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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/06/2018 13A Yakima Downtown Central PlazaPrice, CaIIy Distributed at they Meeting -Lo -Ig i* From: Mendez, Carmen Sent: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 3 56 PM To• Moore, Cliff Cc: Price, Cally; Cortez, Ana Subject: Fwd Plaza Update & vote this evening Attachments: image003jpg Can you please send to all council Carmen Mendez Councilwoman District 3 City of Yakima C 509 823 7040 0 509 575 6040 129 N. Second Street Yakima, WA 98901 NOTICE OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE This e-mail account is public domain Any correspondence from or to this e-mail account may be a public record Accordingly, this e-mail, in whole or in part, may be subject to disclosure pursuant to RCW 42 56, regardless of any claim of confidentiality or privilege asserted by an external party Begin forwarded message From "Bonlender, Brian (COM)" <Brian.Bonlender@commerce.wa.gov> Date March 6, 2018 at 3 46 44 PM PST To "Christopher G Rankin" <cgr@rankinequipment.com> Cc: "Mendez, Carmen" <carmen.mendez@yakimawa.gov> Subject: Re Plaza Update & vote this evening Chris and Council Member Mendez, It's good to hear from you. I happen to be in town today because I was speaking at Yakima Boy Scout event and meeting with local companies, so I had heard that the city funding for the plaza project may be in doubt. I have to say that I am quite surprised by this First, relative to other projects around the state, the public matching dollars for the Plaza is very low From the perspective of anyone outside Yakima who is familiar with financing community projects like these, it would seem extraordinary if Yakima were to pull the plug. It would leave a lot of people scratching their heads Most communities dream about having the level of private financing that this plaza project enjoys That goes for projects that are much larger than the plaza, as well as projects much smaller The usual kind of questions we see from communities is how can they get public funds with zero or near zero private financing I personally think that the Plaza is a great project for Yakima. It is exactly the kind of thing that evidence is showing communities should do to promote economic growth and vitality, because it improves the "quality of place" for the city But my opinion of the project aside, if the city i reversed itself now, it would leave a real sense of uncertainty as to whether the commitments made by the City of Yakima will be honored for any project. This could impact the ability of the city to successfully secure similar outside financing for other unrelated projects This is dust my initial perspective on this particular situation (As you know, the city has not sought funds from my department for this project, and nothing I'm saying in this email will have an impact on any current or future possible funding requests that the City of Yakima may be making of Commerce ) Feel free to call me if you would like to talk about this further Best regards, Brian Original Message From "Christopher G Rankin" <cgr'a;,rankmequnpment corn> Date Tue, March 06, 2018 3 32 PM -0800 To "Bonlender, Brian (COM)" <Brian. Bonlendercommerce.wa.go> CC "Mendez, Carmen"<carmen.mende7(u),vakimaNNa.gov> Subject Plaza Update & vote this evening Good Afternoon Director Bonlender, Many thanks for your meeting this afternoon it was nice to show you around our facilities and discuss how we do business So the City Council gave the Yakima Central Plaza committee a December 31st 2017 deadline to complete the private funding for the Yakima Central Plaza The private citizens and local businesses raised over 9 6 Million dollars but last Thursday during study session Council Woman Dulce Guitierez brought up a vote to kill the plaza in order to fund other projects in our area Can you please weigh in your thoughts on the issue from a statewide perspective as well as a Yakima native? Warm regards, Christopher Rankin J Bus 509-453-8271 Fax 509-457-2456 Cell 509-895-4947 www.northstarattachments com www rankinequipment.com 2 Price, CaIIy From: Barbara Cline <barbara@traho com> Sent: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 2 46 PM To: Price, CaIIy Subject: Speaking in favor of the Plaza Good afternoon, CaIly- I believe you are able to communicate with the City Council on the Plaza discussion, please forward this email and if you would, let me know you have received it — thank you To The Yakima City Council Re Speaking in Favor of the Plaza From Barbara Cline 9 North 11th Avenue Yakima, WA 98902 Hello to the City Council, I have communicated several times in favor of the Plaza and continue my unwavering support Further, I am one of the many people who have been pleased to pledge money for its completion Three critical reasons speak in favor of the Plaza 1 Promise — The City Council has voted to move forward with the Plaza, if there is a change now, you will lose my and the public's support for future projects that require public participation 2 Patience — Every and all large, important public projects in every municipality in the country require determination and patience in order for them to be executed I certainly hope you will not waiver, not only from your promise to execute this project, but also in the maturity of your point of view, that acknowledges this reality Perseverance is the hallmark of success 3 Place — Memorable cities have centers of focus for public and civic life, not a parking lot such as exists in Yakima Portland, Seattle, New York, San Antonio, Santa Fe, San Francisco, Oaxaca (as well as many Latin American cities), European capital cities, the list is virtually endless We are certainly grown up enough as a community to deserve the same Additionally, we are a wine country destination and we are competing head on with communities who are going out of their way to attract tourists, if we do not provide expected amenities, we will lose out Please move forward The time has come for Yakima to commit to civic life and the value it will add to our community Thank you for your consideration of my comments 1 Plaza comments received by email and phone (cut and paste of original email message) as of March 5, 2018 March 6, 2018 Ralph Call — ralphcall(a7charter.net As a citizen of Yakima and donor to the plaza, I am outraged that the council is considering terminating the plaza project. The city will have to pay back money to the early donors per their contracts You will also have to return all donations currently held in trust. Money from the early donors has already been spent Our tax dollars will have to be wasted paying the early donors back. I know that you are worried that the city will have to make up short falls on future operations, but I feel that future fund raisers could take care of that if needed Please don't kill this most important project. Dean Wierman — dean wierman[cr?hotmail.com I wanted to send a note to express my outrage with the sudden turn of events that "our" city council is taking We have had years of discussion, debate and at the end, the citizens of this city came up with 9M USD in support of building out this space which I believe will be the foundation to a new round of growth, where prospective residents and new businesses will be able to imagine a city that appeals to them We must get beyond our strip malls and shabby business sections and aim for a force multiplier to continue the revitalization and investment in our city It will be this kind of success which will enable all of Yakima to prosper; including the East side Laura Rankin Schlect — laura(cr7gilbertcellars com As a Yakima native, and Downtown business owner, I implore you to keep your promise and see the Yakima Central Plaza project through, bringing a gathering place to our Downtown core Five years of hope, planning, and heart have gone into the Yakima Central Plaza Ann Orminski — anncwpods.com You approved the Plaza project The Plaza Committee raised 9 7 million You need, to live up to your part of the commitment Do not vote this down Betsy Bloomfield — betsy1110 icloud.com As a city resident and donor to the Plaza, I am panicked and dismayed at the possibility of the Council overturning the informed and supported decision to help Yakima grow and compete in today's world If you oppose this at this late date, please be prepared to come up up with a competing vision that you will go out and raise private dollars to implement. Please come up with a competing vision that will draw new businesses, showcase the Valley's multicultural heritage and give us a City we can be proud of Yakima has a reputation for not being able to clean up its bad image Why do you think Walla Walla, Spokane, Boise, Bend, and all the other towns that draw tourism revenue have succeeded? Not for their parking in the middle of downtown, but for their vision for and skilled decision making on central plaza spaces in core downtown areas, anchored by historic buildings, shops and restaurants This is NOT A PARKING PROBLEM OR AN OPPORTUNITY COST PROBLEM OR A FINANCING PROBLEM -ITS A VISION PROBLEM!! Patsy Reynolds — reynoldspq.com I was stunned to learn that Ms Gutierrez wants to hold another vote on the Downtown Plaza at today's city council meeting I thought when something was decided, it was decided! Together we have raised the money that was needed for this project to go forward How is it possible that it could now be stopped? Those of us who have given funds for this project, for sure want the plaza to become a reality Patti Nagle — patti.nagle(a�charter.net I am a supporter of the plaza because I believe it will be an asset to our community both economically and socially I am 80 years old, am employed full-time, and have never gone downtown and found that I had to park more than a block away from wherever I wanted to be Parking is an issue which I think is bogus and has been addressed several times over by the council and was considered before the task was put out to raise $9 million It is my belief that having the plaza there will bring more people downtown, which will cause more businesses to open and expand, which will raise more tax dollars for other projects the community needs More importantly, the plaza offers the opportunity for people of, all ages, colors, and neighborhoods to come together in our fresh air and enjoy activities and each other The important word here is 'opportunity' It is time for council members to be positive about our community; not negative about what we can't do, recognize how most of us interact every day with our fellow citizens well and humanely, and give us a place where we can do this as.many other communities have done Step up and help us celebrate together, with our visitors, and continue to move into new economic growth Robert Massong — bobmassonq(a�charter net Thank you Dulce Gutierrez for taking responsibility regarding the cities priority in revenue spending and future Dorothy Qualley — dottiegl8(c�gmail.com Al,ost everyone I speak to against the plaza at this locale, which you would have found out if you had allowed the vote We have the Milenium Plaza Make it a big deal again It is even now difficult to park if we wish to eat T Olive Garden If Plaza happens we will just earin Union Gap Please don't move our parking Amy Johnson — fromhat(c�vahoo.com Please vote yes on the city bike plan As a community, we should always try to put safety first. As a cyclist, who has been hit by a car in Yakima, due to lack of road shoulders (and driver speeding/tail gating), I think this could be transformative I'm already so encouraged by the sight of other cycling commuters We are growing in numbers and if we are outside, having fun, we are helping to transform Yakima into a place where people want to be outside, communing with nature and interacting with the community/world around us Please help keep us safe and improve the outdoor experience March 5, 2018 Lisbeth Kaplan — lisbethkk(a�msn.com I am writing to express my support for the Yakima Plaza I have lived in other places with a Community Plaza, and find such a feature becomes focal place and a gathering place for the whole community Yakima needs such a place downtown where all members of our community can gather This can be a boon for downtown businesses and a pathway to a more vibrant town center Please do not go back on a promise made Please do not kill this project! J Hamilton Licht — jhlicht222(a�gmail com can understand hesitation, but the Plaza is a very fine idea for our city Do not back out of it. For parking, pedestrian pleasure, and for improving outdoor dining in season, change Yakima Avenue to 2 lanes one way, west to east, from First to east of Naches That way cars could park nose in perpendicular to the curb on both sides of the street, creating still more on street parking and giving pedestrians and diners a much more pleasant experience Have no parking on Third Street between the plaza and the Capitol Theater, but make Third St one lane one way north to south both north of Yakima Ave and south of Chestnut to allow for perpendicular parking on both sides of the street in those two blocks Thanks for the great dream of the Plaza Patrick Smith — Patrick.smith(a�mac.com I was very disappointed to hear that the plaza is being put to yet another vote Over the past 5+ years, numerous votes and meetings have been held and deadlines have been set. Each time, the project moved forward and the city signaled its commitment to continuing to move the project forward As you all know, a group of private area residents spearheaded a campaign with no budget and no formal organization within the City to raise nearly $10 million and exceed the requirements set forth by the City Nothing has changed since December 31, 2017 that should change the commitment the City made We operated under the belief that the City would live up to its end of the bargain If we delivered $9 million in contracts, the City would move the project forward That is the commitment the City made to us We trusted that commitment and we were successful in meeting the City's demands Nearly half of the City's contribution to the project has already been spent Killing the project now won't make those funds reappear If the city reneges on its commitment to the donors, it will give back over $9 7 million to businesses and citizens that contributed to this project The city's ability to raise funds or garner support from its leading businesses for any future projects such as pools, homeless shelters, the Mill Site, and the Speedway will be permanently damaged as the trust that existed between the two groups will have been shattered The city has the ability to structure the bonds in such a way that there is ZERO net outlay from the city for at least 5 years By that time the plaza will be built and the investment in the downtown core that it will catalyze will be increasing the city's income from property and sales taxes One thing almost everyone can agree on is the desire to continue the redevelopment of our city's core I urge you to give developers a reason to continue this transformation Prove that the city has a future looking vision and is ready and willing to partner with the private sector to make generational investments Taking a project that is —80% funded by private investors and killing it after years of public meetings and input and multiple rounds of commitments from the city to move forward will scare future investors away from our city I'm a donor to this project because I believe in the transformational power of public spaces and the positive and lasting effect they can have on the quality of life in a city People have complained about our downtown for decades but few have been willing to step up and make the investments required to change that. Here, we have hundreds of people that love our city enough to give over $9 7 million to the city government to build something lasting Think about that. People are willing to give their hard earned money to the government and the government is considering saying "Thanks, but no thanks " Finally, I urge you to not give in to the politics of fear Vocal opponents of this project have threatened to sue the City but have yet to actually file suit. We cannot effectively govern if any citizen can change public policy through the use of threats doled out in the media Terminating this project would constitute a surrender to those who use scare tactics and threats to get their way We can be better that if we work together Together we can continue building on the tremendous progress that has been made over the last five years and the trust that has been built between the city and its people that have generously pledged nearly $10 million toward a public asset in the heart of our city I urge you not to betray that trust. Our society, our relationships - personal, political, business, and otherwise - are built on a foundation of trust. Voting to terminate this project is a violation of trust that takes much longer to build than it does to destroy Live up to the commitments that have been made and reaffirmed for many years Vote to build the plaza Kara Lolley — klolley(a�gmail.com Please adopt the bicycle master plan and move forward with downtown Plaza It is a step toward making our city more livable Like green spaces, city plazas and big shade trees these are the decisions that will allow our community to thrive in the years to come Please consider that one really good reason to take action and create something for the future is very often more important than the ten reasons not to do it. Often the ten reasons have more to do with short term goals of single individuals than long term vision of a thriving community The bike plan is one stem closer to that vision Please adopt it in full Carrie Sattler — carrie[cDyakimaathletic.com I understand that you are reconsidering the Plaza project when, in my opinion, you should be reconsidering the YMCA project. If you are looking at the overall, long term financial burden put upon the City of Yakima and the tax -paying citizens of Yakima, the project that is going to cost you more is going to be the aquatics center Not only in ongoing operating costs, but in the loss of property tax revenues that could be generated by the land on Chesterly park now that you obtained the RCO's ruling on the land swap You are "leasing" this land to the Y for $1 The focus of the City should be to provide options and opportunities for all citizens and the Plaza project allows for this The Y project, although available for all, is at a use cost for each visit Therefore, some citizens of Yakima will not be able to get to the Y, let alone pay for the cost of use for the Y The Plaza is open for everyone's use, is centrally located and everyone can use it. Like a park. But underlying all of this is that the real focus of the City is to be fiscally responsible How are you going to account for the ongoing costs of an aquatic center, then buildanother east side pool and keep up with the costs? I would like to re- express my concern about the City/YMCA partnership in regards to the city government involvement with a non-profit business and the tax inequity Taxpaying fitness clubs welcome business competition on equal terms Taxpaying fitness clubs believe that providing athletic facilities and fitness -related services is a good and useful business that does not require subsidies from the private sector Citizens have a right to be concerned when government subsidies conceal true costs, distort incentives, and undermine local tax -paying businesses Leslie Johnson — leslieplath(c�gmail.com I am disappointed to hear of the council's consideration of terminating the Plaza project. Although I understand the necessity of considering future costs, I feel it is short sighted not to also consider the significant amount of income that the Plaza will generate for the City Not only would this cover those costs, but it could create added revenue for future projects I'm also disappointed that the Council would go back on their commitment after the community has met all the requirements asked of them This creates a sense of distrust and will discourage community members from giving in the future In closing, I hope that the Council will honor the commitment they made to our community I truly believe it will be an asset, a catalyst for growth, and a gathering place to bring people together Meghan Colleran — meghancolleran@hotmail.com I know that the Yakima Central Plaza has not been without controversy However, the City Council made an agreement with the citizens behind the Plaza if $9 million in private funds were raised, the project would move forward More than $9 million has been raised If City Council moves to back out of this project now, why should we as the citizens of this city trust any agreement you make in the future The city of Yakima can not continue to remain as it is and has been If we want our city to continue to grown and blossom as it has been doing, we need to continue to take bold steps forward Help us do that, don't let the city stagnate like it has in the past. Jeff Tayer — tayerbloomfield(a�charter. net I am not in love with the Plaza proposal Having said that I do love the idea of our city leadership having a vision for the future of downtown Yakima The nay sayers and those stuck in the past have shot down every proposal that may have made Yakima a better place Don't be fooled by all the mud they are throwing at the wall They are the constituency of no Recently it was reported that 1/3 of Yakima's residents are receiving food stamps That's data confirming that the constituency of "do nothing" and "just say no" sentences our community to more of the same High crime and poverty for too many The antidote is attracting businesses that pay a real living wage Those businesses are looking for communities that invest in the future not in retaining the past Maintenance of parking slots is not a selling point. Private investment in our community is a selling point. $9,000,000 of Private investment signals that the Yakima is alive and planning for a better future Don't turn your back on that future in favor of more of the same backward thinking that has harmed our community for decades Dorian Kensok — dorian.k(me com Councilmember Dulce Gutierrez's shocking decision to put the Plaza up for a vote to kill it, I along with many donors and supporters felt saddened, angry and betrayed The talk that is going around that, if true makes this a craven political maneuver that if it results in the loss of the Plaza, along with it will be the trust of anyone in this city to take any of you at your word Ever That will have desptroyed that trust And I know many who will never give another dime of private money in support of future city endeavors How are we going to expect support from those private donors support a new east side pool after this? My husband and I are far from wealthy The amount we donated amounted to about an 8th of our income While we are considered `small' donors, it was a tremendous amount of money to us We gave this much because that is how much we believe inn the Plaza and the beneftis it will have for some of our most disadvantaged populations We also share many of the same values as Dulce, Kay, and Carmen and have been in support of their runs for office Below is the letter I wrote in support of the council in March of 2016. I strongly urge all councilmembers to read through the links. An informed decision must be made regarding the plaza, and your integrity, trustworthiness and and any future support you will lose from 500 donors who care deeply about this community I attended many events in support of all of you and I'm proud to have volunteered as well I look forward to seeing what an energized, progressive city council has in store for the city! I am writing today to express my support and hopefully change some minds about the Yakima Central Plaza My reasons for supporting the plaza are many, to touch on them all would make for a very long letter, so I will focus on two points economic benefit, and the health benefits to the people who live and work in proximity to the future plaza Parks, plazas and recreational areas make a tremendous amount of money for communities in both direct monetary gain such as tourism and city revenue, as well as cost savings such as healthcare savings and pollution The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit that measures, analyzes, and forecast the benefits of parks and other natural lands, has analzyed various cities and identified six ways that public spaces and park contribute to a city economy in dollar value • Property value • Tourism • Direct use • Health • Community cohesion • Clean water and air As an example, by using conservative data gathering methods, they have concluded that San Fransico has recieved quantifiable economic benefits of nearly $1 billion annually Of course we are not San Francisco, far from it; however, it's not hard to see that even scaled down to our population and area, the ecomonic benefit to our community would be tremendous every year The other point I would like to make that is closer to my heart in why I wish for a vibrant public space in the heart of our city, and that is the physical and mental health benefits that public green spaces bring to those in proximity to them According to Environmental Health Perspectives, ('a peer-reviewed journal of research for the study of interrelationships between the environment and human health'), there is irrefutable evidence that 'metro nature' areas provide both health (mental and physical) and economic benefits to citizens I hope you can read the entire study but below are some health benefit highlights • "Urban forest canopy proximate to households has been associated with higher infant birth weight (Dadvand et al. 2012) and green urban neighborhoods with reductions in elder mortality (Takano et al. 2002) " • "Studies have found that nature is supportive in human performance situations as evidenced by improved workplace satisfaction (Kaplan 1993) and high school success " • "studies have shown how vegetation can contribute to reductions in domestic aggression and violent behaviors (Kuo and Sullivan 2001), assault, robbery, and burglary (Wolfe and Mennis 2012), and theft (Troy et al. 2012) " • "In resurgent cities, cleaning up vacant lots, restoring parks, and creating community gardens are often markers of community recovery (Harnik 2010) These acts of civic ecology can lead to social engagement and cohesion, perhaps improving local social resilience (Krasny and Tidball 2012) " We look to our leaders to not just say `no', we look to leaders who don't just see what is in front of them, but who have a vision of our future potential, we look to leaders to make it work in the face of controversy Please carefully consider the overwhelming positives that an investment into the Plaza will do for our community I respectfully urge those of you who are against the plaza to do your due diligience in investigating the true and real return on investment that our city will gain To do otherwise is to fall short in your role as our city leaders Thank you so much for your time, I appreciate it, and I look forward to seeing you all on March 6th! Kathy Holmes — Kathy.holmes50(a�gmail.com I want to add my support for the plaza project and express how unhappy and frustrated I am with Ms Gutierrez bringing this issue to a vote after the council already approved it and the citizens of Yakima raised the money required by the council Please honor the commitment the council made It's the right thing to do regardless of what Bruce Smith thinks He does not speak for me, nor does Ms Gutierrez Pat Shirey — pshirey(c�lyon-law.com Please do not back out of the promises made and relied upon by the many people of Yakima who volunteered their time and contributed their money to improve downtown -- all in reliance of representations made by the council The suggestion that the agreement will not be honored itself is contemptible and dishonest. To actually break this promise would be unforgettable and unforgivable I encourage you to allow the Downtown Plaza Project to proceed as promised Charles Johnson — chuckjule(a gmail.com I strongly feel that Yakima needs to do something in the way of a plaza in the downtown area I do not necessarily feel the chosen area is the best but I am very afraid that if we do not do it now it will never be done anywhere in my lifetime so I am pushing for full approval Teri Zavalney — bwzavalney(a�gmail.com I am a donor and in good faith made my contribution to this project. The community has raised significant funds to move this project forward, these are private dollars If the council cannot keep its word and follow through with the project as promised while the private community has kept theirs it speaks volumes of the ethics of the council Janet Buege — janetbuegel msn.com As a supporter and doner to the Yakima Plaza, to say I am profoundly disappointed at council member Gutierrz's recent proposal to to mothball the project is an utter understatement. The plaza committee has satisfied ALL requirements put forth by the council within the required deadline last December which leaves the council NOT having the option to now consider pulling out. The cowardly and casual manner to simply throw up ones hands because of being met with opposition sends a larger message to this community regarding the backbone and trustworthiness of certain council members If other council members run like lemmings over the cliff with Dulce, and kill this project, the trust and support of all those who generously gave to this project will truly be forever compromised Nicole Donegan — nmdonegan(c�msn.com I fully support the downtown plaza and feel the plaza group has accomplished all that the Council has asked of them Going back on the word of the Council sets a poor precedent Please let this valuable community project proceed Thank you! Charley Hanses — charleyhanses( gmail.com I reside in Mayor Coffey's district and encourage her to address the concerns voiced by Dulce Gutierrez related to commitments made by the City, particularly in regards to the planned Aquatics center I strongly support the Plaza and have appreciated the transparency of its fundraising and approval process I do not believe we residents of Yakima have been afforded a similar degree of transparency with the City's commitments at Chesterley Park Finally, I want to express my thanks to all the Council members for their service to the City Jill Falk — com The City of Yakima made a promise that it needs to keep It is not time to quit but time to do your part to solve the remaining problems on the plaza Quitting is easy Working hard to find creative solutions is not only rewarding but your job Don't let us down now Don't break your promise to Yakima Patti Thomas — geopatti(a�charter.net As a donor I am concerned that the dream of having a plaza is again under attack. The plaza committee worked hard to raise the funds we committed to raise Please keep your promise to build the Plaza that all people in Yakima will benefit from Please! We need a revenue stream like this will bring We can't tax our way into prosperity for all Nick Hughes — nhughes0180(c�charter net I cannot believe that you would be so disingenuous as to renege on your final approval to proceed to the next strep with the plaza after several years of positive public input, participation and now, millions of dollars spent on preliminary design and engineering for this project Your latest promise to continue with the project provided certain private funding conditions were met was made about a year ago Since then, several community -minded leaders have diligently focused on that challenge and have succeeded even significantly beyond the target of 9 Million dollars of private investment, (80% of the total costs) which should convince you that the 450 donors, of which I am one, are serious and believe this is a great thing for the community that will return its investment many times over So far, all of your conditions have been fully met by adjusting the parking configuration to accommodate any loss in spaces to the property, and indeed have surpassed any potential displaced parking Furthermore all that parking that would be displaced was left only across the curbside and immediately adjacent to the lot. About 26 of the spaces have been left in the lot and covered and remarked as HC spaces in a redrawing to mitigate complains across from the Orian Theater Other issues such as maintenance of the plaza was mitigated by an offer from the Downtown Association for their membership to contract with the current company you have already hired to maintain the rest of the surrounding area Of course, that contract cannot be implemented until the plaza is built and there is something to maintain In short, all the prior conditions set by the council have been met and surpassed and it is now incumbent upon you to follow through with your PROMISE to fulfill your side of the bargain If you, at this late date do not do so, your stated mission of providing a council to the taxpayers that can be trusted is a joke and makes a mockery of public trust in the very body that we, the citizens of this community have entrusted with integrity and leadership and vision for our future Furthermore, if you destroy this trust that the 450 investors have put in you to complete your PROMISE, you will never see that kind of community participation again Your recent decision to renege on this agreement is a slap in the face to the good intentions and faith in you as demonstrated by these investors, several of who are also the primary property owners in the downtown core that represent the majority of property value of those adjacent properties This project ahs been further endorsed by several improtant surrpuning proerties oincluding the Capitol Theater Board, the Editors of the YHR newspaper, The Larson Building, the Yakima Mall, Joe Mann, the Downtown Association and several long- standing leading families and contributing investors over the years in the community including those responsible for the Greenway and many other important community improvements If you elect to abandon this project at this late date, you are delivering a slap in the face to all these people and many more in the community who see this a a unifying tool and venue for family activities that is so badly needed at this time On behalf of the community, I urge you to do your duty and let this project proceed We area beyond any second thoughts Your integrity is at stake The period for regrets is over Do your duty or you will never have the trust of the community again Amy McKinney — amymckinney4 c(�gmail.com Please ensure that the funded Plaza, with so many supporters, is still a priority for all of Yakima Please continue to believe in the vision for a vibrant downtown for all, to have the leadership and courage to see a future Yakima with a bustling market, outdoor concerts, events and more for ALL citizens and visitors and to honor the incredible generosity of almost 500 donors who robustly support this project and have given so much personally to see this through We believe in you, please get this Plaza to the next phase! Linda Haralson — linda(a�antolincellars.com I am a donor to the Plaza I have attend all but one of the meetings regarding the planning and purpose of having a Plaza I also have seen what occurred in Medford Pregon when a Plaza transformed the downtown area that had been run down for years I hope that the council will follow through with the Plaza as had been voted on and approved We worked very hard to do what was asked and received the needed 9 million and more from the private community We have a business in the historical district. We purposely located downtown because we want to contribute to the growth of our city Thank you for your consideration in this matter James & Vicki Black — jim.vickiblack( gmail.com We donated to the Plaza Project believing that Yakima can climb out of its desperate look with a world class civic center We are disgusted that, once again, the backward Bruce Smith has drummed up a group of harpies to attempt to kill another city improvement I hope council can show some leadership and follow through with their promises If not, this will be our last donation to any future city cause March 4 Kay Haynes — katie4uicloud.com I had a home in Yakima for forty years and now spend time there every year It is a much - loved city for me and because of this I wanted to share my views • I believe the Central Plaza would make Yakima's downtown center unique in Central Washington - alive and compelling as well as revenue-producing • The proposed Plaza area is Yakima's greatest potential asset To use it as a parking lot is heart -breaking The image of the Plaza design versus the image of the current parking lot reflect starkly different Visions for the City • The City would be throwing away a $9 million gift for the future of Yakima This is an unbelievable loss • I always hoped that the downtown area would someday be a vibrant center of the City with a Central Plaza that would serve all of our people and reflect the diverse gifts and offerings of Yakima, which are extensive The current plan is amazing, designed by one of the great Landscape Architects who is both a Yakima native and internationally recognized • I was at a concert in Yakima a few months ago People parked blocks away to see it Don't underestimate us The convenience of parking is nothing compared to the attraction of a vibrant Center And parking slots have been designed in the plaza for those with disabilities • "If you build it, we will come" - and our businesses will thrive And that means more money in the City And that means more funds for needed services in Yakima • It seems to me that an enormous amount of work, dedication and financial support have gone into this project based on local planning, Council criteria and a past unanimous vote to allow the Plaza Committee to tie down funders Honoring good faith commitments are what a City's trustworthiness is built on and that is profoundly important for any city I respectfully urge you to support the Yakima Central Plaza David and Patricia Crist — aabbeegalesplace(a�gmail.com As retired seniors, we use the "free" parking down town several times in a month We oppose the idea of turning the proposed area into a Plaza We had a downtown mall once, the Plaza will only meet the same fate Richard De Zarn — yakizarn(a�yahoo.com Thank God finally good common sense has arrived! No plaza at that location Karen Hillcrest — hillcrestkaren(a�yahoo com NO on the plaza Parking for restaurants and businesses is critical for so many who can't walk very far And who wants to walk when we are confronted by very aggressive panhandlers all the way to the door of the restaurant. What and who will keep them from camping there permanently? Matthew Morgan — mattmmorgan(a�ymail com Let's get this out up front, I am pro plaza I consider it an economic generator for a downtown that has seen better times and lost it, and has languished for far to long for lack of attention Currently the downtown is on a positive upswing through the investment of private citizens dollars, and the plaza is no different. A lot of private time and dollars have gotten us to where we are so far What this project has not gotten is consistent support from the city council While I certainly understand that each council member has to vote their own conscious, but I also do believe they need to do that while tempered with the direction and commitments that previous councils have put out before them In today's day and age projects such as the plaza are such that they do not happen overnight and as such fall to the whims of what has become a revolving door at the city council Comment has been made that "perhaps it will come up in years to come" My opinion is that this is optimistically misguided Kill it now and it is dead It's not that interested parties will not still be out there but their interest will wane from frustration, the committed local donors will find other worthwhile projects to invest in, but mostly likely not ones involving a city and a city council they can't trust to follow through How do you want Yakima to be remembered - as a city of progress, or a city of parking? I can see the Visitors and Convention Bureaus new ad campaign "Come to Yakima, we have Parking" Bobbie Whitacre — bobbiewhitacre(cyahoo.com You cannot change the rules at the last minute If I would of got to vote I would of voted no, BUT now you decided to go forth and said IF they raised the money it was a GO NOW you want to back out. VOTE YES John and Candace Manfredi—jcmanfredi(a�outlook.com Finally, a glimmer of sanity Finally, the votes to kill the plaza Finally, what the majority of Yakima residents want, no more plaza insanity Now please repair, crack seal and chip seal our residential streets March 3 Lauren Hohman — hohmaneandl(c�yahoo.com I am writing to voice the strong support of our family for the plaza project. We have pledged to help fund this valuable project and strongly believe it will be a "game - changer" for the revitalization of our city We are deeply disturbed to hear that the city council may be voting on the future of the project. Our understanding was that the city council had committed to the project if the funds were raised Given the huge success of the fundraising effort, we can't believe that the city council would consider turning its back on this wonderful community asset. I fear you will have many disillusioned community members such as ourselves if this agreement is cancelled Please vote to proceed with the plaza Thank you Robert Strader — 4strader(c�gmail.com I urge you to support the further development of the Central Plaza project The 500+ citizens of Yakima who have come together to create this gift to the community have "stepped up", put skin in the game to improve our community We should embrace their efforts, build on them to further enhance our city, not throw that away This kind of positive coalition doesn't happen often, in fact almost never Do we have other pressing problems to engage with? Sure we do, maybe some coalition building, instead of destroying, can help solve those issues too Please don't cut off "our" nose to spite the face! Thank you! Anita Navarro — Navarro.anitaacostaAgmail.com I am in support of the continuation to expand the downtown plaza, please do not cease in moving forward with this project, without hearing and exhausting all avenues available for this to happen It's come this far please support and see it through Our downtown especially the East Side needs continuous beautification, renovation, and updating Let's show love ALL around Yakima do not be selective but inclusive Bill Yarger — why1948(gmail.com Put this Plaza to bed The loss of parking will kill what's left of downtown My wife and I frequent the restaurants in the area at least once a week and if we lose the close parking, that will end it for us We won't use the old mall garage or the side streets due to distance as well as safety We were hit up by degenerates twice in a block in that area the last time we were there last week I'm a West Yakima resident and lifetime Yakima Valley resident who votes and thought I had voted for a council member that was thinking about what our short budget should be spent on Let's clean up our town with street repairs, north 1st, something for the children on the east side to do, before we waste our money on a plaza that will just attract the homeless and bums! George Newman — newmange(p yahoo.com It seems in the past few years with the knowledge that maybe some of our city departments have made some mistakes in wasting money on different projects, my wish is our city council will not make the same mistake I do really believe that if put to a vote by the people this project of the plaza would not happen We the people elected city council to work for us and hope you will make the right decision Thank you Susan Edler — sedler509(a�me.com I am saddened that the Downtown Plaza is back on your agenda for vote this coming Tuesday after 5 years of talking, planning, and all the hard work that has gone into this from the city, and people of this community All because your meeting got heated and some of you became angry You question the integrity of the people who have pledged to give financially towards this project You have said our Eastside community has so many needs, and their are so many other projects (non profits) that need help Yes, I believe that part is true I also believe that many who made pledges are the same people who give to non profits around our city I know that a few years back there was an area of Yakima that the crime rate was so high, and this was said to be because of the street lights Well there was a group of people who came together and pledged money to put the type of lighting needed in that area, and we saw crime drop considerably I know this money was also raised by some of the same people who are supporting the downtown project too Bruce Smith comes out and speaks of people suing the city if this goes forward, well it that makes me wonder who those people are, and if they really exist, since no names have been given Is their a fear that some of those people, businesses, have many friends who are supporting this project, and so they have stayed quiet. It is time to speak for and not against these projects that will improve our city We have come so far and this project doesn't only benefit the people supporting it, it benefits all of Yakima, north, south, east and west You have thrown out words that are not true, such as concerns about maintenance, and that these people that have made pledges, won't follow through Well it sounds like a lot of those concerns have been already taken care of, and maybe you should trust people when they have made such a pledge to their city My pledge is small compared to some, but I know that I will keep my promise to give the amount that I pledged, because I believe in this project, and the good it will do for our city So I ask that you would lay down your anger, politics, what if's, and do what is right for this city You were elected by a district, but you sit on this council for the entire city of Yakima Thank you Madie Gustafson — madie117(gmail.com Hearing the council has succumbed to politics and outside pressure from other organizations and is most likely voting down the plaza after the money was raised wow Shame on this council if you vote this down after all the work from private citizens to raise the $9 million That a majority of you can't see the long term benefits is absolutely mind boggling All the concerns have been addressed All the money you asked was raised and then some So to pull out a stunt like this is shameful Super excited to have a concrete parking lot as Yakima's legacy Ann Willis — abwillis25(a�icloud.com The city has held hearings and the people have been heard The people have come forward with funding We need to move forward with the Plaza This is how European cities have maintained downtown vitality for centuries We need a place to come together This place is the Plaza Please reflect the will of the people Vote to support the Plaza March 2 Christine Bardill — cbardill(c�gmail.com I strongly discourage all of you from voting Tuesday to kill the Plaza project! Hundreds of Yakima citizens spent countless hours working to fulfill the promise that if the community responded to the agreement to raise the required funds, the city would move ahead with the project This is a once in a decades opportunity to revitalize our downturn Please respect the process and the commitment of your predecessors The opposition to this project may be loud and angry, but they need to recognize they "lost" when so much of the community responded with a financial commitment to see the Plaza built. Colin Hastie — colintobyhastie(a�gmail.com I am glad to see the council taking another look at the proposed downtown plaza project Yakima has a host of social problems (crime, lack of law enforcement officers, homelessness, etc) that need to be addressed before putting our money into a plaza! In addition, I feel that a plaza would attract the criminal element and vagrants especially at night. I also feel that the downtown area would suffer, especially restaurants, the Capital Theater, and any other types of business that would be open in the evening As a retired social scientist, I believe my comments, though brief, are on sound footing For the good of our community please consider the plaza project a dead item and move on to more relevant issues Thank you for the chance to comment Casey Corr — casey(c�caseycorr.com The plaza supporters accepted your challenge to raise an enormous amount of money to fund plaza construction The plaza group has now raised more than $9 6 million -- that's 80 percent of the construction project This has always been a city project with the council setting the goals and the rules We kept our part of the bargain Now it's time to do your job Killing the plaza would not help city finances Donated dollars cannot be used for other purposes, they would simply be returned and the significant planning investment already made by the city would be wasted Killing the plaza would send an enormously negative signal about the city's competence in partnering with others in projects benefiting our community Worse, killing the plaza would deprive our city of a needed gathering place for all of the city's families and children Please don't turn back the clock on Yakima's progress Joe Morgan — 945-5809 I'm all for the downtown plaza I travel all over the state and every city has a plaza They are huge for cities Sally Tonkin — sallvtonkinl yahoo.com I find it shocking and sad that the Council, with narrow vision and low ambitions, would turn away a once in a lifetime opportunity for growth downtown Let's face it, Yakima's downtown is ugly And, as you well know, parks and gathering places are limited on the Eastside of town You are turning down a park. A park A park that is largely paid for with private money An opportunity that will not come up again You are turning down a park where families could gather to talk and play I read that you worry about security, and that's always something to deal with when you open a public space, but if that is the logic behind killing this deal, maybe you should turn all of the other Yakima parks into parking lots At one meeting I attended, the business owners from the Hispanic Chamber said they had seen potential employees turn down job offers because those people couldn't see themselves living and working in a town with such a bleak heart. And, I've watched as people I know drive by Yakima to go to Walla Walla to drink wine grown from our grapes They are spending in that town They are growing the local economy for the betterment of the people who live in Walla Walla Walla Walla is attracting new permanent residents, too And, it's not just there The Tri -cities, never an area that I've thought of as beautiful, is doing better than we are because they continue to invest in the parks along the river and retail development in nearby areas But, no Not in Yakima When we first started getting excited about the potential of building a plaza with a world famous landscape architect, I went to a meeting where I said to the man next to me, "This could bring tourism!" He said, "Why would we want tourism, we're farmers?" He wasn't thinking of the children who will, by necessity or desire, hope to make Yakima their homes yet don't own orchards, vineyards or hop fields I taught at A.0 Davis and watched my students either move away after college or walk defeatedly into fields where they always swore they'd never go This is because job opportunities are limited here Activating the downtown is something that could change their lives The downtown still thrived when I graduated from high school in 1973 Sure, I'd like to see that again, but not for sentimental reasons It's not because I enjoy looking back, but because studies show that revitalized town centers are the gathering places of the future Places that grasp that concept are going to be the places where people want to live The University Village in Seattle is evidence of this success People go there for music, food, a little shopping and a lot of people watching Apartments have gone up all around that core area But, not in Yakima Do we really want to acknowledge such a self-defeating lack of ambition for this special Valley? Is your tenure on the Council going to be defined by the necessary small measures that all small town managers must manage or by the one bold stroke that changed the direction of your town for generations to come? You can find the money if you can find the courage Matt Tweedy — mtweedy@a,ambtools.com It is unbelievable to me that the plaza project would be potentially killed at this stage Where is our vision of the future? This community has invested 9 million plus of private money into a 12 million dollar public project. What kind of community walks away from this kind of private investment? People want to move to cities that have pedestrian friendly and vibrant downtown's The pros and cons of this project have been debated over and over The myths have been debunked time and time again Please standby this project We need to be a destination and not a stop over on the way to Walla Walla, Tri - Cities and Wenatchee February 14 Christine Kramer — cbrooks9l (a�aol.com I do not want to see "The Plaza" go in at the Millennium Plaza Location unless you Build Free underground parking to go under it. Why is it so hard for you city counsel members to understand that parking is needed at that site? Downtown Yakima NEEDS that parking area! Period Please put it to a public vote Follow the agreement originally set for that area that it would be only used for parking Rope it off for 2 weeks and test out what happens! Please City Council care more about your public and listen to us