City adviser lays out
steps on planned Lowe’s
The Emporia/Lyon County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission heard a presentation by Mary Carson, legal adviser for the city, on its role in Tax Increment Financing/Transportation Development District projects at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
The presentation was to prepare the commission for the upcoming redevelopment plan being drawn up between the city and D.J. Christie to bring a Lowe’s store to Emporia.
Carson is a member of Triplett, Woolf & Garretson law firm out of Wichita, and has played a role as the city’s bond counsel and legal advisor in matters relating to the steps a TIF/TDD project must follow. In her presentation, Carson outlined what the planning commission’s primary role in the process will be — to determine whether the project is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan to make sure the project will use the land for its intended purpose.
Carson informed the commission that it will be given a draft of the redevelopment plan once it is complete, and that the city commission will consult with the planning commission to move forward with the project. The redevelopment plan will contain the results of the market analysis and the financial feasibility study currently being conducted, but those studies will not fall under the purview of the planning commission.
The planning commission also heard a presentation from Steve Bowling of Anderson MacAdam Architects about Emporia Main Street’s master plan for the downtown district. Development of the plan started as a grassroots movement about a year ago, and has consisted of a series of meetings with the public, businesses and stakeholders to devise guidelines for future development of the downtown district.
The plan identifies the downtown district as the area between 12th Avenue and South Avenue from north to south, and from Congress Street to Market Street from west to east. It focuses mainly on the businesses on Commercial Street and housing within the area. According to Bowling, the intent of the plan is to identify what makes Emporia’s downtown unique, and to focus future development on existing patterns that preserve its “historic urban flavor.”
Emporia Main Street and Anderson MacAdam are hoping the city will either amend its comprehensive plan to reflect the master plan for the downtown district, or will add the master plan to the comprehensive plan as an appendix for future reference.
gardenman (anonymous) says...
Members of the kangaroo court aka Emporia City Commission
are bound and determined to have their Lowe's regardless of
how many groups and individuals have pointed out negative
aspects of such a venture. What a group of "wet behind the
ears" leaders Emporia has!
November 26, 2008 at 6:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
ummm...gardenman..may i point out that some of you whiners could very easily run for city commissioner positions, but you would rather sit back and armchair quarterback. either do something about it or shush.
November 27, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
gardenman,dhcc66- I have been advocating, for some time now, that Emporia's City Commission form of government is neither fair, imparshial nor representative of the City's as a whole. I have also advocated for some time, that the only fair, imparshial and representative form of government in Emporia would be a City Council form of government, with representation of each and every citizen of Emporia .
November 27, 2008 at 7:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
trainrech (anonymous) says...
I am curious how our Weak Mayor - City Commission - City Manager form of government differs from a City Council form of government in more than a name. I have not read all of the posts regarding your proposal - can I get the "cliff's notes version"?
November 28, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
From the outside of Emporia looking in it seems perfectly ridiculous for the City of Emporia to be pushing a development that will compete with businesses who have already located in Emporia in some cases for decades(like Mark 2) and have paid taxes, and are probably already struggling because of the economy. To me, economic development is not bringing in one store that will probably lead to the failure of one already in place, but bringing in new industry or business that will compliment what already exists.
November 28, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )