HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-09-08 TranscriptionSeptember 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 1
Council: Lehman, Champion, Kubby, Norton, O'Donnell, Thomberry, Vanderhoef.
Staff.' Atkins, Helling, Karr, Dilkes, Franklin, Davidson, Fowler, Yucuis, Ripley, Schoon.
Tapes: 98-99, all; 98-100, all; 98-101, all.
Review Zoning Matters 98-99 S1
a. Consider a motion setting a public hearing for September 22 on an ordinance
changing the zoning designation of approximately 22 acres from Medium Density
Single-Family Residential (RS-8) to Low Density Single-Family Residential (RS-5)
for property located in the Summit Street Historic District. (REZ98-0010).
Franklin/To set a p.h. for September 22 on a rezoning on Summit Street from RS-8 to
RS-5 ....
(All talking).
Norton/I just say speak right into the microphone ....
Franklin/The first one was setting a p.h.
b. Public hearing on an ordinance changing the zoning designation of an
approximate 4,000 square foot property located at 114 Wright Street from
Community Commercial (CC-2) to Planned High Density Multiple-Family
Residential (PRM).
Franklin/P.h. on an ordinance to change the zoning designation of 114 Wright Street
from CC-2 to PRM .... It has changed use over time and this will make the zoning
consistent with the use... and it is fight in a block that is PRM... good thing to
do ....
c. Consider an ordinance changing the zoning designation of approximately 9.27
acres from Low Density Single-Family Residential (RS-5) to Sensitive Areas
Overlay/Medium Density Residential (OSA-8) to allow a 72-unit residential
development on property located on the south side of Taft Speedway west of
Dubuque Street. (REZ98-0009) (First consideration)
Franklin/The first consideration on Riverview Place .... Housing for the elderly project
on Taft Speedway .... You will be receiving a letter... tomorrow requesting that
you defer this item...reason .... Developers... negotiating for another site. It is not
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 2
all resolved yet... They would like to keep this open until those negotiations are
complete .... Appreciate a deferral of two weeks.
Norton/Assuming this comes out the way it looks like it is, do we meet at some point to
talk this over with P/Z, that Riverview area?
Thornberry/Yeah.
Norton/At some point we got to get our wits together what we want to see happen there
and what we are willing to do to see it happen.
Franklin/Right now it is zoned RS-5, so there are some property rights that are vested in
that area. In terms of something happening that you want to see happen there, I
guess maybe if you want to talk about that... that would be prudent... It may
mean initiating some kind of zoning change from the council level .... Maybe you
want to put that on as a work session item sometime.
d. Consider a resolution approving a preliminary plat of Prairie Meadow Part 2, a
16 acre, 7-lot residential subdivision located at 2140 Prairie Du Chien Road in
Johnson County. (SUB98-0018)
Franklin/To consider a resolution approving a preliminary plat of Prairie Meadow Part 2.
This is a 16 acre, seven lot subdivision and it is in the county of Prairie du Chien
Road. Do you want to look at the plat to this?
Norton/(Yes).
Franklin/Okay, this is still very small (refers to plat). This is the proposed new
alignment .... This is a previous subdivision in the county .... Further subdivision
and some land swapping in here... achieve compliance with various county
requirements .... Cleaning things up there. The biggest ... issue... had to do with
access to the noah for Syril Street. We wanted to make sure that with
development of Lot 7 that the access for Searl to Prairie du Chien was not cut off
by the Lot 7 property owners... condition... that there be a provision that Searl
will be able to come over to Prairie du Chien. The county is now working on how
Searl will come across to the new alignment of Prairie du Chien. So everything
seems to be in order. We would recommend approval of this.
Kubby/That will be a safer aligmnent ....
Vanderhoef/Will that other section be abandoned then?... other section of Prairie du
Chien?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 3
Franklin/I can't tell you that right now. I would imagine we are going to have
development on Lot 7 .... Maybe Syril Street will follow some of this alignment
(refers to plat).
Thornberry/...Prairie du Chien .... Will that put any more traffic on the comer of Prairie
du Chien and North Dodge?
Franklin/The realignment of Prairie du Chien? Or this subdivision? Yes, incrementally,
yes because there will be more lots here.
Thornberry/That intersection I think is on our-
Franklin/On our CIP list.
Thomberry/That is a bad bad intersection .... North Dodge/Prairie du Chien comer, we
are going to have to address that sooner than later.
Lehman/I was just told JCCOG gave money for that project ....
Thornberry/
Norton/
Thornberry/I think we have already addressed... That intersection has got to be really
really done more quickly ....
Franklin/
e. Consider a resolution approving a preliminary plat of Country Club Estates First
Addition, a 10.82 acre 21-1or residential subdivision located at the west terminus of
Phoenix Drive. (SUB98-0011)
Franklin/Resolution approving the preliminary plat of Country Club Estates. Late this
afternoon, we found from the developer... asking for a deferral of this for two
weeks .... There is an issue of an easement that was granted some years ago when
Frank Eicher owned the property which this plat gets right in the way of... may
need to be some redesign.
Kubby/Part of the discussion was about doing a small little part.. of this development...
pledged... we don't want to do this incremental stuff. We want to see the whole
thing... Why don't we just say we want you to wait until you have the whole
thing planned? .... You have to have a concept plan for the whole thing.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 4
Franklin/We certainly made that very strong suggestion.. We are continuing to work
with this developer who doesn't have a lot of experience in Iowa City... Mike
Spear. I think his family has done development in Davenport.
Norton/I share Karen's concern because there are sewer problems... road problems...
That whole thing needs to be looked at pretty comprehensively.
Franklin/What his response to that was he would like to subdivide these few lots to get
some income so he can keep this thing going. That is an understandable thing ....
However, before it goes any further, we need to get this all worked through and
we have made that very clear to him.
Kubby/Do we have the ability, if he comes in with another small section of this, to say
no, you have to come in with a concept plan? .....
Franklin/I think we do ....Aliquot part ....I am not sure what the legal ground is that we
would be on.
Dilkes/I think some of the discussion .... Connection with rezonings... different .... If you
have got infrastructure issues, we have got some leeway ....
Franklin/And we do have some infrastructure issues here that has to do with access as
well as the sewer ....A lot of the remainder of what was Southwest Estates... is
zoned ID-RS and so we definitely have the ability with the rezoning to say wait,
you need to do the whole thing .... At this point we want to defer this for two
weeks until we get his easement issue resolved.
Vanderhoef/The sewer thing... lift station... Whose responsibility would that lift station
be?
Franklin/There is a lift station that generally serves this area that is for the land fill ....
When we moved the growth area west to include the area up to the alignment of
965, the question .... You have to serve that with a lift station which presumable...
public lift station for that larger area .... As well as property west of Slothower
Road to 965 .... When we expanded the growth area to 965, we took on that
obligation to provide municipal sewer there. There will be a municipal lif~ station.
Now at what point we do that... program that to size it sufficiently to handle this
entire area will be part of your capital improvements decision making.
Norton/The lift station is needed for this part ....
Franklin/ .... previously because this was already in the City of Iowa City... to develop
the Southwest comer... would require a... private lift station. However, since we
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 5
are going to be serving a larger area, by extension of the growth area, it makes
sense to have one lift station that is large enough to do the whole thing ....
Vanderhoef/If council chose not to go forward with the lift station... Could Country
Club Estates still put in their own small lift station? .....
Franklin/They could.
Kubby/Would our municipal lift station be subject to a tap on fee?
Franklin/Sure.
Kubby/Will there be any RS-5 zoned area left if we go ahead with this one?
Franklin/Yes.
Kubby/
Franklin/
Kubby/... they could come in with another small section .... It is zoned ....
Franklin/But then the access questions come into play and I think we have made it very
clear to Mike that it is necessary for him... work on getting a good plan done for
the remainder of the property ....
f. Consider a resolution approving a preliminary and final plat of a Resubdivision of
Lot 53 of Walden Hills, an 8.33 acre, 4-1ot residential subdivision located at the
northwest corner of Rohret Road and Shannon Drive. (SUB98-0019)
Franklin/A resolution approving a preliminary and final plat of resubdivision of lot 53,
Walden Hills. This is the property that Burn's housing for the elderly project is
on ....Dividing up ... Lot 53 into four lots... for financing purposes ....Under the
obligation of OPDH... approved for this property... see the same thing .... Will be
some lot lines here... concerns... reciprocal easements and the ability to get
across property and that is taken care of.
Kubby/...neighbors .... Still go through Housing and Inspection ....
Franklin/That is fight, that is the zoning on it.
Vanderhoef/So where is the connecting drive? ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 6
Franklin/(Refers to plat map) .....Maybe if I show you the building plan ....
Vanderhoef/
Franklin/(Refers to building plan and plat map). That was the easement that gets you this
drive right here... this one comes right off of here ....
Norton/Has lot lines been adjusted so they get the fight parking on each one?
Franklin/Yes because you have to have the parking on the lot otherwise you have to go
to the Board of Adjustment.
g. Consider a motion to forward a letter to the Johnson County Board of
Supervisors recommending that a request to rezone 15.0 acres of property from
Rural (A1) to Planned Commercial (CP-2), for property located along the south side
of Interstate-80, west of its interchange with Herbert Hoover Highway, be denied.
(CZ9836)
Franklin/Send a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors recommending that a
request to rezone 15 acres from A1 to CP2 be denied. This is property on the
Herbert Hoover Highway... This is an issue .... Debate about... whether it was
appropriate to rezone that property right at the interchange for commercial. The
City's recommendation was not to rezone it to commercial, the county did
anyway .... We will see how this one comes out.
Vanderhoef/
Thornberry/What would be the appropriate zoning for land around an intersection?
Franklin/The Fringe Agreement states that the land in Fringe Area b, outside of the city' s
growth area should be agricultural. I do not believe that every intersection of
arterials and freeways should be commercial and the Fringe Agreement .... Came
to that conclusion also .... That where commercial development would take place
in the county .... Is in areas that are currently zoned commercial or around the
interchange of Highway 1 and 2 18 and that it should be in the city.
Champion/
Franklin/
Norton/
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 7
Franklin/It would also be within the corporate limits .... Whether it should happen out in
the county... So far our policy has been it should happen within the city.
Lehman/...staff report ....Fair amount of what has already been rezoned has not been
developed.
Franklin/Yes, that is kind of an aside that this additional commercial zoning...
questionable as to whether it would be successful ....
Thornberry/If someone were to want to grow a tree farm... Would that be agricultural.'?
Franklin/That would be agricultural.
Norton/
h. Consifter a resolution adopting a schedule of fees for Planning & Zoning and
Board of Adjustment applications.
Franklin/Consider a resolution adopting a schedule of fees for P/Z and Board of
Adjustment applications. This grows out of discussion .... Increased notification
and increasing the fees .... The fees reflect a $25 increase except for vacations
which is $35 .... Schedule in your packet.
Vanderhoef/I like the ...annual adjustment ....
Franklin/The decision on these fees...early 80's .... city would not expect to cover the
full cost of processing development applications but would subsidize that to a
point... So these fees are an approximation and not even close to what it costs to
take something through the whole process ....
Thornberry/How does this relate to Coralville?
Norton/Can you give us any comparison fees?
Franklin/I could but I can't right off the top of my head ....Something that you all said
yes to when we were doing the notification process.
Kubby/
Thornberry I would really like to know how we compare with our neighbors.
Franklin/I am sure we charge more than our neighbors.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 8
Kubby/When we did that thing on permits, Coralville was higher than Iowa City on
building permits and stuff....
Franklin/I think we are on development applications though.
Thomberry/I am sure Karin will have it for us before tomorrow night.
Franklin/Absolutely ....
Lehman/
Franklin/I am done.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 9
Review Agenda Items 98-99 S1
1. Kubby/(Agenda #8 Repealing Design Review Committee) I had one, the resolution
about the Design Review Committee, negating that committee and making it a
staff committee.
Franklin/That is later on the agenda.
Norton/That is tonight, later.
2. (Agenda #10 Landfill Scale House and Recycle Center) Norton/There is one on the
Scale House thing .... I just want to be sure we have our ducks all together here. I
am sure we do but I want to ask how we stand on this because we are getting into
some substantial operating costs for recycling center, for hazardous waste facility.
Are we not? Both in terms of capital and operating, are these all to be handled out
of fees?
Atkins/Right, all out of landfill fees .... One of the original thoughts was to build this
hazardous waste facility at the old Public Works site, then we moved to plans to
put it on the new Public Works site. I never sensed on the part of council that you
didn't want to do it .... Department of Public Works had indicated... by putting it
at the land fill, that it was more naturally suited for that particular environment ....
Most important thing is that it could be staffed without any additional hiring any
additional people .... I have no trouble if you want to kind of back off, bring it
back to a work session. I would like some authorization to do some sketches...
get a feel for the project. The only reservation that I have is that it is too far out on
Melrose Avenue .... I don't really know the answer for that.
Lehman/...we can build a fantastic facility but if people don't use it .... It doesn't do any
good ....Our call ....Would they be more inclined to use one that would be
located closer in ....I have a question. I understand the economics and having the
people there...
Atkins/If you have reservations, I think you are better off....
Norton/I just haven't seen the figures ....They are not going to pay for themselves I take
it.
Atkins/I sense enough minor consternation, we ought to bring it back. Let's do some
sketches for you .... It cannot be located on the current Public Works site .... You
are going to have to expect it to be at the new Public Works site ....Riverside
Drive address ....
Kubby/Do we do any kind of surveying .... Which of the two sites ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 10
Atkins/We know the people we had appointments with over the last couple of toxic
waste days, we could send a survey out to them. Why don't you postpone it
tonight night.
Norton/...I want more info-
Lehman/Steve, when you look at it again... those hazardous waste pick up days .... Once
a year ....It would appear to me... if...drop off site that was available Saturday
mornings ....
Vanderhoef/I don't see either location being real convenient ....
Lehman/
Atkins/Tomorrow night plan to defer it and I will... bring it back with some sketches ....
Kubby/The other issue .... $175,000 to design this... outrageous ....This is a little
expanded function .... I would like the expansion of the function... educational
tool and as a model ....Use solar and wind power... I wonder... City Architect...
be part of designing this?
Atkins/I have heard enough questions .... We will bring it back to you.
Lehman/Are there other agenda comments?
3. Norton/Are we going to talk NCS expansion later on?
Lehman/Yes.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 11
College Street Traffic Calming 98-99 S1
Lehman/Let's move onto the College Street traffic calming.
Kubby/We don't have any pictures ....
Ripley/Pictures like visual pictures or pictures like diagrams? Here is the diagram... Last
fall we were contacted by folks in the 1000 and 1100 blocks of College with
concerns about speed and volume up and down their street .... We have a
process .... Traffic studies... meetings .... Consensus .... Neighborhood survey ....
Things come to you folks for a decision ....
The proposal started out with the College Street issue .... Anything we did on
College Street we would have to mirror on Washington Street .... Given the traffic
volumes on College Street were higher than on Washington .... Put the
neighborhoods together .... The proposal calls for two traffic circles... intersection
of Summit and College... one at intersection of Washington and Summit .... Then
in the middle of each block between Summit and Muscatine there would be a
short boulevard ....Elongated circle ....We did a survey... 117 surveys, we got 27
of them back ....Response rate of 24% ....77 of the 117 were non-s.f. residents ....
The neighborhood .... Owner occupied homes are far more involved in what is
going on with the neighborhood ..... If you so choose to install them, it would go
through the rest of the process ....Follow up survey ....Then be brought back to
you. The intent was to have something installed this fall if you so choose .... I
don't know if that is going to be possible ....City Engineer ....Cost would be less
than $10,000 to install all four devices ....
Lehman/Are those asphalt?
Ripley/They would initially be temporary with asphalt .... Rolled curb ....
Thornberry/There is parking on both sides of the street on College Street?
Ripley/It is currently a calendar parking system ....
Thornberry/On Summit Street there is parking on both sides?
Ripley/On Summit Street, no, I believe it is also calendar.
Champion/No, west side.
Thomberry/That is fairly narrow... How fast does traffic go on Summit Street?
Champion/
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 12
Thomberry/We are talking about the comer of College and Summit and we are talking
about comer of Summit and Washington.
Champion/
Thomberry/
Ripley/Curbs will be mountable .... 6 inches at its maximum height ....
Vanderhoef/How many parking places are you removing from the streets and how many
driveways are you interfering with those traffic circles?
Ripley/We are not interfering with the driveways. The exact number of parking spaces I
don't know yet.
Thornberry/...can't park in front of my house.
Norton/How did you decide... on the traffic ovals, the mid-block ones? .... They are
usually combined with stop signs ....
Ripley/...Actually all stop signs are removed.
Norton/...Why the ones in the mid-block?
Ripley/The intent... hill and distance between Summit and Muscatine... 1100 feet .... We wanted something to interact with folks in the middle of the block ....
Vanderhoef/...what would happen if we only did four-way stops at Summit and
Washington and Summit and College?
Ripley/ ....probably nothing.
Vanderhoef/...you did a traffic study on College .... Tell me again what the speeds were
on those sections .....
Ripley/On College .... 32 mph and on Washington they were a little lower... 29 to 30
range.
Norton/
O'Donnell/That is not bad at all.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 13
Norton/
O'Donnell/Seems to me that this would be very difficult to negotiate in bad weather .....
with cars parked right there.
Ripley/It would require additional caution which is one of the intents ....To require more
caution.
(All talking).
Lehman/One at a time.
Champion/I am the only one- The reason I am not really really for this is because I
thought the number of people who wanted it was really minimal.
Vanderhoef/I agree.
Kubby/Timing of the survey.
Thornberry/...these are city streets. They are to move traffic.
Norton/We set the guidelines .... Majority of the respondents ....I wish it had been
clearer ....
Kubby/What were the other options that we presented?
Ripley/We also presented to them chicanes in the mid-block. They are kind of a half
moon on one side of the road ....
Thornberry/...What is the reason for wanting to put these things in the middle of the
block?
Ripley/There were two different concems voiced to us by the neighborhood... amount of
traffic .... They would like to see the traffic that is cutting through the
neighborhood be diverted to arterial street system. The other issue was speed.
Kubby/We have a process that we all approved of.... It is not a collected street either ....
Ripley/Collector streets are part of the process as well ....Carrying collector street level
traffic.
Lehman/
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 14
Ripley/ ....We presented two real options... played around within those options.
Kubby/
Norton/I think we need to try... recheck with these people .... Where else to they
park? .....
Vanderhoef/I drove through that alley you couldn't pass another car in that alley ....
Kubby/There is a lot of residential on-street parking on College Street ....
Vanderhoef/
Norton/Aren't there stop signs now on Summit and College?
Champion/Right ....
Ripley/
Norton/... circle is not that hard to deal with ....
Kubby/I would feel most comfortable if we re-surveyed ....
Champion/
Vanderhoef/My first choice would be to look at the four-way stop there if we have to.
Norton/Why not re-survey this option and see?
Kubby/We have been told that four-way stops will not take care of the speed issue.
O'Donnell/I don't think the speed is extreme.
Kubby/But it is within the guidelines of the process that we set up.
O'Donnell/How many people responded?
Ripley/27 ....I have since gotten a few more phone calls ....
Lehman/Would it be fair to re-poll those folks? .....That this is what has been
proposed ....
Norton/Also indicate, for example, how many parking spaces are lost ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 15
Vanderhoef/And how that impacts the neighborhood as far as parking ..... This is not
representative.
Kubby/
Thornberry/
Lehman/ .... important... Are we going to be willing to accept-
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-99 SIDE 2
Lehman/30 responses .... There are folks who rent... You may be hearing from the
majority of the folks along the property there .....So if we had 30 responses and
20 of them want this, is that a majority?
Thornberry/
Norton/...consider the possibility of those islands... see if they can comment on that
separately.
Ripley/
Kubby ......re-survey.
Thornberry/
Atkins/I think the consensus is we would like to survey .....
Champion/
Vanderhoef/...want... re-survey so that we have an accurate count.
O'Donnell/I think you need put on that exactly how many parking spots are going to be
lost.
Ripley/I can try to calculate that. It would be a little difficult .... In residential areas they
are not painted or marked ....Hard to judge... There may be plus or minus ....
Concerns ....
Lehman/All right, we are going to re-survey .... We will continue the discussion.
Kubby/Are we giving people options? .... giving people choices ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 16
O'Donnell/He said the circles don't work... You said they are not as effective ....
Ripley/From the point of speeds going down the hill and up the hill ..... The intersection
circles will not affect that, no but it may reduce some of the traffic ....
Norton/
Ripley/Just for my own clarification, I am going to re-survey with the number of spaces
lost indicated also. Is there a number that I do not come back to you with?
Lehman/No, no, come back with whatever you get. I believe you should include this
with the survey.
Ripley/Oh, that is part of the survey ....
Lehman/Thank you.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 17
South Gilbert Street Corridor 98-99 S2
Lehman/
Davidson/Last winter you directed us to conduct a design plan study of the S. Gilbert
Street Corridor between Benton Street and Stevens Drive and we are here this
evening to present the preliminary results of that study ..... Our man focus in
looking at altematives for this corridor has been to improve safety. We have a
higher accident rate in this corridor than we find typically on arterial streets ....
High accident area .... Try and find a strategy that will reduce the number of
people being injured and the amount of property damage occurring in this
corridor... This is a... heavily traveled corridor and one that is increasing in
traffic volume .... Another factor... to keep traffic moving not only safely but as
efficiently as we can .... We also want to continue to have this be a successful
commercial corridor and continue to provide full access to all commercial
properties including those south of Highway 6 .... It is specifically our intention to
those properties as well to continue to provide full... access.
We have six alternatives for you to look at .... We have emphasized to
everyone .... Unfortunately with a project of this scale there is nothing that we can
do that doesn't affect someone .... All six of the altematives in varying degrees
affect private property .... Have to be some private property acquisition to do any
of these .... This is not a particularly unusual situation .... The alternatives that you
will see this evening, we have tried... to accommodate all modes of
transportation, including pedestrians and bicycles... improved sidewalk system ....
Interest in where you intent to go from here. What we are looking for from you is
some direction based on what you see tonight... short presentation. A sort of
where you want to go .... We just simply want to know what direction you want to
head .... The consultant is wrapping up their work. They will be producing a final
report for us ....Detail all of the analysis ....The information you have tonight is
fairly brief.... We did have a p.h. tonight ....Had a very good meeting... got some
very good comments .... Still a perception that we need to do something in the
corridor and people are concerned about what that might be .... The consultant,
Tom Stout of Stanley Consultants will be making a brief presentation ....
Thomberry/... compliment... changing the light pattem on comer of Gilbert and
Kirkwood... Thank you .... Made a big difference.
Davidson/That was an experiment that didn't work .... We wanted to improve the ability
to make left tums there. We just did not enough capacity left in that one
remaining lane... We put it back the way it was, it works a lot better ....You can
go through on both lanes now.
Thomberry/... seems to be working fairly well.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 18
Davidson/It is working much better. We are keeping track of the accidents... We do
have some other CIP, specifically a traffic signal at Benton and Gilbert and some
intersection improvements at Highway 6 intersection that we are kind of holding
off on until we see what you want to do in this corridor .....
Norton/...you alluded briefly to south of Highway 6 .... We are talking noah of Highway
67
Davidson/We are talking tonight... about the corridor between Stevens Drive and
Benton Street .... All the way down to Southgate .... Tom will go through what
some of the elements of the six proposals are .....
Kubby/Was anyone from council at the p.h. this afiemoon?
Lehman/
Tom Stout/ .... We prepared for our p.h .... John Sales and I from Stanley met with about
30 of the businesses in the corridor. We generally didn't try to meet with every
single business .... We want to be sure .... We met with them... presentation...
why we were doing the study... pointing out very carefully... If we do anything,
we are going to impact somebody .... Presented the existing situation ....
The first three alternatives that we are presenting are real similar in that they all
widen South Gilbert Street .... Concept #1 we widen on both sides about an equal
amount. The only building that is directly impacted is Aero Rental ..... looked at
impacts... We have an evaluation matrix in your handout ....
Lehman/How much of an impact on Aero Rental Building?
Stout/The portion red is the part that we would have to be taking.
Lehman/
Stout/I think it is about 15 feet .....
Vanderhoef/How many places, particularly the east side, will totally lose parking?
Stout/A good number of them... Pleasant Valley Nursery will lose more space...
University Stores Building, Nagle Lumber, they will all lose some parking
space .... Anything we do that has anything to do with Gilbert Street... gets into
his building .... (Refers to maps) ..... Hills Bank loses some circulation .... Might
lose some parking... We put in double left turn lanes on north bound to south
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 19
bound at Highway 6 ..... same for all of them... We have the median provided
(refers to map) to what is currently the exit at Hills Bank... We also provide a
median here at Highland ....
Kubby/How does someone get into Carlos O'Kelly's parking lot?
Stout/ ....we have been talking about... discussing... basically close Waterfront, get an
easement across Carlos O'Kelly's... to create a new street here... a new four
way... entrance to Hills bank would be improved as part of the project ....
Changed to be an entrance and an exit .... (Refers to map) .... Several businesses
in here that would be impacted .... We can't do anything in here without
impacting someone.
Vanderhoef/...you said possibly making another road... How does it work if you have a
fifth lane... still have two lanes going forward .... ?
Stout/
Vanderhoef/But having a break in the median with stacking behind it.
Stout/Problem... it depends entirely on the goodwill of the drivers... then you get
aggression... Not really in favor of those.
Thornberry/ ....They pull up and block the intersection ....
O'Donnell/How are you getting into Cormtry Kitchen on this one?
Stout/Right now .... There would be a driveway/street across Carlos O'Kelly's up to
what remains of Waterfront (refers to map) ....
Kubby/What are the downsides of shortening that median all the way up to Waterfront
Drive? ....
Stout/You have serious conflicts with people trying to turn left across that .... (refers to
map). It makes a difference... 10-30% reduction in the capacity of left turn lane if
you break it.
Thornberry/There are other options here, right?
Stout/Not really.
Thomberry/
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 20
Norton/...thing you are just talking about is not detailed yet.
Stout/
Davidson/What we have been telling folks is that to get where you guys are going with
your discussion here is the next level of analysis .... What we need to do is get
your authorization to sit down with those four properties ..... We know how much
parking everybody has now .... And we need to look at a complete re-figuration
with all the property owners participating with us... redesign the parking areas
and the access areas of those four properties ....Concerned ....If you want to go
ahead, that is what we will do .....
Stout/The next concept... difference here is we have between Kirkwood... (refers to
map) we have a two way left turn lane to provide access to the properties in that
area. Concept #2 in terms of impact to business properties .... Difference is that
we provided a continuous median, broken only at First Street and Second
Street .... For safety sake it is better. For access purposes it isn't as good ....
#3 is slightly different in that we took all of the widening to the east side... don't
impact Aero Rental at all .... (refers to map) .... No difference in this to the south
of Highway 6 ..... This has a little bit less of an impact in terms of trees and
parking .... Takes fight up to the building face... they have no parking .... We are
impacting the sewing shop here, the package and book store .... Having some
parking lot impact on all of these folks. These three (refers to map) .... Two way
left tum lane... in those 2 ½ blocks. They are very similar in everything they do.
Now we get into some differences here... Two alternatives with a one way pair.
On this one we would use the Crandic and Iowa Interstate RR r.o.w. between
Highland and Kirkwood... continuing Maiden Lane to form the northbound leg
on the one way pair. Gilbert Street coming south would be the south bound leg of
the one way pair .... This has no impact on any parking or buildings on Gilbert
Street north of Highway 6 ..... We can build this without having to widen the
street at all .... In all of these we are providing one four foot lane/sidewalk and one
eight foot sidewalk to accommodate bikes .... Buildings that we are impacting ....
This is Franz Construction... Pyramid Sales .... (refers to map) ....Crowded
Closet ....Johnson County Health Department .... Audio Odyssey .... He has ....A
permanent easement granted to this building for parking spaces .... This provides
three lanes in each direction .... Good circulation around each of these blocks...
require cooperation with the railroad .... Cost estimates include ....
Approximations .... We have to relocate their line here .... We have to relocate the
track... This wouldn't be possible... if they weren't relocating their interchange
to Homestead .... (Refers to map) ....If we didn't have this, then it wouldn't be
such a big deal ....Too many conflicts ....So we get into those buildings... We
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 21
have a little tum around here near Lafayette to bring traffic around ....Does get
into parking at Kennedy Plaza.
Champion/What side of the road are those railroad tracks on?
Stout/They are on the red side... east side ....It only crosses the railroad one up here ....
Norton/
Stout/The Crandic is one the east side of Maiden Lane fight up here .... Iowa Interstate is
on the west side of Gilbert Court when it goes up here (refers to map).
Lehman/How much does the bridge cost?
(All talking).
Stout/...I want to say something like $420,000 .... I forget the exact numbers ....
(All talking).
Stout/$420,000. This one is basically another one way pair... we don't use the RR r.o.w.
We come over and use Gilbert Court .... Put a cul de sac on Highland...
suggesting bringing in a fight tum access from Highway 6 .... DOT indicated they
are not real keen on that ....Conflicts ....Pluses of this is that we don't get onto
the issue of the railroad ....Pyramid... it can be relocated ....Other buildings we
get into is Bill's Rider Rental .... Audio Odyssey .... Plus the parking for these
folks... Dave Steve's Building... We would probably have to do something...
Saddlebrook Square .... Have to take part of that building off.... Rebuild this
bridge .... $420,000. We don't connect the streets through so circulation isn't
nearly as good ....
Lehman/I don't think anybody likes this one.
Stout/
Some people don't like it more than others don't like it. Part of our direction...
was to look at spot improvements, just the two intersections. So we looked at
Kirkwood and we looked at Highway 6 ..... We have double left turn lanes...
medians. Highland is fight in and fight out. We have the median coming up
here .... (refers to map) .... Wind up saving a whole block or so of paving by doing
this this way. We do provide left turn lanes in all four directions at Kirkwood. So
we have more capacity there ....
Vanderhoef/
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 22
Stout/It takes parking from the businesses ....On Kirkwood .... South side (refers to
map) ....
Vanderhoef/
Stout/We have provided .... Qualitative evaluation ..... looking at various acquisition
costs .... Lowest score is the one that has the best ratings .... (Refers to map) ....
Lose trees .... Street trees ....
Kubby/So the least number of trees being lost is 29?
Stout/Yes. And the greatest number being lost is 41 .... We looked at what we could see
as significant impacts and .... We felt that it was your job to decide what was the
most important .... This is just a way... looking at and comparing these.
O'Donnell/What is the number of parking spaces lost?
Stout/#1 rankling loses 31, 41, 49, 105, 147.
O'Donnell/
Lehman/This alternative shows an impact on Aero Rental's property. It also impacts...
Pleasant Valley, Nagle, University .... There is parking loss on those. In your
construction costs, did those include paying for lost parking?
Stout/That is included under acquisition costs .... Those are just construction...
Acquisition numbers will be in the final report .... They are penciled in up here.
We had our appraiser give us an estimate of all of the costs .... (refers to chart) ....
$1.6 million, $1.3 million, $1.2 million, $1.8 million, $1.7- and $1.4-
Vanderhoef/...comparing lost parking spaces .....
Thomberry/
Stout/The value of the parking space .... Was not included in the acquisition costs
because there is such a variability in the value you can put on a parking space
depending upon who has it.
Thomberry/Some can afford to lose more than others.
Kubby/...safety capacity issues .... Do we want to do one ways or do we want to try to
do improvements on that corridor directly? ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 23
Stout/We had our public meeting .... One of the things .... Provide kind of a synopsis of
some of the comments .... I did put together .... 14 that came out of tonight's
meeting ....Generally echo what we had heard before in our one on one
meetings ....Crisis Center... Kathleen Ferrel read a prepared statement... they are
not at all happy .... #4 takes off the back side of their building. They feel we
would put them out of business .... Irreparable harm ....They were expecting to
circulate behind the building ....That wouldn't be possible with a RR track
there .... They don't like having all of the traffic there .... They are really opposed
to both #4 and #5 ....
Kubby/
Stout/They feel they don't have enough hard data .... Johnson County Public Health
Department... They are opposed to these one way pairs .... They lose more
parking, they lose their storage building... They don't see a benefit for their
clientele for having this access .... More traffic .... Compete with.
Aero Rental... opposed to #1 & 2. Dwight Segrniller, Hills Bank doesn't like any
of the solutions with a median ....They are willing to work and try and resolve
this issue ....
Craig Welt... property owner .... Bookstore and shipping box place... #4... least
disruptive... #1-3 have bad affects for his tenants.
Clarence Hagen .... He said #4 looks good. Pip Printing... opposed to either of the
one way pairs ....
Kubby/Could you repeat Hagen' s feedback.
Stout/ .... Hagen likes #4 ..... #4 looks good. Pip Printing is opposed to ~4 & 5 .... Bill
Sheridan suggest making Dodge... two way ..... He would like to see an original
destination study .....want to know where people are going ..... Gary Fink from
the Conoco Station... concerned about negative impacts .... He has 3rd Street
access .....
Pleasant Valley Nursery... comments .... Prefer #4. Crowded Closet... called
me .... Just diametric opposite... they would like more traffic ..... They like #4, #5
is second .... A lot of it is strictly how badly the building is being impacted ....
O'Donnell/Was there anybody in favor of these medians?
Stout/I don't think so.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 24
Thornberry/I don't know how we can responsibility have a business and put a median
and tell them you can't get to it .....
O'Donnell/Robo and Country Kitchen... concessions... now we are going to make it
even more difficult to get there ....
Kubby/
O'Donnell/Yes.
Thornberry/I can see-
Stout/I have one more comment .... From Iowa Paint, he called ....He just doesn't like
any of the one ways ....
Thornberry/I mentioned two way Dodge several months ago ...... once Captain Ifish is
completed .... I think we ought to re-think that ......
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-100 SIDE 1
Norton/
Thomberry/I can see a fight tum only from Highland and a right turn from Gilbert onto
Highland.
Davidson/If there was a consensus of council to go after one of those two alternatives...
we would look at a design that tries to do that ....There would be some
difficulties.
Lehman/Jeff, I don't envision us being able to give you folks any sort of definitive
answer tonight. We probably can say yes we think .... We believe we have a
problem that has to be corrected ....I think there are a couple of altematives... are
some that could be eliminated .... I would suggest that we as a council eliminate
the ones that none of us or most of us have no interest in whatsoever .... I don't
feel, based on what we see here .... We are going to be able to tell you yes .... I
don't think we know that much yet.
Davidson/We really didn't expect that this evening .... Complicated issue.
Lehman/... a couple I am not interested in, the two one ways .... Toss them out...
Norton/It really changes the character when you have First, Second and Third open ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 25
Kubby/
Norton/
Vanderhoef/I spent a couple of hours down there yesterday... real possibilities...
upgrading .... Wondering .... The traffic carrying capacity, how this will change
using one way paired versus one way street and only adding a turn lane .... $1.5
million is a lot of dollars just to get some relief.... I would be more inclined of
looking out in the distance .... Necessary for that 20 year plan .... That area is
prime for a little redevelopment anyway.
Kubby/
Davidson/... traffic carrying capacity is a principle concem, one way pairs, can't be
beaten .... They work very very efficiently.
Vanderhoef/Do we anticipate any increase traffic carrying capacity on Gilbert Street? ....
Are we really going to be able to carry more cars?
Davidson/What inhibits Gilbert Street fight now is you don't have any room for left
turners. All of these improve that .... We have made projections for long range
traffic... capacity... going to be used up .... I am not so sure we will ever get to a
point where we say we will never need more.
Vanderhoef/When we build these artefials... has .... 25 year life .... Not sure that is a
wise use of a taxpayer dollar... I am leaning towards wanting more information
about the Maiden Lane.
Davidson/We will get that with the final report ....
Lehman/What sort of increase do you envision if there were a turn lane added to Gilbert
Street? ..... How much would that increase the capacity? ....
Davidson/I don't have the exact numbers .... It is a big capacity increase ....
Lehman/ .... If we decide this is something we want to do, I would like to see .... Would
last us for the next 10-15-20 years ....
Davidson/That is what we are talking ....
Lehman/Are the options that you are presenting able to accomplish that?
Davidson/Yes, they are.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 26
Lehman/The options, including the five lane, will accomplish that?
Davidson/Yes.
Lehman/
Norton/Could that five lane option... does that mean that it must be continuous? Could
you finesse the turn lane past the Aero Rental?
Davidson/It also requires some reconfiguration of driveways ....
Norton/How about finessing some of the sidewalks space to keep from taking so much
parking away?
Kubby/We have a lot of pedestrians in that area ....
Davidson/That is a design issue ....Used our adopted design criteria ....Of course it is
possible to back off of them.
Norton/I am trying to trade the loss of parking for double sidewalks ....
Stout/
Champion/If we are going to put left turn lanes .... If we take away the parking in front
of these businesses, I don't think we are going to need those left tum lanes .....
Thornberry/... I have lived down there for years and the people that have businesses live
there every single day .... You can't get a handle on it in three hours .... Connie...
if you eliminate any parking on the east side of Gilbert Street, you are not going
to need the turn left.
Kubby/
Thornberry/There are alternatives .... Build another noah south corridor so that people
can get north and south other than on Gilbert Street .... I don't think I want to see
Gilbert Street one way ....Don't want to see it widened to impact those businesses
into extinction .....
Davidson/We are trying to see where you want to go with this .....
Kubby/There are some safety issues here .... Obligation to do something. What are the
plans .... Non-conforming if we take away their parking? ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 27
Davidson/There are occasionally opportunities to recon~gure parking when you have a
project like this .... I am sure there are many businesses along this corridor now
that are not in compliance with the zoning ordinance with respect to parking ....
Increasing that non-conformity.
Norton/
Davidson/The thing about so called spot improvements .... They are just not all that
spotty .... Practically linear improvements ....
Champion/Ernie, I don't think I am ready to make a decision.
Lehman/We need to come to- I believe sooner or later S. Gilbert Street is going to
require some improvement ..... We can bite the bullet ....Somebody is going to
have to wrestle with this thing ....Whatever we do is going to impact
businesses .....I would like to see ....What the impact really is on the options that
make Gilbert into a five lane ....
Davidson/...The consultant has that information .... Let us reproduce that for you,
showing you property by property what the impacts are.
Kubby/On a map ....
Norton/
(All talking).
Thornberry/
Norton/ ....#1 and #3 ....
(All talking).
Davidson/They all have a median at the intersection.
Norton/I think #1 & 3 are the two we are still allowing.
Lehman/
Davidson/So for Alternatives #1 & #3 we will give you the specifics for each property
on what the impacts are, property acquisition, parking, trees, everything that we
have got the information for.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 28
Kubby/Seems like there is not support... that we don't want to have the cul de sac ....
Davidson/That is fine ....
Kubby/
Davidson/The information that we are giving you for #1 & #3, do you want that for any
other alternatives? You seem to be kind of throwing #2 out.
Lehman/#1 & 3 I would like to see more information on .... We have not decided we are
going to do anything ....
Vanderhoef/...I would go #1 & 4.
Champion/I would like to look more at #4.
Vanderhoef/Without the cul de sac.
Lehman/...I am not interested... property acquisition costs ....
(All talking).
O'Donnell/I am not interested in #4.
Davidson/So is there a majority not in favor of#4?
Lehman/
(All talking).
Champion/To me it has kind of appeal... access better .....
(All talking).
Lehman/We need to give these folks an idea of which ones we might be interested in
taking a longer look at .... #1 deserves more attention ....
Davidson/#1 is the widening on both sides of Gilbert Street .....#3 was the widening all
on the east side .....
(All talking).
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 29
Champion/There won't be any parking... There won't be any businesses left.
Lehman/#1 & #3... way those two... biggest impact .... Very similar.
Davidson/We will look at #1 & #3.
Lehman/#2 is gone.
Davidson/Either of the one ways?
Lehman/I didn't hear a majority for either of the one ways.
Norton/Has anybody looked at ..... extending Maiden Lane all the way through to the
Highway?
Stout/DOT... aren't keen ....
Lehman/...no way that the one way is going to access .... Is going to be a neat little
intersection... problems with the one ways ....
Vanderhoef/
Stout/There is a way to design it ..... DOT has indicated they are not real keep on having
the access to Highway 6 ..... concerns about it.
Davidson/ .... If you landed on wanting that, we could get it through .... These days ....
They are not going to say no.
O'Donnell/How much parking is lost on this one?
Lehman/We are going to look at these closer.
O'Donnell/
Lehman/We have eliminated the plan that has a median going between Kirkwood and
Highway 6. We agree we don't want that.
O'Donnell/
Lehman/
Davidson/...you can decide later .... Is there four votes for #4?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 30
Kubby/I don't want to eliminate it yet.
Lehman/A minor look at #4 ....
Davidson/I would like one more thing from you tonight ..... When do you want us to
bring that information back to you?
Lehman/
Davidson/A month.
Champion/What I need .... I need the long term road plan, the little map ....
Davidson/I will get you a copy of the arterial street plan.
Champion/
Lehman/I got one more announcement... School Board election at 8.49% turn out.
Johnson was the #1 vote getter... Goodlaxon, 2nd .... Allen, 3rd ....Galer ....
Thrams ....
[Council Break]
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 31
Iowa Avenue Parking Garage 98-100 S1
Lehman/Kevin-
Kevin Monson/We have been working on a project for the improvement of the Iowa
Avenue Parking .... We feel it is a very critical part of the redevelopment of the
downtown ..... We have been working on the design since the first of June ....
Interactive design sessions .... Invited folks from the Senior Center, Ecumenical
Towers, University of Iowa, Johnson County, DTA, Chamber .... Building
owners .... Some of the goals that we were given for the project were... maximize
the number of parking spaces on the site .... After running through... six different
concepts... got a very clear cut opinion... Eastlawn... preferred site for a number
of reasons... lowered the profile of the ramp... eased the circulation... double
helix system .... With that, by having the longer block .... Really made a much
simpler and preferred parking .... Another criteria .... To utilized the street level
frontage .... Make it very lively with commercial and retail .... At street level...
Allow for the street to be alive and active... extended the viability of our
downtown .... Strengthen the private and public potential with this site .... Want it
to look different than our present parking structures .... Needed to have an urban
character... design this building using masonry .... Parking was an issue... private
parking for Ecumenical Towers... They want it to be secure .... Ecumenical
Towers concerned about the neighbor being a parking structure ....
Design concept... review... with you. This is the ground level of our parking
structure. Linn Street is on the left... Commercial along Linn Street as well
...around of perimeter .... Primary entrance point here .... Three lanes out... at
mid-block of Iowa Avenue. So we have potential for commercial here ....
Replacement of the Cottage Bakery... willing and anxious participant... Also
working with the Harmon Building .... Also showing a parking office .... Also
potential for development... along Iowa Avenue and Gilbert Street .... Need for
private and secure parking for Ecumenical Towers... achieved... private entrance
off of Gilbert Street... street level... secure ....
The major feature of the parking ramp .... Having a light well down the center of
the building ....Fresh air and light throughout the deck... Two major entrances
and elevator ....Entrance and exit... onto Linn Street... also center block on
Gilbert Street ....That is the first floor of the main grade level ....
This is the lower level which is partially developed ....Ecumenical... simply
parking system... light core... means of storing snow ....Light core would also
have some landscaped areas .... Becomes a very nice place. Parking... 54 spaces
at this level, secure parking... elevator... up to grade ....Slope of alley ....Private
elevator... Also have access to them through a door .... Gates would be secure...
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 32
advantage of having covered parking... improved parking... Also have on the
comer a basement for commercial area ....
Going up through the deck, this is the upper level now, one level above grade. On
Linn Street... open ....Cottage is actually thinking of using grade plus a
mezzanine level ....Second level would be open for private development ....
Bridge connection to the Senior Center .... Over the alley .... That bridge could
connect to the mezzanine level of the Senior Center .... Also we have commercial
space, again, on Linn Street .... Very important issue for security and very just the
appearance and use of the parking structure.
Showing, in this concept, parking at an angle .... could use straight or
perpendicular parking as well .... Give you the option. Other levels of the deck
basically repeat this plan .... Don't have the commercial. Let me show you a
section of the ramp... cross section through the ramp .... Double helix .... Making
2 ½ revolutions to get up and the reverse cycle coming down .... One way .... Very
simple and very straight forward .... See the area where the Cottage might be
relocated .... Then we have the Senior Center expansion .... The parking structure
is actually set back from Linn Street .... Relate to the comice line of the building
heights .... Dominate on Linn Street. So that is some of the plans. I would like to
show you what the ramp looks like ....
Thornberry/What is the height of the top?
Monson/This is 680 .... 44 feet to the upper deck .... Structure looks like a 48 foot tall
structure on Linn Street .... Looks like a one story taller building on Gilbert Street.
Kubby/ .... Possibility of having some apartments above and where would that be? ....
Monson/We looked at that possibility .... On east end of the structure... drew up some
ideas... more we thought that wasn't too viable because of the interaction and
need for elevator and stair access .... Number of units that we're getting and the
cost... and impact to the neighborhood, we really didn't think it fit very well ....
Backed off of that concept .... It was going to have to be a private development ....
Didn't seem like there was a whole lot of support...
Kubby/
Monson/There was concern from Ecumenical Towers for structure blocking their access
to light and air... Also concern about the cost of the development .... (refers to
plans) .... It didn't feel very good scale-wise. It was a difficult thing to integrate
with the structure .... We could show you the exterior... make it look less like a
parking structure and more like an urban center .... Linn Street facade of the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 33
structure .... We have retail spaces along Linn Street .... Galleria entrance .... Two
story entrance .... Influences of old city hall .... Clock mechanism for city hall...
unique .... One of only a few in the country... Look at that as becoming a symbol
for the parking ramp and to also re-use part of the historical fabric of our city ....
Reinforce the edge of our city ....Taking cues from the existing architecture...
See a lot of brick buildings ....Nice detailing of brick and stone... upper level...
parking structure .... Provide a covered dormer .... Covers that setback .... We are
not creating old architecture .... Modern but sympathetic to the core values...
heritage ....This would be open air... upper deck is actually open air... clock
tower here ....Visible from the entrance gallery space.
Next slide, this is a view of Iowa Avenue .... We wanted to break the scale of this
building up .... make this feel more like what the City of Iowa City was at the time
of city hall... broken the scale of the building down with street fronts ....
Replacement for the Harmon Building... cornice line reinforcing the entire
structure... Entrance to the parking ramp... openings... open air so we get fresh
air into the parking structure... fresh air ramp ....Windows are detailed ....Fresh
air openings... fabric grill ....
Thornberry/Is there fabric that the birds wouldn't be able to get into?
Monson/It possibility could be .... Impossible to keep them totally out .... We also looked
at these areas... public art project...screened ....That is the entrance portion of the
ramp and these are the three exit portions ....Parking office... commercial here...
tying all of these store fronts together .... Cornice line is a modern rendition of the
copper cornice that we see all over downtown Iowa City .... Historic kind of feel
of the city .... Metal... a bit of lighting... light glowing cornice .... Important
place... tying this all together is a comice line that really enlivens the building...
also have some reflectivity .... Also has a purpose ....
Kubby/
Monson/We had a number of different renditions... this is really the best of all ....Tried
some different things on with city staff.... Does fit the bill ....
Kubby/I am not for this project but this is really well thought out ....
Monson/I was hoping to get a yes vote out of you, Karen. I am working really hard on
that. Next slide ....
This is the Gilbert Street elevation... central kind of access point... taken a
remnant of Eastlawn .... Lifted that and reset that into our building... important ....
Businesses along the street... This is the entrance for the Ecumenical Towers ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 34
Some concem .... Of how Gilbert Street... how would we get in .... Also get in by
simple left-hand tum if you made the loop... Alley is very steep... not a very
friendly space .... By putting it on Gilbert Street, it should be very easy to get in
and out for those folks .... Alley .... Scale of the building... rhythm of the
opening... reminiscent of our historic structures... modern rendition of that.
Kubby/
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-100 SIDE 2
Kubby/We need to make sure that we sign it appropriately ....
Monson/Back up one slide .... Too far back .... I think that is a very important idea ....
Because of these canopies .... Openings... We could have something that is very
important to show you that this is a parking structure .... To help... We don't want
this to look so much like an urban building that you can't find the parking
structure in downtown .... I think we have the opportunity to say that this is a
parking structure without screaming at you .....
Norton/A little neon sign ....
Monson/So that is the plans that we have been developing.
Norton/Could you return to the Gilbert Street elevation?
Monson/Sure .... Gilbert.
Norton/How high would Eastlawn be if it were superimposed? What would be the
vertical height? ....
Monson/Eastlawn is kind of built on the berm and we have removed the berm... fairly
close to this level right in here.
Norton/
Monson/We have reduced the berm .... We have heard people say why would you put
commercial in that part of town .... If you have 600 cars parked in your backdoor,
where else would you have that great of opportunity in downtown Iowa City ....
Very viable... lot of interest in it.
Norton/Does that change the grade of the alley? ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 35
Monson/It potentially could .... We don't need to change the slope of the alley to build
the structure .... It would impact on a couple of the businesses ....
Lehman/
Monson/We have overhead power .... Issues ....
Champion/Do you have a picture of the alley side?
Monson/We do. I don't have it on slide but I do have it here.
Champion/I think it is absolutely gorgeous .... Question... Why would you put the
parking offices on the Gilbert Street side? .....
Monson/They didn't want to be that close .... Actually it was a very small space and it fit
their program needs very well .... Good place for them to control... Could have a
cashier station within the office ....This is the alley elevation as you would see it
from Ecumenical Towers .... Cottage Bakery portion here .... Bridge ....This
would be the Ecumenical Towers access to their lower level parking .... Parking
deck kind of slopes .... At the entrance we keep this open .... Much simpler and
toned down view because it is on the alley ....
Thomberry/
Monson/
Norton/
Monson/
Kubby/...people... have they been able to see the results of their input?
Monson/They were a part of the decision making process .... Six concepts... They have
not seen the exterior expressions of the building ....City staff has seen a number
of generations of those ....
Vanderhoef/
Thornberry/
Monson/ .... These are our cost projections for the project. The parking facility portion of
it ....598 cars.. perpendicular ....556 if you use angle parking .....We have the
space to do either one ....Cost of the ramp doesn't change ....Get the most bang
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 36
for your car if you use the perpendicular .... That is the cost of construction
including the 5% contingency and design fees, testing services .... $8.25 million
for the parking structure itself. Then we have commercial facilities including
spaces for the parking offices, potential for expansion of the Senior Center,
replacement of the Cottage Bakery space and also the Harmon Building space .....
actually have... more commercial space .... We could actually increase the
amount of commercial we have open to development .... That commercial facility
adds up to about .... $7.6 million. So we have a total project cost of around $12
million, just under $12 million. An option would be this connection bridge to the
Senior Center. This doesn't include the land acquisition costs or demolition costs
of Eastlawn .... Still need to be factored in.
Vanderhoef/Does the commercial include the space for the Senior Center?
Monson/Yes .....
Kubby/ ....If we use parking revenue bonds to build this, can we condominimize ..... the
commercial.
Monson/I think I am done with my presentation.
Atkins/Kevin... The original plan was about 11,000 square feet of commercial and a 379
car .... We tripled the commercial and car count up by about 200.
Kubby/
Monson/It is very proportional to the original cost projections were and the original size
but it has been able to grow because of the availability of Eastlawn ... makes a
better parking structure.
Lehman/The cost per space if about the same?
Monson/Just slightly more but about the same .... Cost per space, if you use the 90
degree parking...600 cars .... About $12,000 to $13,000 a space ....
Kubby/Does that include the cost of the commercial?
Monson/No, that is parking ....
Vanderhoef/Do we have to have built in additional ventilation for that sub-basement?
Monson/We do have forced ventilation for the lower parking.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 37
Kubby/
Thomberry/That open space that comes down, is that covered on top?
Monson/No... needs to be fresh air coming through there.
Atkins/Okay .... We changed the name, Clock Tower Place and Parking ....
Norton/That is nice.
Atkins/...We have made the estimate of $12 million for project costs. We are assuming
$8.5 million in non-taxable parking revenue bond sale for a 30 year life and a $3.5
million taxable ten year bond ..... number of scenarios .... Senior Center space has
a price tag of about $.5 million... go to GO bond .... There are a slew of financial
issues ....Complex financial package to put together for you .... We tried one goal
going in- Can we finance this project without a rate increase? ....And we can't but
we believe that we can fashion it in the sense that it would be a minimal rate
increase and it wouldn't occur for several years out.
What I am showing you on this overhead is some of the factors to keep in mind...
policy questions that are outstanding. We know to build the project .... We have
made the assumption that Iowa Avenue meter revenue would go down by
$200,000 .... Iowa Avenue will be built as projected in the three phases... If Iowa
Avenue is built... loss of fine revenue by $50,000... fine revenue to the General
Fund from our parking system for a period of four years would have to go to help
finance this project ....
Norton/
Atkins/The third line is parking fine revenue, the $5.00... is about $400,000 a year. That
currently goes directly to the General Fund .... For a period of four years, we will
need that to help carry this project. We have estimate a 10% increase in parking
rates in the year 2002 .... It would be about $.55 in the ramps and $.70 on the
street .... Cost to operate it... $220,000 a year. We estimate the revenue from the
garage will be about $800,000 a year. We estimate the revenue from leases ....
15,000 square feet of leasable ...$10 a square foot... New debt is about $950,000
a year .... Sale a years worth of debt to place in reserve... recommend against that
and would transfer money from our landfill account to cover this .... We think we
can cover that .... We have a lot of work to do to make the financing come
together... Price is far more substantial than we anticipated .... One other thing, it
is unlikely that after we build this, if this is a go, that we would not be building
another parking ramp for the foreseeable future .... Southside is simply going to
have to wait .... Ten years...
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 38
Kubby/If the sales tax doesn't pass, where .... Is this project possible? ....
Atkins/This has no beating on the sales tax .... Only issue...is the fact that we are
reducing a General Fund money by $400,000 and I don't even know if we have to
do that yet... This is a very very tight project... that reserve will drop
dramatically ....
Kubby/ ....can't do anything more .... Means we have to cut $400,000 per year ....
Atkins/...We have to do a number of things... create sufficient cash to pay for our debt
service... take that hit in the General Fund.
Kubby/I just want to make it really clear that somehow we might be able to find it in our
parking ramp but we couldn't it somehow for operating costs for the library and
cultural center.
Atkins/Until I do more work on it, Karen, I understand your point.
Thornberry/ .... That same money would be there... a decision made .... My decision, I
would rather do it on this ....
Kubby/Talking about community value ....
Thomberry/...new revenue from leases. Where do those leases come from?
Atkins/We have 37,000 square feet of available space. We have estimated that parking
will get 2,000, Cottage has 4,000...rough numbers... $10 a square feet .... We
need to go back and re-work this ....
Norton/
Thornberry/Is the city then the landlord of all of the property?
Atkins/On the surface the answer is yes but one of the options... condominimize .... We
may actually want to just sale it and get out of the business and let someone else
run it ....
Kubby/
Thornberry/If we sold that it would go back on the tax roles ....Also have the money in
from that you wouldn't have to ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 39
Norton/
Atkins/2,000 for parking; 4,000 for Cottage; 8,000 for Harmon .... Senior Center is about
3500 .... These are rough rough numbers.
Thomberry/
Atkins/Involved in negotiations with property owners on this .... Prefer not talking ....
Lehman/
Atkins/
Vanderhoef/When we are talking about the loss of fine revenue to the General Fund,
$400,000... subsidize the bus...
Atkins/We made the assumption that we would continue to pay $90,000 to the Transit
system. That is independent to this.
Vanderhoef/
Atkins/Remember the General Fund already heavily subsidizes the Transit system .... I
felt obligated to flag this issue for you.
Lehman/Steve, what do you want from us?
Atkins/Do you like the project? .... Secondly, you need to tell us if you do like it, we got
to go back with our pencils and start working on the financing... This is really
going to be a different package of financing than what we have done before .... If
you like the concept, we need to get to work.
Lehman/Do you like it well enough to investigate the possibilities of financing it? We
don't' know enough now ....
Norton/... S outhside?
Atkins/We have land that we have purchased and are holding .... This is a big big
project ..... Going to have to have Kevin spend some money for us... We have got
a nice building... refine these numbers.
Lehman/...need to come up with a finance package .....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 40
Atkins/Kevin .... We know $200,000 we are going to cut out of the project fight now...
We just don't need this piece of basement .... That was cut out already .... You
have to think about the desirability of the Senior Center space ..... bridge... Those
are big ticket items .... What we would like to do is we are going to have to get
after these numbers and spend some more time on these .... Couple of weeks to a
month tops.
Thornberry/... I think that we need to give direction... for the businesses that are
involved ..... to get off dead center .....
Lehman/Do we want to pursue this further to find out whether we can do it?
Thornberry/I think we ought to pursue it ....
Lehman/I concur ....
Dilkes/Doesn't the current schedule call for starting demolition in January... We need
some .... Definite answers ....
Lehman/
Dilkes/The sooner the better .....
Atkins/A couple of weeks is realistic for us to do more polishing ....I want to hold our
feet to the fire, too ....
Lehman/Go.
Vanderhoef/ .... We had a report recently that highlighted the number of dollars that are
sitting in the parking fund for Southside... refunding some of that? ....
Atkins/As they come on the market in that area... we have purchased .... How much
money have we spent on those three properties? ....
Dilkes/
Atkins/We can give you a number .... Do you want us to get to work?
Lehman/Go .... okay .....
Champion/Can we put the rest of the agenda off?.
(All talking).
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 41
Lehman/We got a schedule... kind of like to adhere to ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 42
Peninsula RFQ 98-
Franklin/ The peninsula RFQ...our request for qualifications for this project. This is a
project to make some money .... Do you have any problems with anything that is
in the RFQ? Otherwise we are ready to send it out. We will be sending it out to all
the local developers as well as a number of other contacts that we have across the
country.
Kubby/I have two things. One is on page 8 under the neighborhood and it is the long
term affordability and somehow this is worded in a way that is doesn't seem very
strong that we expect there to be some long term affordability aspect .... I want to
work it in a way that it is important and vital and it is not permissible to have a
proposal come in that does not have an aspect of long term affordability .....
Franklin/This is for the request for qualification. This is our first phase of looking at it.
The next step will be the request for proposals... The point as to how strongly you
want to stress long term affordability I think is something that the group needs to
decide now.
Kubby/I want the folks who might put in a more specific proposal to understand that it is
not optional ....
Franklin/Right now, all of these factors that are on page 8 .... These issues must be
addressed by each of the people who submit qualifications in some manner.
Lehman/I think we have talked long term affordability .... Probably going to be in our
laps ....
Kubby/I think there are lots of ways ....They can do land trusts... work with non-
profit ....
Norton/
Kubby/I don't think it is just up to us ....That is what this process is about is what can
they come up with.
Franklin/...Cedar Rapids... Metropolitan Area Housing Project .... Is a private not for
profit that works with for profit .... To provide affordable housing...
Lehman/Do they have ownership of the property?
Franklin/Some ....
Lehman/Are the non-profit organizations always taxable?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 43
Franklin/I don't know.
Lehman/I think that would be an issue.
Kubby/They can do like Iowa City Fellowship.
Norton/The point is they should consider this ....
Kubby/
Thornberry/There are some ideas that the city could help participate in without
ownership .... There are ways of working it out.
(All talking).
Kubby/
Lehman/Karin... You mentioned several times in your proposal how important it is that
we have developers with experience in building traditional neighborhoods .... I
hate to see us restrict the pool...
Franklin/And it does not restrict.
Lehman/
Franklin/It is not a requirement, it is viewed positively ....
Lehman/And throughout this I trust there will be a understanding that council will have a
great deal of latitude in the way we look .....They know it is the quality of the
development ....
Kubby/And we need to stay the course.
Thornberry/
Lehman/But it would be viewed positively?
Franklin/Yes.
Lehman/
Thomberry/
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 44
Franklin/It can be modern and still be neo-traditional as a neighborhood .... It doesn't
have to be the old architecture.
(All talking).
Lehman/Karin, I think you got a go.
Vanderhoef/Also on page 8 it just struck me up there in the pedestrian friendly layout ....
River crossings. I am a little hesitant to put that in the plural on the river
crossings, like there may be some indication that the city is about the build
another bridge or something other than our trail bridge.
Franklin/Maybe the developer will throw one in there.
Vanderhoef/
Franklin/A pedestrian crossing over the river. I mean we have got one over the power
dam and the plan contemplates having another connection across over the Crandic
Park or Park Road. This is part of the concept. I don't think that it obligates
anybody to provide that but it is an idea of having this connected so that you can
get to the Peninsula on foot or bicycle.
Vanderhoef/
Franklin/I think there was some serious consideration.
Vanderhoef/That is an expensive project to tack onto this and I don't see it as a
foreseeable possibility.
Norton/
Vanderhoef/I guess I was a little confused ....Go through the steps on the process...
qualifications and the selection.
Franklin/The qualifications... go through the hundreds of people who respond .... At that
point it will be the city staff and the consultant going through those qualifications
and selecting three to five finalists. When that happens... let you know the people
we have selected. We will then send back out a request for proposal which you
will see before it goes out. That will be much more specific in terms of what we
expect fm people back. They get that back to us in February and that is just the
finalists ....On March 8 they make a public presentation of what it is that they
propose ....Audience be able to make comments in writing... input that they
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 45
would like to provide to the selection committee... made up of staff, a P/Z
Commission member, and a member of the HCD Commission... rank the
proposers and select a preferred developer. It would then go to the council to
endorse that preferred developer or not.
Lehman/Is 90 a realistic amount of time for the developer who we feel is qualified to
come up with a proposal?
Franklin/Yes .... Discussions with Victor .... They should have their development teams
together when they come back with their qualifications in November .... They
should have some idea of how they are going to do this project before they even
make their submittal for qualifications ....
Kubby/
Franklin/They are not going to do any detail until they are a finalist.
Lehman/Is 90 days enough? .... How much detail? ....
Franklin/What we are talking about is a refinement of this concept.
Lehman/If we select somebody on March 23 ....
Franklin/They are not going to be able to start before December or January because of
Foster Road.
Lehman/
Vanderhoef/And it will be done in phases?
Franklin/We don't know... It is likely... It depends upon the weather.
Kubby/ .... public... give feedback... Important for them to know the public is going to
be involved at that level ..... Doesn't say the public will be giving feedback ....
Franklin/They won't be giving feedback to the developers. They will be giving feedback
to the selection committee.
Kubby/I think they should know that up front.
Vanderhoef/
Franklin/ ....You will see before making the final selection.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 46
Vanderhoef/We will see it at the same time as everyone else? ....
Franklin/If you choose to take part in that ....
Lehman/ .... When we get something back from the qualified developer ....
Franklin/The whole sherret process was public input and the week they were here
working on the concept.
Lehman/
Kubby/ ....public gives input in writing to the Selection Committee ....
Franklin/One of the things that we are putting out is when a selection is made, that this
developer will be able to move.
Lehman/Right, we understand.
Vanderhoef/Do you realize you have set that right at the time that council is at National
League of Cities?
Franklin/We are trying to avoid spring break and no offense, but it was more important
to have the public there .... Are all of you going to the League of Cities?
Lehman/These dates aren't cast in stone.
(All talking).
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-101 SIDE 1
Franklin/...I think you need you to make some decisions about whether you are going to
the League of Cities and then we know ....
Thornberry/
Norton/
Thornberry/
Kubby/Feel out a questionnaire... Who do you think fulfills the requirements of the parts
of the proposal the best?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 47
Norton/I think we seriously ought to have the council here ....
Franklin/Your input at that point will be just like any member of the public.
Kubby/And it goes to the selection committee who then makes a recommendation to us
and we get the final decision.
Franklin/
Vanderhoef/The whole thing happens during that time ....
Norton/
Lehman/We have a yes or no choice.
Kubby/We are not the selection committee ....
Vanderhoef/
Kubby/...If you really want to see the presentations with your own eyes ....
Vanderhoeff See what each person puts out ....
Lehman/Dee makes a good point. The bottom line is the selection committee comes to
the council and makes a recommendation for the developer they have chosen. We
say yes or no ....
Franklin/If you say no, we go back to the pool of five unless of course there is one that
shines and the other are dogs and then we start over.
Norton/
Franklin/...we can videotape the presentations .... How much you want to be involved
individually at that public presentation by the developers ......
Lehman/There is a committee that is going to interview the five folks.
Norton/It would be nice though for the council to hear the three finalists.
Kubby/...Then you need to make a choice about the National League of Cities ....
O'Donnell/Have it recorded, Dee.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 48
Norton/
Franklin/Okay?
Lehman/Are we cool with this?
Council/(Yeah).
Franklin/So just something about the public having input to the selection committee.
Kubby/So they know up front.
Franklin/Okay.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 49
NCS - New Jobs and Income Program 98-101 S1
Schoon/National Computer Systems has requested that the city submit an application for
the new Jobs and Income Program. This is a .... State program the city has not
participated in as of yet. There are two representatives from NCS .... The new
Jobs and Income Program is geared towards companies that pay higher than
average wages and make a large capital investment .... We will need to make an
amendment to your resolution .... Capital investment... should be $10.4- That
change will be made for your agenda tomorrow night.
The new Jobs and Income Program is basically tax credits and exemptions to
qualifying businesses .... Through the state .... Listed in the memo are the
qualifications that businesses must meet. The local community participation is in
the form of property tax exemption. The state allows a maximum of 20 years of
property tax exemption under this program .... What we proposed in the
application is a ten year declining percentage of property tax exemption .... Also
in the packet is how this application compares to our Economic Development
Guideline ....
Kubby/...At some point it says that except for falling short of the federal poverty wage
rate guideline, they rank very high according to our guidelines. I thought our
guidelines looked at that 90% of the jobs in the project, not in the whole
company, had not met that ....
Schoon/No, the guidelines actually ask us to look at the whole spectrum.
Kubby/That makes a big difference on how those are written ....
Norton/
Vanderhoef/
Champion.
Lehman/I think it is important, for several reasons, that we accept this
recommendation... Without the city's endorsement, they are unable to receive the
benefits that they are applying for from the state ....So it is not just what we are
giving them ....
(All talking).
Champion/I thought it was a well done document.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 50
Vanderhoef/It was well written .... Have we had a New Jobs and Income proposal before
this?
Lehman/This is the first one.
Vanderhoef/How long have these been available?
Schoon/Early 1994 .... They are used state wide ....
Norton/I don't understand where they are going to get the $10.4 million with only $3.2-
or $2.3- goes into the building ....
Schoon/In terms of equipment...mainframe computers ....
Lehman/ .... The job creation is an extremely conservative number ....
Vanderhoef/They have got the training possibilities ....
Lehman/Do we have agreement on this. (Yes). All fight, David, thank you very much.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 51
Holiday Lights/DTA 98-101 S1
Lehman/Steve, this Holiday Light... Let's do it tomorrow night ....
Norton/We ought to defer it until we can discuss it more extensively ..... I have got a lot
of things to say ....
Thornberry/It is a done deal ....
Lehman/...Holiday lights in two weeks ....
Kubby/And Design Review in two weeks.
(All talking).
O'Donnell/You can't get people to sign up for Design Review Committee.
Norton/I don't want to lose the possibility of them doing something ....
Atkins/Holiday lights... two weeks?
Lehman/Holiday lights in two weeks ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 52
Design Review Committee 98-101 S1
Lehman/... Design Review is on the agenda tomorrow night.
Kubby/I think we will need to defer it ....
(All talking).
Norton/I want to consider what the options are .... I don't want to just turn it over the
staff....
Kubby/Let's not talk about it... defer ....
Vanderhoef/I would just assume get it off the table tonight.
(All talking).
O'Donnell/I think it is another obstacle of doing business in Iowa City.
Lehman/I think this meeting is probably deteriorating to the point that we will do Design
Review in two weeks ....
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 53
Appointments 98-101 S1
Housing and Community Development Commission - Readvertise, appoint October 8
appointment.
Historic Preservation Commission - Linda Shope
SEATS Committee - Reaffirmed Norton & O'Donnell
JCCOG Transportation Committee- Appointment after 9/16 Joint meeting.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 54
Council AEenda/Council Time 98-101 S1
Lehman/Council Time, we are not going to do tonight?
Thomberry/Unless somebody has something real important?
Champion/I just wanted to talk a minute about the business about the fire alarm thing.
Norton/You mean the Rummelhart question?
Champion/Yes because those things were put in years ago. That is a new business
building and if we are going to be replacing those ....
Vanderhoef/I went down and looked at it and it is real appropriate to move it as near as I
can see. That property basically fronted on Waterfront Drive originally ....
Frontage turns into being on Southgate and this pole that has the alarm on the top
of it, the siren on top of it, is basically in the middle of this small frontage.
O'Donnell/Well, it is damaged right now, too.
Vanderhoef/If it is going to be moved, certainly it would be less expensive to move it
now before the new siren.
(All talking).
Thornberry/Move it 50 feet.
Champion/What I am saying is don't let them put a new one on until we have had a
chance to discuss it.
O'Donnell/I agree.
(All talking).
Atkins/I have no idea what you are talking about.
Vanderhoef/Rummelhart's property on the comer of Southgate and Waterfront Drive ....
He wants it moved and I can understand why. Jeff is going to go out and take a
look.
Norton/...Andy should tell us what is the story.
Karr/Excuse me, I can't hear anything.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898
September 8, 1998 Council Work Session Page 55
Lehman/Marian, you have missed nothing in the last five minutes.
Karr/But where did this come up? Did you get a letter? We didn't. That is why staff is
going what are you talking about .... We don't have a letter.
Lehman/All right, Steve has a copy of the letter ....
Atkins/Mike gave me his.
Norton/... Steve ought to talk to Andy and report back to us tomorrow ....
Kubby/Don't put the siren up until we have had a chance to look at this issue ....
Lehman/
Norton/
(All talking).
Lehman/All fight, Steve is going to have somebody look at it. We are not going to move
it tonight .... We are not going to turn it on tonight .... See you tomorrow night...
Adjoumed: 10:40 PM
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of
September 8, 1998
WS090898