HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Provided Information - 11/12/2024STAFF REPORT
BOARD OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY of SALT LAKE CITY
TO:RDA Board Members
FROM: Jennifer Bruno and Cindy Gust-Jenson
DATE: November 14, 2023
RE: Update on RDA Rio Grande Vision And
Implementation plan
PROJECT TIMELINE:
Briefing: Nov 12, 2024
Potential Action: Dec 10, 2024
ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE
The Redevelopment Agency advanced the Draft Rio Grande District Vision and
Implementation Plan to the Legislative Branch (City Council acting in their role as the
Redevelopment Agency Board) at the April 2024 board meeting. Staff note: This is a separate
and distinct plan from what is sometimes referred to as “The Rio Grande Plan” which
recommends undergrounding several train lines in the area, although some board members
are interested in referencing those opportunities in this RDA plan.
The RDA Board approved funding for this planning effort in late 2022, and has been briefed
on the draft plan throughout the process, although it wasn’t determined until late in the
process that there is a solid legal basis for the plan to be adopted by the Legislative Branch,
rather than the having the plan be considered to be a fully Administrative plan. The Board
also had several areas of concern and feedback relating to the draft version of the plan and
shared those in April.
As such, RDA staff has forwarded a resolution and transmittal with proposed adjustments to
the plan based on RDA Board input. At the conclusion of the November discussion
and with more clarity on how to adjust the draft plan and resolution, a revised
version of the resolution and plan could be considered for adoption at the
December board meeting.
The following are areas of concern and ideas raised by Board Members are addressed in the
administration’s transmittal in the following ways:
1. The Board would like to take legislative action on the Plan.
The City Attorney’s Office drafted a resolution included as Attachment B, which – if
adopted – would endorse the RDA’s utilization of the Plan to guide the redevelopment
of the RDA-owned property within its scope.
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2. There is interest in adding content to the Plan that speaks to the opportunity of
burying the heavy rails that run adjacent to the District.
Similar to the approach taken in Connect SLC, Staff propose adding a section to
Chapter 4, Mobility Network, to highlight the Rio Grande Plan concept. Draft
language is included below for the Board’s consideration.
The Rio Grande Plan
The Rio Grande Plan (not to be confused with this District Plan) was developed by
two advocates, a local engineer and an urban designer. The vision suggests the
relocation of freight and Frontrunner rails into an underground trench to open up
over 100 acres for development, restore the use of an historic train station, and solve
train-related east-west barriers to mobility. In February 2023, Salt Lake City was
awarded nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to study
solutions for eliminating barriers caused by transportation infrastructure, and the
train box concept is one option being studied.
3. There is concern that inclusion of the Green Loop project in the Plan will prematurely
bind future Councils into taking specific related actions.
The Plan considers the potential Green Loop concept to explore the level of increased
mobility, green space, and recreational opportunities that it could bring to the Rio
Grande District, if implemented. The Green Loop is not included in the RDA’s
infrastructure plans, as it is a city initiative that is currently being led by Public
Lands and Transportation. Staff propose to maintain references to the Green Loop,
as it is already mentioned in adopted City Master Plans such as the Downtown
Master Plan and Connect SLC.
Potential additional questions/edits:
- Some Board members expressed an interest in a more flexible concept of a linear park
rather than referencing the Green Loop specifically (which is still in design development).
It is referenced specifically in 78 places throughout the document.
-Role Clarity/Expectation setting:
o Section 3.2.1 The Green Loop, p. 50, includes as a standard “City Coordination and
Approval: The street, park and utility design shall be in coordination and reviewed by
City departments.” The Board may wish to discuss with the Administration whether
similar language could be added in other sections, to enhance role clarity.
o The Board may wish to discuss with the Administration whether it makes sense to add
language to the plan that responsibility for Green Loop programming, safety, and
security is still under discussion, and considering several other City departments
already have roles in those areas in other City spaces.
o Section 3.2.1, p. 52, lays out a robust level of programing and indicates that “The Green
Loop may include but are not limited to the following events and activities." The Board
may wish to ask how this programming is anticipated to be funded, and if additional
language such as “subject to appropriation” language should be added to that section
address the uncertainty of future funding availability and/or responsible party.
4. There is a desire to gain a better understanding of the “Governance Framework”
section of the Plan, but concern that it calls for the delegation of the Board’s authority
to a separate entity.
Staff propose to fully delete pages 134 – 151 of the document, which includes the bulk
of Chapter 6.2 (RDA Role in Rio Grande District) and all of Chapters 6.3 (Governance
Framework) and 6.4 (Next Steps). This leaves chapters in place that speak to the
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vision, site, public realm, mobility network, land use and building design, phasing
plan, and appendix.
To address this concern further, the resolution notes that the Plan does not (in any
way) replace or override the existing authority and discretion of the Administration
or Board.
Potential additional questions/edits:
-Technical edit needed for consistency: Section 1.6 summarizes the content of the
plan, and includes the following wording in relation to Chapter 6: Implementation:
“describes….RDA’s role in governing the long-term success of the district including
programming, funding and staffing." The Council may wish coordinate with the
Administration on amending that, based upon the removal of several components.
-Implementation/Phasing/Expectations
o The Board may wish to add wording to the resolution clarifying that the plan is
aspirational and subject to funding availability. The Thriving in Place adoption
resolution includes the following wording: “The adoption of this plan serves to identify
the goals and objectives identified within the plan, all of which are subject to future
budget appropriations." Could this type of language be added, in addition to the
language already proposed by the Attorney’s Office?
o The Board may wish to provide policy guidance about how it would like to see
programming and maintenance handled. Are there specific aspects of the plan that the
Board would like to see the Administration prioritize at relates to implementation?
-Role Clarity and Governance – Because the Administration is proposing to eliminate
the governance section, the Board may wish to provide more formal feedback relating to
governance and expectations for the role the RDA and other City departments will play in
this development, either in the resolution, or in the plan itself:
o For example: does the Board envision current City departments such as Economic
Development and Public Services performing their standard roles in City spaces?
o Are there funding or staffing principles the Board would like to communicate to RDA
staff as it relates to balancing with other City needs and operating efficiently?
o Is the expectation that the service level in this area would be higher than the service
levels outside the plan area and will the open/public space areas be managed by the
City or retained by the RDA?
5. Separate from the “Governance Framework” conversations, there is support for the
RDA moving forward with the timely disposition of property in the District.
The RDA has transmitted to the Board a Property Pre-Disposition Report for
Development Blocks D and E. It is staff’s goal to publish the corresponding RFP in
early January 2025, after the holidays have concluded.
6. A straw poll was taken to allow the RDA to publish the Plan without the “Governance
Framework” section, until Board concerns are addressed.
Staff have largely held back on promotion or distribution of the Plan (in any form),
with the exception of using it to facilitate conversations with adjacent property
owners related to District infrastructure design. Staff plans to publish a
comprehensive project web page that hosts the Plan once it is endorsed by the Board.
The Board may wish to discuss and straw poll each of the above items to provide
policy guidance for RDA staff and so that the consultant can edit the plan as
needed and/or as straw polled by a majority of the Board.
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POLICY QUESTIONS
The Council, in their role as the RDA Board, may consider directing staff to follow-up on a few topic
areas that apply citywide, and may result in ordinance amendments or policy documents to make the
process more efficient.
1.Governance in general: The Council and Board may wish to determine whether to
formally establish a written policy that specifies that the Salt Lake City Legislative Body
does not support the establishment of governance structures that delegate authority to
outside organizations. A policy or ordinance may be necessary to avoid re-work and
confusion, particularly as there may be future discussions of “public-private-
partnerships.” The Council and Board have stated their position verbally on a number of
occasions, but government structures that would seem to delegate Legislative and
Administrative authority are periodically suggested by consultants hired by City entities to
address different project realities.
o It is staff’s understanding that the Legislative Body is committed to using the existing
municipal government structure, as identified in State Statute, to assure continued
opportunities for public input, retain transparency and continue the role of City elected
officials in making budget, policy and oversight decisions.
o The Council and Board may wish to confer with the Administration and City Attorney’s
Office about whether there may be value in working together to prepare background
information and policy guidance that could be included as reference material in the
contracting process (RFP’s, etc.) to provide some basic information about the form of
government and any other information that would help to standardize the experience
and make the process more efficient for consultants hired by various City
departments. (For example: Duplicating functions in more than one City Department
is generally avoided because it typically increases overhead and increases the potential
for confusion, duplication and re-work.)
o In relation to delegating elected official authority, several Board Members have
requested a briefing on the structure of the Gallivan Center, based upon concerns
about consistency with City interests. The Board may wish to identify the most
workable aspects and the areas of difficulty in the City’s participation in existing
alternate structures, including the Gallivan, the Arts Council Foundation and the
Eccles Theatre.
2.Legislative adoption of long-term planning documents: In working with the
Administration and City Attorney’s office on this topic, staff have noted several longer-
term policy conversations that would be helpful to resolve, to inform approaches on long-
term planning within all City departments. The Administration has expressed a
willingness to work with the Council staff to identify and evaluate potential updates to the
Council’s master plan ordinance to provide greater clarity and consistency across the
City. The Council has specified that there is no intent to either encroach on
Administrative authority, particularly within approved budgets, or prolong the adoption of
planning documents, so those items will be at the forefront of further discussions on the
processing of City plans.
The goal is to make processing of future plans more efficient, including the following
interests areas:
- Address future zoning and land use, or guide future growth and development
- Require future budget appropriations or significant ordinance changes
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- Propose a new/different role for the City or a City Department
- Create a new function for the City, or expand public expectations
- Expand or contract the City’s role in relation to other governmental entities
- Include a significant service level change
- Anticipate a significant change in City policy
- Anticipate the delegation of authority currently vested with elected officials
- Involve significant changes in use for major City assets
- Will be used as the basis for future budget requests
3.Role of the RDA within the context of the City: Solidifying a clear and concise
definition of the relationship between the RDA and the City has long been a goal of the
Legislative Branch. Continuing that conversation in order to establish that
understanding in writing will help future conversations proceed more efficiently.
in
As
•
•
Project Updates:
• Salt Lake Central HTRZ
• Petition for Downtown Master Plan/Zoning Map Amendments
• Public Improvements - Infrastructure, Streetscapes, Open Spaces
Coordination with adjacent property owners/neighborhood stakeholders
Formation of Citywide Rio Grande District Collab Team
• Funding/Financing Scenarios
Design & Construction
Long-term Maintenance and Operations
• Shared Parking Structure
• Property Disposition
RIO GRANDE
DISTRICT
Feedback received at 4/16/24 Board meeting:
l.The Board would like to take legislative action on the Plan;
2.There is interest in adding content to the Plan that speaks to the opportunity of burying the heavy rails
that run adjacent to the District;
3.There is concern that inclusion of the Green Loop project in the Plan will prematurely bind future Councils
to taking specific related actions;
4.There is a desire to gain a better understanding of the "Governance Framework" section of the Plan, but
concern that it calls for the delegation of the Board's authority to a separate entity;
5. Separate from the "Governance Framework" conversations, there is support for the RDA moving forward
with the timely disposition of property in the District; and
6. A straw poll was taken to allow the RDA to publish the Plan without the "Governance Framework" section,
until Board concerns are addressed.
RIO GRANDE
DISTRICT
Next Steps:
With clarity on how to adjust the draft plan, Staff will incorporate necessary edits and re -transmit
for potential endorsement via resolution at the December board meeting.
Staff recommends scheduling meetings to discuss strategy for District funding/financing of
infrastructure design, construction, long-term maintenance and operations.
RIO GRANDE
DISTRICT