tonight. Sorry about the loud head. Uh, today, Monday, June 1st, call to order for the Farbo Planning Commission. Do we have We'll make the motion. Mr. Chair, a motion to do what?
>> Yes. I'm sorry. I'm still off from the day. Uh item number two, approve agenda. >> Second. >> Second. All in favor say I. >> All oppose. Same sign. >> Motion carries. Item number three,
approval of the minutes. >> Motion to approve. >> Second. And we have a first and second. All in favor say I. >> All oppose. Same sign. All right. So, just a little bit of background about the planning
commission. We are a a recommendation board to the city council. So, what we will do tonight is we will have a uh public hearing and we will have one of the city staff present it to us and then we'll have some discussion up here after
they are done. At that point, we will open up a public um um for the public to come up. When you do come up, you can come up to the mic. Please state your name and address and then you can view your point or at this
point with whatever that is being talked about. Once everybody has had a chance to speak, we will then uh close the public hearing and we will bring it back here for any questions from the the commission to the city or to the
applicant and then we will vote. And again, that vote will be on a motion that will then go up to the city council for them to let take a look at. And with that public hearing, which is a 4A, Terbolt uh homes, 924 1st Street
Northeast, it's a conditional use permit for the PL p uh preliminary plat final plat and variance. And Harry, >> thank you, Mr. Chair. So, uh, the applicant did submit, uh, the applications that you see in front of
you for Farbo Town Homes. Um, one thing that they, uh, did not submit at the same time was a common interest community plat or a CIC plat. That is their intent as they move forward. And so they're actually requesting that you
continue discussion on this item until the next planning commission where they'll be able to bring forward or staff will be able be able to bring forward the CIC plat alongside the project so that it's one complete package.
>> Do we have a motion? >> I think and Harry correct me if I'm wrong. We've got to do public hearing, right? Was it advertised as a public hearing? >> Uh yes it was. We can do public hearing uh tonight. There would also be public
hearing or an opportunity to do a public hearing at the very next meeting. >> Mr. Chair, the reason I asked it, I just didn't want to jump ahead of it, but that and I'm fully fine with this and I'm prepared to make the motion to defer this for two weeks. I just didn't want to prematurely
get in front of if you want to call for >> uh to the public. Is anybody here with any concerns or questions about 924 First Street Northeast, the Fairboat Town Homes? If you are Okay. Well, let's go ahead and let's go ahead and do the
public hearing. And Harry, did you want to do a presentation first or >> uh again, Mr. Chair, we're we're not recommending that we review this tonight. We're recommending that this item be continued on until the next meeting.
Mr. Chair, and again, I mean, I'm not trying to make it complicated, but if it was advertised as a public hearing, do we have to have the public hearing now or can I make the motion just to defer this whole thing for two weeks? >> You can you can continue it to the next. >> Okay. So, we Okay, thank you. So, Mr.
Chair, my and thank you for that. My motion would be that I move that we continue this discussion along with the public hearing for two weeks until our next meeting agenda. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I.
>> All oppose. Same sign. All right. We're going to uh this carries. So we will do this again in two weeks. I believe June 14th is the date. Four or
item number five items for discussion. Resolution 202601 modify faros tax increment development district number one and establish district number 21. >> Yes, thank you Mr. Chair. So this is a
item that's in some ways more of a formality. Um it's a tax increment financing district um expansion request. Uh and and really the request in front of planning commission is to determine
that um you know generally in terms of this tax increment finance district is this within the boundaries of the comprehensive plan um and and consistent with the comprehensive plan. And really uh what I would refer to would actually
be exhibit A within the packet. Uh that if you notice actually follows the same uh boundaries as the Hillblock project. Uh the Hillblock project is requesting a uh TIFF district or tax increment financing district. So this is related
to that. Um you know there's there's not really a whole lot for me to talk about here. Our city attorney has recommended that we do this just to be completely sure to dot all the eyes and cross all the tees. Um,
you know, I'm I'm happy to provide some insight on this as well as uh uh Dave Wberg here, the community and economic development director, but uh if we start to get into a whole lot of specifics, I'm going to be quickly out of my my wheelhouse. So, with that, I'm happy to
answer what questions I can answer. Mr. Chair, if I could, and I'm sorry that I'm doing most of the talking here earlier, but I don't remember planning commission touching tiffs a lot. All we have in front of us is the resolution
and a map of Farab with a dot in the middle of it. uh I can't intelligently vote on anything here uh absent like what is this tiff district you know because the language in the resolution
um uh city council proposed to adopt modification development program development district number one which I don't know what it is modifying the boundaries of development district number one which I don't know what it is follow the legal corporate limits of the city of Farbo okay I know where the city limits are I have a lot of questions.
>> Sure. Yeah. And Mr. We can go through the uh the resolution which would hopefully kind of answer a few of those. Um so the resolution if we're going from the first whereas um it would be to uh adopt a modification to the development
program for development district number one modifying the boundaries of development district number one to follow the legal corporate limits of the city of Farbo. So, >> sorry. One. >> Can you bring up the map so we can see where district one and district 21 is? >> I'm not plugged in. Dave, would you be
willing to pull it up? >> Um, I don't have >> I'm I'm not plugged in. I don't have You want me to give you the So thank you. Okay. So what we had previously done uh
the most recent time that we had done this was actually in 2024. Um, and admittedly I did not spearhead that. Again, you kind of have the unfortunate aspect of talking to the two people that
are not the lawyers involved in this. And so, we're we're trying our best to uh to guide you on this. Basically, what has happened is that over time, the city of Farbo has made the entire corporate limits a essentially a development
district. And what we've done within the uh development district is we've outlined certain locations where a tiff district may be um may be beneficial for the project that's within it. You'll notice that one of them happens to be um
you know an area within what I would say is like our northern industrial park. Um this most recent one is is downtown and as I had mentioned before it's uh related to the boundaries of the Hillblock project uh the hillblock
condominium project. So all the resolution is saying is we are uh looking at another tiff district within the uh overall development district which includes the entire uh boundaries
of the city and I'm trying to find the right one to go and based off of our comprehensive plan where we intend to have new development uh development of certain types that this tiff district would actually be
supporting that plan that it would allow uh the city to move forward with the goals and ideals within the comprehensive plan. In this case, uh you know, we we've talked about this before with the Hillblock project. Um it's a if
you want to call it an infill project or or rehabilitation of the existing buildings that are along Central Avenue. Uh, it's bringing back more housing into the downtown area. It's also, uh, revamping and and providing new, um, uh,
new high-end commercial spaces downtown right directly onto Central Avenue. And so, you know, when we start to look at different aspects of our comprehensive plan, we find that, you know, this is this is in this is what we intend to have downtown is more people living uh
and more opportunities for businesses to locate and then thrive within downtown. So, the tiff district is going to support that. Um and so the question in front of planning commission is is the idea of having this tiff district within
uh or or supporting the comprehensive plan for the city. >> I guess my my question to you is I assume that the entire corporation the entire city limits were already included in a tiff district. So in this
case, these will be we already have some that are different parts of the city and now we're going to be adding just a few or should we incorporate or incorporated so the entire incorporated city is part of the tiff district.
>> Mr. Chair, I'm not sure that I understand the question. I apologize. >> No, that's okay. My question is is why is the entire city not considered a tiff district instead of why are they separated out into these smaller places?
Because I'm assuming there's other tick like the woolen mills would probably have a tiff district. So >> are these always just when something arises that we then add another district or should it just be the whole city?
>> Mr. Sure. So, um, tiff districts largely come out of, at least in in my perspective and from my experience, have been out of new construction or reconstruction of properties. And it's a financing tool that then would help the property owner
uh, you know, hopefully come a little bit closer or or actually become uh, a financially feasible project. So, it's a it's it's a tool in the tool belt that a city can use in order to help support um and and encourage a a particular
development to go through and to and to be built. So, to do that across the city, I don't know what that would entail. Uh you know, again, we're starting to get into stuff that is just a little bit about outside of of planning and zoning. Um, again, I want
to stress to the planning commission, this is a formality. So, we're not we're not deciding the fate of the universe with the resolution. It's just whether or not a tiff district is is a good idea and it's supporting the comprehensive
plan. Yeah. >> Um I noticed that the new district 21 block or you know something this seems really project specific. >> Yes. A lot of tiffs are very project specific.
>> Okay. So setting up this district is for >> Yes. >> already coming into play. >> Yes. Yeah. So very recently, uh, Hillblock Condominiums, and I'm trying to recall if you were at those meetings, um, that project did come through. And so this would be supporting that
project. So that's 19 uh new units that are downtown as well as 7,000 uh square feet of of commercial space, and it's reusing the existing building. So we're not talking about, you know, completely new construction. There is an addition in order to make viable use of
the second and third floors of these buildings. Um, but it's it's a it's a project. Sorry, >> we're going to add an elevator in the back. >> Yes. Yeah. So, it's a project being being spearhead and and it's um >> you know, this this tiff district would
support that project. >> Yes. Go ahead, >> Mr. Chair. Thank you. I I want to start by saying I've I have voted for more tiff districts than I can remember in my life, including a golf course at one time, which I still remember a state legislator screaming at me 20ome years ago. So, I'm not anti-TIF district. I
get tiff districts. I think they're valuable, but I think everything else. I'm just a guy sitting here on the planning commission trying to do my job right now. And the second whereas the commission has reviewed the modification and plan to determine their conformity with the general plan of the development
and redevelopment of the city. I got a map and a two paragraph memo. I can't vote in favor of this tonight. I just don't have enough information. I don't want to appear that I am anti-tiff, but I can't vote for what we have in front
of us. So, it would either I mean I I also don't want to create boxes in a corner where we vote it down. This could be something that could be >> Isn't this just supporting what was presented to us previously?
Big project. We had a rebuilding design. Second one yeah we don't know much about but first one I get totally second one is just the second one the map the one that's up in the north
yeah chair if I can add to this it might help a little bit but district one is really just showing where tiff districts can happen in the city. They follow the boundary of the city. Um, a couple years ago, the city annexed that property at
the very far north end of the city into the city, but the tiff district one, development district 1, was never changed. Um, and as a result, if somebody did want to do a tiff there at some point, it would need to be added
in. So the general practice of the city is to as you add land to the city, the intent is to make sure everywhere in the city that wants to have a tiff is within the development district one. So essentially all it is doing is adding
the land that was annexed in two years ago or a year ago, whatever that was. So that's that. Um in regard to the hillblock project, um the commissioners are correct. the the planning commission
does not review um tiff districts in detail. That is intended for the EDA and the council. Um there's a public hearing set up for that coming up on June 9th with the council. So that is set for
June 9th and the intent is to have this approved saying that from a planning commission standpoint you're recognizing that having you know increasing the area for development tiff one um which is
that north part of it is consistent with the comprehensive plan right it's within the city limits and then downtown um you know that there really isn't any reason for from a planning commission standpoint to keep that out from a tiff
district. So, this is scheduled for a public hearing coming up on June 9th and and the attorney has suggested that we just do this as um the planning manager noted as a acknowledgment that from a
planning standpoint is consistent with the comprehensive plan to have these areas in the city. But you're again not recommending approval of any specific project associated with the the tiff.
You're just saying that tiff 21 in the downtown area is an area that can have tiff. >> Questions? Do we have a motion? Make a motion to approve zones.
>> You have a I think it's only one zone. >> We're just approving the one the 21. >> No, you're approving this resolution which increases the district one to follow the city boundaries as well as um acknowledging tiff district 21.
So, >> it's one motion to approve that resolution that the attorney wrote. >> I have a second. Do we have another motion? >> I will note if if there I guess there isn't. Yeah, there's not a move. So,
yeah, a second. So, >> do we have another motion? >> Mr. Chair, I have a question. I I hear him that this is scheduled for the 9th and I'm honestly not trying to jam you guys up, but when I see language that says I've reviewed the modification
in plan to determine the conformity, haven't really reviewed anything. That's all I'm saying. Our chair is supposed to sign a document that we reviewed something we didn't review it. So, can someone rewind the last 10 minutes and tell me what we just reviewed?
I feel that many of us are have been confused by this and we're still trying to absorb it. Mr. Chair, I'm not confused. I I just What have I reviewed? What modifications
have I reviewed in the last 10 minutes? Tell me that. Give me a good clean sentence and I can vote in favor of something. But what have we reviewed? So the the one thing again is and if you look at the the map there again that
area district one is just intended to follow the entire area of the city. Um right now there isn't any recommendation or from the planning commission that that's fine. You know acknowledging that that was annexed into the city. So it's
it's really just noting that that was annexed into the city and it should be available for tiff at some point. So tiff um or development district one, let's expand it to that area. So that's number one. And then number two, again, the planning commission does not review
the details. We haven't heard anything with a public hearing. This is just essentially saying it can go forward to a public hearing on it doesn't say in the resolution, but June 9th um as an area to consider TIFF. And again, the
planning commission is not involved in TIFF. It's the It's the EDA and the council that deal with that. Um the again the the attorney just suggested it hasn't always happened but in as um
planning manager Davis um noted in 2024 you approved exactly the same resolution except instead of saying tiff district 21 it said tiff district 19. same thing.
>> That checks the box for me of that we've reviewed something, talked about it. Uh I would uh before I make a motion, I would ask that if this comes in, we have a whole lot more context and
background of what we're voting on. And I know that's not your issue, but that was the city attorney that put this hand grenade into your lap. So, I'm actually trying to give you some ammunition back with that if we see this.
Uh, Mr. Chair, now that we have satisfied at least my question on the review of the modification and the plan, I would move that we approve resolution 26. >> All right, we have a first and a second. Do we have any discussion?
All right. All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> All oppose. Same sign. Motion carries. All right. Item number six, commission updates. >> Mr. Chair, I currently don't have any commission updates for you.
>> Oh, thank you. I'm sure if Tina was here, she would want to say thank you for having the agenda in this. Just wanted to say that before we call for adjournment. Motion. We'll
>> make the motion we adjourn. >> First, is there a second? A second.