Town of Gray
Community Economic Development Committee
Stimson Hall
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Minutes
Present: Ed Libby, Dick Barter, Tom Delaney, Lance Tlumac, Peter Gellerson, Anne Gass
Absent: Don Hutchings, Lew Mancini
Guests: Dennis Lachman
Staff: George Thebarge
6:30 PM Call to Order.
6:35 PM Interview with Lachman Architects Monument Square architecture design.
The committee met with Dennis Lachman, who submitted the top scoring proposal in response to the Monument Square RFP. He described the process he uses to work with a community in this sort of design process. The goal is to achieve agreement in some general design principles and uses for the properties without getting locked into a particular plan. These can then inform zoning changes.
The committee was very impressed with Mr. Lachman’s experience working with other Maine towns with similar planning needs. He seemed to have a strong understanding and capacity to handle both the process issues and the design needs of the project. He was also the low bidder.
Schedule:
- 2 assessments in August
- Committee meets in September to discuss
- Charette in October
- Follow up meeting after charette- 2 weeks afterwards
The committee voted unanimously to recommend that the Town Council offer him the contract.
7:30 PM Narrow Gauge Railroad updates.
The Museum continues to be interested in Gray as a potential site.
Anne agreed to be the CEDC liaison to the museum. George will set up a meeting with the Museum after next Tuesday’s Leadership Network meeting.
7:45 PM Area 3 and TIFs recommendation discussion.
The committee agreed that Area 3 is an important priority for the town BUT the work has to be done very sensitively. Some of these landowners have been treated poorly by the town in the past and will not be inclined to be generous. If the property owners are opposed to the re-zoning there was some sentiment that we would not want to force it on them, and the committee agreed we should do some initial, low key inquiries rather than launching a big initiative right away.
TIFs can be amended with the approval of the voters and DECD. George will review the TIF guidelines and Gray’s two current TIFs, and make some recommendations as to how they should be amended to better meet the needs of the town.
Once he completes the report, the CEDC will review it and write a letter to the Council with its recommendations for future action.
8:15 PM Discuss Leaders Network meeting.
This informal group consists of the Gray Council Chair, Deb Cabana, George Thebarge, the New Gloucester Town Planner, and the chairs of the Gray Community Endowment and the G-NG Development Corp. The Leaders Network will meet next Tuesday for more information sharing around economic development planning.
Other Business
CEDC will consider meeting more often than once a month, as needed. It is likely the Monument Square Master Plan will require additional meetings.
There will be a ribbon cutting for Clark Block sometime in August.
8:40 PM Adjourn.
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