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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-07-13 Correspondence3g(1) HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF IOWA CITY July 1, 1999 Mayor Ernie Lehman City of Iowa City 410 E Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 j~" JUL 0 2 C/Tit td, l~ltll~fR,S OFFICE P.O. Box 3396 Iowa City, Iowa 52244 Phone: (319) 351-5333 Fax: (319) 358-2443 E-mail: 75220.3550 @compuserve.corn Dear Honorable Mayor Lehman: The Home Builders Association established a new policy this year requiring all builders to have an Occupancy Permit before Parade homes were open to the general public. The Association would like to publicly thank the building department for their cooperation in working with our builders to get those permits to the Association office. We realize many of those inspections came at the final hour, and the staff was very cooperative to insure that those deadlines were met to allow builders to showcase their homes to the general public. Thank you again for your assistance. Sincerely, G~~erl~e~ Chairperson 1999 Parade of Homes cc: Tim Hennes Doug Boothroy affiliated with NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS & HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF IOWA Visit our Website: www. iowacityhomes.com Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Susan Pahl Friday, July 02, 1999 9:24 AM *City Council Domestic Partnership and medical benefits through the City of Iowa City I am an employee with the City of Iowa City since August of 1998 and have enrolled my domestic partner in our medical insurance program that is available to employees. I was told by personnel that the dental insurance program was not open to City employee domestic partners. Personnel related that the City Council had never voted to include the dental benefits. Was this an oversight? If so, I was wondering if the City Council would consider opening the dental benefit program to City employee domestic partners parallel to the medical insurance program. Your comments are appreciated. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Susan Pahl Housing Program Assistant Iowa City Housing Authority susan _pahl@iowa-city.org Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Judy L. Pfohl [judypfohl@compuserve.com] Tuesday, June 29, 1999 10:45 PM Iowa City Council; Yarbrough Family; Rick Fosse; Marcia Klingaman; Judith Klink; Marj Kuperman; Iowa City Press-Citizen; Terry Trueblood Burry to Willow Creek Access I was preparing supplies for my all day class tomarrow when I turned on tv and saw Tom Mullet talking to council. It was TOO LATE for me to drive down to counter some of the strange things he said. What do I need to do to get you to reconsider your vote? I didn't think the council would listen to 2 neighbors with NIMBY reasons to not upgrade the sidewalk. The access off Burry IS NEEDED do not try to remove it. The Willow Creek Westside pathway HAS BEEN IN BAD CONDITION FOR YEARS we were waiting for it to be repaired ALONG WITH the new eastside trail and Kiwanis Park. Waiting another year is rediculous. If I decide to plant trees and bushes in front of City Hall CAN I CLAIM IT MINE and prevent upgrades of any walkways for the public? We have had two special handicap accessible homes on Abbey, and others in the neighborhood who should be able to access OUR PARKS. Currently we do not have people in wheelchairs in those homes but you are limiting their sale value. Tom and Fred knew I wanted the upgrade as modified. I still have not seen the petition. But if those same people were told the option you chose I don't think they would sign it. We like the pretty access around trees and bushes. Going back through the new Kiwanis Park is not the same access. Are the people on the Eastside of Willow Creek the only ones who should have access to the park? Without the upgrade there is no way to "patch" around the low ground flooding. I know many people use the path because I had many complaints when the North/South sewer went in and the path over it was only rock and unuseable by strollers or bikes. Wasting money by not bidding the whole project which staff and parks and rec commision recommends is crazy. Again...how do I ask for a reconsideration? Judy Pfohl Marian Karr From: Sellt: To: Subject: Judy L. Pfohl [judypfohl@compuserve.com] Wednesday, June 30, 1999 2:21 AM Iowa City Council; Yarbrough Family; Rick Fosse; Judith Klink; Mad Kuperman; Iowa City Press-Citizen; Terry Trueblood Willow Creek Park West side Please reconsider upgrading the West side of Willow Creek trail as part of the larger East side construction now. Did Tom Muller tell you the only access to the West side is past his house? Did Tom tell you the City had already moved the creek during the sewer construction to effectively give him more land? This move was to leave room to be able to connect Kiwanis Park to the West side Willow Creek trail when the trail was upgraded. Did you know the only paved access to the West side of Willow Creek Park now is across the wooden bridge by the shelter? Widdening the Burry connection would have given pickup access for repairs to the lower West side. Judy Pfohl 2229 Abbey Lane 351-1684 Marian Karr From: To: Subject: Judy L. Pfohl [judypfohl@compuserve.com] Friday, July 02, 1999 6:57 AM Steve Arkins; Iowa City Council Burry to West Willow Creek I am contacting council to reconsider their vote about waiting one year for upgrade. Tom Muller had asked me to work with staff to reduce the walk width and we had found a compromise. I agree it needs widdening and major upgrade. Tom knew this and never showed his petition against change. I asked Marcia where to get me a copy of the petition. Last night to be fair I went to warn Tom I was going to fight the vote and try for a revote. He tried to slam the door in my face saying my "warning" was really directly threatening him and he had never know me to be violent or vicious before and he did not take kindly to threats. I try to be rational and look at the interest of all the neighborhood and others. I hope if you hear from him you remember how I acted rationally in all our dealings over Mormon Trek Village and addding lights to Mormon Trek and the highway. I am afraid Tom is excitable and will try to paint me as a different type of person trying to ruin his home and life. This may be messy but I want you to know staff have been very helpful and often compromising at times when I have delt with them. They are hard workers doing a thankless job. I know I just must convince Council to follow the staff recommendations which have a history as long as Kiwanis Park and its' original plan to connect West side of Willow Creek 7 years ago. We may be too late to attach to bids to save money but we may prevent a lawsuit over injuries. Judy Pfohl Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Judy L. Pfohl [judypfohl@compuserve.com] Sunday, July 04, 1999 9:04 AM Iowa City Council Willow Creek Petition Marcia Klingamon said there was mention of Tom Mullers' petition at previous council but non was given on file so I do not know what it said. I would have signed a petition asking to save as many trees as possible and try to maintain the winding walkways. I would have signed a petition asking that the Burry access not be considered a main public access encouraging people to drive across town to park here to enter the park. These are issues I had already talked with staff about and felt comfortable with the final plan presented to Council. I have not formally surveyed the neighborhood so I cannot say I am speaking for them. Especially since Tom and Fred obviously disagree with me. But, I have talked with many neighbors who want the trail upgraded as soon as possible. They want the connection to Kiwanis park this year. They want the steepness taken out of the connection. They wand the upgrade to solve the local spring keeping a large section of the trail under water and muddy. They feel access through Kiwanis to Teg and back around to the shelter is much longer and not the same access as a west side connection. If upgrade is next year where will cement trucks enter? Across the wooden bridge? Between Tom and Freds house? Down the easement from Cambria Ct. across the soggy westside park? Of Benton down the steep bank and across the new Widdened cement trail along Benton? Or through the newly Kiwanis path with all the new play area and trees? Economically the path should be done as soon as possible and added to the larger bid. Smaller bids and later times always cost more money. Our neighborhood helped get the Willow Creek trail behind Fareway and West. The width walk makes easy family biking, walking, talking. Watch 9roups try to use the West side trail and talk...one person must walk off the path. Please reconsider and fix our access at 6 feet and upgrade the park this year. Judy Pfohl Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Judy L. Pfohl [judypfohl@compuserve.com] Sunday, July 04, 1999 11:11 PM Steve Arkins; Iowa City Council; Marcia Klingaman; Lisa Mollenhauer; Don Yucuis; Rick Fosse; Terry Trueblood Width of Willow Creek trail After making my video today and watching a parent struggle with the trail width I don't think 6 feet wide is enough. Is it too late to request at least 8 feet? the Kiwanis trail is almost too narrow too. If Willow Creek is for the whole city the backside trail should be wide like behind West High. Also, if you walk a dog and it gets off the trail width there is poison ivy all over. Judy Pfohl July 6, 1999 To City Council, Please reconsider your vote to upgrade and widen the west Willow Creek trail. It needs an upgrade now and waiting will only increase the cost. The trail between homes is being narrowed by new obstacles which you may need to address too as precedence setting. Attached is information you might find helpful. 1 ) Aerial photo (approximately 1992) showing distances and locations of present and proposed trails and structures. 2) Photo showing visual distance from end of Abbey to Teg bridge. Neighborhood alternate access to Willow Creek East. 3) Highlighted copy of city properly connecting to Burn/Drive. Pathway obstacles of driveway, mailbox, trees, bushes, and newly added flower garden are highlighted in green. Matured width of greeneW is not shown. 4) Video tape of Kiwanis Park trail planned connection to West Willow Creek and a family trying to walk the Willow Creek trail starling at Burn/. Judy Pfohl Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: J. Kearney [jkearney@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu] Thursday, July 08, 1999 9:40 AM city_council@iowa-city.org Willow Creek - Kiwanis Park Pathways and Access To Iowa City City Coucil members: I understand that the upgrade of the current path to Willow Creek Park from Burry Drive and the connection of Willow Creek with Kiwanis Park has been delayed. I urge you to reconsider this decision and I also urge you to consider widening the path off of Burry Drive down into the woods. The development of Kiwanis Park has been delayed already due to laying the trunk sewer line. The people of the neighborhood and the city would like to be able to begin to use and enjoy all parts of the parks. Connecting the parks makes aadequate size park to walk in and to enjoy the playgrounds and the nature areas. The path down from Burry Drive is very important access for many people who like to get to the park from the west side, and the steep grade and restricted vision make a "two-lane" path a necessity. Please accelerate upgrading the path and joining the two parks together. Please let us enjoy our parks! Julie Miller Kearney 2253 Abbey Lane Iowa City, IA 52246 319/337-9423 julie-kearney@uiowa.edu 1052 Jensen St, Iowa City, Iowa 52246 July 1, 1999 410 E. Washington Iowa City, Iowa Honorable Mayor and City Council: Please allow us to express our strenuous opposition to the proposed rezoning of Lot 77 of Walden Woods, Part 6. As residents of the Walden Woods community, we have substantial concerns about the inevitable changes that the proposal would bring to our neighborhood. Primary among these is the fact that the proposed structures lack compatibility with the existing neighborhood. The 16 established dwellings on Jensen Street are all single family homes, whereas the proposed construction calls for an equal number of densely packed duplexes. Doubling the number of existing residences would also have a detrimental effect on the flow of traffic in the neighborhood. This change would be especially pronounced due to the fact the Jensen Street serves as the only access to this proposed development. By Iowa City's own estimate these units would generate over 100 additional vehicle trips per day. This is particularly alarming due to the large number of children in the neighborhood. Further the plan as it is written now makes no provision for sidewalks and this omission presents an additional safety hazard. At the proposed density of units, parking also promises to be inadequate. Spillover parking on Jensen Street would add yet another danger for children and pedestrians. Finally, Walden Woods as it exists now is generally populated by families who enjoy the beauty of the outdoors by participation is such activities as landscaping, gardening, walking, and spending time outside with their neighbors. This proposal allows for very little "green" space with almost no yards. In conclusion, due to compatibility issues, safety concerns, and aesthetic qualities let us strongly urge you to deny the preliminary planned development plan (OPDH-12) for Lot 77 of Walden Woods, Part 6. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jo"'~n and Gretel Beck Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Steve Bullard [steven-bullard@uiowa.edu] Thursday, July 01, 1999 7:46 AM council@iowa-city.org Sewer Back-up and proposed footpath planning Council members, I have been experiencing sewer backup into my basement with almost every heavy rain over the last two years. I have called in to the city engineer every time backup has occurred. Funny thing is I get different conflicting stories as to why this is happening. Story 1 (1998): I suggested that the sewer line may have a break in some remote location which allows water into the line when the water table comes up in a heavy rain. I was told this could not be the case because the sewer line is a closed system. Story 2 (1999): This time I questioned why this (backup) could occur and gave no input myself. I was told that sometimes with old lines they will have cracks,roots, etc. which allow ground water into the system with heavy rains. I believe the latter to be the true reason I get sewer backup into my basement. The environmental issue is raised as to what happens to the leakage from the sewer line? Does it percolate down to the aquifer below?? Will this be repaired?? Along this same line the drainage creek at the end of our street (7th ave.) has been drastically affected by the development of the Hy-Vee, Walgreens and the storm sewer renovation of the east side. The creek now comes up much faster and to a much higher level than ever before. Example: In 1993 the creek came out of it banks only once during the whole flood year. The creek has been out of it's banks twice this year already with short strong rains. Did anyone think to do an impact study on the amount of water being funnelled into the creek and if it would be able to handle the increased flow. You seem to study everything else was this overlooked???? Clearing the obstructions to the water flow may help the ability of the creek to handle the increased flow but is not a solution to the main problem of increased development dumping more and more drainage water into the creek. As for the proposed footpath across the tracks, which is to be discussed tonight June 29th, I think it is best to put it at the end of the walking path that runs next to the creek on the old ADS property. Or utilize the existing tunnel under the tracks at the end of Rundell. Why would you even suggest putting it through at 7th ave. a dead end street which buts up to a power substation. By the way raising the ADS property may also have impacted the creek problem mentioned earlier. City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: July 8, 1999 To: Fromz Steve Atkins, City Manager Rick Fosse, City Engineer ~ Re: Sewer Back-up, Creek Flooding and Footpath Planning E-mail from Steve Bullard I called Steve Bullard in response to his e-mail that was sent to the City Council on July 1, 1999. Although he indicated that he had called me twice before, once we started to visit he realized that he had not. He could not recall whom he talked to on the other occasions. We discussed both sanitary sewer and stormwater issues. I was able to share with him that last summer our sewer crew cleaned and televised his sewer to remove obstructions, mostly roots. Also, after the reports of backups this year they found that a snowplow had damaged a manhole last winter creating an opening for stormwater to enter the sanitary sewer. The manhole has since been repaired and they believe this will resolve the problem. I asked him to keep us informed of any future problems. With regard to flooding on Ralston Creek, we discussed the impact of recent development activities as well as the impact of the many trees still down in the creek from last year's windstorm. I am sending him an application for Iowa City's Creek Maintenance Program that can help fund a neighborhood effort to clean the creek. We forgot to discuss the footpath location issue, but I have covered it in the attached letter. Cc: Chuck Schmadeke 3uly 8, 1999 Steve Bullard 927 7th Avenue Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear Steve: Please find enclosed an application for Iowa City's Creek Maintenance Program. As we discussed, earlier this summer another neighborhood used this program to clear downed trees and other debris from the North Branch of Ralston Creek from Glendale to Parsons. 3ust be sure to get two bids for the work that includes both removal and disposal of the debris. Also make certain that the property owners on which the work will occur are agreeable to the project. One point from your e-mail that we forgot to discuss was the location of the proposed footpath under the railroad tracks. Staff's recommendation will be to locate the tunnel at the south end of the existing path on the old ADS property. I believe this is the same location you favor. Ultimately, the City Council will determine the location of the tunnel based on input from the neighborhood and staff. If you have additional questions, please call me at 356-5143. Sincerely, Rick osse City Engineer 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET * IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 * (319) 356-5000 · FAX (519) 356-5009 June 29, 1999 To the Members of the Iowa City Council: 3g(7) Over the past few weeks, it has been encouraging to hear that our City Council and the city transit staff really do seem concerned for those people who have relied on the bus for many years and are fearful their primary source of transportation will be taken away. I am, however, discouraged by what I see as extremely shortsighted thinking when it comes to our City Transit System. Rather than changing bus routes in an attempt to increase ridership, I believe the only way this city will ever see a significant increase in the number of passengers is to expand on current routes, reduce rider fees, and provide a truly service-oriented bus system to accommodate citizens' needs. There have to be some radical changes made if this city wants to remain at the top of the list of one of the best places to live. The success of the free shuttle should be a clue to everyone that there are plenty of people in Iowa City who would fide the bus if it were not so expensive and if it provided efficient and convenient travel to their destinations. I attended the June 14 council work session which, along with discussion pertaining to the proposed bus route changes, also involved discussion of the possibility of providing angle parking on Clinton Street to allow for additional parking spaces; I believe city staff estimated the number of spaces that would be gained by doing this was somewhere between 16 and 19. This negligible number will not be sufficient to entice more people to shop downtown. We cannot continue to come up with piece-meal projects in the hopes of solving our problems. We all get caught up in daily decision-making, like whether to change a bus route, but sometimes it's necessary to step back and take a look at the big picture and visualize where we're headed. I truly believe there isn't one person in this room who wants to see our city streets packed with cars. I also believe everyone in this room feels we need to fmd a way to keep our downtown alive and vital. This means we need to do some creative planning NOW, and we need to reassess our priorities. We are spending a great deal of money on projects that will not attract patrons to our downtown. For example, the timing for construction on the pedestrian mall is questionable. I realize we can't go back and recoup that expense, but it is important we learn from our mistakes. At this critical time for our city center, we should keep people coming to what is the biggest draw each year: the Friday night concerts. People attend these concerts to sit outside, enjoy the music, and see their friends and neighbors. New benches and planters will NOT bring more people to these concerts. IN FACT, since the location of the concert series has been displaced while changes are being made, I am not surprised to see that this has discouraged people from attending the concerts. As I've said, this is a critical time to make the fight decisions, and I sincerely believe this money would have been more wisely spent on improving and expanding our transit system to provide convenient transportation to the center of our city while alleviating traffic and parking problems. The failure of the recent sales tax proposal sent a loud message from citizens of this community who want to see a larger percentage of expenditures allotted for service which will improve living conditions for the WHOLE community rather than for special interest groups. Before you can go about attempting to increase the number of riders, you have to determine the masons people are not using the bus system. I'll give you a personal illustration, and I don't think my situation is unique. I used to work here at the Civic Center and WANTED to bus to work for a number of reasons: (1) it would save wear and tear on my car; (2) most (if not all) insurance companies reduce their rates for people who don't drive their cars to work; (3) I would not need to worry about finding adequate parking or paying a yearly parking fee; (4) I would not have to scrape windows in the winter time; and (5) I knew the reduction of vehicles on the streets would be beneficial to the environment. Since the Westport Plaza bus stopped within half a block of my house on Benton Street, you would think it should be a pretty convenient and quick way to get downtown. However, since that bus only runs once every hour, to get to work by 8 a.m. I needed to catch it at 6:50 a.m. The bus traveled to Wai-Mart, then took the frontage road through what was previously called Wardway Plaza. It traveled south past the airport to Baculis Trailer Court where it would sit several minutes (presumably to get back on schedule), and then proceed north on Riverside Drive to Burlington Street, getting to the intersection of Washington and Clinton at 7:15 a.m. From there I would walk the three and one-half blocks to the Civic Center arriving at work around 7:25 a.m. I could walk to work (and often did) in less time than it took to get there by bus. I now work on the comer of Riverside Drive and Park Road. To bus to this location would mean taking the same bus to the Baculis Trailer Court and then going all the way downtown, but then transferring to a University cambus. As I said, I point my particular dilemma out because I know there are many others in the same situation. It is important for those of you who wish to drive to understand that it's to evervone's advantage to support a good transit system, doing everything possible to encourage ridership. I submit for the record and to each Council member, this written presentation along with three articles that demonstrate government continues to ENCOURAGE urban sprawl, thus encouraging excessive use of the automobile. The articles support the fact that constructing new and wider roads, and building more parking structures actually triggers more congestion, and we need to ask ourselves what will this construction and expansion really achieve? Could we use the money better--for transit for example? I hope each Council member will take the time to read through these three short articles; one is from the "Nation's Cities Weekly," a publication with which I assume our City Planning Staff is very familiar. I have highlighted text in each of these articles, to which I would like to see you pay particular attention if you truly want to make ours a progressive community to be envied. Bus ridership will continue to decrease unless drastic changes are made to reduce fees, expand the routes, and use smaller buses and more frequent runs. In the meantime, I would suggest that the bus routes in question NOT be changed at this point to take away the transportation upon which fai.thful riders have relied for many years. Keep in mind that a number of these people have chosen their place of residence based on the fact that bus service was available near their homes. We need to invest the money required to provide convenient, inexpensive public transportation, which would alleviate many parking and traffic congestion problems and retain the qtmlity of life we want to maintain for our children and grandchildren. ~~th~B~~e~~tiOrl' 5 15 West Benton Street Iowa City, Iowa 52246 · THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY February 11, 1999 ISSN 1040-676x · Copyright © 1999 by The Chronicle of Philanthropy The Newspaper of the Non-Profit World Stemming tnc Ticc of Sprawl Rampant growth is no longer seen as just an environmental issue By STEPHEN G. GREENE 'GANT MAKERS AND CHARITIES in growing "numbers are joining forces to combat a ".problem that affects nearly every commu- nity in the country: the haphazard com- mercial and residential development that creates suburban sprawl.. Fueled by a;"'~po~e~nt combination of passionate grassroots ~ctivism. and sober economic analysis, the issue has shot to 'thetop of the public agenda. Last November, more thaff:200 proposals in 31 states aimed at curbing sprawl and preserving open space appeared on state and local ballots around the na- tion, and voters appreved nearly three-quarters of them. While many .developers, realEstate agents, and financial lenders still champion untrammeled devel- opment as crUCial to economic growth, some non- profit leaders see an opportunity to take advantage of growing public'disenchantment to push for major structural changes in how Americans pattern .their lives. The benefits, they say, would be 'healthier, more vibrant communities for everyone. Non-profit agend,.aS as~v.afied as preserving farm- land, protecting air and water quality, improving public schools, promoting better health, fighting drugs and crime, finding jobs for welfare recipients, securing low-cost housing, defending civil rights-- eveA filling downtown theaters and art museums are all greatly affected by the basic issue at the_heart of the sprawl debate: where people choose to live, work, shop, and play. "There is scarcely a single national problem that is not exacerbated by sprawl or that would not be alleviated if sprawl were better contained," says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation,-a Washington organization that sees its own mission of preserving America's architectural heritage threatened by rampant devel- opment. A handful of grant makers--including the James Irvine, David and Lucile Packard, Surdna, and Turner Foundations-have made curbing sprawl one of their top grant-making priorities. They are now leading a campaign to get more philanthropies of every size and stripe to take an active interest in the issue. The solution, they say, has as much to do with making cities and towns mo~ attractive and . vital places as it does with trying tb cordon off re- maining farms, fields, and forests. Their effort got a big boost last monih in Miami, where staff or board members from more than two dozen foundations gathered for the initial meeting of the Fundors Network on Sprawl, Smart Growth, and Livable Communities. Those attending represented not only some of the country's largest grant makers (including the Ford, W.K. Kellogg, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur, Charles Stewart Mott, and Packard Foundations) but also small family funds (the Bauman, Frey, and Ranch Foundations) and community foundations (the East Bay and the Met- ropolitan Atlanta Community Foundations). Diversity of Foundations Says Peter Bahouth, executive director of the Turner Foundation, in Atlanta: "I haven't been in- volved in an issue where such a widely diverse array of foundations has begun to respond to how land-use issues are affecting the things they care about most." Adds Mark D. Valentine, deputy director of Pack- ard's conservation programs: "The problems have grown acute enough, and enough people are now Big and Small Join Forces Against Continued from Page 7 losers rather than winners, that the parameters of the debate are ripe to be refrained.' Some anti-sprawl leaders, while welcoming fotmdation support for their efforts, point out that the is- sue is difficult for philanthropy to deal with. "This touches on all the tough ones for funders," says Scott Bernstein, president of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, in Chicago. "It's about policies and cross-cutting themes; it requires a willingness to step away from the guidelines, do things that take more than three years to do, and build coalitions between national and local players." An Exodus to Suburbia Sprawl results from a complex mix of factors, but it reflects a sim- ple trend: For decades, millions of Americans have forsaken the cen- trai cities--with their perceived problems of street crime, neighbor- hood blight, poor schools, and high costs--in favor of suburbia, with its cheapor land, newer housing, and green lawns. The exodus of people and capital has leg downtom with fewer re- sources to serve remaining resi- dents. In turn, the subsequent loss of jobs, services, and amenities has caused even more people to leave. The result: Forests shrink, wet- lands are drained, and two acres of farmland are bulldozed every rain- ute to make way for mails, office parks, and residentiai subdivisions that stretch ever farther out from a city's centrai core. As that happens, businesses, churches, and schools in many downtom are boarded up. g way traffic slows to a crawl. And neighbors in many bedroom cem- munities remain virtuai strangers. .Foundations'are tackling the sprawl issue in many ways, which tend to cut across customary pro- gram boundaries and leap across ideological divides. Many are working to conserve forest, farm- land, or other open space--either through outright purchase or by buying development rights, impos- ing conservation easements that bar future development, or. sup- petting the work of groups like the American Farmland Trust, Na- ture Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, or hundreds of smaller land trusts around the country. Foundations Sprawl The Packard Foundation, for ex- ample, has committed $178-mil- lion to the five-year Conserving California Landscapes program. Much of that money will be spent to buy environmentally sensitive parcels of land or the right to de- velop them. But some $25-million is reserved for urban planning and land-use policy work in the hope of magnifying the influence of the foundation's other place-specific grants. In December, grants from the Freeman and Richard King Mel- lon Foundations helped enable the Conservation Fund to spend $76- million to buy 296,000 acres of pa- per-company land in upstate New York, Vermont, and New Hamp- shire. A third of the land will be sold to state and federai govern- ments for conservation and public recreation. The rest will be put up for sale to another paper company under conditions that make it ac- cessible for recreational use and that bar future development. Rebalancing Incentives But protecting specific plots of land from development is only part of the answer, say many non-profit officials. Governments, they say, must be persuaded to change the system of incentives that favors new construction of reads and buildings over the revitalization and redevelopment of existing neighborhoods. Research by the American Farmland Trust shows that towns and counties rarely recover in tax revenue the costs they incur in ex- tending roads, utilities, police and fire protection, and public school- ing to sprawling neighborhoods of new single-family homes. The trust hopes that if local officiais recognize the fiscal impact of pro- · posed developments they will. take stronger steps to redirect growth to more densely settled areas. Some grant makers are' interest- ed in other aspects of governmen- tal decision making. By making -generous political campaign con- tributions, road builders and real- estate developers wield significant influence with elected; officials. The Joyce Foundation, which sup- ports an overhaul of the campaign- finance system, has helped pay for analyses and computer data bases that let people track such contribu- tions and compare them with legis- laters' votes on land-use issues. "Many people still fe~l that sprawl is a good thing," Mr. Ba- houth points out. "Development is seen as linked to growth, prosperi- ty, and a healthy economy." And powerful interests like the Nation- al Association of Home Builders, the National Retail Federation, and otheYs who develop land or ~- nance new construction have a big stake in preserving the status quo. Developers are not a monolith, however. Many of them now real- ize that so-called smart growth ac- commodates development that is sensitive to environmental and so- cial factors. And some grant mak- ers are encouraging the redevelop- ment of existin~ residential, com- mercial, or industrial properties as an alternative to sprawl. Encouraging Discussions In California, the Irvine Foun- dation has made about $5-million in grants in the past three years to groups that work on land-use is- sues--whether redeveloping prop- erties in inner cities, improving ur- ban design, or preserving open space. The foundation not only has supported existing organizations but also has helped create new ones where it felt they would be useful. Irvine linked up with several other California foundations (in- cluding Packard and Hewleft) in 1994 to create a project called Cali- fornians and the Land, an effort to gather people from government, business, neighborhoods, and the non-profit world to discuss critical land-use issues'around the state. Initially, the project was expect- ed to focus solely on conservation issues. But it soon became appar- ent that one cannot promote con- servation, whether of wilderness, forest, pasture, or farmland, with- out also being concerned about the quality of life in inner cities. "There's no way to reduce pres- sures on greenspace without si- multaneously increasing the at- tractiveness of our urban centers," says Nick Bollman, senior pro- gram director at Irvine. That analysis has produced some initial, halting conversations between environmental groups and community-development or- ganizations, who see a common in- terest in revitalizing urban cores and stemming the flight to subur- bia. But some tensions remain, as neither side wants to see its own interests subsamed by the other's. "We realize we have to talk across functional boundaries, be- cause this is an issue that under- cuts everything we're trying to ac- complish in our own programs," says Roland Anglin, who directs the Ford Foundation's community- development program. Rethinking Transportation Transportation issues in general are a critical element in sprawl, since road construction or im- provement is often the first stop in developing rural landscapes. Grant makers approach that sub- ject from several directions. And the passage last year of a $217- billion federal transportation bill has many groups scurrying to in- fluence how the money gets spent. The Sierra Club is working to get local citizens to participate in those decisions, which will deter- mine how much each state will spend on road construction and bridge repair versus bus lines and bicycle paths. Just as the interstate highway system shaped America's growth in the 1950s and '60s, "the deci- sions we make today will chart the course of development for the next 20 years," says Larry Bohlen, co- chair of the club's Challenge to Sprawl campaign. "There's excite- ment in the air--a feeling that we can accomplish a lot." The Sierra Club last year made its anti-sprawl campaign one of its top priorities. The club hopes to galvanize activists in chapters around the country to persuade more cities and towns to establish urban growth boundaries and take ather steps to control sprawl. Ore- gon, Tennessee, and Washington already require local 'officials to map precisely where they will en- :ourage growth and where they ~ll restrain it. Grant makers must deal with sprawrs effects even in areas ~eemingly unrelated to land use. Welfare-to-work programs, for ex- ample, are often stymied because - poor people in urban centers have no practical way to get to the sub- ~rbs, which increasingly is where aew jobs are found. The MacAr- ~hur Foundation, which suppers ~he redevelopment of commercial md industrial sites in Midwestern :ities, has also financed a pilot ~roject that finds jobs in the sub- ' fibs for city residents and provides _hem with transportation. Suburban Sprawl Captures Foundations' Attention Role for Local Funds Because sprawl is so decentral- ized--the result of thousands of daily individual decisions about where to live and work--and be- cause most land-use regulation oc- curs at the state and local levels, some grant makers believe that the battle will be won or lost virtu- ally town by town. For that reason, some say, community foundations and family foundations that make grants in specific places have crn- cial roles to play. "The momentum to promote pel- icy changes will not develop at the state level if local officials and communities don't lead the pa- rade," says Kimberly Krasevac- Szekely, program director at the Frey Foundation, in Grand Rapids, Mich. "A national organization isn't more important than a local or state organization; it just has different expertise. The challenge is to combine that expertise to come up with the best solutions." Frey has committed about $1.5- million over the past five years to land-use issues, which it came to initially out of a concern for pre- serving farmland. But it now real- izes that "sprawl has something to do with almost all our pro- grams," says Ms. Krasevac-Szeke- ly, whether they involve imprev- ing the lives of children (who may get to spend little time with parents who commute long dis- tances) or nurturing community arts groups (which may have diffi- culty attracting large audiences for evening performances). "It's a very tough issue that cuts very deep," she says, "because it asks fundamental questions about what we value." In Cleveland, the George Gund Foundation has spent tens of mil- lions of dollars in the past two dec- ades in trying to improve the city's public schools. "One reason why people leave the inner cities is that they have kids and want better schools," says Jon Jenson, a senior program officer. "For a decade, we've been working to keep folks in the cities." For the past three years, Mr. Jensen adds, Gund has been deal- ing explicitly with the issue of sprawl. Because the metropolitan area is carved into so many peliti- cal jurisdictions, he says, a major accomplishment has been just get- ting people from different areas to sit down together to discuss their mutual concerns. Several projects have emerged from those talks, including a $200,000 grant to help 100 congregations of all faiths confront the problem of sprawl, both in their own neigh- borhoods and across the area. Other foundations that have dealt with facets' of the sprawl is- sue for years are now grappling with how to broaden their ap- proach to a problem that does not fit neatly into any single grantc making program, and that has multiple potential handles at the - local, state, and federal levels. The Surdna Fotmdation, for example, since the early 1990s has support- ed groups trying to change federal transportation policy. But now it is considering additional measures. One option is trying to identify successful strategies used in some cities and see if they can be repro- duced. elsewhere, says Hooper Brooks, who directs the founda- tion's environment program. Mr. Brooks is guardedly hopeful about the 'prospect for success in taming sprawl. "We might get this boast back into the cage, although it's been out for a long time," he says. "We all have this huge schizophrenia: We hate sprawl, but we also hate density. We want the freedom of the suburbs." The W. K. Kellogg Foundation's board will soon consider a novel proposal to assemble a team from all of its grant-making program ar- eas to craft an integrated approach to sprawl. "We're looking at it as so much more than an environmental issue,' says All Webb, the founda- tion's communications manager for rural development and food sys- tems. "The impact offand-use deci- sions has huge ramifications for cities and suburbs as well as agri- cultural lands." Stemming the Tice of SpraW_ New Orgoniz~ation Jtmt what role the newly formed Funders Network will play is un- clear. Some grant makers see it as 'little more than an information- exchange vehicle, aided by the work of the Sprawl Watch Clear- inghouse, in Washington, which posts information from around the country on its Web ~site (http:// www.sprawlwatch.com).. Others hope the network will take on more of an advocacy role, mobfiizing support behind the kind of strenuous campaign some grant makers say is needed ff sprawl is to be checked. "There is something inevitable about funders getting involved in smart growth and land-use is- sues," Mr. Bollman sayS, "because it is emerge .nt, it is ubiquitous, it is urgent, and it is real." . There are many approaches to dealing with unplanned develop- ment, he says, but immersion in the issue has convinced many grant makers of the need to in- volve as many players as possible in finding collaberative solutions. "Our first inclination was to be against 'Sprawl," Mr. Bollma~ says, "butthat's just a baby step in the fight direction. We now have to figure out how to make livable communities. That is the only al- tornative to sprawl." A Sampler of Resouwes The American Farmland Trust (http://www. farmland. org) identifies the 20 agricultural areas in the United States most threatened by suburban sprawl, and also lists information about its Competition for Land project and links to many of its publications. The Brooklags Institution posts on its Web site studies conducted under its Metropolitan Initiative: Promoting Healthy Regions, Smart- er Growth, and Reinvestment program (http:// www.brook.edu/es/urban/metro.htm). Included is a report ("Livability at the Ballot Box") on the sprawl-related ballot questions from No- vember's'elections (http://www.brook.edu/es/ urbard m yers.pdf). The Center for Neighborhood Technology describes its Location Efficient Mortgage concept--a tool being tested in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco that provides incentives for homeowners in areas served by public transit--on its Web site (http://www. cnt.org/lem). The Sierra Club has produced a report, "The Dark Side of the American Dream: The Costs and Consequences of Suburban Sprawl," which is available at http://www.sierraclub.org/trans- portation/sprawl/sprawl2'eport. The report on Suburban Sprawl lists the U.S. cities with the worst sp~'awl problems. The Web site also includes informa- tion on the club's Challenge to Sprawl Campaign. The Smart Growth Network, a partner of the Sustainable Communities Network, lists reports, case studies, and a calendar of · meetings and conferences dealing with smart growth-development that serves communities' environmental and social needs--on its Web site (http://www.smartgrowth.org). The Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse follows sprawl-related developments around the coun- try and pests the information on its Web site (http://www.sprawlwatch.org). It has also pub- lished a briefing guide for grant makers, "How Smart Growth Can Stop Sprawl." The guide is available for $10 from Sprawl Watch ClearinghoUse, P.O. Box 33144, Washington 20033-0144; (202) 387-8030. The Surface Transportation Policy Project has created a User's Guide to the Transporta- tion Equity Act for the 21st Century, the massive federal transportation bill approved last year. The guide is available on its Web site (http:Hwww.tea21.org/guide/guideonline. htm). the against BY ROB GURWlTT : ' '-, · hen Vice President . - .:- A1 'Gore ·unveiled · "' the Clinton admin- 'W' istration's new ini- tiative to curb ur- ban sprawl~ last month, you could sense both the peril and the promise in the move. That is, if you no- dced it at all. Gore' announced the .administration's 'LivahiUty Agenda" just as the Senate took Jp President 'Clinton's impeachment trial, when the WashinGon press corps was busy =hasing down every last nuance of Sen. Trent Lott's ruminations and ignoring everything else:'The Whir6 House, meanwhile, was busy trying to produce headlines that 'had noth- ing to do with' impeachment: Gore presiding ~ver a summit On "21st'Century Skills for Hst Century Jobs"; Gore anfiouncing 20 new "Empowerment Zones"; Gore conven- ing an international forum on "reinventing government? And of course, ,the State of the Union address;in which Clinton once again ~urted the :country in a slew of propoSals-- including 'his .' *Livability Agenda"--that ~ould' ,have 'had trouble competing with ~ach other for attention ;in even the most pladcrof rimes.' ~-7~=~.,_~ ' But the proposals Gore outlined to curtail urban sprawl are worth noticing. Specifically, he laid out a plan to offer $700 million in tax credits to support "Better America Bonds" that will help restore urban parks, protect green space,' improve water quality and dean up old industrial sites; boost spending on publi~ transit and regional attempts to find alternatives to highways; and spend about $50 million to help metropolitan areas figure out how to "grow smarter"--:to avoid sprawl and put money back' into .existing roads, schools and sewers. Most media coverage of GoLe's announce- ment played it.as the first feel-good moment of the upcoming presidential campaign. But Gorets 'livability" proposals-were both can- nier andriskier than the reporting suggested.. For ~vhat ~the vice president has done 'is to Join ~ battle 'that iS':really abOut the ,ways" wealth anC!'i~o~eHy etch themselves:on our political landscape. "Gore is_c~le~arl.~y a,h. ead of the curve at the federal le~velin unde~rStatiding the intricacies of ~ 7~at~e'X-ns ~ the country today-- what's motivating thrum and what the fallout is for cities, inner suburbs, outer suburbs and ' the countryside," Bruce Katz said. Katz runs the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Poli- cy at the Brookings Institution in Washing- ton. The simple fact that the nation's sec- ond-in-command uttered the words. "smart growth" is unprecedented:' After all, who's for stupid growth? But this is the same feder- al government whose p6licles, from its high- way bills to its mortgage subsidies to its school alesegregation efforts, have 'encOur- aged urban flight and the opening up of the hinterlands. (Sometime this spring, we'll get an idea of just how fully the feds encourage sprawl after the. General AccOunting Office issues a report detailing sprawl-inducing fed- eral programs. Don't expect a quick read.) Sprawlgets personal Yet Gore's proposals put him at the conflu- ence of anti-sprawl currents that .have been gaining force over the last several years. They strike a chord with urban neighbOrhood ac- tivists who are tired of Watching limited pub- lic resources get spent on spanking new f4Cil- ities 10 miles out of town. 'They appeal to suburbanites who resent spending twice as much time getting to:work each morning as they did five years: ago, even though the dis- tan'ce they tra~/el is the ~a/ne. They clearly play to environmentalists, for whom sprawl has become the next big battle. They even have an audience among farmers, who have discovered that their new neighbors in those split-levels next door have been complaining to local officials ab~t manure-spreading at five in the morning./. . All of that has th~ makings,6f a fine elec- toral coalition. Bur thereds a hitch. ~'Sprawl" is not just about building indistinguishable new subdivisions .with spal~h~,tti-_like road systems-;and!ho,uSes whose mostpbviouS fea- ture is the gar. age. It is also abOut the far more personal matter of where we live and why, and it brings UP uncOmfo.rtable ques~tions with:no easy answers: the tate of cent/al cit- · ies, older suburbs and the people ~who live in them;-our conflicted -feelings-ab6ut Lurban schools;:~tie:tne~iultleS~of~pi~bliC'.~p~nding - and 'oursrank failUr~ fO ~ddres~ th~;'the iact that ~Su~urb~hqff~i~:even 'fC~t'Cb~hiitt~d~ur- banites, is so enricingly~fl:~i6fi~cl?:~m~,~'~ is always true when a:imHtlei/n':t~."es. Onarl is~ sue that strikes at the fort, lt's en. tirely.~possiptl.~-la~': "~Oi~"~ ~hs- cover th~t~tf/~ 'b~ly he status qUo is changing it. G6r~ ~di~!' somethin~ ~s.~ that no'one at tis !ev~l l~as 'd. gne~before: He made it clear hat transportation and smart land use go tandin hand~ .It'd'astounding h'0W .many ~ubli~ 0ffici~lS~ froni Washington onedown o your ~ur~ty Superviso~l~have sp~.~nt mon- -7 on piesen/ing open space with on.e hand, Ioled out billions for new highways and flghWay interchanges that speed the devel- opment of open space with .the other and .till managed~to. keep a ~straight face. True, he specifics of the administration's' initiative ton't go very far--as John Norquist, the nayor of Milwaukee, puts it, "There is a lot note to be gained by cutting back on federal ~pending that causes sprawl, like the big ~ighway pork bill that went through last ~ear, than by just ann0ui~ing new :pro- ~ams'--but it's a start. Gore is dearly trying to turn the federal ~overnment into an ally for the sprawl-fight- ing efforts that have sprung up around the ~untry like so many, well, strip malls. These :ome from a variety of directions. Inner-city :hutches have begun to argue in the last few years that there is a direct relationship be- tween policies affecting development on the urban fringe--from subsidies for roads and ~chools to zoning that keeps the p~0r-out-- and the flight of resources from their neigh- borhoods. Offidals in older suburbs have !je- ~un to recognize that they are bound to lose their never-ending battle to stave off decline ~nless they can fined a way of changing state tnd ~:ounty policies that prefer growth on cheap, undeveloped land. Losing the land War ,, '- Politicians ?.in .' some--though hardly: all-- newer~suburbs are building careen on sl0w- ~row. th~entiment. Environment.lists have ~alized that/a~ Brookings'-Katz puts it, ~eory we w~n'the air war and the water war, ~ut we lost the l~nd war, and the land .war RaS the most important one to win." Farm- ~ ~rs and, in a handful of cases, their farm bu- reaus. and Republican state legislators are :oming to the conclusion that one of the ~st ways to preservedheir ·land may be to ,~ake the urban core attractive again ~for ~orking families.. - · What these various effufis have lacked is ~ny high-profile support. There are only '11 ~tates with growth-management acts on the ~)oks, and of those, only Oregon's, Wash- ington's and Vermont's are really meaning- rul. ~he past couple of years have seen a few 9thor attempts to get at the issue: Democrat- ic Govo Parris Glendening of Mary~land i~ try- ~ng to steer state resources only to, already- :loveloped communities; Republican Gov. ~hristine Todd Whitl~an got voters to agree to buy up half of New Jersey's remaining open space; the Tennessee legislature last year decided to require the state's counties to ~lan their growth. ~ But that is hardly a national groundswell. What Gore appears to.be trying-to do isyo- use~federal largesse to tilt states and localities in an anti-sprawl direction: to discourage lo- cal iurisdictions from acting like a bunch of scrabbling communities in which the rich will inevitably eat the pool--or at least steal their tax base---and instead begin thinking about how to keep the region healthy; to think more creatively about whether high- ways and clotted artetials are the best way to move people from one place to another; to find resources to make existing cities and suburbs more attractive places to live. We're on a road to nowhere It all sounds good until you begin to think about who might be arrayed on the other side. There are, for instance, state highway departments, which, except Where a handful of States have tried to change them, are urffe- 'mitting asphalt lovers. There's the construc- tion lobby. There are engineers, financiers, developers and land-use lawyers. There are state legislators who count ~!1 those people among their dosest friends ~.a~:.d contri'.~b~tor~.~ There are skeptical urban politidans, most of them Affican-Americ~ 0~ HisPaniC, .who fear ~egi0nalism is a cover for diluting the~r power 'with white sulSU'rbS'[ ':~ . ~'~' ~'!'~. '~ Then there are all those Republican mem- bers Of Congress who will have to enact this set of proposals ~coming out of an adminis- · tration they've iust spent the last month tell- ing us they don't trust. ,There's even Wall Street, which~ as a result o'f the 'Savings and loan crisis, has become a maior player in fi- nancing development and which tends to like predictable, cookie-cutter, Sprawl-depen- dent models for housing, shopping centers and office complexes. And, of course, there's the market, which is sendin~ mixed signals at the moment~ On the one hand, developers are actually paying attention these days to the "New Urbanists,' the movement of architects and designers who for the last decade have been arguing for compact, pedestrian-friendly, transit-ori- ented development. "There are significant market .segments that are bored, tired and being bankrupted by conventional real es~ tate development," Chris Lelnberger said. Leinberger is a national real-estate consult- ant and Albuquerque, ~NM, developer. "They're tired of strip' retail and having to - drive to get everywhere." ~ On the other hand, somebody is still moving into all those developments out on the urban fringe and shopping at Wal-Mart .and bringing their~ cars into Jiffy .Lube and · dogging the rush-hour highways. The troth is~ .~many' Of -uS~ a~Ct/like auto.'m'otive s.l~'eep. Build aroad to the~ middle'.OJ-:nOwhe~ and we take ~t;-'Wlden~ffighwayrand the ~aom- '~ingit reOpenS.we pack ,It as full as it was fore. Give us a.prairie-full of parking sur-. 'rounding a new mall, and there we are, :~:-~So ~,hat G, ore:ts,do.ip.g is gambling, He. is ' wagering that he :can-reshUffi/~'a.,deck that. has bee.n stacked in favor of:sprawl,.;and, by giving aid and comfort to all/l~e local .forces. that are trying to array themselves against it, begin the hard work of stacking the deck in favor of titles and existing suburbs. As Lein- betget puts it, "The market is increasingly saying, 'I want lots of options: Within 1,500 feet of where I live, I want to be able to have a cappuccino, buy a book, buy a gallon of milk, walk to work, have a park, ideally have a connection to nature.' And we in real estate can do that, but itfs tough, bemuse the fact i.s, everything. works against you. We've · made the wrong things easy 'and the right things hard. What Gore's been talking about is just reversing that; making the Xight thing easy, and making the wrong thing at least pay its bwn way." ". .: ~ He may succeed, and he may not. But by elevating the issue to the level of federal poli- cy, he has at least begun a process that will be hard to stop. "This is a fight that is going to go on for. some .time,'/Katz said. "We've got decades of embedded roles that have favored a kind of suburbanization that has been harmful not just to central cities but to sub- urbs themselves. That's whj, you can't deny .the power of ~/his issue. Think of the 'decen- tralization of employment, or of the dimin- ished fiscal capacity of cities and inner sub- urbs. These are crises caused by growth patterns that are having- a devastating effect on the ability of cities and inner suburbs to thrive and survive. That's why this issue isn't going away: It has to do with the stark truth of who's winning and who's losing .in the new ecol~omy. ne THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY, APPEARED IN SALON~AN ONLINE MAGAZINE AT WWW.SALONMAGAZINE.COM. HERITAGE ARea AgEnCY ON Aging KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE 6301 Kirkw'ood Blvd. SW P.O. Box 2068 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406 June 23, 1999 The City of Iowa City ATTN: City Council 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, iA 52240 Dear Council Members: Phone: (319) 398-5559 · (800) 332-5934 Fax: (319) 398-5533 E-mail: heritage@kirkwood.cc.ia.us Web: www.heritageaaa.org JLjuN2 5 1999 CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE One of the functions of The Johnson County Task Force of the Heritage Area Agency is to be an advocate for the physical, social, economic and political benefit of older persons. It is in that spirit that we write to urge you to take two actions in relation to the Iowa Avenue Parking Ramp. 1. That you provide a skywalk connecting the ramp and the Senior Center. That you make a slight modification to the present plan in order to provide a direct access from the parking ramp across the alley to the Senior Center for use when the skywalk is closed. We believe that the present design that requires Seniors to exit on Linn Street and then walk south is not user friendly and is not the safest alternative. We trust you will demonstrate your commitment to Seniors by making these two changes. Representatives of our Task Force will be happy to discuss this request with you at your convenience. Sincerely, Harold Stager, Chair Copy: Johnson County Board of Supervisors Senior Center Commission 4/iif4~L~[~jU~L0 7 '7~,jo~ 3-9i~/,~! FAX: 515- 239-1982 June 30, 1999 Ref. No. Washington/Johnson Cos. STPN-1-4(38)--2J-92 PIN 99-92010-1 City Council City of Iowa City 410 E Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Council Members: You are invited to attend a Public Information Meeting on July 20, 1999, between 5 and 7 p.m., in the Kalona Community Center, 511C Avenue, Kalona, Iowa, to discuss the proposed improvement of Iowa 1 between Iowa 92 in Washington and the U.S. 218 interchange near Iowa City. Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) staff will be available during this time to answer questions regarding the proposal. No formal presentation will be made; however, details of the proposed improvement will be discussed at the meeting. General information regarding the proposal is available from Richard Kautz, Development Engineer, East Central Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa DOT, PO Box 3150, 430 16th Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52406-3150, telephone 319-364-0235 or 800-866-4368; or from Larry Jackson, Development Engineer, Southeast Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa DOT, PO Box 587, 307 W Briggs, Fairfield, Iowa, 52556-0587, telephone 515-472-4171 or 800-766-4368. LF:maa CC: Si ncerel y, Luel 1 a Funnel 1 Office of Project P1 anning Richard Kautz, East Central Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa DOT Larry Jackson, Southeast Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa DOT Lee Benfield, East Central Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa DOT Lawrence Bryant, East Central Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa DOT Wendy Leonard, Southeast Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa DOT Don East, Office of Design, Iowa DOT Robert North, Office of Right of Way, Iowa DOT Brad Hofer, Office of Project Planning, Iowa DOT Kathie Robinson, Director's Staff, Iowa DOT PROPOSED CONCEPT The Iowa Department of Transportation Commission has determined that this section of Iowa I should be developed as a Super-2 corridor, Super-2 Concept Super-2 refers to a controlled access, at-grade roadway with one through lane per direction, The design features included in the Super-2 concept serve to maximize the capacity and safety of that single through lane, Several of these defining features are: 1, Full width lanes with partially paved shoulders and clear zones 2,.,Limited access with turn lanes when warranted, 3, "Flatter" horizontal and vertical curves with increased design speeds 4. Passing and speed differential lanes (often referred to as climbing or truck lanes) 5. Possible corridor preservation It is intended to use the existing IA I horizontal alignment with only slight adjustments to increase the capacity and safety of the roadway while minimizing impacts to the surrounding community, Access control will be Priority III which allows accesses at a minimum of 1000 foot spacings (~ mile preferred spacing) Kalona Bypass Option: An area extending approximately ~ mile west of Kalona has been included in the study area in the event a by-pass is required, u~ J3 I Cente~ 2 I 20 .iberty L, eaor DIUFI' (T) Hoover Presidentia 6~ Library and Birthplace 0 Wesf 5 5 sburg ~ ~ Cosgrovbeu-~,,,-,i~ of ~o ~Downey ~< cop,~,~ ~ ' ' LiI~'~Ft~ · .~ ~ --F ~ Hills ~ ~OWA ~ ' ~ ow : _ ~ River Jct~ 7J ~ : 0. W A S ~1 ~ TOII N Conesville ~ PROJECT MAP 7 es Chesfe~ ~ ~ ashington WASHINGTON '~~ ' ' ' ~ ~i~L~°~o~' ~o 8 ~~~Hyo~j7%r j~ , SSIBLY INCLUDING A BY-PASS OF ~LONA . J ] ~ ~ ~ ~ z,,~ WASHINGTON & JOHNSON COUNTIES ~ 28.4 miles UpgrQdes + bypass ~ 28.6 miles End Project near the U5 218 Interchange in Iowa City July 1, 1999 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council Civil Service Entrance Examination - CONSTRUCTION INSPECTOR I We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Construction Inspector I. Robert Decker IOWA CITY CIVIL ~iOc~a~e~lW.~/~/;2¢Chair SERVICE ATTEST: Mm~Karr, City Clerk 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET * IOWA CITY, IOWA 51240-1826 * (,t, 19) ,156-5000 * FAX (119} .156-5009 June 22,1999 The Honorable Mayor and the City Council Civil Service Entrance Examination - HOUSING INSPECTOR - PUBLIC HOUSING We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Housing Inspector - Public Housing. Robert Shaver IOWA CITY CIVIL C~I~MIS~2ON Mi K d Chair SERVICE ATTEST: , City Clerk 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET * IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826 · {319} 356-5000 * FAX 1319) 356-5009 July 1, 1999 TO: RE: The Honorable Mayor and the City Ceuncil Civil Service Entrance Examination - SPECIAL PROJECTS INSPECTOR We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Special Projects Inspector. Jim Protaskey IOWA CITY CIVIL CO SION ZU ae~y, Chair SERVICE ATTEST: ~'~Karr, City Clerk EAST WASHINGTON STREET ® IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826 · (~119) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 July 2, 1999 TO: RE: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council Civil Service Entrance Examination - SPECIAL PROJECTS INSPECTOR II We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Special Projects Inspector II. Chris Gilstrap IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE ATTEST: Manan Karr, City Clerk 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET * IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 * (319) 356-5000 * FAX (319) 356-5009 Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Wwwsparks@aol .com Thursday, July 08, 1999 3:13 PM city_co u n cil@ iowa-city. org Revote on the Burry Trail (Willow Creek Park) I was disappointed when I hear of the Burry Trail that only the area east of the creek will be upgraded and not the west side. I'm writing to ask for you to reconsider this item. I feel that it is important to keep the entire park in step with itself. Therefore, upgrading the whole, not just part of it at a time. Walter Sparks 2340 CAE Drive Iowa City 52246 Petition for reconsideration of West Willow Creek trail widening and upgrade. We feel the narrow uneven path is dangerous now and needs upgrade as soon as possible. The additional width will help many neighbors walk next to their children and adds ADA accessibility. We realize there will be minimal change to trees and bushes. We realize near Burry the hedge, nearby plants, mailbox, and extended drive are encroachments by a neighbor onto a City park entrance and the City Staff has changed the plans to avoid most of those plantings. We realize the connection to Kiwanis Park cannot be completed until there is the upgrade. We realize it will cost less to upgrade the park now rather than patch it again and wait until next year. We realize this is the only trail on the West of this CITY PARK. signed previous name address(print) petition (y/n) Petition for reconsideration of West Willow Creek trail widening and upgrade. We reel the narrow uneven path is dangerous now and needs upgrade as soon as possible. The additional width will help many neighbors walk next to their children and adds ADA accessibility. We realize there will be minimal change to trees and bushes. We realize near Burry the hedge, nearby plants, mailbox, and extended drive are encroachments by a neighbor onto a City park entrance and the City Staff has changed the plans to avoid most of those planrings. We realize the connection to Kiwanis Park cannot be completed until there is the upgrade. We realize it will cost less to upgrade the park now rather than patch it again and wait until nexl year. We realize this is the only trail on the West of this CITY PARK. name signed previous address(print) petition {V/n) Petition for reconsideration of West Willow Creek trail widening and upgrade. We feel the narrow uneven path is dangerous now and needs upgrade as soon as possible. The additional width will help many neighbors walk next to their children and adds ADA accessibility. We realize there will be minimal change to trees and bushes. We realize near Burry the hedge, nearby plants, mailbox, and extended drive are encroachmerits by a neighbor onto a City park entrance and the City Staff has changed the plans to avoid most of those planrings. We realize the connection to Kiwanis Park cannot be completed until there is the upgrade, We realize it will cost less to upgrade the park now rather than patch it again and wait until next year. We realize this is the only trail on the West of tills CITY PARK. signed previous name add tess(print) petition (V/n)