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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/22/74 MINUTES RABakersfield, California, January 22, 1974 -1- Minutes of a special meeting of the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency held in the Council Chambers of the City Hall at 2:30 o'clock P. M. on January 22, 1974. The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairman Vincent Casper. The Secretary called the roll as follows: Present: Vincent Casper, Vice-Chairman Dr. Glenn D. Puder James Stewart Theron Taber Absent: Robert E. King, Chairman Bill Lee Ralph H. Poehner Mr. Eugene Jacobs, the Agency's legal consultant, reported on the status of the proposed shopping center. The John S. Griffith & Company, who are working under an exclusive negotiation agreement with the Agency toward putting a shopping center in downtown Bakersfield, have come up with what appears to be a workable plan and have met with the City staff and with Mr. Jacobs and are now prepared to move forward. At various stages the plan will be brought back to the Agency in detail and will be discussed in full. The next item of business was the Procedure Schedule and Authorization regarding the construction of the parking garage and the issuance of bonds. The Agency was referred by Mr. the entire development of the two blocks on the west, "L" Street on the east, 17th Street on the north, and Truxtun Avenue on the south. (Map attached.) Regarding the open landscape area between the rental area and the United California Bank, an agreement is being worked out between UCB and Arcon, the developer, to put the landscape area in. Today's discussion concerns the parking garage. Steps will be taken in the next few weeks, culminating in the bond issue and the construction of the parking garage. The City of Bakersfield has already opened escrow for the acquisition of the parcels needed from Mr. James A. Weston, who Jacobs to a map covering between Chester Avenue -2- Bakersfield, California, January 22, 1974 - Page 2 is the present owner of the United California Bank site, for the east portion of the garage. Mr. Weston has rights of first refusal for the future building site, the old American Legion property. On Thursday, January 30, there will be a meeting with the Bond Counsel, O'Melveny & Myers, Mr. Jacobs, a financial consultant from Blyth Eastman Dillon & Company, the parking garage architect, the City Manager, and the City Attorney con- cerning the construction of the parking garage and issuance of the bonds. The schedule will be reviewed at that time, and the details worked out. Also, in the next couple of weeks there will be a meeting with UCB, Bank of America, Arcon, Mr. Jacobs, the City Manager, and the City Attorney regarding the operation of the parking garage. The plans and specifications for the construction of the parking garage, being done by Arcon's architectural firm, are to be completed by February 28, 1974. Final plans would then be approved, if appropriate, and authorization given for adver- tising on an open competitive bid basis. Mr. Jacobs discussed the actions needed to proceed with the garage. (See attached Schedule of Performance as of January 22, 1974.) It is hoped that bid for the construction of the parking garage will be out on April l, and at that stage the Bond Resolu- tion, leases, all the technical documents by the Bond Counsel will be worked out in Mr. Jacob's office. Hopefully, the bonds will be sold in the neighborhood of $800,000 to $900,000 or in that general area on about May 15, with the money to be obtained by June 1. When the money is obtained, the contract can be awarded for the construction of the garage, to commence about June 15. Some of these dates could be pulled back tighter, but they shouldn't go out further because these become pretty set dates in the bonding documents, and these dates should be finalized in the meeting on Thursday, January 30. Bakersfield, California, January 22, 1974 - Page 3 -3- There will also have to be a management contract for whoever operates the garage. If it goes to a private garage operator, it would be a management contract that way. If it is done by a City department or City employees in any way, then it will be worked out as an internal matter inside the City with the Agency and the City. Mr. Jacobs indicated it was expected the parking garage will be completed in about four months after commencement of construction, although the Schedule of Performance shows six months as an outside date. The project has moved very well; the quality of the construction and architecture has been very successful, and at the moment no troubles are expected in having this project go forward. Mr. Jacobs said he was concerned for a while regarding the proposed Environmental Protection Agency requirement for permits, and the California Transportation Plan when it came out in November required that any garage with more than fifty parking spaces required a federal permit. They, in effect, would issue a permit like the City would issue a building permit. This was, Mr. Jacobs felt, legally beyond the power of the Federal EPA, and his office filed eleven lawsuits for eleven different Redevelop- ment Agencies, Bakersfield among them, on an emergency basis. The Agency's approval was requested= at that time and the City Manager and City Attorney, on behalf of the Agency, gave approval. The only necessary action for this meeting would be the Agency's ratification of the action of the City Manager and City Attorney authorizing Mr. Jacob's office to file an action against the EPA to test the validity of the EPA rules issued in November. Motion was made by Dr. Puder and seconded by Mr. Stewart to ratify the action of the City Manager and City Attorney to authorize Mr. Jacobs fo file suit against the Environmental Protection Agency. The motion carried unanimously. Mr. Jacobs indicated the federal government did not answer those suits, except that the EPA pulled back on its regu- -4- Bakersfield, California, January 22, 1974 - Page 4 lations. The suit was probably won because the regulations are not in existence, Another suit might have to be filed in the near future, but if Congress passes the present law it won't be necessary. The filing fee was prepared by Mr. Jacobs' were very minor. is $50, and a one or two page document office, so the fees for his office Mr. Jacobs stated that a finalized Schedule of Perfor- mance and documents for the Agency's action would be presented /at the next meeting. Dr. Puder questioned how the completion of the parking garage would match the contemplated date of completion of the Bank of America Building. Mr. Bergen reported the parking garage project is about a year off from the original estimate. It is hoped the completion date of January 15, 1974 can be shortened, but the date as whown is realistic. Mr. Bergen suggested there would be a recommendation to lease a portion of the "K" Street lot when the Bank of America begins operation, sometime in the month of February. Mr. Bergen indicated that the Agency will need to meet more often in the futllre, and a suitable time should be set. The majority of the Agency members indicated an afternoon meeting would be preferable. There being no further business to come before the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency, the meeting was adjourned at 3:05 P. M. -~edeve~ Agency ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY to the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency By: Margaret E. Payne