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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-05-26 (B) CorrespondenceMay 12, 1998 Iowa City City Council 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52402 Dear Council Members: I just wanted to let you know how I appreciative we are for the help that Lisa Handsacker has given to the members of our Cedar Rapids Deer Task Force. Lisa recently came to a meeting to discuss the Iowa City Deer Management Plan. She did this on her own time and her input has been invaluable in helping us develop a comprehensive plan to deal with this highly emotional and complex issue. Iowa City can be proud of the leadership that it has provided to communities throughout the Midwest. Deer management problems abound and your city has taken a leadership role with this delicate issue. Lisa has truly made a difference in helping to improve the quality of life in cities throughout the Midwest. Commissioner of Parks and Public Property /wlm CC: Lisa Handsaker Office of Dale Todd Commissioner of Parks and Pubhc Property City Hall · 50 Second Avenue Bridge · Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401 · (319) 398-5080 · FAX (319) 398-0222 City Council of iowa City 410 Washington St. Iowa City IA 52240 Dear Councilors, 1998 M GB'S OFFICE 824 N. Gilbert St. Iowa City 52245 14 May 1998 ~1 We were delighted to attend the presentation on May 8th by Victor Dover and his associates about the neo-traditional peninsula development project. As homeowners and residents of the north side, we could easily agree with the principles on which this development is based. Several times, Mr. Dover stated that "design matters," and we couldn't agree more. What we don't understand, however, is why does design matter in a newly created, isolated neighborhood that will be pretty much invisible to the general public, but it does not matter in our older, very visible, highly traveled neighborhoods, unless those neighborhoods are designated historic districts? On Dubuque St., for instance, a number of old homes with graceful front porches were demolished or moved to make room for apartment buildings with no front doors to Dubuque St. and all orientation to the back parking lots, a plan which encourages driving rather than walking. A new apartment building being built on Burlington St. and a recently constructed building on Iowa Ave. are also insensitive to the streetscape and to neighboring dwellings. Mr. Dover's illustrations showed how apartment buildings can be attractive and fit into a mixed streetscape. Why does design matter there, but not on highly visible streets where thousands of residents and visitors travel every day? Why does design matter downtown in the original urban renewal area that is overseen by the Design Review Committee, but it doesn't matter in the rest of the downtown? As much as we enjoyed hearing Mr. Dover's presentation, it was a bittersweet experience to see a recreation of a neighborhood concept that we have to fight to preserve in our existing neighborhoods. On another, but not unrelated, matter, we would like to express our concerns about the new Iowa Avenue parking ramp, even though we know it is a fait accompli. We appreciate the efforts to beautify Iowa Avenue and the commitment to creating an attractive and workable ramp. However, a few years ago all the talk was about building a ramp south of Burlington Street with the rationale that if it were built, development would follow. We remember attending a City Council meeting where a prominent local developer stated that she believed the ramp should be built on the north side of the downtown instead, that growth should occur on that side of town, and she pointed out that there were few houses in that area worth saving. Between this new ramp and Mercy Hospital's plans for a Gilbert St. parking lot and eventual ramp, we are deeply troubled that more demolition and development are ahead for Linn and Gilbert Streets and Iowa Avenue. We are also convinced that because the new ramp will be between Linn and Gilbert, it will lead to more traffic r~n .k~,~, Gi~H,~,~ .q~r,~,~t ~ .......... ...................... h,, peop.e who ,,,ill the,~ choose to use Gilbert to enter and leave Iowa City. As Mr. Dover talked about how they created their ideas for the peninsula project, he mentioned using Brown St., the Longfellow neighborhood, and Manville Heights as their models. We agree that these are model neighborhoods and urge the City Council to always be mindful that we depend on you to help us protect and enhance those qualities that make these and other older neighborhoods special. We urge you not to sacrifice them to inappropriate design and construction by developers trying to save a buck rather than invest in the community, or by the City, whose good intentions may unwittingly create other problems. Sincerely, Paula and Lowell Brandt 354-6948 ~ 7...o-~ To the Editor: May ]4~ Public Access Television is one of the greatest resources available to the Iowa City Community. PATV (Cable Channel 2) is a private, non-profit corporation that exists for the purpose of allowing Johnson County citizens an opportunity to create their own television programming and learn how TV ~vorks If people see a program on PATV that offends them, they can make their own program with a countering viewpoint and play it on PATV, they can be on Open Channel, (a live program which airs every other Friday) or they can contact the community member who provides the program to voice their disapproval of its content. If none of these options work, or are appealing, the appropriate official to contact is the County Attorney. City Councilor Mike O'Donnell is out of line in using City Council time to discuss an episode of Free Speech TV that he found offensive. Like any other citizen, Mr. O'Donnell can take his complaint to the County Attorney. In this case County Attorney J. Patrick White has decided that the show in question ic rot ~bscene and should be allowed to be cablecast on PATV. Furthermore, Mr. O'Donnell's statement that the show in question is "child pornography" seems to be based on a segment seen out of context of the rest of the program, which featured clips from old American and European movies. In regards to Mr. O'Donnell's statement, "I don't see how this could be construed as art," I would like to ask what Mr. O'Donnell's credentials are in the field of art criticism, and why he should be allowed to decide what is or isn't art for the rest of us in the Iowa City community. The inappropriateness of City Council members' behavior is illustrated by the fact that a full day after an article appeared in the Press Citizen expressing council members' desire to meet with the director of PATV, no one on the council has taken the time to contact anyone at PATV. The saddest thing, is that all of this controversy comes at a time when PATV is trying to become an even more vital part of our community as it relocates and takes on a fund-raising campaign to pay for its upcoming move. Because PATV is a sub-contractor for the city, councilors should take the time to understand how it operates, and attempt to support it, rather than villain-ize this wonderful resource during council meetings. City Council members owe it to their constituents to stop using their positions to carry out personal vendettas, and behave as normal, responsible citizens of our community. I look forward to seeing Mr. O'Donnell at Open Channel, in the PATV studios on Friday, May 22nd, where he can voice his opinion in a more appropriate place. Sincerely, Jamie Schweser 338-7473 721 E Market St #2 Iowa City IA 52245 HOLLAND LAW OFFICE 300 Brewery Square 123 North Linn Street P.O. Box 2820 Iowa City, IA 52244 May 14, 1998 C. JOSEPH HOLLAND LARS G. ANDERSON 319-354-0331 FAX 354-0559 1998 Mayor and City Council City of Iowa City 410 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mr. Mayor and Council Members: I am writing to call your attention to the negative effects of four and five bedrooms on parking on the near south side of Iowa City. Specifically, I wanted to address the parking problems this type of development is generating for that area. Because of the size of the apartments and the changes in alcohol policies at the University, some apartments, or buildings, are becoming small fraternities or annexes which host the alcohol rich parties which the University is prohibiting. Four and five bedroom apartments have become popular with both builders and with tenants. PRM and CB-5 Zones require builders to provide only one parking space on-site. This imposes the need for three or four more on street parking spaces to serve that four or five bedroom apartment - on streets which are already fully congested with cars. A few years ago all multi-family zones (except PRM and CB-5) had on-site parking requirements changed to avert more South Johnson Street like parking congestion problems. Copies of letters and an October 15, 1993 memorandum dealing with those issues are attached. Page 2 As stated in that 1993 memorandum, the PRM and CB-5 zones were not included in the parking ramp changes due to the planned construction of a south side public parking ramp in the very near future. That parking ramp has now been placed indefinitely on hold, leaving parking in PRM and CB-5 zones in major trouble. If the adequacy of parking provided on site is not addressed, the near south side will have streets that look like South Johnson Street, i.e. are reduced to basically one lane of traffic because of parking congestion. Linn Street south of Court is already taking on that character. Four and five bedroom apartments are often nothing more than small fraternity houses and therefore require an unbelievable amount of parking to service the residents and their guests. Indeed, some landlords have had requests from students to lease entire floors of apartment buildings with four and five bedroom apartments. With true fraternity houses moving to a "no alcohol" policy beer parties will now move to those four and five bedroom apartments. This will put additional pressure on the parking on the weekends. Parties, keg or otherwise, at such locations can greatly increase the parking load. Again, this is in addition to the four or five cars of the residents of each apartment. Compare the currently required on site parking for multi- family housing in PRM and CB-5 and all other zones: Apartment Size On Site Parking All zones except PRM and CB-5 On Site Parking PRM and CB-5 1 bedroom or Efficiency ~ or 1 space 1 space 2 bedroom 2 spaces 1 space 3 bedroom 2 spaces 1 space 4 bedroom 3 spaces 1 space 5 bedroom 4 spaces 1 space There are three large parcels of land on the near south side, within two blocks of each other, which could hold up to 100 Page 3 additional new four or five bedroom apartments - in the very near future. Those apartments would require only 100 on site spaces and would place 300 to 400 more cars on the street causing major, major parking problems and congestion. Look at recent examples of apartment construction in PRM or CB-5 zones. The majority of the apartments described below are four and five bedroom apartments with only one parking space per apartment required on site. Compare what would have been required in other zones. Address Bedrooms On Site Parking PRM & CB-5 Zones On Site Parking All Other Multi- Family Zones 517 South Linn 61 bdrms. 16 on site 48 on site 600 South Capitol 128 bdrms. 32 on site 96 on site 201 E. Burlington 89 bdrms. 23 on site 62 on site 325/327 E. College 190 bdrms. 48 on site 110 on site Harrison Alley 24 bdrms. 6 on site 18 on site Berkley (Park Hotel) 48 bdrms. 0 on site 32 on site There is every indication that this trend will prevail in the future because there is a window of opportunity to continue building four and five bedroom apartments with one on site space per apartment - which is legal parking, but not functionally adequate parking. The less parking required on site, the larger the apartment can be in number of bedrooms and the greater the number of apartments that can be constructed on a parcel. Basing parking in PRM and CB-5 zones on number of bedrooms is perhaps the best approach to preventing this unfortunate trend from clogging all available parking on the near south side. I would suggest the following parking requirements: Number of Bedrooms Required Parking Spaces On Site Page 4 3 bedrooms 4 bedrooms 5 bedrooms 2 parking spaces 3 parking spaces 4 parking spaces The goal should be to have PRM and CB-5 zones have buildings which support the majority of their own parking needs on site. (An alternative would be to allow only up to three bedroom apartments to be built in those zones.) I know there is sentiment that not providing parking will discourage people from having automobiles. History and current experience indicates that the realities are not meeting that expectation. Further, the south side parking ramp is too far into the future to be of any value, if that ramp is ever built. I hope that the Council will take quick action before this parking problem is completely out of control. Thank you for your attention to this. CJH:kac City of iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: October 15, 1993 To: Planning & Zoning Commission From: Robert Miklo, Associate Planner Re: Section 36-58, Off-Street Parking Requirements for Multi-Family Dwellings The Commission [equested that staff review parking requirements for multi-family dwellings in response to a letter submitted by Joseph Holland (see attached letter dated December 14, 1992). In his letter, Mr. Holland raises a concern that two parking spaces per unit, the maximum required per multi-family dwelling units, is insufficient parking for the occupants and guests of three, four and five bedroom apartments. Mr. Holland sent an additional letter on May 11, 1993 (attached), which provides further detail regarding his concern. Staff has'reviewed building permits for recent multi-family construction and has found that there have been instances where building permits have been issued for buildings with a predominant number of four bedroom apartments, providing only 1.5 to2 spaces per unit. Although perhaps an extreme, one recent building proposal illustrates that under the current ordinance there are examples of builders who are building five bedroom units with the provision of only two off-street parking spaces per unit. The proposed building will include four 5-bedroom units or a total of 20 bedrooms. The Zoning Code only requires two parking spaces per unit or a total of eight spaces in this case. When insufficient parking spaces are provided for multi-family buildings, tenants and visitors of these buildings often park in lots belonging to someone else or in illegal locations on the street, such as in front of fire hydrants or in driveways across sidewalks. This results in inconvenience for tenants and building owners and managers, who must arrange to have the illegally parked vehicles towed, and is of concern to the Fire Marshal when driveways and fire hydrants are blocked by illegally parked vehicles. The Housing and Inspection Services Department has observed that building owners have established parking spaces in front yards and driveways in violation of the Zoning Ordinance. It may be that after a building is built and occupied, the owner finds that the number of parking spaces required by the zoning ordinance are insufficient to meet the demands of the building's tenants, and therefore new spaces are established illegally in driveways and in yards. These concerns could be addressed by increasing the number of parking spaces required per multi-family unit, or correlating the required number of parking spaces to the number of bedrooms per unit. Staff has reviewed the parking requirements from several communities and found that the City's current ratio of required parking spaces per unit is comparable to many communities. However, communities with university campuses that have had experiences similar to those of Iowa City, correlate parking requirements to the number of bedrooms per unit. Table 1 illustrates the parking ratios from three of these communities. Page 2 TABLE I. Unit Type Number of Parking Spaces Athens, GA Boulder, CO East Lansing, MI Efficiency 2 1 1 1 bedroom 2 1 1 2 bedroom 2.5 1.5 2* 3 bedroom 3 2 2.5* 4 bedroom 4 3 3* *Occupancy shall not exceed 1.5 person per parking space. If the zoning code is amended to correlate an increased number of required parking spaces to the number of bedrooms, it should be noted that there may be an effect on the overall population density that may be achieved in new developments. The actual density of units per acre may not change; however, the number of bedrooms being built per unit will most likely decrease and, therefore, the overall supply of housing, when measured by bedrooms, would be expected to decrease. The City must weigh the concern for a reduced number of bedrooms per unit against concerns regarding lack of sufficient off-street parking in multi-family areas. A basic policy question to be considered in this case would be, does the City wish to encourage the construction of apartment units with four and five bedrooms per unit? If that is not the intent, then an amendment to the Zoning Code to correlate required off-street parking requirements with the number of bedrooms per unit may be appropriate. If the number of required parking spaces per unit is increased, several recently built multi-family properties would become nonconforming in terms of the parking requirements. If additional parking spaces are required for new multi-family developments with four or more bedrooms, staff anticipates that the recent practice of paving the ground level for parking and placing a building on stilts above the parking area, may become more common, as builders will maximize density by devoting more ground area to parking and less area for ground floor dwelling units. These types of buildings also have exterior stair wells and open corridors which provide access to individual dwelling units. An-example of.this type of building is located at 613 South Dubuque Street. Placing parking on the ground level with the building above is an efficient use of land area and should not necessarily be discouraged if such developments are designed to accommodate pedestrian traffic and result in an attractive streetscape. To help assure that this happens, staff recommends that if the parking regulations are amended, the following sections be added to special provision sections of the RM~12, RNC-20, RM-20, and RM-44 zones. The PRM and CB-5 zones currently have similar provisions. When parking spaces are located on the ground floor or under a building, they shall be located either within the exterior walls of a building or screened from view from public streets. Features such as masonry walls, P~e3 earthen berms, or evergreen trees and shrubbery shall be used for screening. Access to individual dwelling units shall be from enclosed lobbies or corridors except at grade level where exterior doorways shall be permitted for townhouse-style units. Staff would recommend that if the Commission determines it is appropriate to increase the number of off-street parking spaces being provided for multi-family units, the following ratio of required parking spaces to bedrooms per dwelling unit be adopted. TABLE II. Unit Type Number of Parking Spac- es Efficiency 1 1 bedroom 1 2 bedroom ~,~ ~ 3 bedroom 2 4 bedroom 3 5 bedroom 4 Although the current code does not specify the number of parking spaces required based on bedroom size but rather requires 11/2 spaces for units which are under 800 square feet and 2 spaces for units which are over 800 square feet, we believe that generally most efficiency and one bedroom apartments are under 800 square feet and therefore are required to provide 11/2 spaces per unit. The requirements proposed under Table II would actually result in a reduction in requirements for efficiencies and one bedrooms. The proposal would reduce this requirement to one space per unit. The City's Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategies (CHAS), indicates that there is a need for efficiency and one bedroom apartment units. This proposed amendment may provide an incentive to construct such units. Two bedroom units are generally around 800 square feet in floor area and therefore are either required to provide 11/2 or 2 spaces per unit. The proposed revision would require 11/2 spaces per two bedroom unit regardless of the square footage of the unit. We believe that most three-bedroom apartments are over 800 square feet in area and therefore are currently required to provide two parking spaces per unit. Under the proposed amendment, two parking spaces would be required per three bedroom unit, so therefore we do not believe that in most cases there would be a change in the number of spaces required for three bedroom apartments. The current code requires no more than two spaces for four and five bedroom apartments. As proposed in Table II three spaces would be required for four bedroom apartments and four Page 4 spaces would be required for five bedroom apartments. We believe that this proposal recognizes that in Iowa City, apartments with four and five bedrooms are likely to be occupied by a group of adults who often each own a vehicle rather than a family with two adults owning only two vehicles. As noted in the Near Southside Redevelopment Plan, the City has adopted a policy to encourage high density pedestrian-oriented commercial and residential development in and adjacent to downtown. The City will support this policy through the construction of centralized public parking garages. For this reason, staff recommends that no changes be made to the parking requirements for the PRM and CB-5 zones. Staff would also recommend that no revisions be made to the parking requirements for elderly housing. Approved by: Monica Moen, Senior Planner Department of Planning and Community Development ppdadmin~okgreq. RM C.' JOSEPH HOLLAND Attordey at Law 300 Brewery Square 123 North Linn Street P.O. Box 2820 Iowa City, IA 52244 319-354-0331 FAX 354-0559 May 11, 1993 Ms. Monica Moen Senior Planner Department of Planning and Program Development City of Iowa City Civic Center 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 RE: Parking Requirements for 3, 4, and 5 Bedroom Apartments Dear Monica: This letter is a follow-up to my letter of December 14 to the Mayor and Council and our subsequent telephone conversations. The spring apartment construction season is upon us and the problems noted in my letter of December 14 have once again presented themselves. I am enclosing copies of part of building plans for a new building being erected on South Johnson Street. The particular area I am trying to illustrate is a four bedroom apartment, which as you know requires only two parking spaces. As the cost of land has increased, there has been pressure upon builders and property owners to reduce the size of bedrooms, in order to maximize the number of dwelling units that can be built upon any one property. There are a number of issues relating to this. First, is the incredible overcrowding of vehicles in the South Johnson Street/South Van Buren/South Dodge Street area. Many landlords do not regulate how many vehicles per dwelling unit are allowed. A four bedroom apartment may well translate into four vehicles, where only two parking spaces are allotted. Also, five bedroom units are now being constructed, which may translate into five vehicles. This does not begin to count guests, visitors, and illegal occupants of apartments. There are times when extra people live in apartments without the knowledge, let alone the consent, of the landlord. Ms. Monica Moen May 11, 1993 Page 2 This results in an extremely crowded on-street parking and also in tenants using parking on other property which has been set aside for the tenants of those properties. This results in enforcement problems for responsible landlords and involves the City through enforcement of parking regulations. A second issue is a quality of life issue for the occupants of these buildings. Because of entryways and closets, three of these four bedrooms have an effective living space of under 82 square feet. With any modest amount of normal bedroom furnishings, there is very little space available. I don't know how much smaller bedrooms could be and still be habitable. Because of the intent to get just as many bedrooms as possible in the limited square footage, the kitchen and dining area have been reduced to the absolute minimum. There is no dining room, although apparently a counter is provided on one side of what passes as a kitchen. Substantially all of this is tied back to calculating parking requirements on a square footage basis. So long as the entire dwelling unit is under 1200 or 800 square feet, the parking requirements are the same, regardless of how many bedrooms are included in the unit. Even aside from the problems created for property owners and the City by parking enforcement, this creates problems for tenants whose vehicles are ticketed or towed and who must spend considerable amounts of time looking for places to park a car. Perhaps the best solution would be if the tenants did not have cars, however, that is an unrealistic expectation, given the tenants real and perceived needs to travel substantial distances for services such as groceries, health care, and recreation. Since I wrote to the Mayor and Council last December, this problem has worsened. I know that this whole area is scheduled to come up for discussion before the Planning and Zoning Commission this summer. These issues need to be put on a fast track if this problem is to be remedied before even more substantial damage is done to the quality of life in the near south side apartment areas. Ms. Monica Moen May 11, 1993 Page 3 I hope you will encourage the Commission to give speedy consideration to zoning code changes and to pass this promptly on to the City Council. CJH/nm cc: Mayor Darrel City Manager Very truly yours, ~ep H~ Courtney ~ / Doug BoothroySteve Atkins Karen Franklin / C. JOSEPH HOLLAND Attorney at Law 300 Brewery Square 123 North Linn Street P.O. Box 2820 Iowa City, IA 52244 319-354-0,~ FAX 354-O5 December 14, 1992 Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Iowa City RE: Parking Requirements for 3, 4, and 5 Bedroom Apartments Dear Mayor and Council Members: I am writing to focus your attention toward a growing problem with the current parking requirements for new 3, 4, and 5 bedroom multi-family apartments. The provision of adequate parking has always been, and continues to be, a problem throughout Iowa City. This problem has recently been exacerbated in certain parts of town by builders utilizing a "window" in the Iowa City Zoning Ordinance (parking' requirements) which allows them to construct 3, 4, and 5 bedroom apartments with the parking requirements of a 2 bedroom (1% to 2 parking spaces). Section 36-58(a)(1)(d) provides that multi-family. dwellings must provide 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit if the square footage of the apartment is less than 800 square feet and 2 parking spaces if over 800 square feet. At first'glance, this might seem an adequate provision. However, there are currently being constructed four and five bedroom apartments which require only 2 parking spaces. Indeed, it is ~ossible to have an apartment with five 10x10 bedrooms, a small kitchen, bath, and living room and still be under the 800 square feet. This 5 bedroom apartment would, under the current requirements, only require 1½ parking ._spaces; not a sufficient amount for the number of people living in this unit. If the same 5 bedroom apartment was divided into a 2 bedroom apartment and a 3 bedroom apartment, the 2 bedroom would require 1~ parking spaces and the 3 bedroom apartment would require 2 parking spaces, for a total of 3½ parking spaces. In summary, the 5 bedroom apartment requires 1% LESS parking spaces than if divided into a 2 and a 3 bedroom unit, with the same number of people 'and bedrooms. - Almost fifty percent less par~ing is required for a 5 bedroom apartment! Honorable Mayor and City Council December 14, 1992 Page 2 The economics to both the landlord and tenant indicate that this type of arrangement (4 and 5 bedroom apartments) will be increasingly common. Land costs near downtown are such that any builder or owner will try to maximize the return from the property. The tenants will, at the same time, try to divide occupancy costs as many ways as possible, to lessen the cost per person. Obviously, what's done is done. ~owever, the City should turn its attention to fine tuning the current parking requirements to avoid compounding present and future problems. Eliminate the 800 square foot rule and require 1½ spaces for each 2 bedroom, and one additional ½ parking space for each additional. bedroom per unit thereafter: 1½ parking spaces for a 2 bedroom unit 2 parking spaces for a 3 bedroom unit 2½ parking spaces for a 4 bedroom unit 3 parking spaces for a 5 bedroom unit Certainly, this Will not entirely solve the problem, now or in the future. However, it is a reasonable middle of the road compromise between economics to the builders and tenants and the interests of the City - especially, in the apartment neighbor-hoods that are greatly in need of adequate parking resources. I am sure that each member of the Council knows, after the discussions relating to the new parking ramp, that adequate parking is an ongoing and essential issue in the area around downtown. This is an opportunity to act before the parking needs in all zones which allow multi-family housing become unmanageable. I would strongly urge the City Staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Council to act upon this issue. Thank you for your interest in correcting this "window" in the parking requirements of the Iowa City Zoning Ordinance. If I can add.anything further or be of assistance~ please let me know. Very truly yours, CJa/nm cc: Steve Atkins Dale Helling Doug Boothroy Karin Franklin C. Joseph Holland 5~/~ 12:52m Osha Gm hdch. ~l~)~.~t,~ P, id3 OSHA GRAY DAVIDSON 14 SOUTH GOVERNOR STREET IOWA CITY IOWA 52240 USA Tel: (319) 338-4778 Fax: (319) 338-8606 osha~pobox.com TO: Marian Karr, City Clerk Dear Marian, I would appreciate it if you could include the following correspondence in the forthcoming packet for city council members. Thank you, OSHA 14 'SOUTH GRAY DAVIDSON GOVERNOR STREET IOWA CITY IOWA 52240 USA Tel: (319) 338-4778 Fax: (319) 338-8606 osha@pobox. com Mayor Ernie Lehman 902 Wylde Green Rd. Iowa City IA 52246 20May 1998 Dear Mayor Lehman, Given the recent violence on the city's south side, and statements by neighborhood residents that the incidents are symptomatic of long-standing and larger problems, I believe the city needs to take action before the situation deteriorates further. Toward that end, I've drafted a proposal for a "Mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force For a Safe South Side." As you'll see from the proposal, the Task Force would be solution oriented and would coordinate efforts with all relevant city institutions. Obviously, the following proposal is sketchy and needs refinement. But my hope is that it will serve as a guideline for action. Sincerely, Cc: Iowa City Council Mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force For a Safe South Side [Proposal] "This is all of' our problem. We all live in the community. Our children go to school with children who are in this situation." -- Deb Watson, Broadway Neighborhood Center Mission: Residents of the city's south side have said that the recent violence there is a symptom of larger problems. The Task Force will look at conditions in that area, and recommend specific measures to Council to ensure the safety and well-being of residents. Need strong backing from top down (That's why "Mayor's Blue Ribbon" Task Force) Solution-oriented Report directly to Council Specific time frame (but can be renewed) Coordinate efforts with relevant institutions (police, schools, etc.) Should consider two types of problems/solutions: immediate and long-term Determine scope of problems and reasons for them Determine what's worked in other cities with similar problems Determine what's already being done (and what's working and what's not) Make recommendations (local regulations, policies, ordinances, activities) Should include at least one public hearing held on south side Work with media to publicize process and results Task Force Members 1) Should be headed by neighborhood residents. 2) In recognition that this is a "community problem" and needs community- wide support, the Task Force should include "at-large" members. 3) Task force should include a representative from the following groups: Neighborhood Association(s) School Social work Police Religious Human Rights Commission Others7 OSHA GRAY DAVIDSON 14 SOUTH GOVERNOR S~ET IOWA CITY IOWA 52240 USA Tel: (319) 338-4778 Fax: (319) 338-8606 osha~pobox. com Mayor Emie Lehman 902 Wylde Green Rd. Iowa City IA 52246 20 May 1998 Dear Mayor Lehman, ~ , Given the recem violence once city s south side, and statements by~ighborhood residents that the incidents are symptomatic ~,f long-standing and larger problemS, I believe the city needs to take action before the situation ~teriorates further. Toward that/rind, I've dratted a proposal for a "Mayor's Blue Ribbon .Task For.~ For a Safe South Side." A~ou'11 see from the proposal, the Task Force would be solution oriefi~ed and would coordinat/defforts with all relevant city institutions. Obviously, the follow~ ing proposal is s16~tchy and neej;l~ refinement. But my hope is that it will serve as a guideline for action. Sincerely, Co: Iowa City Council / Mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force For a Safe South Side [Proposal] "This is all of our problem. We all live in the community. Our children go to school with children who arc in this situation." -- Deb Watson, Broadway Neighborhood Center Mission: Residents of the city's south sid_qhavc said that the recent violcnc~ttherc is a symptom of larger problems. T~e Task Force will look at cond/it~ons in that area, and recommend specific recast_res to Council to ensure the s~fety and well-being of residents. , / ., * Need strong backing from top down (That's why "Mayor s Bl~ Ribbon" Task Force) * Solution-oriented t ~ * Report directly to Council \ ~ * Specific time frame (but can be renewed~ ~ , Coordinate efforts with relevant institutio~ (police, schools, etc.) * Should consider two types ofproblems/soi~utions: imn~diate and long4erm * Determine scope of problems and reasons ~or them / * Determine what's worked in other cities wit~ similar problems * Determine what' s already being done ( and hat working and what' s not) * Make recommendations (local regulations, p~li~ies, ordinances, activities) * Should include at least one public hearing hel~ on south side * Work with media to publicize process and r~ts * Task Force Members /~ 1) Should be headed by neig~borh09d residents. , 2) In recognition that this i~/a "comn~unity problem' and, needs community- wide support, the Task/Force shoul~l include "at-large' members. 3) Task force should inc.~i.de .a ~represeh~tative from the following groups: Neighborhood Assocyation(s) ~ ~o School ~ \ ~_. Somal work // ~ c:, 7: Religious ~ ~ '5:. Human Rights ¢ommission --,.. '- 7 C/-3 ;. May 21, 1998 4222 Harmony Lane SE Iowa City, IA 52240-9385 Councilor Mike O'Donnell 901 W. Park Road Iowa City, IA 52246 Dear Councilor O'Donnell, I am writing to you about your conrems with the "Free Speech" program that appeared on PATV. I urge you to refrain from attempting to impose any additional restrictions on PATV. I hope you will consider attending one of PATV's "Guidelines" seminars. They are held each month and they are free of charge. I think you will find that the guidelines currently being followed at PATV are an appropriate balance of First Amendment Rights under the U.S. Constitution and respect for community standards with regard to offensive or pornographic content. I have become involved with PATV as a producer and a member of the Board of Directors because I believe the existence of PATV is essential to extend the right of free speech via the medium of television to all citizens. Television is the most dominant form of communication in our lives. Yet, except for PATV the television media is controlled by a few corporations and a few individuals. Often being exposed to someone else's idea of what is appropriate is challenging, yet ultimately liberating. I think if you look at the programming of PATV as a whole, you will find a lot less of a sexual or titillating nature than you will see on any of the other networks. There is a lot of programming on PATV that would never be aired anywhere else. I urge you, again, to refrain from any further actions to restdct or censor the content of PA'rv. Sincerely, Greg Thompson Member, PATV Board of Directors cc: Mayor Emie Lehman, Councilors Dean Thornberry, Connie Champion, Karen Kubby, Dee Norton, and Dee Vanderhoef.