October 2007 - Posts

• Meeting Minutes - September 18, 2007 - Economic Development Sub-committee

  Date: September 18, 2007 Place: Bradford Public Library Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Client: City of Bradford Time: 4:00 pm-5:30 pm MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Tom Arrowsmith, W. R. Case Bruce Burdick, McKean County Commissioner Linda Devlin, ANF Visitor’s Bureau Bob Esch, ARG Don Fredeen, WESB/WBRR Tom Frungillo, Bradford Regional Airport Deb Huston, City of Bradford OECD Brian Jadlawiec, Northwest Savings Bank Cary Kaber, Foster Township Supervisor Donny Kemick, Protocol 80 Richard LaBruzzi, RAM Forest Products Dennis Lowry Diana Maguire, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Ray McMahon, McKean County Dan Minich, Dresser Manufacturing John Peterson, City of Bradford Fred Proper, Bradford Area School District Tony Scardina, ANF District Manager - Bradford Ann Robinson, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Diane Sheeley, Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Samila Sosic Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To review the economic data and analysis gathered so far by Impact Economics. Items Discussed: Impact Economics is a consultant of the planning team so that the concepts in the comprehensive master plan can be based on economic realities. This meeting will be used to review the data that has been gathered thus far and review the first wave of analysis on that date. The 128-page report will be posted to the website (bradfordplan.protocol80.com) for anyone who wants to read the whole thing. The data sources for the report look at the timeframe from 2001 to 2004. The information gathered will allow us to compare local, regional and national data. The analysis performed will compare McKean County and the Nine County Region (6 counties in PA, 3 in NY) that surrounds McKean County. The analysis performed will go from general to specific. It will categorize the segments of the economies into priorities. We need to understand what industries are important before we look at the whole of the business market. In general terms there is the industry targeting analysis. It divides industries into 8 major sectors and allows us to compare county levels of activity against national averages. The ‘region’ refers to the 9 county area and ‘local’ refers to McKean County. Mining and Manufacturing are regional specializations. Manufacturing is unusually high. It is twice as concentrated in the region as the average for the nation (mining includes oil and gas extraction). Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing are doing well regionally, but the county is doing less than the region. (62%) Mining is a strength for the county but not for the region. Utilities and Construction are low for both study areas. Wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing are all low. Retail trade is only 10% in the region (which is unusual since there is no major urban core), but the county is even lower. Information is low. The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford isn't a research institution. Finance & Insurance, Real Estate, Professional Scientific & Technical Services, Management of Companies, Administrative & Waste Services, Educational Services are all low or below normative levels. Health & Social Services is low in the county. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation have low economic output despite all the amenities available in the area. Accommodation & Food Services, Other Services are about half of the national benchmark. Government and Non-NAICS seem to have lower levels of engagement than expected. The analysis of Regional Employment is similar to the Industry analysis. 4.  Ms. Devlin asked how activities related to tourism work in this analysis since they seem to fall in multiple categories. Mr. Tripp responded that once we get into more detail, we can pull fishing and hunting together with other tourism related activities to can create an industry cluster that can be studied for better data. He also commented that the data is based on how businesses categorize themselves. Businesses aren't counted twice, but in some cases they may have to choose one category over another if they are diversified. 5.  Productivity is key in international competition and an important economic factor to analyze. Another factor to review is the ‘Value Added’ amounts in different sectors. This analysis only counts what is added in your local economy. It doesn't count materials produced or extracted elsewhere. There are good value added sectors in the region and the county, but there is concern that mining and manufacturing have lower productivity than the country or the state. Natural Resources are not enough to drive the economy without value added services, which leads to the importance of human capital. These issues could be due to a higher average age (and thus higher average salary) of the workforce. This leads us to address career education structures and related issues. 6.  75% of the county employment is in 39 sectors, and half of the jobs are in 17 sectors. Although no sector accounts for more than 7% of the economy on its own. 7.  In doing further analysis, there are several questions that Mr. Tripp will attempt to answer. Are there any sectors that exist in PA and not in the county that should be considered for growth? Are there any related clusters of concentrated economic activity? Five clusters represent 30% of the jobs in the county. Can this area be a gateway community? This is a place that perhaps could attract knowledge workers that can be located anywhere and can be used to market the region. 8.  In the job analysis, the area overall lost jobs from 2001-2004. 23,383 jobs in the region and 3,101 jobs in the county were lost. 9.  The industry targeting analysis is used to try to understand how trends seen in the data can be used to benefit the local economy. It shows 22 Current Strengths (although general merchandise might just be from the ‘new’ Wal-Mart.) Now Mr. Tripp can run productivity numbers on the sectors that we care about from the results of the targeting analysis. 10.  There are not many up and coming sectors in emerging strengths, this might be a concern. There are some tourism sectors in the limited prospects category (hotels, food service). Truck transportation is low, but isn’t clear if this is a problem or not. Do many manufacturers have their own transportation? This also might have shifted because of oil and gas price changes. 11.  Committee members are strongly encouraged to discuss these issues on the website. There is a forum for this committee (Mr. Tripp made the first post already) and the report will be posted for in-depth review. Comments can also be made concerning other aspects of this process. It is hoped that the website can evolve into a marketing tool for the area when the master plan process is complete. 12.  There were some comments from committee members. Ms. Devlin thinks that the 9 county region is the right group to be studying. She would be interested to know what shifts have occurred since 2004 – specifically from the opening of the casino, the changes in the oil & gas industries, and changes at the university. Some data might be available from the McKean County training consortium. Are there traffic counts for the main roads? That may help us to see trends or understand truck traffic in the region. Also, the proposed tolling on I-80 could have a huge impact on this area. It is possible that the casino developers did traffic counts that we could use. The possible expansion of Route 219 to 4 lanes could have an impact, too. Adelphia is a company that has been decimated since 2004. This is probably not reflected in the data that we have. The glass plants have done some downsizing since 2004 as well. But at the same time a manufacturer of automotive glass has expanded. There are new local workforce partnerships – Allegheny Hardwood, Energy Partnerships, Healthcare, Plastics, etc. They are regional partnerships. Mr. Tripp asked that this type of information be posted on the website forums so a list can be generated. Kane Magnetics has shut down since 2004. There is a study going on of 6 counties to look for ways that the counties can work cooperatively for economic gains. It looks at 3 counties in New York and 3 counties in Pennsylvania. The team is a combination of students from St. Bonaventure and UPB. The study is funded by a federal grant. It would be great to share information with this 6-student team. Mr. Tripp would like to meet with them soon. It was suggested that the planning team should speak with the forest service at some point in the process. 13.  At the next meeting we should be figuring out what things matter to the companies in the critical sectors of the local economy. The members of this committee will be needed to help understand local companies better and to describe the particular situations affecting local businesses. Things like CEO personalities, local obstacles, etc are important to understand the whole picture. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect.   Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 31 2007, 01:30 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - September 18, 2007 - Steering Committee

  Date: September 18, 2007 Place: Bradford Public Library Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Client: City of Bradford Time: 6:30 pm-9:00 pm MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Livingston Alexander, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Linda Delaney Linda Devlin, ANF Visitors Bureau Rick Esch, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Chris Hauser, Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp Rob Huber, Bradford Travel Kathy Jones, Zippo George Leonhardt, BRMC Bill Leven, Futures *** McDowell, Bradford Area Alliance Carolyn Boser Newhouse, SuperUser Technology Larry Persing, State Senator Joe Scarnati John Peterson, City of Bradford Brad Preston, Sawyer Evangelical Church Tom Riel, Business Owner Sandy Romanowski, Bradford Area School District Tom Urban, Beacon Light Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning/Planning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To review the meetings the planning team has had thus far, discuss the economic analysis thus far and discuss some of the topics from the last meeting in greater detail. Items Discussed: The planning team began by reviewing some of the comments that we heard from the high school and college students earlier in the day. The high school students have trouble defining where they live. They don't know where the lines are, but they all say that they live in Bradford. There is also gloominess about the town that the kids express, too. They think that others look down on Bradford and they think that anything nice will be trashed. On a positive note, they don’t want a mall if it would mean sacrificing downtown. They are also 'bored' and the discussion about wanting a mall seems to be more about a place to have fun, hang-out, eat, and be seen. It is an active and interesting place where they can be involved in what goes on. The students also expressed a lot of concern about the drug problem and a lack of policing. They speak as though they have plenty of disposable income, and they describe downtown as an old place. They see the University as a town asset. The University students think that the bars in town are dumps, and they don’t go there because they are too dirty. Their reasons for not using town include inconvenient parking (they say that the shuttle is unreliable, so most of them drive), dated products in old stores and nothing to attract them. The go to Wal-mart to shop or they leave town. They would love to have an off-campus-gathering place with similar atmosphere to a Barnes & Noble or Frame-Westerberg Commons. Mr. Filoni asked if we have missed anything in the Topics of Discussion list from our last meeting. Instead of ‘The Wilds’ it should be "PA" Wilds Education and Workforce Development (vocational training – Simon would like to meeting with the high school vocational teachers) Churches Town and Gown relationship Parks and Recreation – Green space (trails, forest, etc.) Leisure activities 5.  Mr. Filoni asked if we have missed anything in the Shared list from our last meeting Land Use – It would be good if the zoning was coordinated to ignore municipal boundaries Schools - Students think of themselves as one Recreation The Creek – The planning team heard comments today that people are discouraged from being in or near the creek. This is an obstacle and Mr. Peterson commented that there is no reason for people to be discouraged from being in the water Maybe we should separate adult recreation from youth recreation on the list, since the youth see ‘hanging out’ as a form of recreation. (The idea of a mall as the new town piazza) Places of employment and job opportunities Resources – fire, police, ems – the amount that these services are shared is more extensive than some people realized Negative views of the area – The planning team has encountered this with every group we have talked to. How can the master plan help with this issue? We have heard "but it will never happen here" a number of times. Shared possibilities and potential Coffee shop – People have wanted one for a while, but they didn't think it could happen here Transportation – The ATA buses is the only way to operate without a car. It primarily serves seniors but others could benefit. There is no taxi service. Many students have a part time job just to have a car. Flood Control and the Creek The Water System and the Water Authority (only a minority have wells) The Sanitary System The Trail System The Road system – quality and maintenance varies but it provides connections The Library Housing is shared because many people live and work in different municipalities Cultural events and arts programs The list should show all services separately, instead of "government services" 6.  Mr. Tripp spoke for a few minutes about the sconomic analysis that has been accomplished so far. The full report will be posted to the website for anyone interested in reading it. The analysis compares McKean County and the Nine County Region against national statistics. The data is from 2004. There are two sectors with specializations in the county – mining and manufacturing Agriculture and forestry are doing well in the region but not strong in the county. Information is not strong in the county or the region. This is a concern because mining is cyclical and there is a need for sectors to come up when resources naturally go down. The employment analysis is the same plus agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting are doing well The strong sectors are export industries There are quite a few sectors with good productivity, but there is low productivity in mining and manufacturing. This could be because the workforce is older and at a higher wage level. Mr. Tripp will look at all of this at a more detailed level next to try to figure out where the issues are. There are clusters of concentrated economic activity, but there isn’t too much dependence on any sector. There is still an intensive base of manufacturing. In whatever decisions are made, we shouldn’t expect healthcare to drive growth. He has some concern that there aren't many strong sectors in emerging strengths The University isn't a research university, so this might be the sector to look at as gateway community idea. 7.  Ms. Romanowski spoke for a few minutes about the partnerships going on with the public school system. There is a new robotics program at the high school with a CMU partnership that has a waiting list to get involved. The career and technical programs at the high school were rated #1 in a survey of recent graduates and there is a big advantage to having those programs in the building. The hope is that private and public partnerships can make the vocational programs even better. There are new programs with Dresser and the oil/gas industries. There is no community college north of I-80, so for some vocational education is critical. There are many local kids who go to UPB and choose to stay in Bradford after they graduate. And those who come back after a time away are committed to making Bradford a better place and seeing the positives of the place. 8. Mr. Filoni brought up the topic of "Entrance". This is the first designed element that the team wants to tackle and there will be drawings for discussion at the next committee meeting. So we should discuss this issue to get a framework for what to focus on. The visual elements of town are important, both to new visitors and established residents. The planning team has the impression that the 219 bypass has created a separation. Mr. Peterson commented that he thinks the building of the 219 bypass was the start of Bradford's problems, although there was always an East Bradford although the division doesn't necessarily occur at the bypass. When it was built, only 10% of those displaced could find new housing in the city. From Fosterbrook, it is faster to go down 219 to get to downtown when the road isn't under construction and this isn't good for commercial interests. There is a bottleneck at East Main and High street. It is a bad intersection. For an outsider, the various exits from 219 are the entrances to the city. It is confusing that the entrance and exit ramps aren't at the same intersections. The entrance from the north on 219 is more problematic because it is much more industrial. The other ramp is by the two hotels. There are no restaurants by the hotels. Maybe there are some opportunities in that area by TOPS and the railroad. If you're coming to Bradford from Allegheny State Park, you enter town via Interstate Parkway. Good signage at all exits from 219 is critical, especially at Fosterbrook because there is so much going on and there isn't a clear way to downtown Bradford from there. Overall way-finding signage is needed throughout the area. There are issues related to 'entrance' and 'front door' For a 1st time visitor, a tourist or traveler who decides to stop, what do they think? For a resident or regular visitor, does the lack of attractive-ness feed local negativity? 10.  How is the treatment of entrances affected by the three different municipalities? How do we go beyond political boundaries or can we? Are signs even needed for all three municipalities or just "Bradford" signage? A few people commented that they don't think residents care about the boundaries except when it comes to their taxes. Only the politicians might have a problem if the boundaries are ignored. In the view of the planning team, entrance signs for the townships don't help the regional strategy, so they aren't on the table. 11.  Maybe the entrance should be marked with "Welcome to the Bradford Area School District" - it is something that everyone can get behind and it is prideful for the kids. 12.  MCF will make some proposals next time for these issues. It is possible to live in a place and not see things. Committee member should go on some driving visits or walking visits of Bradford to get a better sense of how things really look. 13.  Another critical topic in Bradford is Housing The pictures in the MCF slideshow don't represent some of the really nice houses in the area. The team has heard many mentions of bad properties next to nice ones and we have been told that there is need for more new housing even though the population is decreasing. Is part of the problem finding owners willing to renovate older homes? That is part of it, and there are also lots of older homes with on street parking, which is less desirable. There are also issues with the public and kiwanis housing. Based on the planning team's meeting with the housing authority, there are only two families in their units that perpetuate welfare usage from generation to generation. Also, they mentioned that they could now screen residents (unlike before) and they don't see their residents as a "problem" in town. The Bradford Housing Authority units are in good shape on the outside, and they are all full and in demand. A committee member responded that 90% of police calls go to public housing area. The issue is not about how the buildings look, but the actions that are happening inside. Also, the low cost of housing is attractive to systematic welfare users. 14.  We need to talk about what positions the master plan will take on housing. One issue is the growth of rental properties around town. Ms. Romanowski pointed out another issue. 52% of elementary students and 40% of the overall school district is on free and reduced lunch. There is growth every year of the number of disadvantaged children. They are not going away and nothing is being done to improve the situation. Mr. Tripp agreed and added that no one can just say, "they're the problem". Part of this process has to involve embracing the disadvantaged population as a part of the human capitol and the potential of the region. What opportunities does this challenge provide? Someone commented that changes to the NY welfare program have caused some people to cross the border. The planning team will get some real statistics about welfare and assistance programs to see if the problem really is more pronounced in Bradford. We need to explore the perception that this is the center for welfare support or SSD because really the welfare system is federal and should be about the same everywhere. This perception is as old and as pervasive as the negative attitude. Ms. Devlin commented that another issue is the fact that the middle class has already shrunk. It seems like there are a lot of wealthy and poor in the area. The elderly poor living only on social security is an issue as well. According to Standard and Poors, the school district has better resources than the area should be able to support. How can the same resources be attractive to the middle class? How do we engage the lower income community during the economic development process? Another issue is that at least in Section 8 housing, there are minimum requirements that must be met. Those units are better than some of the offerings of local slum landlords. Another housing issue is to determine what new housing is really needed and what types will work best for the community. Possibilities include infill with new homes, building townhouses, creating apartments above businesses, bring developers to build developments with a more suburban feel, apartment buildings (like the one up on the hill that was built as luxury housing), etc. Mr. Peterson commented that a mixture of new housing types is needed. Upper, middle and apartments, as well as infill housing, too. When it comes to the townships, should new homes be a mixture of housing types or stay predominantly single family housing? Several people responded that it would be nice to allow multi-family housing and allowing small commercial is okay so that you don't have to drive 10 minutes just for a market. The housing mix is crucial to the growing University. With the last two freshman classes there has been a growing percentage of students coming from outside of the 6 county region. This past year the percentage is 60%, so more students need to live on campus and more are likely looking for off-campus housing. The University will need to tell students they can't be accommodated or try to find quality rental housing off campus. There are limited apartment complexes for young professionals coming in as staff and faculty members as well. There is a lot of housing that is either expensive or not desirable. People making $40-$75,000/year are having trouble finding homes that they can afford. It is somewhat easier to find them in the townships, but those are still older homes that need maintenance. It is hard to find empty available lots. They exist in the townships, but there are areas without sewer and water, which makes individual homebuilding much more expensive. It is even hard for developer wanting to build multiple homes. The master plan also has to consider what happens to the older housing stock that isn't being maintained or renovated new housing is being constructed. Also, if homes are demolished, what happens on those properties? Can they be reused and combined for new houses? Do they become yards for houses next door? And even if the land can be used, the city is probably losing tax revenue for each house that is lost, so new housing in the city is critical as old housing is lost. This is an issue that has to be considered by the zoning committee and the zoning board. We don't want town to look like a smile with a lot of teeth missing. Foster Township is hurting because the Wal-mart property was reassessed. The taxes fell in half. But the townships also have to keep in mind that building housing developments costs municipalities more in infrastructure than the benefits that they get from the residents. If people really want more housing, they'll pay for the infrastructure. But will those people be attracted if the housing isn't already built? The issue with downtown housing is figuring out where residents will park. Currently on-street parking is not legal overnight. Also, is the community walkable enough to make downtown housing attractive. 15.  Mr. Filoni reminded the committee that not everybody would get what they want. Given the current population it is unlikely that Bradford can have the mall and the downtown businesses. And given the geography of the area, there can't be a vibrant downtown and tons of single family homes on 5-acre lots. It isn't possible to have a downtown like "we used to" and have parking for every car. In Europe, the money is spent on the downtown core, transportation and things for the greater good. 16.  The planning team challenges everyone to come up with the priorities that they think are most important and achievable because not everything can be done. These lists should be made assuming that all three municipalities will work together. Also, everyone should post something in the forums and encourage others to post and read, too. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 31 2007, 01:03 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - September 18, 2007 - University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Students

  September 18, 2007 Place: Frame Westerberg Commons Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Client: City of Bradford Time: 1:00 pm-2:30 pm MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Tesla Moore, UPB Freshman Zachary Karenchak, UPB Freshman Martin Ciprian, UPB Freshman Chris Purvis, UPB Sophomore Lana Radl, UPB Sophomore Katie Gnan, UPB Sophomore Emily Hanes, UPB Sophomore Ryan Oliver, UPB Sophomore Channing Porter, UPB Sophomore Stephanie Petchel, UPB Sophomore Donald Abanquah, UPB Sophomore Joanne Conde, UPB Junior Catherine Epstein, UPB Junior Leyla Lindsay, UPB Junior Kelly Kriner, UPB Junior Ashley Smith, UPB Junior Jason Copeland, UPB Junior Jada Reeves, UPB Junior Katie Ryan, UPB Junior Brady Colyer, UPB Senior Brian Gormont, UPB Senior Chris Falls, UPB Senior Nicole Amrhein, UPB Senior Rinku Patel, UPB Senior Noel Bartlett, UPB Senior Luke Vaughn, UPB Senior Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To discuss reactions of local university students to the Bradford area. Items Discussed: The planning team introduced themselves and the students introduced themselves. In addition to the students that are from Bradford, this group comes from Los Angeles, CA, Elmira, PA, Pittsburgh, PA (3 students), Emporium, PA, Kane, PA, Philadelphia, PA, St. Mary’s, PA, Benson, PA and Chardon, OH (suburb of Cleveland). Students expressed liking the "home aesthetics" feeling and regional PA students mentioned that they have traveled through Bradford to go north to Canada. Most of the students have cars. They go to Wal-Mart to go shopping, but there is no other good place locally to find women’s clothing. Reasons to go to downtown Bradford: Mexican restaurant Movie Theater McDonalds, Subway Tops Movie store Abasso, Beefeaters Coffee Shop (most found out about it through word of mouth They might consider going to town for the bars, but they are not in great shape 4.  Things they think are missing from downtown Bradford: Bigger movie theater with more variety More variety of restaurants Candy store Recreation area – ping pong, pool, tennis, racquetball 5.  Some walk or ride their bike, but most drive to town from campus. There do find parking issues when they go. They park at TOPS for movies and the Seneca building doesn't have student parking. The shuttle isn't reliable for going to the Seneca building, so they have to drive if they don’t want to be late for class. 6.  About 2/3rds of the students are living on campus. They only feel moderately welcome downtown. It depends on where you go. The Pastry shop owner loves them, but the waiters don't. The Mexican restaurant is very welcoming. One student received worse service after showing a Pitt ID. When freshmen first arrive, they don’t know anything about town or really where it is in relation to campus. 7.  There is no real entertainment for college students in town. They would love to see cafes, more coffee shops, bookstores, a student union and stores aimed for younger adults than what are there now. 8.  From their point of view, "Downtown" starts at Mechanic Street. They also don’t think of Bradford as a college town. Town support is more geared toward the high school. One student commented that even though IUP is small there is a lot to do in town and there is a small mall. The same is true at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. There are also too many dollar stores. And students have the impression that when stores leave they aren't replaced. 9.  The students do know others that take advantage of the local state forests and parks. They know people who go camping. Tents can be rented from the sports and fitness center and are generally used for a one-night trip. Most students are in intensive programs and they don’t necessarily have a lot of time to use those resources that are further from campus. And they are not high on the priority list for prospective students because they can only do something like that once a month. 10.  Other than nursing, it is difficult to get class related experience in Bradford. When polled, there were 2 non-traditional students who are interested in staying in Bradford, but no one else raised their hand. The rest of the students said that it is because there is nothing for the younger generations to do. 11.  Students feel that the campus is safe but downtown can be shady. One student lived near the square and he commented on the number of people hanging out there. Several people agreed that the end of downtown closest to campus is the worst part of downtown. It seems to them that the police get bored and just follow random cars looking for reason to pull them over. They have also noticed increased gang activity. There is graffiti and drug problems. Several of them have been told about issues with the local welfare population from local business owners and a few commented on seeing houses in disrepair. 12.  A student from St. Mary’s, PA commented that he thinks that his town has a lot in common with Bradford. The population there is about 14,000, but he thinks that it is somewhat less depressed and cleaner. 13.  There were a few complaints about the hospital. Students commented on extremely slow service, a lack of privacy, and a 5-6 hour wait to see a doctor. Their impression is that the staff doesn’t disturb the doctors overnight. One student went to Olean, NY because of stories she has heard about BRMC. Another student dealt with rude nurses and slow triage service, which seemed odd since there were only a handful of other people there. Another student mentioned that the attitude of the nurses and staff also changes depending on what floor a patient is on. 14.  Most students didn’t have anything to say about local churches. But one student volunteers at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. She said that they have a youth group for teenagers with good turnout. 15.  It was mentioned that the roads are not in good shape, the construction on 219 seems never-ending and the streets aren’t plowed well in the winter. 16.  The planning team asked about entrepreneurial activity and there wasn’t much of a response. The only business start-up that anyone could think of is Miss Maggies, which is run by a student and her mother. 17.  The planning team asked about the kind of atmosphere that students are looking for downtown and whether they would rather see a vibrant downtown or a local mall. One student doesn’t think there should have to be a choice between a mall and a nice downtown. Another suggested that the team experience the atmosphere in Ellicottville, NY. It seems like there is always something going on there and plenty to do. Indiana, PA also has pretty streets and nice shops. An atmosphere that includes people, window shopping, and food would be nice. That is enough of "something to do". There doesn’t necessarily need to be specific entertainment. They would like there to be good ways of socializing with people from the town and other students without having to go to a bar. They say that they would go downtown if things were open. They do go to the coffee shop in the evening. In the evening, when they want fun, a dance club would be great. Alcohol may not be necessary. An 18 and older club would be good, especially since underage students at UPB don’t have any places to go in town. Maybe if UPB students got to know residents they might consider staying after graduation. Some students go to other college towns to party and socialize. In many cases, it is not about alcohol, it is about having fun. At IUP there are alcohol-free parties in the student union. Aesthetics are important for choosing a place to hang out for some students. They will keep going back to a place that is ‘pretty’. Because of the winter weather, students primarily drive to and from town and the cost of parking is an issue. Maybe with more reliable and frequent shuttle transportation there would be more students going to and from town. The students seemed to agree that student retention would be better with a better college town. The town isn’t a factor in students choosing to come here, but it could be a factor if it was more appealing. The students think that the school and the programs are great, and they don't regret the decision to come to UPB, but downtown didn't impact their decision either way. Bike lanes on city streets would be nice. There are more students riding bikes that ever before, especially with the new bike shop downtown and the formation of biking groups. There is no real bike parking in town either. They like the trails and they are seeing them used more than before. 18.  Students say that they go home for weekends rather than having their parents visit them in Bradford. One student said that she took her parents up to the casino when they came to visit, but the casino isn’t a big draw for students in general. It is the only thing there. 19.  The University’s winter formal is in Olean, NY because there is no appropriate banquet facility in Bradford. 20.  Students were asked what they would want if they could have one thing: A Barnes & Noble A mall A place with atmosphere like Frame-Westerberg commons in town – a casual place where they could socialize off-campus. 21.  They would also like to see: More people from the community on campus The ability to kayak on the creek (it would need to be deeper for kayaks). One fraternity has "tubed" down the tuna and they got in trouble because they aren't supposed to be in the water. They went from campus to Fosterbrook. Several people agreed that casual use of the creek gets people in trouble. Citizens can't enjoy it so they don’t see it as an amenity anymore. More summer job options to keep students here between semesters. Although another student commented that she has gone on interviews and employers have told her they're having trouble finding good employees. They are experiencing a lot of turnover. Decent off-campus housing. Some students are living in public housing and being charged a lot. It seems like most of the Section 8 housing is provided by two main slum landlords. 22.  The planning team would like to meet with this group again in 4-6 months to present the proposals so far and get more student input. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect.   Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 30 2007, 05:04 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - September 19, 2007 - Realtors

  Date: September 19, 2007 Place: OECD Office Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Client: City of Bradford Time: 9:45 am-11:00 am MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Marsh Shannon Chuck Cooper Kathy Obermeyer Mike DePalma Tony Silviano, Coleen Christy Real Estate David Lunden Tracy Schoonover, Schoonover Real Estate Brady Schoonover, Schoonover Real Estate Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To discuss the housing market in the Bradford Area. Items Discussed: Mr. Filoni began by describing the master planning process. The team will take a year to learn about Bradford and come up with potential strategies that have a good economic foundation. With those that the planning team has talked to so far, there have been common themes. We have encountered a lot of negative attitudes and discouragement. The idea that Bradford is old, tired and not working. There is the issue of the low-income population taking blame for the city's problems and problem areas. Everyone sees the city of Bradford and its downtown as the core of the area. (The study area is the city along with Bradford Township and Foster Township.) There are shared services among the three municipalities but a divided tax base. Many people have said that there is nothing to do here and nothing downtown. There are people who would like to do something with the upper floors on Main Street, but it isn't clear the best way to do that. Housing conditions are an issue in a number of areas. There are poorly maintained properties (primarily in the city) and it is said that new housing is needed Mr. Tripp is part of the team to do Economic Development analysis on the area. According to the work done so far, the real estate sector is very depressed. It is only about 14% of the expected amount. The construction sector is low, too. The planning team asked the realtors to describe their views of the current market. New jobs (for the oil and gas companies) are bringing new homebuyers. They are also getting home buyers that are looking to escape cities, escape NY taxes, retire, and work from home. They are getting the buyers through realtor.com and coldwellbanker.com. Property taxes are still a deterrent and this summer there were a lot of lookers and not as many buyers. The price range of most of he higher end housing is $150,000-$200,000. The nice homes up the hill from the high school are generally $200-250,000. Today's buyers and more savvy and picky about what they are looking for. They want a 3-bedroom ranch with a full basement on a 1-acre lot more than they want luxuries and upgrades. They want a price range of $85,000-$120,000 or $150,000 with a little more land. They are looking for a good roof, heating system, windows, etc. They will deal with paint, and small repairs (driveways, etc). The realtors are trying to find creative ways to sell homes that need some work. On the New York side of the border, there are more houses available than interested buyers. But in Pennsylvania there are more buyers than houses. In the winter, when companies bring people in those people need to buy promptly. But those who come in other seasons or retirees have more time to look around to find precisely what they want. The team asked if housing prices matches available incomes or are they based on real assessments? It seems that for some of the owners from here, they are struggling to afford $80,000 and cover the taxes, too. But on the other hand, some people coming in from outside the market can afford more, but the realtors don't have much to offer in the $120,000-$150,000 range. The housing that OECD builds cuts into market, too. A few other comments about the local housing market: a.  In some areas of the valley, extending water and sewer is an issue. b.  They think that a development of ranches at $80,000-120,000 would sell well. c.  Buyers don't want to be on the hill. d.  There is a big gap between low and high-end homes. e.  Lot size is an issue in selling city homes. f.  Locally, the townhouse generation may have been missed. g.  There are not many true neighborhoods in this area. Derrick City feels like a place, but in the township, you don't feel like you've arrived anywhere. h.  It costs a lot of money to build a house today. i.  People coming back to get away from city, from their commute and getting back to the small town. j.  There is a high foreclosure rates on homeowners who stretch to become homeowners. k.  There is a need for housing for those with incomes from $45,000-$65,000. 10.  Existing downtown loft owners are raising rents or giving up on them because of poor tenants. The area doesn't have a market for families wanting to live in lofts downtown. Also, these realtors generally don't deal with a lot of renters. There are also downtown issues with loiterers in the square. There has been some attrition of slum landlords in the area. And there are also some local landlords who are doing good work and who they will notify when properties become available. Even with houses that need rehabilitation buyers don't want big-ticket items to deal with, but they will do some fixing. 11.  The realtors think that the code inspectors are overwhelmed. They think that they are trying but they can't keep up. 12.  Residents don't do a lot of house swapping around here. There aren't really any starter homes, retirement homes, etc. A few older people are leaving 2 story homes, but there are no good places to downsize to. 13.  In some cases, the conditions of properties reflect the older generation on a fixed income that can't afford to move or do maintenance. They are just keeping up with taxes and getting by. 14.  The red brick apartment building up on the hill used to be higher end apartments, but it isn't any longer. The realtors think that apartment buildings would be marketable for renting but not for purchasing. There is still a high demand for quality rental housing. 15.  The hospital owns some homes to rent to new employees while they look for a place to live, and some new employees end up buying because they can't find anything to rent. 16.  No one has jumped on the market of student housing. Some parents buy a low-end house for 4 years instead of renting a place for their child while they're in school. 17.  Taxes are less of an issue in the townships, but there is still a school tax issue. There is also a new house tax penalty since the taxes are based on a 1997 base year scale. A new homeowner could be paying $3-5K/year, and an older homeowner is paying less. This is a common problem in Pennsylvania. 18.   The realtors think that retirement townhouses would only work if they were single floor, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with 1-2 car garage. But single ranch homes would be even better. There is some retirement housing happening in Olean (specifically in Allegheny), but it shouldn’t be copied since Olean is a bigger market. 19.  The realtors think that their generation is the one to focus on. They own their homes, they are raising their kids here and they are planning to stay. 20.  When showing the area to potential clients, there is an image problem coming into Bradford, especially from the North. They don't mind showing potential buyers downtown with an explanation of what's going on, but they don't take them on certain streets. 21.  For commercial real estate, comps have to come from Erie and Pittsburgh. It makes it a difficult market for getting a good appraisal and to get interested buyers. The person charged with handling the Bradford Mall property doesn’t respond and the janitor shows around interested buyers. Even though only Kmart is on the market, the whole thing might be available if contact could be made. 22.  There are some territorial issues. The "right" buyer will get more help from municipalities if there is an issue. 23.  There is no multi-list because the realtors of the past didn't want to work together. But today’s realtors thing that there is more money to be made in an MLS system. It would help new people coming in, too. There is someone working on a McKean county MLS system. There is still some jealousy among agents and some don’t work cooperatively, but there is hope that there will be an MLS system by the end of the year. Not everyone will participate, but eventually everyone will have to participate in order to stay competitive with those using the system. 24.  The realtors appreciate being asked to be included in the master plan process. The zoning boards are not really an issue for them. They don’t think that there are big impediments to getting variances. Water and sewage are probably the biggest issues affecting the realtors and future housing development. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect.   Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 30 2007, 12:35 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - September 18, 2007 - High School Students

  September 18, 2007 Place: Bradford Area High School Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Client: City of Bradford Time: 10:30 am-12:00 pm MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: A group of 16 Bradford Area High School Students from all 4 classes Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To discuss reactions of local students to the Bradford Area. Items Discussed: Mr. Filoni began by describing the master plan process and the experience of the planning team. As a group, the goal is to get input from many different parts of the Bradford population and try to make changes and improvements for everyone’s benefit. The interests and opinions of students are important since many young people don’t choose to stay in Bradford. To understand the group, Mr. Filoni asked each student to introduce him or herself by stating their name, their class and where they live in the area. Some students were unsure about where the boundaries are and what municipality they live in. A few had a specific reason to know what township they live in, but all of them seemed to feel that they live in "Bradford" and the boundaries don’t seem to matter much to them. 7 students live in Bradford Township, 1 lives in Foster Township, 7 live in the City of Bradford and 1 lives is Lewis Run. 3 students were born somewhere else and the rest are originally from Bradford. A few students walk to school, but most drive themselves or are driven. Quite a few of the students went to private K-5 or K-8 schools. There are about 1000 students at the high school. These students don’t know exactly why they were chosen for this focus group. They think it might be because they tend to speak up in class. One student is considering 2-year college and the rest plan to go to a 4-year college or university. A lot of local students end up going to UPB but only 2 are currently planning to go there. All of the students have computers. Most have desktop computers at home. Students were asked about the best and worst things in Bradford. Responses varied, but this is a summary of what was heard. Some said that Wal-Mart is one of the best things in Bradford, but other students hate it. Others said that Wal-Mart and Perkins are good places to go when one is bored. The worst thing about Bradford is that there is nothing to do. The only options are to go shopping or to go to the woods to hang out. East Main Street in East Bradford has nice parts mixed in with bad areas, just like downtown. Drugs are a problem downtown and in the schools. The nice houses are up the hill from the high school and down interstate parkway, further from the center of town. Reasons to go downtown are to eat (they like the Mexican restaurant), to get manicures and to get groceries. The movies at the theater are either too late or not interesting to this crowd. They don’t think that the crowd at the theater is great either. The ‘problem’ people (including kids) hang out at the parks. The skate park was nice, but now there is a drug issue there. The students go to Olean for the mall, the movies, a dance club, taco bell and more nice restaurants. They also go to Erie, Jamestown and Buffalo for even better shopping than Olean. They think a negative is that they see lots of people on welfare here. They don’t go to the grocery store on food stamp days. There are too many dollar stores in Bradford. They think that there are too many people that don't take care of the nice things that the town has. There is a population that doesn't teach their children to respect property and others. Spray paint, tobacco spit and broken items are all issues. There is some pride in the community, especially for the sports teams, but that is just a segment of the population. They think that the University campus is the nicest part of Bradford. They use the trails and some have been in the dining facilities. They can’t use the fields, but have used the pool and exercise facilities. It would be nice if there were nice houses around it instead of public housing. The downtown stores are full of old stuff, like the owner’s are all living in the past. And the proprietors are not friendly to young people either. "Older people expect all kids are going to do bad things." 5.  Other comments about issues and things to do in the Bradford area. There are some students who go see shows at the University with family members since there are a variety of local groups that perform in Blaisdell. Young people say that they don't want to come back but quite a few do to be near family. One student commented that he would come back if there were a good job opportunity here. They think that the hospital here has a lack of equipment compared to Buffalo and Pittsburgh. It seems like all serious injuries get flown out of town and both the ER and doctor’s appointments involve a long wait. They don’t think that parking is a problem downtown, although there isn’t enough parking at the YMCA. They go there to swim and exercise. It used to be a really popular place to hang out when they were middle school age, but now it is primarily for smaller kids and someone new took over. Some churches have concerts with local bands, but not a lot of other activities that they are aware of. There are a lot of churches and they all have Sunday school. No one here belongs to any church youth groups, but they probably exist. There is ice skating at Callahan Park in the winter. At $20/person, bowling is too expensive for a Friday night and the roller skating rink was flooded and closed. They go to the coffee shop, but you can only hang out upstairs if you buy something. "Behind the 8’s" is a pool hall, but there is a drug issue there. There are good hunting and recreational options in there area. About half of the students go to Holiday Valley to ski. They look forward to Italian Festival, though they think it is more for the older crowd. A big activity after school is going out to eat. Subway, Sports Café, the Chinese Restaurant and the Mexican restaurant are the most popular, but the Mexican is the only "good" food option. Some of the students estimate that they spend $15-20 per day on food, coffee, etc. 6.  The planning team asked about what things the students would like to see in Bradford. A dance club or a teen club would be nice. The school dances are very popular, but they always have to be at the school in the cafeteria. A few students mentioned that they like Warren, PA. It has a mall (indoor mall, food court, popular stores, etc) Several others mentioned downtown Ellicottville, NY. There are neat little shops, more festivals, clean streets, nice decorations, and it seems like there is always something to do. They would also like to see more jobs available for kids. There aren’t a lot of choices other than McDonalds and food service. There are some jobs at the golf course and a few jobs available through vo-tech classes. 7.  The students had several comments about Bradford’s identity and the police. The students see the police as being ineffective and unaware, although there was recently a big drug bust with the FBI and swat team. There are no more beat cops downtown and it seems like the police are only interested in catching speeders and breaking up parties. Stolen bikes, egged cars and mini-marts being robbed are all issues that they see in town. Some students expressed that they feel safer on W. Washington Street than downtown. Most of the students have friends who live in other towns and it seems to them that the smaller towns have people that care more because the towns are smaller. How do you get people to care more about what happens in town? The students also think that there are fewer cliques in the smaller towns. They also think that other people make fun of Bradford. They think that it is called a "hick town" and that "everyone hates Bradford". The students said that the sports teams are so good because there isn't enough else to do. 8.  When asked what they think of when they think of Bradford’s past, they respond with the following: Oil "Little Italy" and the mafia Zippo They have heard stories from families about how nice the town used to be They think that things are run down that used to be nice, especially houses and buildings Lots of big, nice houses have been turned into apartments Mr. Filoni commented that he is surprised that some of these comments are as negative as the adults we’ve been talking to. A few students replied that they think it is kind of a knee jerk reaction to say negative things about Bradford. 9.  From the students point of view, the biggest job segments and employers: Teaching, Nursing, Business, Contracting, small business Zippo, Case, Dresser, ARG For those on the nursing track in high school, they take more nursing classes each year and do clinicals in their senior year. There are also tracks in auto shop, construction (grounds and maintenance), tv production, journalism, and machine shop. There is lots of help available for choosing careers and finding tracks and it is nice that they don't have to go anywhere for vo-tech training. 10.  Mr. Tripp brought up the fact that the planning team is looking at economic strategies and realities during the planning process to try to ensure that we don’t suggest ideas with no basis in reality. In all likelihood, the local population isn’t really sufficient to support a large mall, and there definitely aren’t enough people to support a mall and an active downtown business district. The students expressed that a nice downtown like Ellicottville, NY that is active year round would be something to aim for. They also wouldn’t trade downtown for a mall, especially since there is a mall only an hour away. In response, Mr. Filoni asked what one or two blocks in town would the students start with? They said that Main Street is most important. It is more than two blocks, but from Tops to Emery Towers is what they would call the primary area of focus. It would be nice if Miss Maggies was downtown instead of being in East Bradford. They think that The Mercantile is primarily for older customers. They do shop online, and there are some things they would buy in person if they could. The students would prefer to buy clothes and shoes in person instead of online. They would love a bookstore like Borders. A place for bands (music/hang out space) would be nice. Small bands use church gyms now. They can get CDs and DVDs at Wal-Mart. The students view the bars as being run down and dirty. They are mostly where college students go. The students all wish that the University and the town would interact more. They seem like separate entities. 11.  The planning team will come back in 4-6 months to show the students what has been done and to get some more feedback. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items expressed by the attendees. If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect.   Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 29 2007, 06:56 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - September 19, 2007 - DBRS Sub-committee

  Date: September 19, 2007 Place: Bradford Area Public Library Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Client: City of Bradford Time: 7:30 am-9:00 am MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Dean Bauer, Kiwanis Housing, Retired Banker Reverend Lee Beckes, First Presbyterian Church, Friendship Table Lisa Campogiani, OECD – Elm Street Manager Diane DeWalt, Main Street Manager Howard Fesenmyer, Blaisdell Foundation Jim Guelfi, Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp, BCPAC MJ Hand, Historic Architectural Review Board, Business Owner Chris Hauser, Bradford Area Alliance, DBRC Kathy Jones, Zippo Tina Kowlsen, Hooker Fulton Building Brian McNamara, Business and Property Owner Sam Sylvester Mimi Cahill, Local Business Owner Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To discuss reactions of local students to downtown and begin to focus on important business and downtown related issues. Items Discussed: 1.  The planning team began by reviewing some of the economic news from the previous day as well as comments that were heard from the high school and college students. On the economic front, there is very good news about how well the manufacturing sector is doing. But there is only 50% of the retail that one would expect compared to other areas. The high school students (from different classes and municipalities) generally had negative comments about the area. They would really like a local mall, but they wouldn’t want one to the detriment of downtown. Some spend as much as $15-20 per day, so clearly they have money to spend. It seems like they primarily want a vibrant hang-out space and they like the atmosphere of the coffee shop. Locally, they mostly shop at Walmart. Their main concerns include drugs and vandalism, both in and out of school. The college students (from different classes and with different hometowns) are looking for a gathering place, too. They would like a place to get off campus and relax. They find the bars to be too dirty and would like a place with music. A downtown student union and/or bookstore would be nice. There were also concerns expressed about the shuttle service to and from town (specifically the one to the Seneca building and its lack of reliability). It sounded like the time constraints of college life makes using the amenities downtown more difficult. Both groups are interested in dance opportunities and a greater variety of restaurants, but neither group thinks that the downtown stores are really for them. Both also think that safety is an issue downtown – both lighting and policing are a factor in this perception. The high school students mentioned that the YMCA does not have as many programs for them as they used to. Now their programs are primarily for younger kids. 2.  The issues brought up by the students led the committee to a discussion of downtown. Ms. Cahill used to own a store downtown and she doesn’t think parking is a problem. If people want something in the store, they will walk from a parking space to get there. Maybe the people being audible are business owners with products that aren't drawing people and blaming parking on their problems. The lack of police staff to walk the downtown beat is a concern. There is perception that there is a lack of safety, but the kids 'hanging out' downtown at night are not necessarily dangerous. On the other hand drugs are definitely an issue. It is difficult to determine the right mix of businesses for downtown. For clothing, maybe a department store model, with smaller segments of popular brands would work. It was suggested that popular retailers could be approached with this idea - some of these stores are reaching capacity and may need a new model. Maybe something like The Mercantile would work for them. But others pointed out that popular stores have been approached in the past to a poor response. Residents are already driving to their stores, so what is the benefit to them of having a store here? The benefit of the mall for busy, working people is the ability to go to many stores at once. The idea of a Borders or Barnes and Noble type store seems appealing to a lot of people. Part of the attraction is the atmosphere, which is important to students. Mr. Filoni doesn’t think the issue is as much about cost of items available as it is about quality and atmosphere. Consider how much people pay for food at a nice coffee shop. A good example is Miss Maggie's. It has bad parking and it is not downtown, but she has desirable products and service. She is popular with the younger crowd without even being a brand. There is also the issue of how merchants interact with shoppers. Some of them are not welcoming. Ms. Dewalt commented that the two new shops in town that graduated from The Mercantile are doing really well. Both are specialized, not inexpensive, well-managed and welcoming, and they are both are drawing people in. She thinks that management is key to each store’s success. And also, there are only a few empty storefronts downtown. It seems like retail shops are clustering by movie theater end, maybe service storefronts could cluster toward the other end? She would love to help bring in a retailer that could bring clothes that younger residents and students are interested in buying. 3. This led to a discussion of gathering spaces and local assets. Maybe the Bradford Mall could be used as an indoor entertainment area. It could provide indoor winter entertainment, dancing, gathering space, a bookstore, etc. Ms Andrews commented that there were actually investors interested in this idea, but the mall owners wouldn't budge. The library has become a fallback gathering space. It would be nice to spruce up the lobby so it is no longer just a pass through. Both insurance and security are factors for rehabilitating buildings downtown. There is also an attitude problem throughout the town. There is a lot of negativity and resident blaming problems on a small portion of the population. Bradford is not going to be another Ellicottville. It isn’t a resort town. The University is a big asset, but what can the students and their families do in Bradford? 4.  The committee discussed the assets that Bradford has that could be a part of its "niche" The University The area as an active retirement community for younger retirees. (Currently lacking condos or maintenance free housing for this.) Outdoor recreation - have biking, hiking, boating, parks, trails, etc. Glendorn (they advertise in DC, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and internationally) - When their clientele is traveling through Bradford, what do they see? 5.  Mr. Fesenmyer commented that the problems created by welfare dependent and mentally challenged population in town is a big issue. He would like the planning team to tell the committee what Bradford needs – what stores should be opened and what should be done. Someone else commented that a way needs to be found for Bradford to integrate those with mental challenges and welfare dependence into this process, into the community and engage them as human capitol. Also, maybe the geography of the area funnels people together into town and makes the problems of the population seem worse? Mr. Filoni responded that there are a multitude of issues that need to be addressed at once. It isn’t as simple as just building a building or opening a shop. Building maintenance and a variety of incentives downtown are both needed. 6.  Mr. Glesk commented that economically, the loss of the middle class is a big issue, which is not atypical for other towns in the area. The Penn Hills Club has trouble maintaining their membership. The jobs that are available have changed. There are more jobs with lower pay. It is important that the strategies that result from this effort are structured to consider this new economic structure. Also, people’s perceptions are a big obstacle. The plan should address how Bradford’s atmosphere can be redefined to draw people here. 7.  Both the HARB board and the business district authority are strong right now. But the downtown area has lost walking traffic with the closure of upstairs offices. There is a desire for downtown to be cleaned up and improved. Most people seem to understand that downtown won't be like it used to, but cleanliness is definitely something to aim for. Coming up with solutions will have to involve dealing with multiple challenges simultaneously. 8.  Before the next meeting, committee members are asked to come up with some strategies and priorities, especially for property issues. Realistically, what can be accomplished with the money that is available? Can we come up with plans for downtown that all three municipalities will be willing to contribute to for the betterment of the whole valley? 9.  Somehow during this process we need to make contact with the owners of the Bradford Mall, too. 10.  It was mentioned that Bradford needs a mayor that is really visible and active. But the planning team commented that instead of an elected official, that role could be filled by members of this committee. 11.  Every member of this committee should look at the website, post in the forums and get the discussion started. Meeting minutes and other planning team information will be posted there for review as well. Also, take some time to walk around downtown and consider our options and opportunities. People notice things when they are walking around that they don’t see from their cars. 12.  The planning team asked what the three biggest assets of Bradford are, and the reply was the PA Wilds, The architecture and The University. Committee members should think about this and decide if there are any other big assets that should be on this list instead of or in addition to these items. 13.  Prior to the next round of meetings the planning team will be look at entrances and gateways into town. Someone mentioned South Avenue at Congress Street as their favorite entrance into town. If this is a priority location to consider should something be added there? a memorial? an obelisk? Committee members should let the planning team know (via email or the website) if there are any other ideas about gateways and entrances into Bradford. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 26 2007, 06:35 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - August 28, 2007 - OECD Housing

  Date August 28, 2007 Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Client: City of Bradford Location: OECD Office MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Sara Andrews, OECD Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Kenneth Lee, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To discuss housing potential and challenges in the Bradford Area and the housing-related efforts undertaken by the OECD. The planning team had many questions about housing, so Ms. Andrews spoke about the housing situation in the Bradford area from her point of view at the Office of Economic and Community Development (OECD). There is a high number of tenant occupied, single family homes and a need for more high quality rental units. There are quite a few slum landlords in Bradford who do the bare minimum to maintain their properties. University students do rent in the city and there are fraternity houses in the city as well. The fraternity houses generally have a high density and it isn’t clear whether code enforcement is checking the occupancy of them. A nice home in the city costs $100,000-$150,000. Two examples of developments in this range are Northgate (built in the 1980s) and Colonial Heights (built in the 1990s). A newer development (Chelsea Lane) has homes that cost up to $400,000. Based on the work that the OECD has done, Ms. Andrews would estimate that rehabilitation costs are about $35,000 per unit and lead paint removal is about $13,000-14,000 per unit. Before block grant money can be used to demolish a home, the city has to determine that the cost of repairs would exceed the value of the property. So there is background work involved in order to clear blighted properties. Section-8 housing, as designated and subsidized by HUD, must meet the requirements of the International Property Maintenance Code. So not all slum landlords even have properties that are eligible for Section-8 rental. Ms. Andrews thinks that the conversion of more upper floors on Main Street to apartments is feasible. The OECD has a few and they don’t have difficulty renting them. The rents range from $335 to $550 per month. They also have property on the corner of Chambers and Main that they would love to renovate for apartments, but there are code and cost issues. The main housing goal of the OECD is to build more moderate single family housing as well as some higher priced options. They also think that a townhouse development would be well-received by residents who don’t want to deal with the property maintenance involved in home ownership. Ms. Andrews does think that some infill of housing is possible, especially in the Elm Street Area. Code Enforcement has a listing of city landlords. Ms. Andrews is not sure whether they have tenant information as well. 2.  Despite the possibility of more residential units downtown, Ms. Andrews doesn’t think that a parking garage is needed. There is another lot planned to go across the street from the city hall lot. Also, 27 spaces will be added to the lot at Barber and Mechanic. There are no plans to tear down any buildings for parking, but there are still more places to creating spaces just off of Main Street. The city charges for parking, and that will help pay to create new spaces. 3.  Mr. Filoni wondered if multi-use infill is possible downtown. Could owners be pursuaded to cooperate so that elevator and circulation cores could be created at the backside of those new buildings to make old and new spaces accessible? This is a topic that will have to be explored further in the master plan process. 4.  Time will be planned in the future for Ms. Andrews to drive the planning team around the area to look at housing. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any corrections or clarifications, please notify the architects. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 24 2007, 07:55 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - August 28, 2007 - Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce

  Date August 28, 2007 Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Client: City of Bradford Location: Chamber of Commerce Office MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Diane Sheeley, Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Kenneth Lee, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To discuss the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Bradford. 1.  The planning team had many questions about how the Chamber of Commerce (CoC) operates in Bradford, what the benefits are of being a member and how business owners view the area. Ms. Sheeley reports to the 17-person board that operates the CoC. The last three years have been spent proving fiscal responsibility and dealing with a $7,000 deficit from past problems. Ms. Sheeley is also a board member of the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp and is involved with the Bradford Economic Development Committee. In the 1990’s the CoC had high attendance, direction and a focus on economic development. But due to a lack of leadership in later years, a group of business owners formed the Bradford Area Alliance (BAA) to go around the CoC and accomplish their goals. It was the BAA that hired the Main Street Manager. The CoC is not a part of the BAA or the Office of Economic and Community Development (OECD). There are currently over 300 members in the CoC – 290 businesses and 30 individuals. Membership is not limited to local businesses. The two townships and the OECD are members, but the city is not. There is a division of downtown merchants that is separate from but works with Diane Dewalt and the Main Street programs. The membership is steady, but the dues are declining as new small businesses are joining. The board meets once a month, and there is an annual dinner meeting with awards. Attendance is poor at the monthly membership breakfast – small business owners and service organizations mostly attend it. They are experimenting with an every other month evening gathering to try to improve networking opportunities. There are members from New York State and other parts of the PA region. 2.  Ms. Sheeley listed the benefits of membership in the CoC. Referral Service Supporting local businesses and the community Relocation Packets Some Discounts at University of Pittsburgh outreach programs Networking opportunities Businesses can get group health care benefits through the CoC. 3.  Ms. Sheeley described the main business challenge in the region as the lack of direction for where things are headed. There are no goals for entrepreneurs, the hospitality program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (UPB) or an idea of how businesses are going to ‘survive’. The CoC would like to be a conduit for the dialogue to help figure out how to solve these issues. Better housing options and improved quality of life would be two areas that could be targeted to try to attract more small businesses to the area. The local and state tax structures don’t help either. But she does think that if there were more renovated spaces in town they could be filled. 4.  There is a Business Resource Center at UPB. 5.  Ms. Sheeley hears from lots of employers that it is hard to get trained employees. In some cases they even get applicants who cannot read or write. 6.  The CoC sponsors and outdoor show in February. It is held at the Bradford Mall and attracts about 7,400 people. Attendants come from as far as Erie and Buffalo, but it isn’t clear where the show could be held once the mall is sold and/or torn down. One of the goals of the show is to fill hotels and restaurants for the weekend. 7.  Ms. Sheeley feels that untapped resources downtown are the buildings that haven’t been renovated. But the downside is that utilities are high for old structures. Currently the CoC is looking for new office space. They are having some trouble finding an affordable space, but they are considering a storefront near the movie theater. The prime real estate is at either end of Main Street. 8.  Another downtown concern is that there is no extra police presence at outdoor events. During the "First Night" celebration on New Year’s Eve, they aren’t available because they were told that there was no overtime left at the end of the month. Ms. Sheeley also expressed concerns about loitering downtown and the fact that no effort is made to deal with problems so nothing changes. 9.  Now that UPB is holding some classes in the Seneca building, it seems like University students are being seen downtown for the first time. 10. Ms. Sheeley noted that there is free parking in town after 4pm, but she doesn’t know whether this is common knowledge. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any corrections or clarifications, please notify the architects. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 24 2007, 06:28 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Minutes - August 28, 2007 - Main Street Manager

  Date August 28, 2007 Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Time: 10:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. Client: City of Bradford Location: Main Street Mercantile MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Diane Dewalt, Main Street Manager Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Kenneth Lee, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Purpose: To discuss Main Street in the City of Bradford. Historic Downtown Bradford was put on the National Register of Historic Places in August 2000. The architecture was primarily built from the 1890’s to the 1930’s. The Main Street Program has four main components – Economic Development, Organization, Promotion and Design. As of 2004, the mix of business downtown is 20% recreational, 20% retail and 52% professional. The primary market competition for downtown Bradford is the Olean Mall, Wal-Mart and the Fosterbrook development, the Jamestown Mall, the Erie mall and the malls in Buffalo. The Main Street Mercantile opened two years ago in June. There are 64 operators, but some of them have two vendor codes. Each operator pays rent (by the square foot) and a 7% consignment fee. The approximate rent for 200 square feet would be $290 per month. Vendor’s products are reviewed before they can establish a presence in the store. The Mercantile provides staffing, accounting and advertising for the operators. There is one staff member and the rest work for business credit. The whole operation is 4000 square feet and they are currently creating an art gallery at the back of the shop that will be 400 square feet. There are three "graduates" of the mercantile. Grandma’s House Tea Room opened in May 2007, and the yarn shop and Blueberry Hill opened a year ago. Blueberry Hill has already expanded up to 3000 square feet. There is also a "chain" shop from Duke Center and another vendor has a store in Eldred. When the project began, Ms. Dewalt visited other places and wrote a business plan with the help of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. It got off the ground with an Appalachian Regional Commission Grant for $25,000 and a $5,000 loan from the city. Now the program is a model for other places that want to do something similar. She has applied to make a presentation about The Mercantile at a national Main Street Conference. Vendors are transient, but there are still some original vendors from the project’s inception. Sometimes there is a waiting list for the space. And there is just one service vendor – a lamp repair operation. Ms. Dewalt’s impression is that businesses in town think that The Mercantile is a good thing. They are not trying to make a profit – they just want to stay open and continue supporting the vendors. Their profit stream generally follows their income and typical shopping patterns. The first quarter is pretty flat and profits increase over the course of the year. The Mercantile and the Main Street Program are not affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce. The Main Street Manager’s office is in the store. Now that the DBRC oversees the Movie Theater (which is run by a Buffalo Company), any extra profit supports the Main Street Program. The Movie Theater shows independent films on Monday and mainstream movies the rest of the week. The next closest cinema is in Olean, NY. Ms. Dewalt thinks that family films do well and she suggested that we talk to Kim Fox, who manages the theater. Throughout Main Street, the first floor storefronts are less than 5% vacant. The upper floors are much emptier. Some are not rentable and some require renovations that are cost prohibitive. Ms. Dewalt thinks that there would be interest if there were more available. There has been discussion of building shared elevators between properties, but that discussion has not progressed to any action or planning. Ms. Dewalt thinks that the local trend is to fill up the storefronts and keep them full. The space that The Mercantile is in was empty for a while, but filling it seems to have activated other spaces nearby. The Welfare Office’s move displaced a business that moved to Main Street. The furniture store took over a space in a building that was in danger of being torn down, but a local developer was found to buy and renovate the building. The furniture business came from a shop by Wal-Mart. Also, the new coffee shop seems to be doing well. Despite all the recent activity, there is not a rise in downtown property values yet. A recent sale was made of 2 buildings for $38,000. There is about 5,000 sf on the ground floor, the buildings were vacant for several years before the sale and the previous owner hadn’t put much money into the buildings. There are a few businesses that have evening hours, but there are still complaints about some businesses that are only open between 9 and 5. The businesses in East Bradford have a separate organization, but Ms. Dewalt tries to work with them when she can. They have collaborated on a couple of events. The 219 bypass wasn’t built until the 1970’s, but there was still an "East Bradford" before that. The reason for the bypass was to prevent truck traffic from driving through town. Façade grant money is processed through the Main Street Program. Design assistance is offered, as well as a review by the HARB board. $5,000 is the maximum amount per grant, but an owner can apply more than once. They are currently oversubscribed for grants by $15,000 and they ask the state for $30,000 each year. Also, an entire façade project has to stay under $25,000 in order to avoid the prevailing wage requirement. Many projects have involved window replacement and signage, as well as painting and re-pointing. There is adequate parking in town, even though some people might complain about what is available. The current situation is similar to the 2000 Parking Study. It would be nice to have some short term free parking, but they can’t get the measure through city council. There are times when parking is free, but it isn’t well advertised. The parking structure that was recommended in the study is probably no longer necessary unless more people started living downtown in the upper floors of the existing buildings. The group agreed that the parking issue is an excuse. People will walk if they really want to go someplace. From an aesthetic point of view, the Main Street Program oversees the planters on the street. They are watered by the city during the week, but there have been problems getting anyone to water them over the weekend. So the planters don’t do well when the weather is very dry. It was asked if there are any nuisance businesses or issues with members of the population who loiter in town. Ms. Dewalt mentioned that the tattoo parlor on Main Street causes a few complaints, but the one by the nightclub seems to fit that location better. She also said that she thinks if downtown were more active with a variety of people, any problems with loitering wouldn’t be as big of a concern. Mr. Filoni asked about Ellicottville. A number of people have mentioned it as a place that we should look at for ideas. Ms. Dewalt told the group that it is a resort town with winter skiing and summer festivals. It is about halfway between Bradford and Buffalo and it is a popular skiing destination for a large portion of the region. It also has a much more condensed Main Street, so any effort to make improvements is much more focused. According to their survey of patrons, 37% of the business at The Mercantile is from tourists. They advertise with the ANF Bureau, The Route 6 Artisan Trail and the PA Wilds campaign. So most of their business is from local residents or from Bradfordians that return in November and December. Also, the Zippo Museum gets about 1000 people per day so they try to draw traffic to and from there. The group agreed that there are lots of little things that could help established merchants. A merchandising seminar was held to encourage operators to improve lighting, remove old stock and use newer furniture, but it is not clear that any suggestions have been implemented. The smaller stores need to turnover their displays and stock on a regular basis. It would be great to put curtains in the windows on the upper floors of the Main Street buildings, too. Also, some vendors don’t know how to benefit from events and activities downtown – like having sidewalk sales or being open later during events. On Main Street, Sunday is the busiest shopping day and the next busiest day is Saturday. Then 4-7pm on weekdays is the next busiest time. This is a national trend and not something noteworthy about Bradford. The planning team asked Ms. Dewalt what she would like the master plan to deal with and how can our process help her efforts. She stated that she is pretty focused on the first floor of Main Street and she would be happy for us to find ways to enliven and use the upper floors. It is also difficult for her to determine what businesses the area needs. Not including tourists, the trade area is about 20,000 people, include a significant population of elderly and low-income residents. It is hard to know what new businesses to encourage and which ones might do well. She would like to see a concentration of activity downtown to make it feel "fuller". If an effort is made to build up business on W. Washington Street, how does that effect Main Street? How can ANF tourists best be captured to shop in Bradford? If downtown housing is created, where will residents park? (There is currently no on street parking allowed between 2am and 5am!) There is a Farmer’s Market on Main Street each Saturday, but it is very small. Ms. Dewalt thinks that there is a population that would be interested in more prepared food options. It costs less than eating out but more than cooking from scratch. Bradford has just one bookstore in town. It is all used books and the store is really crammed with merchandise. A more friendly new and used bookstore might be a nice addition to town. The coffee shop seems to be doing well. It has been drawing high school, college and professional patrons. It would be nice to encourage a mindset in business owners of offering a variety of products and services. There are a lot of copycat businesses – pizza shops, sub shops, automotive shops, etc. When it comes to the historic district, some see the HARB review as an inconvenience, but sometimes Ms. Dewalt thinks that they are too lenient. The new board is trying to be stricter by the politics of those decisions are difficult. The location of Tops ended up cutting out the corner of the historic district. Tops made a few design concessions, but not many. It can be a hurdle to educate owners about rules and requirements, but she doesn’t hear a lot of complaints about zoning or land use issues. It seems that once spaces are renovated, they are rented immediately. The rent in Old City Hall is $10-12 per square foot. Typical first floor rent on Main Street is $4-6 per square foot. The new owner of the Hooker-Fulton building is doing renovations and trying to attract new tenants (and retain old ones). He plans to buy other properties in town. There are two taxes that work against the attraction of new businesses. There is a privilege tax on service businesses and a mercantile tax on gross revenue. These taxes couldn’t be enacted today. There are also a lot of tax exempt properties downtown, especially those owned by the city and the many churches. It would be nice to do a Business Improvement District, which would allow for the assessment of non-profit holdings. The planning team would like to meet with new business owners to get their views on downtown. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any corrections or clarifications, please notify the architects. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Oct 24 2007, 05:19 PM by Amy Maceyko with