It is now 6 30, so we will go ahead and call this meeting to order.

Roll call for the city council meeting of Wednesday, March 18th, 2026.

Councilmember Titus, Brzezinski, Flores, here, Horton, Poll here, Shaw, and True.

Present.

So this leads us to our moment of silence.

Uh and I will ask Councillor Horton if you would please lead us into the pledge when we're done.

Thank you.

Approval of the minutes from the March 4th, 2026 City Council meeting and bills for payment on March 20th and 27th.

Members Rosinski, Lorez, yes, Horton, Poll, yes, Shaw, yes.

True.

Yeah.

Titus.

Yes.

Okay.

We have no presentation this evening, but I would like to remind everybody in the audience that we do have pub two public hearings tonight.

Uh, and those will start at approximately 7 p.m.

So wherever we are uh within the public comment section, we will have to stop and we will go into those public hearings, and then we can return back to the public comment section.

Um so we will go ahead and ask.

Is there anybody here for a repository sale?

Is there anybody here for a repository sale?

Is there anybody here for a repository sale?

All right, seeing none, we will move into the public comment section.

So when you come up to the mic, I will ask that you say state your name clearly uh for so that we can be recorded in the municipality and to know that you will have five minutes.

Please be mindful, we'll have a timer that goes off.

Uh, and this is to help keep us on track.

So anybody who would like to speak, you can come up, say your name clearly into the mic, and you have five minutes.

My name is Freda Tepfer, and I live in Erie, and I was a little distressed to see um a mini excavator sitting on the sidewalk on West 26th Street.

I believe it was either Myrtle or Walnut, and it was there all weekend, and then on Monday, National Fuels contractor did close the street and had some work going, but what was the machine doing on our sidewalk all weekend?

There was no um detectable warning of any kind coming from the east on the west, there may have been a barricade that fell over.

Um I'm seeing things like flagging to show sidewalk closures.

Really, we need to take this seriously.

People have a right to safely travel in our cities, nowhere's no snow, and I understand that national fuel and the water authority have certain emergency opportunities, but leaving a piece of equipment on the sidewalk all weekend long is just not forgivable.

Um I just want to alert the city and any nonprofits that may be hearing me that there's a deadline of March 30th to comment on a general services administration requirement that you have to show how you are not doing any DEI work.

Um, if you want to get government contracts or grants, and this applies to cities as well as nonprofits.

So I some of us have been sharing that information, but but um if you're a nonprofit, be aware of that.

Um so the planning commission meeting agendas do not always show what's gonna happen.

The meeting at which the uh waterfront conditional use permit was discussed, there were under waterfront conditional use permit, it says nothing.

Um and I watched that meeting today.

Also, in trying to find that YouTube event meeting, it was mislabeled.

So I hope that the IT department can work that out so that we can find these things.

Also, um that there's all this down wood that people cannot expect the city to take away.

Well about three feet apart, and there's two rows, a foot and a half apart, and you pile all your sticks and branches and your um stems and stuff from the garden, and you put it there, and it's a dead hedge and it's habitat, and then you don't have anything to worry about.

So it's a great opportunity for that.

Um you'll be hearing more from me in the hearings.

Thank you.

Good evening, council and Madam Mayor and Madam Mayor's administration.

Um I thought this was a public hearing, um, but it turns out that's a city council meeting.

So I'm gonna try to make this short.

One, um, I would like to see Jason.

Can you state your name for the record?

Oh, what?

We need you to state your name for the record.

Oh, sorry.

Um sorry.

Yeah, this is my first coming back, so I forgot how to do the process.

So Jason Brendel, B R E N D E L.

Um First of all, um, I just would like to ask a question.

Um, before we do any Bayfront attractions, the smokestack.

I know a lot of citizens have been talking about that smokestack.

I was just in Columbus for uh for a concert, and what we really did a magnificent job to win their smokestacks down there.

So I mean, the smokestack, it has to be done.

Before we do any projects any further, that has to be done to make the Bay Freight look better and beautiful for everybody.

That's one.

Two, the CRIS money that is um being presented to the city.

I think transparency is uh is a golden opportunity for the new administration and city council to provide the transparency online for all um purchases, everything that that money has to offer for the city.

So the citizens could see what has been bought and paid for by the taxpayer dollars.

That's two.

Third one is one that is that I've been sitting on and reflecting on.

I think this this topic should be addressed to the LGBT council with the city of Erie.

Transgender bathroom bill or ordinance.

It comes to my mind that we have a lot of um um conversations, discussions online dealing with the transgender community about going into bathrooms, you know, you know, that kind of language and rhetoric and everything.

We are welcoming city.

We love our neighbors.

I think right now maybe that kind of discussion for uh transgender ordinance or discussion may need to be talked about at the city level because I'm def I'm standing up for my community, the LGBT community.

I got convergence therapy passed at the city level, the band.

And I would like to see something started to make sure that we are a safe, loving, good community that we are.

And I'm just trying to make sure that not just my rhetoric, but the rhetoric of many citizens that are standing up for our community, our allies are doing the right thing, you know.

And I just think you know, maybe that topic, you know, I'm just letting it go.

I'm just giving it to the city right now is to maybe start that dialogue because it's it's a hot button issue right now.

And I know what's happening in DC in Harrisburg, you know, but it's it's a hot button issue.

So those are the like maybe the three things that I would like to bring to council, like I said, the smokestacks, something has to be done with that smoke stack before we allow any further development.

Something has to be done.

And then the the CRISP a very detailed on the website, the city's website, of all purchases and everything to make sure that transparency is happening, not just at the city level, but with the citizens, so the citizens can see what's going on.

And then of course, that transgender bathroom issue, you know.

But the one thing is that I know I'm standing here.

I'm going on 18 months clean.

And I love my hometown.

And I love Erie.

I'm back, and I just love what we're doing today.

And I hope and I pray that what is happening across the nation doesn't just affect the city.

We are a loving community, and let's keep that alive here in Erie.

Love will always win.

Thank you.

I'm an Erie resident.

I live on the lower east side.

And I came, I've been in my house almost a year and two months now, and um my landlord was on the Section 8 list.

So I thought that meant that she had been approved for Section 8 housing, but it did not.

It means you can just call them and get on the list.

So I started having problems with mice, and I told her about it.

Then my back porch started leaking, and I told her about that, and she refused to fix that.

She said, just get some traps.

So now a year later, my house is infested with mice.

I've called her four times and said, can you please get a stemator?

Because I she said, Put down some traps, put down some traps.

So I put down the traps, not helping at all.

I'm catching 10, 15 mice a day.

My dog is playing with them.

It's just a mess.

So I called her for the fourth time and I said, can you please get us Terminator in here?

Blank blank blank.

That's how she talks to me, hangs up on me.

So I called my own exterminator, and he came out and told me that there's a problem with the foundation that mice are gonna keep coming in, and those traps are not gonna help.

So I call her to tell that, tell her that, and she would not talk to me.

She blocked her phone number so that I couldn't call her.

You get a moment, can you put your name and address and phone number down?

Yeah.

Pass it on to code.

Okay.

Well, they've been to the house.

They already been to the house.

Okay.

So they came out to the house and they saw the mouse infestation, and the guy said it's probably like 2,000 mice there.

So I just wonder, do people know that we I have talked to some people since I had this problem?

And do you know that we have a problem with mice in the city?

I'm not the only person going through this where the mice is just taking over the property because the landlord is refusing to get a sterminator.

So I just wish um this had it been this could have been a vented, prevented.

The whole thing could have been prevented, but she refused to get a stemator.

So I mean, is there any mandate that you can have that can get people to exterminate their property like twice a year?

Because it's a real problem here in Erie.

And then my second thing is housing for senior people, disabled people.

Um real hard time to get in.

Um the guy said he's gonna come out and put a sticker on my house April 15th.

So I had to April 15th to try to find the apartment, and I'm not having any success because all of the disabled and senior buildings are you have to be on a waiting list.

The lady told me it was 40 people in front of me.

And I said 40 people, that's gonna be the next two or three years.

I'll be dead by the time I get on the list.

So it's just we need more senior housing and more the average rent in Erie PA is a thousand dollars now.

Some people don't make a thousand dollars.

You living on disability, a thousand dollars, that's that's a lot of money.

So I mean, is there something we can do?

Can there be like an emergency list for somebody that needs an apartment right away like me that's having my house?

Um, you know, I can't even live in the house, so you know, could they set something aside for somebody that might need an emergency apartment and can't wait like a hundred people to get on the list?

It's ridiculous.

And let me see.

And a lot of the landlords are asking for three times the rent.

So if the rent is 750 and I can afford that, why do I have to make 2100?

And with disability, you know, you're getting maybe 1400 a month, so you don't qualify.

That's the thing.

You don't qualify for anything because the rent in Erie is so high.

So how is the senior people supposed to make it?

You know, I don't know what I'm gonna do April 15th.

I might have to just go into the homeless shelter if I can't find a place.

So I mean, is it better to stay there with the mice?

I don't like mice.

Um I'm not a fan of mice.

And you just just don't know what to do.

Okay, I think I'm done.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Travia Henderson, resident native Erie resident.

My problem is somewhat of what Miss Charnell just experienced.

I live in public housing for 21 years.

It'll be 22 years this April.

My landlord, part Department of Haste Housing Authority.

Why do they get to choose what rent that I have to pay?

The more you make, the more I make, the more they want.

I just had to redo my lease only to find that I'm either paying flat rate or income based.

You should know what that is.

I'll explain it to those who don't know.

Income based is what you pay monthly for a year.

Flat rate is what you pay a year without reporting your income for three years.

My problem is, why should I have to pay $973 or $1,071 in a two-bedroom I've been at $21 years?

I cannot move.

Regular residential landlords will not accept me.

I believed in my heart that they are selecting me.

No landlord want to give me an apartment.

I make $2100 a month.

$2100.

I cannot survive off of that.

I have rent, gas, electric, a minor child, an adult child who does and does not live with me, recently got taken off the lease because my son is basically homeless because we make the same amount of money.

So you know what that means.

The more money, the more income.

This is not fair to anybody in the Erie County.

Period.

Somebody needed to put a stop to these people.

When they say, hey, we're gonna make your residents pay 30, 40, or 50% of your income, why nobody put their foot down, say, hey, wait a minute, let's stop this BS right now.

Because in our city, they know people know that the wages are not here for us to even make to even make our rent.

It's either you pay over rent over food.

The last time I went grocery shopping was last week out of three months.

I pay groceries when I can, not when I can.

I eat when I can, not when I want.

I eat noodles every day.

That's what I eat.

I get a decent meal three times a week if that one of the meals is coming from one of my residents.

It is not fair.

Something needs to be done about this.

I don't know if y'all know what homeless is or being poor is.

Being poor 20, 40, 50 years ago is not compared to what poorness is today.

Until this city put their foot down for the residents, for the city, for the people, nothing will ever be done.

Ever.

If everybody want to just look the other way and put the money in one hand and look the other way, it is not right.

You are not right.

That is not fair.

This is not fair to us at all, ever.

And I don't mean to sound ignorant right now, but the people who are looking the other way and taking the money and saying, hey, heck with it, so they can pay this.

I hope your family suffers the other way too.

I hope they suffer like we are.

So your family can come to you and say, hey, I can't eat, I don't know how to pay my bills, I can't feed my child, how to put my child out because the more I make, the more my rent goes up because why we have to report it by law.

And if we don't report it, we get put out.

And another thing.

If we get a utility bill with a disconnection notice, you are allowed to be evicted as well.

If you did not know that.

And I have one coming up.

I owe the gas company $600 and I'm about to be put out because once he get it, I'm gonna get a letter.

So for those who like to take the money and win hand and look the other, I hope you're taking a real good look at this situation and about my situation and other people's situation here.

It is not fair, it is not right, and something needs to be done about this city, about our wages, about our rent, and how we can pay this and pay that and take care of our child and ourselves too.

I just want to let you know it is not fair and is not right at all.

And God does not like this, he sees, he knows.

Please, if you have it in your hearts, anybody, somebody, reach out to people like me, see what this community is with haste is doing.

These regular landlords are doing to the people.

It is not right, it is not fair.

Thank you.

Elizabeth Stanton, Harbor Creek.

I am here on behalf of senior citizens living on fixed income with housing issues.

The comprehensive housing planning study facilitated by Thomas P.

Miller and associates at the housing.

Sorry, I gotta put my glasses on.

Sorry, God.

Uh facilitated by Thomas P.

Miller and associates at the housing listing session on March 14th at the Quality and Learning Center, spoke of a presence in Erie of a population that is playing paying up to 50% of their income on rent.

Seniors of fixed incomes represent a significant share of those struggling with the rising rent prices, forcing them to be part of this spending up to 50% of their income on rent.

11% of seniors, 65 plus, are living in poverty.

2026 federal poverty level is 1,330 a month.

Infinite Erie Playbook 2026 reports that available rental units of $500 or less decreased 57% since 2020, and rents of a thousand dollars or more increased 50% since 2020.

These renters cannot wait for a comprehensive study to collect and analyze data, compose a proposal to the city council, city council have a first reading, then a second reading, then a vote, and if a favorable vote, then have a committee set up to study what can be done about this situation, all before there is an action plan to actually do something.

And all the while these individuals continue to suffer increased physical ailments and mental trauma, creating mental health issues.

Can't a special task force be set up within weeks of a cross-sector of experts to develop rapid solutions to handle this housing emergency of housing instability.

Using community command centers to locate these individuals and match them to services quickly, bringing immediate relief to their distress.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So his wife sold all the property.

But the problem that I'm having is there's another landlord that bought the property.

The problem is I've been paying $650 a month for a rent.

And the first time that I've ever had any kind of correspondence or anything with him was him telling me that my rent is going to be going up the next in the next couple of months to a thousand dollars.

He sends me a landlord, I mean, excuse me, he sends me uh lease a couple times, and I didn't understand the lease.

It's like a book, like 15 pages.

Like I'm I'm um living in a corporate residence of theirs in New York City.

So they they're really pressuring me because they want me to send this lease back.

But there's a lot of things in there that I don't agree with.

I've never met these people.

I've never, I don't even know what they look like.

They've never been in my house.

The house has fallen apart.

There's so many different things that are wrong with it.

And I just think that it's wrong that these out-of-count out-of-towners can come in and our city, buy up property, charge us whatever they feel because it's their prerogative because it's their property, but it's just not right.

And I think that living in the city of of Erie all my life, and I'm 71.

I think that where's the loyalty to the people who've had who's kept this city afloat as well.

I work, I've always worked, I've never had any evictions in in this house.

I've been there all this time, and I just think that something needs to be done.

And I don't know what the realm of the city council is as far as getting things like this taken care of, but at least it needs to be looked into because these people are coming from out of town.

I mean, like I said, the porch on my house has fallen down.

There's a railing that anybody can get hurt on it.

And I'm just afraid because I don't have anything to say that the landlord is responsible.

Um, as far as I know, I could be responsible if somebody comes to my house and falls off that off that railing.

I've let him know about water getting in my basement every time it rains.

I let him know about my bathtub, not my toilet, my bathtub plugging up.

That's just really ridiculous.

Um I he gave me a really really hard time about um addressing that issue.

Finally, um I had somebody to come on my own to snake it out.

Is that my five minutes?

No, you're good.

Oh, okay.

Come on, to snake it out and to do whatever needed to be done, but I had to go and purchase some stuff and work on it myself.

But um, I just don't understand how anybody, like when I talked to the landlord, and I said, Are you kidding me?

A thousand dollars from 650.

I said, This may be business for y'all, but this is living for me, you know, and I don't think that it's right that anybody should have to have their back up against the wall to be able to live in the city of Erie.

Thank you.

That's me.

Thank you.

We are at um seven o'clock, and I believe we we need to move into the the public hearing.

So we're gonna have to pause any more public comment to this point, and we can come back uh once we're after the the two public hearings.

So excuse me, everyone, is everyone here for the first public hearing?

That's the liquor license transfer.

You're all gonna so the either the presenter or the developer.

Come on up.

So I see attorney Bruno in the room.

This is the while.

So for everyone, before we get started, um, we have a court reporter, but they couldn't be present.

You're done talking now, Jesus.

Okay, I guess I'm done.

Okay, um, I'll keep going.

So they are participating through Zoom.

So it's especially important for the next two uh uh events.

So there's the two public hearings, and everyone remain calm and quiet, and one person speak at a time.

So I'm gonna ask for that.

So these are my ground rules.

I'm gonna read these onto the record.

So one, this is a legal proceeding.

The city is requesting that all witnesses will need sword in.

Everyone needs to remain quiet for the speaker at the microphone.

Everyone needs to remain calm for the court reporter so they can hear everything clearly.

The reminder that for at least for the hotel, the planning commission has recommended the project to the city council.

City council needs to make a decision, not today, but at their next hearing about whether the conditions are met for either of these.

City Council will not make a decision tonight.

The order of the presentation will be that the either city staff or the developer or whoever's here representative will present first, and then would ask for city council if you have any questions to ask them your questions at that time after each person is done speaking.

Or if you have something that you want to address immediately, you know, raise your hand to make sure that one person is speaking at a time.

Uh all other witnesses from the public will be able to come up.

The request will be that you say your name for the record, spell it out for the court reporter, state your residence, whether you live in the city, whether you live in a township or a borough, um, whether you're for or against the proposal, and then why?

So keep this very um focused.

So if you have if you this is not actual public comment, but this is just for what's on the agenda.

Is there any questions?

No.

I just wanted to make one question.

It would it be possible that um the public were allowed to to speak before we started asking our questions because I think some of us might derive questions from what we hear within the public comment part of it.

I think that's I think that's fair.

That's up to you.

So I think but I think you would want to.

If we heard the public first before we went to our questions in case we have questions from what the public asks.

So you want to ask questions after the public's done?

Yes.

That's fair.

Okay.

We'll do that then.

Thank you.

So at this point, though, so then the schedule of what we'll do is we'll confirm the court reporters ready.

Everyone will get sworn in.

I've already read the ground rules.

I will call to order the hearing.

Uh, we'll have the city clerk read the actual what's on the agenda.

Uh the presentation will be then done by the representative or the developers.

Um citizens will then come up after that's done.

And then we'll then have counsel can ask questions.

Thank you.

Is that fair?

So I would say, can we confirm the court reporters ready to go?

Yes, can you hear me?

Yeah.

And I what I would ask is everyone who's here for the first hearing, the liquor license transfer.

If you could raise your hand and let the court reporter swear you in.

Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

I do.

Thank you.

Okay.

Lori, then I would have you read what's on the agenda.

Pursuant to Act Pennsylvania statute 4461B3.

Erie City Council will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 18th at 7 p.m.

to hear testimony concerning the intermunicipal transfer of liquor license R814 from Bach Miller Enterprises, doing business as a sandbar draft house and grill that was previously located at 2835 Westlake Road, Erie PA, Milk Creek Township, to be utilized at the retail facility located at 2104 Hampton Road, Erie PA 16502, City of Erie, Erie County PA.

Okay.

Then I would say that uh whoever's speaking on behalf of this, you know, take if it's both of you, or just state your name for the record and say what you need to say.

Yes.

My name is Jim Bruno.

That's spelled B R U N O.

I'm an attorney with the Vendetti Law firm here in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Um here on behalf of Bach Miller Enterprises Inc.

Uh, whose president and sole shareholder is standing next to me.

His name is Gary G-A-R-Y Miller, M I L L L E R.

Um, we have submitted an application for approval of intermunicipal transfer of an existing liquor license.

It's existence, is founded and remains in Milk Creek Township, uh pursuant to state law and regulations of the PLCB.

We need to seek the approval of what is called the receding municipality, in this case the city of Erie, before the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will consider uh an application for transfer of the liquor license.

So what we're looking for is your approval of receiving uh another liquor license within the limits of the city of Erie on a transfer from Milk Creek Township.

To further clarify, what most people typically see is when you're talking about a transfer of a license, you're taught in particularly in this situation, you're looking at two things: a place-to-place transfer and a person-to-person transfer.

This one is a little bit atypical or unusual from the standpoint of we're only looking for a place-to-place transfer.

As I stated at the outset, Bachmiller Enterprises Inc.

originally owned the liquor license, and it continues to exist as a valid liquor license at the former sandbar location, located at Eighth and Peninsula Drive.

As everybody knows, that property was acquired by Milk Creek Township, and it's now part of the overall plan to improve the gateway to the peninsula.

So Mr.

Miller, on behalf of Bach Miller Enterprises, since that time that he sold the property to Mill Creek.

He's been looking for an appropriate place to relocate the liquor license.

He intends to have Bachmiller Enterprises Inc.

move that liquor license to 2104 Hampton Road, which is at the present time a closed-down bar that was that operated for decades in at that particular location.

He purchased that property last year.

So currently public records would verify the fact that 2104 Hampton is owned by Purple Rock LLC, a sole pro I'm sorry, a limited liability company with its sole member as Gary Miller.

Mr.

Miller is 60 years of age, he's been a lifelong resident of Erie County, has only been out of the county for three years when he served in the military.

Of his 60 years here in Erie County, he would approximate the 50 years of that.

He's been a city resident.

He is currently a Milk Creek Township resident.

As I stated before, he's the sole member of Purple Rock LLC.

He's also the sole shareholder and president of Bachmiller Enterprises Inc.

Mr.

Miller started running the sandbar when he acquired it in 2007 and he ran it until 2023.

The point being he's an experienced restaurant and tavern owner.

In terms of the history of the liquor license, once again, it remained with the sandbar from 2007 until 2023.

The only reason it doesn't continue in existence is Mr.

Miller personally sold uh the location to Mill Creek so that it could be part of the plans for the gateway to the peninsula.

It has been in safekeeping with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board since.

We're actually at the point now where on April 11th it either has to come out of safekeeping or Mr.

Miller has to pay a significant sum of money to keep it in safekeeping for an additional year.

In terms of what Mr.

Miller's plans are, he plans to update, upgrade, and refurbish the existing structure.

He is not planning on expanding it in any way, shape or form.

He likes the layout of the property vis-a-vis, where the building is, how big the building is, and how much space is left on that particular lot for customer parking.

In terms of up uh updates, upgrades, and refurbishing, it'd be pretty much cosmetic in nature.

Uh the property is still structurally sound, but it could really use some updates to restore it.

Uh there is also some junk that was left on the property from the previous owner, basically situated in the back.

Uh it would be part of his overall plan to clean that up and have it attractive uh not only for patrons but for neighbors and passers by.

Um the game plan here is uh to engage the services of Mike Grab to assist with the upgrades that would go along with the update project.

He hopes to be operating the facility by July 1st, 2026 because he not only needs uh the approval of the city of Erie for the intermunicipal transfer of the liquor license, he needs PLCB approval, which in a best case scenario usually takes a minimum of four months.

With respect to what he plans to do with the property, some people may be uh familiar with the sandbar.

Kind of the business model for the sandbar was uh actually uh twofold.

Uh number one for certain portions of each and every day uh it was uh offered as a family dining place.

Uh he also you also used it as uh an entertainment spot, a place for the younger people uh within uh Milk Creek in Erie to go to on nights and weekends to enjoy live entertainment and so forth.

Um that is not his business model for this particular location.

What he's hoping that his his that his attraction will be will be to the working crowd.

It is his plan to open it seven days a week, 7 a.m.

until 11 p.m.

Uh attract people who are coming off various shifts of employment throughout the course of the year.

Uh he would envision it to be a neighborhood bar as opposed to uh, for example, a nightclub or something like that.

Uh he's hoping that he can establish a reputation for people within that genre where you know if they want to grab a burger and a beer, that's the place to go.

In terms of entertainment that he would offer at this establishment, again, uh that neither the facility nor his interest is in uh having live bands attracting large crowds.

He does envision having a level of entertainment along the lines of, for example, karaoke on weekends, uh having maybe an acoustic guitar and a singer in there, low-key type of entertainment.

In terms of management, um, you know, we want this property to this establishment to be under control.

At this particular point in his life, Gary's single, he has no children.

His immediate plan once he's operational is he will be the full-time manager.

Uh again, he's got the background in terms of knowing the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of what can transpire in a bar.

So from that standpoint, uh his immediate plans and foreseeable plans are he is going to be the uh on duty uh manager of the establishment when uh he is in operation.

Uh there probably will come a time at which point time he will get a manager approved by the PLCB to assist him with respect to that.

Nowadays I think you also have to consider security.

In terms of security, again, we all hope with respect to these establishments that it's a situation where uh people are civil to one another, don't uh cause disturbances public or otherwise, uh, but we also need to deal with reality.

Uh the way Mr.

Miller sees it at this particular point is based upon his experience, it would be his plan from a security standpoint that uh at the what will develop as the heavier points of traffic time of day, that he will have a minimum of one security person there, uh just just to see what's going on, see who's coming in the door, uh doing it an initial uh step in terms of making sure that they are appropriate in terms of being in the establishment from an age standpoint, things of that nature.

If and when there develops some sort of crowd uh to the point where he thinks that, all right, when I have, for example, karaoke, this crowd tends to come in, they tend to get a little bit loud, they need to be broken up, sent home, whatever the case may be.

Again, based upon his experience, uh he he knows when he may have to beef up security.

Um intends to be a good neighbor for the others in the the area.

If you're familiar with the area of 21st and Hampton at all, uh I would generally say that the north side of the street is pretty much uh unoccupied or it it tends to be businesses and a lot of them appear to be storage type facilities.

Uh not a whole lot going on in the north side of the street.

On the side of the street that uh the bar and tavern is located along 21st Street there are residences and uh south uh of the establishment, there are residences somewhat off in the distance.

Um if there's any other information that I can provide at this time for you to give appropriate consideration to his application for approval, uh I'd be happy to answer those questions now or a little bit later.

Thank you.

I mean do you want the public to come up and first?

If there's any public comment or questions, I would like to hear that first, and then we can my name is Freda Tepfer.

Do I have to spell my name to you?

Yes, you do.

Good luck.

Fredda F R E D is in Dog A, Tepford, T is in Tom, E, P is in Peter, F is in Frank, E R.

And I live in the city of Erie.

In fact, I reside in the Baldwin Park neighborhood.

Um, and I'd like to address the mischaracterization of our neighborhood.

The houses on the south side are not off in the distance, they're right there.

It's a grid-like neighborhood, and um I'm here partly because one of my uh actually my former supervisor lives on uh Geist and um 22nd, and she's concerned about the noise, and because there was a lot of noise in the last bar.

This is a residential neighborhood, it's zoned residential.

This is a non-conforming use in this neighborhood.

The um it's an expired non-conforming use.

So there is no existing um whatever you call it that that gives permission to have a bar.

It's an expired non-conforming use.

Um so there's been noise.

This is a very the cars go very fast up and down the street.

They they don't follow the speed limit because there's no stop signs between Green Garden and Pittsburgh.

Um there's there are no retail facility, so it's not a retail facility.

Um and it's not an appropriate location.

And um just what he said to having karaoke and I I don't believe that he can stand here and say I'm only gonna have an acoustic guitarist and then not do whatever he wants later.

I mean it's people say whatever they want, and when they get their permit, they do whatever they can.

But um we don't need a noisy bar, we don't need cars increasing the speeding in our neighborhood.

Um we would like to have a sidewalk there.

There's no sidewalk there, and if he's gonna have cars parked where people should be able to walk, if there is going to be a permit, and if there is going to be renovation, he should be required to build a sidewalk.

Um I just don't think it's appropriate.

Come and see our nice little gridded neighborhood.

And you know what?

There are houses on the north side of 21st.

I didn't think there were any, but when I was out doing door-to-door canving, there's houses there.

People live there on the other side, too.

So um I'm glad he has a permit and he has a business plan, but this is not an appropriate location for a bar.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else for a public comment?

For the public hearing.

Hello, my name is Brock Copeland, R O C K.

Last name, C O P E L A N D.

Um didn't intend to speak on this topic.

It's not why I'm here.

Um appreciate Freder's points.

She's very often right.

Uh, she brings up some solid points about sidewalks and such.

Sorry, one second, Mr.

We need to swear them in.

Yeah, did you raise your hand to be sworn before?

I did not, but I will.

Yeah.

Okay.

We have the core, Mr.

Coreporter.

Could you swear in Mr.

Copeland?

Can you raise your hand, please?

Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give would be the truth, the whole truth and nothing about the truth.

I do.

Um then are you for or against, and then say why?

I am for.

Um I drive past this property quite a bit in the last couple of years.

Uh I've had occasion to stop by for a drink at the previous establishment.

It's okay.

Um, but as I've driven past over the last couple of years, I've been a little frustrated.

I think we all know we see a lot of blight in our community and structures that are uh left vacant for a long period of time.

Um and when we have an opportunity to reinvigorate them and to bring them back to productive business.

Um I don't know the gentleman.

I hope that he runs his establishment well and that we keep an eye on it.

Um but I think all of us enjoy stopping by for a drink every now and then.

And uh I think it's economically better to pour one uh and get paid for it than uh pay to have somebody else pour one for you.

So uh yeah, I speak in support.

I'm gonna ask, is there anyone else who would like to speak for this?

City clerk, you did get one letter/slash email.

Did you just state who it was from?

Um Jessica Carnes from Erie.

I would surmise that it is to deny it.

And we would incorporate that with the record, and that would be given to city council as part of their decision making.

Could you come to the mic though, just so that the it can be recorded?

If there's no more for people who are going to speak, if you have questions, this would be a good time for attorney Bruno to answer any questions.

Just with respect to this letter, everybody who spoken for and against this at this point uh was charged to be sworn uh to be telling the truth.

Uh is it appropriate to put into the record uh an unsworn written statement from an individual who didn't take the time or the opportunity to be present here today to make their presentation personally in front of uh counsel?

I think it's fair that they could consider the letter.

And it was submitted prior to hearing everything, so it wouldn't be influenced by watching this later on YouTube or on the Facebook channel.

Understood.

Thank you.

Yes, counselor.

Uh Mr.

Miller, I thereby he might have wanted to say something.

Excuse me.

Uh Mr.

Miller, you came to the microphone.

Uh I know you have counsel, but you look like you might want to say something, and we want to give you the opportunity to add uh or to have that moment.

Yes, we would um like the lady mentioned earlier um that came up here and spoke.

At the time that bar was once a biker bar, which I have no intentions of doing anything like that.

That's why it was a lot and noisy now's why it was shut down.

Um like my attorney said, and like we agreed on.

I like to keep it a burger and a beer kite joint where you know people can come in after work and then relax.

And I just like to thank uh the council for an opportunity for for letting me maybe establish the business in the city of Erie.

Do we have uh information on just the current zoning status where we are?

That's been brought up a couple of times by a couple of individuals.

I didn't know if we had someone if you all could speak on that or if we had someone who could speak on just the current zoning status this area.

Yes, I I did speak with the City of Erie zoning office prior to purchasing the property in July of 2025.

Um I was told at that particular point in time that there were no problems with respect to zoning.

Um that uh a variance had been granted and that there would be no issues with Mr.

Miller purchasing the property and subsequently uh having the opportunity to maintain the bar for its its purpose when it was granted, when the variance was granted for a non-conforming, excuse me, nonconforming use.

Is that part of the just the process of uh the zoning conversations in the application?

Would that also be provided to all of us as well, as counsel, just so we can see how that process is also played out any questions?

Yeah, we can get that outlined so you know what's going on.

Okay, thank you.

So just to understand, Counselor, uh you you're saying that there uh a variance has been a lot allocated already.

A long a long time ago, and we we checked, like I said, we I checked with the zoning office and had a conversation with them where they said that due to the fact that it had been approved as a nonconforming use, it could continue with that designation and be used as a restaurant and bar.

Okay, that's and that and that's great because that's important, and I would ask that our counsel that our solicitor uh verified that or whatever, because that would be significant.

Yeah, I would have to follow up.

So Mr.

Bruno, do you know the name of the person you spoke to?

Um I I do not remember him, and I do not have the real estate file that the note would be in in terms of who it was that I spoke to.

But but I'm I'm sure I'm sure that it's it's in that file.

Uh I want to say it was a younger sounding uh male gentleman in that office.

And again, because that that's pretty significant, uh, particularly when you're saying that it fell under the non-conforming use and so absence of a variance, uh, then it wouldn't be very proper for us to make a uh it would it wouldn't enable us to make an informed decision.

What well and here is my unresearched reply to that.

I think what we're talking about are steps in the process.

And you know, with the with the assistance of the city solicitor, you you know, you know you will know these things better.

But as far as the process goes, I think you have to take things in order.

So in terms of taking things in order, I'm not so sure that whether or not it's licensed is an issue that the council has to decide in terms of whether or not they'll accept an intermunicipal transfer of the liquor license.

But when you speak of or uh because you speak of or uh process and order, uh then it seemed like we should not make a decision until you get that meted out.

Uh or are we to make a decision based on your lack of research and and just go on good faith?

Or should because it seems like you it's almost like you put the cart before the horse to your to your comments.

And uh I'm really not suggesting that.

I'm suggesting as part of the process is whatever your considerations are for accepting an inter municipal transfer are are one thing.

So let's uh as as a scenario.

Let's say that take put us put aside the zoning variance question for the time being.

Otherwise, would you accept this for an intermunicipal transfer?

You take it that far.

Then from there, it's it is our responsibility to just because you grant that doesn't mean that we establish a bar there.

Sir, respectfully, that doesn't I I'll just maybe we can just talk offline because we'll have a time to vote on this, but under that scenario, what you're saying is it's an intermunicipal transfer, uh, but it's it's specific to Hampton Avenue, and so and so that would be very relevant whether you I mean because let me just take it off of your case.

Uh with recently we had someone come in to purchase several lots here within the city, and they presented a proposal, they wanted to say they want to put homes and uh and do this affordable housing thing, uh, but the but the lots were not sized as such uh for them to to do that.

And they wanted to buy uh uh not one, two, three, four, five, but maybe nine, ten properties, and say, well, we'll get a variance later on.

And that's kind of you know what you are asking us to do.

And I'm not trying to be difficult because we want businesses in the trust me, we want businesses in the city of Erie.

And you you can see that you your question is legitimate because it's challenging me to try to try to think of an intelligent response to give you.

And the what the way I see it is you're you can even put a condition on as on accepting the intermunicipal transfer, conditioned upon uh that it complies with uh the City of Erie zoning regulations, as far as I'm concerned, and that's enough to get us to where we need to go.

Now, from there, all right, he's not operating that bar that bar despite the your acceptance of the intermunicipal transfer, uh, if he's not in compliance with with the zoning ordinance, which is contrary to the information that I did receive prior to him purchasing the the real estate in this particular case.

So I think number one, you can put a limitation on it, and number two, if you grant the intermunicipal transfer and there is a zoning problem, I think he should have the right to request a variance and have a variance hearing at that particular point in time.

So I you know, in terms of what comes first, I guess at least from the perspective of this side uh is uh I really need the intermunicipal transfer first before I can go through the next steps.

And those next steps, if my information turns out to be uh uh not accurate from what I'd learned what before he purchased the property, then then I gotta go through the variance process for him.

So it's just really uh important to me that you understand I'm not the they are very, very relevant questions, and it it it just uh you know they the question is just vague to be asked.

Oh listen that so from from you giving us from your perspective, but I like I'm just trying to offer up our perspective too.

And this is kind of this here is kind of like a discovery phase.

So we're kind of like fact-finding or it's an excellent inquiry.

It's an excellent inquiry, and and one of the more significant jobs that that you have as a council is uh to to assure compliance with respect to zoning.

Uh you know, it it it makes for uh uh you know orderly neighborhoods, neighborhoods that that uh that where people can say, okay, these are the things I have to deal with within this neighborhood, and these are things that I'll never have to deal with because of the zoning ordinance.

I I absolutely understand where you're coming from, and that's all part of your job.

Thank you, Mr.

May I?

Yes.

How long has the bar been dark?

I'm forgetting the gentleman's name uh who died.

It um he he died approximately three years ago.

That's not good.

It pardon me?

That's not good.

No.

Not good enough for your your client.

The window closes three years, and the non-trans the non-conform use goes away after three years.

That's why I'm asking that question.

And it's very important.

And I'm giving in an approximation on that.

I it did not represent that other individual.

Now, what to kind of finish what was going on, after he died, it operated and and I'm not suggesting it was legal or illegal.

It was operated by his wife for a period of time before she failed to renew the liquor license and the liquor license cut.

We only cave it, Jim, I'm telling you.

It's three years.

Now, when did he clear it closed until the time that you can go in there and get it, keeping that nonconform reuse.

I just spend a whole uh quite a few hours with this thing with the doctor uh transferring his nonconforming use building to a CPA.

And as soon as we found out that the doctor officially stopped working in December 25, nonconform use automatically went with the sale.

But that three-year thing is something you better check out completely.

Uh would you would you can still get it done, but it's gonna be a lot of work.

Would you like me to look that up and and supplement the information that council has?

Pardon me?

I said you don't have to look it up.

I just told you.

I would like the information.

Yeah, it's a three-year three year window.

No, the information in terms of when it stopped operating as a bar.

That's important for you guys because it's your book.

And my my question is, would you like me to try to get documentation of when the liquor license was pulled by the PLCB, which would which would start the three-year clock running?

That's Mr.

Miller's question to you, I think.

Three years.

That's the difference.

Mr.

Brzezinski, just one moment.

I'm gonna interject.

And just I'm gonna say, because we're kind of going back and forth.

So I would say, Attorney Bruno, I would believe City Council would welcome any supplemental information that you would like to submit.

And then at the same time, I believe I would ask on behalf of the city that uh the zoning office, not right now at this hearing, but in the coming days, provide city council, and we can also provide that to you, the what their thought process is and make sure all of our dates are aligned.

Understood.

And then they can then city council can then do a final uh evaluation of everything prior to making a decision.

Fair enough.

Okay.

Jim, I only bring that up as a caveat.

Uh I know the bar.

I had my business up on on Hudson.

So I I know it very well.

I always knew it as a neighborhood bar.

Correct.

That being said, and I only brought it up because I can told you I just I spent a lot of hours finding out just you know where the timelines fit.

Again, council council needs all relevant information.

Uh I will try to track that down.

I I assume I would submit that through the city clerk's office.

So that it's available to council.

Thank you.

And then appreciate that.

And they'll make that part of the record too.

Thank you.

Okay.

So any other questions from counselors.

If there's no other questions, I would say that we can close out this first public hearing.

I thank you guys for how coming in answering questions.

And then are we then c get ready?

You guys can sit down.

Appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And then um, could you also just just remind um just the the process now?

So now we as counsel will get the information and so then then we vote just for public as well.

Right.

Yeah, so the next phase then for both of these public hearings is that they're not going to vote today.

They're gonna vote at the next hearing.

They're gonna get all the information, sift through it.

If there's any further questions, um, as we talked about, there's different things that could be submitted from the city and also from the parties.

So and I would say the same thing is true for the second public hearing.

So you gentlemen are all up in the front row.

But if there's anything you think that you could submit afterwards, we can submit it to the city clerk's office.

Okay.

I was gonna wait for on I was gonna wait for council councilperson Horton.

Yeah, I think there'll be just just a moment.

Yes, if we take a quick break, I guess.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

So co-reporter, are you ready to go forward?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Everyone who's here to testify, would you please stand up and raise your right hand?

Yeah, so you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give would be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

And then again, I'd ask everyone who comes up to please state your name, spell it for the court reporter.

Um for Cooper and for the Scott Hotel team, you can just state your name and then explain what about your project.

Okay.

And just as a reminder that we the person who is recording this is online, and so they're gonna pick up any noise that we have.

So I know sometimes it will be tempting to make noises in the public, but then it becomes harder for the reporter who is online.

So if we could all just keep the noise two minutes.

Actually, Cooper, before you get started, I'm just gonna have Laurie read the the agenda blurb.

Pursuant to section 306 of the City of Erie zoning ordinance 80 2005 and receiving the communication from the city planning commission.

Erie City Council will conduct a public hearing Wednesday, March 4th at Proxmith.

Nope, not Wednesday, March 4th, 18th at 7 p.m.

in City Council Chambers to consider testimony regarding the request for waterfront conditional use submitted by Weber Murphy Fox on behalf of Scott Enterprises for the construction of a new eight-story hotel containing 139 guest rooms, three restaurants bars located at East Front Street in a waterfront commercial zoning district.

And then as before, witnesses will go first, and then you would like to do questions of the parties after public the public has spoken.

Yes, please.

Thank you.

So go ahead, Mr.

Cooper.

Thank you.

My name is Cooper Moore.

I am a planner here at the city in the Bureau of Planning and Zoning.

I'm also the staff liaison to the design review committee and the city viewers planning commission.

Um I'm here to inform you that on January 14th, the design review committee reviewed this project, and on January 20th, the planning commission reviewed this project in accordance to city ordinances and state requirements.

Um it was determined that this project was compliant with all of the requirements in the city's zoning ordinance and is consistent with the goals in Erie Refocused our comprehensive plan that was adopted in 2016.

Additionally, we received three letters from the public ahead of this hearing.

Those letters have been submitted to council for consideration ahead of the vote at a future meeting.

Those letters were from Visit Erie, the Erie Bird Observatory, and a Mr.

Jack Lacey.

Um the applicant has provided a short presentation that I will pull up so that they can present it to you.

I'm with Weber Murphy Fox Architects, principal and owner of Weber Murphy Fox.

We have been working with Scott Enterprises.

Can you hear me?

Yeah, I want to make sure.

Can the court reporter hear you?

Can you?

Yes, I can.

Okay, thank you.

Wonderful.

And I did join everybody in being sworn in.

Um I did raise my hand, but I believe I was on mute.

Um, if you need me to do that again.

No, I don't believe so.

But just make sure you keep your voice up and you speak into your microphone so that helps because the core reporters also via Zoom.

Wonderful.

All right, I will do my best.

All right, so today we are here to look at uh the phase two, which is the AC Marriott Hotel located at Arbor Place, um, down on State Street, Bayfront Parkway, and Front Street.

If you wouldn't mind going to the next slide, please.

So Weber Murphy Fox is the architect, and the owners are Scott Enterprises.

And let's head on to the next slide, please.

So this master plan was created back in 2014.

Uh, this master plan was presented to city council and approved uh by city council with uh building the height and locations.

Um we are we are here today to talk about phase two of this project with C A C Hotel.

When this master plan was developed, uh we developed it with the Erie Refocused in mind.

Uh Erie Focused identified waterfront um development here at Harbor Place and along Erie's Bayfront needed to be mixed use urban experience.

It identified it needed to be a high quality transitional experience to downtown.

It identified the dist uh distinct but kind of connections to downtown.

It identified prioritizing pedestrian comfort, safety, and interest, and identified an income generating resource for the city.

The Harbor Place Master Plan checks all boxes, and the project we're presenting to do to you today uh is no different.

Uh next slide, please.

So I wanted to kind of remind you of the Harbor Place master plan.

This is the same master plan that we presented back in 2014 to City Council, and that was approved at that time.

There have been no changes.

This is number two located on this plan, which is the hotel that has been planned for this Harbor Place, as always planned for two hotels.

The first one is the Hampton Inn Switch, which exists down there today, and the second, of course, is the AC Marriott, which we're planning on discussing today.

All the other components of the master plan are in place, other than the private townhomes, which were originally planned north of these hotels.

And Scott Enterprises during the COVID period made a decision to uh take that with original private planning of townhomes and turn them into the beer garden that we know today and the mini golf we know today, both public commercial, recreational opportunities.

The rest of the master plan, as you can see on the screen, still stays intact for our plans for future.

We anticipate this project to take place over seven or eight phases.

You can see it has 15 built components to this project.

This project will provide when finished 160,000 square feet of new office space to downtown area.

It will provide over 50,000 square feet of new retail to downtown area.

It's going to provide 120 new residential units, Erie.

It's going to provide over a thousand new parking spaces for the waterfront for our whole district to be able to use.

Along with uh along with those items, it's also provides over two miles of public walkways and trails accessible to all.

And that does not include the temporary construction jobs that will be provided during the construction of this.

This project was intended and remains to be intended as a conduit, a connection between the city and the waterfront, the building orientations, the locations, corridors, the public spaces, all intended to allow public to access their waterfront and to improve that access.

Buildings are oriented to make sure that we don't obstruct views.

This project is not intended to be a barrier, either visually or physically between the city, its community, and the waterfront, but again, as an active conduit, increase and enhance waterfront action, activity, and use.

All right, next slide, please.

So the project we're here talking about today is phase two.

So on this plan, you can see phase two is the AC Hotel, which is located between the existing Hampton Inn Suite building and the library museum, just as it was shown on the original master plan.

When developing this project, we looked at the WC Waterfront commercial district requirements for lot coverage, for the building height, the landscape, building and structures, setbacks, the lighting, advertising, parking lot design, appropriate screening, the atmosphere, the dedicated greenery, and all the components that are required for this.

Again, the building height was a variance that was approved back in 2014 by city council.

Next slide, please.

So the area that we're talking about is the area highlighted in red in the middle of the screen.

It's about 1.5 acres of this project, which will be the lot in which the AC Hotel clips.

This project will include continuation of the drop off canopy system that exists in front of the Hampton Inn and Suites, and we'll utilize that same drop-off area.

And then this project will create a new access road between the AC Hotel and the Museum Library.

An access road that takes us out to a turnaround and a drop-off for the mini golf and all of our spear garden.

The clip thing out there today is a 50 plus car parking lot.

That will be removed and it will be replaced by a public plaza that's suited for events and public use and expansion of entertainment from Oliver's Beer Garden to Mini Golf and our waterfront use.

That roadway between the AC Hotel and the Museum will improve the museum's access.

So we have a service ramp and service access that will be provided as part of this to make sure that we enhance the museum's access and use for their service that happens along the west side of their building.

Go to the next slide, please.

So from a landscaping standpoint, this project will include the orange area there, which you see will be a dedicated public walkway.

No vehicles along that orange corridor that stretches all the way from State Street back to that turnaround back over by the Niagara Burke.

That will service emergency vehicles only, but will be a public walkable area, no vehicles.

This project will complete the middle lawn area.

Half of that is constructed today for the Hampton Inn and Suites.

The remaining of that oval will be completed as part of this AC hotel, and that part will be completed and dedicated.

And then the expansion of the parking lots will be included as part of this project to accommodate the parking.

At this phase, we do not have the structured parking in place, so we will be accommodating all parking on surface parking, which includes the expansion of the existing parking lots that are out there.

Along with that expansion comes the addition of additional shade trees, additional screening landscaping, shrubs, and greenways.

Alright, next slide, please.

For open space, at the heart of our variance approval by the city council back in 2014, we provide one square foot of usable public open space for every square foot above 50 feet.

So, as today, we need 25,800 square feet for the phase one requirements.

Phase two will add an additional 29,400 square feet.

That means we need a total of 55,200 square feet of open space.

At the completion of phase two with AC Hotel, we will have over 77,000 square feet feet of open space well over the required, and that's shown here in the green areas.

That does not include parking lot, that does not include right away or the existing sidewalks that are out there now, just to highlight areas in green.

Now, unfortunately, when the Bayfront Parkway came along, Pendot used eminent domain and remove a significant amount, over 21,500 square feet from this project, which was originally planned to be trails, planned to be parks.

We are going to uh in the future phases of this, we're going to make sure that as we design those parking ramps that we're able to accommodate the trails and all the open space that we originally promised.

That will not be part of this project.

This is only phase two.

This is just the AC hotel.

Rest of the parking, as I said before, will be handled by those expanded parking lots that you see on the screen.

Next slide, please.

So the hotel itself is an eight-story AC hotel by Marriott.

This hotel will have approximately 140 rooms.

Again, it will be eight stories tall and also have an observation roof deck on the very top.

This hotel is relatively unique because what we're doing is we're doing a roof or a top floor lobby with a top floor restaurant and top floor meeting space, which is part of the hotel's required program.

We are looking for some additional meeting space to be developed.

And this plan is developed on the levels six and seven.

And on the ground floor, the other unique thing about this hotel is that it will have a 1,200 square foot day spa as part of this program.

Alright, next slide, please.

This is an elevation.

Looking east from the west, you can see the library museum directly behind, shaded back.

Again, the eight-story hotel.

The materials that we're using for this are complementary to the materials we used on the Hampton Inn and Suites, as well as the materials we used on the Blasco Library and the museum.

So we are utilizing the same brick colors, which are the dark brick and a bright red brick.

They will be complementary to what we used on the Hampton Inn suites, but not identical.

This keeps this building related to and within the fame same family as the other buildings that are located directly adjacent.

Also be using a cast stone, buff stone, which is the same as we use over at the Hampton Inn and Suites for the capping our walls and her other cast stone accents.

The majority of this building will be an ephus, which is the light color that you see on this.

It's a solid light color, similar to the light colors that you will see on the Hampton Inn and Suites that exists down there today.

We will be doing wood accents.

Now these will be phenella panels.

Penella panels are the same panels that we used on the children's museum.

On the children's museum, those were bright colors.

We're going to be using one that has a wood texture to it that looks and acts like real wood.

What can withstand the weather and the conditions down here at the waterfront?

But we'll give this hotel a very intimate, warm, cozy feeling of having that wooden material on there.

Finally, we have a white metal roof overhang that uh symbolizes our overhang of the roof or the eighth floor above our above our occupied eighth floor.

The windows are going to be similar to the blazing that you've seen.

Um we will not be using the exact same colors of glass that is on the Hampton and Suites.

Hampton Suites uses a green.

The AC Marion does not allow that, so we'll be using a slightly different tent.

We are looking at using an anodized aluminum for the window frames and a dark bronze.

As we develop this, the dark bronze meat become the primary and only color, or it may be a mixture that's shown on here where the dark bronze around first floor through seventh floor, and then the eighth floor has the anodized up on top.

So that's the way we're looking at this.

You can see in this plan, we have an entry coming off that central plaza on the ground floor.

You also have the fitness over on the left, which spills out onto a public plaza.

Above that, on the seventh floor, you can see a deck, a cover deck right underneath the left-hand side of the top of the building, and that is where the event or conference area will be, which spills out onto a cover deck.

Over top of that is the restaurant and the rest of the eighth floor lobby space.

Alright, next slide, please.

So these are the elevations looking on the north and the south side.

The left is the north elevation.

What AC Merritt has requested that we do with this hotel is they want us to provide rooms off the north side of this hotel that have balconies.

So we're providing 20 rooms that have balconies facing the north.

On top of that, you will see the cover balcony for the event center, and of course, then the glass restaurant up on top.

On the ground floor is our fitness center that spills out into that open plaza area.

On the right-hand side, you see the south elevation.

The south elevation is primarily the brick, which will be uh over top of the staircase for our emergency egress that happens on that side.

But left of that, we have a glass facade, which is our elevator lobbies.

Every guest in the room as they come to the elevator, we'll have these wonderful views looking at the harbor place.

And the reason that's important is the south views from Harbor Place are just as important as the north views.

Back to the master plan, that south view looks onto our central plaza, where we will eventually have our splash fountains, eventually have our ice skating rink, eventually have all of our retail and downtown amenities which will happen along that front street development in the future phases of this project.

All right, next, please.

This is a 3D perspective looking from Oliver's Beer Garden back up to the hotel.

You can see this hotel is oriented to the north sound.

So it's long access is north-south.

That means it's it's east and west provide open view corridors.

You can see the park on the right, the open space that's provided there, which allow views from Front Street all the way back to the Bayfront Parkway, right through the site all the way out to the water's edge.

That's the reason we did this orientation for both these hotel are north-south so that we can keep the view corridors open.

As you can see here, we have illuminated uh the ground floor with the uh where we have our fitness center and our public plaza, the spill out and the connection to Oliver Gear Garden, obviously the park and the event space on the right-hand side.

You can see the balconies coming up north side of the uh hotel.

On top of that, you can see the outdoor roof deck covered, and over top of that the restaurant space in the A4 lobby.

You can see the roof overhang.

This is where we have the large roof overhang so that this building has a clear definition, clear profile.

Next, please.

This is elevation looking from Front Street.

So this is looking from where the future ice rink and the splash mountains will be.

You can see the existing Hampton Inn and Suites on the left.

You can see the existing canopy system where you pull up under the Hampton Inn suites.

That will be extended all the way over to in front of this AC hotel.

You can see the library museum beyond on the right hand side.

And this gives you a pretty good impression of the space that's left between these buildings.

Create that central park area.

The elevator lobby you can see here, which is illuminated.

You can see the A4 illuminated.

You can see our idea of very minimal signage on this just for the AC Mary that's required.

All right, next slide, please.

Finally, this is a picture taken along Front Street, right in front of the Maritime Museum, right in front of the Auditorium of the Maritime Museum on Front Street, looking over at Hampton Inn suites in the far distance.

AC sits in between, and you can see how the orientation matches the Hampton Inn suites, again, creating those open corridors between the buildings facing north and south so we capture view back out.

The waterfront.

Cooper, do you have the um the video that we could play quickly?

It's just a quick video sort of how this project will work.

Um this gives you an idea to some animation so you get a little bit of a better sense of how this building sits on the site and how it relates to the adjacencies.

Thank you very much.

That's the end of my presentation.

I'm here for questions.

Um just so you know, and I'm gonna ask you to stay online, but the city council's decided to ask questions after everyone speaks, and they want to ask all the questions at once.

So I'd ask you to please stay on and listen and be available.

Thank you.

So is there anyone else from the I'll call them the development team that wants to speak to council?

Uh thank you, council members and uh mayor just my Scott and I see S C O T T Fairview.

Uh just wanted to add a little bit of color to our architect who couldn't be here today, just to give you a little more insight into the project.

Um as you know, that was a the Penelex site that was empty and and uh vacant for years.

Um my my father bought it uh probably 25 years ago with the idea of someday developing it downtown.

And uh at one point in time we had decided to build a sort of a standard EFIS five four three or four story highway type hotel there.

And I think we put the brakes on and said, look, if we're gonna do this, we have to do it right.

And we spent a fair amount of money with Brian and his team to come up with a master plan, one that really worked for the city and would make it huge impact, um, not just plan a random hotel on the site, which is one of the plans we had.

Um the first hotel we did, the Hampton in just to give you some information about how that turned out.

Uh we ended up building the hotel and followed it up at the sort of middle of the project to add a restaurant on the top floor, Oliver's rooftop, which has been an award-winning restaurant, actually got voted the most romantic restaurant in Pennsylvania.

We're very proud of it.

After that, we did add the beer garden, and the beer garden has really changed sort of the landscape of downtown with a great place to see live music.

We have over 120 live music acts every summer, and so we're very proud of that as well.

The great thing about what ended up happening at that project is we we spent 22 million dollars on the initial project, and then after adding the beer garden for uh two to three more million, uh we're about five twenty-five million in to that development.

Uh basically all almost all of the contractors were local.

We use all local contractors, we always have.

Um if we if we have a specialty that we can't use someone here in the area, we may have to go out of town.

But that project was about 95 percent all local contractors, which was great.

Uh the project creates one point uh 1.1 million dollars a year in taxes.

So we've already created five million dollars uh in taxes uh at that project since the opening five years ago.

The new project that Brian just presented is about a $36 million uh hotel, has the restaurant on the top floor.

It's 140 rooms with some uh meeting space and uh is you know adjacent to the Hampton, as you saw very clearly.

Uh this is uh providing sort of an up upper scale option to uh meeting planners and so forth that we think will really complement the convention center.

The convention center has been successful, but in order for them to get big conferences, they need as many rooms as possible.

And so adding these rooms will certainly help us get more uh conferences, conventions to the market, which certainly helps as well.

Uh this project, we plan on using local contractors as well, as we always have.

That's about 32 to 33 million dollars of investment here into the community with the local uh jobs that uh the contractors employ, as well as um uh creating over 120 permanent jobs uh at the project itself.

So we're very excited about this project.

We'll create uh 1.5 million dollars in annual tax revenue for the community.

And we sort of have a saying in our company uh why not Erie, why not us, why not now?

And I think that kind of goes with this project.

Uh we're really excited about it.

Um my father, who was born and raised here, uh, went to Strong Vincent and uh has lived here his whole life.

We've actually canceled some projects out of town because we're so excited about building out Harbor Place and this project.

So our hearts in it, we're really excited about it.

I think Brian did a great job of presenting the project.

We'd be happy to answer any questions.

We have some other here.

We brought our team, so if you have any questions, we could answer any questions you have.

Thank you.

Will there be anyone any other part of your development team that'll speak?

Or were they just here to answer questions?

Probably, yes.

Okay.

So if there's that's some more so this is where I would open it up to uh people in the audience if you would like to come up and speak on the project.

Again, I would just ask you to state your name, spell it for the court reporter, state your residence, whether you're for or against the project, and then please state why.

And please keep your comments focused on the project at hand.

So I appreciate that.

Thank you.

My name is Sue Morowski.

I'm from Greenfield Township.

The last name is M-U-R-A-W-S-K-I.

And I am against the project, not a hundred percent just partially, if that's possible to express here.

Um I have a concern about this hotel because there's lots of glass and lighting, as you could see in the pictures that they showed.

This hotel would be located right across from Prescottisle State Park, which is a very important stop on the Atlantic flyway for migrating birds to rest and feed.

Prescale State Park has been rated as one of the top birding spots by bird watching magazine.

But the birds that are most at risk from glass and lighting are migrating birds, which are across the bay at the park.

Why is glass dangerous?

It's because birds don't see glass as solid.

They try to fly through it, usually in pursuit of food or shelter.

And birds see the reflections on the glasses, real habitat.

They fly towards these reflections unaware that they're about to collide with glass.

Why are lights dangerous for birds?

Mostly birds migrate at nighttime.

Light draws the birds towards the buildings at night when they should be flying.

The birds get confused.

Light also increases the reflection and transparency of glass.

It makes collisions more likely.

You may or may not have heard of mass bird casualties in larger cities in the past ten years or so, such as in Cleveland, Harrisburg, and Philly.

A lot of those cities develop volunteer programs to monitor buildings close to the lake or the downtown where these collisions were occurring and where thousands of birds had died.

And the volunteers go around in the morning and pick up dead dead and dying birds and try to get them rehabbed.

Erie doesn't currently have any program like that, although there was a brief uh program similar to that.

And uh the results did show that when excuse me, uh buildings that had a lot of glass windows were where a lot of casualties and injuries occurred.

As far as I know, Erie doesn't currently have any ordinances to address excess light or any ordinances that mandate use of bird-friendly glass.

I'm not sure if at this point in the process the council can impose some bird safety conditions in this uh approval process.

What can the city do to help though?

You can encourage building owners to dim their lights at nighttime during migration, spring and fall.

That's a wind for building owners too, because they can save energy costs.

You can encourage owners of buildings to use bird-safe glass.

That is glass that has a pattern on it so that birds recognize that it's not something that they should try to uh fly through.

But many times encouragement is not enough.

Unfortunately, collisions with glass kill between one and three billion birds in the United States every year.

This is the highest directly measurable human cause of bird mortality, second only to cats that are led outdoors.

Without community support data and ultimately laws, bird window collision prevent prevention is really difficult to solve.

I would propose that the city and its uh environmental advisory council develop an ordinance that requires structures to be bird-friendly.

Jersey City just passed such an ordinance where um bird-safe buildings are required.

The windows have to be uh treated so that birds can see them.

Um supporters say these features will help birds so that they don't collide with them, and developers complain because that's increased construction costs.

But um advocates argue that bird-safe glass options are widely available and only make up a small fraction of a building's overall window budget.

And again, I don't know if it's possible at this time in the process to impose such a condition on uh this hotel.

A lot of times people have attitude like birds, uh, who cares?

But I would propose that birds have rights also to a healthy environment with clean air and water, but also for the removal of any danger such as regular window glass and excess lighting, especially lighting during migration in the spring and fall.

I thank you for your attention.

Thank you.

Would you like me to address any of the questions as they come up?

Or would you like me to wait to the end?

Anyway to the end.

Yeah, the plan was to wait until everyone was done speaking.

Good evening.

My name is Donald McAdoo, D-O-N-A-L-D, M C A D O O.

I live at 4212 Parade Boulevard here in the city.

I have some concerns.

I'm not opposed to the marketplace, but I am concerned.

It's been 12 years since we did the first development.

What's changed?

What hasn't changed?

How long is it going to take before the second phase or the third phase of the operation is in development?

I wasn't opposed to this plan because of how they presented the first phase.

There were supposed to be other businesses and other things to keep the area moving.

At this point, we just have one motel down there.

Now we're going to have a second one.

What is going to be the impact on the convention center?

What's going to be the impact on cobblestone?

Are our comp occupancies on the motels high enough to support another motel down there at this time?

Basically, that's all I have.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Henry Chiapa.

Spelled H-E-N-R-Y C-H-I APA.

I'm speaking in opposition to this project.

I am I'm opposed to the Harbor Place project as a whole, but so anything I can do to kind of uh deter any more any for any developments like this.

I am that I'm obligated to speak on it.

I wasn't, I was a minor, unfortunately, when the uh harbor place plan was uh approved upon.

Um in principle and and for other reasons uh this project seems to inhibit have a lot of unnecessary drain along the along the bayfront, and I hope that uh further developments and further phases that are considered um advocate for more green space, uh more public space, because right now I'm I'm hearing a lot of private property, private property, private property, and there doesn't seem to be an idea, doesn't seem to be a lot of uh plans in place to hopefully uh bring about more public use down at the bayfront.

Um I'm hoping that uh this council considers uh rejecting this plan and moving forward with another plan with an alternative plan that uh focuses more on public use rather than uh private development and things of that nature.

Um furthermore, I I am concerned also about a hotel project uh mainly due to the nature of the wages of what will be paid to the workers of the of this facility.

We have to remember that hospitality and just due to profit margins and things of that nature will typically pay lower wages as opposed to any skilled labor or any or non-skilled labor that uh may have uh a higher demand.

So ideally when we're considering other projects in in this way, I hope that we're targeting specifically if we are going to build along this bayfront.

I understand there's other commercial and uh professional development that's gonna be done on the bayfront, but I would encourage even that further if we are going to use that space for uh for private uh development.

Um I have other principles that uh I can speak on in regards to uh this current uh project, but right now I think we should really hear more about how this also affect traffic, how this will affect uh water usage, as we're talking about a hotel here, so a lot of people will be using water at various different times, putting pressure on the system as a whole.

Um, I didn't hear anything in regards to electrical use or uh you know storm water uh uh mitigation, as well as uh the increase of vibrations and pressure being put on the bayfront, not only for the facility itself, but for the parking lots, the auxiliary infrastructure, and then also uh uh the traffic as a whole that's going through it.

If I was a member of this planning commission, I'm actually a member of the county planning commission, I would have rejected this project.

So I would encourage this uh council do the same.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Paige Bosniak.

That's P A I G E Bosniak Biaz and Boy, O-S-N-Y-A-K.

And as it stands now, I'm opposed to this project due to its detrimental impact on the environment and the character of the bayfront and the reality that this business will do nothing substantially, as far as I've heard, to improve the lives of people who live here.

My first concern relates to public view and access.

The water in the bayfront is one of Erie's greatest resources, and I passionately believe we need to ensure it is available and accessible to everyone without requirements that they spend money at restaurants or other establishments.

Dwindling third spaces have detrimental effects on the community.

Despite those projects promised to create public space in exchange for approval of the height variants, I have doubts that these types of benefits are always executed in good faith.

And it's not always clear that public space has been made available to the community.

For example, there um is actually public observation deck that's on the top floor of the parking garage that's affixed to um the Sheraton.

And this was a result of a compromise regarding the height variants for that project.

But the only signage that this space for the community even exists is within the parking garage on a sign the size of a piece of paper.

In addition to our people, we also have to think about the wildlife.

So I'm so grateful that people who know much more about birds than I do.

I just like birds, but I'm glad that the people who know more about birds have been here to advocate for the dangers that this hotel could pose to our wildlife.

There's a great book I read recently called The Darkness Manifesto that talks about the impact that light pollution has on our nighttime pollinators and a variety of wildlife.

Some estimations say that we will be the last generation to see lightning bugs.

Um, in part because the light pollution disrupts the bioluminescent signals that lightning bugs use to attract their mates.

And I don't care how dreamy a restaurant might be, to me, there's nothing more romantic than lightning bugs.

Um based on previous projects, I have concerns about the intensity of these lights.

Um the Hampton Inn currently stands out in the landscape along the waterfront, even looking at it from over near where I live, um, probably a half a mile to a mile away.

Um concerns about the lights.

Um in addition to uh these harms from the lights, I'm concerned about all of the glass, as mentioned the birds.

And then finally, I have doubts that this business will actually uplift people in our community.

Um we heard tonight during the citizens to be heard portion of the city council meeting about the rising prices for rent.

Landlords who are demanding renters earn three times these amounts.

Not to cut you off, but I'd like you to keep your comments focused on the hotel, though.

Okay, and that's that's a housing issue that's not related directly to the other.

Yeah, but it's also a wages thing.

Um, because we need to make sure that the jobs that exist in these hotels, so we're hearing about the challenges people are having with wages.

I want to make sure that this project actually will speak to the challenges that our residents are seeing.

So the MIT actually has a living wage calculator, and it estimates that Erie's living wage uh should be about $23 per hour.

And I want to um inquire what the average wage in this hotel would be.

Um taxpayers often have to pick up the slack for the negligent employers who are offering poverty wages.

Um concessions that would make this project more palatable could be community benefits agreements.

So I'm very grateful to see new faces in leadership here who I hope I can count on to try and push for those sorts of compromises.

Um bird safe glass and willingness to negotiate about lighting that as it stands, um, could be quite intrusive.

And if these words about justice for people and environment don't resonate, I will also say I find it a little bit tacky with all the bright lights.

Um the Hampton Inn I mentioned, they had their Christmas tree, a lit up Christmas tree on top of the roof, um, all the way to like March or April one year.

And so I would also just point out that that project we can maybe compare it to some of the other hotels.

The Sheraton I think has very tasteful lighting, it's quite demure.

Um, and so I would just also ask that we are mindful about the intensity of the lights.

Thank you.

Hi.

Uh my name is Cole Shenley.

It's C-O-L-E S-C-H-E-N-L-E-Y.

I live in the city of Erie.

I'm here to speak against uh this hotel.

I'll first say that from what I've uh read and what I've watched, I believe that the Scots family has done their due diligence and as far as I can tell has every right, and so they own the land, they have a right to build something on this land.

That said, I think we can we should expect more from the people who are developing on our waterfront.

I have visited the hotel, the restaurant uh downtown, uh, the Olivers and the beer garden, and I've been to some of the Scots businesses, and I can tell you the mediocrity that they exhibit is something we should not be uh lifting up in this city.

Uh I have a problem with a building that uses CRIS money.

Uh they're basically using uh welfare queens uh would not be a derogatory term, but this is how they get their things done.

And I'm tired of the rich in this city deciding that they can do what they want and build what they want.

Uh I was heartened to hear at the study session that the city council and the mayor uh put on about this project that the city council will be looking into uh strengthening ordinances and whatnot around uh development and our waterfront.

And I was heartened to hear from the mayor uh especially that there would be uh more careful planning going on with the rest of the development on the waterfront.

I know that this project will probably happen, this hotel will probably be built.

But I'd ask yourselves going forward, who do you want, who is the city for?

Is it a playground for the wealthy and for county residents, or will we be lifting up city residents and investing in city residents?

Thank you.

Hi, my name's Emily Gardioso, and I am a 25-plus year resident of the West Bayfront.

Um, sorry.

Emily Gottioso, so G-A-U, D I O S O.

Thank you.

And I have benefited from our resources and um the peninsula, our state parks, and the view of the bayfront the entire time I've lived here.

Um so it was really alarming to me that while we're talking about building harbor place as a place for small businesses and local businesses, that we're also talking about again giving just an important piece of our city to a private organization that will largely benefit them and them only.

I think that a less than two million dollar tax bill is little to nothing compared to the impact, the negative impact this is gonna have on our city.

So I need to organize my thoughts a bit, but um our bayfront is one of our city's most valuable public assets.

It should exist first and foremost for the people who live here, not be gradually privatized for the benefit of a single developer developer.

Too much of our shoreline is already occupied by hotels that offer little to residents beyond high prices and limited access.

This proposal continues that trend rather than changing it.

We're told that there will be public walkways and green space, but we need to look more closely at what that actually means.

Landscaping that depends on chemical treatments does little to support local wildlife and offers minimal real benefit to our residents.

What chemicals will be used to maintain these spaces, and what impact will run off of what impact runoff will have on our already fragile water quality?

And what does it mean to add hundreds of new hotel rooms with increased demand on water, septic to septic systems, and power so close to one of our most valuable natural resources?

And it's not just our resource, it's not just Erie's resource.

This is a worldwide worldwide resource.

Fresh water is becoming increasingly increasingly scarce, and we're putting things next to our water that is going to make it unusable.

It's not going to be able, we're not gonna have fresh water in the next 30 years.

We also need to consider the developers' track record.

There are serious concerns about how their businesses treat workers, underpaying employees, limiting hours to avoid providing benefits, and failing to support workers during major life events such as pregnancy.

These are not practices, practices that strengthen a community, they contribute to the growing number of working people who are still struggling to get by, the working poor.

Beyond labor concerns, this project raises larger questions about our priorities.

Why are we approving new construction that impacts wildlife, nearby residents, and even blocks our chairs sunsets when we have blighted properties and opportunity zones that are still waiting for investment?

These are less than a mile away.

These opportunity zones are very close.

Development should revitalize what we already have and not bypass it.

So I ask what is truly being added here.

More low-wage jobs, another expensive hotel, more chain establishments that don't reflect the reinvestment in our community, and we have an opportunity to demand better to protect our waterfront, safeguard our water, support fair employment, and prioritize development that genuinely benefits the people of the city.

So I urge you to reconsider this particular proposal.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Matt Texter, City of Erie here.

And uh I'm cautiously hopeful.

Could you please state your spell your name for T E X T E R.

Thank you.

Um I'm uh cautiously hopeful that we have very wise people involved on all sides of this that are able to hear the concerns of the people and come together and maybe tie uh a solution to uh to their need.

And um I think about um the city, there's been a lot of uh beautiful buildings that met all the requirements, but they have left the people behind.

And I think about the history that I've learned since I lived in Erie, about how so many people walk down over the bayfront to work in the shipyards and then in the industries in the fishing industries, and then at the end of the night they walk back home, and those are the people and the wages that built this city.

And I just want to make sure that if we approve anything, that it uh it is worth the walk.

Just up over the hill is zip code 16501.

The poorest zip code in this country.

We have an opportunity to tie development and good things, also making sure that they are they are contractually uh uh uh obligated to also bring the community along with that success.

I think that we need community benefit agreements, and I think that we just need to make sure whatever we do down there for the people of Erie that it's worth the walk to go to work and then go back home.

Good evening, council.

My name is Curtis Jones, C U R T I S, J-O-N E S Junior.

Um first of all, I'll say um standing here as a representative of the Here Regional Chamber of Growth Partnership where I work.

Um our office is located at 208 East Bayfront Parkway.

Um, your EPA 16507.

Um I'll start by saying that uh I've had the privilege and honor and responsibility of sitting in the seat that you're in.

Um having served with I think one of you uh previously, uh and when we talk about the expectations that have been placed on waterfront conditional use or waterfront development, honor to be a part of the council that was very intentional and very deliberate and um often very heated in conversations with community and amongst ourselves to do our due diligence at the time, the best due diligence we could to make sure that uh that the waterfront, which in the bayfront, which is our most beautiful in many instances and most valuable in most instances property in our community, had this interesting balance between public and private investment, uh private or businesses that would um complement the goals and the aspirations of our community, maximizing the beauty of the waterfront, coupled with uh examples like the the convention center, which uh was one of the first projects I was a part of as a young city council member in 2006, seven, and eight, and uh had the privilege of walking in the rafters before there were walls, right?

And and was really a part of these conversations around how do we find these balances, right?

And with public facilities, private facilities, but at the same time, a key, key, key issue was access and free access for our citizens.

And I would tell you, I won't name names to protect uh the guilty.

Uh but there are several of us who had into very vehement arguments about what does public access mean?

Does that mean it's just some green space that you sort of can kind of walk through, or does that mean you actually have access to the water for free?

Can you actually guide your bike?

Can you walk and take your children?

Can you do the things that I did as a young boy with my parents and go fishing actually on the lake without paying a toll or a fee?

Or and so I I take a little privilege if I uh which I already did, I won't ask for permission, I already did it, I guess, uh, to say that there has been a lot of work to get us to this very point.

And so if we go back to 2014, 2016, again, I was on council during both of those seasons of this development and the approvals that were uh passed by the previous council, and there was a lot of due diligence and done there.

Now you have your season of due diligence to do.

Uh I don't know that that's the question for today.

I think the question is uh what is in place now with the current zoning expectations, conditions, are they being met by this project?

Uh if there are things that we don't like, or this council uh hears from its citizens and its constituents that we don't like for the next round or for the next phases or whatever the next um projects are if there's room to make enhancements or changes, and I think that's appropriate to do, but I think my understanding is the conversation today is about whether this particular project meets what the rules are today.

And I think it does.

Now, this is not my personal opinion.

I I have that too, or this is my professional opinion in relation to the message that we are bringing forth from the Erie Regional Chamber.

And so our Erie 300 strategy, uh, a major part of that is our catalytic uh and our catalyst um pillar, which is about supporting individuals, businesses, public and private, uh, in the area of economic development and finding really high quality uh projects that can enhance the the quality of life, uh, the economic vitality of our community from not just the waterfront but throughout Erie County and beyond.

And so with that said, uh the Erie Regional Chamber of Growth Partnership uh supports this project.

We are in favor of it.

Um I will again throw in finally the caveat that there was a significant amount of work.

The questions that were brought up today by some citizens who were opposed or who were in the gray area of unsure, uh I think that previous councils, again, you have to do your due diligence in the future, uh, but previous councils have heard those messages loud and clear, and have put as many things in place at that were available as tools at that time uh to make sure that those needs are met.

So um again, on behavior on behalf of the regional chamber of growth partnership, we support this project, and we're also willing to answer any questions in relation to why beyond this moment from council uh for other conversations at a uh more private space or uh just at a different time.

So thank you for the time, honor each of you.

Uh chair and mayor, it's good to see you all and solicitor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sharknell Shepherd.

I live on the lower east side.

I was up here about.

You can bend it down if it'll be helpful for you.

Yeah, it'll bend for you.

My apartment was a festival with mice.

I was not here for this purpose today, but I have to say something.

Could you just spell your name?

I'm sorry for that.

Thank you.

S-H-A-R-N-E-L-L, S H E P H E R D.

Thank you.

This was not my purpose, but it just appalls me that the community is struggling so much with housing.

I mean, I think the last thing we need is another big hotel.

People don't have pace places to live.

And if um the Scots are gonna take two million dollars, I think they should put that into affordable housing.

We have people sleeping on the street because they can't find nowhere to live.

So I I would like to see them invest that money into something that could be good for the community.

That could build the community so people will have places to live.

My name is Frederick.

I live in Erie.

Do I need to spell my name again?

Yes.

Yes.

F R E D A D is in Dog, Tepford, T is in Tom, E, P is in Peter, F is in Frank, E R.

And I request the solicitor, give me understand that I know what I'm doing.

I heard the instructions, so let me do what I'm gonna do.

So I'm gonna read from our state constitution.

The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural scenic historic and aesthetic values of the environment.

Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come.

As trustees of these resources, the commonwealth, and shall we preserve and maintain them for the benefit of all?

And what does that have to do with this project?

It has to do with state taxes.

That's what it has to do with this project.

So it it does it does connect.

What is besides the light and the glass, and I appreciate I think pres Audubon President Murowski pretty fully covered that, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time on that.

But the other thing, two things that bothered me the most.

One is the overhang that goes between the two hotels.

If I was a person, a bus traveler from the library, and I needed to get to the shelter, which is on the other side of the Hampton, I would feel intimidated to be walking under this thing thinking that I might be on private property, not a city street.

And it sends a really strange message that you're not welcome here.

That's my impression of that drawing.

The grand plan, which would have end up with now where we would have four parking garages on the bayfront, would totally obscure the view of the water from the north side, totally.

And I know that's not this project, but they're connected.

They are connected.

Now the open space is individual trees on the sidewalks, and then some green areas.

Now, those individual trees don't represent any kind of habitat, and they don't represent a place you can be.

Um meetings, and was surprised to hear how much money they they were losing on lower occupancy on their hotels.

So I just want to throw that into the mix.

Um the bus shelters, the the jobs, the jobs are not going to be high paying jobs.

And the idea that, and I know people whose employers have, and I'm not talking about Scott, who construct a schedule such that you don't qualify for benefits, that that's obscene.

It's really obscene, especially for people in a low paying job.

So I am opposed to this project because I don't know that we need it.

It has a very exclusionary feel to it, it further obscures our view of the bayfront, it's not environmentally sound, it's not economically fair, um, and that's how I feel.

Teresa Imler, City of Erie, T H E R, ESA, Imler, I M L E R.

Uh, just a couple points that weren't already brought up.

I thought everybody raised amazing points.

Um, I am against this.

I'm a lifelong Erie resident, only lived outside of Erie in Pittsburgh for a while.

And considering things in Pittsburgh, you know, we really do have to protect our waterways.

Um Erie is very unique for that.

And I just can't believe that we're trashing a little bit more.

Um the plans did not clearly show how this was affecting all of the infrastructure that is already there.

We've got the library, we've got the museum.

I know they discussed that they put a little ramp to modify to help those people.

We've got county employees there, we've got residents.

This is a free place for the people.

This is a place that is public use.

And we're putting something in, like Freda said, to intimidate even how we're using our public workspaces.

Um I really want to it to be addressed.

How is that affecting it?

How's that even affecting the lighting of the offices that those employees work in?

I mean, heck, so much for having a window seat when you're now looking at a hotel the entire day.

Um public use when they're talking about that.

I also noted that Fredda mentioned majority of these things cost money.

I also noted that Fred mentioned majority of these things cost money, cost money that Erie cannot afford.

Public space when I was little was going down to the peninsula, going to the public dock, having fun all day long without spending a penny.

That's what we need to keep doing in this town, not all of this.

I don't need to be spending money that I can't afford, can't afford the gas, can't afford the taxes, can't afford any of it anymore.

We need to focus on making Erie good for the people that it's here.

Another one of the things that I want to bring up, everything that we keep building, these hotels, all of this, you know, space for these people outside of Erie.

It's to bring money into Erie.

I do understand that.

However, we're bringing people in who do not carry up care about our waterways, they do not care about our sidewalks, they do not care about our parking.

And until these other parts of this project are built, if they're even built, if they're ever built, what's gonna happen to our parking?

So 140 people are parking in this place just for the hotel rooms alone, and then on top of it, you've got people going to the restaurants.

If people are using all of our public use parking around the dock, I don't have it anymore.

And then all of the pollution that is going into our waterways, take a walk around the dock.

If you haven't, see what the ducks are swimming with, because these properties are causing that.

Their customers are causing that, and they're not cleaning it up.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else from the public to speak on this?

Good evening, Council Mayor.

My name is Ed Kissle, K-I-S-S-E-L-L.

Since 1980, excuse me, since 1985, I've been working on the bayfront with different projects and all.

But to get to this one, the property that the developer bought was in 1999, about uh for two million dollars.

The first release of the project was done on uh November 27th, 2013, laying out a plan.

And as we move forward real quick, July 8th, 2014, the City of Erie sponsored the RAC, which is a five million dollar plan, a grant from the state of Pennsylvania, sponsored by the City of Erie and signed by Mayor Senate at the time.

And in that document, it states probably no for verbatim that certain things would be done for the public within that development.

Now, if they could put up the slide and O'Brien is somewhere on the whole project, I may be pointing out as I go on.

But nonetheless, the project was designed for good development down there with good public participation in areas where people could go and sit in a park atmosphere, look out over the water, at least in the East Canal Basin, enjoy that area.

There has not been one park, there were seven of them mentioned in the document that was approved for the five million dollars.

And from that, the state the state budget department authorized the loan to or the grant to the city.

Uh Randy Albright, who is a secretary, governor's office of budget, and in his document, it also states the parks that were supposed to be put in and the business plan.

Not one park has been put in.

What has happened, the larger size of the parks have been about a half acre down to a quarter acre, and they were spread on both sides of the project.

But the main one for the city that would have been very beneficial.

There is a 25, excuse me, 21-foot walkway already in place for the last 40 years along the water's edge.

So it's nothing that the developer has to put in and pay a uh price for.

That area now has the Puttbud Golf Course.

The Erie Western Port Authority leased them some property so they can expand on that, and that has taken up number one public park in that particular area.

Another one is located, there should have been located along State Street where there are one parking lot is that has never been put in.

What has happened is the city has gone ahead and authorized this, but they have not enforced it.

The same with what's going on now, according to the zoning officer.

The city cannot tell unless you do a conditional zoning, which I'm going to ask you to do on these, so that these get in for the public that have been well overdue for the number of years that this project has been in the works.

They do a good job, but they also take up some land.

Again, another park was the beer garden.

That was a nice green area that would have been available, but we have that particular beer park in there and a golf course that takes up two of the best viewing areas.

There's still a nice area left along State Street, but they made that into a dog park.

They have a barrel there where you can walk your dog.

That's probably the only park that's been put in since this project's been ongoing.

The parking that someone mentioned, the developers asked for a variance of 79 parking places in order to get this project in.

I know on the first project they had to put the parking lot in on the south side of Front Street and give you an idea.

There's nine acres.

The main parcel that we've been talking about in these agreements were the north side, which is about five acres.

The south side is where most of the parking is done, where it gives you an idea, that's where the tower is located on the south side of the project.

And a lot of their parking is there.

However, when they show these green spaces, you know, between the curb line and inside the first parking row, those are green spaces, which really are nice buffers, but they're no use to the public.

The other thing that did not occur in the first development was the extension of the sidewalk on the south side from the entrance to the parking lot on the south over to the Erie Library.

That's dangerous for people to walk on.

And when you get onto the north side, you know, there's not really a sidewalk, but the cars come in onto the sidewalk in order to get to the lobby to draw people off.

So it's a little bit congested there, but that's worked out.

But the main thing is to continue those sidewalks.

Now that's not in the zoning, and the engineering department of the city has to do that.

And I know on other Bayfront projects that if it's not done by the engineering department, uh, it doesn't get done.

The question I have also is will the developer have to build the parking spaces required for this project first, like they did the other project on the first hotel.

I would like to submit as documentation and evidence the business plan submitted by the City of Erie Mayor Senate at the time stating what I just spoke about on those parks, and I would also like to enter in the agreement from the state budget secretary that same information.

Most of the information was done in a public pamphlet that a normal citizen could get their hands on.

Now it's dinosaurs don't have this to look at anymore.

We have to come in and look at a uh a video or a smartphone thing on it.

But I have the plans from before where they show the parks along the pro along the perimeter, and they were decent enough to allow people who are walking to have a place to rest.

And I'm asking counsel for conditional use that these documents from the first one be enforced in any new ones, which there are none, other than saying that they're green walkways, also be conditional uses in the document.

It's the only way we're gonna have to enforce what goes on in the zoning that's before us in these developments.

So I asked council to go back and make it a conditional use that those parks that were part of the first development be put in before or during the building of the new one, and that they be opened at the time the hotel is open, uh not afterwards, but have it the development of the parks be opened and in use at the same time the dedication of the hotel is done.

That's basically it.

Thank you.

Oh, just Mr.

Kissel, did you provide a copy to the city clerk?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

I believe at this time counselors, if we have questions.

Oh one other one.

That first drawing showed a walkway from Hammett over to the garage.

I don't think that's in the plans anymore, Brian.

Um he's not he's gonna he'll ask next.

No, Mr.

Kissle over here, solicitor.

Hell the council is the ability to ask the questions.

Okay.

So I appreciate that.

Well, I'm sure counsel, did you see the bridge, the walkway from Hammett over to the top of the parking garage that was shown in one of the first slides?

My question to council relay to the developer.

Is that going to be part of the development, or is that just something being shown for an appetizer?

I don't have an answer.

I think we're told that uh they're just getting information right now.

They have the ability to ask questions, that question.

Pardon?

They have the ability to ask that question.

However, they don't know their the final decision.

They're not making a final decision tonight, though.

I understand it, but do they understand or was it proposed at least in a diagram of a bridge for people to go before now I mean I'll answer their question?

That was before State Street and the Bayfront Parkway was going to be lowered underneath State Street, and the Bayfront Parkway is going to be narrowed so people could walk safely from Hammett if you want to use that as a landmark north.

The roadway is going to be a lot narrower than it is now because the Bayfront Parkway is going to go under State Street.

So Mr.

Kissle, I I I know what you're referring to.

Uh on I'm not sure if it's still on this drawing, but I know in the initial uh that was one of the I think my colleagues and I were talking about that uh in the in the bat, one of the main things uh that were with the not just exclusive to uh the harbor project, which I'll I'll try to focus on.

Uh but I think that part of the pin dot plan was where I seen the walkway.

Uh if I'm not mistaken, and I believe that that was eliminated.

It was one of the first things in the Erie Refocus Plan, and they placed a lot of emphasis on it while they were pushing it.

Uh but it was eliminated, and I don't think that that's going to be included.

They're putting sadly, sadly.

They said it was such a priority, but it but uh it turned out to be not such a priority.

Pendon is putting the walkway over at Holland Street by Father Simon's Church over to the north side of Holland Street to allow people.

I got that too, because that the the original drawing, there was also uh talk about a marketplace being off in a in a walkway from Sassafras Street to that building as well.

That's moving back.

And that's that's gone too.

Thank you.

Okay.

Any questions from counselors?

I guess one of my questions would be um I heard the comment that there was over 120 jobs going to be coming forward.

Can you tell me what the average wage of your part-time employee will be?

Yeah, whoever is best to answer that question, I would ask them to come up and state their name.

Yes.

Um, I mean, I wouldn't uh Nick Scott at ICK, SCO the TL.

Sorry.

Um, so the entire project includes about 120 people, and that would include uh the restaurant, sort of meeting space, and then the hotel.

Um as I stand here today, I I wouldn't be able to give you the average wage as I add up general manager, director of operations.

Just your regular part-time employee who's probably getting under 30 hours a week.

Oh, it it varies so much.

Um I can't we don't pay anybody minimum wage.

We don't have any mini obviously minimum wage is very low, but it it varies anywhere between I mean people making 40 bucks an hour to 30 bucks an hour to 20 bucks an hour.

It is all over the board.

We have in our company, we have uh people in maintenance that have air conditioning degree uh uh um licenses, and they get paid a lot of money for their skill and what they do.

We also have high school kids who work in the beer garden who make probably less you know less than that.

So when you add them all up and average them, I would not be able to give you that number right now.

Um between supervisors, desk uh front desk managers, uh our key hourlies, our housekeeping supervisors.

Um it is such a varied number that I just I couldn't give that, I couldn't give you an exact average um now.

But we you know we have about between 1700 and 2,000 people in our company.

Um we have uh uh over 200 managers that are like uh manage your managers, and then we have a ton of supervisors, assistants, and key hourlies we call them throughout the organization.

We have directors, it's it's a lot of people and a lot of moving parts.

So we don't have uh off the top of your head, 11 dollars, 12 dollars, 15 dollars.

Dr.

Titus?

Yes.

I just want to follow up on that a little bit, Mr.

Scott, if you just indulge me.

Yeah, uh, because I do understand the spectrum of all the different job classifications, whatever.

But I think and I don't want to speak for my colleague, but it sounds like she was asking like what is a someone who cleans a room mate.

Uh they are they making fifteen bucks an hour or under fifteen bucks?

Are they making ten bucks an hour?

Yeah.

Yeah, this is our director of hotel operations, so he probably is better fit to answer it than me.

Lance Ryan, Director of Hotel Operations for Scott Enterprise.

Um you spell your last name for the record, please.

Sure.

R-I-H-N.

So the average wage for a housekeeper, our starting wage is for housekeepers coming in that uh you know, they first time working in that role, we start them out at $15.

If they come in with experience, we we usually put them anywhere between $16 to $18 an hour, then we grow them from that that point on.

And that's what I was I I didn't want to put anything out, but uh generally we're talking about uh the median income rate uh wage.

And I think the gentleman, uh Mr.

Texter, I believe, talked about making it worth their while or worth the walk or whatever.

So I uh I I'm really interested in the the lower tier wage, and so I appreciate you absolutely answering that.

Sure, just to give you an idea.

Some of our housekeepers have been with our turnover at the Hampton Inn is very low.

Um a lot of those housekeepers have been there for you know six plus years.

So that tells me that they really love what they do and they're able to make a fair wage working at that hotel.

So we can we will continue that trend at the new hotel.

Yeah, it's important to me.

My colleagues will appreciate my next comment and I'll get up off of it.

Wages are important to me because right now I'm making about uh I'm making about sixteen dollars uh a day to do this.

And I and I just don't think that I think that it would be hard pressed for me to advocate uh for wages for somebody else without advocating or at least acknowledging, especially in this economy.

Uh uh that that's important to the city.

Uh it's it was important after the county.

Uh you you guys pay better wages than the county.

Okay, I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Anything else?

How about a c a desk clerk?

Sure.

Front uh my front desk team at ranges, I I do have I have supervisors and I also have a front office manager and I have a uh a desk clerk.

I have one desk clerk who's been there since we've opened, and she's been with the company since we opened a Hilton Garden Inn.

She transferred down.

I would ask the crowd to please keep the to keep it calm, quiet, so that everyone can be heard, especially for the corporate work.

Sure.

So uh my front desk clerk, their average wage is $16 to $17 an hour.

And I do have individuals that have been there since we've opened, and the one individual she's been with us since we've opened a Hilton Garden Inn.

You'd be up in Hill and Garden In.

15 years ago.

Yeah, fifty eighteen years ago, I think is when we opened that up.

Okay.

Are you are would you say that predominantly their uh uh their full-time employees or part-time employees?

It's a mixture of full and part-time.

The front desk is typically a full-time physician that works there.

In the housekeeping?

Housekeeping, uh majority of those are full-time individuals.

Okay.

And your kitchen staffs in the kitchen, are they part-time, full-time?

Uh that that varies between full and part-time depending on the season.

Okay.

Dr.

Tyus.

Yes.

Um, one of the citizens asked um about demand for a hotel.

Like, is there a demand for what what?

What's the intrigue about hotels?

If you can explain why another hotel, like sell that to the people here.

Why another hotel?

I mean, we already have one hotel with a restaurant.

Why another what what intrigues your your company about hotels and this what is it?

Uh my name's Chris Scott, C H R I S S C O T T.

Um, we've been we've owned and operated over 13 or 14 hotels.

Um we're in the hotel business.

I want to just touch on the wages again.

Uh we do a competitive wage survey with like properties in Erie, and we are paying more or average than the other hotels in the area.

We also have um very, very, very little turnover at our hotel downtown.

Um, some of these servers are making three, four, five hundred dollars a night in the beer garden, also, so they're very happy with their jobs.

Um we we would not do a hot if this hotel was not successful, we wouldn't build another one.

And it's been it's been highly successful for our company and paid a lot of taxes.

In fact, it's the most successful hotel we've ever operated.

Um we may have had 18 hotels over time.

So it's a great area.

It brings a lot of tourists in the town, and locals also uh visit our properties, and it's great for the convention center for overflow.

So we did a feasibility study to which is which is required by the bank to see how uh successful the hotel would be, and it was very, very positive.

So we would not do this foolishly if if we didn't think it would be very successful.

Thank you.

So where is the green space that I could have a beach blanket with my family?

Like what area would I be able to have that?

Um Nick Scott Senior, if you can't tell I'm not one of the brothers, I'm senior and uh have been senior and running uh the company is uh uh for 60 years.

Uh and we started out very small and uh with uh individual Scott's motel back in the 50s was built by my father.

So we are now going into our fourth generation of uh Scots that are propelling this business forward.

Uh we've we've made a lot of progress and uh we've won a lot of awards, and we do things first class or we don't do them.

Uh and so I think that what we're offering is a uh a wonderful private developer who with a lot of experience and a lot of proven projects, splash lagoon, nationally recognized, a draw to the community, uh people from hundreds and hundreds of miles away come to Erie and um uh for splash lagoon year-round, uh peak and peak resort.

Uh we bought it out of bankruptcy, we we invested huge amounts of money, brought it up to a standard now that is very, very excellent, and people comment.

Um the one thing about uh I can tell you is that as I move around the the county and the community and go to grocery stores and events and so forth, people come up to me on unsolicitedly and say, thank you, Mr.

Scott, thank you for all the things your company, and it's really my uh my our company, but my sons, we we've keep developing this, and we've all been are professionally trained in uh the best hotel administration schools in the country.

Uh they say to me, Thank you for what you've done for Erie.

They say thank you for the beer garden, thank you for Splash Lagoon.

I mean, you know, they say you've done so much, and and it gives it's very gratifying to me because I'm not asking for that.

Uh they're they're coming up and saying it.

So I know that the community is very appreciative of the projects that we do because most of the projects we do, we don't make nuts and bolts where the community isn't aware of it.

We do things that they're aware of, restaurants, some of the best restaurants in Erie.

Um that have been going on for a long time.

Um the these other things I mentioned, and I think that uh what we found at the beer garden, especially, they say this is a wonderful uh place for Erie.

We never had anything like this here.

I feel like I'm in a different state.

I feel like I'm in the resort area or something, because we have uh the cross section of the uh Erie community and and visitors and people from the the uh convention center come over and they go to the beer garden.

They go up the elevator, they go to the only zeri to rooftop restaurant.

Um so we were so successful, and people uh appreciated it, and and we won so many awards, we felt we are now in a position to build a second hotel because the demand is there.

People want to come to Erie.

Uh and and they they come over from the convention center.

And I know that this is going to help the convention center because it gives it more rooms to have bigger conventions and to um satisfy those people that come here and they're surprised at the quality of what they find.

So, I mean, the nice thing about the beer garden is there's uh seniors that come in, there's families that come in, there's um uh uh kids that come in, uh not young kids, but uh well, young kids come with the families, but then in the evenings, it's one of the most popular nice spots, and it's safe, and it's it's uh well constructed.

There's one way in and there's one way out.

We have very, very low incidence of any kind there.

So we're proud of the things we do.

We want to continue to develop.

This is our home.

We love Erie, and uh we spend our time here.

Um while um other people are sleeping or they're late at night on the weekends, we're out looking at our business to make sure that it's it's properly run and it's good for the community.

So we care about it, and and I'm proud of what we've accomplished.

Mr.

Scott.

Yes.

Thank you for that.

I'm sorry, I where who's asking?

Well, the question originally was not answered.

We were at the way the public space was.

So I wanted to tell you.

I'm winding up your getting a answer.

Somebody asking a question.

Yeah, I would like maybe Kathy, if you could re-ask the question and see if Mr.

Scott is the one who would answer it, or if it would be a different member.

Brian's gonna answer that question.

Okay, sir.

All right, great.

Well, thank you for your time.

Absolutely.

I heard the question, and it's about the green space.

It's about where could a family come with a beat blanket or picnic and enjoy the weekend without having to pay.

Um we have that designed in this particular project in this particular phase, as well as plan for the master plan.

So, in this project, pertaining to this phase two AC Hotel, the completion of this hotel will complete that central park.

That oval park that sits between the two hotels, overlooks at an elevated, overlooks the uh the inner harbor.

That is completely free and open to the public.

You could bring your family up there, you could sit there for the afternoon.

There's also a park in Green Space that's been preserved to the left of Oliver Beer Garden between the beer garden State Street, and the master plan that was shown as a restaurant.

Was the beer garden cave in that has now been preserved as a public park and public green space overlooking exactly where the fishing boats are, overlooking with direct access to the waterway and that 20-foot wide walkway that goes along the entire edge of the waterfront, which by the way is not owned by the Scots, that's owned by the Port Authority.

So we have reserved those parks as part of this, and we're building new parks as part of this.

Now, there's also the public closets that's going to be built a part of this project as well.

And those public clauses obviously are not green space, maybe not be so comfortable for a beach blanket, but they will be able to host weekend markets and events that will be open to the public for the public to come through.

So I hope that answers your question for the parks.

Well, Dr.

Titus, I'd just like to just continue about the parks for for a moment to Mr.

Kissel's uh statements on the original plan.

And I think he referenced seven parks.

Uh one of which he he stated, I don't know if if it's true or not, but he stated the one was where the golf course is, and so uh whether the placement or I I can't get into the placement, but what do you say to his suggestion that there be conditional use language uh placed in that to ensure that those parks that were supposed to be in there with the city that the under the Senate administration administration are in fact uh you know attended to or created can I weigh in on that too?

Yes, please.

Certainly.

So as the the diagram that I showed, we are required to provide X amount of square feet of public open space.

That's usable public open space.

And at the end of this phase, we should be required for the original 2014 approval by city council.

We should be required to provide 55,000 two hundred square feet of usable public open space.

At the end of this project, this phase two project, not the master plan, just at the end of this phase two project with the parks we just discussed, with those open plazas for events.

We're gonna be providing 77,000 square feet of open space, and that's per the variance requirements that this city council already put on back in 2014.

So that's the one square foot per square foot over the 50 foot variance threshold.

Absolutely.

And so and so I think I believe there's a meeting and exceeding that.

Yeah, and I believe there's been testimony here today from the public or members of the public that stated that the uh some of the spaces it looks like on the on this tackle, because it looked like you took 29,000 feet plus whatever to come with the 55,000 square foot, but now you're telling me it's going to be 75.

And I think the testimony from the public was that it should be, and I think through your comment, you said it should be usable space.

And what it some people testify here tonight that it's probably it looks more like a buffer, but not very usable, and and so I know one person did comment that the that that open space included the beer garden or included the um the mini golf, it does not include those spaces.

Our calculation does not include those spaces.

Um it another comment was that it included islands in the parking lot or the trees around the sidewalks, it it does not include those.

So it includes improvements to the sidewalks, it includes improvements to the corridors, it includes the uh the internal public central park area, it includes the new event and public walkway area, um, and other areas around it.

So another thing that's attached to this, because I did hear another comment that come up about the environment and wildlife.

So, as part of this project, this project have to go through the EPEP approval for um uh so for its NPDES permit.

Um this project, and I'm talking about just the AC Hotel.

What we're talking about tonight, the phase two.

The end of phase two, we are going to be generating 28,000 square feet of restored meadow.

And this is a net this is a natural Pennsylvania-approved wildflower meadow.

We'll have 28,000 square feet, and that's required.

That's our a requirement for us to do as part of this project for DEP.

And that will be a non-mode natural meadow area, support butterflies and pollinators, and to allow um rainwater and stormwater uh infiltration as well.

And that's part of, and not included in by the way, in our calculation for this usable open space.

Dr.

Titus, may I say ask a question?

Yes.

Um, some people had talked about windows and birds.

What kind of windows will you be putting in?

Sure.

So let me let me talk about the burden packs real quick because burden packs are very important.

Thirty-five years ago, when we sat in front of City Council and presented our design for the bicentennial tower, bird impacts was questioned.

And so we've been concentrating on this is not a new thing, and it's something that we possibly want to improve upon, and it's a very important issue.

So let's talk about a little bit.

When we designed this hotel, we looked at uh the requirements or the recommendations from two organizations, the American Bird Conservancy as well as the Fatal Light Awareness Program.

So what they do is they rank where bird impacts and bird dangers are high and low, depending on the height of a building.

So per those requirements, zero, between zero and curtains feet in height is the highest most dangerous impact for birds.

From 30 to 45, it's high, but not very high.

From 45 to 75, it's considered moderate danger.

And anything 75 feet or above is considered low danger for impact.

That's just per those two.

I'm not making those up.

Those are per those two things.

So we have two areas in this hotel that are concerned to us when we look at that, and that's the zero to 30, that's our first floor.

We have a lot of glass on that first floor.

So what are we going to do on zero to 30 feet to make sure that we're minimizing burden packs?

So the first thing we did is we recessed all the glass on the first floor back.

It's recessed underneath the second floor by 20 feet.

So what does that recess do?

That means the two that means the second floor is overhanging the glass on the first floor.

That's gonna put a shadow line that's gonna reduce sky reflection.

It's gonna reduce tree reflection.

We're also going to take that first floor glass and we're breaking it up with horizontal and vertical mollyan patterns to make sure we're avoiding any large uninterrupted pieces of glass.

We want to avoid that.

We're gonna break the glass up smaller so that it's not so it's so it's easily visible to bird.

The other thing we're doing is we're we're when we're interrupting the space halfway through the building.

So you can't look from one side of the building to the other through the glass.

So the bird won't be able to see what's happening on the other side of the building and want to fly through it.

That's not happening on the first floor at all.

We made sure that that's not happening.

The next thing we're doing is looking at light.

So those two um organizations identified that keeping your light, light that you do down there at 2700 to 3,000 Calvin.

It's a warm light, and it's the lowest attraction to bird.

And that's the range that we're looking for for all our fixtures and all of our lights.

There's no light pollution, and we're avoiding bright lights that will attract birds.

And finally, we're looking at a protective UV glass.

What we're looking at right now is a bird first UV made by a company called Guardian Glass.

And it product it provides these um sort of a sort of a streak pattern in the glass that interacts with UV that birds can see and humans cannot.

It will still look transparent to us, but birds will see a pattern, and that will give it its um that will let it recognize that's glass.

So that's what we're doing at 0 to 30.

So that's our very high most dangerous zone for bird impacts.

And those are the things that we're gonna be doing on this hotel.

All right, so from 30 feet to 75 feet, that's where we only have those small punched openings for the hotel rooms themselves.

So minimal glass up there, minimal light.

We're not doing reflective glass, so we're not doing any mirrored glass, and we're not uh doing any trans completely transparent glass either.

Our glass will have uh a coating or color to it so that it will not be look clear to a bird come into it, and it will not be reflecting sky, much as we can help that.

Eighth floor.

So eighth floor is in our lowest impact zone.

However, on the eighth floor, we are high, and we want to understand that light on the A floor could impact migration patterns.

So birds, from what I understand, they migrate using the light of the moon.

Um, and so any bright up lights on buildings can really disrupt the birds' normal migration patterns.

So, what do we do to do that?

Well, these two organizations say that one of the things we can do is that overhang, that roof overhang that we've been talking about today.

What that roof overhang does is it provides a solid, strong profile to the building.

So this isn't just a glass, a steel and glass building that disappears into the sky, and you can't tell one where one begins and the other ends.

We create a very strong profile.

Additionally that overhang reduces the sky reflection by creating a large shadow line across that glass.

Again, we're gonna be doing a variation of our window patterning with bouillons, horizontal and vertical.

We're gonna be keeping our light, because this is a restaurant up on top.

We're not looking at a bright light.

We're gonna be looking at a warm light between 2700 and 3,000 Kelvin, which has the lowest attraction and disruption of the birds.

And then finally, we're gonna be also using that bird-safe glass that we talked about before with that UV patterning on it.

So I hope that hope that answers some questions.

We have other questions from counselors.

It's it's about 9.19.

Go ahead.

Excuse me.

I I do have a few more things that I wanted to address.

So you you have been talking about lights, and there are places down south where you have to curtain your hotel rooms that face the ocean at 10 o'clock, and you're fine 200 if you don't because of the sea turtles.

Um it does look bright to me from what we saw.

But you're saying that the lights are okay for that.

Could we put something in place where we close the lights by curtains and things on the windows during the migration time of the birds?

What was shown today, it it does look brighter than so.

I'm I'm I'm not understanding the lights that you're using are okay for birds.

The lights that we are using that are within that spectrum, those are a warm light.

And so that warm light is the less attractive light to the birds.

The brightest lights, the lights that compete with moon, those are the ones that are most disruptive at that elevation to bird migration, and that's just for my understanding based on these two organizations.

Now will that amount of glass on top have curtains and things of that nature?

Absolutely.

So I think the lighting that we have planned here based on the recommendations that we got from those two organizations seem to fall within the requirements and the recommendation for bird safety.

Because I think I think it's Nick Scott.

It has glass windows, it it is eight stories high.

And we've never uh had a bird fly into the restaurant because the windows are all open.

We've never had a bird.

We've never had a situation where birds hit windows and are found dead in the morning down below.

Um so we we don't have that problem now.

I think the the lady who spoke about the birds said there was areas of the country where you find a bunch of dead birds around a building, and that's a problem, which I think if we uh we would all agree that if if there was that problem at the Sheraton in the courtyard in the Hampton, that we would probably be here saying we've got to fix this bird problem.

We have dead birds every day down below us, but we just don't have any.

Uh I've I've never seen one.

I asked Lance who operates our hotels if he has problems with that with our housekeeping or our uh bedroom bedrooms getting hit by birds, we don't have any.

So I think that's at least um, and we're taking strides on this building to address the challenges or the issues that have been brought up, especially I think with the the windows being built in a way that's he they call it bird safe where it's reflective, so the bird sees it as a solid object and not as something to fly into.

So I just wanted to bring up that we don't have the problem at the Hampton, basically.

And you might be able to answer more on the lights.

I actually love the Dobbins Landing area, and my husband and I are there practically every evening where the weather is nice, walking around, enjoying the music that's being played on all the restaurants.

And I have a question because I do have to say there's a lot of um pigeon or pigeon and seagull poop along Dobbins landing area.

It's everywhere, it's absolutely everywhere.

So your um north view apartment or the windows, the rooms of your hotel are having decks.

And how like how are you going to keep that clean?

Do the birds like seagulls poop and it's everywhere, it is a problem.

I would love to see it being watered more down there because I sit on the wall a lot, and there's there's not that many places to sit when you can't sit in seagull poop.

So um the land after the beer guarded, you know, obviously that that massive sidewalk that runs in front is is owned by the port authority.

Um as far as the balconies go, I I think the balconies are underneath the the above balcony, so it's sort of a almost like a cave.

So the birds won't be able to go to the bathroom inside the cave or the balcony because they would have to switch, they'd have to they would have to fly inside of it to go to the bathroom because they they if they if they were going to the bathroom while they were flying by, it would hit the ground.

Okay, I understand.

The other thing to keep in mind, the other thing to keep in mind is that the hotel has a holy staff maintenance group.

Um Scott Enterprises maintain their properties, and you know, they they have a responsibility to their patrons to keep those spaces clean.

People will be complaining and won't want to stay there, where you don't have that level of maintenance and care happening down necessarily at the foot of Godman's landing, the foot of the bicentennial tower.

So I think we're talking about two different operational uh scenarios as well.

We do power wash the beer garden probably uh every day to every other day, depending um, and that's also because of foot traffic and people, uh but we want to keep that very clean.

It's it's supposed to look like ship lap boards, and so uh we've got it stained, and so we want to keep that pristine.

So we do power wash that a lot for for what it's worth.

I don't think the sidewalks getting power washed as much from the port authority side.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um I guess one of my concerns, I know you guys have plans on building your parking garages and your drive and your uh parking areas.

I think there's two or three that are going to be built.

I know currently, as a patron of the Blasco Library, we currently have the issue of patrons of your beer garden coming over and parking in the public parking of the library and then not allowing the Blasco library um residents who are going to want to use the Blasco to be able to park.

Um right now it's really congested.

We have a lot of issue, and I'm concerned as someone who walks with an individual across the front street, I believe that's what that is in front of the Blasco.

The traffic is really, really dangerous for people who don't know how to navigate, you know, regular traffic.

And sometimes people are a little bit more in a hurry than they are looking out for you know the people who are down there.

So my concern is just the current limited free parking that we have being you know stripped away from the residents who technically are at the library, but they can't park in the driveway of the library.

One of the things that I like to bring to everyone's attention is you know, at phase one, Scott's donated, I believe 45 parking spaces to the library museum, and that was for the the understanding that we wanted to make sure that the new planning offices down there had the appropriate parking.

And so the parking extension of the existing library museum parking, which is just on the right hand side or to up to the east side of the existing smokestack, that's actually Scott's property that they donated to the library at Faith What.

So we know as part of these projects, we parking is very important.

We want to make sure that we have positive impact on the library and and the museum.

That's a big part of the drawdown here.

We want to make sure that we are in good neighbors uh to them as well.

One of the conditions that the city engineering put on us, the regional master plan called for at least three, if not four pedestrian crossings across Front Street that would be lighted, that would be signaled to create safe crossings for people across Front Street.

And the engineering department for the city had shot us down and told us we're not allowed to put those in.

They have only allowed us to put in one, and that's the only one they will allow us to put in, and that exists right directly between the Hampton Inn and Suites and the existing parking.

So there is an interesting conversation there to be having between the city and their engineering department and what creates safe crossings for people and what does not.

Um so I would love to further that conversation.

Um it certainly would be something that would improve uh this project, and it would, I believe, improve public safety, but that's something that has to be addressed with city's engineering.

Sir, um my question is Mr.

Kissel came up and was talking about the original plans.

And it seems that they have changed.

But you got the conditional use of the higher hotel instead of a lower hotel.

And why are you did they let uh they let you do the another high hotel instead of a lower hotel?

Was there why is there such a big discrepancy between his report to us and what we're getting now?

Certainly.

I I think it's I think it's a really good it brings up some couple of really good points here.

So when we got the hype variance back in 2014, we identified all the buildings that were going to be on this master plan, not the phase one and not just phase two, but all of the buildings that would be above that 50 feet.

And so we were able to identify what those were, and we have stuck to that.

Um the changes that have been made between the 2014 and 2014 in a in current existing condition really is the beer garden and the mini goal.

So where the beer gardens sit and where a portion of the mini gulf sits, the original master plan called for private town homes.

That would those would have been gated, private townhomes, not for public use at all.

So what the Scots did during COVID was they decided that looking at what the market conditions were, they put in what we would call commercial recreation, which is available to the public.

And where the park area was, and Ed is absolutely right.

We had a s we had a sliver of park area that was designed where the north section of the um the mini golf sits now.

That was originally designed as park.

And may, as the master plan goes forward, it may convert back to park.

Because what we have to do with this master plan in this phasing is that we have to be flexible and move things around as the phases come.

So right now, for this AC hotel, for example, we've got to expand our surface parking lots.

Well, eventually we've let to get rid of those surface parking lots.

Because where those surface parking lots go away, that's when we can bring in more parks.

But current zoning is requiring a certain amount of parking.

And so that's putting a lot of stress on this project without those parking garages.

And the parking garages come in, that's going to free up a lot more space for us to bring in uh all those pieces that we want for those parts.

Now, to Ed point, the green park space that was originally shown the master plan where the mini golf is, that has been relocated to that area of park that exists there today that you can see out there today, that's to the west of the beer garden that sits between the beer garden and state street.

So the original master plan had called for that to be developed as a restaurant.

And right now, that is sitting as our park space that replaces that replaces or removes the park space that was um that was is being taken up by the uh by the parking garage.

Now the other thing that Ed brought up, which I thought was a really good point, was the bridged connection over to UPMC Hammond.

So when we first started this master plan, one of the things that we have tried to do was we wanted to extend French Street down through the UPMC campus and straight out here.

So somebody could walk all the way from the Jerry U ballpark right down through what we consider our arts district and um right through the uh uh Erie Insurance campus and right down to the waterfront to really create a really strong access.

Unfortunately, UPMC did build their newest building right in the place uh in the uh the old right-of-way of French Street in the city allowed that to happen, but we have still kept the hope of being able to connect that sky bridge from the north side of UPMC over to this, and we have not given up on that.

That is that is something that is still in the master plan.

It has we haven't done anything to preclude that.

And what that would do is that would allow the covered and enclosed walkway between UPMC Hammett, the parking garage and the commercial spaces that are on the south portion of Harbor Place, allowing UPMC to expand their parking capacity if they need to.

We've had conversations with UPMC about putting an additional emergency uh helicopter landing on top of this parking garage because they have some issues with their current ones.

We have talked about the office spaces that are being created here in uh Harbor Place to be used as specialty doctors that have a direct and close connection over to UPMC campus campus.

We've talked about the hospitality and health being able to serve outpatients with direct access to UPMC.

So again, when we look at this master plan, look at these connections, we looking at how do we expand and impact in a positive way all the uses that are happening around us, whether it's UPMC, whether it's early insurance, whether it's again the university, whether it's the convention center, we all have to look at how we develop our waterfront as a collective whole.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yes.

We're now approaching that 9.35 time.

I know a lot of us um are probably getting pretty tired as well.

I know my attention span is dwindling.

Um I do think it's important for public to hear everything.

Uh I I I've kind of kept my comments to to the end.

They're not really questions.

It's more of I I just think it's important to state we are, as as counselors directed to advocate on behalf of the city, specifically utilizing the ordinances that we have before us.

So I and I'm looking at section 305, and I'm looking at the the statement that says, and granting, you know, when we're looking at this proposal, will it have an immediate impact on the neighborhood?

And um I say this with my filter being gone at 9 35 at night.

I've run for office many times, so I know a thing or two about selling a picture and an and and a story that you would like to create.

Um and I think right now what we have, I see the vision, I understand what is being told.

I do think that this immediately changes the impact of the neighborhood, specifically when we have a public library down there with our residents needing access and losing access and more access every day with the various projects that are happening.

Uh that is often where our our our individuals, including some of those who work for some of these properties that are being proposed, have to go down to use the internet to look for things because and apply for benefits when working in the positions that I work with.

I know that there is mutual aid that is needed for some of these positions.

Where I'm also getting a little frustrated is there is an insinuation that there was a donation, but there is alerta and there's a quiz in place.

These spaces are not donated, these are paid by taxpayer dollars.

Nothing has been donated.

These are taxpayer dollars.

And I think that's important to separate that out.

Like there is a cost that is that is coming into this that is being placed upon the individuals of the city, and as counselors, that has been our job to make sure that we are representing.

When we look at the rest of the development, and we're talking about some of the other questions that have been asked by the public.

I don't think we've been given a direct answer.

Um, but I would like to see these answers in a report specifically around the assessment of the impact on air, water, and land that this is going to have as that is on our link.

Additionally, I would like to know the impact of uh just the walls and the barriers that are down there.

This is a lot more traffic that we're going to be adding, many more structures that we're going to be adding.

I know the port authority has a responsibility here, but as do we as counselors who are who are going to approve or not approve this project based on the ordinances that we have in front of us, and those are important pieces that we need to know when we are assessing this.

Does this impact the quality of air, land, and the water with the various things that are being added?

I'd also like to see a little bit more clarity around um the revenue that is coming back in.

80% of this, from my understanding, goes back actually into the Erie County Convention Center through the hotel tax revenue, with another 20% going into, I believe, the visit Erie.

So a lot of the money that is coming right back in, which makes sense as to why we receive letters of support from two of these entities, is because it directly benefits them.

Right?

So the money goes right back to the very people that are the letters of support.

So I would like to just also see how this is this is adding into and helping our city residents, which we have been been charged to do.

Um so those are those are my two concerns.

I do think it immediately impacts this, the it impacts the surrounding neighborhood.

And I would like to see some reports on the impact that it is going to have on our land, air, and water directly and as these buildings and these structures continue.

And that's my my comments.

Mr.

President, yes, if I may.

Uh there's a lot of people speaking from the heart.

But when you have a professional outfit who have walked the walk, talk to talk, and did the job.

Uh with all the school districts in Erie County.

And in the summertime, what we did is we found out that a lot of teachers never really worked.

They went to college, they were straight A's, and they became teachers.

So what we did is we put a project together, and they spent a week with different companies throughout Erie County, from aluminum places to Mr.

Scott's thanks.

The people who were with him, they not only found out how to peel potatoes, how to change beds, they were up in the front desk.

They tell us they were upstairs at the accounting office.

He gave them a week.

He gave them a week's work.

I think we paid them a pay the teachers like a $200 stipend to spend a 40-hour week.

I can only tell you that the biggest raves we got were from those folks that spend time with the organization.

And yeah, there's gonna be some problems here.

Eddie, Mr.

Kissle brought up a lot of good points.

And it's probably our fault if we didn't look a little closer, or if we did look a little closer back then, maybe we wouldn't.

I don't know if I trade green space for beer garden, though.

Beer garden is pretty good.

It's pretty good.

So I'm just saying we're on the same page here, guys.

Uh maybe some people think we don't need another hotel.

But I think the uh ships that are on the Great Lakes right now would find three more restaurants enticing if we can get them to come in here.

That's something we've been working on with the Port Authority.

So it's hand in glove.

We're not talking about a neighborhood down there.

We're talking about metropolis, I guess is a good word for it.

We have a beautiful area down there.

Nobody's getting hurt by it.

And we're gonna make sure they have to is look at what we have with it now.

It's been a great success.

And it's uh it's been good for almost everybody.

Yeah, we need more public spaces, Mr.

Kissel won't be beating me up later.

But I'm just saying we're on the same page with you.

Uh let's work on the things that are bugging everybody, and let's get the heart out of it and keep the mind in it, because that's what it's all about.

Thank you.

Any other questions for counselors?

I do want the report, yes.

Dr.

Titus.

I just want to thank uh Mr.

Scott and uh Nick Jr.

and Chris and their staff for coming in tonight, and it's important uh for me as with the liquor uh control uh or the liquor license ordinance and hearing is important uh for me to relate to you.

Uh that just our passion and our questioning uh does not mean that we're you know pushing back or anything.

We're just trying to do our due diligence.

And one of the biggest things I learned uh in my 12 years of governing over at the county uh that I didn't know when I ran uh is that uh you know we represent the landlord and the tenant.

So we represent the developer and we represent the people too.

And and I just want to thank you, and and as well as the rest of the citizens who endured this long hearing or this long evening.

Um just access the actually that you continue to give us grace.

Yeah, thank you.

Any other questions or comments from counsel?

Okay.

Okay.

If there's no other questions, I would uh close the hearing and let the court reporter know that the testimony is ended and that uh the parties may leave.

And thank you for coming.

And then I would turn it back over to our city clerk for the remainder of the hearing.

Yeah.

Um at this point, and I say this with with some hesitation, but we we need we are we reopening public comment.

Um as we had we did not close that last time.

So if anybody else would like to speak on public comment, you will have five minutes.

And please be mindful.

Um just state your name so that we have it.

Why don't you give her a few minutes to let the time to let it clear out so that you have the the floor?

Thank you.

Thank you, council solicitor, uh controller, all of you for sitting here for this long.

Um my name is Marty Wachuku.

I live in the city of Erie.

I'm here to continue the conversation on housing, but I'm gonna digress for a moment.

Um I didn't come up to during the public hearing because I knew I would not stay on topic.

I think um it's it speaks a lot to our system of inequity that we spent almost three hours here listening about the projects and projections of business owners who own a lot in the city, who have a lot of control over wages, who have a lot of control over people's time and a lot of uh power.

I want there to be this kind of equity when it comes to the people's issues.

I want there to be more public hearings when it comes to code violations, um quality standards for people's apartments.

What kind of relationship does the city have with the health department?

How can the health department be more expansive in making sure that people are living in clean properties?

Um I actually have a list.

Let me stay on topic.

Um I think we need public hearings or more conversation and communal access to talk about inspections before people move in.

What kind of standard is the property before someone even signs a lease?

Um I think that we need to consider moving our inspection program into the city.

I don't I've witnessed uh BIU's uh inspection and it's nonsense.

And hearing the stories I've heard, not only recently but over the years, we need something more quality.

Um the women who spoke earlier tonight are in the process of looking at their leases and knowing that there are things missing from it, whether it's city law or state law not being represented in it or costs.

Uh people need legal support or city support before they sign those leases and sign away their rights.

Um we need to expand our rent to retaliation ordinance to either meet or surpass Meville standard, specifically around rent withholding.

Um there is a lack of actual uh escrow opportunities here in the city.

I think that needs to be addressed.

Um we need to have public hearings about repeat offenders.

They need to be brought out into the public and answer for the quality of their housing.

We need to be taking away rental licenses if people are living in substandard housings, or it needs to be more available to people to even know if their landlord has a rental license.

Um, like I said, we need no more transparency around code violations because if someone goes and code enforcement says this is wrong and wrong and wrong, the only way we can get it as a public is through a subpoena.

Um we need CBAs for public developers to ensure a living wage, just like I really appreciated Jasmine and Andre asking those quite questions about the wages or Paige bringing up the wages.

Our wages are low here.

$15 an hour was the ask 10 years ago.

That is not enough.

Many of the people who are your home care workers, your child care workers, they're making that money and they're falling behind on rent, on medical bills, they have medical debt, they have student loan debt, they have too much on top of them.

And instead, and not putting that on y'all, we spend hours listening to people who are multi-millionaires begging us for attention for variants for tax abatements for this and this, but we the public don't ever get that access, and it's unfair.

Um, and lastly, I think except for Ms.

Triva, every single woman who came up here is a senior.

We need specific task force on senior housing.

Um, there's a lack of availability, whether you're um someone living with disabilities, caught living on a fixed income, et cetera, et cetera.

We need more attention and a bigger platform for working class interests.

And I really appreciate what you said, Councilman Horton about um having to represent both the landlords and the renters, but I don't have to worry about that.

Someone needs to fight and scream and beg for the renters, and I won't stop until their needs are addressed.

And lastly, this is just me being petty.

Donating 25 parking lots is not anything for all that they come to city council and county council for and all the money they have.

I'm from Pittsburgh.

Carnegie built museums, colleges, uh libraries.

Why aren't we getting that from them?

Less of them putting hotels on our bayfront and more access to public needs, especially with this hotel going down on the bay front and what's gonna do to the Blasgow Library.

The East Site needs a library, the West Side needs a library, South Erie needs a library between the Scots, UPMC, Eerie Insurance, all these multimillion dollar corporations, they should be giving us more public goods.

Thank you.

Hello, um is Nancy Lagon.

Um I live at 641 East 4th Street, my um mailing address.

Um I was gonna ask me to the um the mayor.

That's you, Mrs.

Devlin.

Um, I spoke to Miss Laurie uh Rader.

She speaks you about me.

Spencer Excuse me.

Yeah.

Could you see if the microphone is working?

Yes, ma'am.

You can hear me better.

Yeah.

Yes, there you go.

Okay.

Excuse me.

I fell off.

She remembers me.

Um just pick my same thing about the um she had told me they had got a new roofing grant out, and she was gonna speak to you about that about me.

And I gave my information, and I also wrote you a letter that I left outside for you to get with my name and number on it.

And um been like four years trying to get it fixed up.

It's kind of hard because I just spent almost well, nine thousand dollars, put my whole plumbing up and down stairs from a house that kind of took my bank account out the way.

And um, I was wondering if I can maybe meet with you or so or get a meeting and um see if there is any if there's a new roofing grant.

She said there was one that may be able to help me with it finally.

Um, and that's what I'm about.

And I do need some help getting that done.

I'm trying to get it for four years and no result yet.

Yes, ma'am, we'll reach out to you and make that happen.

Please.

I'll be in touch, yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

That's all.

Good night.

Theresa Andler, City of Erie.

Um, just wanted to talk a little bit more about some of the housing stuff.

Uh, something that I've heard in some of the conversations.

I actually attended the uh event on the 14th as well.

It was a great event.

Um, and speaking to some of uh my community and finding out some of the things that they're experiencing.

I think it's pretty damn sad that we're doing this in the city.

Um, like Marty said, there's a lot of money here, we're just misusing it.

Um, from what I understand, so Miss Charnell told her story about all of the mice, and her landlord hasn't taken care of it, and even if they did exterminate, it'd go to the neighbor's house, and then the neighbor's gonna be dealing with it.

So there's something really going on with the city, and she brought that up.

But um, we also have a lot of food scarcity, and what scares me about that is now they're going to the people in some of the public housing, and they're telling them that they're not allowed to grow any fruit or vegetables anymore.

They're taking away their food, taking it away from families, and they're claiming it is all because of the mice.

That the city is obviously not enforcing these landlords or their own public housing to take care of.

So instead, they're taking food away from the families.

I I think it's just an absolute travesty, especially now more than ever.

We're dealing with so much, and on top of it, we're just going to continue to make our our community deal with more.

I I don't know like when it's gonna be enough, but that needs to be addressed.

The public housing used to in 2016 2018, I received an article that they actually were giving free seeds to the residents for a contest, best garden, and they were encouraging them from their different communities, ethnicities to grow gardens that represented you, and now they're telling them no.

I don't know, we need to get our priorities right, great opportunity, new council.

Daria shaking her head, there's a lot to do.

It wasn't your fault, doesn't matter.

Billy Joel, who started the fire, I don't give a care anymore.

We need to fix it.

Everybody, we're a community, either all together or not.

That's it.

Good afternoon, Michael Keyes, City of Erie.

Uh, first, I just wanted to say that my heart goes out to the lady here.

Nobody should have to live in these deplorable deplorable uh conditions.

I did see the video that um that they shot at our residence, and it was absolutely appalling that somebody charges somebody money to live under those conditions, and uh it was sad and disheartening.

And so uh at one point in time, my mother was a landlord.

She had a few uh buildings in Erie or houses in Erie that she rented, and so one of the things that we need, I believe I said this before was we need compassionate landlords, and we need people who are not just in it for a paycheck, but are also in it for a benefit of the community, and not just be extractor, but as they just said about certain other people, but willing to put something back into the city, those are the type of people that we need to be supporting and helping and assisting in acquiring renovating and upkeeping our housing stock.

I know there's been a study, and they're gonna bring in so many more units of new housing, but when I look at it, I think it's not gonna be a net positive.

I think we're gonna at the rate of the land bank and the redevelopment, we're gonna gain 250 and we're gonna demolish 250.

And so if we want a place for everybody to be able to live, we're gonna have to fix some of the houses in the areas that are being neglected.

We're gonna have to make them salvageable, we're gonna have to make them livable, and we're gonna have to be able to make it where people can live there and afford them.

To go off script, I heard that Erie rent are so high because we're so poor.

If I could digress, that because so many people were on a subsidy of upwards of 40 percent in Section 8 will give you 12, 1400 for a three-bedroom, nobody's pricing themselves below what they can get from the state.

I don't know how we fix that, but we need compassionate landlords that aren't just in it for the money, like maybe I can get 1,100 for my two-bedroom on 7th Street, but one thing that hasn't gone up is the income of the Eryites, and nobody can afford four times that to live there.

And so what we look at is hey, I can get a thousand bucks, but it wouldn't hurt me to take 65.

That's the story we have to have with our landlords and with the people who own the property who most of them live outside of our city, and not just the ones in New York City.

I'm talking about the ones in Mill Creek and the ones in Harbor Creek, and the ones who could come by and check out your apartment, but will not come by and check out your apartment.

Those are the people we need to reach.

I want to pivot real quick to the Kirk curb ramp cuts for $50,000.

I hope these curb cuts are going around a park.

And so, because I know when we uh we took $650,000 to cut down trees out of the park budget, and none of them were at a park.

So I just want to make sure that whatever the stock gap was there, that it is being noted, and that I hope we're no longer using things from different budgets, especially our park budget.

It's the only thing we really have that we can give to our citizens, and to use it to cut down trees, it's in my opinion, is just incorrect.

And if we can find another way to cut down these trees or do curb ramps without impeding on the park money, I think that's what we need to do.

Thank you.

You were told tonight uh in conversation that some land was donated uh to make the parking lot for the Erie County employees to be able to work the third floor of the um Penelec, or excuse me, the old Penn Lake building.

Well, it wasn't a donation.

If you want to know how it happened, the Hanlins property that the county bought, the Port Authority was involved, excuse me, the convention center authority was involved in it, and the county traded it for what Mr.

Scott said was a donation.

If you want to see that habit, thank you.

Anyone else here for public comment?

I I'll be I'll be kind because I'm at this point like what's even reality.

But no, just please make it brief.

Oh, one more thing.

Um since that problem with my roof, the hole in the roof, I've been staying with my daughter, and um we have to be at an apartment by the 26 because they're not released, they're not renewing the lease because of rent really high up there.

And I've been looking for uh well, some apartment to get to, I gotta be out by the 26.

And I'm looking around for apartments, and um if anybody knows anybody can use some help and some kind of apartment, someone who's renting an apartment I can afford or so to get in there, I have to be there by 26, have my two granddaughters and my daughter there, and after that we won't have nowhere to stay.

I have to be there by the 26th, have my two granddaughters and my daughter there, and after that we won't have nowhere to stay.

I went to the shelters, they have nowhere for us because either you gotta be on drugs or you have to be abused, and they said there's there's no room for us, and I'm looking for someone who has any apartments or they know.

Can you let me know so we can get ourselves in one before the 26th?

That's all.

Thank you.

I'm done.

Thank you.

This will be the last the with with breaking the rules if just but yes, go ahead.

No, you're okay.

Complaining all right.

Um, if anybody will be interested, I do have a video of my housing situation on Facebook.

So I don't know if any of you will be interested in seeing it, but it is pretty bad.

Thank you.

Sorry, I'm gonna do the last call for public comment.

All right, we're gonna go ahead and move on to the next part of an evening.

Thank you.

Ordinances for final passage.

Council file number 16598, official ordinance 192026, an ordinance amending the city of Errizoning ordinance to designate Erie Cemetery 2116 Chestnut Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, as a historic site pursuant to Article 7 of the revised City of Arizona Ordinance 80-2005 and to amend the zoning map to reflect such designation.

Sponsored by Councilmember Schaff, seconded by Councilmember Flores, the Council File Ordinance Bill No.

16598, and now known as the Fisher File Ordinance 192026, be finally passed by City Council.

Members Brzezinski, yes, Flores.

Yes.

Horton, yes, poll, yes, Shaw, yes, troops, yeah, Titus.

Yes.

City Council pass official file ordinance 192026 finally by Yay 7A.

Ordinances for first reading, council file number 1659, official an ordinance approving the editing and inclusion of certain ordinances as parts of the various component codes of the codified ordinances of the city of Erie.

Sponsor by Councilmember Titus, seconded by councilmember Shaw.

The council file ordinance 1659 haven't been read as here by adopted on first reading by city council.

Members Brzezinski, yes, Flores.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Shaw.

Yes.

Titus.

Yes.

City Council Reddit adopt council file ordinate 1659 by Yay 7 nay zero on first reading.

Council President, this takes us to new business.

At this point, I'd like to ask for a motion to move the balance of the agenda.

Motion.

Second.

Do we have any separations?

No separations line.

Okay, moving the balance of the agenda.

Members Brzezinski.

Yes.

Flores.

Yes.

Horton.

Yes.

Poll.

Yes.

Shaw.

Yes.

True.

Yes.

Titus.

Yes.

Resolution passes Yay 7A 0.

This takes us to committee reports.

Okay.

Thank you.

We'll go ahead and start.

Yeah, it's me.

By the way, I got a couple smart butt comments there.

I said nice things about the Scott family.

They did not contribute to any of my running.

I never asked them.

So whoever send that.

That's being done.

They're good people, that's all I'm telling you.

To my committee reports.

Last meeting I told you about the 23rd of March, 10 o'clock at the zoo.

They're going to have the formal signing of the uh agreement where the convention center will be taking over the finances and so forth of the zoo.

So it's open to the public.

Starts at 10.

I think it's going to go to 12 or as long as you want it to if you want to walk around and see the see the animals.

The other thing is it doesn't look at side right now, but we're just a couple weeks away from some real baseball.

April 4 April 4th.

Good Friday, in fact.

Seawolf's opener season here.

Hopefully it'll be warm enough.

I usually last it'll fifth inning when my knees uh get solid frozen.

But one of these days we're gonna have a nice, beautiful, warm first week of April.

And it's still a good time.

Still a good time.

And that's uh the airport authority.

Uh in fact, I have another uh convention authority meeting tomorrow.

Airport meeting next week.

There's a lot of things going on over there, but nothing quite yet for the public to be we be excited about news that's gonna be coming.

That's all I'm gonna tell you.

Okay, good night.

Thank you.

Councilor Horton.

Yes, uh this oh god, I got my dates here.

March 16th.

Uh I attended the land bank meeting.

I won't go into detail for length of the hour.

I also attended uh recently the blinded property review board.

And I withhold any detailed comments about both.

Um due to the latest of the hour, I'll give that report.

Uh at our next meeting.

Thank you.

Um what's the skip to council?

I'm not really gonna give much of a report.

I just want to thank all the citizens who came tonight to speak.

It is so important for us to advocate for what we want Erie to be, and unless we hear from our residents, we kind of just go with what's being done.

So I do appreciate you all coming.

I do appreciate you all advocating for the needs of yourselves and our community members, and I look forward to continuing to see you all even in the late hour.

But I am skipping a committee report for the go to the order.

Councilor Chu.

Uh Dr.

Codes, um like to remind the citizens that um at our night meetings the redevelopment authority is here for assistance for people who need application assistance or any questions.

Um I attended the Powell's ball, which was really nice.

Um really nice event put on by Linux and some of the other people involved with that uh organization.

Also from EMTA, I reached out to them.

They want everybody to know that they're having a press event Friday to introduce uh the new trolley and um some of their fixed bus routes.

They also um talked about their trans transit development plan is moving forward and they'll be uh asking for public input soon.

Um also um from our citizens' response.

They just he just said they didn't really have much, but that they are filling a lot of calls about as we know, trees and different things like that are going on right now.

Also, um lastly, um I've been hearing and I'm just reading up on it now, uh, Mercier's University.

It looks like they're gonna be honoring a Erie hero, um, Harry T.

Burley next week.

So that might be something you want to look at on their website.

Um he was born and born in Erie PA, so they're gonna be honoring him with some different uh events on March 25th and March 28th next week at Mercy O'Shiver University.

So that's something to look into.

Thank you.

Uh Counselor Paul.

Um, real quick.

I attended the Pell Ball also on Saturday.

Um it was a wonderful event.

Um those officers do wonderful things with our our local kids where a lot of them would be lost.

Um and it it opens up the transparency with them, and it helped them a lot, and um it just gives them a focus on learning different things and going different places that they would not uh in normally be able to do.

So I wanted to uh kudos to them for bringing that back.

And I also attended the Jefferson Society um civic leader academy graduation uh on March 5th, and that was a wonderful program.

Um I didn't realize what it entail um, and there were a few people that um a couple employees that were mayor's administration were involved with, and um uh someone else that I knew, and it just um what a wonderful program.

Um they get a different thing every year that they focus on, and this year was um uh the um one second, sorry, Tana.

You've got five minutes uh addressing the population decline in Erie County, and um that's a big problem.

Uh we not only have people that can't afford to live in the city, uh the people that can afford it are moving out of the city, and that's a that is a very big problem we have to solve all aspects.

So I that was a wonderful program they put on.

And thank you.

Thank you.

Council Schaff.

Thank you, President Titus.

I attended the race meeting, the redevelopment authority meeting March 9th, the Erie Land Bank, March 16th.

We had the study session for Saldo March 12th.

Zoning meeting was March 10th.

And said goodbye to Jace.

Jason Welsh.

Jake.

Jake.

I I always get his name confused, always.

Retiring after many good years.

First with the county and now with the city.

Tom Ridge Center had a land banking film about Flint Michigan, Michael Freeman.

That is on YouTube somewhere where you can watch that.

It's excellent.

Sarah Finn's hosted a neighborhood watch meeting.

And that's in a nice warm garage for that area.

And we addressed some issues there, went to the Pells Ambassador.

Okay.

This is a public service announcement.

I have a contact with the Red Cross, and they are now giving away free smoke alarms.

The Red Cross is giving away free smoke alarms.

All you have to do is call their number 81483 0942.

And if I'm correct, I believe they'll help you install it if you need assistance.

The sewer authority meeting was yesterday.

It is very expensive to make sure that our machines are up and running and that we are compliant with all state and federal regulations, and they are on it.

So our Human Relations Commission meeting with Christy Genebis and the advisory board members.

They have their new building.

That was last Wednesday.

And they are working very diligently as well with new things.

And housing listening session I attended March 14th at the Quality of Life Learning Center was very informative.

And I took part in the discussions there.

So thank you.

Have a nice weekend.

I love the parade.

Yes.

I did it again.

I forgot to congratulate Seraph and 100 years over there on the East Side.

If I didn't acknowledge it, I would be thrown out of the club, I guess.

Which I don't go to that often, but uh between Slomsky's and uh Danny.

Good people there, and they've keep the east side area pretty nice shape.

Thanks, guys.

Thanks for being there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um I just want to first start my my report um with with a thank you.

A thank you to the community members who um shared parts of your story that you shouldn't have to share in a public setting to get people to listen.

So I'm very grateful that you that you did that and you've stayed here and you've endured.

That takes a lot.

And it's a it's a it's a heavy toll on a person to have to share such private things about your life.

And um I'm grateful that you were willing to do that and make that part of public record so that we we have this and this can be uh elevated, and hopefully that you don't have to keep putting yourself in a position to do that.

But I am grateful that you did that.

Um we've had a lot of meetings.

I feel like that my life is basically a meeting uh anymore, but that is okay.

I do think that uh working with I'm gonna do some pretty direct uh shout-outs here with with the mayor's administration working with with with Tori Williams and um our clerk and Kelsey and Lori and Mike.

We've we've made a lot of headway on the authorities, boards, and commissions uh and transparency and also mapping out um where those who were appointed uh live so we can also see where the rep representation is.

We're gonna present all of that in the study session for the public so the public can also see where all of your members reside and that you're able to um have it have in more input on that.

Uh made my way down to the ACLU in Philadelphia I think last week, just talking about um just different crises we're seeing across the state and the commonwealth and working with different um different programs and organizations on addressing the housing, especially in the in the commonwealth due to preemption.

Um so I hear those messages and I'm working very diligently to figure out what we can do as a local municipal municipality to address some of those the concerns.

Um we're definitely working, and I'll be I'll be more and more in touch with with everyone who's presented tonight.

Uh and then with that I I think I'm gonna go ahead and concede the rest of my time uh because my brain is done working.

Um thank you, Dr.

Titus.

Um yes, it's been a long night, but uh I have just a few remarks.

Uh first I want to thank my staff for an overwhelmingly positive last few weeks.

So Kate, Kelly, and Meg, thank you so much.

Um and one of the things they accomplished was our state pension report is officially filed.

Um we uploaded it last week.

We're just waiting for the acceptance, but we may not hear back on that until June, which we did not last year.

So I'm holding my breath until that happens.

Uh we're still working on documenting, firming up, and streamlining our uh in-place processes so everything is as concise as possible.

We're developing new processes to help us work more efficiently.

Uh we're working closely with our purchasing department to research all of our existing contracts so we have a better understanding of those contracts and how we're making purchases.

Uh and we're making sure our bidding processes remain as transparent as possible.

Uh we're still holding meetings with each city department to outline what our office does, receive receive the feedback from them and ask them how we can better help them do their jobs.

And a reminder to everyone we continue to maintain an open door policy.

Anyone who needs anything is welcome in my office at any time.

And I am happy to say we've had a few takers on that so far, and we welcome many more.

Welcome.

Uh mayor or solicitor, who would ever like to jump in first?

I was just gonna jump on and say you've heard my voice enough tonight.

So there's no report from the solicitor's office.

Thank you.

My report will be very brief.

I do want to thank the solicitor for his uh leadership tonight and making sure everybody was clear on what we're doing.

I also want to thank our staff, um, particularly Cooper Moore from planning to really help prepare for tonight.

Uh they did a great job.

I just want to say to the to the folks in the audience, we we do hear you and and our hearts are with you.

And sadly, tonight was not the first time we heard your story.

And I heard it from my staff having heard it on Saturday.

We are working on this issue.

We do need a little grace, but that that doesn't feel right to even say to you tonight.

So I just I just need you to hear us say.

We are working on this, council, when we come to you in April for that conversation we talked about earlier.

This is exactly the kind of thing we're gonna be talking about.

So please, you know, we will be in touch with those of you that have already made contact.

We will do what we can, but we need some we need to make some big changes, and we understand that.

So thank you.

Thank you for coming here and sharing tonight.

Um, I do also want to thank our streets department um for some amazing work over like 48 hours with down trees and plows and salt and all the things, and also um streets and special events and public works for the parade, uh, as Ms.

Schaff mentioned.

It was a great day, and they all came together.

And counsel, I want to thank you because tonight was long and we're all tired, but we all care so deeply.

You see it, I see it in all of your faces, I hear it in your comments.

I know you know all of these issues are important to all of us.

I just want to thank thank you for being partners with us in this.

We want to continue to do that.

And lastly, uh Mr.

Brzezinski, I'm throwing out the first pitch at the Seawolves opener.

So please come.

I will never get it over the plate, but just don't laugh at me.

But just uh yes, I hope for warm weather as well.

Thank you all for tonight.

It was a long one, but we're we're gonna get there, I promise.

Thank you.

Thanks.

All right.

With that, we will go ahead and conclude this meeting.