Landmark redevelopment’s community management up for review at City Council tonight

The Landmark area is getting one step closer to the city’s goal of being a mixed-use community at tonight’s (Tuesday) City Council meeting.

At the meeting tonight, the Council is scheduled to review several amendments to the city’s Landmark-area ordinances ahead of the area’s planned mixed-use redevelopment. Among these is the creation of a new Community Development Authority (Item 36), a new five-member board that will be in charge of overseeing several aspects of shaping Landmark Mall. In particular, the CDA will manage the financing, designing, and construction of the area’s public infrastructure and services, financed through a combination of bonds, private contributions, and other sources.

According to the new ordinance:

The CDA is created for the purpose of exercising the powers set forth in the Act, including acquiring, financing, funding, designing, constructing, equipping and providing for the construction, installation, operation, maintenance (unless dedicated to and accepted by the appropriate governmental entity other than the CDA), enhancement, replacement, relocation and alteration of all or portions of the public infrastructure, facilities and services more particularly described in the Petition (the “Infrastructure”) (or otherwise facilitating such undertakings by, and in cooperation with, the City), which description is incorporated herein by reference.

The five-member board will be appointed by the City Council.

The CDA is not quite a Business Improvement District, with the scope of the CDA focused more around the nitty-gritty of infrastructure rather than promoting the area and creating community events, but there is some overlap in that the CDA can handle things like decorative lighting and management of the new public spaces planned through the Landmark area. The petition from local landowners forming the CDA outlined some of the specific areas that will be covered by the CDA, including:

• Sanitary sewer mains and lines
• Water mains and lines, pump stations and water storage facilities
• storm sewer mains and lines
• landscaping and related site improvements
• parking facilities
• sidewalks and walkway paths
• storm water management and retention systems (including best management practices, water quality devices and erosion and sediment control)
• lighting (including street and decorative lights in public rights of way)
• street and directional signage
• wetlands mitigation
• roads, curbs and gutters (inclusive of rights of way and easements related thereto)
• public park, plaza and recreational facilities
• new or enhanced public access and open space areas
• any and all facilities and services appurtenant to the above including the acquisition of land (collectively, all such existing and new public roads, utilities, facilities and services hereinafter, the “Infrastructure”).