PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE AGENDA

PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE AGENDA Committee Members: Chair-Council Member Marsha Berzins Vice Chair-Council Member Francoise B...
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PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE AGENDA Committee Members: Chair-Council Member Marsha Berzins Vice Chair-Council Member Francoise Bergan Council Member Sally Mounier Mt. Elbert Conference Room July 12, 2017 8:30 a.m. Committee Initiatives as assigned by City Council include:  Sustainability of Buildings and Cities (green initiative)  Economic Vitality – Fitzsimons  Small Business Development and Incentives

1. Approval of Minutes for June 7, 2017 PED Meeting

2. Office Market Overview and Opportunities (10/10) Staff Source: Chad Argentar, Economic & Business Development Supervisor

3. Development Review - Business Transformation Office Update (10/10) Staff Source: Vinessa Irvin, Manager, Development Assistance

4. ICSC Retail Convention Update (10/10) Staff Source: Timothy Gonerka, Retail Specialist

5. Miscellaneous Matters for Consideration

6. Next Meeting Date: August 9, 2017 @ 8:30 a.m.

NOTE: If you received a copy of this agenda and wish to have a full packet, please contact Stephenie Baca, Support Person for the Planning & Economic Development (PED) Policy Committee at 303-739-7273. 7/12/2017 Planning & Economic Development Committee Page 1 of 14

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PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING June 7, 2017

Members Present:

Chair Marsha Berzins, Council Member Francoise Bergan, Council Member Sally Mounier

Others Present:

Jason Batchelor, George Adams, Andrea Amonick, Mindy Parnes, Dan Money, Tony Chacon, Scott Berg, Nancy Bailey, Julie Patterson, Kimberly Brown, Sarah Wieder, Brandon Cammarata, Mark Geyer, Kori Eckert, Bob Bengen, Dennis Lyon, Dexter Harding, Gayle Jetchick, Duane Senn, Bob Hagedorn, Leigh Hettick, Paul Henrion, Scott Zunk, Quincy Snowdon, Margee Sobey, Deborah Boyd, Debbie Gerkin, Paul Rosenberg, Donna Laufranchi, Louis Laufranchi, Marian Jaeger, Nicole Johnston, Stephenie Baca

APPROVAL OF MINUTES The May 10, 2017 minutes were approved. AMENDMENT TO SUBAREA 5 WITHIN THE FITZSIMONS BOUNDARY AREA Summary of Issue and Discussion: Planning Manager Mindy Parnes informed the committee that there are presently 5 different subareas within the zoning district with varying use lists. Subarea 5 is directly adjacent to the light rail corridor north of Colfax and east of Fitzsimons Parkway. This small subarea is presently occupied by a self-storage facility, a U-Haul rental use, and remnant land area associated with the light rail construction. She said that staff has discovered a need to update a portion of the code to allow for new multifamily and hotel opportunities and would also like to modify the definition of a “hotel” in the entire district to limit any convention center or meeting spaces component to a maximum of 5,000 contiguous square feet and remove existing limitations on the locations of hotels throughout the Fitzsimons Boundary Area (FBA). Council Member Mounier asked if there are height restrictions and Ms. Parnes said no and other questions about height were discussed for areas that were next to residential. Council Member Berzins asked if there was still plans to add a bus turnaround station to the area. Staff replied that was still in the proposed plans to add a plaza for the Light Rail and bus service. Ms. Parnes mentioned that a shuttle service will also be added to those who need transportation to and from the Veterans hospital. Staff asked if the committee members want to consider a change to the code to permit multifamily and hotels in Subarea 5 within the Fitzsimons Boundary Area and allow for the change in the hotel definition. Also, if they wish to forward this item to Study Session or directly to the Regular City Council meeting. The committee agreed with moving the item to Study Session. Outcome: Staff will prepare the Amendment to Subarea 5 within the Fitzsimons Boundary Area agenda item to move forward to Study Session. Follow-up Action: Agenda item will be added to the City Council Study Session agenda.

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CONGREGATE LIVING CODE AMENDMENT Summary of Issue and Discussion: Deputy City Manager Jason Batchelor mentioned that last month the committee asked staff to produce a map to show setback limits on schools, daycares and hospitals as well as indicate two facilities allowed per Council Ward in city code to show the 1,000 foot setbacks. Staff asked how the committee would like to proceed with the setback limits. Staff has received several inquiries regarding projects that do not fit within the group home or multi-family definitions. Amendment of the code would clarify the classification and required public hearing process for these uses. Council Member Mounier mentioned that she would like the Ready to Work program to be placed in the Afrik Mall and the 1,000 foot setback would restrict the placement, so she said she was not in support of the setback amount. Council Member Bergan was in support of the setback and said she believed that schools and daycares should receive the same protection and the same setback restrictions as liquor stores. Council Member Berzins said that she was in agreement with the way the Congregate Living code amendment was written and requested the item to move forward to Study Session to receive the full Council’s consideration. Assistant City Attorney Dan Money asked if the committee would like to think about how to show setbacks from marijuana stores included on the map, should placement of Congregate Living facilities request to be near these types of uses. Ms. Parnes said that the marijuana facilities could be added to the maps to show their current placements. Outcome: Staff will add the current placement of marijuana stores on the map and prepare the item to move forward to Study Session. Follow-up Action: The item will be added as an agenda item on an upcoming Study Session. 'FAX AURORA UPDATE Summary of Issue and Discussion Bob Hagedorn, CEO of 'Fax Aurora Business League presented an informational update to the committee. He gave information about the status of 'Fax Aurora business practices and mentioned that 2015 was about outreach and learning, 2016 was about evolution as a nonprofit organization, and 2017 is about finding a niche as a community wealth-building organization. He shared the founding mission statement and the five core principles that 'Fax Aurora was based on and mentioned the demographics and 'Fax Aurora’s service areas. He gave some highlights on the members serving on the Board of Directors, staff and what general business services that are provided which are at no cost to the businesses they serve. He mentioned that they connect people to other business services, like real estate and lending, but do not receive any commissions or other compensation for doing so and that their financial support comes from foundations, grants, businesses and individuals. Mr. Hagedorn said that the business opportunities in NW Aurora has great economic development potential for businesses targeting the area’s substantial millennial-age population living in the area and in East Denver, and noted that regular tracking of market research reveals reports that businesses might benefit from.

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He continued to brief the committee on items such as how social media, specifically Facebook, is used to share news about and concerning NW Aurora and about the Board’s stake in quality of education as in their support of converting Fletcher Elementary to a charter school after years of the school receiving poor achievement reports from the state. He also mentioned that ‘Fax Aurora became a regular participant in the Denver Foundation's Community Wealth-Building Network to become more aware of other non-profit organizations' work to provide economic opportunities to similarly diverse populations as in NW Aurora. Other highlights Mr. Hagedorn mentioned were that 'Fax Aurora began a partnership with Aurora Health Access (AHA) to produce a brochure for NW Aurora's Latino community on the differences between standalone emergency rooms and urgent care centers and where to best go for serious medical conditions and that they will be working with the AHA for the brochure’s distribution in NW Aurora. He said that being a non-government organization was an asset in working with businesses and talking with individuals, and that the board officially decided to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency and not accept any government financial support in the future and shared the agency’s new non-profit mission statement. Mr. Hagedorn said that by becoming a non-profit organization the focus would be on community wealthbuilding on a more individual level, but still maintain the work with small businesses, the promotion of "ATown," and engaging in ways to assist in the economic redevelopment of the area. He spoke of two initial programs such as Neighborhood Entrepreneurial Program (NEP) and the Acadia Project that 'Fax Aurora is also involved with. NEP focuses on home-based business opportunities for residents of NW Aurora, and bringing residents together to create employee-owned businesses, or co-ops in the areas of personal care/home care services, landscape and grounds keeping, auto repair and servicing, among others. NEP offers free workshops to give basics about home-based businesses, provides one-on-one consulting, and connect with micro to commercial lenders if needed. They are also working with the Community College of Aurora and the Small Business Development Center to share their information and to encourage residents who are interested in starting a home-based business to explore business programs offered by both organizations. The Acadia Project originated from 'Fax Aurora approaching to the Aurora Cultural Arts District (ACAD) and Community Enterprise Development Services (CEDS) about forming a partnership to identify immigrant artists and other creatives in the greater NW Aurora area and working with them in various ways so they might be able to use their creative skills and talent to achieve self-sufficiency as artists and creatives. Lastly, ‘Fax Aurora is also engaged in civic activities that are of benefit to NW Aurora's residents and businesses, including supporting city efforts addressing homelessness, day laborers through the Aurora Economic Opportunity Coalition, and the city's implementation of the Original Aurora Zoning Plan. Outcome: This agenda item was for informational purposes only. Follow-up Action: No further action is required. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS Kori Eckert from AEDC mentioned that office and industrial vacancy rates are still relatively low, prospect inquiries have slowed down a little, but is typical for this time of year. Staff has been busy getting ready for the Accelerate trip to Washington, D.C. coming up next week. Paul Rosenberg from the Aurora Chamber of Commerce mentioned that Kevin Hougen was in Washington, DC recently and met with the new Secretary of the Air Force and both Colorado Senators to talk about the F7/12/2017 Planning & Economic Development Committee Page 5 of 14

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35 fighter jets being stationed at Buckley Air Force Base. Kevin will travel back to Washington, DC to meet again about keeping Buckley AFB growing and prospering. Paul mentioned upcoming events; Aurora Chamber’s annual golf tournament to support Leadership Aurora where the money raised will support small business and non-profits to be able to give scholarships to those who are enrolled in the program. Gayle Jetchick mentioned the Cruise on Havana event will take place on Saturday, June 10. She said there are fifteen newsracks to replace the old ones that are along Havana. Director George Adams mentioned that the first Steering Committee meeting for the Original Aurora Zoning was held which produced great discussion and feedback. The next community workshop will be on June 15, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at MLK Library. Council Member Berzins requested two items as Affordable Housing update and a Community Gardens update to be on a future PED agenda. Development Services Manager Andrea Amonick mentioned that staff is preparing a general update on the diversity office types to bring to the next PED meeting. Council Member Bergan requested an update on the ICSC Retail Convention outcome. Ms. Amonick gave an overview of the outcome as being very productive as the team met with over 200 visitors, clients and prospective customers. She also mentioned that the staff is working on a debriefing meeting that will take place the end of June.

Approved:______________________________________ Chair Marsha Berzins Next Meeting: July 12, 2017 8:30 a.m. Mt. Elbert

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Planning and Economic Development Policy Committee

Agenda Item Commentary

Item Title:

Office Market Overview and Opportunities

Item Initiator: Staff Source:

Chad Argentar

Chad Argentar, Economic & Business Development Supervisor

Deputy City Manager Signature: Outside Speaker: Council Goal: 5.0: Be a great place to locate, expand and operate a business and provide for well-planned growth and development--2012: 5.0--Be a great place to locate, expand and operate a business and provide for well-planned growth and developmen

ACTIONS(S) PROPOSED (Check all appropriate actions) Approve Item and Move Forward to Study Session Approve Item and Move Forward to Regular Meeting Information Only

HISTORY (Dates reviewed by City council, Policy Committees, Boards and Commissions, or Staff. Summarize pertinent comments. ATTACH MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETINGS, POLICY COMMITTEES AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.)

Staff will provide a general overview of Aurora's office inventory and market and discuss future opportunities within the city. ITEM SUMMARY (Brief description of item, discussion, key points, recommendations, etc.)

The presentation will begin an initial discussion between staff and the Policy Committee on efforts the city should be taking to support the development of office product. The presentation will include a summary of Aurora's office market, trends in the industry, and development opportunities within the city. QUESTIONS FOR Committee

Does the committee wish to continue this discussion, including potential presentations by developers/operators of "new" office products? EXHIBITS ATTACHED:

NO ATTACHMENTS. PRESENTATION ONLY.

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Planning and Economic Development Policy Committee

Agenda Item Commentary

Item Title:

Development Review - Business Transformation Office Update

Item Initiator: Staff Source:

Vinessa Irvin

Vinessa Irvin, Manager, Development Assistance

Deputy City Manager Signature: Outside Speaker: Council Goal: 5.0: Be a great place to locate, expand and operate a business and provide for well-planned growth and development--2012: 5.0--Be a great place to locate, expand and operate a business and provide for well-planned growth and developmen

ACTIONS(S) PROPOSED (Check all appropriate actions) Approve Item and Move Forward to Study Session Approve Item and Move Forward to Regular Meeting Information Only

HISTORY (Dates reviewed by City council, Policy Committees, Boards and Commissions, or Staff. Summarize pertinent comments. ATTACH MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETINGS, POLICY COMMITTEES AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.)

Staff is committed to continuous improvement within the city’s development review process and to providing exceptional service to our customers. The Action Plan established for the All 4 Business Initiative identified several items that were considered to be larger, multi-year efforts; one of which is the Single Point of Entry (SPOE) approach to customer service. The goal is to provide services that are customer-centric, transparent and offer a seamless process from the customer’s first point of contact throughout their entire interaction with the city. Staff provided an update of these efforts along with the recommended implementation plan to this committee last October (2016). ITEM SUMMARY (Brief description of item, discussion, key points, recommendations, etc.)

In November 2016 Accela was selected for the software upgrade and a Business Transformation Office (BTO) was established to coordinate the implementation and change impacts of all these components across the many departments and divisions involved in development review. The BTO includes several dedicated staff along with outside expertise which is being provided by the consultant team of Lewis and Fowler. This implementation effort is expected to continue until mid-year 2018.

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The BTO is currently involved in implementation of several aspects of the project concurrently. One area of implementation includes developing and validating recommendations related to the city’s development review processes. Detailed analysis including payment processing and performance measurement have been completed and recommendations are being refined and vetted both internally and with our customers. These recommendations are being included in the Accela design efforts. A major focus of the BTO is implementation of the system software, Accela. This effort is on track for a May / June 2018 go-live date. City staff across all affected departments and divisions are actively involved in designing and testing future processes in the system. The Accela team has been an integrated and responsive partner working closely with the city, conducting regular on-site design sessions and when necessary adjusting their approach to meet city needs and requirements. Staff will continue to provide quarterly progress updates to the committee on the BTO implementation efforts. QUESTIONS FOR Committee

Information only.

EXHIBITS ATTACHED: NONE

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Planning and Economic Development Policy Committee

Agenda Item Commentary

Item Title:

ICSC Retail Convention Update

Item Initiator: Staff Source:

Timothy Gonerka

Timothy Gonerka, Retail Specialist

Deputy City Manager Signature: Outside Speaker: Council Goal: 5.0: Be a great place to locate, expand and operate a business and provide for well-planned growth and development--2012: 5.0--Be a great place to locate, expand and operate a business and provide for well-planned growth and developmen

ACTIONS(S) PROPOSED (Check all appropriate actions) Approve Item and Move Forward to Study Session Approve Item and Move Forward to Regular Meeting Information Only

HISTORY (Dates reviewed by City council, Policy Committees, Boards and Commissions, or Staff. Summarize pertinent comments. ATTACH MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETINGS, POLICY COMMITTEES AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.)

As part of the marketing efforts aimed at encouraging development and retail growth in the City, Aurora has participated in the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) annual RECON Deal Making Conference. Held in three major halls within the massive Las Vegas convention Center, RECON is the second largest convention held in Las Vegas each year, hosting 35,000-40,000 attendees each year. Representatives of most national retailers and development companies come to make deals and look for new opportunities. It is the premier event in the real estate retail and development community each year. Aurora’s plan was to be proactive in their approach to both retailers and developers. After one year of “scouting” the convention, the City felt it was time to tell the story of what was happening in our market firsthand. A booth was created to tell the story, feature our best development opportunities, and open conversations concerning doing business in the City. The first design was designed to be a “billboard” of sorts, telling the virtues of business opportunities in Aurora. The goal was to create relationships, match opportunity with interested stakeholders, and have Aurora stand out from other municipalities.

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This was Aurora’s fourth year with a booth at the convention. Our plan to generate serious business from this event has turned into a critical anchor for our annual development strategy and has produced new investment into the City. It has also moved Aurora into the realm of serious consideration for new retail development in the metro area. Our emphasis has moved from less marketing to focus on more meetings with decision makers. In the first year, the team had 51 scheduled meetings. The second year 151 meetings and last year 183 meetings. Spread those over a 2 ½ day show and that is a lot of information passing hands very quickly. It has also caused us to need to redesign the booth, make it larger, and more functional for high level meetings, while keeping it visually creative and ahead of what other cities are doing. In addition to City meetings, we have opened the booth to be used by our developers and their representatives to meet with potential tenants, investors and retailers. Our success has continued. Today’s report will update our most recent trip this past May. ITEM SUMMARY (Brief description of item, discussion, key points, recommendations, etc.)

Today’s presentation’s goal is to update the committee on what we learned and what could be in our development pipeline. NOTE: SINCE MANY OF THESE ITEMS ARE CONFIENTIAL IN NATURE AND SPECULATIVE IN SOME CASES, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE AS DETAILED A REPORT IN IN A PUBLIC FORUM. I am glad to, however, share more detailed information if the committee would like to meet with me out of a public forum. In general, it was a VERY successful show: Here are the headline for ICSC 20171. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Many of our major developers are looking to renovate and in some cases, repurpose their properties. We were able to meet with several of our targeted anchors for some of the developments to talk about their participation in those projects. We met with over 20 other retail representatives including many of our targeted retailers. We had a California developer who was looking to invest in a center in the project, walk in and ended up purchasing the center and it is scheduled for renovation as well. We also closed a development deal on Havana. Had several frank discussions on what retailers want and what they would be looking for from the City and its processes and developments. We have three new big boxes in play for replacement tenants, including a potential tenant for one of the remaining Safeway locations. We could see three new Ross concepts open in the City in the next year and we got to meet them in the Elvis Suite at the Westgate! Now we know why he was the king. We walked away with a strong potential developer for one of the major buildings in the Arts District. We had major leads for potential entertainment uses within the City.

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9.

Our City dinner introduced two major developers who have decided to discuss doing joint ventures within Aurora. 10. Interest in NW Aurora remained high. Lots of activity on The Citadel project and east Colfax in general. The interest came from out of state developers, hotels and retail brokers. My presentation will cover the booth, show details and some discussion on the points listed above. We will also cover how we aimed at standing out in the crowd of other cities represented at the ICSC. I will leave time for questions. QUESTIONS FOR Committee

Informational Only

EXHIBITS ATTACHED: NONE

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