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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-07-26 Info Packet I r I tripm - City Council Information Packet Sitt CITYIOWA CITY July 26, 2018 www.icgov.org IPI Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Miscellaneous IP2 Iowa City 2018-2019 Strategic Plan Report IP3 Memorandum from Assistant to the City Manager: Community Indicators 1134 Memorandum from City Engineer Burlington Clinton Street Intersection Improvements Project Update IP5 Memo from City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show IP6 Email from Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition: No community meeting this month/See you in August Draft Minutes IP7 Planning and Zoning Commission: July 5 --07=2-6 IPI r _ City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Subject to change CITYahrideczAr OF IOWA CITY July 26,2018 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday,August 7,2018 4:00 PM Special formal/Executive Session Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday,August 21,2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday,September 4, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday,September 18, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session-Joint Mtg.- Emma J. Harvat Hall Johnson County Bd. of Supervisors 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, October 2,2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday, October 15 2018 4:00 PM Reception Emma J. Harvat Hall 4:30 PM Joint Meeting Tuesday, October 16, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 6, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 20,2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 4, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 18, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting 1P2 Iowa City2018 - 2019 Strategic P an Report July 2018 j. .. • • • 1 • 7. , .. `/s�ie ,,-----(011--, .44,.: p*z, I I ::_ ..0 ,lik \ - • \ i \\ r I . 4) . . . Aerial view of Terry Trueblood Recreation Area Lodge Table of Contents Strategic Plan Goals 3 Introduction and Overview 4 • Economy 6 Vibrant Urban Core 7 Healthy Neighborhoods 8 Solid Financial Foundation 9 Community Engagement 10 Environmental Sustainability11 Social Justice & Racial Equity12 2 - IOWA CITY'S 2018-2019 STRATEGIC PLAN SEVEN GOALS for a more Inclusive, just and Sustainable Iowa City: 1 �• Promote a Strong and Resilient Economy ° ,�'. y " Encourage a Vibrant and Walkable 2 VP lt h: Urban Core 3 AMFosterHealthy Neighborhoods throughout the City tY 400 Maintain a Solid Financial 000 Foundation 0000 5 fit, Enhance Community Engagement and Intergovernmental Relations t; Promote Environmental 6 Sustainability Advance Social Justice and Racial 7 � Equity ty WWW.ICGOV.ORG; 3 Introduction and Overview City of Iowa City organizational mz` ✓q� "` profile City Council y a 'i rviii- Iowa City is governed by an elected City Council of 11 seven members:four Council members at-large and three District members.The Council is \di —~. responsible for appointing the City Manager,City 11 Attorney,and City Clerk. City Manager City Council members are,from left: The City Manager serves as the chief Pauline Taylor,District A, Mayor Pro Tem administrative officer for the organization.The Kingsley Botchway II,At Large City Manager implements the policy decisions of Jim Throgmorton,At Large, Mayor the City Council,enforces City ordinances,and Rockne Cole,At Large appoints City officials,as well as supervises the Susan Mims, District B directors of the City's operating departments. John Thomas, District C City staff Mazahir Salih,At-Large Iowa City employs approximately 600 full-time staff members to execute the City Council's policies and provide public services to over 70,000 residents.These include water,sewer, stormwater,garbage and recycling utilities,as well as public services like public safety, building and housing inspections, parks and recreation, street maintenance,engineering,development services,transportation, local cable television programming,and senior services. 4 Introduction and Overview Executive Summary: Beginning in January2018,City Council engaged in a strategic planning process to define the City's top priorities, address significant new projects and initiatives, and establish a broad vision for the City's future.The first two sessions held by Council and a facilitator,focused on a review of on-going or committed projects, followed by an evaluation and prioritization of new projects, programs, policies, and initiatives suggested by Council Members. A third work session held with Council and staff refined the proposed strategies. City staff will be responsible for coordinating implementation and execution of these Council goals over the next two years. A resolution to formally adopt the 2018-2019 Strategic Plan priorities as defined in these three work sessions was approved on March 20, 2018. Background: City Council's initial strategic planning goal setting session determined that the seven primary objectives identified for the 2016-2017 Strategic Plan should be continued in the 2018-2019 Plan. A facilitator helped Council members narrow and modify an initial list of more than forty goals to the twenty-five actions identified as the final Strategic Plan. Council further refined their ultimate priorities and initiatives at the March 6, 2018 work session. The final objectives provide broad guidance for City staff to fulfill and enact the vision and priorities of Council over the next two years. Status update reports are presented each year to Council for review. City Council Strategic Plan Objectives: This Strategic Plan intends to foster a more Inclusive, Just and Sustainable Iowa City 1. Promote a Strong and Resilient Local Economy 2. Encourage a Vibrant and Walkable Urban Core 3. Foster Healthy Neighborhoods throughout the City 4. Maintain a Solid Financial Foundation 5. Enhance Community Engagement and Intergovernmental Relations 6. Promote Environmental Sustainability 7. Advance Social Justice and Racial Equity 5 A 1 . 4 °° Promote a Strong and Resilient Local Economy a. Undertake a comprehensive assessment of the current public transit system and implement changes to assure that the service best meets the needs of the entire community b. Effectively market and grow the local food economy c. Through cooperation with the Iowa City School District, Iowa Workforce Development, Kirkwood Community College, Iowa Works, and others, increase opportunities for marginalized populations and low-income individuals to obtain access to skills training and good jobs d. Work with Procter& Gamble and impacted supply chain companies, local economic development organizations, and labor unions to respond effectively to the company's decision to terminate its local production of beauty care products Accomplishment Updates What's Next 1a Staff has met with Coralville, North Liberty and the • Council review of the Request for University of Iowa to determine their interest in participating Qualifications Document. in the study. Coralville and the University have expressed • Council approval of an agreement with a an interest. The City is drafting a Request for Qualifications transit consultant. for an experienced transit consultant that will be reviewed • Expected 12-18 month period for public by the partnering organizations and the City Council prior to engagement and study before final issuance. The City Council has budgeted $200,000 for the recommendations are ready. purposed of conducting this analysis. lb City Council has budgeted $50,000 towards expanding the • Beginner Gardening courses continue at local food economy. the Recreation division, with four registrants. Horticulture staff changed the landscaping in approximately • Additional community gardens are being thirty round planters located throughout the City to feature planned at Walden Green and an edible plants.With signage encouraging harvest and orchard and garden is planned with the tasting, the public is taking part during the 2018 growing renovation at Creekside Park. season. Locations include City Hall, City Park, Mercer Park • A series of public meetings were held and a few locations in downtown. with Backyard Abundance in summer 2018 to gather input on a new Approximately 202 garden plots have been leased for the configuration for garden plots at Chadek 2018 growing season throughout three community gardens. Green. Final designs, for the 2019 growing season, are being completed. The improved garden will include a variety of plot sizes, additional paths, public gathering space, and a new .._ sculpture. lookt, { • Wetherby community garden plots 6 1 . Promote a Strong and Resilient Local Economy (cont.) Accomplishment Updates What's Next 1c The City's Economic Development staff is generating an • Staff will continue efforts to identify and inventory of local and regional efforts to identify gaps in engage local supporting institutions and services and potential collaborations. Staff is also working businesses that further this initiative. with private businesses to identify workforce needs and • A job fair, sponsored by the City of Iowa barriers to employment. City and Iowa Works, is planned in Mid- September at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center.The fair will host twenty companies offering entry, permanent, and part time work. 1d Staff has engaged with Proctor&Gamble officials and • Continue to offer support to employees connected them with local and state resources to assist by engaging with Proctor&Gamble to with any employees that may be displaced. Staff has better understand employee needs worked with ICAD to express strong support for growing • Continually work with Proctor&Gamble Proctor&Gamble's remaining operations and to position and supply chain companies to the community for attracting new lines of business within determine how best the City can assist the company. Collectively, these groups are also working to in growing their operations here in Iowa aid supply chain companies,which includes helping to City. determine if new business partnerships can be established to help overcome the anticipated loss in Proctor&Gamble business. 7 2. wjt Encourage a Vibrant and Walkable Urban Core a. Collaborate with the University of Iowa on its redevelopment of University-owned property located in the Riverfront Crossings District, and on improving the quality, accessibility, and use of the Iowa River Corridor b. Preserve important parts of Iowa City's history by considering the designation of additional buildings as historic landmarks, and, by considering the creation of an historic preservation district for part of the downtown after consulting with stakeholders c. Evaluate existing strategies and consider additional actions to address the need for reinvestment in the city's existing private housing stock Accomplishment Updates What's Next 2a Staff meets regularly with University of Iowa personnel to • Staff will continue to engage with discuss planning topics, including the RFC campus and the numerous community partners including river corridor. Staff from Iowa City and Coralville are working the University on the Big Splash with the University of Iowa to align current master plans planning,which will include education, along the rivers and identify ways to strengthen existing outreach and programs in 2019-20. plans or fill in missing gaps between the three entities. City • Staff will work with the University and staff is also heavily involved in the planning of the Big Coralville to further align river planning Splash event along the Iowa River in 2020 that will serve as efforts after the master plan compilation pivotal point in time for the community to come together to is completed. celebrate and care for the river. • After the University announces its intentions for on-campus housing, staff will engage in further collaborative planning efforts involving the RFC campus area. 2b The City Council has considered two individual landmark • A Council decision on the historic district designations to date. A historic district designation in the that is being proposed in the Riverfront Riverfront Crossings District will be considered by Council in Crossings District is pending in August. August of 2018. Staff expects that the downtown historic • Staff will coordinate a public review of the inventory will be ready for public review in August or downtown historic inventory before the September. Council considers any formal actions. 2c Staff made changes to the UniverCity program to allow for • Staff will begin a comprehensive the purchase of duplex properties. The first duplex will be assessment of current rehab programs acquired in August. Council also increased the amount of and funding and present Council with funding per acquisition and rehab in order to expand the findings and recommendations in 2019. pool of potential properties. Council should provide staff any specific requests that it wants considered during this review. 8 • 3. Foster Healthy Neighborhoods Throughout the City a. Modify the existing Affordable Housing Action Plan to include new strategies to improve the availability and affordability of housing in Iowa City b. Embed the"Missing Middle" concept into the City's land development practices by adopting a Form Based Code for at least one (preferably two) of our neighborhoods c. Ensure the next two budgets contain sufficient funds to make meaningful progress toward achieving the goals of the Bicycle Master Plan and Parks Master Plan d. Complete an analysis of traffic accident data and identify actions to improve the safety of our roadways for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians Accomplishment Updates What's Next 3a Council increased the affordable housing commitment from • Council should let staff know if there are $750,000 to$1,000,000 in FY 19. any specific proposals or polices that they want to consider as part of this Council adopted an Affordable Housing component to the effort. City's annexation policy in July. Also in July, Council • Staff will further our research and offer approved a development agreement for the Foster Road Council recommendations in late 2018 extension and development area that leverages an or early 2019. estimated$2-3 million dollars in affordable housing funds over the next ten years. Staff has begun preliminary research on new approaches to expand affordable housing efforts in the coming years. 3b Council provided staff direction to pursue a form-based • Staff will present a consultant agreement code in the South District. Staff will also have the consultant to the Council in the early fall. explore interim measures that can better guide contextual development in the Northside neighborhood. Sold wrd.wyr..wr 1111 LEGEND .r...'..,,.w...««.. i Imm■� ■.....w. ■Cow.. •word ur twwr..A Mdl+..$rmal L ■waft.4..a..two E www Of*R ■Ina.a.+... Nu ■a...4•nn... -. --.w.r*Ws w..• MVsu�nawutw�.__ A..a�.i.. /..,r ' South District Plan—Credit:Opticos Design,Inc. 9 3. Foster Healthy Neighborhoods Throughout the City (cont.) Accomplishment Updates What's Next 3c The FY 19 budget provides funding for numerous projects • Accessibility improvements are planned contained in the Bicycle Master Plan and Parks Master at Mercer Park, Tower Court, and Plan. The spring of 2018 brought the renovation of Highland Park, along with a field addition Cardigan Park and Phases 1 and 2 of Riverfront Crossings at IC Kickers Soccer Park, and the full Park. Phase 3 at Riverfront Crossings is underway. redevelopment of Creekside Park, soon to begin construction. Consultants have been selected for parks projects at Lower • Budget discussions will be underway City Park,Willow Creek Park, and a west side park shortly, identifying more capital projects development, which are included in the FY19 budget. for the 2020 construction season. Initial proposals for the Capital budget will be Summer 2018 will see the initiation of bicycle facilities, received from Council in late August and including on-street bicycle facilities on Greenwood, Myrtle, a draft brought for approval in winter Riverside, and Camp Cardinal and 4 to 3-lane conversions 2019. allowing bicycle lanes on Mormon Trek Boulevard and Clinton Street. 3d Staff is nearing completion on the data analysis portion of • Council will need to consider the report this item. In the next 30-60 days staff will provide the and recommendations and provide staff Council a report with findings and preliminary direction on follow-up steps and recommendations. timelines. it 0111111111114. litioil, i I Cardigan Park 10 0 DD 4. ©©© Maintain a Solid Financial Foundation a. Continue to monitor the impact of the 2013 property tax reform and evaluate alternative revenue sources as determined necessary b. Continue to build the City's Emergency Fund c. Monitor potential changes to Moody's rating criteria and maintain the City's Aaa bond rating d. Continue to reduce the City's property tax levy e. Maintain healthy fund balances throughout the City's diverse operations Accomplishment Updates What's Next 4a Property tax reform is consistently monitored as the 2013 • Statewide efforts by cities to adopt a changes impact the City tax base. Local Option Sales Tax has led to changes in the state legislature. The City will consider implications of pursuing LOST as well as how the changes in law may impact Iowa City. 4b The City did not include a deposit to the Emergency Fund in • The City will consider again adding to the FY19 budget. So far this year, the only expense from the this fund in the FY20 budget proposal. Emergency Fund was approximately$221,000 for the • Council has approved the purchase of purchase of property in flood plains adjacent to Lower City two more flood plain properties adjoining Park. City Park and closing is expected later in summer 2018. 4c The City experienced a third-party bond rating call in spring • The City has just started using a 2018 with Moody's rating service. From that call, Moody's predictive budgeting software technology maintained the City's Aaa rating. A new element of the that allows for specific simulation of City Moody's review includes how communities are addressing fiscal considerations. Use of this climate adaptation. Therefore, Iowa City's climate mitigation technology will permit Finance and adaptation strategies were included in the ratings Administration to explore opportunities presentation for the first time this year. The City also and solutions for addressing areas of increased its capital contributions, resulting in a positive concern, according to the Moody's recommendation from Moody's. report. 4d The City reduced the property tax levy by decreasing the • The City has a debt service plan that, City's debt service levy. This is the sixth consecutive year of pending unforeseen changes, will allow debt service levy reduction, resulting in a$0.15 decrease in for possible levy reductions in the next the levy. year. 4e FY2018 year-end fund balances were fairly positive and • The City is continuing to monitor fund FY19 outlook also looks healthy for most funds. In FY19, the balances. City implemented a 5% increase in water rates to preserve a balance that will allow for capital infrastructure maintenance. 11 5. faEnhance Community Engagement ag ement and Intergovernmental Relations a. Experiment with innovative ways of engaging with diverse populations in person and on social media b. Improve collaborative problem-solving with governmental entities in the region on topics of shared interest c. Improve relationships with the executive branch and legislature by reaching out to legislators and other elected officials and working with City lobbyists Accomplishment Updates What's Next 5a Communications successfully introduced the use of • As projects and programs are promoted Facebook Live for streaming City Council meetings and to the public, an increased concentration variety of other programs. Viewers can actively comment in on the development of marketing plans real time and engage in dialogue with other viewers. City has elevated City communications. Use Cable Channel 4 ensured that a purchase of mobile of polling, prize giveaways, and other equipment allowed for better-quality video streaming as the incentives have been received positively. City continues to expand usage of this platform. The division will continue to work with City departments to create effective The City has also increased the use of digital platforms marketing and engagement paired with video and quality print visuals to help opportunities. communicate complex issues. • The Cable division will continue to seek opportunities to share information that City Cable Channel 4 has historically participated in filming impacts a diverse group of community many community events, but this year are focused on members. presenting the stories of neighborhoods, residents, and businesses. 5b Council has initiated a regional discussion on 1-380 planning. • Council needs to identify the topic areas The first meeting on this topic will be held on August 2nd. that they wish to address. • Staff is not currently pursuing other Council continues to be active participants in the quarterly actions under this objective. joint government meetings. 5c During the 2017-2018 state legislative session, Iowa City • The City's lobbyists continue to attend worked with lobbying firm Camey and Associates to monitor meetings and events with legislators from and advocate the Council's legislative priorities in Des across the state prior to the next Moines.At the end of the session, most major concerns, legislative session in the fall. such as preserving the backfill had positive or neutral • A community tour with area legislators, outcomes for the City. Council,and staff is being planned.The Relationships with local legislators remain productive and tour is planned to share the latest several contacts were made with current legislators as well improvements to parks,facilities,and as with district candidates during the primary campaign. notable development projects,related to State financial support and local needs. 12 6. %�o Promote Environmental Sustainability a. Adopt an effective Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and ensure the next two budgets contain sufficient funds to facilitate achieving its goal b. Support efforts to increase the reach of the Parks and Recreation Foundation Accomplishment Updates What's Next 6a The Climate Action and Adaptation draft is complete, has • Implementation will continue based on been presented to Council and released for public review. feedback from the community meeting on A successful community meeting was held on July 11, 2018 July 11. Community efforts will be and gathered more feedback and garnered excitement for initiated by City staff, the Climate Action Plan implementation. Steering Committee members, and the public, to focus efforts upon the most Several projects already budgeted in FY18 and FY19 but impactful plan recommendations. also recommended in the just-released Climate Plan are . For the FY20 Budget planning process, underway, including initiation of the transit study, a refuse staff will request that Council prioritize and recycling route study, public building improvements, recommended Plan actions. bicycle facilities, and installation of electric vehicle charging • _ stations.Additionally, the Plan calls for the development and sharing of public information and engagement tools.The [ ; Plan includes a community toolkit to get the City started but more City-specific tools are already being drafted. dir 1 Climate Meeting participants discuss barriers and solutions 6b This goal remains in a planning stage. • Parks and Recreation will work in fall 2018 to discuss these efforts with the Parks and Recreation Commission. Accomplishment Highlight In spring 2018, the Parks& Recreation Staff, with help from the Green Iowa AmeriCorps team,was awarded a prestigious designation in the Sports Turf Managers Association's Environmental Facility Certification Program. At the time of application, there were just thirty facilities in the United States and Spain that have this designation. The certification recognizes sports turf managers and their designated facility for environmental best management practices, including reduction in pesticide and fertilizer use, storm water management, reduction of water use and availability of recycling. In addition, the facility has also seen upgrades to LED lighting, programmable thermostats, and occupancy sensors. 13 l®` 7. Advance Social Justice and Racial Equity a. Support organizations and efforts that provide services to people experiencing and recovering from trauma and crisis related to mental health and substance abuse b. Consider a policy to limit city business to vendors that pay all employees a wage of$10.10 or higher c. Explore expanded use of a racial equity toolkit within City government, embedding it within city department and Council levels d. Consider elevating hourly staff wages to $15/hour or more within two years Accomplishment Updates What's Next 7a The Council has budgeted sufficient funds to be active • Staff will work with the steering partners in the Countywide Behavioral Access Center committee and governmental partners on planning. The County is leading the land acquisition effort any funding or operational agreements and there is an active steering committee leading the project needed to move the project forward. forward. • Council should convey to staff any specific projects or policies that it wants to consider outside of the Behavioral Access Center project. 7b This goal remains in planning stages. • Finance will take the first steps in assessing the number and type of vendors used by the City. Staff will determine how such a policy could be implemented. 7c From August 2016 to August 2017,five city departments, • A memo regarding the next including Neighborhood and Development Services, Police, implementation phase for the equity Human Resources, Finance, and Human Rights evaluated toolkit was included in Council's July 5, current and potential procedures, policies, programs or 2018 information packet. Use of the services using a racial and socioeconomic equity review equity toolkit is expanding to four toolkit.This process will continue throughout 2018. additional departments in 2018, including Parks and Recreation, Fire, the Housing Authority, and the Iowa City Public Library. 7d This goal remains in planning stages. Staff has done • Cost analysis will be provided to Council preliminary research and assessment of cost implications to for an upcoming Work Session the City. discussion. Direction is needed prior to the FY20 budget planning process begins. 14 07-26-18 IP3 �I�, .® CITY OF IOWA CITY � a'���� .MEMORANDUM Date: July 26, 2018 To: City Council From: Simon Andrew, Assistant to the City.Manager Re: Community Indicators Introduction City Council has directed staff to present data indicative of the health of the community at large in addition to those focused on the performance of specific city organizations. In an effort to meet this request, a range of such indicators has been identified. The indicators are organized into six categories, including the environment, public safety, housing affordability, the economy, community health/education, and transportation. Staff is interested in Council's feedback on the appropriateness of these indicators. Background An effort was made to complement rather than duplicate STAR indicators and operational performance metrics presented in the budget document. Budget document metrics are generally more focused on City operations than the community as a whole. STAR metrics are also compared to other cities that participate in the program. It is important that dashboard indicators use data that are accessible, collected on a regular basis, and have the potential to show meaningful progress. Data that cannot be collected regularly will not be able to demonstrate whether the community's efforts on a given issue have been successful. A list of the indicators currently being evaluated are below. If Council is comfortable with the metrics identified, staff will compile data for these indicators and present with future Strategic Plan Status updates. Environment Community Health/Education Greenhouse Gas Emissions High School Grad Rate Tree Inventory/Tree Plantings 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency Recycling Rate (curbside) Food Insecurity Public Safety Transportation Violent Crime Rate Transportation Mode EMS Response Traffic collisions Housing Affordability Affordable Housing Units Created Cost burdened households Economy Jobs/unemployment data Poverty Level Wages Median Household Income % that meet living wage `07-26-18 • IP4 !aMEMORANDUM CITY OF IOWA CITY • DATE: July 25, 2018 TO: Geoff Fruin, City Manager FROM: Jason Havel, City Engineer Zrki RE: Burlington Clinton Street Intersection Improvements Project Update Introduction: The Burlington Clinton Street Intersection Improvements Project is expected to Improve traffic and pedestrian safety and multimodal travel at the Burlington Street and Clinton Street intersection, and throughout the Clinton Street corridor. This project includes the construction of new water main, as well as ADA and sidewalk Improvements along Clinton Street (between Court Street and Burlington Street), and the construction of new turn lanes and signal improvements at the Burlington and Clinton intersection. In addition, this project was designed to maximize the use of the existing pavement, and includes the restriping of Clinton Street to include a 4-lane to 3-lane conversion from Jefferson Street to Court Street, and the addition of continuous bike lanes on Clinton Street from Church Street to Benton Street. The construction period began on April 2,2018, and the contract allows for 75 working days. Current Status: Construction of the Burlington Clinton Street Intersection Improvements Project is approximately 65% complete. The utility (water main and storm sewer) improvements and some of the paving have been constructed. However, the contractor still needs to construct the southbound right turn lane on Clinton Street, install new traffic and pedestrian signals, complete ADA curb ramps at the Burlington Street and Clinton Street intersection, finish the remaining street paving at the ' Clinton Street and Court Street intersection and install pavement markings on the entire Clinton Street corridor. As of Wednesday, July 25th,-the contractor has used 68.5 (of the provided 75) working days. Following the 75 working days, liquidated damages in the amount of $500 per day will be charged until the Project is complete. Causes for Delay: Work on the Project continues, but progress has been slower than expected. The prime contractor is not from the Iowa City area, and has failed to provide sufficient staffing to properly manage sub-contractors and keep construction moving at a satisfactory pace. It has been difficult keeping contractors on site to compete construction in a timely manner with limited prime contractor presence. City staff have repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining workers onsite to complete the work in a timely manner and the limited number of working days remaining on the contract. The Contractor is also responsible for scheduling to accommodate various downtown events and the extended lead times on some of the project materials. Expected Completion: Weather permitting, it is estimated construction on the Burlington Clinton Street Intersection Improvements Project will be completed by early September. 07-26-18 r 1P5 ± " & CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: July 26, 2018 To: Mayor and City Council From: Kellie K. Fruehling, City Clerk Re: KXIC Radio Show KXIC offers a City show at 8:20 AM every Wednesday morning. In the past Council has volunteered for dates, and staff filled in as necessary. Please take a look at your calendars and come prepared to help fill in the schedule at your work session on August 7. Wednesday August 1 - Mims August 8 - August 1.5 - August 22 - August 29 - September 5 - September 12- September 19- September 26- October 3 - October 10 - October 17 - October 24- October 31 - ** Please remember that KXIC is very flexible with taping the sessions ahead of the show. S:CIk/Council KXIC Radio Schedule/radioshowasking.doc T •uoos 6u!woo sl!e}ap aaoW •6u!;aaw lenuue ano}o a}ep ay}aq IL}eyl 'oo} 'aid 0£:I.-0076 `8Z Jegwaldag `Aep!a3 pavew an,noA awns alew `uado aepualeo leg'anal noit ally/ -spooyaogy6!au pue `6u!snoy 'sloops uaan}aq s)lu!l ay} 6u!ssnos!p aq II Aagi •pJeo8 loops Al!unwwoo enol ay}}o siagwew aq IUM 6u!}aaw Apunwwoo}snbny ay}}e saa}uasaad mno •uoou gn tiZ lsn6ny `Aep!JA aoj aepualeo mnoi(spew eseald l(sa}!n!}sa} ppjgovH 6u!p!one Aolua mo) sa!l!ngsa} I` bIEIO 1:1 /o03 -ilaan sly} 6u!}aaw /c}!unwwoo 3Hy3p ou aq II!n wag' iop ueo no/f jo (pee Jew; way uoi;oe eJnuiw-j. e aoj 6uipear dee)/ uoi1 fl OJ 6u!snoH aigepad o AINfOJ NOSNHOC •JasmoJq JnoA w;i Min iuogileo3 6u!snoH i,Rµoauoo 6uuteldsip;ou pewa siy; aigepuojjv A;uno3 uosuyor ay;woi sa;epdn pue smaN ilSn6ny u! no aas I Lwow s!y} 6u!Taaw Al!unwwo) ON :pafgns punoD :ol INd TE:6 8TOZ '£Z 'Aepuolnl :was <woY llew6@6u!snoyalgepio}}epf> uo!T!leop 6u!snoH algepJo}jv i(lunop uosuyof jo}leyaq uo <lau•nlppw•TZTMns-VSZl!ewpn w0D'Hew6=6u!snoyalgepo}}eDf> uomeoD 6u!snoH algepio}}y (luno' uosuyof :woJj 6U!ganJd a!IIaN 9c11 _ Finally, I'd like to acknowledge the Iowa City City Council, who voted last week in favor of three decisions benefiting affordable housing: 1)Any land annexed into the City of Iowa City will now be subject to an INCLUSIONARY HOUSING policy! Ten percent of residential development (of 10 or more units) must be affordable for a period of at least 20 years. 2)The amount that must be paid by a developer opting out of the Riverfront Crossings inclusionary housing guidelines was raised from $80,872/unit to$94,652/unit. Riverfront Crossings developments are required to dedicate 10% of their units to affordable housing for a minimum of 10 years. If they do not dedicate these units, they must instead pay an upfront fee-in-lieu, which will now be almost$95,000--money that will be used to create affordable housing elsewhere within the Riverfront Crossings district. 3)A TIF will be used for the extension of Foster Road. This TIF, as established by policy governing this type of TIF, requires 45% of the revenue to be set aside for low-to-moderate family housing. This project is expected to generate $2M-$3M for affordable housing in the City of Iowa City over the next 10 years. Each of these changes represents a piece of the affordable housing solutions puzzle. Thank you to the Iowa City City Council and City staff for their work on these improvements. ACTION ITEM: Send the Iowa City Council a note of thanks at council(a�iowa-city.orci. When you click this link (if it works with your email), it will open a draft for you to edit and send. Take care, Sara Barron Executive Director 2 jcaffordablehousing@gmail.com Copyright©2018 Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition,All rights reserved. MaCelANYVip You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event or meeting. Our mailing address is: Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition 308 E. Burlington St. PMB 121 Iowa City, IA 52240 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list I update subscription preferences I view email in browser 3 1P7 MINUTES PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION JULY 5, 2018—7:00 PM —FORMAL MEETING E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry, Baker, Carolyn Dyer, Mike Hensch, Phoebe Martin, Max Parsons, Mark Signs, Billie Townsend MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Sara Hektoen, Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: Alex Carrillo, Andrew Bockenstedt, Joel Kline, Don Cochran, Shannon Patrick, Nate Byers RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 6-1 (Dyer dissenting) the Commission recommends approval of REZ18-00005/SUB18- 0005, an application submitted by Bedrock LLC for a rezoning from ID-RM to OPD/RS-5 (5.8 acres) and OPD/RM-12 (12.23 acres) and a Preliminary Plat and Sensitive Areas Development Plan for Cherry Creek Subdivision, a 17-lot, 18.03-acre residential subdivision located east of Gilbert Street subject to 1) City Forester review and approval of the tree replacement and protection plan prior to final plat approval, 2) at the time of final plat approve the development agreement will specify that the roof drains and gutters for lots 5 - 16 will be required to drain toward the storm drains on Toby Circle, and 3)the applicant contracting with an archaeologist approved by the State to complete a study or excavation plan prior to any additional grading on the property. CALL TO ORDER: Hensch called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Parsons nominated Hensch for Commission Chair, Dyer seconded the nomination, a vote was taken and the motion passed. Hensch nominated Parsons for Vice Chair, Dyer seconded the nomination, a vote was taken and the motion passed. Hensch nominated Signs for Secretary, Martin seconded the nomination, a vote was taken and the motion passed. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. REZONING/DEVELOPMENT ITEM (REZ18-00005/S U B18-00005): Discussion of an application submitted by Bedrock, LLC for a rezoning of approximately 18.03 acres from Interim Development Multifamily Residential (ID-RM) zone to Planned Development Overlay/Low Density Single Family Residential (OPD/ RS-5) zone (5.8 acres) and Planned Planning and Zoning Commission July 5, 2018 Page 2 of 12 Development Overlay/Low Density Multifamily Residential (OPD-12) zone (12.23 acres) and a preliminary plat of Cherry Creek Subdivision, a 17-lot, 18.03-acre residential subdivision with 93 multifamily dwellings, 2 duplex lots and 15 single family lots located east of South Gilbert Street & west of Sandusky Drive. Miklo noted this item was deferred from the May 17 meeting, since that time the applicant has submitted a revised plan and the most significant change in the plan is former lot 17 is no longer proposed to be rezoned to Low Density Multifamily but rather to be rezoned to Low Density Single Family, the same as the adjacent lots south of the proposed Cherry Avenue. Miklo stated the previous plan had included 10 multifamily units in the form of two sets of townhouses, the new proposal is to create two lots which will be suitable for either single family or corner lot duplexes, either which is allowed by the proposed RS-5 zone, and two single family lots. As a result all of the properties that will have access to Toby Circle will be single family or the possibility of two duplexes on the corner lots. Miklo highlighted other changes to the plan, one is the density of the proposal has decreased from 7.5 units per acre to 7.18 units per acre and both of those densities are within the Comprehensive Plan recommendation of 2 to 8 dwelling units per acre. Another concern that was raised by the Commission at the May 17 meeting was with the two-36 unit apartment buildings therefore the applicant has revised the plan to pull back the parking and fire access drive from the south property line and therefore creating more greenspace in that area. The building itself has not changed. In the expanded greenspace area the applicant proposes playground area and dining areas with a concrete patio, fixed in place grills, picnic tables and a pergola added. A similar feature has been added to the north building as well, and even with the addition of the playground area there is still a tree buffer between the area and Gilbert Street. Miklo added the landscape plan has also been amended with additional trees added to the southern part of the single family lots and additional trees added to the retaining walls on the south side. Also with the revised plan the retaining walls stair-step and there are two levels rather than one tall retaining wall. Miklo noted street trees have also been added between the sidewalk and the curb as well as the trees on the private property. Miklo noted this is a change in City policy, in the past the City has avoided putting trees in areas where there might be water lines or other easements but it is rare those lines break and need to be repaired so trees are now being allowed. Traffic and traffic calming questions were raised at the last meeting, one specific concern was regarding the length of the alley, the City transportation planners looked at the plans and they felt the design of the alley is such that it will not need traffic calming. There will be a retaining wall and a dense row of trees along the north side and having trees or landscaping along a roadway tend to slow traffic down, additionally the alley is broken into two segments serving a relatively small number of units (14 units served in one section and 7 in the other section) and there is a curve in the alley with three points of entry. Miklo noted the applicant has agreed if there are issues in the future they would be open to installing some traffic calming devices. The driveway access to Cherry Avenue was also a concern with the question of if it had sufficient sight distance, again the transportation planners reviewed this and confirmed there is sufficient sight distance. Another question was regarding the landscape islands that are designed into Cherry Avenue to calm or slow down traffic and if a third island would be necessary and again the transportation planner felt it isn't really necessary and the islands are spaced according to City guidelines. Planning and Zoning Commission July 5,2018 Page 3 of 12 Miklo commented on the sidewalk along Gilbert Street and the question of whether it should be widen to 8 feet, there currently is a 4 foot sidewalk in the area and upon inspection for the most part is in good condition, any part not in good condition would need to be repaired before occupancy. There is an 8 foot sidewalk and trail system on the other side of Gilbert Street and the City standard is to generally have 8 foot sidewalks on one side of the street and a 5 foot sidewalk on the other side, in this case the 4 foot sidewalk is nonconforming and it is staffs view that the expense of removing and replacing that sidewalk is not worth it and do not recommend it. Staff is looking at introducing a street crossing with a curb cut or curb ramp to make it easier to cross Gilbert Street. Regarding stormwater management the City Engineer has indicated they will require that all the gutters, roof drains and driveways for the single family lots be directed to Toby Circle, where the street will have inter-storm drains that should help minimize any runoff to adjacent properties to the south. There is also a conservation easement along the south property line for preservation of some existing trees as well as new trees that will be planted. Therefore there will be minimal pavement in that area and therefore the City Engineer has approved the preliminary stormwater plans and feels it will actually be an improvement over the current conditions on the site. There were questions raised about the archeological study of the area, the applicant had contracted with a private archeologist who has reviewed the site and determined because of grading that happened back in the 1990's when the adjacent subdivision was built, apparently there was fill from some of the basements dumped on this site and also soils borrowed from this site to supplement Pepperwood Addition, and that work was all done before the City has a sensitive areas ordinance. Because of that disturbance they found no evidence of archeological sites but there are some areas where they would like to do further studies as the fill material that was placed there in the 1990's is removed, so the applicant has agreed to have an archeological monitor present on the site when further development occurs and that is something the City can specify in the conditional zoning agreement. Miklo next showed images of the buildings that are proposed. There are three different models of the townhomes so there will be a variety of building types along Cherry Avenue. The garage entrances onto Cherry Avenue will require a minor modification which can later be approved by staff. The reason is due to the topography it does not lend itself to an entrance from the side. Staff recommends approval of REZ18-00005/SUB18-0005, an application submitted by Bedrock LLC for a rezoning from ID-RM to OPD/RS-5 (5.8 acres) and OPD/RM-12 (12.23 acres)and a Preliminary Plat and Sensitive Areas Development Plan for Cherry Creek Subdivision, a 17-lot, 18.03-acre residential subdivision located east of Gilbert Street subject to 1) City Forester review and approval of the tree replacement and protection plan prior to final plat approval, 2) at the time of final plat approve the development agreement will specify that the roof drains and gutters for lots 5 - 16 will be required to drain toward the storm drains on Toby Circle, and 3) the applicant contracting with an archaeologist approved by the State to complete a study or excavation plan prior to any additional grading on the property. Hensch asked about the sidewalk on the east side of South Gilbert Street and that it does not extend all the way south so how will the people from this new subdivision get across the street to the walking trail. Miklo noted that City transportation planners are investigating a possible crossing. Miklo added that sidewalks on the east side will eventually be extended to McCollister Boulevard as the McCollister Farms property is developed. Planning and Zoning Commission July 5,2018 Page 4 of 12 Hensch shared his concern about the language of having an archaeologist monitor on site and if it was specific enough to note that means if anything is uncovered all work on the site should stop until future investigations. Miklo said that could be clarified when the conditional zoning agreement is drafted. If a burial ground is uncovered there are State Codes that will be enforced. Parsons asked what the square footage was for the open space now on lots 1 and 2. Miklo noted the applicant could address that question. He did add that there would be a payment in lieu of open space that would be used to support Wetherby Park or Sand Hill Park. Hensch opened the public hearing. Alex Carrillo (373 Windmill Place)works for Bedrock LLC as the project coordinator for the proposed Cherry Creek Subdivision. He began by thanking Staff and Miklo for all the guidance and support they provided in completing the revisions for the development project. Bedrock LLC is very excited about the plan that is before the Commission this evening. Carrillo noted his appreciation for the Commission and the neighboring community members for their feedback at that last meeting and stated since that time they have collaborated with the City, MMS and the architects (Fusion)to try to address some of the feedback that was brought up. To highlight some of the primary comments, first was density, also the size of the Lot 1 apartment building, the usable open space, and traffic and tree buffers. Miklo addressed in his staff report a bit but Carrillo had prepared a presentation to address the concerns as well. With regards to density, even though the Comprehensive Plan suggests 2 to 8 dwelling units per acre they felt they could reduce some of the units and create a better buffer from townhomes to single family homes. In an effort to maximize the open space they utilized their grading plan and were efficient as possible with the space, moving the retaining walls and creating more open space. They also reduced the parking spaces as they had more than was required, so that created more open space. They are now adding a playground, a pergola picnic area, and are reducing the height of the retaining wall. In this restructure every dwelling will have green space, the single family homes will have yards, the townhomes will have screen porches overlooking the woodland areas and the apartment buildings will have the open playground/picnic areas. Martin asked how many bedrooms would be in the two apartment building units. Carrillo said they will be one and two bedroom units. Carrillo continued with addressing the concern about the Lot 1 apartment building and if it was too close to the property line. They have complied with the height requirements, the setback requirements, and they felt it was appropriate, especially given the topography of the land. He presented some 3-D renderings so everyone could better see the plan. The digital profile is set to the grading plan. The buildings are set into the hills and therefore will not tower over the rest of the development. They also updated the coloring scheme to be less bland and add character to the buildings. Carrillo next showed pictures of the property in its current state and noted the tree buffers that will remain as well as where new trees will be planted. Signs asked about the two large retaining walls on the southern part of the property. Carrillo said they have revised the plan to terrace those retaining walls and add plantings to create the best aesthetic possible. They will be using the Rosetta's Outcropping product,which will provide a beautiful aesthetic with a natural look. Planning and Zoning Commission July 5, 2018 Page 5 of 12 Carrillo stated the pergola and picnic tables would made of timber which would add to the aesthetic of the property. Hensch asked how many tables and pergolas would be on the property. Carrillo said they are showing three tables on the plans, but could add more as there is space available. Dyer asked what the components of the play structure will be. Carrillo said it will have a couple slides and some monkey bars. Dyer noted there should be some benches added for parents or caregivers to sit and watch children play. Hensch noted that since both buildings are the same size, they should both have the same number of picnic tables and outdoor spaces. Martin questioned having 1 and 2 bedroom units in the apartment buildings and then also saying there would be play structures and open space for children. Carrillo said many young couples with one child will live in a 2 bedroom unit. Dyer asked if there was room on the ravine side for benches to be place overlooking the ravine. Carrillo didn't think there would be room for that because of the sensitive areas but they could add benches to the areas by the parking lots. Hensch asked what exterior building materials they propose to use on the three, four and five-plex buildings. Carrillo said they would use cement board, not vinyl as indicated on some of the plans. There would also be stone and shingle shakes used. Hensch stated a concern from neighbor comments regarding the 36-plex and the distance from the southern lot line. It also is an 80 foot building so that is massive along a property line. Carrillo acknowledged that was a concern and why he showed the 3-D images and how the tree line will block the sight lines. He added the first residence to the south is over 300 feet away. Martin asked what type of trees they are planting along the southern property line. Carrillo said he is unsure of the species of trees planned, however they have met with the City Forrester and is using his recommended species. Andrew Bockenstedt(3116 Lyle Drive NE) is also with the Bedrock LLC, he wanted to reiterate that they are more than willing to work with the City to install the curb ramps and crosswalk for access to the trail on the other side of Gilbert Street. Hensch noted his concern about having a crossing across Gilbert Street, it is a very busy street. Bockenstedt agrees and likes the idea of running the sidewalk on the east side further south but there is a steep slope along there and a retaining wall would need to be added. Miklo added that South Gilbert Street is being considered for a "road diet"which would reduce it from four lanes to three, slowing traffic and making it easier for pedestrians to cross. Martin asked where the closest bus stop to this development would be. Miklo is unsure, Hensch knows there is one at the corner of South Gilbert and Southgate Streets and knows there is not one on Sandusky. Hensch asked about the landscaping plan noting that typically the plans label each type of tree that is to be located in each area. This proposed plan does not indicate what types of tree and Hensch Planning and Zoning Commission July 5, 2018 Page 6 of 12 • is concerned because of the early harvesting of the trees on this property they need to make sure they get quality trees introduced back into the area. Bockenstedt said he is open to having the landscape architect update the plan to show the types of trees. Miklo said they are recommending that the City Forester approve the landscaping plan before final plat approval. Joel Kline (2460 South Gilbert Street) owns the McCollister Historic Farm House to the south of the applicants property. He wishes to point out again he has taken on this National Historic Registry house in good faith and made a strong effort to restore it. Currently they have artisan brick workers using historic mortar doing repairs on the house. They built the garage in discussion with the City and architects to keep it with the historic feel as well. Kline stated to put the largest and tallest building south of Highway 6 just 23 feet from the property line of an historic property doesn't seem to be keeping with maintaining the character of the National Historic Landmark. Kline said he raised a number of concerns at the May meeting and feels none of them have been addressed. The trees they are showing to the south side of their property are actually trees on Kline's property so he is responsible for the buffer. Those trees on his property are deciduous trees and will not provide much visual protection during five months of the year when the tree leaves are shed. Kline had asked for a consideration of a large berm being constructed along the south border to provide a visual and personnel barrier as well as an 8 foot fence on the south side of the berm. That request has not been addressed at all. Kline also noted the berm would be useful in water management since removal of the mature trees is likely to disturb the water flow in an adverse way to his property. Kline believes development is important, affordable housing is important, but he is not sure the spirit of this zoning is to require a 36-plex, the greatest density of people outside of the downtown area. He would suggest it be a two story building rather than three, but realizes that reduces the revenue of the property. Kline added something like this cannot be undone, it will significantly change the character of the land in this part of the area, this area was originally the Napoleon Trading Post, Napoleon Park named after that, and Kline's home was the major homestead in that area. Once you start building up around it, it cannot be undone, and he urges the Commission to seriously consider the ramifications and long term effect on the neighborhood and residents. Don Cochran (2530 South Gilbert Street) lives on the other parcel that is just south of the proposed development. He also spoke at the May 17 meeting to voice concerns, some of which have been captured, some he wants to address again. Runoff is a concern and it appears the City has signed off on the stormwater plan and Cochran should not get more excess water on his property (he is now, with the rain recently they had flooding with the removal of the trees). He noted the safety regarding crossing Gilbert Street has been addressed, it is a major concern, kids especially are going to want to cross the street to get to the park area. Another area where the kids would want to explore is the woodland area of his property, there used to be a cattle fence in the woodland but Cochran pulled out that fence on his property because trees were entwined, so he feels another fence needs to be built to show the property lines. Cochran pointed out in photos his property line the tree buffer the applicant is discussing and wants to make sure any landscaping they are capturing is not part of his or Kline's property, but is truly new landscaping that is being built there. Cochran also stated that property value was a concern of his as this area was a woodland area before, he can appreciate that it is going to develop but he didn't think it would be the biggest building south of Highway 6. He pointed out in pictures that there was once berms along the property line, not just woodlands, but that has now been leveled out and he feels a berm should be considered. With looking at the 3-D rendering of the large apartment building, Cochran questions the elevation of the parking lot, in the original drawings he thought it was the same elevation as Sandusky, even if it is a bit lower it will up high and the retaining walls don't seem as high. The Planning and Zoning Commission July 5,2018 Page 7 of 12 final concern Cochran raised at the previous meeting was density, and that again has been addressed this evening, he appreciates the reduction of townhouses but the density was 7.5 out of 2 to 8 before and now is 7.18 out of 2 to 8 and while that is a reduction, it is still a higher density then one would expect in that location. There are two lots facing the development to the south, one to the north, and seven lots facing it from the side and to get this large of a density in that one small area seems excessive. Shannon Patrick (652 Sandusky Drive) also spoke at the May 17 meeting and said why he thought when this proposal got to City Council it would not go anywhere, the short reasons were the school zone conflict, fit with the neighborhood, and lack of trust in good faith. First, with the fit for the character of the neighborhood, it has been talked about to some degree and Patrick also appreciates the developer taking out the 10 multi-units to put in single family, he feels it will help on the transition, but his concern at this point is the 36 unit blocks, which at the end of the last meeting from the Commissioner's comments he felt it was agreed that those 36 unit buildings were not a good fit for the neighborhood. He maintains this will be a lot of people to add into a residential neighborhood, it is a very dense block of housing, and not in character with the single family neighborhood it is going into. With regards to the school zone conflict, this development will fall into the Twain district and Iowa City seems to like to dump all of its dense housing into the same school district which has been giving the school board a headache for years, parents will remember meeting after meeting about how to get better diversity in housing for the district and it is difficult because all of the dense housing is built in the same area. Therefore Patrick would encourage the Commission to look like they are working with other parts of the government in the plan and not build 72 more units in the form of an apartment building in the Twain neighborhood. With regards to the trust issue, Patrick agrees that good faith effort has been made to get the neighbors aware of the meetings, but he noted that some neighbors said the Good Neighbor Meeting was presented as a done deal and not as an opportunity to give feedback. He noted that an issue from the last meeting was the clearing out of the trees, the developer stated this was done before the permit but was okay because he thought it was scrub land, Patrick finds it perplexing how the developer says he thought it was scrub land, but yet sold off dozens of trees. One does not sell off truckloads of trees and call it scrub land. Patrick also notes that when looking at an old map it looks like the area was intended for some large house lots. He added this meeting is the day after a holiday, and be presented to a new board, makes him feel like perhaps there is some shady work happening and encourages the Commission to make sure to scrutinize the plans and make sure everything is ticked off nicely. The last issue Patrick is to comment on is the crossing on Gilbert Street, it will be an issue, and he thinks of the 72 units, with nationally means 2.5 people per unit so 250 people in those buildings, and the nearest playground is across Gilbert Street at the softball fields. He feels there needs to be more than just curb ramps, there needs to be lightening and other safety alerts. To reiterate Patrick stated this development is not a good fit, to have that large of buildings in this space. Nate Byers (2423 North Ridge Drive, Coralville)works with MMS Consultants, the civil engineer firm for this project, with regards to the questions on the retaining wall height at the outermost corner the wall is 25 feet above the building elevation so only 12 feet of the building will be seen over the wall. The roof line of the 36-plex is no higher then the rooflines of the single family homes looking at the development from the high point on Cherry Avenue. The 36-plex is sunk into the hill quite a bit. With regards to the tree lines to the south, there will be two rows of plantings long the whole south side and there was a discussion of putting a berm back there but the City Engineer actually recommended against it and rather to take all the roof drainage to the north and not worry about the rear yards. Planning and Zoning Commission July 5, 2018 Page 8 of 12 Hensch is concerned about the elevation of the building on lot 1 and to address the neighbor's concerns it looks like the high elevation on the property is 700 feet and it drops down to 680 at the corner of the building. It is unfortunate they don't have an elevation drawing from that point to clarify and solve the concerns. Byers explained the elevations and also noted there are some tree types explained on the landscape plan and that they have worked with the City Forrester regarding, that. Martin asked about the retaining wall. On the side facing the apartment building it is a tiered wall, is the other side just a gigantic solid wall. Byers said the wall is cut into the land there so it will not just be a gigantic solid wall from that view. Baker asked for clarification on the concept of density, the two 36-unit buildings are one and two bedroom units, is there a breakdown of how many are one versus two. Byers stated he believed there are 12 one bedroom and 24 two bedroom units in each building. Baker noted that compared to most of the apartment structures in Iowa City that is a smaller density and therefore the look of the building might be deceiving with regards to the population of the building. Miklo clarified that a two bedroom dwelling is calculated the same as a one bedroom in the sense of calculating the density. Hensch closed the public hearing. Parsons moved for the approval of REZ18-00005/SUB18-0005, an application submitted by Bedrock LLC for a rezoning from ID-RM to OPD/RS-5 (5.8 acres) and OPD/RM-12 (12.23 acres) and a Preliminary Plat and Sensitive Areas Development Plan for Cherry Creek Subdivision, a 17-lot, 18.03-acre residential subdivision located east of Gilbert Street subject to 1) City Forester review and approval of the tree replacement and protection plan prior to final plat approval, 2) at the time of final plat approve the development agreement will specify that the roof drains and gutters for lots 5 - 16 will be required to drain toward the storm drains on Toby Circle, and 3) the applicant contracting with an archaeologist approved by the State to complete a study or excavation plan prior to any additional grading on the property. Signs seconded the motion. Hensch acknowledged the neighbors to the south have a valid point on how this plot of land will change for them, however the applicant seems open to addressing the landscape plan to the south, even adding a berm. Signs noted there may not be room for a berm, and Hensch agreed a berm may not be the answer. Hensch also noted he was surprised the revised plan did not show any reduction in the size or mass of the two 36-unit buildings but since the applicant did decrease the density in the Toby Circle area that was a plus and overall he believes the applicant addressed everything else the Commission raised. Dyer is concerned that the 36-unit building is only 23 feet from the property line which is the same distance that is allowed in a single family neighborhood, it seems too close for such a big building regardless of how much of the building can be seen. Townsend agreed with the concerns regarding the crossing at Gilbert Street and increased number Planning and Zoning Commission July 5,2018 Page 9 of 12 of people on these properties, some which will be children. Miklo stated that traffic and safety is always a concern the Commission needs to review, as noted the City does have plans to narrow Gilbert Street from four lanes to three, Signs feels that if they do narrow Gilbert Street, having the crossing at Cherry Avenue will line up with the trail on the west side of the street, perhaps a pedestrian island can be added as a possible solution. Miklo said the traffic engineers would have to do a study to see if that would be appropriate. Hensch suggests adding a condition that the applicant is responsible for the costs of implementing whatever solution the City comes up with to get people across Gilbert Street. Dyer also noted it isn't just pedestrians, there will be bicyclists needing to get over to the trail along the river. Martin noted that recently the Commission just reviewed a large number of properties the Historic Society wished to designate as historical and here we are neighboring an already existing historical property and she echoes Dyer's concern of the 23 feet, it seems like to have such a big building so close to a property line infringes on a historical property. She added Gilbert Street is another entrance to Iowa City and it is the Commission's responsibility to be thoughtful about it and have a good transition. She understands looking at two 36-plex buildings, townhomes and single family there is transition within the plat, but it is important to look at what is surrounding that plat. She is struggling with the large scale of buildings so close to a historic property. Baker asked if the concern is at all mitigate by the fact that the historic property building itself is 300 feet away. Martin said it is more that such a big building is so close to a property line. Baker questions if the Commission is comfortable overall with the plan except for the immediate impact on a couple of surrounding properties and whether buffering becomes the issue that resolves their problems. He is not concerned about the density, nor does the size of the building, but understands the concern regarding the proximity to the neighbors. He wonders if there is something they could ask of the developer to mitigate the visual impact. Martin agrees and admits she doesn't have a good enough visual of what the sight line from Gilbert Street will be. The photos and renderings being shown are from within the development not from the Gilbert Street view. Parsons said there will be trees plus a 20 foot high retaining wall, what else can be added. Miklo thinks adding anything else would be difficult. Parson added the developer is using the topography to their advantage to minimize the view. Signs agrees and feels with the topography the neighbor to the south may not actually see anything, especially if evergreens are planted on top of the retaining wall, it will block any view of the building from the south. He is not concerned with the distance of the building to the property line but understands others are and can empathize. He is appreciative to see his concerns regarding the visual impact from Gilbert Street addressed from the last meeting. Hensch suggested adding two conditions, one regarding the applicant covering the costs to improve the crossing across Gilbert Street, and the other one to enhance the landscaping plan to the south border to increase the trees or brush plantings to create a better separation. Miklo noted Planning and Zoning Commission July 5, 2018 Page 10 of 12 in terms of additional landscaping, it is already pretty full up if trees are planted too close together it will not be a healthy environment. Parsons asked how long a traffic study would take to determine if and where a cross walk is appropriate. Miklo is unsure, he just knew they were not able to complete the study before tonight's meeting. Miklo added that staff did discuss with the applicant the possibility of making the building shorter or showing an image from the south. The Commission does have the option to defer this item until the traffic study is done. Hektoen is concerned about the open-natured aspect of the condition placed regarding the sidewalk crossing because it could be very expensive or not, the information is not available at this time. Baker feels if Cherry Street is opened,this development will not create the demand for crossing Gilbert Street so he is reluctant to say this developer should pay for the work to provide that crossing when everything east of the development will be using that access as well. He doesn't think that should hold up this decision. Signs noted another concern of the neighbors to the south was people coming onto their properties and he agrees there is potentially some issue there so wonders if the Commission wants to add a requirement that the developer install a fence along the south wall. Hensch feels that is perpetual problem for any development and he is not sure that is a precedent they want to set. If a homeowner doesn't want people on their property isn't it incumbent for them to put up the fence. A vote was taken and the motion passed 6-1 (Dyer dissenting). CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: JUNE 21. 2018 Parsons moved to approve the meeting minutes of June 21, 2018. Signs seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION: None. Hensch announced he will be on vacation at the end of July. Martin will also be gone but can phone in for the next meeting. Planning and Zoning Commission July 5, 2018 Page 11 of 12 Baker raised a question at the joint meeting with the Commission and the Council earlier in the week regarding the height bonuses on buildings and how they are determined for the Capitol Street project. It appears to him the Mayor has created a list of guidelines, if the Council acts on that and accepts those guidelines for that project, do those become the guidelines the Commission uses as well. Miklo said if they become part of the conditional zoning agreement they will. Hektoen stated the Commission's review of the rezoning on that project is already completed, if the developer wants density bonuses it will come back to the Commission to review against the Conditional Zoning Agreement. Nothing will be known until Council moves on their decision. Townsend asked if all projects have affordable housing built into them. Miklo replied that in Riverfront Crossings there is a requirement that 10% of the units be affordable for a period of 10 years, it is just for that part of the City. The other area that is required to include affordable housing is with annexations into the City. Baker asked if there is a condition placed on an approval for landscaping by the City Forrester, is the Commission ever able to review the final proposal. Miklo noted it is unlikely the Commission would be involved again and the condition is placed so that the Commission is relying on the expertise of the Forester. Adiournment: Martin moved to adjourn. Parsons seconded. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. PLANNING &ZONING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2017 -2018 (W.S) (W.S.) (W.S) • 12/7 12/21 114 1/18 2/15 3/1 3/12 3/15 4/2 4/5 4/16 4/19 5/3 5/17 6/7 6/21 7/5 90980- DYER, CAROLYN X X X X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X X O/E X FREERKS, ANN O/E X X O/E X X X X X X X X O/E X X X HENSCH, MIKE X X X X X X O/E O/E X X X X X X X X X MARTIN, PHOEBE X O/E O/E X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X X PARSONS, MAX X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X SIGNS, MARK X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X THEOBALD, JODIE X X O/E X O/E X X X X X X X X X X O/E ---- TOWNSEND, BILLIE --- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --- ---- ---- -- ---- ---- --- ---- ---- ---- X KEY: X= Present O =Absent O/E =Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member