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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-05-26 (B) Bd Comm minutesMINUTES HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SENIOR CENTER - LOWER LEVEL CLASSROOM THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1998 - 6:30 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Daniel Cilek, Dan Coleman, Denira Gadson, Rick House, Sandy Kuhlmann, Jayne Moraski, Kathleen Renquist, Gretchen Schmuch, Bill Stewart STAFFPRESENT: Maurice Head, Steve Long, Steve Nasby, Linda Severson, Pam Barnes, Traci Howard OTHERS PRESENT: Charlie Eastham, James Mulherin, Ellen McCabe, AI Axeen, Robert Burns, Maryann Dennis, Renee Paine, Maggie Grosvenor, Jean Mann, Liz Swenson, Laura Hill CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Schmuch called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. PUBLIC/MEMBER DISCUSSION OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: Long announced the showing of the documentary, "Back from the Brink: Saving America's Cities By Design" on Cable Channel 4. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 19. 1998: MOTION: Stewart moved to approve the February 19, 1998, meeting minutes as submitted. Renquist seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 7-0. (Gadson arrived at 6:37 p.m.-) CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 26. 1998: Moraski said on page 6, under the Iowa City Housing Authority Tenant Based Rental Assistance section, the last sentence of the first paragraph should read, "... he scored it with fewer points." Schmuch said on page 9 under the HACAP Second Steps Acquisition Project section, "she asked if the property was offered only to HACAP," so the word "only" should be added to that sentence. MOTION: Stewart moved to approve the February 26, 1998, meeting minutes as amended. Coleman seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 8-0. DEVELOPMENT OF A FY99 CDBG/HOME BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL: Review of project rankings Stewart noted that Torus Precision Optics was left off the first page in Scenario I, but it made no difference with the figures. Discussion of funding scenarios Schmuch explained the five funding scenarios and their purpose to new members. Coleman noted that he asked staff to prepare two additional scenarios that lowered the percentages more from Scenario III to further spread out the funding. Renquist said she thought Scenario I1 Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12. 1998 Page 2 fit well. Schmuch said the Commission can only spend $44,000 on public service projects because of a HUD guideline, but money from other categories can be used to fund any other project. Schmuch noted that the Commission needs to make sure that if an applicant receives partial funding that it is enough to meet the basic goals of the project. Coleman said he liked Scenario IV because everyone who got over the threshold got some funding. Schmuch noted that one scenario allocates some funding to a couple of programs that do not meet the point cut-off. Cilek asked Hill what the minimum funding that ICARE could use for their project. Hill said $120,000. (House arrived at 6:45 p.m.) Formulate a FY99 CDBG/HOME budget recommendation Members decided to make budget recommendations in the order that the projects were ranked. Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $427,000 to GICHF. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $327,000 to GICHF. Coleman seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 8-1, with Moraski voting no. Successful Living MOTION: Coleman moved to allocate $11,000 to SL. Stewart seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 9-0. DVIP - Furniture Project MOTION: Cilek moved-to allocate $8,300 to the DVIP - Furniture Project. Stewart seconded the motion, Head noted that the project increased its services 33% from last year, and they are planning to increase services again this year. The motion carried by a vote of 8-0, with Kuhlmann abstaining. City of Iowa City - First Home Program MOTION: Renquist moved to allocate $50,000 to the First Home Program. Kuhlmann seconded the motion. Coleman said that the Commission's proposed allocation average for that project was $30,000. Stewart said that while banks like this program, it may duplicate services provided by IHAP on the state level. He said he would rather spend the funds in another category with limited funds. Kuhlmann asked if the project could still function with $30,000 of funding. Long said the project could still operate with that amount. Head noted that there is still a demand for the program, and it is important for the City to have its own program. Stewart said that this funding would help homeowners, but the extra money would not make or break them. Schmuch asked if there would be stipulations or guidelines that would focus on the people that could not access the state money. House said if those stipulations existed, he would support the program. Head said that could be done. Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12, 1998 Page 3 The motion failed by a vote of 1-8, with Cilek, Coleman, Gadson, House, Kuhlmann, Moraski, Schmuch and Stewart voting no. MOTION: Coleman moved to allocate $30,000 to the First Home Program. Stewart seconded the motion. Moraski suggested amending the original motion to include a stipulation that the program cannot be used in conjunction with the State downpayment assistance program. Coleman accepted the friendly amendment. The amended motion carried by a vote of 9-0. Riverview Place Apartments Nasby said that the program was awarded tax credits for 36 units in this round, and are applying for credits for the remaining 36 units in the next allocation round, so they are planning to build the project in two phases of 36 units. He said the requested $180,000 was based on the 72-unit project, but the applicant said that he would have a lot of front-end costs, so he did not want to lower the requested amount. He said that the Commission could stipulate that the money be used in phases, so if the second half of the project does not receive tax credits, the Commission would get their money back. Cilek noted that this project is ranked fifth on the list, and the applicant will have more front- end costs. Gadson said the applicant could reapply for the second half of the funding next year. Moraski noted that the project is not guaranteed the remaining tax credits. MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $180,000 to Riverview Place Apartments with the condition that if they do not receive the remaining tax credits for the 36 units, they will have to return $90,000 to the Commission for FY00 allocations. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Moraski moved to allocated $90,000 to Riverview Place Apartments. Gadson seconded the motion. Stewart said that he would support this motion if the Commission found out whether half of the requested amount would work for the project. Nasby said the money could be reallocated at the Commission's meeting on April 16 if $90,000 is not sufficient for the project. He said that the applicant is planning to move ahead with the project after receiving the tax credits. The motion carried by a vote of 8-1, with Cilek voting no. City of Iowa City - Housing Rehab MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate Coleman seconded the motion. $384,388 to the Housing Rehab program. Head noted that this amount is $80,000 less than the program received last year, so services would have to be decreased, and administrative costs would stay the same. He noted that preservation of the current housing stock is the backbone of the City Steps plan. Cilek said that he thought that allocation figure was too low and the program should at least receive the same amount they did last year. Schmuch noted that the Commission's average allocation was $375,000 and the median allocation was $365,000. Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12, 1998 Page 4 The motion carried by a vote of 7-2, with Cilek and Renquist voting no. HACAP - Second Steps {Support Service) MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $12,387 to the Second Steps Support Service project. Renquist seconded the motion. Schmuch said that historically, this position was leveraging for the FY96 funds the Commission put into the Broadway units, and now the Commission is paying for the position. Moraski asked Axeen if the project could work with less funding. Axeen said this funding would not pay for a full-time person, so they would have to cut back on hours and take some extra money from their budget. Coleman said that the Commission is getting toward the middle of the rankings, and he thought they should start looking at funding lower amounts than requested to spread more of the money out. The motion failed by a vote of 4-5, with Moraski, Coleman, Schmuch, Kuhlmann and Gadson voting no. MOTION: Coleman moved to allocate $9,506 to the Second Steps Support Service project. Kuhimann seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 9-0. Elderly Services Agency MOTION: Coleman moved to allocate $26,000 to seconded the motion. Elderly Services Agency. Cilek Schmuch noted that this project was ranked fifth in the housing category. She said that the average allocation from the ranking sheets was $26,000 and the median was $30,000. The motion carried by a vote of 9-0. Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County Schmuch asked if the project received any income generated from the day care services it provides. Kuhlmann said that most centers balance the paid slots with the slots that do not pay to help with costs. MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $12,500 to the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. Cilek seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 5-4, with Renquist, Kuhlmann, Coleman and Moraski voting no. Emergency Housing Project MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $25,945 to the Emergency Housing Moraski seconded the motion. Project. Schmuch said her impression from the presentation was that it would be more expensive to do the heating and cooling systems separate. Cilek said he thought it was a lot of money to put. into an older home, and the program should be looking to upgrade their facility. Schmuch said the feasibility of that is questionable because of issues of neighborhood acceptance, proximity and zoning. Moraski said she was concerned that it would be a matter of years before the program finds an acceptable replacement, so people would be staying in the current conditions until then. Renquist said she was disappointed that the Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12. 1998 Page 5 project was not receiving full funding, and that it would cost less to 'give them that than what it will probably cost next year when they return for more funds to replace the heating system. Schmuch said that homelesshess is one of the City's big priorities. Cilek said he understood that the heating and cooling will be done in two separate operations anyway because there is different duct work. The motion carried by a vote of 6-3, with Cilek, Schmuch and Renquist voting no. Community Mental Health Center MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $33,300 to the Community Mental Health Center. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Moraski moved to allocate $20,140 to the Community Mental Health Center. Coleman seconded the motion. Jackson told the Commission of their construction priorities, and that any funding received would help. The motion carried by a vote of 9-0. Iowa City Housing Authority - Tenant-Based Rental Assistance MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $0 to the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance and allocate $100,000 to the Tenant to Ownership program. Cilek seconded the motion. Stewart said he wanted to take the $100,000 requested for this program and fund the Iowa City Housing Authority Tenant to Ownership program on a conditional occupancy loan. Grosvenor said that could be done if the funds were retargeted. Stewart said he also thought it would be good to limit the funds per family to 40% of the home costs when the program would be used alone or to 50% if the program was combined with other City funding. "Cilek said he liked the Tenant to Ownership program if it was funded in the form of a loan. Renquist asked, "What about the people who cannot afford to buy a house?". Grosvenor pointed out that in the Tenant to Ownership program, tenants will have to pay the money back when they sell the property or as their income increases whether the funding is in the form of a loan or a grant. She said she did not want Commission members to think that there was no need for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance funding. Moraski said that in her experience of working with a Tenant to Ownership program, some people are not ready to own a house and are not prepared for the responsibilities that come with it. She said that it is very important to have the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance. Long noted that the Rental Assistance request was $150,000 and the Tenant to Ownership was $100,000. The motion failed by a vote of 1-8, with Cilek, Coleman, House, Gadson, Schmuch, Renquist, Kuhlmann and Moraski voting no. MOTION: Renquist moved to allocate $100,000 to the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program. Moraski seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 8-1, with Stewart voting no. Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12, 1998 Page 6 Torus Precision Optics Coleman said that businesses can go directly to City Council for Economic Development funding, and asked why Torus approached the Commission. Schmuch said that creating a living wage for low income people is a goal of City Steps, and the Commission has not had many proposals in this category in the past. Nasby said that the Commission's funds are for the creation of jobs for a target population of low-income people. MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $32,500 to Torus Precision Optics. Coleman seconded the motion. Stewart said he liked this business, and thinks that the Commission needs to encourage this kind of business. Moraski asked Mulherin if he could still utilize the $32,500. Mulherin said that funding amount would limit what he had planned. He said with $45,000 he could get manual machinery, which is not as efficient, and not get the machinery for the optical shop. He said that this funding would allow the business to add two or three jobs. He said that if Torus received $30,000, it would create one job. Renquist noted that last year the Commission did not fund Torus and they received some questions from Council about why they did that. She said that this is a cutting edge company, and she thought the Commission should give some financial help. Stewart amended his original motion to $45,000. Coleman seconded the amendment. Schmuch noted the average allocation recommended was $57,000. Mulherin said Torus could create seven jobs with $75,000. The amended motion failed by a vote of 2-7, with Cilek, Kuhlmann, Gadson, House, Renquist, Schmuch and Moraski voting no. MOTION: Renquist moved to allocate $105,000 to Torus Precision Optics. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $75,000 to Torus Precision Optics. Coleman seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 9-0. HACAP - Second Steps II (Acquisition) MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $99,000 to Second Steps II. Coleman seconded the motion. Stewart said he thought it was a win-win project for both HACAP and the City. Schmuch noted that this project is requesting a grant, but they are generating income, and the City did not approach anyone else about taking the units. She said she would have liked to see more of a public-private partnership, and she preferred to see the funding given as a loan. Axeen said he would need to take another look at the proforma to see if the project would work with a loan. Stewart noted that the project would probably not work on partial funding. Axeen said HACAP approached the City Housing Authority to find this type of housing because it is their greatest need. The motion failed by a vote of 4-5, with Cilek, Moraski, Schmuch, Renquist and Kuhlmann voting no. L Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12, 1998 Page 7 Axeen said there are two parts to the project; the downpayment ($75,000) and the closing costs ($24,000). MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $50,000 to Second Steps II. Moraski seconded the motion. Gadson suggested the amount going toward the purchase be a conditional occupancy loan. Cilek accepted the friendly amendment. The motion as amended carried by a vote of 6-3, with Coleman, Schmuch and Renquist voting no. Iowa City Housing Authority - Tenant to Ownership Program MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $100,000 in the form of a conditional occupancy loan with the aforementioned parameters to the Tenant to Ownership Program. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $75,000 to the Tenant to Ownership Program. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Coleman moved to allocate $0 to the Tenant to Ownership Program. Moraski seconded the motion. Schmuch noted that Council seems to be backing this project. The motion carried by a vote of 6-3, with Gadson, Schmuch and Stewart voting no. Iowa Center for AIDS Resources and Education MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $150,000 to ICARE and take $30,000 away from the First Home Program. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $120,000 to ICARE. Kuhlmann seconded the motion. Schmuch noted that the building ICARE wants to move into was purchased and renovated for the Crisis Center with CDBG funds, and now the Commission is considering repurchasing it with CDBG funds. Head said the building was purchased for $92,800 in 1986, and the total cost of the building with rehabilitation was $182,500. He said that $13,000 was paid back in a loan. Stewart said that he did not support the motion, but he thought it was immaterial how many times the Commission purchased a building. He said he thought the proposed space was too large for them right now. Hill said that ICARE expects their expansion to continue, so they will fill the space in a few years. She said that they could look at other grants and do some fundraising to come up with the other $30,000. Gadson asked if ICARE could complete the acquisition with $100,000. Hill said it was possible. Cilek said he thought ICARE was at a point where they had to do something regarding their space, and they were planning ahead by finding a place that they will not fill up by next year and have the same overcrowding problem they do now. He said that once ICARE has the space they will utilize it quickly, and the building is well-maintained and there is not much rehab work to do. Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12. 1998 Page 8 Stewart asked if ICARE had money budgeted to maintain and operate the new building. Hill said yes. Severson asked if the building was accessible. Hill said the new building would be more accessible than their current facility. The motion carried by a vote of 6-3, with Gadson, Stewart and Schmuch voting no. MOTION: Coleman moved to give the remaining $1,181 to the Housing Rehab program. The motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $0 to the First Home Program. Moraski seconded the motion. Cilek said his impression was that this project would not make or break a potential homeowner's chance of getting assistance. Stewart said the Commission should not put much more funding into housing, rather balance the funding out over different programs. The motion failed by a vote of 2-7, with Coleman,-Kuhlmann, Gadson. House, Schmuch, Stewart and Renquist voting no. Cilek asked how much money was available in the contingency funds. Nasby said that there is $85,000, and that was already thrown-into the pot. Schmuch said that money is for cost overruns and emergencies. MOTION: Stewart moved to give the remaining $1,181 to Second Steps Support Service, which would increase their allocation to $10,687. Cilek seconded the motion. Gadson said that she wanted to see the Tenant to Ownership Program receive some funding. The motion carried by a vote of 5-4, with Schmuch, Gadson, Coleman and Moraski voting no. Mayor's Youth Fmployment Program MOTION: Cilek moved to allocate $0 to the Mayor's Youth Employment Program. Coleman seconded the motion. Coleman noted that this project was ranked low. Schmuch said that the Commission is giving Public Services less than its cap. The motion carried by a vote of 6-3, with Schmuch, Kuhlmann and Renquist voting no. Small Business Development Center, Institute for Social and Economic Development MOTION: Stewart moved to allocate $0 to the Small Business Development Center and to the Institute for Social and Economic Development. Cilek seconded the motion. Stewart said that while these are good projects. there is no more money available. He said he thought that they would go on without the Commission's funding. He said that anyone can go to SBDC and ask for help, but the specific class will not be offered free to the target low-income population. Moraski said she thought that it was a goal of the Commission to get Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12, 1998 Page 9 people to apply for economic development funding, and she thought they were disproportionately funding housing projects. Renquist noted that ISED and SBDC have received funding in the past, and there is not enough money to go around this year. The motion carried by a vote of 8-1, with Schmuch voting no. Iowa City IHA Senior Housing - Rental Assistance MOTION: Coleman moved to allocate $0 to IHA Senior Housing. Kuhlmann seconded the motion. Burns said that the Commission allocated $100,000 to the Housing Authority's Tenant- Based Rental Assistance Program, even though that program is not leveraging any other funds. He noted that Riverview Place's average rent is Rent is $387. Nasby said that Riverview would have Rent as part of HUD's requirements. Burns noted that while IHA's site has already been rezoned, and Commission's ranking system, it is a big issue. He stated at $566, while the Fair Market to reduce their rents to Fair Market Riverview has not rezoned their site, while that is not reflected in the said his application was set up to subsidize the tenant and not the project. He said that they need the City funds to leverage the state funds for the project, and they have received their tax credits. Moraski asked how much Burns could feasibly work with. Burns said the HOME funds are gap financing, so if that is decreased the rents will increase. He said that any City funding would help leverage the state funding. The motion carried by a vote of 5-3 with Moraski and House voting no, and Stewart abstaining. Gadson asked if Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship would be able to work with less than the $327,000 allocated. Eastham said he thought it was hard to rationalize the decision regarding IHA Senior Housing. Dennis said that with less funding, they could acquire and rehab fewer units or look at the rent levels. Schmuch said an allocation number that looks out of kilter is the Second Steps II funding because Axeen did not know if that project would succeed with that amount of money. Axeen said he would have to look at the numbers. Stewart said if Riverview's $90,000 is available that money could be used for other projects. Moraski said that rezoning is a big issue in Iowa City, and if Riverview does not have their rezoning done, it was a big concern for her. MOTION: Moraski moved to take $27,000 from GICHF, $90,000 from Riverview Place and $50,000 from Second Steps II and allocate the total of $167,000 to Iowa City IHA Senior Housing. Renquist seconded the motion. Coleman said he would support that except for taking the $27,000 from GICHF. Moraski accepted the friendly amendment, and amended her original motion. She said that she wants to take the $90,000 from Riverview because it is difficult and time-consuming to get things zoned in Iowa City, and they do not have their project rezoned. Kuhlmann noted that Iowa City IHA Senior Housing also received all their tax credits. Housing & Community Development Comm. Minutes March 12, 1998 Page 10 Gadson said that she would like to see Iowa City IHA Senior Housing funded, but not for $140,000. She said that she would like to see the Tenant to Ownership program funded at $77,000. The motion failed by a vote of 2-6, with Cilek, House, Gadson, Schmuch, Renquist, Kuhlmann voting no and Stewart abstaining. MOTION: Gadson moved to take $50,000 from Second Steps II and $27,000 from GICHF and allocate the total of $77,000 to the Tenant to Ownership Program. Renquist seconded the motion. Moraski said that the Tenant to Ownership Program has merit. Stewart suggested adding the condition of the funding coming in the form of a conditional occupancy loan, limiting the funds per family to 40% of the home cost when the program would be used alone or 50% of the home cost if the program was combined with other City funding. Gadson accepted the friendly amendment. The amended motion carried by a vote of 5-4, with Stewart, Coleman, House and Cilek voting no. Justification subcommittee Schmuch, Moraski and Coleman volunteered for the justification subcommittee. OLD BUSINESS: There was none. NEW BUSINESS: Long noted that the Community Development Celebration is approaching. He asked members to think about being on the subcommittee for that event, and to think of a location where the celebration could be held. ADJOURNMFNT: The meeting was adjoumed at 9:08 p.m. Minutes submitted by Traci Howard. p~dcclbg/m~n/hcdC0312.dOC MINUTES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APRIL 8, 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: GUESTS PRESENT: Ken Fearing, Judith Klink, Bruce Maurer, Pacha, Rex Pruess, Allen Stroh, Ross Wilburn Barbara Endel, Kathy Wallace Terry Trueblood, Mike Moran, Marilyn Kriz Pam Ehrhardt, Barbara Buss Matt FORMAL ACTION TAKEN Moved by Klink, seconded by Pruess, to approve the March ll, 1998 minutes as written. Unanimous. Moved by Pruess, seconded by Wilburn, that the commission encourage city staff to pursue land acquisition in the Miller/Orchard Neighborhood District consistent with the Objectlyes and Strategies of the Neiqhborhood Open Space Plan. AYES: Fearinq, Maurer, Pacha, Pruess, Stroh, Wilburn. ABSTENTIONS: Klink. The motion carried. N.O.S. PLAN - FEES VS. LAND ACOUISITION Pam Ehrhardt addressed the commission with respect to her disappointment with fees being accepted more often in lieu of land in order to meet the neighborhood open space requirements. Other concerns she expressed was the lack of input from neighbors who could advocate for taking land over fees; looking at the entire developments when determining open space; and fees which have been collected have not been spent. Pruess noted he was on the original Neighborhood Open Space Committee. He stated the commission looks at each development on a case by case basis and tries to see what is best for the overall development. In some cases it did not make sense for the city to take control of land when it will remain open, noting that developers normally prefer to give land that is not developable. He stated the commission has in the past worked with developers as to where the city wants to see the open space in the overall development prior to it being submitted. The commission wants to get connectivity between parks, neighborhoods and around the city. He indicated some areas are very small and the commission has to take into account city resources and time that would be necessary to take care of them. Ehrhardt questioned what is too small; Pruess stated it depended on the location. Some areas are completely locked from anybody but 3-4 neighbors and would remain green space; taking such areas under city control is not good use of city funds. Wilburn indicated Marcia Klingaman, Neighborhood Services Planner, works with the various neighborhoods and commissions as to what the neighborhoods would like to see. Pruess referred to the dedicated open Parks & Recreation Commission April 8, 1998 Page 2 space in Walden Woods which the commission initially felt unwise to accept. The neighborhood approached the commission asking that the land be accepted, and the commission did so with the possibility of including a segment of trail through this property to tie into the Willow Creek trail. Pruess stated the commission has done better than may be perceived, but may not have done a good job explaining its plan. Stroh stated it has been his observation over the past two years that the commission has conscientiously considered each development and there is no inclination on the part of the commission to take fees. He noted the commission does not have control over what will happen in an entire development, which is a fault of the system. There is no guarantee what will happen in the next piece or what will be coming to the commission. Trueblood stated the plan and ordinance is not ideal, but similar proposals in past years had been rejected. The Neighborhood Open Space Committee worked 2.5 years to get it right in order to gain support from the developers and City Council. He stated the primary purpose of the plan is neighborhood parks. This does not mean other things are less important such as trails/natural areas. The commission tries to get trails to connect to other areas that have active parks. The ordinance only allows staff to look at the particular development being done at the time, but the commission looks at the whole picture when possible. He agreed neighborhood involvement is an issue because there is not a lot of time for the neighborhood to become involved. Only 21 days may elapse after the development has been submitted for Planning and Zoning to review it and forward it to the City Council. Klink noted the point with respect to spending fees was a good one, one which the Commission will be addressing in the near future. Trueblood noted the very earliest the city would be required to spend the fees is October 2001. Some fees were obtained in 1994 before the ordinance was adopted so the City is not obligated to spend them within the same time frame. N.O.S. OBJECTIVES/STRATEGIES The commission began discussion of the Objectives and Strategies by Neighborhood Open Space Districts, specifically the top three developed districts in terms of need (Miller/Orchard; Bowery; North Side). Pacha stated the commission wants to be more proactive in utilizing the Parkland Acquisition Fund to purchase property in neighborhood districts where open space is needed. The commission was provided with a memo setting out land values the City had obtained in some of the top eight neighborhood districts. With respect to the Bowery Neighborhood District, Pruess stated it is a high density residential area where nothing could be done at this time to address the shortage of open space. Trueblood noted the possibility of purchasing an option on land, if the commission so desired. Parks & Recreation Commission April 8, 1998 Page 3 With respect to the number one priority, Miller/Orchard Neighborhood District, Pruess noted the commission was in favor of doing something in this district to help alleviate the open space deficit. Barbara Buss stated there is no park, but there is plenty of land although it is not for sale. She noted the other issue depends on how densely the area will be developed determines the open space required. She stated the Miller/Orchard and Weeber/Harlocke neighborhoods would be very happy to lend their weight to something that is directed. Trueblood noted the other problem from the city's perspective is much of the property is zoned commercial, with the owners desiring that more of the land be zoned as such. Staff will work with the neighborhoods and Planning staff to start the ball rolling in whatever district the Commission would like to declare as its number one priority. Barbara Buss stated on behalf of the Miller/Orchard Neighborhood, it is a neighborhood with modest incomes that will be impacted even more by what happens to Benton Street. It is a neighborhood that has not been protected very well. She stated it would help the neighborhood to have a park, noting it is a neighborhood that partly by configuration does not have a center. Moved by Pruess, seconded by Wilburn, that the commission encourage city staff to pursue land acquisition in the Miller/Orchard Neighborhood District consistent with the Objectives and Strategies of the Neighborhood Open Space Plan. AYES: Fearinq, Maurer, Pacha, Pruess, Stroh, Wilburn. ABSTENTIONS: Klink. The motion carried. Klink abstained because she lives in the Weeber/Harlocke Neighborhood District. Pruess asked staff to take into account small parcels of land which could provide a trail connection to other open space. Klink noted the Ruppert property on the corner of Benton and Miller, which would make a very visible neighborhood park, with Buss agreeing it would give focus to the neighborhood. Pruess also noted the Southgate property in this area. Buss indicated she was the contact person for the Miller/Orchard Neighborhood Association and would be willing to work with staff. Pruess noted the amount in the Parkland Acquisition fund should not be looked upon as a limit on what can be purchased. Pacha also did not see the amount in the fund as a cap. He stated staff should pursue acquisition of needed parkland, determine the cost and eventually put it before the City Council for approval. Stroh suggested that staff develop a plan setting out areas it would like to acquire and meet with the owners. He felt this would drive developments in the way the City would like to see where everybody would benefit. C.I.P. PROJECTS The June 1995 listing of the capital improvement projects was reviewed. The listing also included other projects in the current C.I.P. plan. Klink stated she was encouraged by the progress made on some of the projects. Fearing inquired as to the size of the proposed park maintenance facility; Trueblood indicated approximately 75' x 150' The facility would house the Parks, Forestry and Central Business District Parks & Recreation Commission April 8, 1998 Page 4 operations and all the equipment. Trueblood noted locations being considered are City Park and the north end of Napoleon Park. Klink asked about the neighborhood association's request to have a restroom installed in Fairmeadows Park. Trueblood indicated it would need to go on the C.I.P. list if the commission felt it was a worthy project. Trueblood indicated the restroom could cost at least $50,000, noting that the newest restroom in Lower City Park cost nearly $100,000 several years ago. Stroh asked about the development plans for Sturgis Ferry Park and its connection to the trail system along the Iowa River to Highway 6. Trueblood noted that the section of the Iowa River Corridor Trail to be constructed this summer is not a part of this development, but that a trail is part of the conceptual plan. Pruess asked if there is a need for a trail from the park to Benton Street, noting at one time there was discussion of putting a bridge across from Sturgis Ferry Park to Napoleon Park. Trueblood noted the bridge was not looked upon favorably due to its high cost. Trueblood stated development plans call for fill dirt being brought in to fill sink holes and for some mounding and landscaping. The trail portion may not happen until the following year in order to include it in the city's annual asphalting program. Pruess asked if the trail through City Park could also be done at that time, noting .rollerbladers are using the street because the trail is too rough. Trueblood stated staff will look into making this a part of the asphalt project and may be able to accomplish it before next year. Robinson stated he had discussed the trail with someone from the City's engineering staff who felt it would be a mistake to tear it up and replace it with a new asphalt trail. He felt a slurry coat sealer would be the best way to go. Robinson stated response he has received from rollerbladers is that the trail is not wide enough and too rough. Trueblood asked the commission to think about what projects they might like to see in the City's five year C.I.P. plan prior to next fall. RIVERFRONT AND NATURAL AREAS COMMISSION REPORT Pruess reported: 1) a slide show of the 1993 flood was presented by the City Engineer; 2) the commission supported the City of Coralville's request for funds through the EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Project to clean up the Iowa River riverfront north of the Iowa River power plant; 3) the commission wrote a letter of support to the City Council regarding the Iowa River trail from Benton Street to Napoleon Park; and 4) the commission will be reviewing the Iowa River Corridor plan which is to be updated every five years, with this being the fifth year - Pruess noted the Parks and Recreation Commission should also review the plan. Parks & Recreation Commission April 8, 1998 Page 5 PARKS AND RECREATION FOUNDATION REPORT Pacha stated the date for the opening of bids for the Scanlon Gymnasium is set for April 21. Plans will be developed for a "thank you" to the fundraising committee, which will be held in conjunction with the ground breaking. COMMISSION TIME Klink referred to an article in the Press-Citizen which stated the Neighborhood Associations might be eliminated, noting this would affect the Neighborhood Open Space Plan wording. Maurer reported he was able to attend a small portion of the IPRA Annual Conference and was present at its annual awards banquet when the State Association honored Matt Pacha as layperson of the year in the state of Iowa. Fearing asked about the "end" destination of the proposed trail along City Park towards Crandic Park; Trueblood stated the trail/sidewalk comes up to private property. Fearing stated people were concerned the trail was going to be along their back yards, with Trueblood and Pruess indicating this was not the case. Fearing also noted the visitor sign at the entrance to lower City Park should be redone. Pruess stated in conjunction with the curb cut program this year there will be a curb cut on Mormon Trek for the Willow Creek trail. CHAIR'S REPORT Pacha expressed appreciation to Trueblood for nominating him for the Layperson of the Year Award. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Trueblood reported on the following: IPRA Conference. In addition to Matt Pacha being awarded the Layperson of the Year Award, Steve Roberts was awarded the T. Ray Frame Award which is given to the state's outstanding maintenance worker in the parks and recreation profession. Downtown Clean-UD Effort. There will be a major downtown clean-up effort next week, part of which will include pressurized steam cleaning of the bricks and sidewalks. Parks & Recreation Commission April 8, 1998 Page 6 Oakland Cemetery Expansion Plans. The proposed plan will be presented to the City Council at its work session on April 27. The plan sets out proposed phasing for five areas. The preliminary cost estimate for the overall plan is over $3 million. Stroh stated the costs reflect the unsuitability of the Gaulocher land for cemetery,purposes. Iowa River Corridor Trail. A memo updating the progress on the trail was included in the packet; the Burlington Street to Napoleon Park segment will be going to bid. Willow Creek Trail. The trail portion behind West High School will be completed this summer, and staff is in the process of getting sewer easements for the part through Willow Creek Park and Kiwanis Park to Highway 6. Skateboarding. Staff has been instructed to proceed with gathering information and cost estimates to provide a more permanent facility for skateboarders. Staff is tentatively looking at City Park which is closer to the downtown area and the University of Iowa. Fearing indicated he would not like to see a skateboard facility in City Park. Peninsula/Waterworks Park. Proposals were received consultants, with three proposals looking promising. from four The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m. MINUTES PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MAY 7, 1998 - 7:30 P.M. SENIOR CENTER ASSEMBLY ROOM PRELIMINARY Subject to .pproval MEMBERS PRESENT: Benjamin Chair, Dick Gibson, Dean Shannon, Phil Shive, Lea Supple MEMBERS ABSENT: Ann Bovbjerg, Pam Ehrhardt STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, John Yapp, Sarah Holecek, Anne Schulte OTHERS PRESENT: Dick Parrott, Mike Hoogerwerf, John Beasley, Ronald Tyree, Madeline Sullivan RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: Recommended approval, by a vote of 5-0, of VAC98-0002, an application submitted by Hawkeye Lumber Company to vacate the northern 200 feet of the alley between Lafayette Street and Benton Street, west of Dubuque Street, subject to Hawkeye Lumber Company entering into a lease agreement with the City of Iowa City to lease the right-of-way, and subject to all necessary utility easements being retained. CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Supple called the meeting to order at 7:34 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. VACATION ITEM: VAC98-0002. Public discussion of an application submitted by Hawkeye Lumber Company to vacate the northern 200 feet of the alley between Lafayette Street and Benton Street, west of Dubuque Street. Yapp said the applicant requested vacation of the northern 200 feet of the alley between Benton Street and Lafayette Street. He stated that Hawkeye Lumber Company owns property on both sides of the alley. Yapp said that a similar item was before the Commission about one year ago, but the application was withdrawn at that time because of protests from a neighboring property owner regarding access. Yapp said that since the CRANDIC Railroad removed portions of the pavement, effectively closing off the north access to the alley, Hawkeye Lumber has re-applied for this vacation. Yapp stated that there is cable belonging to US West in the alley, as well as a sanitary sewer line. He said there are no permanent structures in the alley. Yapp said that no access would be removed that was not already removed as a result of the action by the railroad. Planning & Zoning Commission May 8, 1998 Page 2 Yapp said the City must consider possible future development in the area. He said that if the property were vacated by leasing the property to the lumber company but not by selling it, the lumber company could use the property for storage space. Yapp added that the City could then reopen the alleyway if the area redevelops in the future. He stated that the block is zoned Intensive Commercial, which would allow for outdoor storage and sales. Yapp said that Hawkeye Lumber use of the alley would be compatible with this zoning. Yapp said that staff was not aware of any complaints regarding access since the railroad effectively closed the northern portion. He said staff recommends approval of VAC98-0002, subject to Hawkeye Lumber entering into a lease agreement with the City of Iowa City to lease the right-of-way, and subject to all necessary utility easements being retained. Supple asked how long ago the neighboring property owners had been notified of this vacation request. Yapp said he called the neighboring property owners over one week ago and left messages and sent them the staff report as well. Public discussion: There was none. Public discussion closed. MOTION: Chait moved to approve VAC98-0002, an application submitted by Hawkeye Lumber Company to vacate the northern 200 feet of the alley between Lafayette Street and Benton Street, west of Dubuque Street, subject to Hawkeye Lumber Company entering into a lease agreement with the City of Iowa City to lease the right-of-way, and subject to all necessary utility easements being retained. Gibson seconded the motion. Gibson said he had visited the site and the portion of the alley to be vacated has been blocked off by barricades at the southern end. He added that this land probably has a pretty high value to the lumber company. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0. DEVELOPMENT ITEM: SUB98-0009/REZ98-0006. Discussion of an application submitted by Homes of Hoogerwerf, for a rezoning from Low Density Single-Family Residential (RS-5) zone to a Sensitive Areas Overlay (OSA-5) zone, and a preliminary plat of Green Mountain Meadow, a 6.53 acre, 15-1ot residential subdivision located at 2727 Rochester Avenue. Miklo said that approval of this rezoning and subdivision would result in 15 residential lots in this area. He said that there are slopes of more than 25% on the backs of Lots 14 and 15, necessitating that a sensitive areas overlay be a part of this development. Miklo said the rezoning is not to increase the density here but is required because of the Sensitive Areas Ordinance. He stated that the Sensitive Areas Ordinance does allow grading of slopes of that percent, and there would be some grading in the area to create a storm water detention facility primarily on the backs of Lots 11 and 12. Planning & Zoning Commission May 8,1998 Page 3 Miklo said the proposed subdivision would extend Green Mountain Drive to the nodh and then to the east, where it would stub into vacant property that may develop in the future. He said 'the Fire Marshal has asked for a temporary turnaround at the end of Green Mountain Drive, and it has been shown on the plat to his satisfaction. Miklo said there is no access to Rochester Avenue with the way the subdivision is laid out. He said that with a future subdivision to the east, there might be indirect access to Rochester Avenue, but that has yet to be determined. Miklo said that other options for a street connection for Green Mountain would be to connect to Lower West Branch Road or to Lake Forest Avenue. He added that there are potential woodlands and wetlands in that area that might limit where those connections can occur. Miklo said that an outlot between Lots 5 and 6 will allow a pedestrian connection from Green Mountain Drive up to Rochester Avenue. He said that the legal papers should specify that the maintenance and snow removal for the sidewalk will be the responsibility of the owners of Lots 5 and 6. Miklo said that Lots 6 through 10 are double-fronting lots, having frontage on both Rochester Avenue and on Green Mountain Drive. He said that the subdivision regulations generally discourage that sort of lot configuration; therefore, staff is recommending that if the subdivision is approved, there be a dense landscape buffer along Rochester Avenue to provide privacy for those lots and so that the appearance from Rochester Avenue is more pleasing than that of backyards. Miklo said the City Forester is reviewing the plans for the buffer and should have a recommendation before the next meeting. Miklo said that stormwater management is being provided on Lots 11 through 15, but primarily on Lot 12. He said the Public Works Department is reviewing the calculations, and preliminary indications are that the plan is satisfactory and should not result in stormwater runoff on adjacent property. Miklo said the Public Works evaluation should also be complete before the next meeting. Miklo said that the Parks and Recreation Commission is reviewing the subdivision in terms of open space requirements. He said that staff anticipates that the Parks and Recreation Commission will recommend fees in lieu of the 6,000+ square feet required by the Open Space Ordinance. Miklo said staff recommends that this subdivision be approved, subject to the City Forester approval of the landscape buffer and Public Works approval of the storm water management plan. Public discussion: Dick Parrott, 210 Green Mountain Drive, said he lives on Lot 221 on the property adjacent to this development. He said he liked the looks of the proposal, in that Green Mountain Drive will not be extended into Rochester Avenue, because of the traffic effects that would have. Parrott said he hoped the sidewalk extending to Rochester Avenue is a definite feature because it will help access for bicyclists and children. He said there is currently no sidewalk in front of Lot 5. Miklo responded that it would be a requirement of this subdivision to have a sidewalk run in front of Lot 5. Planning & Zoning Commission May 8, 1998 Page 4 Parrott asked if there were any provision to preserve the pine trees located between his lot and Lot 15. Miklo said the trees within the street right-of-way would be removed. He said that removal of the other trees would be at the discretion of the developer. Miklo added that mature trees generally increase the property values. Parrott asked if anything would be built across the storm water management area. He said that during the building of his subdivision, a dam was constructed that effectively destroyed the woods behind the homes. Parrott said the dam caused water to back up, killing all the trees there, and he sees that as a very negative thing, just to slow down the flow of water from a fairly limited area. He asked if a dam would be built at the end of the property behind Lot 12. Miklo showed on the map where the grading would be done to create a dike. Parrott said it would seem unnecessary with the way the water flows through there. He said the water from the whole development flows through to a small creek. Miklo said he did not know if the engineer who designed this had checked to see if the adjacent storm water facility would have adequate capacity for the new subdivision. He said that if it did, it might be possible to avoid doing further grading. Supple asked staff to check into the necessity for storm water management for this subdivision, and Miklo responded that staff would look into it. Mike Hoogerwerf, P.O. Box 614, said that the reason the plans were drawn this way was to fulfill all of the City requirements for a subdivision. He said there is a water retention pond three Jots down but did not know if any calculations were made regarding whether or not it would be large enough for the additional runoff from this subdivision. Hoogerwerf said he would determine the necessity for storm water management on this property. John Beasley, 321 East Market Street, said he is the attorney for Hoogerwerf. He said that trees to the west, south, east, and northwest of the property are a good demonstration of how the buffer along Rochester Avenue will look. Beasley said that the developer did not want minimum-sized lots for this subdivision. He said the developer wanted larger lots for a more attractive subdivision. Beasley stated that the east side of the City is starved for residential lots like this. He said that this is the highest and best use for this particular piece of property, and this plan fits well within the parameters of the land. Beasley said he felt this plan would accommodate the City's concerns. Gibson said his statement regarding lot size at the Commission's informal meeting on Modnay may have been misconstrued. He said that it is perfectly appropriate for the developer to design the subdivision the way he wants it, as long as it meets all the requirements. Gibson said he had wondered if there would be 6,000 extra feet of land, if it were not dedicated for park land. He added that this does not trouble him at all. Ronald Tyree, 197 Columbia, said he owns Lot 191 to the south of this subdivision. He stated that he hoped to have bicycle access to Rochester Avenue as demonstrated by this plan. He said he wondered about the City's plans regarding access to Rochester Avenue. Miklo said that at the Northeast District Planning Workshops, there were two different schools of thought regarding Rochester Avenue access, with some groups wanting access and some wanting no access. Miklo said staff believes that if there is an additional access, traffic lower down on Green Mountain Drive will actually be less because some drivers from this subdivision will go to Rochester instead of traveling to the south. He said that access to Rochester Avenue is an option that staff wants to keep open. Miklo added that if there is access to Rochester, staff Planning & Zoning Commission May 8,1998 Page 5 would not want it to be a direct access, but rather some type of T-intersection so that Green Mountain Drive would not be used as a cut-through through the neighborhood. Supple asked about the Northeast District Plan. Miklo said that the public will be invited back in September for comments on the proposed plan. He added that he would put Tyree and Partort on the mailing list for those meetings. Parrott stated that Lot 11 had a very steep grade and asked how it could be a lot. Hoogerwerf replied that the first 70 feet from the road would be graded for a building site and the rest would stay as it is. Madeline Sullivan, 39 Green Mountain Drive, asked if there would be restrictions on the price ranges or style of the homes in this subdivision. Hoogerwerf remarked that he was currently working on restrictive covenants for the property. He said there would be square footage restrictions and that all of the plans would have to be approved by him. Sullivan asked if the homes would be limited to one or two-story homes. Hoogerwerf said there would be a mixture of styles. MOTION: Shive moved to defer SUB98-0009/REZ98-0006, an application submitted by Homes of Hoogerwerf, for a rezoning from Low Density Single-Family Residential (RS-5) zone to a Sensitive Areas Overlay (OSA-5) zone, and a preliminary plat of Green Mountain Meadow, a 6.53 acre, 15-1ot residential subdivision located at 2727 Rochester Avenue. Gibson seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0. CONSIDERATION OF THE APRIL 16, 1998 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MINUTES: MOTION: Gibson moved to approve the minutes of the April 16, 1998 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, as written. Chait seconded the motion. The motion carried on vote of 5-0. OTHER BUSINESS: Miklo reminded Commission members that there would be a work-in-progress presentation of the Peninsula Project on Friday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Parkview Evangelical Free Church at 15 Foster Road. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Pam Ehrhardt, Secretary Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte ppdadmin\rnin\p&z0507.doc POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES- May 12, 1998 Lobby Conference Room CALL TO ORDER Chair P. Hoffey called the meeting to order at 7:03 P.M. ATTENDANCE Board members present: L. Cohen, J. Watson and P. Hoffey. Staff present: Legal Counsel D. Russell and Administrative Assistant S. Bauer. Board members absent: P. Farrant and M. Raymond. CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by J. Watson and seconded by L. Cohen to adopt Consent Calendar. Motion carried, 3/0, Farrant and Raymond absent. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL None COM341J~ FORUM The Board continued their discussion regarding plans for the Community Forurn, to include: · Chair will have the draft letter and notice to staff by the end of the week for inclusion in the next agenda packet; Staff provided an update on the status of the mailing lists; · Personal invitations need to be submitted to staff for inclusion on the mailing list; A notice will be included in the City newsletter that is distributed with the water bill. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES Motion by $. Watson and seconded by L. Cohen that the taped minutes of PCRB open meetings shall be kept thirty (30) days from acceptance and approval of minutes. Motion carried, 3/0, Farrant and Raymond absent. Chair deferred further discussion of SOP's indefinitely. PUBLIC DISCUSSION None EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by J. Watson to adjourn into Executive Session based on Section 21.5(a) of the Code of Iowa to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential or to be kept confidemial as a condition for that government body's possession or continued receipt of federal funds, and 22.7(11) personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors and school districts. Motion carried, 3/0, Farrant and Raymond absent. Meeting adjourned at 7:25 P.M. Regular meeting resumed at 7:55 P.M. Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by P. Hoffey to review PCRB Complaints//98-8 and//98-9 at level 8.8.7 B(1)a, and assign each to the report-drafting subcommittee. Motion carried, 3/0, Farrant and Raymond absent. MEETING SCItEDUI,E Special meeting dates of May 18, 20 and 26 were discussed. The Chair will contact members, schedule the meeting, and notify staff.. Regular meeting dates include: Regular Meeting - June 9, 1998 - 7:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. Regular Meeting - July 14, 1998 - 7:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. BOARD INFORMATION · Staff distributed Board/Commission Member Business Listing to members present. · Staff was directed on future agenda items, to include discussion on Annie Tucker's letter, continue discussion on the Community Forum, and to include PCRB//98-10 in the next executive session. ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by J. Watson and seconded by L. Cohen. Motion carded, 3/0, Farrant and Raymond absent. Meeting adjoumed at 8:05 P.M.