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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-03-26 RecommendationDate: February 6, 1996 To: From: Re: Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission Jeff Davidson, Transportation Planner '~ff Alignment Study for the Proposed Extension of Iowa Highway 965 Last spdng the JCCOG Urbanized Area Policy Board voted to add the extension of Highway 965 between Highway 6 and Highway 1 to the JCCOG Arterial Street Plan for the Iowa City Urbanized Area. The cities of Coralville and Iowa City subsequently agreed to evaluate alignments for the specific location of the proposed street. That study has been completed, and we are now to the point of attempting to negotiate an agreement between the City of Coralville, the City of Iowa City, and the Johnson County Board of Supervisors establishing the corridor for the extension of Highway 965. This will allow the corridor to be preserved, and the road constructed incrementally over the next 10-20 years. The alignment selected for the extension of Highway 965 has several long-range planning impacts for the City of iowa City. Most significant is the relationship the new road has to the adopted long-range growth area boundary in west Iowa City. Accordingly, we believe a recommendation from the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission is appropriate prior to the City Council entering into an agreement with the City of Coralville and Johnson County. I will attend your February 12 informal meeting to present the various issues associated with the proposed street extension. Attached is a memorandum from me to the City Council outlining several important issues, as well as summarizing the evaluation study which screened 36 possible alignments down to two. Also attached is a memorandum to the City Council from the Director of Planning and Community Development highlighting several points pertaining to the long-range growth area boundary in west Iowa City. At the February 12 meeting I will also fill you in on my discussions with the City of Coralville and the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. The Iowa City City Council is scheduled to address this matter at their work session on February 26. Feel free to contact me at 356-5252 if you have any questions. Attachments JCCOG r I m e m o Date: January 25, 1996 To: Iowa City City Council From: Jeff Davidson, Executive Director Re: Alignment study for the proposed extension of Iowa Highway 965 JCCOG has coordinated a study funded by the Cities of Coralville and Iowa City, to evaluate alignments for the proposed extension of Iowa Highway 965. This arterial street extension is included in the JCCOG Arterial Street Plan for the Iowa City Urbanized Area. The project would extend Highway 965 between Highway 6 and Highway 1, a distance of approximately 4.5 miles. The corddot which was examined is shown in the attached Figure 1, and is located partially within the corporate limits of Coralville and Iowa City, and partially within rural Johnson County. A study team was formed to work with the consultant, with representatives from the JCCOG Transportation Planning Division, the Cities of Coralville and Iowa City, and the Johnson County Engineer. The study provided a comparative evaluation of potential alignments, leading to selection of a preferred alignment. What we are currently working toward is an agreement between Coralville, Iowa City, and Johnson County on the preferred alignment for the extension of Highway 965. There are currently no plans to construct the entire Highway 965 extension. The City of Coralville will be reconstructing the intersection of Highway 965 and Highway 6 in FY97 in conjunction with the construction of the new mall in the area. Several pdvate property owners in the corridor study area have expressed interest in redevelopment of their property. If property in this area is annexed by Coralville or iowa City and municipal services such as water and sewer extended, then sections of the new road will be built as redevelopment occurs. Eventually smaller segments will be connected into longer ones. The bridge over U.S. Highway 218 will be a project of major significance and expense, and will likely be one of the last elements completed. It may take 20 to 30 years to complete the entire extension of Iowa Highway 965 between Highway 6 and Highway 1. Johnson County is an important player in this matter, since the corridor for the new read will need to be preserved as County development projects occur in the area. Attached is a diagram showing two alternative alignments for the new road which the study evaluation has shown are the best locations. These two alternatives (east and west) were produced from an original list of 36 alternatives that were screened according to such factors as impact on sensitive environment features, impact on prime farmland, residential displace- ments, engineering factors, drainage, potential new intersections, and traffic flow. You have already received a copy of a letter I sent to 22 property owners in the corridor study area, asking for their input and any questions. I have thus far heard from five individuals, none of whom has expressed opposition to the proposed street extension. On January 30 I will be 2 meeting with the Coralville City Council to discuss the proposed street extension. I have already met with the Johnson County Board of Supervisors and can fill you in on the discussion I had with them at our January 29 meeting, At your January 29 work session, I would like to cover the following items: 1. A brief presentation of the study report results. 2. Questions for me, Karin Franklin, or Rick Fosse. Rick and Kann may wish to give you some comments on their perspective regarding the east versus west alignment. 3. Opinions fmrn Council on a preference for the east or west alignment of the proposed street extension (if you have a preference). 4. Discussion of Council's position on entering into an agreement with Coralville and Johnson County on the preferred alignment. Contact me at 356-5252 if you have any questions. Thank you. cc: Steve Atkins Kadn Franklin Chuck Schmadeke Rick Fosse ~tns WA CITY h JOHNSOH COUNTY Corporate Limits - ~ ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE FIGURE 1 PROJECT CORRIDOR ENVIRONMENT& INFRASTRUCTURE FIGURE FINAL Al.~ '~.HNA'FP/ES Iowa Highway 96.5 Extension. Iowa Highway I to U.S. Highway6 Location Study Report SUMMARY The foregoing analysis provides detailed information on the characteristics of each final alternative. To select a preferred route, consideration should be given to the functional and traffic service needs in this corridor, as well as the impacts of constructing each alternative. The most significant differences between the East and West Alteraatives are summarized as follows. West Alternative 0 4.79 Miles in Length Estimated Construction Cost - $8,167,000 40 mph Design Speed at One Location; 50 mph for Remainder Adds ~A Mile for Trips Into and Out of the Metropolitan Area Would Displace One More Home Than the East Alternative Would Require an Estimated 23 Cross-Road Culverts, Compared to 18 for the East Alternative Would Impact About 1.4 More Acres &Wetland Than Would the East Alternative Would Impact 5 More Acres of Prime Farmland Than Would the East Alternative Would Impact About 3 More Acres of Steep or Critical Slopes Than Would the East Alternative East Alternative 4.70 Miles in Length Estimated Construction Cost - $8,882,000 50 mph Design Speed Crosses U S. 218 in an Area Requiring Major Embankments and a Longer Bridge Than West Alternative Would Impact 2 More Acres of Woods and Fragment One More Large Wooded Tract Than Would the West Alternative Would Have More Diagonal Serefences of Farm Property Would Be More Compatible With Land-Use Planning in the Area November 1995 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: February 2, 1996 From: Karin Franklin, Director, Planning and Community Oevelop~e,.[~-//'~"- · ~ Re: Hwy. 965 Alignment The discussion of the proper alignment for the future extension of Hwy. 965 directly relates to issues involving Iowa City's adopted growth policy. In 1993, the City Council adopted a growth area boundary which was based on watersheds and defined the area that could be served by municipal sewer through a gravity system. A gravity system is the most efficient way to provide sewer service from both an energy usage and equipment cost perspective. Watersheds facilitate the use of a gravity system. The adopted growth area anticipates full development of the properties within its boundaries plus approximately 700 acres north of 1-80. The area is based on planned extensions of the sanitary sewer collection system and upgrades to the south sewer plant. We know that the extension of streets and sewers provides basic services to support development. The City's decision to put those facilities in place, or not, has a significant impact on the ease with which development can take place, and therefore the pressures a Council will feel from development interests. This is clearly demonstrated by the construction of Scott Boulevard in east iowa City and the Southeast Interceptor which has facilitated development in east and southeast iowa City. The question before the Council is whether to endorse the east or west alignment of the extension of Hwy. 965. The east alignment is clearly most consistent with the adopted growth area. Construction along this alignment will encourage some development interest west of the road, but it will not have the impact of the west alignment. The west alignment will push or draw development west of the existing corporate boundaries and the west boundary of the adopted growth area. We recognize that development pressures exist in this area, regardless of the construction of this road, and these pressures have been fueled by the presence of Weber School. In other words, the Council will experience pressures for development in this area regardless of the extension of Hwy. 965. However, the choice of the westerly alignment for this road can only add to those development pressures. Consideration of this alignment will require, at some time, s~gnificant change in your adopted growth policy. That may be a decision for this Council, or some future Council; however, I firmly believe it will be a decision that wdl need to be made sooner rather than later if the westerly alignment is chosen. In considering an amendment to the growth policy, we need to look at the consequences of such a decision. The current westerly boundary of the growth area is based on watershed limits and the current corporate limit. The watershed in this part of the City falls east of the current corporate limits. At the time the growth policy was being developed the decision was made to extend the growth area slightly further west to include the current corporate limits. If our policy is to change, 2 a new growth area line west of the current corporate limits would be needed; the logical location of that line becomes the question. If the watershed concept continues to be used as a basis for our decisions regarding growth, the next watershed limit is approximately two miles west of the current City limit. An arbitrary line, such as the proposed extension of Hwy. 965, is a possible delineation; however, it becomes yep/difficult to argue against further development to the west with access to the west in place. Another consideration when reviewing this policy is the requisite extension of services west as development occurs. The services involved Include the entire package of municipal services police, fire, snow removal, refuse pickup, etc.- and water and sewer service. A consequence of extension of the growth area further west is likely to be an accelerated need for the Southwest Interceptor sewer. This is a multi-million dollar capitol project which has been programmed for sometime beyond.our current 7-year Capital Improvements Program. If development accelerates on the west side and extends beyond our existing growth area, we can reasonably anticipate the need to construct this sewer, which involves a dyer crossing, sooner than originally anticipated. The Southwest Interceptor addresses the collection aspects of sanitary sewer improvements but does not address the issue of treatment. As indicated above, our growth policy anticipates planned collection improvements and planned upgrades to the sewage treatment plant. Expansion of our projected growth area could include an unanticipated need for furtiler upgrades to the plant. Capital projects for sanitary sewer are historically paid for by the ratepayers Amendment of our growth policy is not impossible or necessarily imprudent. However, it is very important that the Council be aware of some of the potential consequences of such an amendment and that the decision that you make anticipates these consequences and plans for their resolution. If the Council wishes to pursue a growth policy amendment, options can be developed to plan for additional growth in the area and program the capital projects. cc: Steve Atkins Jeff Davidson March 12, 1996 City Council 410 E. Washingto]~ Street Iowa City, IA 52240 City Council Members: I am opposed to the west alignment of 965. When I bought this land and built here it was for privacy. I have 10.80 acres of land of which you will take part of the east side, which will really chop up my land. I sit above 218 and it doesn't bother me with traffic, 965 would be at my same level and in front of my front window. It would greatly depreciate my buildings and property for sale value. but There would also be wildlife killed due to dividing up their crossways. I appreciate you listening to my concerns. Sincerely, Wayne E. Duffy 3644 Hurt Road $W Iowa City, IA 52240 DIANA L. THRIFT AND WITOLD F. KRAJEWSKI 3329 Rohret Rd. SW Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 338-8999 Members, Iowa City Coundl Iowa City, Iowa March 23, 1996 Dear Council Members: We hope you will not approve the so-called 965 extension from Coralville to Highway 1 southwest of Iowa City. This would be a huge waste of taxpayers' ,m_,o_ney and a blight on an already burdened countryside. While we can understand Coralville s desire to relieve traffic on its Highway 6 comdor into Iowa City, it is unclear why a road is needed that runs all the way to Highway 1, especially when we have a perfectly good ?.o. rth-sout. h route in !he form. of 218, whic.h. runs nearly parallel to the proposed new road! we cannot imagine that, in this day of too little money for too many projects, you would vote to spend $9 million on a new road when less-costly and much more reasonable alternatives exist. One such alternative is simple: since Coralville seems dete~-nfined to extend 965, let them build an extension that com~ects directly onto 218 South. Traffic heading down to Highway 1 can easily do so, and those headin.g east into Iowa City should also be motivated to use 218to Highway 1 because H~ghway 1 is already two lanes, moves quickly, and provides access to downtown Iowa City via several routes. Another alternative is even more simple: instead of any new roads, Coralville could pave the existing dirt road that runs between Highway 6 and Melrose. This dirt road is akeady used by many people, and provides easy access to southbound 218. It seems that the only role of any new road that extends all the way to Highway 1- offered as the "Fast or West AlignmenW--would be to stimulate development of the area west of 218. Thus, the City would spend $9 million to benefit a few. The proposed extensions do not even offer access to 218 where they meet, access which would provide at ltraea~t .so. me .ben~efi[ t~he r~ide.nt.s living south (e.g., along Rohret R~.) in cutting th,ei~'_ el tune to c:extar ~tapios ana the airport. Though we oppose any '965 extension south of Melrose, between the East or West alignment, it seems that the western one is more desirable: it is less expensive, borders the landfill (land already blighted), and destroys less wooded land. We urge you to reconsider the project as we don't think that the need for it has been demonstrated. Diana L. Thrift and Witold F. Krajewski f cc: Johnson County Board of Supervisors City of Coralville