VAIL — An update on the first phase of the Civic Area Master Plan process will be presented to the Vail Town Council at its Tuesday meeting. The item is listed 5.1 on the meeting agenda which begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers with opportunities for public comment.
Since mid-December, the town’s planning consultant team, led by 4240 Architecture, Inc., has been gathering community feedback on ideas for future improvements to town-owned properties in the heart of Vail that collectively make up the Civic Area. These properties include the Lionshead Parking and Transportation Center, charter bus lot, Dobson Ice Arena, Vail Public Library and Vail Municipal Building Complex.
The outreach has generated responses from nearly 400 participants who have provided input through an online survey hosted by the town at EngageVail.com. In addition, numerous stakeholder groups have shared their ideas including adjacent property owners, members of town boards and commissions, representatives from the Eagle River Youth Coalition and facility managers and users.
During Tuesday’s meeting, key themes from the initial community engagement phase will be presented to the council for review and discussion. The information received through this initial engagement will be used to refine the next steps in the process by identifying ideas and concepts warranting further exploration. A full report of the community input received is available at EngageVail.com.
The next phase will include the development of a series of programming concepts that will be distributed across the 10-acre study area. Community members will be encouraged to share their reactions to the concepts through online Engage Vail discussions as well as “pop-up” outreach events and stakeholder/focus groups. The council will be asked to narrow the concepts in May when additional involvement from civil engineering, environmental, traffic and economic/market specialists on the project team will provide a more detailed analysis. The council will eventually select a preferred concept, which will be incorporated into a draft master plan for refinement and adoption later in the year.
Completion of the Civic Area Plan has been identified as a high priority by the Vail Town Council. Upon adoption, the plan will provide guidance on future decision-making, funding and implementation of improvements to the Civic Area.
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To provide additional structure to the planning process, the following goals have been identified:
- Identify the community’s opinions of how to best utilize the land within the defined study area for the Civic Area Plan.
- Evaluate and comprehend the issues, opportunities and constraints that will influence the development of the Civic Area, including the identification of potential highest and best uses.
- Prepare a plan that is viable, is reflective of the community’s goals, is economically feasible in terms of market considerations and is responsive to the site and the surrounding neighborhoods.
- Define strategies to guide future decision-making and the implementation of improvements to the Civic Area that will establish vibrant, aesthetically pleasing and thoughtfully designed places that will serve the needs of the local community and guests.
The majority of the study area is contained within a Tax Increment Finance District, established in 2005, and represents the last phase of a planning effort that has included adoption of the Lionshead Redevelopment Master Plan in 1998 and related TIF-funded improvements to include construction of a new transit center and welcome center, plus streetscape improvements, remodel of the library, guest service enhancements, reconstruction of the Lionshead parking entry and construction of the Zeke M. Pierce Skatepark. Most recently, TIF funds have been used to fund the town’s portion of the Sandstone underpass. The TIF district will expire in 2030 in accordance with state law following a 25-year collection period. The TIF money is available to secure bonding for future projects in the district at the direction of the council.
To view the council presentation outlining the themes identified through the first public engagement process and other details, go to vailgov.com. For more information, contact Matt Gennett, community development director, at 970-479-2146 or email mgennett@vailgov.com.
