CITY OF OREM /VINEYARD TOWN
SPECIAL JOINT COUNCIL MEETING
Vineyard Town Hall, 240 East Gammon Road, Vineyard, Utah
January 19, 2011
This meeting was for discussion purposes only. No official action was taken.
CONDUCTING Vineyard Mayor Pro Tem Sean Fernandez
OREM ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmembers Margaret Black, Karen McCandless, Mark Seastrand, Mary Street, and Brent Sumner
OREM STAFF Bruce Chesnut, City Manager
VINEYARD ELECTED OFFICIALS Vineyard Mayor Pro Tem Sean Fernandez; Councilmembers Norm Holdaway and Jeff Gillespie
VINEYARD STAFF Melinda Manley, Associate Deputy Town Clerk and Dan Wright, Town Clerk
EXCUSED Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn; and Councilmember Carl Hernandez
Vineyard Mayor Randy Farnworth; and Councilmember Nathan Riley
INVOCATION Sean Fernandez
Call to Order
Mayor Pro Tem Fernandez opened the meeting at 12:00 p.m.
Items of Common Interest
Vineyard Redevelopment Agency
Mr. Fernandez indicated the budget for the Vineyard Redevelopment Agency (RDA) was approved on Tuesday, January 18, 2011.
Denis Astill, Anderson Geneva, explained when the tax increment would begin. He stated the maximum duration of the RDA would be thirty-five years, and the RDA would supplement lost funds for the school board who had not been in favor of the budget. He then explained the composition of the various boards involved with the Taxing Entity Committee (TEC). Mr. Astill indicated the infrastructure and remediation needs would total approximately $800 million dollars, and the RDAwould be insufficient to cover those costs. He then described the boundaries of the RDA. The infrastructure would be needed before other projects ensued in order to create enough increment to fund the remediation of the more complex areas of the site.
Mr. Fernandez guided the Councilmembers through the details of the Vineyard Zoning Map and General Plan. He advised a harmonious architectural style would be maintained throughout the entire redevelopment, and the roads and trails would connect. He said the Town would have broad authority to ensure the pieces fit together as development occurred. Mr. Fernandez indicated the commuter rail line had been installed, but the actual station itself had not yet been constructed. He said there is no limit on residential densities within one-quarter mile of the future commuter rail station. Mr. Fernandez advised one of the biggest challenges, yet a great opportunity, is a rail line that would run parallel to Geneva Road. He said the spur line had been acquired by UTA for a future light rail within the town. He expressed his hope that the spur line would be removed from the frontage along Geneva Road. He explained that through the investment of Anderson Geneva, infrastructure had been installed in the Eastlake at Geneva Industrial Business Park area of the town. He believed 100acres of the proposed Utah Valley University site south of 400 North to Center Street would be the next main focus within the RDA’s boundaries.
The Councils discussed ways to be protected against incomplete land development at the expiration of the RDA.
Mr. Seastrand wondered how to prevent businesses from capriciously relocating due to incentives.
Mr. Astill explained that some businesses will move out of necessity. The RDA board would provide expansion sites or new locations for businesses; however, the RDA is not in the business of incentivizing businesses from their current locations to move to Vineyard.
Mrs. Street indicated there were alternatives to incentives such as naming rights to a park. She noted there are requirements for business location in order to keep the businesses in the area.
Mr. Seastrand advised there is a huge responsibility on the backs of the RDA board. He said there are residents who may not have been in favor of the redevelopment, and although Vineyard is small now, there would be massive impacts on a lot of tax payers. He expressed his hope that the board would be careful not to incentivize the relocation of businesses where the workers have established their employment and life.
Mr. Chestnut stated this was reflected in the opposition the TEC faced from the Alpine School District. He noted the responsibility to build adequate schools to support the children who would be brought to the area would fall on the backs of the RDA board.
Mr. Seastrand remarked he is excited about the plan and looks forward to the future results that will be seen. Mr. Seastrand advised the area proposed for redevelopment has a lot of potential.
Mr. Fernandez indicated a lot of work had been devoted to the development of the plan, and he greatly appreciates Mr. Astill’s participation.
Mr. Astill stated the Geneva Road Project has been funded, and construction will begin in March or April of the current year. A four-lane road will be created by paving all the way to the right-of- way lines, and an overpass will be built.
Mr. Chestnut noted the construction plan that currently exists will leave Geneva Road and 400South open.
Mr. Astill stated he had spoken with Leon Harwood of Utah Lake, Inc. who is still in pursuit of the construction of a bridge across Utah Lake. Mr. Astill indicated he was skeptical of that project until he saw the 2040Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) plans, which showed that 77,000 cars per day would cross over the bridge.
Mr. Astill then expressed his hope that the Councils understand that the RDA legislation which allowed a larger project area is significant. He said prior to recent legislation, only 100 acres could be included in an RDA. He stated any improvements on the east and west sides of Geneva Road will benefit one another. He suggested that Orem City may be interested in forming their own RDA on the east side of the road, 1,500 feet from the current RDA, without the finding of blight.
Mrs. Street explained that if Orem City had been aware of the Omniture/Adobe contemplation of a new site, and the City was looking at that area for redevelopment, an RDA could have attracted Omniture/Adobe to that site rather than having it relocate to Lehi. She added that she would have been supportive of new soccer fields, but this may have given them the opportunity to have the Omniture/Adobe relocate within Orem.
Set Date and Time for Next Meeting
The next meeting was scheduled for March 10, 2011, at noon in Orem.
The meeting adjourned at 1:38 p.m.
Rachelle Conner, Deputy City Recorder
Approved: February 8, 2011
Joint Orem/Vineyard City Council Minutes – January 19, 2011 (p.3)