HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-08-29 CorrespondenceHerbert Lehman, Mayor
City of Iowa City
410 East Washington
Iowa City, IA 52240-1826
Dear Mayor Lehman:
Please be so kind as to read through the enclosed file of letters addressed to the co-owners and
Chief Housing Inspector, Gary Klinefelter of a neighborhood concern about a long abandoned
house at 300 McLean in Manville Heights.
Personally, I must say I am no more or no less involved than any of the other signers, but simply
had the computer time to pursue the matter. However, should you have any questions whatsoever,
my number is 339-7235. If I don't have the answers, I can direct you to people who do.
Yours sincerely,
August 11, 2000
7g'TjSo u~jail~,~aot.con,
Gary Klinefelter
Senior Housing Inspector
City of Iowa City
Iowa City, IA 52240
Dear Mr. Klinefelter,
Herewith the petition from many of the concerned neighbors about the long neglected house at 300
McLean. Because of the busy work and vacation schedules of the signers, it has taken a bit of time
to circulate the neighborhood. It would bear more names, I 'm sure, if it continued to circulate.
I have notified Dan Black, the officer of the Iowa State e Bank and Trust, who manages the property
directly across the street from the house of our actions and asked him to contact you directly.
Because of our original petition to Lorie and Robert Woodhouse, the co-owners of the property, the
exterior of the house has been maintained this summer. It has been cleaned up and the lawn mown.
This has been at the considerable effort of Lorie Woodhouse who says she is going to have the
services turned on and live there. The exterior is still far below neighborhood standards.
We are deeply concerned that a house, abandoned to elements and vermin for such a long time,
cannot sustain reinstatement of services without an increased threat to neighboring buildings. Nor
have we any faith this maintenance effort will continue when the weather cools to winter should she
fail to live there.
We request urgently that you look into the matter of the building 's actual safety with a report back
to us and continue surveillance of its maintenance in the li~ture.
Yours sincerely,
August 11, 2000
7g7;~o u~qail~t@ad.con~
52246-37oo
Robert Woodhouse
10301 Cedar Lake RD #3 17
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Lorie Woodhouse
1821 Lansing AV
Portage, MI 49002
It has been six years since the Sr. housing inspector for the City of Iowa City, Gary Klinefetter,
lifted the condemnation on your property located at 300 McLean AV in Iowa City due to action
taken at that time by Lofie and promises for future reclamation of the buildings..
Since then, the property has become much more derelict. Almost without exception all other houses
in surrounding area have been remodeled or at least their maintenance and repairs have been
upgraded so that your house despite its beautiful lines stands out in unsightly contrast. Now it
could be judged a dangerous structure. Rumor has it that it is inhabited by squirrels and raccoons
and who knows what else?
We the undersigned who are your neighbors and I' m sure you can count friends among us ask you
to notify us within thirty days of action you will take immediately. Mr. Klinefetter is on call to
outline to you what options are open to resolve this matter to the satisfaction of the City and the
neighborhood.
Copy: Gary Klinefetter
Name Address
May 1 O, 2000
Gary Klinefelter
Senior Housing Inspector
City of Iowa City
Iowa City, IA 52240
Re: Abandoned house at 300 McLean
Dear Mr. Klinefelter:
First of all, from my previous correspondence I see I spelled your name incorrectly. That' s always
a poor start to any relationship or negotiation. May I blame the typo on my computer, which
obediently picked up my last correspondence?
Anyhow, since the neighbors sent a letter to Lode and Robert Woodhome, the co-owners of 300
McLean, on May 10, 2000 asking that notice be given within 30 days of future plans for the
property there has been the following response. First, Robert Woodhouse's phone call noted in
my letter to you on June 5, completely disclaiming any responsibility to the property. The
following week Lorie Woodhouse came to town and did flurry of superficial landscaping. The last
time this was done was six years ago so we have little confidence it will be a continuing effort.
What remains is the cold fact that we have here an uninhabited home, vermin infested, abandoned
for nine years without services or insurance in dangerous proximity to two other homes and a
general threat to the neighborhood. In addition, it does considerable harm to our own property
values, which, for tax purposes, the City of Iowa City seems to think are forever increasing..
We the undersigned emphatically petition you and your colleagues to exercise the power of your
office, entrmted by the citizens of this community, to inspect these premises inside and out. We
want your findings publicly available and demand notice of your direct dealings with the co-owners,
Robert and Lode Woodhouse. In particular, we need to know what options have been given them.
Copies:
Lo~e and Robert Woodhome
Herbert Lehman, Mayor :
Name Address
Jun; 9, 2ooo
August 11, 2000
Iowa City Council
410 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
As a resident of Lexington Ave for 29 years, I wish to register my strong objections to the
any proposal to close Lexington Ave between Park Road and River Streets. No one has
contacted my asking my opinion, hence this letter to you.
It seems to me that we have been through this issue every time there is a new family in
the neighborhood. I realize that with no sidewalks, it is difficult for children to walk, and
I would support sidewalks even though my children long ago left Lincoln School.
Traffic is a brief problem every Fall. As neighbors we have regularly banded together to
help. Over the years we have reported the licenses of those briefly but recklessly used
the street for entertainment. The police have always responded rapidly and helpfully in
the few times we have asked for assistance. It is also true that some judicious patrolling
in the fall works wonders to stop the "joy riders." In the past, we also tried speed bumps
(which were removed); the only persons hurt were the children who fell of their bikes.
Traffic on Lexington was higher when River Street was closed and our street became a
main thoroughfare. That traffic has now been reduced and I fully expect it to continue to
fall as people resume their previous routes. As one who opposes any closing, I can report
that the "natural experiment" created by the River Street project (which effectively closed
our access to River and Otto streets) confirmed my strong feeling about any street
closing. Not only would this option be inconvenient, but it would also move our traffic to
nearby streets creating more problems.
Joyriders could better be stopped with a special fine for abusing the dips.
Sincerely,
Carol C. Fethke
441 Lexington Ave
Iowa City, IA 52246
337-3709
Marian Karr
From: Bruce & Lisa Knutson [knuthome@frontiernet. net]
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2000 7:32 PM
To: council@iowa-city. org
Subject: Under-age drinking
Hello,
I would like to put my two cents worth in about you changing the age that people are
allowed in your bars. It should be 2 1. Our 19 year old daughter was admitted into the
hospital early Sat. morning for alcohol poisoning from being in served in one of your
local bars. Kids are going to try things and we as adults have to a least try to keep them
from hurting themselves. I feel that by changing the age that they can enter a bar might
help deter them. Also it seems like they don't get carded before they get served anyway.
So either they should be carded at the door and have a legal age stamp put on their hand
or kept out completely if they are too young to drink. It makes me shudder to think how
close we came this weekend to having to make funeral arrangements for our daughter.
Please help with this before another child loses their life because of drinking in your
town. Thanks.
Bruce Knutson
8/20/00
Johnson County Auditor
and Voter Regislration
email: auditor ~ pobox .corn
2000
Ernest W. Legan, Mayor
Civic Center
410 E. Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240
Dear Mayor Lehman:
Your undated letter which I received today contained the following sentence:
"Your decision to summarize the other questions presented to the voters and not
summarize the First Avenue question only adds to furtlmr confusion." I am unsure why
you have the impression that I intend to summarize the other two ballot initiatives. It is
possible that summarization may be necessary due to insufficient space on the ballot,
which I will not know until September. Ban'ing that occurrence, I currently have no
intention of sumnaarizing the public measure for the Iowa City Public Library bond issue,
and I have not yet received the language regarding the Johnson County Jail.
I made tim erroneous assumption that the City Council did not want me to
sununarize the ballot language for the First Avenue extension. It is always my desire to
cooperate with the Council whenever possible. If the Council wishes to summarize the
ballot measure, and has a particular suggestiota for the language to be used, I look
forward to hearing from you on this matter.
Sincerelye/
Tom Slockett
Johnson County Auditor and
Commissioner of Elections
TS/ce
Cc: City Council, Iowa City
J. Patrick White, Johnson County Attorney
Madan Karr, City Clerk, Iowa City
Stephen Atkins, City Manager, Iowa City
Eleanor Dilkes, City Attorney, Iowa City
Bob Elliott, Chair, Citizens for the Future of Iowa City
Derek Maurer, Treasurer, Citizens for Commonsense Growth
319-356-6004 FAX 319-356-6086 913 South Dubuque Street Suite #101 Iowa City, Iowa 52240-4207
i~) PRINTEDON RECYCLED PAPER ~ PRINTEDWITH SOY INK
August 21, 2000
Tom Slockett
Johnson County Auditor and
Commissioner of Elections
913 S. Dubuque Street, Suite 101
Iowa City, IA 52240-4207
Dear Mr. Slockett:
The question you pose to Council has been answered, i.e. the Council will not and can
~hot change the ballot language. As you pointed out in your letter, the Iowa Code allows
you to prepare a summary if you believe a summary is needed to clarify the question to
voters. As previously stated, the Council is supportive of any summary that would clarify
the question. The decision of whether and how to summarize, however, is clearly yours
to make.
Sincer.eJy, ~~
Ernest W. Lehman
Mayor
Cc: City Council
J. Patrick White, Johnson County Attorney
Bob Elliott, C. hair, Citizens for the Future of Iowa City
Derek Maurer, Treasurer, Citizens for Commonsense Growth
Stephen Atkins, City Manager
Eleanor Dilkes, City Attomey
Marian K. Karr, City Clerk
410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 10, 2000
To: City Clerk
From: Jeff Davidson, Acting JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~
Re: Installation of a NO OUTLET Sign on Green Mountain Drive North of the Intersection
with Columbia Drive
As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of
the following action.
Action
Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(1) of the City Code, a sign indicating NO OUTLET will be erected on
the east side of Green Mountain Drive north of the intersection with Columbia Drive.
Comment
Green Mountain Drive has been extended into a new subdivision north of Columbia Drive. There
is no outlet through the subdivision. This action will clarify this matter for motorists.
jw/mem/jd-green.doc