1. Please address City of Frederick economic development, including: a. The Golden Mile plan, progress, and timeline, including Walmart inclusion; The Golden Mile plan addresses immediate problems in existing neighborhoods and business districts, and therefore the reimagining of the Golden Mile should be kept front and center on the short list of things to be tackled by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Progress has been intermittent because the problems are tough. The City’s blessing of a Walmart being located on the Fredericktown Mall site is a step forward. Redevelopment of the mall area will destroy blight, create jobs, and provide a very strong retail anchor for the area. I would keep the Golden Mile Commercial Property Tax Credit Program, implemented by the City of Frederick, in place. It should continue to help attract business to the area. I would also keep the City of Frederick liaison to the Golden Mile Alliance in place because the Alliance has a vision for the Golden Mile area, and is working very hard to bring about positive changes. b. East Side Rising plan, progress, and timeline; I think the East Frederick Rising Small Area Plan that was adopted by the City will provide the framework to achieve the desired results for the long term ambitious development of part of the City of Frederick, and offers the best of public/private partnership for planning instead of haphazard development. The redevelopment of land into mixed office, residential, and commercial areas will increase the tax base and, with proper planning, provide the amenities and technology for Frederick’s projected population growth. Massive planning of this sort could take decades. East Frederick Rising is a complement to the historic district and a natural departure from the Carroll Creek Project into another new phase of the revitalization of the City. Although the Small Area Plan is a step in the right direction, it will have to be expanded upon in the future with tough decisions about zoning and the right mix of business, residential, and commercial interests to be made by the newly elected Mayor and Board of Aldermen. c. Convention hotel plan, progress, and timeline; I do not believe that City tax dollars should be appropriated to facilitate the Convention Center/ Hotel Plan. That being said, the convention/hotel planning process has had input from government agencies, non-profits, and private business groups that all have concluded that the Convention hotel is a necessity for a city the size of Frederick. I think, given the evidence, that this is probably true. There are many good sites being proposed for the project, but the sites near Carroll Creek seem best suited for this endeavor. A Convention Center located at the corner of South and East Streets, or at All Saints and East Streets next to the Delaplaine Center, would offer a seamless transition between the Carroll Creek project and the beginning of the East Side Rising project, and would make it a major downtown anchor. Either of those two sites would be close to the Visitors Center and steps away from Carroll Creek, bringing much needed tourism for restaurants and businesses downtown. Additionally, East Street is a major transportation artery for ingress and egress into and out of Frederick. A major anchor contiguous to the Carroll Creek area may be part of the solution to problems with retention of retail businesses and restaurants that Carroll Creek has been experiencing. d. Carroll Creek Linear Park plan, progress, and timeline; The first phase of the Carroll Creek Linear Park plan implementation brought a sense of vitality to downtown Frederick and became a tourist destination in and of itself. Recently, however, as I stated already, there have been ongoing problems with businesses leaving the Carroll Creek Linear Park area, together with safety issues that are threatening the economic viability of an area that should be a major revenue generator. The next phase of the plan may need to be revisited and scaled back because there should be an economic payoff for major investment. The estimated costs associated with the remainder of the Carroll Creek Linear Park development are very high and, given the problems encountered at present with the first phase, the projected economic benefits may not be as great as expected. Given the complexity of the Carroll Creek project, the development timeline has been within reason. A timeline is always a guesstimate. e. Carmack Jay property on North Market The Carmack Jay site is attractive and should be a generator of property tax and business tax revenue, instead of the very long term vacant property morass it has been. Hopefully, the City has addressed the impact fee structure that had been a business deal breaker in the past, and implemented a structure that will attract a viable business to the site. If the impact fees are still too high to attract business to the site, then the new Mayor and Board of Alderman will be tasked with developing a plan of action with the right mix of business incentives. f. Facades without buildings on South Market along the creek; The properties on South Market Street are a gateway into the Historic District and the Carroll Creek Linear Park, and should reflect a thriving, prosperous area, not a sham. That the City has allowed this to continue for so long indicates that either it doesn’t have the tools to address the problem, or there were too many other pressing issues. I would suggest that this is a pressing issue because it has a very negative impact on the Carroll Creek Linear Park retail climate. g. Hargett Farm plans. The ownership of the Hargett Farm by the City of Frederick is a drain on resources because of the debt service cost to pay back the bond and pay the interest. Part of the farm should be retained by the City for a park area, particularly considering the development of the St. John’s School site nearby. The remaining acreage should be sold. The sale could encompass the remainder of the property after carving off the public park parcel, or could be sold in increments to pay off the debt. Private development would then generate revenue.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 01:52:13 +0000
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