Waterbury Downtown October 29 2009

WATERBURY DOWNTOWN STUDY

Waterbury Downtown:

Present Future

Public Workshop

Thursday, October 29,

2009

7:00 PM


Waterbury Downtown:

Present FutureRevitalizing Waterbury

Waterbury Planning Commission

Waterbury Village/Town Staff

GMCR and Central Vermont Regional

Planning Commission

VHB Pioneer

Timothy Duff, Architect


Present Future

Completing the

Waterbury Downtown Study• Connector roadway and rail crossing, from

Demeritt Place to Pilgrim Park

• Options for infill development

• Evaluation of the Stone Shed

• Financial Analysis

• Downtown Master Plan

Tonight: • Financing Options & Ideas

• Downtown Master Plan “Action List”


Tonight’s Agenda:

1. The 3-D View: GMCR & CVRPC

Sketch-Up Team

2. Downtown Master Plan

3. The Stone Shed: Options & Ideas

4. Financing Options & Approaches

5. Group Discussion: Action List


SKETCH-UP MODEL

GMCR and Central VT Regional Planning Commission


Downtown Master Plan

Overview


Master Plan: Key Elements

Maintaining the residential, “leafy” character

of Main Street near Demeritt Place

Drainage issues if infill development occurs



•Connect Pilgrim Park to Demeritt Place with a new connector roadway

•Upgrade the railroad crossing and Demeritt Place to handle tractor-trailers

•Relieve Park Row/Main Street intersection



Consider infill

development on

Demeritt Place

site, behind

Batchelder Street

– Potential options for housing



Ways to make the

State offices more

of a community

amenity• River access

• Community garden on the horseshoe

• Art walk/solar installations along river path



Consider introducing some retail and service

uses into Pilgrim Park – potentially in Station

Lumber building (or on the site)

Enhance visibility, friendliness of parking

DRAW and LINK visitors to retail core



Focus on Waterbury‟s

retail core!

There is huge interest

in having more places

to shop locally

Restaurants are a

great anchor

Pursue

redevelopment

opportunities


Retail Core: CONTINUITY!

Ground-floor rrontage in this

section of Main from Park

Row to Stowe St. potentially

should be mandatory retail

or restaurant

Draw foot traffic through

Enhance sidewalks

Clean up & sign the parking!

No!


Retail Core: CONTINUITY!

Idea to “link and

draw” pedestrians

from Park Row

and train station

up in and through

the retail core

Untapped idea:

Sculpture contest

and art walk


Retail Core: Redevelopment

More of

this…

…less of

this.


Key Redevelopment Site:

Stone Shed & Bidwell Lane

Public meeting:

THEATER/ gathering

space

Support for Bidwell Ln.

Extension


STONE SHED – Existing Conditions

The Stone Shed was most

likely constructed in the 19th

century supporting several

uses and many alterations over

the years.

Former uses include

processing quarried stone and

as an iron foundry.

Currently used as a

warehouse.

The building is centrally

located within the village core

and adjacent to municipal

parking.















The existing wood framed post and beam structure has numerous

alterations. Most likely much of the roof framing has been replaced

during the life of the structure.








There are original portions of the building throughout including:






There are original portions of the building throughout including:

Clearstory wall framing








There are original portions of the building throughout including:• Clearstory wall framing

• Original wall framing and siding








There are original portions of the building throughout including:• Clearstory wall framing

• Original wall framing and siding

• Framed window openings in exterior walls




STONE SHED –Potential for Reuse


STONE SHED – Potential for Reuse

The building will require substantial amounts of work in

order to adapt it for reuse.

Building Utilities:• Existing 6” water service should be adequate for any use, but the

fire protection system is antiquated and will have to be replaced.









• 4” sewer service should support a variety of potential uses.








• The existing electrical service is too small and will not support any adapted reuse.












• The existing electrical service is too small and will not support any adapted reuse.

Assembly uses will require a substantial upgrade to the

building structure.

New exterior finish, thermal envelope, HVAC, plumbing and

electrical systems will be required.



Lack of day lighting and egress access limits effective reuse

for residential uses.

It is recommended that additions be removed back to the

original building form to create more functional, usable space

and reduce the amount of building square footage required to

be upgraded.
















Lack of day lighting and egress access limits effective reuse

for residential uses.

It is recommended that additions be removed back to the

original building form to create more functional, usable space

and reduce the amount of building square footage required to

be upgraded.

Current building footprint of over 12,000 square feet would

reduce to 8,200 square feet.



Previous group discussions have centered on community uses

such as theater/performing arts.

A potential for a 150 seat theater and adjacent multi-purpose

space.




COST ITEMS in the MASTER PLAN

Connector Road (@$1.3 million)

Drainage improvements behind Main St.

near Demeritt Place

Redevelopment sites esp. Stone Shed

Community garden initiation

Parking area spruce up and signage

Sidewalk improvements

“Art walk”/competition/installations

River access

$


Dear Santa Claus,

We have been a very good town and village this year.

Cost Items

INFRASTRUCTURE

PUBLIC FACILITY

ECONOMIC

ENHANCEMENTS

RECREATION

COMMUNITY

GARDEN

Avenues

CDBG, TIF, bonding

USDA-RD

BID, Local option

FISH „N CRITTER,

RECREATION

SOURCES

**ENERGY


Tax Increment Finance:

The Basics

Allows the municipality to capture some

or all of the incremental increase in

taxable value in a specific geographic

area, and pledge that future revenue

towards the payments on a municipal

bond for infrastructure improvements

that are DIRECTLY RELATED to

enabling the increase in taxable value.

(got that?)


Town Tax Rate2008 Grand List: $7,097,523

Taxes Necessary for General Fund & Highway: $1,853,455 Total Town & School Tax RateHomestead: 1.3674

Non-Residential: 1.5007

Village Tax Rate2008 Grand List: $1,976,734

Taxes Necessary for General Fund: $323,260

Total School, Town Village Tax RateHomestead: $1.5498

Non-Residential: $1.6831


Tax Increment Finance: Issues

Must apply to Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) for TIF

approval

Requires formal authorization by the voters; not clear if Town or Village

or both would be bond issuing authority

Must demonstrate that the new increment of growth would not happen

BUT FOR the infrastructure investment

Must send 25% of the incremental tax revenue to Montpelier

**Must reserve as much or more of the MUNICIPAL increment towards

the TIF as you do the Statewide

Non-taxable properties don‟t pay their way (i.e. municipal buildings,

stone shed) unless space is leased from a taxable entity

Annual audit and compliance costs


WHAT’S THE POSSIBLE ‘I’?

Tax Increment Finance:


Pilgrim Park

Potentially 3 new

buildings

Not clear what

timing will be

Would be a

MAJOR

component of a

TIF.


Demeritt Place

Site plan done for @

20,000 SF office and

parking

Could also support office

with @ 14 units of housing

Neighborhood concerns

Drainage issues need to

be dealt with


Bidwell Lane/Stone Shed/Station

Lumber

Strong interest in redevelopment

that connects Waterbury Square to

the Stone Shed

All groups tended to have some

element of a gathering or

performance space/theater in this

area

Parking needs to be evaluated

carefully

Needs intensive economic

development plan/effort…but could

be worth it!


Mid-Downtown Site

Identified in public

workshop as good site

for offices, similar to

medical center

No discussion with

landowners

Access would need to be

worked out


Fire Station

ALL of the public meeting work

groups discussed redevelopment of

the Fire Station site; some included

land up to the Town Office.

Clearly, not consensus on this with

Village leadership.

Represents the “missing front tooth”

in the retail district from Park Row to

Stowe Street.

Stong case that this site needs to be

re-imagined as a key development

node.


Thoughts for Waterbury

Downtown:

Redevelopment initiatives will require multiple and developer-

driven funding sources.

Other projects are smaller, innovative…and more challenging to

fund through “regular” sources

**Ideal scenario is an annual “force account” for small projects

like the parking, art walk, river access, etc.

TIF is a possibility…but must be VERY SPECIFIC about what it‟s

for and the reasonable likelihood that the development will occur

Also must balance against the cost and complexity of approval


Other Financing Thoughts:

Where money is today

USDA Rural Development:• Can a local business or consortium be

created that can take on the Stone Shed and work with USDA through its implementation grants?

E N E R G Y:• The big money today is in ENERGY!

• What are the opportunities for Waterbury to make renewable energy part of the strategy for funding the art walk?



Where money is today

USDA Rural Development:• Can a local business or consortium be

created that can take on the Stone Shed and work with USDA through its implementation grants?

E N E R G Y:• The big money today is in ENERGY!

• What are the opportunities for Waterbury to make renewable energy part of the strategy for funding the art walk?



A local option (please put away the firearms)

would not be a bad way to develop a “force

account” for investments in the downtown,

which could be supplemented with grants.

Some of the key competitive retail markets to

Waterbury already have a local option tax:• Williston/Taft Corners but not Berlin

Question…how do you work with Waterbury

Center, Ben & Jerry‟s, and the Shaw‟s, where

a lot of the retail sales are generated


Current taxable retail receipts in

Waterbury:

2008 taxable

retail

receipts:

$30,488,168

2007 taxable

retail

receipts:

$30,506,338


What are the “launch pads”

and who can take them on?


For Discussion:

CONNECTOR ROADWAY

STONE SHED

BIDWELL LANE

PARKING IMPROVEMENTS

ART WALK

RIVER ACCESS/WALK

COMMUNITY GARDEN

FUTURE SITES

FINANCING STRATEGIES

RETAIL CONTINUITY/

RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER


Next Steps in the Study:

Finalizing report

Looking in detail and financing options

and how they would play out

Incorporating your comments and

feedback from tonight

Action items list for key initiatives

Design

Waterbury Downtown October 29 2009