If you haven't seen the "This Is Carbondale" video touted at the last City Council meeting, it is playing on the wall at the Civic Center. Or you can just watch it here.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Student Housing Oversupply
Oversupply of student housing is a problem not just in Carbondale but builders of student housing nationwide have significantly overbuilt, leaving about 51,000 rooms empty nationwide, vacancy rate of about 6.7%. In addition, student landlords have cut rents about 5% over the past year to fill empty rooms.
Makes me glad the council decided not to issue the special use permit to allow ground floor apartments in the downtown area. By all means let them build if they want but given the over-optimist view of the student housing market most developers have, it seems short sighted to elimiate sales tax generating retail space in favor of non-tax generating residential space, especially when there is no overwhelming need for more student housing.
Granted, analysts believe the student market will grow to absorb the oversupply of student housing over time and much of the new housing is the "modernization of product that was neglected for decades", but Carbondale has seen a lot of new units added on in the past few years and we still haven't seen enough growth in the student market to absorb them yet.
Makes me glad the council decided not to issue the special use permit to allow ground floor apartments in the downtown area. By all means let them build if they want but given the over-optimist view of the student housing market most developers have, it seems short sighted to elimiate sales tax generating retail space in favor of non-tax generating residential space, especially when there is no overwhelming need for more student housing.
Granted, analysts believe the student market will grow to absorb the oversupply of student housing over time and much of the new housing is the "modernization of product that was neglected for decades", but Carbondale has seen a lot of new units added on in the past few years and we still haven't seen enough growth in the student market to absorb them yet.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Business Friendly Council Members
Struck me as I watched the voting at last night's city council meeting that of the current council membership, only Lance Jack currently runs a business. All of the other council members are either retired (as far as I know) or work for the university., though Jessica Bradshaw did run Rosetta Bookstore for a couple of years before closing it. This likely influences the way they vote as, if I recall correctly, they were the only two to vote to support all of the changes before council last night including the failed rezoning attempt for Giant City Heating and AC.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Liveblogging City Council
Just for grins, liveblogging the city council meeting tonight.
Well maybe not. The live feed from council does not appear to be braodcasting over cable.
7:12 Listening to the meeting livestreaming over the interwebs. Currently discussing Curbside's application for an A2 liquor license. Applicants plan to run minivans to transport customers to the restaurant and have two investors behind them.
7:18 Jane Adams is questioning the Curbside applicants extensively about discrepancies between the original application and what they currently say. Then Lee Fronabarger questions about proposed hours. Applicants say they don't plan to stay open later than midnight.
7:19 Adams still concerned about financing behind the operation.
7:20 Curbside applicants say they will run a significantly different operation than Icebox or Jay's. One of their husbands had worked as a consultant for the previous owner but left after a month after seeing how the operation was run.
7:24 Adams still concerned about financing. Mayor Fritzler points out that restaurants have a high failure rate and applauds the applicants for the risk they are taking.
7:26 Jessica Bradshaw asks for further info on parking. Applicants say they plan to have customers park in municipal parking, pick them up and transport them to the restaurant, then return them to their car when finished dining.
7:28 Applicants say they will maintain a family environment. Fritzler says he is glad they are going on record with this as the city will keep a very, very close eye on the location.
7:29 Application is approved with Adams the sole "No" vote.
7:32 New Kahala Fast Food up now, applying for a liquor license. Don Monty asks what time the restaurant will close. Applicant responds "11 p.m.".
7:33 New Kahala application passes unanimously.
7:34 Now reviewing fourth quarter liquor violation reports. Don Monty, of course, wants to go into more detail.
7:56 Still discussing liquor violation reports.
7:57 Unanimous vote to approve the liquor violation reports.
7:59 Voting on class F1 liquor license for Carbondale Main Street's Welcomefest on Sept 14. Some concern about waiving the fee as has been done for similar events in the past as that was not part of the original request.
8:06 Amending the motion to waive the fee for the liquor license. Approved.
8:07 Amended motion approved unanimously as well.
8:13 AND they're back..... (after a break to change from the LCC to the City Council).
8:21 Assorted proclamations going on now.
8:24 citizen comments now.
8:30 Now showing a video done to promote the city of Carbondale. Concluded to a round of applause.
8:34 Consent agenda. Wanna bet Don Monty pulls at least two items off for a separate vote?
8:38 Nope, only Fronabarger. He wants Item 5.12 pulled for individual consideration.
8:39 Consent agenda passes by well, unanimous consent. Item 5.12 deals with purchasing additional protective and response gear for the police department.
8:41 Fronabarger wants more information about the equipment to be purchased and why. Chief responds that the current equipment was purchased in the late '80s and need replacing and updating.
8:52 Request for more equipment passed.
8:53 Meeting still going on. Request for approval for a TIF agreement for 104 S. Marion.
8:57 That was fast. Agreement approved unanimously.
8:58 Request for a special use permit for Giant City Heating and Air Conditioning on Neal Lane. Expect quite a bit of discussion on this one.
9:00 Monty, seconded by Adams, moves to deny the permit, saying that several things that should have been built on the property were not built and that the applicant failed to respond to several letters notifying him about violations of the city code.
9:05 Monty argues it is bad public policy to retroactively approve what are essentially long term violations of the city code
9:17 Lance Jack arguing the business is already a fait acompli,
9:18 Fronabarger asks if the applicant has any contingency plans if the city does not approve the special uses request. Applicant says no.
9:20 Friend of the applicant asks the city to support small business in Carbondale by approving the application.
9:21 Neighbor of the applicant speaking in opposition, saying that the applicant has made no attempt to upgrade the property during the several years he has been there. She says the property currently looks the best it has she she has lived on Neal Lane.
9:25 Lance Jack asks why, since the special use permit specifically restricts what can be done there, why should it not be approved, since he could not expand the business. The neighbor responds that the pattern of behavior over the past seven years does not give any indication that he would follow the special use permit in the future.
9:27 Mother of one of the applicant's employees asked the council to approve the permit so as to keep small business in Carbondale.
9:28 Another neighbor says the road is not suitable for the traffic that the applicant's business generates, citing an example of a semi going to the business and getting stuck on Neal Lane, blocking the road for two hours. Additional neighbors say that neighborhood is residential, not commercial and that the applicant has a track record of saying he would maintain the property as residential but kept developing it as a business.
9:41 Don Monty arguing that the applicant has a pattern of not following city code and asking why the city should reward that behavior.
9:42 Applicant arguing that he has getting assorting approvals and permits from the city and had approvals seven years ago. Says he has followed all the procedures and policies that the city has required.
9:50 Applicant says that instead of building a mobile home as the code required and as he said he would do, he decided to build a residence inside a pole bard, because it fit his needs better.
9:59 Monty asks Chris Wallace if the use of the property for business was ever listed on any of the permits. Wallace says that it was not.
10:01 Adams adds that the purpose of zoning is to create reasonable trust that the neighborhood I build a home in will follow the rules that the community has agreed to.
10:04 Bradshaw asks if it is possible to have an associated building with out a home in place first. Wallace says no.
10:09 Jack says that if the applicant would fire his one employee, he would be completely in compliance with city code.
10:13 Going to a vote now.
10:14 Special use permit denied 5 to 2.
10:16 Next up, SIUC is asking for a permit to allow anyone with a catering permit for the university, with a liquor license, to sell liquor at the various SIUC stadiums.
10:18 Question arises about approval for the Glove Factory, which the city attorney says the university did not ask for. He further says that the ordinance change only allows for a chase bar. Caterers can serve alcohol any place on campus but can only sell it at permitted places.
10:24 Adams concerned that some caterers may not have a Carbondale liquor license which would preclude them from selling or service liquor at SIUC.
10:26 And the amendment is approved unanimously.
10:26 Fair Days approved unanimously.
10:27 Resolution granting Fair Days status for Welcomefest on Sept 14. Council is getting tired as they are talking on top of each other to move and second. Resolution approved unanimously. Since they are moving to council comments, I'm out of here. Have a good evening.
Well maybe not. The live feed from council does not appear to be braodcasting over cable.
7:12 Listening to the meeting livestreaming over the interwebs. Currently discussing Curbside's application for an A2 liquor license. Applicants plan to run minivans to transport customers to the restaurant and have two investors behind them.
7:18 Jane Adams is questioning the Curbside applicants extensively about discrepancies between the original application and what they currently say. Then Lee Fronabarger questions about proposed hours. Applicants say they don't plan to stay open later than midnight.
7:19 Adams still concerned about financing behind the operation.
7:20 Curbside applicants say they will run a significantly different operation than Icebox or Jay's. One of their husbands had worked as a consultant for the previous owner but left after a month after seeing how the operation was run.
7:24 Adams still concerned about financing. Mayor Fritzler points out that restaurants have a high failure rate and applauds the applicants for the risk they are taking.
7:26 Jessica Bradshaw asks for further info on parking. Applicants say they plan to have customers park in municipal parking, pick them up and transport them to the restaurant, then return them to their car when finished dining.
7:28 Applicants say they will maintain a family environment. Fritzler says he is glad they are going on record with this as the city will keep a very, very close eye on the location.
7:29 Application is approved with Adams the sole "No" vote.
7:32 New Kahala Fast Food up now, applying for a liquor license. Don Monty asks what time the restaurant will close. Applicant responds "11 p.m.".
7:33 New Kahala application passes unanimously.
7:34 Now reviewing fourth quarter liquor violation reports. Don Monty, of course, wants to go into more detail.
7:56 Still discussing liquor violation reports.
7:57 Unanimous vote to approve the liquor violation reports.
7:59 Voting on class F1 liquor license for Carbondale Main Street's Welcomefest on Sept 14. Some concern about waiving the fee as has been done for similar events in the past as that was not part of the original request.
8:06 Amending the motion to waive the fee for the liquor license. Approved.
8:07 Amended motion approved unanimously as well.
8:13 AND they're back..... (after a break to change from the LCC to the City Council).
8:21 Assorted proclamations going on now.
8:24 citizen comments now.
8:30 Now showing a video done to promote the city of Carbondale. Concluded to a round of applause.
8:34 Consent agenda. Wanna bet Don Monty pulls at least two items off for a separate vote?
8:38 Nope, only Fronabarger. He wants Item 5.12 pulled for individual consideration.
8:39 Consent agenda passes by well, unanimous consent. Item 5.12 deals with purchasing additional protective and response gear for the police department.
8:41 Fronabarger wants more information about the equipment to be purchased and why. Chief responds that the current equipment was purchased in the late '80s and need replacing and updating.
8:52 Request for more equipment passed.
8:53 Meeting still going on. Request for approval for a TIF agreement for 104 S. Marion.
8:57 That was fast. Agreement approved unanimously.
8:58 Request for a special use permit for Giant City Heating and Air Conditioning on Neal Lane. Expect quite a bit of discussion on this one.
9:00 Monty, seconded by Adams, moves to deny the permit, saying that several things that should have been built on the property were not built and that the applicant failed to respond to several letters notifying him about violations of the city code.
9:05 Monty argues it is bad public policy to retroactively approve what are essentially long term violations of the city code
9:17 Lance Jack arguing the business is already a fait acompli,
9:18 Fronabarger asks if the applicant has any contingency plans if the city does not approve the special uses request. Applicant says no.
9:20 Friend of the applicant asks the city to support small business in Carbondale by approving the application.
9:21 Neighbor of the applicant speaking in opposition, saying that the applicant has made no attempt to upgrade the property during the several years he has been there. She says the property currently looks the best it has she she has lived on Neal Lane.
9:25 Lance Jack asks why, since the special use permit specifically restricts what can be done there, why should it not be approved, since he could not expand the business. The neighbor responds that the pattern of behavior over the past seven years does not give any indication that he would follow the special use permit in the future.
9:27 Mother of one of the applicant's employees asked the council to approve the permit so as to keep small business in Carbondale.
9:28 Another neighbor says the road is not suitable for the traffic that the applicant's business generates, citing an example of a semi going to the business and getting stuck on Neal Lane, blocking the road for two hours. Additional neighbors say that neighborhood is residential, not commercial and that the applicant has a track record of saying he would maintain the property as residential but kept developing it as a business.
9:41 Don Monty arguing that the applicant has a pattern of not following city code and asking why the city should reward that behavior.
9:42 Applicant arguing that he has getting assorting approvals and permits from the city and had approvals seven years ago. Says he has followed all the procedures and policies that the city has required.
9:50 Applicant says that instead of building a mobile home as the code required and as he said he would do, he decided to build a residence inside a pole bard, because it fit his needs better.
9:59 Monty asks Chris Wallace if the use of the property for business was ever listed on any of the permits. Wallace says that it was not.
10:01 Adams adds that the purpose of zoning is to create reasonable trust that the neighborhood I build a home in will follow the rules that the community has agreed to.
10:04 Bradshaw asks if it is possible to have an associated building with out a home in place first. Wallace says no.
10:09 Jack says that if the applicant would fire his one employee, he would be completely in compliance with city code.
10:13 Going to a vote now.
10:14 Special use permit denied 5 to 2.
10:16 Next up, SIUC is asking for a permit to allow anyone with a catering permit for the university, with a liquor license, to sell liquor at the various SIUC stadiums.
10:18 Question arises about approval for the Glove Factory, which the city attorney says the university did not ask for. He further says that the ordinance change only allows for a chase bar. Caterers can serve alcohol any place on campus but can only sell it at permitted places.
10:24 Adams concerned that some caterers may not have a Carbondale liquor license which would preclude them from selling or service liquor at SIUC.
10:26 And the amendment is approved unanimously.
10:26 Fair Days approved unanimously.
10:27 Resolution granting Fair Days status for Welcomefest on Sept 14. Council is getting tired as they are talking on top of each other to move and second. Resolution approved unanimously. Since they are moving to council comments, I'm out of here. Have a good evening.
City Council Meeting
City Council and Liquor Control Commission meet tonight. Main point of interest in the LCC meeting is the request by Curbside Corporation for a class A2 liquor license for 227 West Main.. Two restaurants have failed there within the past year (Icebox Bar and Grille and Jay's), so the owners will have to do something significantly different in order to succeed, mainly make some arrangement to provide better parking.
Given the number of people who spoke regarding this re-zoning request at the Planning Commission meeting, I expect to see quite a discussion bout it during the council meeting proper.
Given the number of people who spoke regarding this re-zoning request at the Planning Commission meeting, I expect to see quite a discussion bout it during the council meeting proper.
Boo Rochman Park Vandalized
According to this story from WSIL, Boo Rochman Park, known locally at Castle Park, was vandalized by a group of six teenagers last week. Video footage caught the group walking away after vandalizing a donation box at the park.
Had no idea there was so much vandalism going on at the Park but apparently it is bad enough that the family that built it as a memorial to their son had to cut back evening hours in an attempt to curb it.
Had no idea there was so much vandalism going on at the Park but apparently it is bad enough that the family that built it as a memorial to their son had to cut back evening hours in an attempt to curb it.
Monday, August 26, 2013
New Business Ribbon Cuttings
Nice to see new businesses opening up and getting the full ribbon cutting presentation from the Chamber of Commerce. McAlister's Deli (which was already packed when I drove by yesterday afternoon) had its ribbon cutting at 11 this morning and Delish will have one also at 11 a.m. on Friday.
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