Economic Development Committee - Regular Meeting

Takes a few seconds. Yep, we're live on YouTube. Joe right now. Okay. And the last question that was asked. So, we are back on item C. Did anyone have any other discussion points or questions? Yes. So I guess you were looking for a motion to basically uh endorse this concept. Correct.

Yep. Endorse the concept and then if anybody also had you know any other feedback or groups that we should reach out to just getting that that insight. But really the idea would be should we spend um staff time and the resources to start coalesing pick a couple of these ideas maybe test them out on a couple uh resident groups that we coincide with day-to-day and then start testing a couple of them put a couple in the gazette and then see how they go. I mean, at the end of the day, it's not going to be staff overseen. Um, other than if it does require a special event permit, then we'll when when would the park be ready for these special kind of get say May. May agree.

I hope the mid part of April if we were intending to open it at the end of April. So, we'll keep our fingers crossed, but that hasn't helped so far. going into that too. Uh, and I got my memory for the considerations that we have there. The only thing that we really do need to keep an eye out for is that we will be constructing currently the uh Essen log cabin. That shouldn't take all too long and shouldn't be a very loud construction. Um, I do think once the uh the all-inclusive playground gets going, that that changes things a little bit. uh nonetheless I think some of these if they're popular at night uh very well could continue uh once again the main primary driver is to have either a local stakeholder or business owner or a resident that is passionate about some of these ideas uh they would be the ones to oversee it organize it but then the city would just share it on social media like don't forget to check out the park and u bring your book

all right thank you very much would somebody like oh council member mccacha Yeah. Um, you mentioned the long cabin. I think when that's all up, we should uh do some things like uh Boss Park does where they do. I mean, we can't do all of that. They do, but they'll I don't know what they'll make things like they used them 100 years ago or whatever, you know. I think that'd be a good use. Dress up like a frontiersman. get you a long rifle and you talk about those tricks, but I you know that would be a cute thing to do. No comment, Joe.

That's okay. He already he already committed to doing that earlier this evening. You know, he knows where you live. Just as a footnote, after 10 years of the logs being stored at Glen Gay's yard, they're now on site. So, we're good for the tickets. They're primed and ready to be stolen again. We'll let the public know that. Council member Becker, did you have a question? No, I was just Do we have a motion on the floor or?

Uh, not yet. So, I think we're looking for a motion to basically endorse uh proceeding forward with trying to put together a plan as he described it. Okay, council McCutchen will make the motion. Backard seconds. Thank you. Any discussion? Speaking out a lot tonight. Seeing none. Trying to keep it moving. All those in favor, please say I. I.

Opposed? Extensions. Motion carries. Thank you. Which brings us to item D, consideration of gateway signing at key entrance to Wildwood. So, this must be uh karma taking place here because last night I heard several residents at a HOA meeting say that when they come into Wildwood from Ellisville, it's not clear to them where Wildwood begins in Ellisville ends. I pointed out the fact that there are some street signs in place now, but um I think everyone would agree that they are not necessarily that visible. But I think probably the main question that's going to come up in the discussion on this tonight is uh or two main questions that will probably be asked are um you know what is the rough cost estimated to be and where does the money come from considering the constraints that we have on the budget right now. So with that I will turn things over to you Mr. Lee.

Yeah. And Mr. Bunish can most definitely add input as we go through it. But I will say that originally uh when we put this on the agenda, this was coming from the master plan. Going into that in a second, but uh the master plan citizen oversight group, we originally thought that there was a chance that we could put some type of signage on the pedestrian bridge. Uh we updated the memo to reflect the more recent finding after reading through the the sign regulations um that pretty much strictly prohibited. We had a discussion with the area engineer Ryan Piery really mentioning we've seen a bunch of these signs go up in other cities where they'll usually have some type of retaining wall or they'll have some structure that's already there at an underpass or really close to a city line and you'll actually see the name of said city um put on there in almost like a built-in monument signage if you will. um versus the standard welcome to sign that we have which is usually smaller um in stature and is held up by two posts and you know very well could be could needs a review. Uh

when this discussion came up similar to the HOA meeting at the master plan citizen oversight group uh the committee had asked the general question of hey you know they brought that same issue up we don't know where line is even though that sign does exist there's nothing as pronounced to say you're now entering Wildwood and the other thing is for the economic development element is hey you're now entering you know if you spend your money past this line it goes towards Wildwood not to Ellisville uh so the idea would be is Is there a way or is there a property? I will say the department has looked at a couple of the parcels along 10 100 there. Uh without using the bridge, it gets a little tricky on how we would beef it up other than having some type of post signage similar. It's not like a a perfect formation. I mean, one one sign that it's kind of tucked in there, but they already took advantage of it was the Bank of Houston. They put their sign up on that retaining wall. It kind of builds into the wall itself. uh when you go up and down 100, it becomes getting pretty stark of where where could we actually put one of these signs, which not the one that we have, but a bigger sign that maybe you build some type of monument sign that is built into the ground and is a little bit more structurally sound. Uh the idea and the cheapest solution could have been, you know, having some type of signage placed on the pedestrian bridge over the westbound lanes. It's about uh tenth of a mile away from the city border, but it just makes a lot of sense as you're driving in. It feels like a natural place to place it. Uh we talked to the area engineer and originally it didn't blow that person away. They they said, "Hey, you know, it would be something that need to be submitted and reviewed." Nonetheless, we he would help, you know, kind of carry it forward. Uh after reviewing the the code requirements from mod side though, that is one thing that they'll work with us. the their big thing was we can work with you on size and location, but bridges they do not allow any anything to be affixed to them. Um, and it doesn't seem like they're going to bend on there.

There's one in Maplewood. No, like a really nice one on the bridge. I think I've seen them before. We if we I mean, we can still submit it nonetheless. That's where a bridge. Yeah. No, it's on a train track. Yeah. Okay.

We can submit anything we want. It's just what's the likelihood of it getting approved and our area engineer at least has said they'll as long as it's everything else meets the requirements they'll carry it forward. It's just more so they have this group of design engineers that and implement and Mr. Brown would probably be the better person to answer this but the u the uniform traffic uh manual that governs how all this signage should be within state rideway. Uh so that was a little bit disappointing. Originally when we were putting this memo together, the idea was we could come forth with possibly a design for the bridge and we still could. Uh but the ability for it to be passed may be a little bit more difficult now. Uh but the question tonight to the committee is should we go through and review some of the parcels that are nearby or some of the rightway that we do have already u along or near that signage uh to possibly erect something better more unique and something that better signifies that you're entering Wildwood. Uh on the other side just wanted to note this as well is that MDOT did say that you have you get one sign per entrance. So, they'll work with us on the size, but if we were to put another sign up, say it was on the bridge, or say it's a bigger sign, but it's located in a different area, um, we would have to remove the sign that's shown in the picture in the report. So, just a note there. Um, and for the cost, I mean, it would be substantial even putting something up on the pedestrian bridge. Um, I mean, Joe, what was the last the other sign that was just like this? It was a couple thousand dollars just to do that one. U, so a small sign like this could cost anywhere from four to $5,000. So, if you do a large sign and you you're going to have to show MDOT that you have it structurally connected and it's supported 100% since it's over uh traffic and is connected to one of their bridges. Um that it would not fall, loosen or or come off. Um it we could be talking about a good deal of money, but

without getting an exact quote um and depending on the size that's going to constitute how much this would cost. But should we even explore it? uh is something that brought up by the master plan committee. So we wanted to uh bring it up to the committee's attention. Uh nonetheless, we do currently have signage. It's just not as pronounced as So where do you think would be uh forget rules and regulations from ODOT? Where would be your prefer preferred oh location for the the bridge? Having it on that bridge would be amazing. It would that that you could do something very tasteful. You couldn't paint it on the bridge. That Well, there's there's some ideas. I isn't our bridge though. We built it, right? It's our bridge. Yeah, but mod technically

we got turned down. Mod technically m owns and can operate the airspace above their right ofways. The airspace. Oh, that's ridiculous. Hey, I say no. I don't think we have the money for it. I I like our current signs. We had a custommade sign years ago and it was made out of wood. People kept crashing into them and they were expensive. Right, Joe? and and so still out there. I've been through the sign thing before, but maybe you guys need to experience it, but moneywise right now it's just not high in the list. Plus your time, your time to work it up. Well, nonetheless, that's that's where

I appreciate the the input, though. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to be that negative about it, but uh um I just have had experience with that before and we have a nice sign. We've worked that up before and everybody liked it.

I think if you if we were to actually look at this, I don't think we should erect a sign that isn't put on the bridge. I mean, it just that that would make more sense if you were going to do it because then you don't have to worry about a car hitting it. You can take out some of those X factors. Without that, there's nothing to me that's selling that wow, you can really make an improvement. That said, I'm not a landscape architect. I bet you there's someone that could come up with something very creative. Um, but there are just very strict rules and regulations that MODOT has. So, I'll make a motion to deny it. All right. So, there's a motion on the floor to um not go forward. Is there a second to that motion?