Redevelopment Commission - Regular Meeting

This meeting tonight is uh being recorded by production multimedia. Do a roll call. Anita P here. John Spencer here. Bobby Brooks here. Chuck Deon is not present tonight. Derrick Holmes is present. We do have a quorum. Please stand as we begin with the pledge of allegiance. I alian to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.

First presentation tonight is for 959 Main Street for a facade improvement grant for DRC properties. I am here to represent DRC properties and I will take the podium up front. Welcome again. So, I'm here to represent Doug and Mary Combmes, the owners of uh 959 Main Street and DRC Properties. We have a letter of intent to uh lease the property to Growing Minds Preschool that's relocating two classrooms from Silverberg. Uh they will lease the property as of June 2026. So, this grant is to complete uh the project. We've been working on the house for uh several years over the past several years, and this will help complete the exterior of it. Uh the project will consist of uh demoing the um existing broken up sidewalk and step and the gravel parking pad and installing new concrete for space parking for the employees. It will be four employees and a new sidewalk and step into the entrance, a new landscaping, um, mulch, decorative rock, sod of a complete saw of the front yard, and then a, um, black coated chain link fence for the enclosed playground area in the back with playground mulch. Is there any any further questions? Do they have other locations besides the Sersburg facility?

So they have uh two locations uh in Serberg from my understand. And then they're also have some classrooms in Henryville and Bordon schools. Okay. And those are all going to stay there. This is just for the Serber facility. That's So So they're uh relocating from their uh current location there, the old Cersburg school. Yeah. So the locations in uh Bordon and Henryville are are new locations as well as Okay. Charles Town location. Okay. And from what I understand, it'll be three, four, and fivey old classics here in Charleston. Well, the place looks great already. You guys have done an amazing job fixing that out. I know you've been working on, like I said, for years. So, um I think it's going to be be nice to have that in the area.

So, um I make a motion that we approve the facade grant as requested by DRC Properties. I'll second it. Bobby, could as vice president, could you uh say all in favor? All in favor? Any discussion? Oh, yes. Any questions? All in favor, please say I. I. Thank you. And for the record, Derek abstained.

Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Moving on to um approval of minutes. You're provided a minutes from the March 3rd meeting, regular meeting. I ask for a motion to approve the minutes. I make a motion. A second.

We have a motion, a second. Is there any discussion? No discussion. Ask for a vote to approve. All in favor, please say I. I. Motion passes. Thank you. You're provided a copy of the claims for the previous month. Ask for a motion to approve claims. I make a motion. Motion by Bobby, second by Bonita. Any further discussion on the claims? None. I'll ask for a vote to approve. All those in favor, please say I. I. Motion passes. Thank you. There's no one signing up for public comments. Moves us on to the consulting report. Group Ev.

Hey everybody. Yeah, Jill provided a copy of um our monthly report in in your packet. If you guys have any questions, I can try to answer or pass along any questions that you might have for Jill. I didn't have any questions. Evan, anyone else have any questions? No. There's no questions. Thank you, Evan. We'll move on. Move on. Is that all you had, Evan? Uh for that one? Yep. Okay. All right. All right, moves us on into old business. We have the 501 market street demolition parking lot certification walkthrough. Um, so this is just for the commission to approve a motion to allow you to execute the final walk through.

So the payment for the final walkthrough, the walkthrough is already taking place. Um, we're just saying that it was all it all went well. Go ahead. Sorry, we're we're tag team filling in. It takes two people to fill in for Jill. It does when Jill is not here for you to prove yourself, so you better get I know, right? Um so yes, the walkthrough John has already occurred and the only issue that was there were that the um at the end of each parking spot there's that concrete curb. It was a little shorter than what I think it was like

six feet instead of eight or something like that. But it doesn't Tony Jackson checked it out and said it does not at all put any risk forward of people that it still stops people like it's supposed to. So he had no issue with that being shorter than normal. Um so it's is the walkthrough is done. This is just the certificate of completion so they can get paid. Yeah. So did they explain why the difference? It just that's what came in the order. So they order I don't know. I mean, I don't really care either as long as somebody signs off on it. We didn't pay any extra for it or it didn't like didn't affect the cost of the project at all. So,

I got Yeah. No, that's that's fine. I saw it on the claims. I figured that's what we needed to pay. So, yeah, I'm in favor of So, I'd make a motion that we uh accept the walk through and make the final payment. And can you add to the motion to authorize Derek to to sign? And I authorize Derek Comolmes, our president, to make all the necessary signatures and approvals. We have a motion by John. I second. Second by Bobby. Any further discussion? None. Ask for a vote to approve. All those in favor, please say I.

I. Motion passes. Thank you. Moves on to new business. We have Shadow Lake Park Trail and parking donations. me again. Um, a while, you know, we have already done and completed a rough concept of Shuttle Lake Park. We did that a couple years ago, um, with an idea of what could be there. And it was my intention that we would start to move forward with that phasing this year. Um it actually I would have liked to have seen it last year late but with the result of Senate enrolled act one and the impact I wasn't sure if that was a wise thing to do to move forward so we held off. It is a project that was designed to be done in phases. In phase one according to the conceptual design called for a walking path just to get people out on the property enjoy nature. That was the original intent of the donor. If you recall when when Miss Kleiner gave the land to the city, um that was her intention was that it would been mostly a passive green space feel, you know, nature area. Um I went out on a limb and I contacted some local companies that are um admittable to doing work with the city and I asked them if they would be helpful in getting that first phase done at a lower cost so that we could get it done. They exceeded my expectations and they're willing to donate all of the work for phase one. So, what you have before you that I printed and put out are donation letters from each of those companies. Libs Paving is committed to a $10,000 in kind donation to support the development of the park's entrance and parking area. This would include an asphalt paving and striping for the new entrance with 12 parking spaces. Dan Christristiani excavating is committing an incind donation valued at $30,000. His contributions goes towards the same with relocating the existing water line to accommodate the new entrance, installation of a new coart pipe,

necessary excavation work to establish the entrance and to create those parking spaces. Additionally, they are going to cut the initial the trail the initial trail which I confirmed with Chris Jackson this afternoon that it would be amenable for cross country um practices or gatherings. So, at least a 5K trail. Um and that they were also going to fabricate a new entryway sign, a decorative sign to formally declare that Shadow Lake Park. And then AML Construction Incorporated is donating an inind donation of $12,000. And this will help with the um foundation for the new sign as well as concrete pads beneath benches. So installation benches along the trail as well. So total of $52,000 in kind donation um from these three companies. We also have several businesses that have um decided to help get this park ready for people. So, this work, if you approve these donation, accept these donations tonight, this work will be done by the end of the month. And on April 25th, 24th, sorry, which is a Friday, the city of Charletown is hosting a volunteer workday that morning from 9 to noon. There are several companies including India American Water, New Washington State Bank, um, United Consulting who have already agreed to send teams out to help finalize this work and get this trail ready by planting flowers and trees and um, cleaning up around the new parking pad and getting it ready for people to use. So, this is a massive effort from uh, businesses in our community to get this first phases park activated. And I ask them to accept this donation should work. um and let that happen.

So, it seems implicit in the term donation, but there's no quid proquo associated with these donations, right? Absolutely not. Okay. No, these were um I mean, it's not uncommon for us to uh contact local businesses or whatever to ask if they want to sponsor events or be involved in something. And I went to them with hat in hand, explained our budget constraints and said, you know, um it would be nice since you guys are building in the community and doing things in the community if you'd be willing to help with this this leg of this project as a donation effort. And they said yes. Excellent. So I did I hear you correctly? It's going to be complete by the end of April. Yes. 24%. Well, that's the day.

If you approve it tonight, they're going to get started right away. They've already started lowering the the water line because they knew that eventually when we developed that park, that water line had to be lowered anyway. So, they've already started that work and this could be done by the end of April. They're ready to mobilize once you approve it. How much further does that go down? Do you remember? Do you think the lowering? That's okay. Would expect you. What's where's the location of the entrance? It's going to be um if you're familiar with the property, it will be on the in the section between the cell tower and the um um substation. Substation. Thank you. I can think of the word the substation in a little area there.

Yep. And the trail will of course take up some of the pastured land and also kind of go into the woods a little bit. I'll make a motion we accept the donations. Do we have to have anybody sign off anything at this point? We just say yes. No, not at this point. Just a motion to accept the donations as presented for Shadow Lake Park. I make that motion. I'll second that motion. Have a motion and a second. And any further discussion on the donations? None. I'll ask for a vote to approve. All those in favor, please say I. I. Bless you. Thank you. Motion passes. Thank you. Thanks for doing the work on the to getting those. Thank you. Appreciate it. Second item, new business is the family activity park sports court. Authorization to bid.

Yes. This is HWC, if approved, would like your guys' authorization to advertise for bids in April um for the construction of the sports courts and the family activities parts um specifically the basketball and pickle ball courts with a bid opening in May um for these. So, have a month to get those and get them.

And I will note that Jill previously sent me a copy of the draft specifications and I reviewed and provided some comments to them. So, they're in the process of incorporating my comments right now. Do your comments need to uh be completed before those bids go out or um yes they they will be. But at at this point um all we need the redevelopment commission to do tonight is to u make a motion to authorize um the uh release an advertisement of the bid for the sports court project that the bid will incorporate your Yes. Okay. So the motion might say

you you including the Okay. Yeah, you can include that in the motion. Yes. Is the location of the courts going to be next to the depot in the yard area? No, you had to move it, didn't you? Stay up here at the the Thanksg.

Okay, Toby. Um, the pickle ball courts will go, if you're familiar with the the family activities park, the secondary parking lot that's closest to the fire department, I think that's Beinger Street. There's a grassy area there. Uh, the pickle ball courts will go there and there will be a fence that will be installed between there and the residence that's there so that pickle balls don't constantly go into the backyard. Um, and then the basketball court. If you're looking at the the family activities park, there's a grassy area. It's in the corner of the golf, the puck putt and the playground. There's a grassy area there. And that's where the basketball court would go because they can build a natural retention wall at the top that can also serve as bleachers and a watching area for the the basketball court. So, that's the proposed location. That was a part of the master plan that was done. And this is the first phase of that master plan.

How many pickle ball courts were we able to fit in? I think it's two. I think it's two. And those are regulation size. We we made sure those are regulations. Yes, those are regulation size. Yeah, that was something that we made. Want to have tournaments. We want to have a big crowd there.

I know, right? For two football courts. Yes. But um those are purposefully outside the fence area because um we already have a basketball we have several basketball courts that are outside the fence area. They're in somewhat close proximity to Spring Street Court as well as Canobyl Park. There's a full size court at Heritage Park smaller court at Ashley Springs. So um we didn't feel the need to redo the entire parking lot and put the basketball court outside of that. But the pickle ball courts were something that for that for this area of town we are kind of we don't have those. So we have them at Heritage Park. We have them at Ashley Springs Park. But this provides pickle ball courts outside of the fenced area in this section of town as well.

It'll be the best because there'll be regulations. Nice. That's what that is. Thank you. And this is a traditional bid. This is not a rate transfer. That is traditional bid. Okay. pick up. Yeah, baby. You whip me bad and fall down first time. Is there a motion to approve the authorization to bid? I'll make a motion. I'll second. Motion and second. Any further discussion? None. I ask for a vote to approve. All those in favor, please say I. I.

Motion passes. Thank you. Moving on to the last item of new business is we have a change of the uh May 12 the May meeting to May 12th, 2026 at 6 p.m. So the reason for this change is so those bids can have time to to get out there and get um have that date as the opening for the bids. It won't negatively impact anything else I say based on what you checked out. Um yeah, from what you'll look at yesterday. Okay. I make a motion we accept that change in the date to May 12th. I'll second that. Motion is second. Any further discussion? None. Ask for a vote to approve. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Motion passes.

Make a motion to journ. No further discussion. We have a motion to adjurnn. Is there a second? Second. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Was that meeting? What time was that meeting? I'm sorry. Matt, what time did they 6 p.m.? Yeah. 6 p.m. May 12th. Gotcha.