HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-06-14 Correspondence
,:;~i,'}"r;; ",....
. >,;~;""" .
. "
"~<.
<::"
"
1~~~
IOWA CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY
MEMORANDUM
;;
'I
.,
I
,
",1
DATE:
June 8, 1994
';i ,
FROM:
City Council
Ronald L. Henderson ~ 41'a~
Public Housing Applications and Public Hearings.
TO:
RE:
, '
,
As always, the confusion over Assisted Housing, HUD applications,
public hearings and Council approval of housing activities runs rampant
during this period of the year. The orderly process of idea,
application, funding and activity is obscured by the deadlines and
requirements of HUD. Since the funding required by most of the housing
programs is so large, Assisted Housing is unable to undertake any
programs independent of HUD. This reality basically underlines the
fact that HUD dictates the programs that the council may make available
to the citizens of Iowa City.
,
i
i
.)
,r
\"
\
~
I'
I
I ~
I
I
This time table and requirements coordination problem dictates the
submission of an application before a public hearing to ascertain the
desires of the electorate. This does not commit the Council to accept
an award based upon an application for which there is no desire to
continue. The Council may reject any award or proffered contract for
any HUD project that it believes is not in the best interest of the
City.
A
\jJ
i
I
,
)
Under the state Code, Section 403A, a public hearing would need to take
place prior to us undertaking a housing project. This process requires
a 15 day notice for a public hearing. With Council meetings scheduled
every 14 days, it usually takes a minimum of 28 days to have a hearing.
This time problem is made difficult when the notice of funding
availability from HUD requires an application to be submitted within a
45 day window. As may be imagined, the activities required for
submission of an application requires an abnormal sequence of events.
~ (
i
. ,
,
.
, '-~
While the process does not appear logical, the process is the most
practical way to meet several different rules and regulations for the
eventual success of the applications.
.f"
,."
"
,
. "
$IJJ
bi
l.'\l;
'-'
: I',,'
,-~
.,'.,',., ';~.,.,::...i
. ,', _"_".:', ._'...,f'.',.""."" "
j """.~" ,,^,.l~ ~"f" ,,:!,'.'!i'
'. :A"";~':'i()i;;)':2;,~;>, '.'~I;.. ,'~ ". , '2 5j~lO;i;
, '. ",' , ,',' " ,,1., ' ." " ; , , , '" , '. ~'I-""A.,,,'I"I~,\ ""
"
,
c .C
." 0
:t.,' ._~__~___~_____
T
.,',','
',.,
~"-"''''''''.':''' 'f:' ". '.'
'llr~~~i~<':;~
"m"" ,'"
y"','...
":
. I
,"' '..
;.-:',:.~ ':,' ,
,.:,,:;r'.\l.i."',
.'~',.'".
'.-1
,~,
,
I
.. . ';, ~
.....:1
, '
, .
;'
", -:...~ ..
,.',
',.:
.
'.
"
, . :.' : ~'. ,
. .. '
. ..'
.... _;_.,~_w_~,...."...."'<.u-""u.......~_....,......,""..,..._..___ ..__._.
...~...._.~...:._.:..:.:........a~".....~......,_.; . ,
, "
~d~)
. ,. ", . .. , .
-' ,,-~,.~ ......"'~..._.._._. .~,.-_._-...._..
,\
j
528 Clark Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
June 13, 1994
'j'
Dr. Barbara Grohe
Superintendent
Iowa city Community School District
Iowa city, IA 52240
,..
\
\".
Dear Dr. Grohe:
'I
, !
On June 8 I got a letter from Dr. Perry Ross, principal of
Longfellow School. Dr. Ross said that the fence between Longfellow
School and its Clark Street neighbors is about to be replaced by a
chain-link fence.
r""
((\
I am disturbed by the decision to replace the fence, as well as by
the way the decision was arrived at--with no consultation with
Longfellow's neighbors. I have spoken with several other residents.
of Clark Street who are also upset by this news.
........
1.1
~r
School Board Secretary Jerry Palmer told me that the head of the
physical plant (who retired last month) decided to have the fence
removed after the Coldren Home complained that the fence infringed
on Coldren property. He decided to have the schoolyard surveyed and
to replace the fence at the same time--not just behind the Coldren
. Home, but for its entire length. From what Mr. Palmer and Dave
, .'~
Gurwell at the physical plant told me, it is clear that no thought
was given to:
'.
I
I
II
,U
,
,.~,'
'\i'~,{,,''''','''.'''','
I~~
;rh .'
rl.t
;i'J:~
..'",,1
,
---~
, ,\
'fC 0
':;, ----
-
~~ ~-_. -, -,
1500
',' .,' iO.,}):", ' ',<i:"';'-" '--':~- .-...""'....,','... '.', I,;.~......::, "I,' ri~,
;..., ,. ,.';'~'~.'~,"....... :..:~.." 1,,')::\": ,'., ~. ~ , u.
.. _ ',>,.., '..."l-.~.".,....'.',"T.:,..'
,":
..,'"
",.,
"",:";"
'-. ::',~t:." .
.,..-,.\t
"~ .. ",~ ",.."
.
,,-I
I
..'
'.-"'---::.:':' ',:",'
.t~j{o.a,:I' " 1
\~,
."
..
...... ,
'.1
,
"'1
....\
, ,..
.
.
'. '.'
. . ~ ._~:,:..':""~;"_'."'UL''''''''',",JJ''Jo.'.J.,..........,..'..,'':':'':_;-,:;..;':_...
. "".
, . . '. ..^ -. ",:
":. ._._..'__~._ ._""'_v...,........-'.""..'"'~.,...'."'.M.....'v'"",Ut" A",,,,.. '-''-.
l
. the visual impact of the new fence on the character of the
neighborhood {it is an older neighborhood contiguous with the
Summit Street historic district}
. the new fence's ecological impact. A lot of Clark Street
residents, teachers at Longfellow, members of the Longfellow PTO,
and others have hoped that the area around the fence would become
a natural habitat. The way such habitats are created is by
leaving them alone. Many vines, trees, flowers, and garden
vegetables are enmeshed in the current fence and would be
destroyed if it were removed
.';.,
. ',1
. whether' people in the neighborhood would want the new fence to
include gaps giving access to the Longfellow playground. The new
fence would eliminate these access points, which generations of
children have been using with no complaints from homeowners.
Every neighbor I have spoken with wants to retain the gaps if the
fence has to be replaced.
',' 'C;\
\OJ
It is disturbing that planning for the project didn't include
design considerations or consultation with the affected neighbors.
.
In addition, according to Jerry Palmer the new fence would cost,
more than $7,500. I am surprised that the school district would
spend that much money to replace one fence with another.
'1'..1 :,. .
Mr. Palmer said the new fence will be identical to all the fences
at all the other schools, as if this were a point in its favor.
But the Longfellow neighborhood is not identical to other
neighborhoods. I am sure you will agree that schools and school
....,jacilities should be designed with sensitivity to each'
neighborhood's particular character.
,/
"',',
I
Isoo
"
" ,:.\
''OJ...,
~_ -" I ~
, '
1'-......,..,..,',.""""""',..'""',....................1". ',': ';':,""I,;.,.::r
!"":.'-"di,,,d'\:;':"" .'\ , '.",', "'<5"'" .0'.' 'i::
,.,.. ..... '. 1.1 . "<""" 'I"'."..,.. t,,"" i.. ~' . ,
;;',,' "'.d",, """";'~~ :~f::':',:,';':"."::':':"": ;, ,: ,.,' ~..., ,..;,....,."~,..,',.};
(l,O
" '
fl'- +. -
"""",.,. .'
,'i',:;
,
~.' ;~';"
-"'~"~'j::-:'.
~II:.
"
i:-.
. ~, '. '"
.','.
,.
":":
.'
. . \
;
i,1
,
. '.'
','
"
.J'
'>
.:.--_~.,
L,,:.j
(""'\ :
\ l'
. II
~.. ,
r~'\
I
~
{(~~~
.'~.. ' .-
\,
.'f,>j',:
,.',.' \ ,
. ,.-',~Io. ". ,
;"",r\\!, ,,'
, , " '.'. '~.,.:.:. ..
',' ...".: . ~ ....
__...;:._... ........_..~'''"''!_''"'' ,.. '-'~C.";" _,'''..M_'~'..,,,.:w.c::-.~;,a :...--v. l'(:".,j ;'~', ~.: _ ". ~,
."
,~
'. .,
. ~~.
,1
~. .'
....,'-':.-.l'I":'.
".,
~.
. ...,'
.
,~
., '._ :;~:~.-_\;.:~~.",,~;~~iQ~~~,..,.:~_;;
I ask that you halt this project until the community has had a say
in this process and our concerns are addressed.
Sincerely,
rJj &-- L.,
Dan Lechay
cc. School Board Members:
Connie Champion
Tom Bender
Betsy Hawtrey
Mike Howard
Alan Leff
George Matheson
Sally Staley
Jerry Palmer
Perry Ross
Cecile Kuenzli, Longfellow Neighborhood Association
. . ,. '.
.;' ,"-~' .
, .<
I
\ '
.
,
Isoo ':
. ,:1
, T,..~~"....
... .-._-
. "~"I;U~
.,'.'...,;i.,;"L:,.i..,;.:.,,' .._:i-
.;:/,~!' 'o..",':)\\,',':J~;:':,~.T",..-'_...._.,."~"""...~.."-.~..'T;..5..-" \, "1'0''''['
.,;,." :"',"','" :'-~~lj"'!/:' ' ,. . -"..,:..,....~' ,-',' ;'.:.~.,.,I.:L:'iI'li':"/;..