BURIEN BUSINESS and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

(BEDP)

 

MEETING MINUTES

Date: May 27, 2005

Time:  7:00 – 8:30 AM

 

 

 

Members Present:  Dean Parkins, Kevin Fitz, Doug Moreland, Ryan Warnes, Debra George, Tom Gehl, Jim Hughes, Nancy Damon, Bob Ewing, Rick Cosgrave, Barbara Blackshear-Haley

 

Absentees: Harvey Aulgur

 

Excused Absentees: David Elliott, Mark Minium

 

Staff:  Gary Long, City Manager and Dick Loman, Economic Development Manager

 

Guests:  Councilmember Lucy Krakowiak; Tina Bush, Port of Seattle; Gayle Collins, Page 2 Books; David Cline, Assistant City Manager; Blair Howe, GVA Kidder Mathews; John Welch, Superintendent Elect, Highline School District; and Bill Crossman, Highline School District

 

Call to Order:  Meeting opened at 7:00 a.m. by Chairman Bob Ewing

 

Minutes:   Doug Moreland moved to accept with two corrections.  Motion was seconded and unanimously approved with corrections:  Insert the word “would” in the 5th line on page 2  “ members of the Partnership who would like to attend”.  The second correction was in the 3rd sentence of the City Manager’s report.  The word “sued” should be “used”.

 

Chair’s Report:  Bob Ewing

 

Scott Greenberg’s analysis appreciated.

 

The Partnership will invite Gordon Shaw to a future meeting to discuss how to reach out to the business community - reference his comment in City Council Meeting.

 

City Manager’s Report:  Gary Long

 

Efforts have all been on Town Square.  No further information to pass along today.

 

Highline Public Schools – John Welch, Superintendent Elect

 

Discussion on the Vision and Destinations. (See Handout)

 

High schools never designed, historically, to get children ready for college.  Currently, schools need to have kids leave with high set of skills to be employable; each teacher needs to know 1,200 kids a year – a difficult assignment; want to break students groups.

 

The Aviation High School now has 100 pupils; will grow to 400 children.  This is an excellent example of the new structure.  It’s easier to start a new small school than to change the culture.

 

Bill Crossman – Project Director High School Design. [See Handout]

 

There are a number of schools across the country that are implementing the small school concept; not so much in the suburbs.

 

Question about influence of TV – comment about lack of parental supervision.

 

Question: How do you change? Answer:  Need to change structure and methods at same time.

 

Next year there will be 9 non-student days for teachers to allow time for teachers to work on some of the changes.

 

Question: Maybe working on high schools is too late.  Answer:  Elementary level not broken; middle school and high school need work.  Structure of Elementary works.

 

Aviation HS – Teachers meet every morning to discuss the student’s work.  Now have 100 students in the program.  Some teachers are not comfortable with being out of their “room”, so attention is being paid to helping teachers get more comfortable with learning to know their students.

 

See handout for Guiding Principles… Old vs New paradigm.

 

John Welch - Balancing systems efforts with State demands is constantly being reviewed, (See implementation plans 05-06).

 

See Highline High School 9th grade academy plans.  They lose a lot of students in the 9th grade.  Concept will help the students with relationships.

 

See Mount Rainier themes.

 

See Tyee High Schools – has a large grant and is moving forward faster.

 

New program – intern based school has opportunities for business committee to provide mentors.

 

Question: What can the business community do to help?  Answer JW: Help to define for graduates what skills they need to have.  Need conversation.  Highline schools foundation is starting such a program.

 

Question: Need School District replacement for Barbara Blackshear-Haley whose last meeting will be June 24.  Answer JW: When the organizational period for my new position is completed, a representative will be selected.  He may not be able to be the representative, but realizes how important the communication with the Highline School District is and we will be assured of representation.

 

Business Recruitment – Blair Howe, Consultant, GVA Kidder Mathews

 

GVA is doing special work on transit issues and also the NEST issues.

 

Question: What is Burien known for?  Good active transition going on, but what is focus?

·                    Commitment of people and money is a strong plus;

·                    Feels good about how the city is drawing from lots of sources for ideas;

·                    Residential development is very important; Needs critical mass of people.  240 people is good start. 1,000 would be great!

·                    Need small hotel;

·                    15 years down the road, look for moving surface parking into structures; Metro site will provide some;

·                    Retail opportunities – Study Southcenter to study what is working and how to bring people back to Burien with similar quality shops;

·                    Port properties – start with smaller parcels such as the triangle.  Think there will be offers coming shortly.  Also a 3 acre parcel for small parcel with owner-built building at south end of property.

 

Gary Long - Tax abatement policy currently includes entire downtown.

 

Blair Howe - Maybe development community is not aware of this distinction.

 

Gary Long - Regarding parking – Olde Burien being studied; working on downtown parking considerations for the future.

 

Blair Howe - Puyallup is developing a series of small garages around the community.

 

Doug Moreland - If residential is our strategy, how do we compare with other nearby communities?

 

Blair Howe - Need to make a place where people want to be.  Place needs to be created first.  All communities have same problem.  Burien has neighborhoods that others, like Renton, don’t have.  Burien has transportation advantages.

 

Bob Ewing - Burien has a personality.  Lots of comments about Burien being an undiscovered area.  Need logo “Undiscovered Burien.”

 

Highline School District is involved in the NEST properties.  Price of surplus properties is an important consideration with careful analysis of market pricing important.

 

Town Square discussion – DDA Agreements – Bob Ewing

 

Gary Long gave a summary of action items.

 

·                    Monday Council Meeting June 6th. – Construction Management Agreement on Library / City Hall development is on agenda.

·                    Sale of surplus property scheduled for June 15th  Council meeting;

·                    DDA – Disposition Development Agreement.

·                    Parcel 1 is least defined right now.  Movie theater site; if it doesn’t work out, more retail and residential.

 

Rick Cosgrave thinks that multiplex theater consultant should be augmented with discussion with smaller theater developers.  Suggests we start naming businesses that could be interested.

 

Gary Long said the next 8-9 months will see results.

 

MOTION: Rick Cosgrave: Hope that City Council will move forward on next step of the Town Square project and that the project will lean more toward condos vs. apartments. Second: Debra George; Doug Moreland abstained from voting because of possible conflict of interest.

Motion Approved with 7 in favor. two abstention.

 

Discover Burien Report – Debra George

 

Reminder of Block Party on June 11.

 

Future Agendas –Partnership

June 24 – BEDP meeting – 7:00 AM City Manager’s Conference Room

July 8 – BEDP meeting – 7:00 AM City Manager’s Conference Room

 

Round the Table:

 

Tom Gehl - Nothing is being said about retail spaces.  We need tax dollars.  Reference from a recent visit to a Helena, Montana development; it has only 3 retail spaces.  There are too many dentists, professionals, deli, two restaurants, theater next to multi level parking garage.  No increase in business with multi-plex.  People don’t use the parking garage.  Consider parking that people will want to go into, not underground or difficult entry types.

Tom’s son’s film was accepted into Seattle Film Festival.

 

Dean Parkins - Scott Greenberg to be complimented on his thoughtful analysis and response to the issues mentioned in our last meeting.  Obviously he spent some time on it.

 

Nancy Damon - SeaTac wants to retain their businesses as well as finding new ones.

 

Doug Moreland - Keep trying to get retail plan from developer.

 

Rick Cosgrave - Can we meet in council chambers from now on?

            What Burien Wants: Quaint local flavor, unique. Examples: Trader Joes, Tin      Room.

            What Burien Doesn’t Want: Southcenter formula restaurants, shops and            multiplex.

            Ideas for Tenants at Town Square:

            True Value Hardware; Jaks’Grill [jaksgrill.com]; McMenamin’s Pub and Theater          [mcmenamins.com];            Landmark theater Group [landmarktheatres.com];         Metropolitan Market/Admiral Thriftway; Larry’s Market [new, smaller concept   rolling out.]; Kidd Valley Hamburgers; Wine Shop w/tasting room.

 

Adjourned:  8:30 am. 

Next Meeting:  June 10, 2005, 7:00 a.m.