PC 11/20/96 - Laserfiche WebLink

In response to Commissioner Cooper, Mr. Swift stated that since the Taubman Company requested an increase in square footage for the shopping center, their pro rata share of future improvements goes up as well. . Commissioner Dove inquired if the improvement costs were based on the actual cost or a fixed dollar amount. Mr. Swift advised that the cost estimates are based in 1996 dollars of how much it would cost to build the improvements. Chair Barker asked why staff is agreeable to reducing the parking ratio. Mr. Swift advised that no mall is planned for maximum day shopping. That is why there are office buildings around the perimeter to provide additional parking on the busiest shopping days. Mr. Swift went on to explain that as a shopping center gets larger, people just shop in more places; the mall doesn't necessarily attract more people on a per square foot basis. The traffic generation rates are reflective of that. As the shopping center gets larger, the trip rate per 1,000 square feet goes down, and as the trip rate goes down, the parking demand per 1,000 square feet also goes down. Chair Barker disagrees with the reduction in parking space ratio. The peak time is now spread out over a three-month period, and because of this, Chair Barker does not feel it is appropriate to reduce the parking space ratio. PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED (Wells Fargo) Jeff Brinton, representing Wells Fargo Bank, stated that this originally came about when the City asked that NPID refunds be returned to the City as park fees. Wells Fargo agreed to do this if they could have an extension on their development agreement. . PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED (Taubman Company) Robert Gibney, of Taubman Company, advised that the Taubman Company was invited by the City to become part or'the solution of the reallocation and in that context they attempted to complete the envelope of the ultimate expansion of the center. The economic effect of this is that Taubman's contribution will increase from $235,000 to $500,000. Taubman will also be fronting the money and is hoping that they will be reimbursed. Pat Gibson, traffic engineer for Stoneridge Mall, described how the City Traffic Engineer calculated the number of additional trips generated by an increase of 222,000 square feet of development. These figures were calculated assuming the additional development was all new stores, not the expansion of the larger department stores. This is a higher number than what the Taubman Company estimated, however, they will accept these figures. Mr. Gibson also discussed the change in trends for parking spaces per square footage. For shopping centers over one million square feet, the parking ratio needed to serve the center is now 4.5. They take aerial photos of the malls the day after Thanksgiving. They want to ensure that they are not building parking structures that are not utilized most of the time. . Planning Commission Minutes Page 12 November 20, 1996