Life Of Jason

11:15am…Spend your lunch hour with City Council! It’s a one item agenda this morning as the Council addresses Council Bill 2008-053 (2008-052.pdf), the plan to renovate Park Central Square.

11:18am…Councilman Ralph Manley arrives. Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky was already here when I arrived.

11:23am…Councilwoman Collette arrives and sits down to have a chat with Councilwoman Rushefsky. Wes Johnson from the Springfield News-Leader stops by to say hi. Nice guy.

11:26am…Councilman Whayne arrives and greets city staff on hand. Mayor Pro Tem Deaver arrives. Tim Rosenbury stops by to say hello. We talk about some of his employees that I know personally who are some really great people that my fiancee and I owe dinner to in the near future.

11:28am…All of the discussions in the room seem to involve either ice, power or some kind of rock salt. Councilman Wylie arrives along with City Clerk Brenda Cirtin. City 23 is going to be running traffic cameras this afternoon during the drive time of 4:30 to 6:30pm.

11:32am…People are still filing in. Anita from the City Clerk’s office is again showing why she’s the fashion trendsetter of City Hall. Councilman Chiles and Councilman Burlison have not arrived yet. Several city staffers are talking with various council members. At least a dozen citizens are in attendance today.

11:33am…Councilman Burlison walks in with former News-Leader columnist and current assistant Public Info Guru Mike Brothers.

11:34am…Councilmembers take their seats as if we’re about to begin.

11:36am…Council meeting is called to order by Mayor Pro Tem Deaver after he called Councilman Chiles and received his voice mail. Councilman Deaver left a very friendly message.

11:37am…Mayor Pro Tem Deaver states there is one item on the agenda and gives a background on how this proposal came to be.

11:38am…City Manager Bob Cumley gives more detail on the process over the last several months. He said they were requested to present a resolution to Council to authorize the city staff to prepare the documents necessary to implement the plan for the renovation of the downtown square. He said several staff are on hand including Mary Lilly Smith if the Council members have questions regarding the proposal. Mayor Pro Tem Deaver reminded the citizens if they wished to speak they are allowed and that this is a regular Council meeting.

11:39am…City Clerk Brenda Cirtin tells Councilman Deaver there is a substitute bill containing cosmetic changes as requested by staff. Councilman Deaver asked about the changes and Mr. Cumley said in one portion the bill should have said Urban Districts Alliance and that is the only change. City Clerk Cirtin read the substitute bill.

11:40am…Tim Rosenbury of Butler Rosenbury & Partners, the designers of the new square, came forward at Mayor Pro Tem Deaver’s request to answer any questions from Council. Councilwoman Rushefsky said before the meeting she had some time with Mr. Rosenbury to clear up what is part of phase one of the plan and she asked him to clarify for other Council members and for the citizens.

Mr. Rosenbury said phase one is the renovation of the actual square itself within the perimeter of the current square as defined by the curb not including the columns and the canopy. Phase two is the line of phase one to the face of the buildings on the four sides of the square. Basically, the sidewalks and the road itself being narrowed. Phase two would complete the immediate square area. Phase three would be the “spokes” coming off the square to improve sidewalks and help ease pedestrian flow from the surrounding streets into the square area. Phase Four (or Phase D) would be the canopy structure on the square.

A technical committee recommended this be done all at the same time but Mr. Rosenbury said he reminded the committee that his firm had an obligation to bring to the council the project under previously outlined conditions and that is why it is being presented in phases.

Councilman Whayne asked if the developer of the Heer’s Tower was comfortable with Phase One of the project. “I can only assume he is,” Mr. Rosenbury said and explained that when Kevin McGowan (of Blue Urban) didn’t attend technical committee meetings he had a representative there. All information has been sent to Mr. McGowan and that he has looked at them carefully and given his input.

“He’s just one of 750 plus people involved in the process,” Mr. Rosenbury said. He said that perhaps Mary Lilly Smith could provide more details than Mr. Rosenbury.

Mayor Pro Tem Deaver said the technical committee is made up of 18 members including downtown residents. He asked about focus groups. Mr. Rosenbury said there were seven focus groups that were held to discuss the proposal. Mayor Pro Tem Deaver said that since this process started a year ago there have been several reviews and that he’s counted over 750 peoples who have taken part in the review process. Mr. Rosenbury said that 750 was just the people they could count who signed in but there were also people who returned surveys that remained anonymous.

“The square should be a place for all people,” Mr. Rosenbury said people said to him. “It needs to be a lively square. It needs to be an active place. It needs to recognize downtown as a residential place as well as entertainment place and remember Springfield’s history.”

Mr. Rosenbury said Councilwoman Collette asked him informally about the timetable if it is approved today. Mr. Rosenbury said February 15th they would take the design work done and refine it to incorporate more of the public comments at the detail level and that would take 90 days. On or about May 15th, they would take the plans to public works for final approval that could take two weeks. After that, they could release it for public bid around June 1. That could take up to a month. On July 1, it takes about two weeks to approve the resolution documents and vet the bids to present to approval. On July 15th, if something is approved, the paperwork can be done to get construction started by August 1 which is the deadline in the deal with the Heer’s Tower.

Mayor Pro Tem Deaver expressed disappointment Councilman Chiles wasn’t here because he was a proponent of the Halprin design and asked Mr. Rosenbury about how they’re working regarding Lawrence Halprin, previous designer of the square. Mr. Rosenbury said that the fact the square was designed by Mr. Halprin didn’t matter to many of the people who responded to the surveys until someone sent a letter to the newspaper in December about it. Mr. Rosenbury said they went back at that point to look at the design and saw that it reflected the comments of those who had responded to surveys through the process to that point.

“If we can get these two things to work together, I’m all for it,” Mr. Rosenbury said. “I’m just concerned about the timetable and the delays that may happen.”

Councilwoman Rushefsky asked about part of the bill authorizing the staff to implement designs and if this means the City Council is locked in with this process. The answer was that this allows the group to continue moving forward on the project so that it can meet deadlines. This locks the city into one phase and not all phases. Councilwoman Rushefsky said that wasn’t clear. Staff responded they can’t authorize something that is not funded and right now only phase one is funded so you’re only approving phase one. Mr. Rosenbury said until they get bids they can’t approve phase one.

Councilwoman Rushefsky wanted to make sure this was committing to phase one with money already set aside for this purpose. She asked Mary Lilly Smith about a letter sent by Kevin McGowan. Ms. Smith said that Mr. McGowan was comfortable with phase one where the city spends 20% of the million dollar cost while federal funds make up the remaining 80%. Staff said they’re fulfilling the dollar amount to Mr. McGowan and he is happy with that.

Councilman Manley commended Mr. Rosenbury and his firm for their excellent work on this project. Councilman Manley said they need to do what they have to do to keep Mr. McGowan there on the square. He urged Council to adopt this resolution now so they can move on this “with due haste.”

12:03pm…Councilman Burlison asked Mr. Wichmer if because this was read only once in public if this was legal for council to vote on and Mr. Wichmer said because it’s a resolution that it’s legal for council to vote. Councilman Chiles arrives and takes his seat.

12:04pm…Councilman Wylie commented that he thought the length of the process was appropriate and that he sat back instead of offering his views because he wanted to see what the public thought. While he would like to see more green space in the area he feels this is appropriate we move forward because young people are giving their input and they are the people who will inherit the square. “It’s important they have ownership in this,” Councilman Wylie said. He is in favor of adopting it.

12:05pm…Councilman Chiles said “we’ve gone through an interesting process but it’s not over. There’s no reason for us to get in a panic over this decision and that is what it looks like. I understand there is a schedule. I talked to Blue Urban. They’re not in a panic.” Councilman Chiles said that we have a unique structure in downtown Springfield and that Lawrence Halprin, America’s greatest landscape designer, made nine different plans for the square.

“We’re in a big rush to bulldoze it,” Councilman Chiles said. He said there was no need and that Blue Urban isn’t pushing for this to happen. He also said that because of who designed it the city might fall under a federal statute that if federal money is being used they are not bulldozing a monument.

“I don’t think Springfield should be characterized by bulldozing a Halprin landscape,” Councilman Chiles said. He said that he called and found out Lawrence Halprin is alive so he called and spoke to him. He asked Mr. Halprin about the square and that it should be updated. He said the city should send representatives to his office and he will spend the day working with the current committee to save the landscape monument of the city and update with new ideas.

Councilman Chiles recommends they put this decision off until they go and meet with Mr. Halprin about the project and find out how he can accommodate the desires of the people of Springfield. If it can’t work out design wise or budget wise then bulldoze it “but not now.”

Mayor Pro Tem Deaver said that he didn’t feel it’s fair characterize this as a panic and that Councilman Chiles has been aware of this for 45 days and that for Councilman Chiles to call just yesterday was “the definition of the 11th hour.” Councilman Deaver said they were going through this with a leisurely pace. He said he’s afraid to embrace the trip which could cost about $20,000 to the city. It’s a bit late to come in and change the game.

Councilman Burlison said that we do have an opportunity even if this is approved that changes could be made during the final design. He said that Mr. Rosenbury could likely make this trip during that process and work in these Halprin designs into the final project. Councilman Burlison said he didn’t know if this would allay Councilman Chiles’ fears.

12:13pm…Scott Tillman addresses council. He was on the technical committee. He wishes they would have known more about Mr. Halprin six months ago. His concern is that the “Heer’s tower is a huge albatross downtown.” He has not heard that Mr. McGowan is ready to delay the deadlines and that Mr. McGowan’s plans were to start construction June 1. He said that if it was him he wouldn’t start construction until he was sure the funds were committed to the project.

“We need to have a smooth process so we don’t have more problems.”

Mayor Pro Tem Deaver said he received an e-mail from Mr. McGowan this morning that said the restaurant doesn’t want to begin construction without guarantees.

Councilwoman Collette said she was on the technical committee and she was disappointed they had not heard more about the Halprin design but when they heard about concerns they took them under consideration.

“The timetables we mutually agreed to are vital to the project,” Kevin McGowan wrote the city as quoted by Councilwoman Collette. He said that it was vital to the deadlines for the restaurant. She said that makes it clear there is no wiggle room in the deadlines. She feels the design reflects the feelings of those downtown and the community at large.

Councilwoman Wylie said that he appreciated Councilman Deaver and Councilwoman’s Collette’s input. He said that the only panic he’s hearing is coming from one source that wants to do something else.

Councilman Chiles asked Mr. Tillman asked what would happen if someone sued the city to try and block the construction and if a lawsuit would cause more time. Mr. Tillman said he didn’t know who could sue. Councilman Chiles said that across the country people have sued to block the destruction of monuments. Mr. Tillman said he doesn’t consider the square a monument and that he didn’t feel it was safe for his children.

“I’m sure Mr. Halprin is a wonderful architect,” Mr. Tillman said. “But the square doesn’t work right now in my opinion.”

Councilman Chiles asked if it would be faster to update and improve what we have than to bulldoze and start fresh. “Is it possible it would take less time to improve what we have than to start fresh?” Mr. Tillman said you don’t always know until you start doing it.

Councilman Manley said that in deference to this “junior member of the Council” that Council needs to make decisions and that time has come to make this decision. That we’ve heard the time schedule and that he believes the time has come to make a decision and the best decision is to call the question on this decision. Mayor Pro Tem Deaver said that they cannot move on yet because the public needs to address the council before they move on.

Mr. Wichmer said that unless there are people opposed they can cut off public discussion because they’ve heard speakers in favor. Mayor Pro Tem asked City Clerk Cirtin about it that one person wanted to speak even though they were still in favor.

12:24pm…Nancy Brown Dornan, president of the Urban Districts Alliance, spoke to Council. She said from a personal standpoint that “a civic public space reflects the need of the times.” She said at the Urban Districts Alliance they have photos of the square over time and that it has evolved to fit the times. She said what bothers her is that we as a city have worked through a process and now there’s a panic at the end of the process and she’s afraid we can undermine the whole process by reconsidering the process at this point.

Councilwoman Collette thanked Ms. Dornan for her comments.

Councilman Chiles thanked Ms. Dornan for her work with UDA. He said that when people found out it was a Halprin design that focused attention back on the square. She said that people weren’t concerned about it until they discovered who had done it. “If it’s a public piece that has outlived it’s ability to reach the public” then it needs a redesign. She said that the committee was aware it was a Halprin design about half way through the process. Councilman Chiles asked if the technical committee took that into account.

Councilman Chiles asked if the city has spent money on the square and Ms. Dornan said that yes but did not know the details.

12:33pm…Mayor Pro Tem called the question for a voice vote on the substitute. The motion carried 7-1 with Councilman Chiles voting no. Mayor Carlson is not in attendance.

12:33pm…Council Bill 2008-053 is voted on and passed 7-1 with Councilman Chiles voting no.  The meeting is adjourned.