06-09-08 Special Called Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors

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Page 2 6/9/08 4b Development Corporation Minutes Bobby Schlenk, 620 S. 4th Street, was in opposition of the Town Square Project. He mentioned that no relief was offered before when he and other property owners were trying to clean up Main Street in the past. He also said that until the infrastructure is fixed on Main Street, this will only contribute to the poor traffic that already exists. Ted Powell, 1700 Roscoe, requests back up information to be made available for public on the website. He is opposed to the City being involved to with this project. He noted concerns about the City having financial liability if the developer pulled out of the project. He further suggested that the Economic Development Board should be working on things that would bring private investment to the community. Mr. Powell noted he was in agreement with Mr. Schlenk regarding improvements to the infrastructure of the Main Street area. Vicky Campise, 1902 S. Roscoe, noted concerns with a development of this size skewing property values of existing buildings and expressed concerns on traffic and parking. She asked if the Economic Development staff have any hope of bringing retail to Main St. and asked why the City purchased a Main Street building and left it without improvements for over a year. Another question raised was has the City checked whether or not the height of some of the buildings in the proposed drawings will hinder the flight path to the La Porte Municipal Airport. She expressed her concerns for existing property owners on Main Street and their lack of support from the City. Kathryn Aguilar, 3119 Fondren, is encouraged by the proposed development, but thinks the city is going about it in the wrong way. The City should be more involved in rebuilding infrastructure and determining what types of businesses are needed along Main Street. She noted that the city should be encouraging all types of businesses instead of dictating what types of businesses should be brought into Main Street. She suggested specialized retail such as a bike and/or skateboard shop. Pat Clark, 3810 Ashwyne Circle, agrees with Ms. Aguilar and Ms. Campise. She discouraged the City from allowing mega buildings to be built. She would rather see the City pursue quaint shops and other businesses that provide citizens with something to do and activities for citizens to attend in the Main Street area. The Public Hearing was closed at 5.47 p.m. 4. A Public Hearing was called at 5.48 p.m. to discuss the proposed Gateway Enhancements located at 912 West Main. La Porte Economic Development Corporation Coordinator Gretchen Larson presented a summary and recommendation to City Council and answered questions. Public Comments: Mark Follis, 831 S. 7th, suggested turning this location into a City Museum. Ted Powell, 1800 Roscoe, agreed with a Museum or visitor's center. He suggested fixing drainage issues and correcting infrastructure. Pat Clark, 3817 Ashwyne agrees with a Museum, something highlighting La Porte. Vickie Campise, 1902 Roscoe, said that by anchoring another restaurant on Main Street will impact the other restaurants that have been struggling to survive. Bob Schlenk, 620 South 4th, agrees with the possibility of a Museum and charging an entrance fee of $5.00. Kathryn Aguilar, 3119 Fondren, noted concerns with a museum and noted that the City should be gearing towards a younger age group. The Public Hearing was closed at 6:00 p.m. 5. This item was taken out of order on Agenda, after #2 of this Agenda.