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Planning committee advances Verdantas contract for Block 7 testing and redesign
Summary
The Planning, Annexation and Codes committee voted to call a request to contract with Verdantas LLC out of committee for testing and redesign of Block 7, a downtown "purple" lot; the project is expected to use CDBG and TIF funds and includes geotechnical borings to assess possible EPA-related soils issues.
Planning committee chair Miss Beck presented a letter from Stacy Carr asking the city to enter into a contract with Verdantas LLC to perform testing and a redesign of Block 7, the citys downtown "purple" lot at Tusk and 2nd.
Miss Beck described the work as a four-phase project: a topographic survey, a geotechnical investigation with five borings to about 20 feet below grade, predesign and field analysis with stakeholder kickoff meetings, and a design stage that will seek to balance festival-ready green space and parking. She said the cost would be split between Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and Tax Increment Financing (TIF).
Council discussed the projects fit with the city master plan and the risks posed by historic demolition rubble beneath the lot. Miss Miller noted the geotechnical work is intended to find whether full excavation or other stabilization will be necessary: "So they're gonna bore down there and test that, see what needs done there to...if they need to take all that out," Miss Beck said during the committee presentation. Committee members also asked whether the budget includes a worst-case remediation scenario; staff cautioned the budget likely does not cover an extreme remediation cost.
Miss Beck said city staff reported CDBG would cover roughly 40 to 45 percent of the project, with the remainder from TIF funds. The proposed agreement requests emergency language and a single reading to expedite the work.
During public comment, resident Melanie Porcella urged development that would bring more people downtown, saying the change "would just be really super beneficial from my perspective." She offered to provide additional materials at a future meeting.
After the discussion Miss Miller moved to call the request to enter a contract with Verdantas LLC out of committee; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. The committee will now send the item forward for consideration as requested in the letter.
Whats next: The contract request will proceed from committee per the councils motion; the letter requests emergency language and one reading, and staff will return with formal contract terms and any cost estimates identified by the geotechnical investigation.
