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University House Update and Development Agreement Amendment (B)
Explanation
On July 17, 2006, the CRA approved a request by University Partners for incentives under the Transformational Projects Incentive Program. The proposed project is located on the northeast corner of Northwest 13th Street and Northwest 7th Avenue. It is bordered on the west by Northwest 13th Street and on the east by Northwest 12th Street; the northern boundary is Rattlesnake Creek.
As part of the application and original submittal approved by the CRA, University Partners proposed improvements to the neighborhood, including those at the A. Quinn Jones School. The motion was amended to ask staff to work with the School Board and the Developer to work on an interlocal agreement for the park maintenance. Staff, at this time, is requesting that the development agreement be allowed to move forward with out this condition, as the City of Gainesville Parks Department and the School Board have been unable to finalize an agreement for this property. The parties are working on an agreement that would memorialize all outstanding and informal agreements.
Secondly, the site is traversed by a portion of Rattlesnake Branch, a regulated waterway, and associated wetland. The Developer proposed that as part of the redevelopment site, that portion of the property would be preserved via a conservation easement to the City of Gainesville. Staff feels that although this easement is still needed, it should not be part of the CRA development agreement. In addition, the Developer will maintain this area as natural and undisturbed from development.
Fiscal Note
None at this time.
Recommendation
Executive Director to the CRA: 1) Approve amending the development agreement to; a) release the developer from condition number 5, the interlocal agreement, for the purpose of park maintenance and in lieu thereof, require the developer to contribute a lump sum of $120,000 to the City, prior to the developer receiving its first tax increment recapture payment, to be used for improvements to the A. Quinn Jones School Facility at such time as the City and School Board finalize an interlocal agreement for same; and b) release the developer from condition number 4, the conversation easement and in lieu thereof, require a use restriction that prohibits development or development activity in the regulated waterway and associated wetlands, and require the developer to preserve and maintain same in a natural and undisturbed state.