Washington residents will get an opportunity to weigh in on a proposed $12 million amphitheater project on city property that would be built by a private foundation.
But it won't be in an advisory referendum on the April 1 ballot, as suggested by Washington City Council member John Blundy at the council's Nov. 18 meeting.
With the Dec. 9 deadline looming to place the referendum on the ballot, several council members said Monday that it's far too early to come up with an appropriate question for a referendum because so many questions about the amphitheater remain unanswered.
One question is how much money the city needs to spend to add infrastructure to the project site. The amphitheater would be built on farmland that's part of a 223-acre property along U.S. Route 24 and Nofsinger Road the city purchased in 2013 for $4.9 million.
Current estimates of city spending are between $3.2 and $6 million for road and other infrastructure work.
"This is so premature," council member Mike Brownfield said about the proposed referendum. "Our city staff hasn't completed its study of the project."
Council members were not opposed to holding one or more town hall meetings about the project after more is known about it, and more is known about the city's involvement in it.
Blundy was okay with that.
"We need to get the public involved at a high level," Blundy said.
Council member Mike McIntyre said it's important for residents to know that whatever money the city spends on infrastructure on the property isn't only for the amphitheater.
"The amphitheater hopefully will be the catalyst for more development there," he said.
Prospective developers from the Washington-based Hengst Foundation, established by former Washington resident and 1971 Washington Community High School graduate Jim Hengst so an amphitheater could be built in honor of his late wife Dee, are expected to be at the council's Dec. 9 committee of the whole meeting to answer questions.
Two of three speakers during public comment Monday expressed concerns about the amphitheater project.
"Mayor (Gary) Manier told us at the last council meeting that we should trust the experts who put together a $300,000 feasibility study for the amphitheater," said Luke Sawicki.
"The Hengst Foundation should trust their feasibility study enough to release it to the public."
Simon Petravick said the city's 2024-25 fiscal year budget, already 18.9% higher than last year, doesn't include funding for amphitheater infrastructure work. He also noted that amphitheater neighbors like himself would have to deal with the noise on 20 or more summer nights each year.
A third speaker during public comment said she isn't for or against the amphitheater because she didn't have enough information about it, but she wondered who would cover the monetary shortfall for several years before the amphitheater became profitable.
Realigned Nofsinger Road expected to open this month
The Nofsinger Road realignment project is nearing the finish line.
City Engineer Dennis Carr said Monday in his regular report to the council that stop signs are expected to be installed this week at the intersection of Cruger and Dallas roads as part of the project, and the week of Dec. 16 has been targeted to have "an open roadway" on Nofsinger.
Carr also said the first phase of the Catherine Street reconstruction project is nearly complete.
On another topic, Carr said engineers from Strand Associates inspected the site of a potential compromise alignment for a new Farm Creek sewer trunkline.
"They plan to visit again with a drilling contractor to identify areas that would need to be disturbed to perform the boring needed," Carr said.
Grist Mill developers punching out final items
The construction of the new Grist Mill restaurant on the downtown square has reached the punch list stage, said Jon Oliphant, the city's planning and development director, in his regular report to the council Monday.
"The biggest holdup is the receipt of a large breaker panel, which is expected to arrive in early December," he said.
Dec. 1, 2023 is still listed on the redevelopment agreement developers have with the city as the latest date for the restaurant, being built by CL Red Real Estate Development, to have a grand opening.
Want to watch city meetings? Check out Washington's YouTube channel
In other reports to the council Monday:
- City Clerk Valeri Brod said the city's YouTube channel is up and running, and live and recently recorded council meetings can be viewed there. There's a link to the channel in the "Meeting Center" portion of the city's website.
- Finance Director Joanie Baxter said she completed applications for $125,000 and $170,000 grants for a proposed police evidence building. The applications will be sent to the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
- Public Works Director Brian Rittenhouse said "plow trucks have been looked at and they're ready for winter."
City, Five Points make changes in meeting contract
Changes in the city's agreement with Five Points Washington to hold city meetings in Banquet Room A received a first reading Monday. Council will vote on the new agreement Dec. 16.
The changes, requested by the Five Points board, include holding Planning and Zoning and Historic Preservation meetings in the Senior Room instead of Banquet Room A, not installing a permanent television screen in Banquet Room A, and removing a mention of the city's forgiveness of $600,000 that Five Points owes the city.
P&Z and Historic Preservation meetings can be held in Banquet Room A if needed.
The Five Points board held a city-requested open meeting last week regarding its finances. The board doesn't normally hold open meetings because Five Points is a not-for-profit organization.
Brownfield, who represents the city on the Five Points board, said he was disappointed that only two members of the public, two Washington District Library board members and the library director attended the meeting.
Blundy said the timing of the meeting -- 7 a.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving -- was probably the reason for the slim turnout.
Brownfield said that's when meetings of the all-volunteer board are normally held and it was the first meeting after the financial reports were completed.
Two other first readings of ordinances were held Monday. They'll be up for a vote Dec. 16.
One ordinance establishes the city's $2,297,352 tax levy for 2024 (taxes paid in 2025), an 8.56% increase from 2023 (taxes paid in 2024). The other ordinance says the city will not use property taxes to make the $474,750 payment for 2024 for $4.735 million in stormwater management bonds the city had issued in 2023.
A .5% home rule sales tax for stormwater projects, enacted by the city in 2022, once again will cover the payment for the bonds.
Couple gets the OK to have chickens, domesticated goats on their Dallas Road property
Also Monday, the council approved:
- A request by Steve and Alissa Vander Nault to rezone 926 Dallas Road from R-1 (single- and two-family residential) to AG-1 (agriculture) to they can have chickens and domesticated goats on the nearly 3-acre property. Four of the five adjacent property owners on the west side of Dallas supported the rezoning. The fifth adjacent property, which belongs to Faith Holiness Assembly, is vacant. A horse farm formerly was located there.
- Regulations regarding short-term rental units, which include the requirement of a special use permit for a non-owner occupied STR in a residential district.
- A change in the city's zoning code that allows ground-mount solar arrays in areas zoned A-1.
- Language that makes it clear the council makes the final decision on sign variance requests.
- A final plat for the Protea Place Subdivision, an 11.67-acre property that will have commercial and residential development. The property is bordered by U.S. Business Route 24 on the north, Lakeshore Drive on the west, and South Cummings Lane on the east. Brian Butler and Blundy voted against the plat because it includes a private road.
