN 2000 Plan with the exception of a financial strategy; and WHEREAS, the Board of Aldermen instructed the Planning Division to complete the financial strategy section of the Plan Implementation Chapter; and WHEREAS, the Planning Division has prepared a financial strategy and incorporated such strategy within the Plan Implementation Chapter. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT: The Plan Implementation Chapter of the MIDTOWN 2000 Plan is hereby approved. PASSED AND APPROVED THIS THE , day of 1976. j Y 0 R ATTEST: j, e ... ,- -- CITY CLERK PLAN IMPLEMENTATION The implementation and integration of the Circulation and Parking, Urban Design and Beautification, and Land Use Plans illu trated in the three pre\Tious chapterr would result in the Sketch Plan located in the inside jacket. Implementing MIDTOWN 2000 and moving toward the realization of the goals and objectives of the midtown sector will be very difficult. The responsibility of transforming paper ideas into reality must be shared by the entire community. The degree to which these ideas are made realities will be a reflection of the participation and interest shown by the total community in utilizing financial, regulatory, and informal_ tools . Financial Tools Financial resources from both the private and public sectors will be necessary to implement MIDTOWN 2000. Private sector funds must be made available by private businessmen both individually and collectively. Public sector funds could be made available through local, state, and federal governments . Private Funds - Private businessmen could individually and collectively finance midtown improvements. Individual efforts should include cleaning and repairing front, side, and rear facades, developing new uses of second story space, and instituting innovative marketing methods such as kiosks and graphics . Collec- tive efforts should include coordinating design themes along block faces and rear shop entrances, developing interior accessways between businesses, and constructing continuous canopies. Non-Profit Corporation Funds - Private funds could collectively be generated through the non-profit corporation, "Midtown Now". The corporation could receive funds through membership dues, donations, endowments, direct loans, loan guarantees, or sale/lease of acquired property. The corporation should 1) initiate a membership drive, 2) begin formulating plans for major improve- ment projects, 3) conduct a fund raising drive, and 4) hire an executive director. Local General Funds - Future midtown improvements funded strictly from the general fund should focus basically on increased maintenance. However, capital investments should be funded from the general fund by earmarking off-street parking meter revenue and incremental increases of property tax revenue generated by midtown revitalization. Off-street parking meter revenue should be earmarked for midtown parking improvements including property acquisition, relocation, demolition, and construction of the additional off-street parking recommended along Ohio Street. These amounts are very minimal at this time, but could substantially increase. As MIDTOWN 2000 is implemented, property values and tax revenue should increase. If the proportion of total midtown property value and tax revenur. to total City property value and tax revenue increases due to improvements, an incremental tax increase would be realized. The Board of Aldermen should establish a policy which utilizes last year's incremental tax increase as a guide in determining the amount of addition 11 local funds budgeted for midtown improvements in the next year. Local Private Assessment Funds - Improvements of private property along block faces should be complemented by public improvement of adjacent pedestrian areas and the open space network. However, the private sector should also be responsible for a share (2/3) of the public improvements. This percentage is based on the fact that approximately 1/3 of the midtown's area is city property. Regulatory tools which establish an assessment process are needed to help obtain funds from this source, and are discussed further below. Local Hotel/Motel Tax Funds - This tax should he levied and would generate approximately $80,000 annually. Immediate improvements funded by this tax should include the civic center market analysis, construction of additional parking for the municipal auditorium, and urban beautification around the auditorium. If the civic center market analysis is positive, subsequent funds should be used to offset construction and operational costs of a civic center. Local General Obligation Bond Funds - Special projects should be funded through the sale of general obligation bonds. Projects which could be funded in this manner include the police/municipal court expansion, fire station expansion, municipal annex, library, and the educational complex. State Funds - Funds should be available through the Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation from the federal Department of Trans- portation for assistance in making all circulation and parking improvements . As such, the City's Transportation Improvement Plan should be amended to include the projects contained in this document, with the stipulation that the additional projects receive high priority for funding. Federal Revenue Sharing Funds - The priority category for the expenditure of general revenue sharing funds is capital improvements. The Board of Aldermen has appropriated $140,000 of revenue sharing funds for midtown improvements. If the program is continued, a significant percentage (10 - 15%) of future funds should be allocated for midtown improvements. This percentage is based on the fact that approximately 10% of the total property value of the City exists in the midtown sector. Federal Community Development Funds - Eligible activities under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Program include property acquisition, public works improvements, code enforcement, demolition, removal of restrictive barriers, property disposition, provision of public services, payment of the City's share of federal matching grants, relocation payments, planning, and administration. The Board of Aldermen has approved expenditures for improvements in the midtown for 1976-77 which include $5,000 for a human resource center site plan, $10,000 for a historical commons plan, $21,000 for urban beautification and initial clean-up of the Wichita River, and $125,000 for other midtown improvements . Portions of the street paving, street lighting, demolition, parks, and code enforcement programs will also be carried out in the midtown sector. I The proposed Community Development expenditures for the midtown sector in 1977-78 and 1978-79 are $200,000 and $250,000. If the Community Development Block Grant Program is continued, a significant percentage (20 - 25%) of the funds should be allocated for midtown improvements. This percentage is based on the fact that the midtown sector is one of five designated community devel- opment target sectors. Federal Categorical Grant-in-Aid Funds - Other funds may also be available from the state and federal governments. These may include funds from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and the federal Bureau of Outdoor Recreation for development of a Wichita River greenbelt, the Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing construction, the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation for various social service functions and facilities such as the human resource center, the National Endowment for the Arts for urban design plans, and the Department of Labor for hiring of employees for special maintenance programs. A concentrated effort to obtain these categorical funds should be initiated. The redevelopment of the midtown will require very close fiueucial LUupe dLiaii between the private and public sectors. Neither can accomplish the needed improve- ments independently. Each of the funding tools must be utilized in a cooperative public/private manner, Regulatory Tools Additional regulatory tools will provide the mechanisms to help ensure the implementation of MIDTOWN 2000. The regulatory tools should include plan adoption and the establishment of design review guidelines and standards. The City could also utilize its power of assessment and of eminent domain for acquiring property for the construction of key public projects. Although the City has no land use controls specifically oriented to guiding development patterns, many city-wide ordinances could be used to improve conditions and attract development to areas within the midtown sector. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen should adopt by resolution the MIDTOWN 2000 Plan and thereby establish a policy to revitalize the midtown sector. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen should adopt an ordinance which would estab- lish a Design Review Commission and outline its duties and responsibilities. The Commission would review site design plans for all development and redevel- opment projects in the midtown sector. The ordinance would outline criteria for carrying out these responsibilities, but would provide guidance for redevelopment on an advisory basis only. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen should consider adopting an ordinance which would establish an assessment procedure for funding midtown improvements along block faces. The ordinance would outline the private commitments needed to initiate the assessment procedure and the assessment ratio, and would provide an adequate financing mechanism. The City should utilize its power of eminent domain to acquire property for the construction of public facilities, parks, and parking lots. Such use, would establish the supporting environment for private midtown improvements and subsequently stimulate and guide redevelopment. Also, the Community Development Act of 1974 allows cities to use funds for land assembly and resale. With modifications to State legislation, the City could acquire groups of small parcels in dilapidated areas and subsequently lease or resell the entire tract for major redevelopment projects. The City should support such a legislative change. However, if State legislation is not changed, the midtown sector should be designated as an urban renewal area in order to accomplish similar property acquisition and redevelopment. In the interim, with careful consideration for State laws the "Midtown Now" non-profit corporation could use private funds to assemble land for redevel- opment or as "seed" money for revolving improvement loans for property rehabilitation. The City should better utilize existing regulatory tools. Existing nrdinin"QG of particular importance deal with abandoned objects, signs, health hazards, noise, hazardous structures, the Wichita River, sidewalks and curbs, subdi- vision regulation, and liquor zoning. In the future, comprehensive land use controls will be needed to ensure redevelopment which is in conformance with the Land Use Plan and which enhances the natural and man made environment. Informal Tools Informal tools are the routine working relationships between the private and public sectors. These relationships should maintain a free flow of information during all stages of the revitalization efforts in the midtown sector. The first step toward establishing the free flow of information was citizen participation in the formulation of the MIDTOWN 2000 Plan. Citizen participation in the planning process included informal personal meetings with interested individuals, presentations to organizations, and expansion of the Planning Board's Midtown Subcommittee to include an Ad Hoc Advisory Group of concerned citizens. The MIDTOWN 2000 plan continues this communication by informing the public of revitalization opportunities and suggesting general methods for coordination of private sector activities. These efforts must be continued by the following steps. The Planning Division's staff should be available to counsel with organizations and individuals with an interest in midtown redevelopment. These sessions are perhaps the best method of coordinating and influencing public and private redevelopment efforts. Such meetings serve to inform interested parties, minimize duplication of effort, reduce construction costs, coordinate circula- tion patterns, property services, and harmonious land uses, and plan design considerations for future development. Elected officials and members of Midtown Now should keep local representa-- tives in state and national government aware of the problems of midtown revitalization. Personal and organizational support should be given to state and federal programs which address problems of urban sprawl and inner city redevelopment. Midtown Now should maintain communication throughout the private sector and between the public and private sectors. This communication should be directed toward identifying opportunities, seeking potential investors and developers, promoting coordinated projects, and keeping informed on all public and private revitalization efforts.