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It is no secret that one of my favorite pleasures is an evening stroll with Milford. It is a time when we unwind together, get outside and engage with others in our community. You can imagine how excited we both are that a new part of our routine will soon include the new Millcreek City Center. One of the best parts is that our city is VERY interested in your ideas and thoughts on what you would like to see in the green space that is planned. Word on the street is Millcreek is looking for fresh and different ideas from YOU in their survey! Here are a few that might help get your creative thoughts started: • Giant tree fort • Bellagio type fountains • Outdoor fire pits • Puppy Days • Community Flower Garden • Giant zip line • Mini Millcreek with hiking path • Log Flume (just kidding) • Trapeze artist performances • Giant planetarium geodesic dome • Go Kart Racing (again, sort of just kidding) • Spaceship launches (really really just kidding) But seriously, any and all ideas are welcome and appreciated. Milford and I want a visit to the green space in the City Center to be extraordinary, something we can all brag about. We want to tell all our friends, “Hey, We're from Millcreek and wait until you see what we do here!” No matter what, make sure to fill out the survey and give your comments. I know Milford and I will. Xoxo Millie Here’s Millie! MILLIE MILLCREEK MILLCREEK 3330 S 1300 E Millcreek, UT 84106 for these two important planning efforts. Work on the General Plan began in 2017, shortly after Millcreek incorporated. It was adopted this past February, after near unanimous positive recommendations from all four of our community councils and our planning commission. The two- year planning process brought together our residents and businesses to help the City chart a course for the future of Millcreek. The City Center Master Plan was an outgrowth of the General Plan process. We saw development happening and wanted to plan for it. Also, you suggested we plan a city center in this area in the feedback you provided for our General Plan. Again, every effort was made to reach out to Millcreek residents to capture their thoughts and ideas. The area between Highland Drive and 1300 East from 3300 South to Elgin cont. on page 4 Awards In October of this year, the American Planning Association, Utah Chapter, granted two awards to Millcreek—one for the City's new General Plan, and the other for the City Center Master Plan. The awards recognize Millcreek’s extraordinary effort to obtain and consider resident input in drafting these plans so that they are community plans rather that government plans. We are very pleased to be recognized MAYOR’S MESSAGE About Our Award Winning Plans City Center Open Space Needs Your Input. Online Poll Open Until Nov. 30th JEFF SILVESTRINI The General Plan approved in early 2019 specifically outlines the need for a central city gathering place in the heart of Millcreek where residents can enjoy a sense of community and Common identity. Several goals from the plan are as follows: PLACEMAKING. GOAL GP–3: Emphasize placemaking throughout the City with design and programming that supports a distinctive identity and experience. • Strategy 3.1: Incorporate distinctive placemaking as an element of public and private development plans including privately initiated master plans, concept ll residents of Millcreek are invited to participate in an online poll to help develop the plans for Millcreek Common, the working name for open space that will become the focal point of the Millcreek City Center—not just what the Common may look like but what kinds of community activities and amenities it might provide. And we will be asking you for suggestions of what to name this central open space. The survey was developed from prior input from citizens, a city center committee task force, city leaders, and professionals. The need and scope for this open space and city center Common is originally found in the prior citizen-approved Millcreek General Plan as well as the more recently citizen-approved Millcreek City Center Master Plan. We will highlight those original documents in this special edition. Survey results will be tallied and then followed up by three open houses where presentations will be made and additional input gathered. For efficiency and economy, the survey will only be available online. Public places to take the survey are available for those who do not have access to the internet at home. PRESRT STD US POSTAGE PA I D PERMIT 7148 SLC, UT SPECIAL EDITION It All Began With The General Plan BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH OPEN SPACE A cont. on page 4: Began FIRST OPEN HOUSE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH AT 6:00 PM AT CITY HALL, 3330 S 1300 E Millcreek, Connected by Nature I Volume: 3 Issue: 6 I November 2019 I millcreek.us ---PAGE BREAK--- We hope to give you enough information in this special edition to know how we got here, why it matters, and how best to make your wishes known. And we hope you are willing to help us by participating in the poll. This is an online poll that you can access on our website, Millcreek.us, our Facebook page or through the weekly eNewsletter. If you are not signed up for the eNewsletter, please visit the website, click on the “Community” link and then “Newsletter”. The weekly eNewsletter is a great way to view current happenings in the city, upcoming events along with agendas for the City Council and Planning Commission. (We promise, we will only show up in your inbox once a week, on Friday afternoons). We understand that some of our residents don’t have access to computers. If you are one of those, we encourage you to visit the city offices at 3330 S 1300 E and use one of our computer terminals. There are also computers available at the libraries and senior centers. Written comments can be forwarded to Rita Lund, Millcreek, 3330 S 1300 E, Millcreek UT 84106. And residents are always encouraged to attend the City Council meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month and take advantage of the public comment session at 7:00 PM. Additionally, there will be open houses on November 19th and January 22nd where presentations will be made and additional comments collected to provide for refinements to the plan. The final design will be presented at a third public event on March 17th ABOUT THE POLL The poll is an opportunity for you to provide your thoughts and opinions for the design and activity programs of the Millcreek City Center Open Space also known as Millcreek Common. Your feedback is very important. The Millcreek City Center Master Plan was adopted June 10, 2019. If you are interested in taking a look at the Plan in its entirety, visit the website at millcreekgeneralplan.com. The vision for a City Center was born out of the second Vision Theme: Vibrant Gathering Places. Specifically, the General Plan calls for support of a City Center as the heart of Millcreek to give residents a centralized citywide gathering area. AN AMENITY AND GATHERING PLACE FOR THE WHOLE CITY Creating a community gathering space for both large organized events and casual daily interactions is vital to facility opportunities for uniting community members. Providing a variety of gathering spaces and amenities will help attract a diverse range of community members and contribute to its active year- round use by residents of all ages and abilities. The City Center open space (see green on map, page 3) is enclosed within three blocks from North to South between and Miller Avenue and 3300 South, and from East to West between Highland Drive and 1300 East. WHY THE OPEN SPACE IS IMPORTANT For Millcreek’s Open Space we envision the space as the community heart of the city, where the public may gather daily, year-round to experience and participate in a wide variety of cultural, recreational, and civic activities and events. The benefits of such a place include a connection to the identity of the city, social interaction, cohesiveness and shared experiences. An open space can also contribute significantly to the economic well-being of the city if properly developed and managed. Ultimately, its success in based on activities and entertainment, not buildings. FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION The construction of an architecturally pleasing park and plaza environment alone will not adequately lure the public. In order to be successful, the space needs to be filled with events and activities that draw crowds on a daily basis. Instead of an empty stage, the space needs a critical mass of attractions and activities. Ten or twenty large signature events during the year are insufficient. What of the other 345 days of the year? The public space must be programmed and managed to produce between 250 and 360 days of activity. Programming the site for activities introduces economics to the success of the space. A daily crowd of consumers draws residents and metro area visitors alike, and benefits the commercial and retail developments around the Open Space. Resident spending stays in the city, visitors bring in outside dollars and surrounding properties increase in value. We said that success requires between 250 and 360 days of activity a year. This means that winter must sustain pedestrian activity, with events like ice skating, Christmas tree festivals, holiday shopping kiosks, music concerts, street performers, etc. Winter must be successful for retail businesses to survive. THE GOAL OF THE POLL Your information will be used to help craft a unique Millcreek brand identity for the site. We will look for identities that reflect the past and the present, and any aspirational identities you would like to happen in the future. The data will provide direction for the construction and activity programming for the open space. THE POLL WILL INCLUDE: A list of activities that exist in many urban public spaces around the country and you will be asked to rank your preference for the Millcreek Open Space: • Kid’s splash pad • Arts & crafts fairs • Food trucks • Friday after work parties • Holiday festivals • Outdoor movies • Ice skating (winter) • Yoga/exercise classes • Car Shows • Dances • Garden markets • Heritage celebrations • Sports tournaments (volleyball, e-sports, bocce ball, etc.) • Themed exhibits (bridal fairs, ATV shows, quilting, etc.) • Music concerts • Street entertainers If there are other activities, events or attractions that you would like to experience, you will be asked to list them. Nothing is out of bounds; we want your ideas. Some activities require permanent structures, others can be set up and taken down. You will be asked to rank your preference for permanent structures such as: • Public restrooms • Public WiFi • First Aid Station • An enclosable space for both summer (shaded) and winter (heated) use • A large stage for concerts, movies and other events • An evening water, lights and music fountain • An ice rink for winter skating • A kid’s splash pad for summer fun If you have ideas for other activities or attractions that you would like built in the Open Space, you will be asked to describe them. Again, nothing is out of bounds; we want your ideas. Here is a list of popular moveable amenities that are under consideration for the Open Space. The poll will ask you to rank your preferences: • Fire pits • Portable heaters • Jungle gyms • Giant chess & checkers • Bocce ball courts • A dance floor • BMX track • Tables, chairs and umbrellas • Foosball tables • Climbing walls • Swing sets • Kid’s foam building blocks • Wood or glass kiosks for food, beverage & small rental • Giant jenga blocks • Canvas vendor tents • Bleachers • Portable stage • Food trucks • Ping pong tables If there are additional moveable activities or amenities, you will be asked to list them. Here are several Common landscaping items that are present in urban open spaces. You will be asked to rank them in your order of preference: • Park speakers for music and announcements • Shade trees • Planters, shrubs, bushes and flowers • Ambient and safety lighting • Permanent seating and benches • Themed park identities • Decorative walking surfaces • Large public art structures • Vehicle street If you have ideas for other landscaping or ambience features, you will be asked to list them. There will also be a question about the landscaping style. More dependant on heavy water use or more water wise? Finally, you will be asked to help name the park. Some ideas that have been discussed are: “The Canyon,” “The Fault,” “The Mill Town,” “Uplift,” “The Yard at Millcreek,” and “Millcreek Common.” We need your ideas for a name. There will be an opportunity for you to rank the listed suggestions or add your own. There are lots of questions and we need lots answers. This is an important step for Millcreek. Please help out by watching for and answering the poll. Details About The City Center Poll WHERE CAN I TAKE THE ONLINE CITY CENTER SURVEY? YOUR HOME. ANY LIBRARY OR SENIOR CENTER. A COMPUTER AT THE CITY OFFICES AT 3330 S 1300 E. WHERE CAN I FIND THE SURVEY? MILLCREEK'S WEBSITE—MILLCREEK.US, MILLCREEK'S E-NEWSLETTER, MILLCREEK'S FACEBOOK PAGE. OR USE THE Q-CODE ON THE BACK PAGE 2 MILLCREEK NEWS ---PAGE BREAK--- The Millcreek City Center Master Plan provides a more detailed vision for the City Center concept, that was suggested in the General Plan. It considers how the district between Highland Drive and 1300 East from 3300 South to Elgin Avenue can incorporate urban design and placemaking strategies to promote the creation of an identifiable, vibrant City Center, which is one of the General Plan’s key goals. The first key step in this planning process is to understand existing conditions and needs to be addressed in the City Center. The project area is just under 100 acres, which includes large expanses of surface parking and aging commercial buildings, as well as limited residential uses. Given the potential for infill development, there are many possibilities to add mixed use development and attract new economic opportunity and residents to the City. The expected population growth along the Wasatch Front anticipates an ongoing need for more variety in housing choice, and Millcreek is no exception. In initial meetings to create a City Center, residents expressed some hesitation about how this new type of development might impact and encroach upon the community’s strong, traditional neighborhoods and great mountain views. Significant public outreach including two walking tours and three open houses helped foster a healthy dialogue about how the new City Center could be respectful of these community principles while providing new social, environmental, and economic benefits to the City. At the final open house held in January 2019, neighbors and local businesses were excited about the plan and decisions they had participated in creating. These decisions addressed concerns of longtime residents by finding the appropriate mix of housing, commercial, and public spaces to support the character of the surrounding residential neighborhoods. Analysis of current travel behaviors in the study area show a lack of walking and biking. Improved infrastructure that promotes more active forms of transportation may change those patterns. Complete streets that create safer environments with a mix of pedestrian, bike and vehicle accommodations are a key strategy for promoting change. Well-designed transportation systems will play a key part in the success of the City Center’s adaptability for growth. This type of investment adds significant value to the surrounding properties and creates the type of public environment that lends itself to development to support the City Center that will provide value to all of Millcreek. Millcreek hosted community walking tours: one in Holladay and one in Sugar House. The intent was to hear from residents, generate discussion, and illicit important feedback. These responses helped inform the design team, City, and citizens moving forward in the creation of a City Center Plan. Learning from these and other relevant precedents helped generate ideas and define the vision for Millcreek’s City Center. 3 MILLCREEK NEWS Millcreek City Center Master Plan Overview HOW THE PLAN GOT TO WHERE IT IS NOW CITY CENTER GUIDING PRINCIPLES THE CITY CENTER SHOULD EMPHASIZE WALKABILITY, AND MINIMIZE INTERNAL TRAFFIC AND PARKING DEMAND Walkability is core to the notion of the City Center. If people cannot walk, stroll, browse, sit, dwell, and interact with neighbors, Millcreek will have a center that is devoid of the vibrancy and sense of place residents expect. Moreover, access to the City Center from neighborhoods should be designed so that people may access the City Center on foot, bicycle or means other than by driving. Plaza-like spaces for walking and gathering are encouraged. Traffic and parking should be designed to be separate from the public space, which should amplify the Center’s character as a place for community members to meet. Publicly accessible parking structures should be constructed to minimize surface parking and maximize space for public life. THE CITY CENTER SHOULD INCLUDE MUNICIPAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY AND DESIGNATED FOR PUBLIC USE The City Center should serve civic purposes and should include property owned by the City to be used for their goals, referenced in the Introduction section of this plan. This will lead to the development of a signature public space. Building in the City Center is a premier opportunity for any developer seeking to showcase a high-profle project. Therefore, it is appropriate to require developers to invest in public spaces through impact fees and dedication of space for Millcreek residents and visitors to enjoy. A payment in-lieu system is being considered in this area and Mill Park features and land could be dedicated instead of private open space. Such investments might include enhanced street amenities and features in and along the periphery of Mill Park. Additional landscaping and flexible outdoor spaces that can be adapted for public events are a few examples. THE DESIGN OF MILLCREEK’S CITY CENTER SHOULD REPRESENT THE CITY IN WAYS THAT ARE DISTINCTIVE FROM OTHER CITIES AND UNIQUE TO MILLCREEK Millcreek should stand out distinctively with a City Center that honors our history and celebrates our character. Gatherings and conversations should be encouraged. Culture and arts should be facilitated. Design for civic functions should be non-commercial and distinct from the surrounding commercial and residential properties. Signage, site amenities, and architecture should be restrained, low-light, and traditional but artful. Water and trees should be used to highlight these places, a direct expression of the character of the City. Spaces, walkways and seating should integrate indoor with outdoor environments. THE CITY CENTER SHOULD EMPHASIZE CULTURE, ART, IDEAS AND INTERACTION BETWEEN CITIZENS Millcreek needs to emphasize its support for all arts and the City Center can and should showcase that. The population of Millcreek is sophisticated, with schools that have aggressively taught arts for many years. The range of arts should be broad, covering the visual, musical, performance and literary arts, as well as newer forms. An emphasis on shopping as a city culture can be decadent. Millcreek’s City Center can stand out from the majority of the homogenized and consumer-centric commercial centers in Utah. The Center should have an equal focus on bringing Millcreek citizens together to do things other than shopping. Activities like concerts, art exhibits, and community fairs should be programmed. Cultivating these types of interactions with residents through events and happenings like outdoor sculpture gardens and art installation exhibits will help create a more interconnected, cohesive community. MILLCREEK CENTER ”Millcreek Center” is the project area’s focal point. It links the Neighborhood District, the City Marketplace, and the Brickyard commercial area. Beyond connecting these areas, Millcreek Center is designed to be a space where inhabitants can engage with the City and one another. This area will have the greatest mass, the highest level of development intensity, and sidewalks wide enough to accommodate patio dining and significant pedestrian traffic. Most importantly, it will be the home of the City’s Civic Facilities with parking. It will be the part of town where people can go every weekend because they know something is going on. Land uses in this area should be flexible and adaptable, with an emphasis on non-residential activity occurring on the ground floors of buildings, particularly those along Mill Park. In comparison to the Neighborhood District, this part of the City Center is more readily accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. Vehicles will be intentionally discouraged from cutting through this area easily or quickly. Pedestrians and cyclists tend to feel the most welcome and safe when automobile traffic is slow and controlled. For that reason, adding a “woonerf”—a street built to comfortably accommodate all modes of transportation through shared spaces—low speed limits, and traffic calming measures, is encouraged. A one-way couplet street will allow vehicles to access the area at a slow speed. There will be a turnaround on the south-side so vehicles can circulate without driving back onto 3300 South. To assist with parking demand management, two hour on-street parking will be available in addition to a paid “wrapped” parking garage. ---PAGE BREAK--- Avenue was identified by many of you as an ideal place to create new opportunities for commercial and residential redevelopment. A public Commons will be the highlight of the City Center area. It will serve not only as a growth generator for private development interest, but as a central public gathering space that will become home to many of our entertainment and cultural traditions. The General Plan and the City Center Master Plan are both intended to guide future development in a manner that supports the Wasatch Choice 2050 vision for quality growth around centers and along corridors, while preserving the integrity and beauty of our existing single-family neighborhoods. The Utah Chapter of the American Planning Association celebrated these plans for their innovation, their commitment to public engagement, and their ability to guide the implementation of a broadly-held community vision, particularly as the region faces unprecedented economic and population growth. Congratulations and thanks to the thousands of you who engaged and participated in these planning efforts. We are now embarking on a plan to further focus your ideas for the public space that was envisioned as the heart of the City Center. Our hope is that this plan will be the recipient of another American Planning Association award next year and we need your help. The success of the City Center is dependent upon the public space being active and energized at all times of the day, all days of the week and all days of the year. Visitors of all ages and abilities need to find something that interests them. This may be an art piece, nature space, game, performance, winter ice skating path that becomes roller skating in the summer, children’s play structures, the list of ideas goes on and on. The consultant that is assisting us in developing ideas for programming the space has met with the City Council and several community groups including the community councils, arts council, youth council, planning commission, business council and others to gather ideas and suggestions. The next step is an electronic poll designed to gather as many ideas and suggestions as possible from you. The poll results will be compiled with the suggestions gathered at the focus groups and presented to the public at two open houses that will be held in November and January for additional comments and a third in March to present the final design. This special edition of the Millcreek News includes excerpts from the General Plan and the City Center Plan along with an idea of what the poll will ask you. It is my top priority to include all residents in this process. The city will be distributing the link to the poll through our eNewsletter, social media outlets and presentations at meetings. Computers will be available at city hall for use by those who may not have one at home. If you do not already receive the eNewsletter, please sign up on the website, Millcreek.us, through the Community tab under Newsletters. We are doing great things here in Millcreek, please help us by participating. 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He is available on Fridays from 2-4 p.m. for 15 minute appointments. Please call the Millcreek Information Center at [PHONE REDACTED] to schedule an appointment. MEET WITH THE MAYOR 1. A Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) has been formed in our city center area. 2. Agreements with all the taxing entities allow us to capture new property tax revenue in that area for 20 years. 3. This will make the payments on the 20 year bond that was borrowed to build the park next year. So basically, it is the new development that will pay for the park. plans and Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning. • Strategy 3.2: Focus area-specific planning attention and capital improvements prioritization on major corridors (3300 South, 3900 South, 4500 South, 700 East, 1300 East, Highland Drive, Main Street, and State Street) potential and need for redevelopment. • Strategy 3.3: Encourage new and redeveloped buildings to activate street life and support multi-modal access. • Strategy 3.4: Partner with local business and volunteers to pursue a “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” approach (described on page 50) to placemaking. • Strategy 3.5: Create a public space activation guide that provides guidance to the City and developers on activating public spaces. (Example: Inspired Leaders Shaping Cities) • Strategy 3.6: Evaluate the cost and other resources needed to create active programming in parks and along trails to create multiuse destinations that support both formal and informal activities. CITY CENTER. GOAL GP-5: Continue to grow and support The City Center as the mixed-use, cultural, and economic heart of the City. • Strategy 5.1: Continue to refine, adapt, and expand the Town/City Center Overlay Zone as the City Center develops and evolves. • Strategy 5.2: Maintain City Codes to support reduced onsite parking, limited parking lot areas between the public right- of-way and buildings, design elements that enhance visual impressions from the street, multimodal access, and the safety and enjoyment of the onsite pedestrian experience. • Strategy 5.4: Establish a parking management plan to regulate on-street parking that supports business patrons and visitors. cont. on page 1: Began HOW WILL THE MILLCREEK COMMONS BE FUNDED? YOU CAN USE THIS Q-CODE TO TAKE THE ONLINE POLL