Committee hears updates on sidewalks, a senior center, tax-foreclosures, parks rezoning and public art

Chair George Martinez moved the committee through regular reports on June 11, beginning with Public Works and continuing through Development Services, Real Estate, Planning, ACDA and the public art program.

Kent Cohen of Public Works said construction activity is ramping up as seasonal load limits end, listing projects including 42nd Avenue (completion targeted in August), speed radar sign installations, drainage work on Hack Street and downtown sidewalk replacements on Fifth and Sixth avenues. He also called attention to an assembly document reappropriating $3.5 million for street maintenance and said much of the funding covers a new labor contract and hiring seven heavy equipment operators.

In Development Services, staff reported $307 million in valuation year-to-date and described a senior center submittal that will add about 120 dwelling units plus 58 assisted-living and 32 memory-care units. Officials said two municipal nuisance properties (Kona Street and the Big Timber building on Fifth Avenue) are scheduled for demolition with contracts to follow. Members discussed how recent tax-incentive changes helped advance the senior-center project.

Tiffany Briggs, Real Estate Director, described a donated fire-damaged property near Lake Otis and 68th that the municipality intends to demolish and put out for bid; because many lots in the subdivision are on wells, the winning bidder will rebuild a single-family house rather than the duplex + ADU originally requested. She also noted a tax-foreclosure sale scheduled for June 26 with 10 properties remaining and an RFP for a 17.5-acre "stairstep" parcel closing the next day.

Daniel McKenna Foster in Long Range Planning reviewed recent PCC work sessions, including B3 use discussions and a wetlands management plan update; he said AO2647 was passed to rezone roughly 9,000 acres as parkland under the P&R designation. Foster reported continued increases in reszone activity and ADU permit growth.

Graham Downey told the committee the municipal public art program now sits in the Office of Community Economic Development and previewed three priorities: Town Square Park artwork selection under the 1% for the arts process, Elderberry Park artist contracts, and a new GIS catalog of municipal public art. He said the public art committee will reconvene next week to resume oversight.

Chair Martinez also presented a brief memo summarizing lessons learned from the 2023 Lahaina wildfire and urged committee members to consider integrating resilience and displacement planning into economic development efforts. "In short, are we prepared? We are not," he said, and asked members to review the memo on the committee website.

Next steps: multiple departments will follow up with additional information (demolition procurement, tax-foreclosure sale results, and public art committee appointments); staff advised that many of these topics will return for more detailed review at future meetings.