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Show Fourth proposal presented to RDA board0 PRIVATELY-OWNED O O G 3 RESIDENTIAL 5 - o W MIDDLE RETAIL ( MAIN RETAIL OFFICE MAIN RETAIL OFFICE -- 3 levels MIDDLE RETAIL -- 3 levels two levels of retail andor office two levels of retail andor office sub level of parking andor retailoffice sub level of parking COURTYARD -- 1 level RESIDENTIAL - 2-story and 3-story above-ground living units and common areas ACCESS -- 2 levels-plus? sub level parking and? driveway ramp, service, and sidewalk sub level access to Main and Middle possibly skywalk for second level cross-access I By PAUL CHALLIS News Editor BOUNTIFUL Proposals are plentiful for the city's Redevelopment Redevelop-ment Agency for the development of the downtown Block 29 property, even a long-time critic has a plan to solve the blighted area's woes. At the last RDA meeting Jack Billings presented a proposal for the Main Street location highlighting a long term perspective for the property. prop-erty. Billings' proposal joins three other current ones for the RDA board to consider. Landforms Development De-velopment has proposed a two-phased two-phased project with a double-decker commercial venture along Main Street from Center to 100 South. Johansen-Thackeray and Co. still has a proposal for a down-scaled development for a commercial shopping center and the RDA has submitted a bid to the U.S. Postal Service for a new post office on the Block 29 site. "At the outset, let me reiterate; I still feel that Bountiful should not have set up an RDA. My proposal is not a change of that attitude; an expression ex-pression of direction to take in solving solv-ing the blighted situation now facing fac-ing us may be in order," Billings said. "In the past the board has looked at the problem basically one way; I think there are other aspects to be viewed." He said the RDA's obligation-to the citizens of Bountiful is to look to the future from more than one perspective. "My concept and proposal pro-posal is based on four views to the future. What goes on Block 29 should be done with long term use 1 "VnJBlri. Hjgii' density should be a goal, you already understand the tax increment posture. Besides being tuned to the 'character of Bountiful it should be studiously environmentally environmen-tally conscious. Optimally, whatever is done on the block should work for or with the rest of the community beyond just a tax increment. in-crement. ' Billing sees long term as what is built should be designed to take some remodeling but without major reconstruction. "Every time a new excavation is undertaken with accompanying barricades bar-ricades and traffic rerouting, the pace of commercial traffic is broken in a way that affects a larger area," he said. He also suggests high density. "The only way the community to come out well is structurally highly dense, full utilization to generate more tax revenue. I don't visualize more than two to three story construction con-struction however, in terms of compatibility, com-patibility, esthetically with the Tabernacle across the street and the rest of the downtown." Billings next point is one of environmentally en-vironmentally conscious. "This has interplay with density and building up front for long term use. I'm not referring particularly to designer planters and trees. Public transportation transpor-tation is what we're talking about. No one else in the development scene out here has paid any re;it attention at-tention to this issue. I broached the issue back in 1988 but the response was disbelief bordering on scorn." He added that his proposal is different on several fronts than any other ever suggested. "It is mixed-use conscious, and flexible regarding phasing. The look I have in mind for the Main Street frontage is artistic, sculpturally sculptural-ly based. And each of the frontages is in keeping with its neighbors, with the 100 West frontage keeping the residential flavor with landscaping," landscap-ing," he said. Billings envisions the total block divided into six areas. Two of these, a courtyard facing Main Street and a north-south oriented access area, may be best handled as owned or controlled by the city. The rest could be held by separate e::;i'.:cs or in combinations. "This proposal has two critical question marks on it, both yet to be addressed. One is the physical or structural in nature. My plans are for a below ground level of greater depth than usual and geology might prevent it," Billings said. "The other unknown, has to do "with" negotiation points and bargaining chips." Billing asked the RDA that he be considered for a finder's fee if the proposal attracts developers. Mayor Bob Linnell told Billings the RDA wasn't opposed to looking at any proposal. "We aren't opposed at looking at anything at this point," Linnell said. "We will entertain all offers and proposals." Members of the RDA board told Billings that a zone change would be necessary for this type of proposal pro-posal for Block 29. "I'm not comfortable with a zone change," Board member Leslie Foy said. The RDA board took Billings presentation under advisement and will look at all the proposals at the April 15 RDA meeting. |