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FINAL Committee Meeting Minutes 1.22.2025CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 16 JANUARY 2025 PAGE 1 | 7 1. ROLL CALL Present: Committee Chair Justin Chesney, Committee Member Kerri Thelen, Committee Member Danielle McNair, Committee Member Pedro Campos, Committee Member Lisa Mattis, Committee Member Thomas Walsh, Town Council Member Ruth Stanley, and Town Council Member Lindsay Staff: Chief Cultural Office Danita Dempsey, Town Manager Eric Heil, Special Events Coordinator Emily Dennis, Town Planner Max Morgan Virtual Attendance: Town Council Member Lindsay Hardy joined the meeting virtually at 12:31 p.m. and Committee Member Thomas Walsh joined the meeting virtually at 12:30 p.m. and departed at 1:10 p.m. Absent: Committee Member Calyn Rieger The meeting was called to order at 12:31pm. 2. MINUTES Committee Member Thelen made a motion to approve the meeting minutes from November 21, 2024. Committee Member McNair seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously 3. PUBLIC COMMENT No public comments were made. 4. LAZONA AND MAIN STREET MALL Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey expressed to the Committee that they will provide feedback on the Main Street Mall revitalization project, noting that the Committee should provide feedback on four specific areas of focus as outlined in her email dated January 15th and following the options presented at the Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting held previously on January 13th, 2025. She also mentioned that we are early in the design process and our feedback should be focused. Town Manager Heil commented that there will be lots of minor planning details to fill in, but for now we would like to get a sense of the layout with more significant planning ideas to come later. He also mentioned that the Town wants to give guidance to the designers early on, including the desire to have a “gateway” element. Town Manager Heil asked the Committee what their definition of “gateway” might entail and would like to open the conversation regarding this specific element. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey presents the draft layout of the Main Street Mall project, overviewing the four areas of focus. She asks the Committee to focus on Focus Area #1, noting that this space could become flat with elements of concrete, pavers, or grass to support those needs. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Is the “sloping” referring to the section from Main Street Mall and into “Bob’s Place Parking Lot”, or Lot B, and does the Town of Avon own the lot? CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 16 JANUARY 2025 PAGE 2 | 7 B. In addition to landscaping, the Lettuceshed Lane and south side of the pedestrian path is a critical drainage area designed to mitigate moisture getting into The Seasons’ underground parking lot The underground lot has experienced issues with waterproofing and other water-related problems. C. Can you clarify the goals of this project? We are a “walking town”. Is the main goal of the Main Street Mall revitalization to bring more people in and have events on a regular basis? Where will people park? D. The current Main Street Mall looks nice, and I like the idea of canopy lights as an inexpensive way to draw attention. Food is a way to bring people together and I would like to find a way to incorporate food trucks into the pedestrian mall space. A splashpad would fit well next to the playground rather than the pedestrian mall. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey confirmed that this was the location of the slope and that the Town would have to go to survey to begin any activity in that space. She also mentioned that she likes the idea of using grass in this space. Town Manager Heil noted that the Town would have to conduct a survey to see what would be best on Lot B side of Main Street Mall. He mentioned that there is probably around 10 feet from the edge of the pedestrian pathway for the Town to consider placing pavers, grass, or another material and that this could set the area up to support something like event tents along the pedestrian pathway. Town Manager Heil noted that it would be beneficial to avoid redoing or impacting the landscaping along Lettuceshed Lane and the south side of the path, which would help reduce costs. He also mentioned that the current pedestrian mall is attractive, and he thinks that the space from Possibilities Plaza and onward is well established and includes quality elements such as art and recreation spaces that are used frequently. Town Manager Heil clarifies that additional parking is not a goal, mentioning that in 2012 the Town expanded what work had previously been done near the Wyndham Hotel to extend the pedestrian mall to Nottingham Park. He mentioned that he sees this as a simple and straightforward project and that the goal is not to build another “events space”, rather have a very nice pedestrian corridor, free of cars, that takes you through the civic core and to the park. Now, the goal is to extend the walking path and incorporate the “circle” theme while including a few additional elements. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey mentioned that if we can incorporate flat space, as is planned in Focus Area #1, the space could lend itself to other activations, like a coffee cart or food cart. She mentioned that the Town already has the appropriate permitting to allow these kinds of activations. Chief Cultural Offer Dempsey stated that there should be consideration regarding access to Wi-Fi, power, and other similar services. She provided examples of potential opportunities to the Committee, noting that First Friday at the Art Guild at Avon could expand into outdoor spaces, or that the space could support expanded activities related to the Art Walk in Avon, ice sculptures, or other “storytelling” activations. She also notes that the civic plaza on the south side is meant to be more of a passive space. Chief Culture Officer Dempsey provided the Committee with an introduction to Focus Area #2, noting that it could be a space for artful, fun, and funky furniture, provide bike parking or other facilities that can easily be cleaned, maintained, and stored, as well as being a place for public meetings. She envisions this space would open Town Hall for things like Ted Talks, film, poetry, symposiums, and more so that it becomes more than just a passive space. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Is the intent to leave the front door of Town Hall open and the space operable? CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 16 JANUARY 2025 PAGE 3 | 7 B. CASE Committee has been doing tours of peer cities, and I like the idea of “multi-purposing” Town Hall among other spaces, allowing them to serve more than one purpose. We need to think about collaboration with other activities happening around Avon. C. I like the idea of Focus Area #1 being flat and would like to see a division between Lot B as it often is used as a “storage lot”. I would like people to utilize the pedestrian path rather than cutting through Lot B. Having more picnic tables for people to eat or relax in would be beneficial. We should think about people who smoke. I have noticed this space has sometimes become an area for smoking. Is there a way we can take this into consideration? D. I agree with the flattening of Focus Area #1 but we could put in a stairwell so people can avoid walking over the grass to get to the pedestrian path. Regarding Focus Area #2, I think that it could be beneficial to move the bronze skier statue into the center of the proposed circle area and include a water feature and additional picnic tables and chairs. I like the idea of canopy lights and incorporating them into the Focus Area #2 would add to the space. E. I like the idea of Focus Area #2. There is potential to allow for a more welcoming space. Improving the area may not bring more people in but that would open the space in front of the Town Hall. F. The multiuse of the Town Hall space would be a good idea. The intersection of Lettuceshed Lane and the Main Street Mall could be a smaller area and that doesn’t need to be the main area of focus for this project. Town Hall has southern exposure and receives sunlight which could act as a focal point. We could focus funding on emphasizing the Town Hall entryway. There are no great connections on the north side of the mall, making the connection between the Main Street Mall and Lot B an important part of this project. He also noted that lighting could be a great theme to incorporate throughout all aspects of the project, stating that the same lighting used in the Main Street Mall could be a great addition to the “gateway” space. G. We should think about the informal walking spaces and have a functional solution to those. Is the hotel going to be built? Town Manager Heil noted that the intention is not to leave the Town Hall entryway open, however, Council Chambers gets used frequently as there is a lot going on. He mentioned that it would be easy to use the room in conjunction with the outdoor space but there is not currently any rigid and well-defined programming. He also mentioned that there are opportunities to let programming grow naturally as interest and demand arise. Town Manager Heil commented about the restaurant spaces across from Town Hall, asking the group what the right size of the space is and questioned how you can make the space look more attractive while having the flexibility to move assets around. He noted that we currently only have one picnic table in the Main Street Mall space and that it gets used very often in the summer. He also mentioned that we are very conscious about Lot B and notes that there are a few design elements that the Town is encouraged by, including a strong pedestrian connection with a path that is about 8-10 feet wide paved with pavers. He mentioned that because Lot B is not Town Owned, the Town cannot legally enforce the developer or lot owner to do anything with that space, stating that there is also no code for maintaining the back of the lot. He stated that the Town of Avon would offer to support the development of that private lot via funding. He also stated that we would prefer to have something that is ground level with the pedestrian path that has a public-facing window space, that could include something such as a coffee shop, art gallery, or a display window space. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Is the Main Street Mall planning happening in conjunction with current Downtown Development Authority planning? B. The Lake Street crosswalks are asphalt rather than pavers because of budget constraints at the time. CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 16 JANUARY 2025 PAGE 4 | 7 Town Manager Heil responded that there is a plan for higher density and mixed-use buildings in Avon in reference to the DDA planning. He also mentioned that we do want pavers throughout the entire Main Street Mall project and noted that we should use this as a consistent theme. He mentioned that we already use the same design elements throughout Nottingham Park. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey introduces Focus Area #3 and #4 to the group, posing the question “What does gateway meant to you?” She gave examples of things that could be placed in Focus Area #3 including benches, art collections, bicycle parking and noted that the space could be larger than it appears on the map. She also mentioned that Focus Area #4 is a place that could be considered a “gateway” into Nottingham Park and encouraged the group to be creative with their ideas. The Committee commented/inquired: A. A “gateway” space should offer a sense of grandeur, and I would like there to be a sign the says “Nottingham Park” or something physical for people to walk under. B. A gateway structure should be obvious and grand. I have a hard time envisioning this with Lake Street in between the pedestrian mall and the park. The general perspective of parks is one of outdoor space and we could consider outlining it with trees. C. Is there a way to connect Focus Areas #3 and #4 so that there is a more cohesive feel to the space? An arched structure could fit well as a gateway. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey mentioned that the upper field in Nottingham Park is a sand-based crown athletic field, and the dimensions are within regulation guidelines. She mentioned that we do not want to lose any of the athletic field space and so reducing the field space for a gateway structure is not an option. Town Manager Heil mentioned that the gateway could be a combination of wayfinding while incorporating a relevant design theme. He provided examples of physical gateways that include arches, tunnels, art and stone. He mentioned that placing design elements on all four corners of the crosswalk space across Lake Street could be a way to offer a more unique gateway, noting that the street can make designing this element difficult. Town Manager Heil showed the group some options for Focus Area #4 that incorporated the Lake Street crosswalk. He noted that ideas including any kind of local flavor would be beneficial to provide to the designs, stating that he liked the idea of a bronze moose, and encouraged other ideas that emulate Avon’s character. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Why is there a quarter circle design around the Lake Street crosswalk rather than a half circle? Town Manager Heil mentioned that there are no plans south of the crosswalk delineation because we do not know what is happening with the Old Fire Station (Lot 351) yet. Town Planner Morgan mentioned that none of these plans are set in stone and that Lot 351 is still a question mark. The Committee commented/inquired: A. I have been considering this design for a long time, and I think that this space should have both a visual and physical connection. The visual connection could be in conjunction with Focus Area #3 and the walkway could be CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 16 JANUARY 2025 PAGE 5 | 7 shifted to the south as the library is going to play a huge role in this project. A physical gateway could be placed along the intersection of Lake Street and the recreation path, or along the south recreation path. People walk along this path very frequently and it would not take away from the visual of the park when coming from the pedestrian pathway. The gateway is part of a larger sequence of arrivals, and it could be the gateway to the park, Main Street Mall, and act as an intersection for all these locations. B. A gateway should be representative of both sides and could allow for more fluidity. Town Manager Heil commented that this is why we are doing the layout first before solidifying designs. He mentioned that it would be easy to take a phased approach and that it would not make sense to do much with the lot behind the library until we know what is happening with Lot 351. The Committee commented/inquired: A. The library is an important factor that was also discussed in early meetings regarding the Avon Recreation Center. Food trucks or allocating designated food truck spaces is not an appealing feature for me. The views could be in the way of the park, detracting from what we all think is so special about this project. B. I like the idea of doing something on both sides of Lake Street. Having an archway or something that frames the large tree in the upper field could be a great way to highlight a feature that a lot of people have an emotional connection with. C. We should name the tree. D. Should we consider a construction easement if we do not know what is happening with Lot 351? E. I like the idea of the gateway element having an entryway in both directions. Would there be any damage to potential landscaping if we do not provide a pathway for people to follow? F. I do not love the idea of a smaller circular element on Lake Street. There are already lots of blind spots and that making the road skinnier could impede people’s ability to drive and make it less safe for pedestrians. Town Manager Heil mentioned that Focus Area #3 on the west side of Mikaela Way would be a good location for continuing the theme of circles, without trying to introduce programming. He stated that this would be a good area for art, landscaping, picnic tables, or benches. He also mentioned that having the library move their entryway to that side of Focus Area #3 would be major work and that he does not foresee this happening. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Instead of a new entryway, it would be nice to add a large window on that side of the library. B. The landscaping behind the library is a key part of Focus Area #3, but we cannot do anything with that piece because it is part of the library. C. Why would Focus Area #3 be part of the library space? A circular space would fit well within the food truck area incorporated into Focus Area #1 to open up the space. D. The repetition of materials is beneficial. The crosswalk across Mikaela Way should have pavers and be a different material so that drivers understand it is a pedestrian space. We should make the pedestrians dominant and not subservient to cars. E. Could we incorporate speed tables for the crosswalk areas? CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 16 JANUARY 2025 PAGE 6 | 7 Town Planner Morgan mentioned that a representative from the library has joined in Planning and Zoning Committee meetings and that it is helpful to hear from this group what we would want the library to consider. He stated that they are happy to continue conversations with the library. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey thanks everyone for their feedback and reviews a parking map with the group. She asked the group what they thought about reduced parking in the Recreation Center west lot. Town Manager Heil mentioned that they are presenting additional parking on Lake Street, in front of the Avon Recreation Center. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Slowing vehicles down is a good thing and pedestrians do not want to feel scared. There are some parts of Avon that are dangerous to walk. If losing a parking spot makes it safer for pedestrians, then it should take precedent. Town Manager Heil mentioned that although we want the space to be pedestrian friendly, we still want additional parking. He noted that the Main Street Mall pedestrian pathway does not have any vehicles, and that Mikaela Way is the only place that currently has an intersection of pedestrians and cars. He also mentioned that there is room to reconfigure as needed. Town Manager Heil stated that if we move the Main Street Mall project any further south, we are limiting the available space for any future projects related to Lot 351. The Committee commented/inquired: A. The Committee inquired about a possible relocation of the Metcalf Cabin and about an expected timeline for projects related to Lot 351. Town Manager Heil mentioned that the next steps for Lot 351 would be to get funds to do a structural and mechanical assessment, however we have been previously advised by Council to hold for now. He also mentioned that he would like to take Lot 351 to the Town Council this quarter, noting that it would be helpful to get assessments done to see what makes sense for the space and that a more grandiose vision is going to take more time. He mentioned that completing the pedestrian mall is a priority and that although we do not know what is happening with Lot 351, we feel comfortable moving forward with the pedestrian mall renovations from Lettuceshed Lane to Mikaela Way. The Committee commented/inquired: A. What is the right thing to do? We all felt strongly about orienting this project towards pedestrians and people rather than cars and we should do the right thing even if it is not popular. Let’s do it once and do it right. Getting rid of the food truck court piece of the Main Street Mall planning sounds like the right thing to do long term. 3. STAFF UPDATE / CURRENT ACTIVITY Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey gave a brief overview of the approved 2025 budget and announced that the Bravo! contract was approved for the event on June 26th. She also mentioned that load-in for that event will begin after AvonLIVE! on June 25th and that logistics are still in the planning stages. She stated that the fourth RFP for Art Around Avon has been released, and applications close on March 10th, noting that there are eight applications so far. She stated that there will be repair work to some of the pedestals throughout the month of April and that a jury panel will be selected soon. Chief Cultural Officer CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 16 JANUARY 2025 PAGE 7 | 7 Dempsey mentioned that we are working with The Seasons to install a large format mural, stating that the RFP will be released in the next 30 days or so. She mentioned that a representative from The Seasons will sit on the jury panel. The Committee commented/inquired: A. The Committee expressed their excitement for the Sinfónica de Minería event. B. Will an artist be chosen based on a specific design concept or based on the artist’s portfolio? Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey stated that we would be taking an approach based on the artists’ portfolio. She mentioned that applicants from last year’s mural project provided feedback, noting that we should consider an artist’s portfolio rather than one specific design. She stated that we will still provide a thesis statement to the applicants and envisions that this mural will have a heritage and ranching theme, but that the design guidelines are still to be determined. She stated that there are currently seven CASE Committee applications, and they will go in front of Town Council on February 25th, noting that Committee Member’s Justin Chesney and Danielle McNair have reapplied. 4. PLANNING Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey reviewed the CASE Committee meeting schedule for 2025. She also asked the Committee to review the goals laid out in the Strategic Planning document, noting that if we receive the NEA grant this April, the strategic plan will be put into motion. She stated that we are in the process of planning tours to peer cities for 2025, mentioning that we will be going to Salida, Buena Vista, Breckenridge, and Steamboat Springs. CLOSING COMMENTS Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey reviewed the upcoming schedule for Saturday’s Fireworks in Avon event. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 1:54pm. Respectfully submitted by: Emily Dennis Special Events Coordinator