City of Hamilton Committee of the Whole March 12, 2019 7:00 pm Agenda Public Comment Approval of Minutes from January 22, 2019 Agenda Items Workforce House Development Opportunity Beki Brandborg Community Builders Community Assistance Grant Discussion Food Court Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Non-Agenda Items-Topics for Consideration for a Future Meeting Potential Montana Rail Links Projects Parks Inventory and Finalization of Master Plan Review Identifying City Needs and Exploring the Creation of a Foundation for Fundraising Aggressive/Vicious Dog Ordinance Adjourn City of Hamilton, MT Application for Community Builders Technical Assistance March 1, 2019 Contents Part 1 Project Narrative.............................................................................1 Partnership Verification...................................................................5 Capacity Statement.........................................................................6 Financial Contribution.....................................................................7 Part 2.............................................................................................8 Attachments Map 1: Project Area........................................................................9 Map 2: Project Area Challenges.....................................................10 Map 3: Destinations in and Adjacent to Project Area.....................11 Map 4: Small Scale Hamilton Aerial...............................................12 Ravalli Republic Article..................................................................13 Bitterroot Star Article....................................................................16 Letters of Support.........................................19 City of Hamilton, MT - Community Builders Technical Assistance Application ii Part 1 Project Narrative Goals and Objectives The City of Hamilton, MT has a five-lane state highway (Highway 93) that bisects the City on a north-south axis. The result is connectivity problems for non-motorized users, an unsightly appearance for travelers entering the City, and access issues for businesses along the corridor. These issues are most pronounced in the area surrounding the intersection of Highway 93 and Main/Marcus Street – the gateway to downtown. See Downtown Hamilton Maps 1 and 2 attached for an overview of the project area and more detail on the specific issues we hope to address. The challenge we face is twofold – 1. without the use of a car the east and west sides of Highway 93 in the project area are effectively cutoff from one another and 2. the gateway to downtown is uninviting and not reflective of the quality of our downtown and surrounding businesses. In light of this, our goals for this project are to: 1. Provide safe and inviting non-motorized Hwy. 93-Main St. intersection looking north connections between the eastside and westside of Highway 93 in the project area. 2. Create an appealing and inviting entrance to downtown that visually connects downtown with eastside homes and businesses at the Highway 93- Main/Marcus Street intersection. The City of Hamilton is requesting Community Builders’ assistance to work with project stakeholders to address the connectivity, safety, and aesthetic issues in the area surrounding the Highway 93-Main/Marcus Street intersection. The City’s hope is to identify mutually beneficial solutions that respect and uphold Hwy. 93-Main St intersection looking south the objectives and interests of our project partners. City of Hamilton, MT - Community Builders Technical Assistance Application 1 Part 1 Demographic Changes Shaping Hamilton Since 2000 Hamilton has grown steadily, a trend projected to continue over the next ten years at an average annual growth rate of 1.2% – see Figure 1.1 One trend we are seeing is an increase in young families moving to Hamilton. Between 2015 and 2017 both the under 5 and 30-44 age groups increased in both total numbers and population share, while the 65+ age group saw respective decreases – see Figure 2.2 We see evidence of this in our schools as well, with recent increases in kindergarten and first grade enrollment.3 However, with increases in the 45-64 age group, and Hamilton’s appeal for retirees, we also expect our senior population to remain sizable in the future. As seniors and school age children are more likely to not have access to an automobile, these data echo the need to provide safe non-motorized transportation options in Hamilton. Figure 1: Population Change 2000 - 2030 City of Hamilton, MT - Community Builders Technical Assistance Application 2 Part 1 Figure 2: Age Distribution Other factors shaping our community are increases in walking and biking mode share and the share of workers without access to a vehicle. Between 2014 and 2017 the percent of workers walking or biking to work more than doubled from 7% to 14.5% while the percent of workers without access to a vehicle increased from 0.9% to 4.4%.4 These data point to growing interest in choosing non-motorized transportation options and the necessity to ensure they remain viable options for those who need them most. Issues, Hurdles, and Opportunities One hurdle we face with this project is that Highway 93 is managed by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), whose general objectives of maintaining throughput and vehicle safety do not fully address local interests of improving non-motorized connections and creating a visually attractive corridor. However, there is an opportunity here as our public works director has, in recent years, elevated positive dialogue with MDT district staff in Missoula. As a result, MDT is aware of our concerns in the project area and has shown an interest in working with the City to address those concerns. City of Hamilton, MT - Community Builders Technical Assistance Application 3 Part 1 Another hurdle is the array of land ownership in the project area, notably Montana Rail Link (MRL). Any proposed improvements to lands in the project area will require input and buy-in from adjacent property owners. We again see an opportunity here as the City has maintained positive dialogue with private property owners in the project area including MRL. To illustrate this the City, Ravalli County, and local civic groups have been moving forward in discussions with MRL to develop a trail in their rail right-of-way – see Ravalli Republic article attached. One opportunity we see contributing to the success of this project is recent turnover in Hamilton’s elected leadership. With a new Mayor and Council there is now greater focus on livability initiatives. Another outcome of this turnover is increased coordination between the City and Ravalli County – see Bitterroot Star article in attached. Ongoing or Upcoming Efforts Addressing the issues surrounding the Highway 93-Main/Marcus Street intersection has been a long-held priority for the City, evidenced through our adopted Downtown, Non-Motorized Transportation, and Area Transportation plans. Both our Non-motorized Transportation and Area Transportation plans identify connectivity in the project area as a challenge, recommending that Marcus Street be built to urban standards complete with sidewalks and bike lanes. Our 2014 Downtown Master Plan identifies improving the visual appeal and pedestrian access at the Highway 93-Main/Marcus Street intersection as one of the top priorities for bolstering the success of downtown. Another ongoing effort on the part of the City and Ravalli County is working with MDT on using Urban Highway Program funding to make the aforementioned improvements to Marcus Street in the project area. These discussions have been ongoing between the City, County, and MDT since 2014 with positive momentum being made on scoping the project and coming up with preliminary cost estimates. One upcoming planning effort that addresses improving bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, and connecting people with downtown, is Hamilton’s forthcoming wayfinding plan. This planning effort is being funded by a grant from the Montana Main Street program and will begin in late spring of 2019. Our goal with this effort is to develop a plan that establishes clear and consistent signage to connect residents and visitors with downtown Hamilton and the City’s cultural and natural amenities. To that end, the City intends to develop signage oriented to pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. City of Hamilton, MT - Community Builders Technical Assistance Application 4 Part 1 Partnership Verification The City of Hamilton has garnered support for this project from a wide variety of community partners, including Ravalli County, Hamilton Downtown Association, Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement District, Bike Walk Bitterroot, Bitter Root Land Trust, Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce, Ravalli County Extension, Marcus Daly Hospital, Ravalli County Economic Development Authority, and property owners within the project area. At the local level the City of Hamilton is the decision-making authority that can influence the desired changes in the project area. The City has been trying to address the challenges surrounding the Highway 93-Main/Marcus Street intersection for over a decade, demonstrated in the City’s adopted plans referenced in the project narrative section. Once the idea to apply for technical assistance was identified, the City Council and Mayor met at both a Committee of the Whole and City Council meeting to discuss the opportunity and what the City hopes to address with the project. Both the Mayor