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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-09-12 Correspondence IOWA CITY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION & MEMBERS OF THE IOWA CITY COUNCIL The Ned Ashton house, 820 Park Road in Iowa City, has been nominated to the National Register. (The Iowa City Commission recommendation goes to the City Council for approval prior to State review.) OPEN HOUSE SEPTEMBER 10th, SUNDAY 4:30-5:30 PM. Members of the Commission and City Council with spouses are invited to see the house and grounds prior to the nomination process. The house has a quarried Stone City limestone facade over a reinforced concrete core. Designed and built by Prof. Ashton to take advantage of the Iowa River frontage, the lower level was his engineering headquarters where he designed the world's largest equatorial-mounted radio telescope (U.S. National observatory), bridges and other major structures. Ned Ashton Memorial Pocket Park on the bike trail is at the site of his former Benton Street bridge. Built in the late-1940s, it immediately became the proiotype for a new class of welded steel design gaining recognition both in the U.S. and abroad. DIRECTIONS: Drive west on Park Road down the steep hill and cross Normandy Drive. The house is at the end of the first driveway (north) past Normandy Drive. Park on the grass at the end of the driveway and enter through the south porch door. Mac & Joye McKusick Marshall & Joye Ashton McKusick 820 W. Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52246-2427 Phone (319) 338-6746 ,IOWA CITY AREA 3g(2) - CHAMBER OF 319.3 325 East Washington Street ,//~ PO. Box2358 COMMERCE Fax 319.338.9958  chamber@iowacityarea.com Iowa Citg, IA 52244-2358 , Serving the communities of Johnson County www. iowacilgarea.com August 31, 2000 Mr. Ernie Lehman City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Emie: Enclosed is a copy of the Area Chamber of Commerce Statement on Underage and Binge Drimking that will be released to the press on Friday, September 1st. After nearly six months of study, discussion, and debate, the Board of Directors approved this statement at its monthly Board meeting last week. The statement is largely the work of a task force appointed by the Board in March. The task force was chaired by Maggie Winegarden, an attorney with Phelan, Tucker, Mullen, Walker, Tucker & Gelman LLP. The issue of underage and binge drinking is complex and controversial. As the enclosed statement suggests, there is no "silver bullet" to solve this problem. Ultimately, it became apparent to a majority of our Board of Directors that a community-based approach involving numerous groups and organizations is the only approach likely succeed. Naturally I welcome your comments and suggestions concerning the enclosed statement. JoZeckord President Mission: to advocate for a vibrant local economy, provide opportunities and valuable services to our members and contribute to the quality of life in Johnson County. To: Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors From: Chamber Task Force on Underage & Binge Drinking Subject: Chamber of Commerce Policy Statement on Underage and Binge Drinking Date: ' August 25, 2000 Background: Our task force was created in March of 2000 with a twofold charge from the Executive Committee, that being 1) to educate the membership regarding the issues of underage and binge drinking, and 2) to recommend educational and/or advocacy initiatives, if appropriate. Fairly early in the process, our task force concluded that efforts to educate the community as to the societal, personal and economic effects of problem drinking were better served (and currently being quite well served) by other educational and health organizations in the community. Those functions seem to be at the core of several other organizations' charges, and many of them have the academic and research ties to mount effective educational campaigns. Therefore, the recommendations from this task force, while including education, will focus on the second of our two charges. Recommendations: 1. It is a proper time for the community. to take some concrete action to address the problem of underage and binge drinking in the area. We believe that the period of several months this past Spring and Summer during which the Iowa City Council waited to give the local bar owners a chance to address this problem themselves was an appropriate course. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, the bar owners have been unable to take any united action to curb the problem drinking. According to reports in the media, the coalition formed by the Iowa City bar owners this past Spring (The Iowa City Hospitality Association) is no longer even operational, and apparently took no action on this issue while it was active. Both underage and binge drinking have adverse effects on not only the individuals engaging in this conduct, but on the community as a whole. That being the case, and based upon some of the research provided to the Task Force recently by the Stepping Up program, this issue seems to be a proper topic to be addressed by the greater Iowa City community, and this appears to be the time to address it. 2. The Chamber supports and encourages efforts aimed at educating our area's elementary and high school students and their parents as to the physical, community and societal costs and dangers of underage and binge drinkinc. While recent media attention on this issue has seemed to focus on college age persons, it is recognized that many underage drinkers begin this behavior long before they go to college. Local efforts to address these issues at an early age, such as for example the local DARE programs, are to be commended. The Chamber encourages our community businesses, schools and residents to support these types of programs whenever the opportunity arises. 3. All oreanizations which have made efforts to create alcohol free entertainment alternatives for our eommunity's young people should be commended for these efforts, and the community as a whole and Chamber membership should join in and support these activities to the extent feasible. Many young people do use the bars as a means of enjoying music, dancing and general entertainment, even absent drinking. If those options are taken away from 18, 19 and 20 year olds by a "21 only" law (or even absent such a law) if we want to truly minimize the temptations to young people to drink underage, the community as a whole needs to make alcohol free alternatives more available and more attractive. This will only occur if sufficient resources (time, energy and money) are devoted to the effort._ 4. Specials which encourage purchasing large quantities of alcohol for a very low price constitute irresponsible business practices and should be strongly discouraged. While the Chamber is not generally in favor of price controls, it is clear that the drink specials that are commonplace in the greater Iowa City area are a major contributing factor to the underage and binge drinking that is taking place. Making very large quantities of alcohol available for very little money is a dear invitation to exactly the kind of problem drinking that needs to be curbed. 5. Pass municipal ordinances with significantly more severe penalties than are currently in place for underage drinking and public intoxication, to the extent allowed bv law. There are examples in other states of laws imposing fairly steep fines (for example $500 in Nebraska) for the offense of possession of alcohol under the legal age. The Chamber believes both the specific and general deterrence which would result from increasing the penalties for alcohol related offenses would be a valuable tool in any comprehensive approach to this problem. 6. Have the City Attorney's Office work with the County Attorney's Office to investigate more aggressive enforcement of those regulations, both criminal and licensing, which prohibit any retail establishments from serving underage or intoxicated patrons. We understand that there are a number of regulations, some state and some municipal, which provide for criminal and/or licensing penalties if retailers do not strictly abide by the laws against serving underage or intoxicated customers. We understand that many of these are difficult to enforce, either due to the manner in which they are written or the manner in which they have traditionally been prosecuted. There may be better evidence gathering techniques available to make prosecution of some of these offenses more effective, if sufficient resources were made available to the officers involved. Or perhaps our local law enforcement could get a better response from the state licensing board if we provided the board with more, better or different data as to offenses by a local license holder. The Chamber does not pretend to know the answers to these inquiries, but would like to see the issues investigated. 7. Encourage all retail liquor establishments to renew their commitment to and investment in actively preventing the sale of alcohol to underaRe customers. The problem of underage persons obtaining alcohol exists not only in establishments generally described as "bars", but also in the local grocery stores and convenience stores. It is possible that underage purchasing in the "non-bar" type establishments could actually increase if "21 only" laws were effectively enforced in the community. Therefore the Chamber strongly encourages all these members of our business community to renew their commitment to preventing this crime from occurring on their premises, and to invest those resources necessary (be they equipment such as ID scanners, training of personnel, or voluntarily restricting unreasonable specials) in order to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. 8. "21 only" laws should be considered as an option, but preferably as a last resort. Local opinion seems to be that prohibiting those under age 21 from entering establishments defined as bars would likely have some adverse side effects. These may include such things as displacing that drinking to other locations, depriving those young adults of access to music and dancing entertainment, and adverse economic impacts on the establishments affected. On the other hand, if enforced, a "21 only" law appears to be the only one of the measures currently being discussed in the media or by local city councils that would be immediately and dramatically effective in removing large numbers of under-21 adults from an environment where they have continuously been successful in obtaining alcohol while under the legal age. Because of these pros and cons, Chamber would recommend this option to be utilized only if it appears that other steps are unable to address the problem as effectively, or within an acceptable time frame. If the goal is to achieve the maximum deterrent effect the quickest, this would be the option most likely to achieve that. If implemented, the Chamber would recommend that "21 only" laws be drafted with careful consideration as to the definitions which would dictate which establishments are covered and under what circumstances. For example, any such laws should have clearly defined time frames (i.e. "no one under 21 after 10 p.m."), and should take into consideration issues regarding service of food versus alcohol, so as not to unduly impede the service of evening meals. In addition, any "21 only" laws should be implemented only after sufficient forewarning that the affected establishments have time to adjust their business operations so as to minimize any adverse economic effects. The Chamber would also recommend that any such laws have a sunset provision of a year or two, so that the involved city councils and the community are forced to actively assess the effectiveness of the laws before continuing them into the future. Conclusion: While the Chamber may not be the organization which will come up with the "Silver Bullet" to solve this problem, we do conclude that this is an issue of importance to the community as a whole, and one on which the Chamber should not stand silent. Silence on this issue would be inconsistent with the Chamber's mission "To advocate for a vibrant local economy, provide opportunities and valuable services to our members, and contribute to the quality of life in Johnson County." We believe the above position statement is consistent with the Chamber's mission and appropriate given all the information available to us at this time. Finally, the Task Force has recommend that the Executive Committee invite our contacts with the University (Vice President Phillip Jones) and with the Stepping Up Program ( Director Julie Phye) to a meeting to share the Chamber's ultimate Position Statement with them prior to making the recommendations public. We believe this courtesy will encourage an ongoing supportive relationship between our organizations and help to minimize any potential divisiveness which may occur around this issue in the future. 4 4-H Fairgrounds OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 4265 Oak Crest Hill Road SE Iowa City, Iowa 52246-5881 Cooperative Extension 319-337~2145 Phone 319-337-7864 Fax August28,2000 Johnson County City Councils & Board of Supervisors Enclosed are copies of an ICN course offering for training in the area of Rural Development. Please share this information with your Board, Council members and other elected officials and staff. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Gene Mohling County Extension Education Director Iowa State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, and disability. Fall 2000 rural development seminars offered over the ICN The Department of Community and Regional Planning (CRP) at Iowa State University will offer two rural development seminars over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) during fall semester 2000. These courses may be taken for undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education credit. Citizen Participation/Conflict Management Course: Community and Regional Planning 475B/575B This course reviews the role of citizen participation in planning as well as techniques for gaining participation, including surveys, focus groups, and town and community meetings. Participants also learn the fundamentals of community-based planning and the critical role that participation and management play in the local planning environment. Dates: September 26-October 26, 2000 Day/time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:40 to 5 p.m. Credit: One undergraduate or graduate credit or 1.5 CEUs (continuing education units) Instructor: Tim Borich, associate professor Registration deadline: September 19, 2000 The class will originate on the Iowa State campus; however, other remote sites will be scheduled if requested on registrations. Each seminar level has its own syllabus, which will explain in greater detail the amount of work necessary to receive credit. Enrolling at the graduate level will require the most work. Grant Writing Course: Community and Regional Planning 475C/575C This course reviews methods of identifying funding sources, procedures for proposal preparation and composition of grants for both public and private sources, and the effects of organizational and personal linkages in grant writing. Participants will complete a grant application as part of the class. , Dates: October 31 -December 7, 2000 Day/time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:40 to 5 p.m. Credit: One undergraduate or graduate credit or 1.5 CEUs (continuing education units) Instructor: Tim Borich, associate professor Registration deadline: October 24, 2000 The class will originate on the Iowa State campus; however, other remote sites will be scheduled if requested on registrations. Each seminar level has its own syllabus, which will explain in greater detail the amount of work necessary to receive credit. Enrolling at the graduate level will require the most work. For more information For more information about either course, call (515) 294-8707 or e-mail !doering@iastate.edu. For more information on ICN sites or to register, call Joyce Hanson, ISU Extended and Continuing Education, at (800) 262-0015. Iowa CmTY AREA COMMUNITY PROVIDERS SEVENTEEN AGENCIES ~ PROJECTS SHARING CONCERN FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SLIBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN ~ ADOLESCENTS. DIRECTORS AND f PROFESSIONALS DATE: August 28, 2000 ~ROM - TO: Iowa City City Council · MtD-EAsY~.RN Iowa Johnson County Board of Supervisors CO~k~UNITY ME,,a'A1. Iowa City Downtown Association ~ , t'h~ALTH CEntER Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce · Four O^Ks - You'n~ Iowa City Hospitality Association HOMES Coralville City Council ' FRE~ M~o,c.&t. CL,NtCIowa City Press-Citizen Iowa City Gazette · DoMEsnc %0~.E.'.C~ RE: Youth, alcohol, and downtown Iowa City h.T~RvL~'r~ON We are Iowa City area service providers who meet to share concerns on mental health · EUERG~.*Y I'tous~ and substance abuse problems amon9 adolescents and children. We applaud our PROIECT community's increasing awareness and discussion of underage and binge drinking. But · C~^NT WOOO A~E~ we are concemed that we have not yet heard the voices of our own hometown junior and EDUCATION AGT. NC.Y senior high school students, their families and supporters. · Iowa CrrY COMMdNn'v 5CHOOL Underage ddnking and bingeing are viewed as University problems associated with dtes D~STR~C'r Of passage in leaving home for college life. But our concern is for the young people who · JOHNSON Cou~-rv are growing up in Iowa City where college-age ddnking is so common. Consider these BOARD o~ statistics shared with us by the Stepping Up project comparing the University of Iowa's SuP~v~s binge ddnking rates to other colleges' and universities'. · IOH1,4R'IN COUNT',,' CLUSTE~ BoaRD College Students' Binge Drinking Rates in High School &College ' JOHNSON COUNTY (95% confidence levels; percentages rounded) DEC.kTEGOR1ZATION At !n our In our Nationally P~OtECT University division of 7 north- · lc.~ Cou~n' of Iowa large central DEPARTMENT OF I'h.iMAN S[RV~CES universities re~ion Present binge 60%-69% 49%-51% 48%-50% 43%-45% 'JUvENn,[ COuRr drinking rate S~vlcEs ' LUTHERAK~ SOCIAL Did no__t binge in high 28% 43% 44% 48% SERviCES school or college · MECCA Su5srA~ Binged in high 36% 27% 25% 23% Muse SERvtC[S school and in college · UNITED ACTION FOR 1999 College Alcohol Study: Harvard School of Public Health YOUTH Iowa City's downtown has changed since the opening of the Coral Ridge Mall. Alcohol · LI~NERS~rV OF lOW^seems to have become our major business as liquor-serving establishments have filled HEAL'rH CARE: the storefronts left empty when retail and food shops closed. (Think Eby's, Barbara's -- CI IEMtCAI. DEPEN-Bake Shop, Hardee's, Great Midwestem Ice Cream, the former Cottage site and, if the DENCY CENrt'ER - CHn.DRE~S community is not successful in its rescue efforts, the Englert Theatre, all within a block of HosmrAt. OF IOWA the Ped Mall and River Dance fountain.) - Cou,E~ OF PuBuC HEALm.I Community leaders who participated in the Search Institute's 1998 survey of our · LiNWE~SITY OF IOWAcommunity's assets know the strong correlation between a positive community environ- S't'EPP!NG UP PROIECTk,_ ment and low rates of high-risk behaviors in 6t" through 12m graders. We rated ourselves./ high in such crucial areas as "viewing youth as the central concern of our community" and "fostering intergenerational relationships." The Search survey shows that this is what Iowa City really cares about. The involvement of young people in the skate-park planning, for instance, has been a model of intergenerational cooperation and respect. Now we need a similar approach to the problem of alcohol. Iowa City has received input on the issue of underage and binge drinking from bar owners, the Down- town Association, and University students. We urge direct and thoughtful consideration also of these core questions: What kind of an Iowa City are our preteens and adolescents experiencing? If the 18 to 20-year-olds aren't in bars, where will they socialize and have fun? How can we make the downtown a positive place for people of all ages? The impression now is that once Happy Hours begin, downtown belongs to the ddnkers and, as the night wears on, to the bingers and drunks. These are not just questions for our city councils, bar owners, and university groups. They are crucial, too, for the school district, churches, United Action for Youth and other youth-serving agencies, MECCA, service organizations, neighborhood associations -- all of us. Our group of community providers would be very willing to help arrange forums or other activities to broaden input on the issue of minors in bars. Please contact any one of us if you feel our help would be of value. We hold our next meeting on September 19th. P Nichols, convener ~ ~ Carol Thompson Child &Adolescent Psychiatry Johnson County Board of Chiidren's Hospital of Iowa Stepping Up Project Supervisors (353-6800 1717 JPP, UIHC) Che~l~l~ Brenda M. Cruikshank, MD Director, Johnson County Department of Pediatdcs Jim Swain, Director Department of Human Services Children's Hospital of Iowa United Action for Youth Johnson County Cluster Board rect A Assistant Professor, U of Iowa ._ Health Management &Policy r Barbara S. Smith net R. Peterson ACE Program Director Project Development Coordinator nator, Johnson Lutheran Social Service of Iowa University Hospital School County Decategodzation Project Nurse Manager Juvenile Court Officer I! Director, Domestic Violenc Child &Adolescent Psychiatry Johnson County Proba- Intervention Program VanderBerg Prevention Supervisor, MECCA At-Risk Coordinator ,~//~. Iowa City Community Executive Director 7////,J_A,,<;~ Mid-Easter Iowa Community Mental Health Kelli Malone, Director Youth Homes Celeb ating Women's Right Vot r tO e Remembering Emma d. Harvat September 1, 2000 ~.-- Dear City Council, ..~--,-, Now that Emma J. Hatvat Day has passed, we wanted to get back to you about agreeable manner in which to permanently recognize the historic significance of Mayor Harvat. We understand that there isn't support to name the Civic Center after anyone. In heating your comments at the informal meeting earlier this summer, we understood that there was support for doing something inside the Civic Center. We would like to keep this discussion going with the following request: o:- The Council Chamber be named either Emma J. Harvat Council Chambers or Emma J. Harvat Hall. The former may be more familiar to current residents and the later has a great ring to it. %° Label the named room in some way as you enter. Our desire is that it be placed so that it is easily noticeable. We would be happy to be involved in the discussion on its exact location. · :' A prominent and artistic plaque with Mayor Harvat's likeness and an explanation of her historic significance be commissioned. The plaque could have a bas relief. A common example of this type of work is the raised art on a quarter. This would give the piece a little bit of dimension and be an affordable way to achieve this effect. We would like this plaque to be on either the outside of the building or in a visible location in the Chambers where people would readily see it. If you see it as appropriate for the Public Art Committee to Commission this piece, this would be quite acceptable to us. · :. The Council would accept a minimum of $300 from the Iowa Women's Foundation to go towards accomplishing the labeling of the room and the plaque. This money was raised specifically to honor Emma J. Harvat. Once all expenses of the celebration are paid, the amount could be slightly more than this. We would like to move forward on this request this fall and ask that this item be placed on your October 2 informal meeting for discussion and a resolution, if needed on your formal agenda of October 3. Please let us know if this timeframe works for your schedule. Sincerely, Mary Bennett Linda Kroon Iowa Women's Foundation State Historical Society, of Iowa Women's Resource &Action Center Karen Kubby ' Doris Malkmus Margaret Wieting Emma Goldman Clinic Iowa Women's Archives Johnson CourtW Historical Society, Marjan Karr .~~ From: M. Hain [mhain@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu] Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2000 3:44 PM To: council@iowa-city. org Subject: Introduction 8/28/00 To members of the Iowa City City Council: Hello; as recently appointed Homeless Outreach Coordinator for Johnson County, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mary Hain Jr., and I am based out of the Mid-Eastern Iowa Community Mental Health Center in Iowa City. My primary task is to provide case management services to individuals who are suffering from serious mental illness or serious mental illness and substance abuse, and are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. I perform outreach services at many agencies in which homeless individuals tend to congregate, such as the Emergency Housing Project, and the Free Lunch Program. There is a focus on Iowa City, since the vast majority of the Johnson County homeless population is found here. I receive intra-agency referrals from other mental health care providers at Mid-Eastern Iowa Community Mental Health Center, as well as inter-agency referrals from other agencies and health care providers in the greater Iowa City area. Also, as a member of the Johnson County Local Homeless Coordinating Board, I will be involved in issues related to homelessness and mental illness at the community and state levels. I would like to make myself available to the Council as an advocate and source of information concerning these populations. You can contact me at: Mid-Eastern Iowa Community Mental Health Center (319) 338-3813, ext. 255 mhain@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Thank-you; I am looking forward to working with you! : 09-12-00 Marian Karr ; 3g(7) From: Patricia Ephgrave [pnephgrave@home.com] Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 4:52 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Traffic in Manville Heights Dear Members of the Council, Thank you for expressing interest in traffic through Manville Heights. I would like to comment on two problems: 1) The proposed reduction of through traffic on Lexington will have a very negative impact on the other through streets (of which there are only three). Diverging traffic from Lexington now would put an additional burden on Lee, McLean, and Ferson. increasing traffic on these streets simply shifts the hazard, it does not address it. 2) The recent upgrading of River Street is a vast improvement. However, the median strip was not repainted down the middle, but 7' off to one side to allow for parking on north side of the street. This is a hazard for bicyclists and students on the south side traveling eastbound from Lincoln Elementary School. Parking is allowed only after 5 pm, but if you visit this area you will find very few cars use it in the evening. Most of the parking occurs when U of I has sporting events on the weekends. Therefore, the old division down the middle was safe 90% of the time, and when parking occurred, cars could safely pass on the other side. Now, however, the area for westbound traffic CANNOT safely include a cyclist and a car. In fact, even without a cyclist, cars tend to drive with their left wheels on the dividing strip. Please direct the Traffic Department to repaint the dividing strip down the middle of River Street. Yours truly, James & Patricia Ephgrave Fine products from Italy August 16, 2000 Ernest W. Lehman, Mayor 902 Wylde Green Road Iowa City Iowa 52246 Connie Campion 430 S. Summit Street Iowa City Towa 52240 Steven Kanner 515 E. College, Apt #3 Iowa City Iowa 52240 Trvin Pfab P.O.Box 2446 :iowa City Towa 52244 Dee Vanderhoef 2403 Tudor Drive Iowa City Iowa 52245 Ross Wilburn 1917 Taylor Drive 52240 Towa City Iowa RE: Proposal of a Business Venture: San Dona di Piave, Venice, ]:talv This letter is in reference to the exchange mailing between Dr. Vasco Magnolato, Mayor of San Dona di Piave, and Mr. Ernest W. Leheman, Mayor of Iowa City, Iowa, regarding the management of both cities. 15, Mr. Maurizio V. Mesiti, of Coralville, Iowa, as the contact person in United States for the City of San Dona di Piave, Italy, would like to invite you to consider more closely the opportunity offered by the City of San Dona di Piave concerning the possibility of joining together with San Dona in a very interesting venture. This venture would give each community the benefits from cultural exchange to sporting events -- more City of San Dona di Piave Page 2 of 2 August 16, 2000 interesting, an opportunity for both to have a tourist exchange as well as a business exchange. For example, the opportunity to train the youth of our communities in professional activities by means of an exchange program between San Dona di Piave and the ]:owa City area youths. This would, of course, bring a sense of honor to both administrations. In order for this opportunity to become a reality we need Iowa City's administration to answer San Dona di Piave's last letter, which will place :Iowa City's administration as a reliable administration. in the mean time, San Dona di Piave has promoted this idea through the Italian media. I can provide you with a copy of a newspaper article to inform you that, along with my help, San Dona has started to put down a sort of business plan. This plan is different from the usual plans concerning a sister city venture. I hope to hear from you as soon as possible concerning this venture, but more importantly an answer to Dr. Vasco Magnolato's invitation. I will be in Italy for the next few months. You can reach by telephone at: 011-39- 339-6528704, or contact Diane Mesiti at 335-4586 or 354-7876. Sincerely, Maurizio V. Mesiti August 22, 2000 Maurizio V. Mesiti 250 12th Avenue, Suite 150 Coralville, IA 52241 Dear Mr. Mesiti: On behalf of the Iowa City City Council and our community, thank you for all of your interest in the creation of a sister city relationship with the City of San Don~ di Piave. We have been remiss in following up on your request to establish a more permanent relationship between our respective communities. This is substantially due to our very limited budget with respect to such types of events and/or programs. At this time it is difficult for me to commit beyond an exchange of routine information about our respective communities and it is unlikely given the financial circumstances in our community that any site visits from Iowa City representatives would be possible. Thank you for your interest. Ernest W. Lehman Mayor mgr/Itr/sistercity.doc 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: August 29, 2000 To: City Clerk From: Jeff Davidson, Acting JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~ Re: Conversion of the intersection of Prentiss Street and Madison Street to ALL-WAY STOP control 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(5) of the City Code, signage indicating ALL-WAY STOP will be erected at the intersection of Prentiss Street and Madison Street. Comment: This action is being taken following information received from the University of Iowa that the existing three-way stop control at this intersection is confusing with the traffic patterns that have resulted after the construction of the University Services Building. A traffic study was completed which concluded that an all-way stop would eliminate the current confusion without significantly impacting traffic Level of Service at the intersection. Indexlw/mem/jd-prentmadison .doc - JCCO !11 e ill o Date: August 24, 2000 To: City Clerk From: Jeff Davidson, Acting JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Installation of NO PARKING 8 AM - 5 PM MON-FRI at the corner of Morningside Drive and High Street As directed by Title G, 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(10) of the City Code, signage indicating NO PARKING 8 AM-5 PM MON-FRI will be erected at the corner of Morningside Drive and High Street. Comment: The lot at the corner of Morningside Drive and High Street is the location of the High School Home Construction Program for 2000-2001. The school district has requested no parking 8 AM- 5 PM, Monday through Friday adjacent to this lot to facilitate the movement of materials and equipment on and off the site. This parking restriction will commence on or shortly after September 13, 2000 and be removed at the completion of the project on June 1, 2001. jccogadm~nem\morningsd.doc City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: August 25, 2000 To: City Clerk From: Jeff Davidson, Acting JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~'~ Re: Modification of on-street handicapped parking spaces on Linn Street west of the Senior Center 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(14) of the City Code, signage indicating SENIOR CENTER PERMIT ONLY will be erected on the four on-street handicapped parking spaces on Linn Street west of the Senior Center. Comment: The four on-street handicapped parking spaces currently carry a 12"X 6" designation stating SENIOR CENTER ONLY. These will be changed to SENIOR CENTER PERMIT ONLY. The Senior Center has requested this action to facilitate enforcement of the parking designation at these spaces. Indexlw/mem/jd-srctr.doc City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: September 5, 2000 To: City Clerk From: Jeff Davidson, Acting JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Modification to on-street parking spaces on Valley Avenue south of Highway 6 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(10) of the City Code, signage indicating CAUTION FLOOD AREA PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK will be erected for four on-street parking spaces on Valley Avenue south of Highway 6. Comment: The four on-street parking spaces are subject to flooding because of an undersized storm sewer· The City's Risk Manager has requested the flood hazard signs be installed because of damage claims that have been filed against the City. This is an area of heavy on-street parking demand, so it is not desirable to make the area "No Parking Any Time." The storm sewer capacity issue will be very expensive to reconstruct and is not currently scheduled· indexlw/mem/jd -va Ileyave. doc Marian Karr From: ElliottB53@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 3:16 PM To: cou ncil@iowa-city. org Cc: steve-atkins@iowa-city.org Subject: Request To: The Honorable Ernest Lehman, Mayor of Iowa City And other members of City Council for the City of Iowa City From: Bob Elliott (1108 Dover Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240) Date: September 11, 2000 As a spokesperson for Citizens for the Future of Iowa City (the organization campaigning for the completion of First Avenue), I'm writing to point out that there is an extensive amount of misinformation and misunderstanding regarding (1) the city's plans for completing the final 1,600 feet of First Avenue in northeast Iowa City, and (2) the upcoming general election in which one of the referendum items will be a vote up or down on those street plans. As a result, I encourage the City Council to direct city staff to schedule and conduct a news conference to provide factual information, particularly regarding those issues about which the misunderstanding and misinformation exists. To be most effective, I suggest the mayor, Steve Atkins as city manager, and other appropriate staff persons conduct the news conference for all interested print and electronic media sometime in early to mid-October. A key spokesperson for Citizens for Common Sense Growth (the organization that opposes completion of First Avenue) is Prof. David Redlawsk. I've not met David, but I~ve had two pleasant and productive telephone conversations with him regarding our respective positions on First Avenue. Obviously, I can not and will not speak for David, but I would be surprised if he didnit agree that a press conference to present factual information would be beneficial and productive for all the citizens of Iowa City. Please feel free to contact me by telephone (351-4056) or em-mail (elliottb53@aol.com) if you have any questions about this request, or if I can be of assistance in any way. Thank you for your interest and consideration. PUBLIC DISCUSSlOft Thursday, September 21, 2000, 7 pm Iowa City Public Library.. Meeting Room A Cosponsored by American Federation of Teachers Local 7 16, bwa City Federation of Labor, The Evert Connor P, jghts and Resources Center For independent Living, .Johnson County Democratic Central Commi~:ee, Ha~eye Chapter of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, Service Employees International Union (SFIU) Local 199, Un~'ersity of Iowa Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuat Staff and Faculty Association, the National Layers Guild, and the Iowa City Human Rights Commission FOR.M ON THE National PROPOSED JOHNSON COJN'Y Monday September ~8 P~M~ Iowa City Public ,-"' t Library, Room A Jeff cox, Treasurer Why Vote NO on the Proposed $20.3 Million Dollar Johnson County Jail? Dear Community Member: The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has placed. on the November 7 ballot Proposition A: a $19 million dollar general obligation bond issue to finance a new 255 bed jail which would provide a 177% increase over the present number of beds. $1.3 million dollars will come from tax dollars set aside by the Supervisors for capital projects. · The projected increase in county population to the year 2020 is only 25%. People 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the county population; this age group is one of the least likely to engage in criminal activity. · Long range financial implications of this bond indebtedness and the expenses associated with such a large facility cannot be fully predicted. However, this bond issue--the largest ever in the county's history--will certainly put increased pressure on property taxes and affect funding for essential public services such as the Health Department, the Johnson County Ambulance Service, and substance-abuse and mental health programs. · The Jail Overcrowding Study Committee lacked the diversity that would have made it representative of the county's voters. The general public had almost no input into the decision-making process. Committee minutes show that other alternatives, including the expansion of the jail on its current site, building on county-owned property directly in back of the courthouse, or building a less expensive minimum security overflow facility were all dismissed by the committee after only the briefest consideration. PO Box 3215 Iowa City, IA 52244-3215 At least 62% of all jail bookings result from arrests made by the Iowa City Police Department. · More than one-third of all jail bookings are alcohol and drug related (public intoxication, about 28%; possession of small amounts of marijuana, about ~o%). Citations with a promise to appear in court, or a simple ticket with a mail-in fine (much like a speeding ticket) for these offenses which pose no direct threat to public safety would drastically reduce the number of jail inmates and give the county time to consider more cost effective proposals than Proposition A. · Preliminary statistics gathered indicate probable racial and economic bias in arrests, bookings, and sentencings. Although many Johnson County residents have pleaded with state legislators for years to consider the burgeoning financial implications of excessive reliance on jails and prisons, the Board of Supervisors, the county's city managers and councils, the County Attorney's Office, the Sheriffs Department, and the cities' Chiefs of Police have been silent. It is time our community leaders address the fiscal irresponsibility arising from current laws and sentencing requirements. Please make a contribution to this grassroots effort. Make your check payable to Citizens for Alternatives and mail it to P0 Box 32x5, Iowa City, IA 52244-3215 It is a large undertaking to educate Johnson County's 70,000 county voters on this important issue. Please help us. I am making a contribution to Citizens for Alternatives to the New Jail Name Address As a public service, Citizens for Alternatives encourages you to be sure your car lights are working properly and that you wear your seatbelt at all times. Citizens for Alternatives to the New Jail PO Box 3215 Iowa City, IA, 52244-3215 August 20, 2ooo 1123 E. College Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Iowa City City Council Civic Center 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Members of the Council: I am writing to you about the Washington and Iowa Avenue down-zoning proposals that will be coming up before Council in the near future. I have owned my home at 1123 E. College St. for 20 years. My wife and I have raised our two sons who are 8 and 14 in the house. I own a private business in Iowa City-my psychology practice located at 1027 Rochester Avenue. I love Iowa City. I worked with Doug Russell and the Iowa City Preservation Commission to get my block made into a historic district. Since it was made a historic district, many of the houses have been significantly improved. Several homes have had vinyl siding removed and replaced with wood siding and wood shingles; one home has been completely revamped fi'om top to bottom inside and out; new kitchens have been put in; and new additions added. It was a good move to create the historic district. After working to make it possible by holding neighborhood meetings and canvassing, I served on the Historic Preservation Commission myself ~'om 1997 to early this year, and I plan to apply to serve again after a break.. Not only do I live and work in Iowa City, but I shop in downtown Iowa City. My friends on the block and in the neighborhood all prefer to shop in downtown Iowa City, as opposed to Coralville. I would like to see downtown become prosperous again, and have a variety of different kinds of stores, businesses and cultural resources. However, I am concemed that if the proposed RS-8 down-zoning (which was defeated by the Planning and Zoning Commission on August 17) is not approved, my neighborhood and progress toward a prosperous downtown will receive another blow. My neighbors are already talking about how, if new apartments are built on Washington Street, or our street becomes any noisier, they will sell their homes and move. I am considering this also because the noise level has been increasing in recent years as property owners on Burlington turn family homes into rental properties. If current owners on my block move, the liklihood of our homes becoming rental 8-20-00 Page 2 properties will increase and not only will the neighborhood become noisier and more dense with more rental units, but permanent residents with money to spend in downtown will move away. What I am saying is that if you want a viable downtown-and I know that at least several of you are downtown business owners-you will support the RS-8 proposal for down-zoning. I attended and spoke at the P and Z meeting on 8-17-00. What I learned was that every property owner except four were for the RS-8 proposal. These four own large apartment building and do not live there. Even absentee owners of single family houses and duplexes in the area were for the proposal. Yet the Commission backed a City staffer's proposal to re-zone the area RNC-12, rather than grant exceptions to the four objecting apartment owners. Many residents and property owners testified for the RS-8 proposal and only one against it. Yet the Commission, in my opinion, showed arrogant disregard of the people. Armed with smffer John Yap's proposal for RNC-12 zoning, various commissioners said things like: "I think you have a good enough neighborhood-its better than it was in the 50's and 60's-and you don't need to change things;" or "I understand, I used to live in your neighborhood. But we have a concept of a mixed residential and apartment neighborhood, and this would be better for everybody in your neighborhood." These are people who do not live in our neighborhood, and probably live in RS-8 areas themselves, yet somehow they know better than us what is good for our neighborhood. I was shocked to hear them talk the way they did. I felt like telling them they should be ashamed of themselves for not listening and for thinking they knew better, but public discussion was closed by the time they voted. I appeal to you to over-rule their decision and listen to the residents of the neighborhood and make it all RS-8. I realize I do not live in the area of concern. But it is only one block away, and if Washington Street goes downhill and gets noisier and more crowded, my neighbors whose homes back up to Washington across College tiom me, will be stressed. This is a neighborhood issue. The area of proposed down-zoning is sandwiched between two RS-8 areas, and therefore it should be RS-8. The difference, as I understand it, between the neighborhood proposal for RS-8, and the P and Z's proposal for RNC-12 is that a number of single family dwellings, under the RNC-12 proposal, can be razed and replace with duplexes, thereby increasing the population density of the area. This would make for more cars and more noise in the neighborhood. Under the RS-8 proposal, this cannot be done. The RS-8 proposal, made by the property owners and residents of the neighborhood, and backed by all but four property owners, would go much further toward 8-20-00 page 3 preserving and encouraging improvement of the neighborhood. My guess is that if the area is re- zoned RS-8, the same kind of renovations and improvements will occur as have occurred on my block since it became a historic district. After all, what homeowner wants to improve his/her property if they think they might have to move because neighboring properties will deteriorate and bring the neighborhood down? Please vote for the RS-8 proposal sponsored by my neighbors Martin and Julie Cassell. I look forward to talking with you further at a City Council meeting, if not before.  ely yours, . ~l~rank S. Gers~ HEARDON, ,.~UEPPEL ~. DOWNER P.L.C. WILLIAM L. MEARDON LAVVYERS (Iglg-lggT) WILLIAM F. SUEPPEL 122 SOUTH LINN STREET TELEPHONE: (3 I g) 338-g222 ROBERT N. DOWNER FAX: (3 I g) 338-7250 JAMES D. MCCARRAGHER IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240 -1830 MARK T. HAMER THOMAS D. HOBART MARGARET T. LAINSON DOUGLAS D. RUPPERT TIMOTHY d. KRUMM WILLIAM d. SUEPPEL CHARLES A, MEARDON DENNIS J. MITCHELL September 8, 2000 MS. KARIN FRANKLIN DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CWIC CENTER 410 E WASHINGTON IOWA CITY IA 52240 Re: Robert H. Wolf/Proposed Rezonlng for Lake Ridge Expansion Dear Karin: This letter will once again request that the above matter be deferred from the Council meeting of September 12, 2000 to the next succeeding Council meeting. As you know, the Wolfs and I met a couple of weeks ago with you and various other members of the City staff regarding this matter, and I am meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Wolf again tomorrow morning and, hopefully, will have a report for you early next week to the effect that we are moving toward an agreement. I felt that a lot of progress was made at our last meeting but, of course, there are still significant details that need to be worked out. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. y tr yours, · Downer RND:js k, July 13, 2000 ~ Cj't~ Or ~ The Honorable Sally Stutsman, Chair Johnson County Board of Supervisors 913 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Re: CZ0027. County Rezoning Request for Properly Located East of Dane Road and West and South of the Lake Ridge Mobile Home Park Dear Sally and Members of the Board: Johnson County has received an application from J.E.B.B., LC, to rezone an approximate 125.43 acre parcel located east of Dane Road and west and south of the Lake Ridge Mobile Home Park from A1, Rural, and RS, Suburban Residential, to RMH, Manufactured Housing Residential. The property lies within Fringe Area C and within the City's adopted growth area. At its July 6, 2000, meeting, the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission recommended, by a vote of 6-0, that the City Council forward a letter to the Board of Supervisors recommending denial of the requested rezoning due to its non-compliance with the Fringe Area Agreement, Iowa City's Comprehensive Plan, and the Johnson County Land Use Plan. The Commission further recommended that if the County is inclined to approve the rezoning request, that the Council and Board meet to discuss the relationship of the Fringe Area Agreement to this particular request as well as the future of the agreement itself. The Commission believes that, in part, the intent of the Fringe Area Agreement is to ensure that urban density growth occurs within the City, built to urban development standards, and with the benefit of City sewer and water and other City services, and that growth in the County occur at densities more appropriate for a rural setting and be directed away from prime agricultural areas and environmentally sensitive areas. The proposed development plan does not appear to comply with the development policies of the Fringe Area Agreement for Area C, and the applicant has not agreed to develop the property in accordance with City development standards. The development of this parcel without annexation may inhibit the City's ability to serve and annex other properties within its growth area. The development of the subject property without annexation will result in a substantial population being served by a private sewage treatment plant when a modern publicly operated treatment facility is available by gravity flow. The proposed rezoning is not consistent with many aspects of Iowa City's Comprehensive Plan or the Johnson County Land Use Plan. The lack of a useable secondary access for residents of the development, the amount of grading that will likely be required to implement the concept plan, and uncertainties regarding storm water management are also of concern. The attached staff report provides more details regarding these issues and the reasons for the Commission's recommendation of denial. Based on the above reasoning, Council agrees with the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and therefore respectfully forwards a comment to the Board that the requested rezoning of approximately 125.43 acres from A1 and RS to RMH is not consistent with the policies of the Fringe Area Agreement, the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan, or the Johnson County Land Use Plan. Therefore, Council respectfully requests that the spirit and integrity of the Fringe Area Agreement be maintained, and recommends that the rezoning request be denied. Sincerely, Ernest W. Lehman Mayor Enclosure indcxbc~ltr~',! 2{:L.d~ 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 September 12, 2000 Sally Stutsman, Chair Johnson County Board of Supervisors 913 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: S & G Materials Conditional Use Permit Application Dear Sally and Members of the Board: The City Council has received the request from S & G Materials for a conditional use permit for a sand mining-and extraction operation in unincorporated Johnson County south of Isaac Walton League Road. At its August 17 meeting the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission recommended unanimously that the Iowa City City Council recommend approval of the conditional use permit, subject to the County requiring the implementation of the sand pit restoration plan developed by Lon Drake and MMS Consultants. This restoration plan was submitted with the conditional use permit application. The City Council concurs with the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation, and recommends the conditional use permit request submitted by S & G Materials be approved, subject to the County requiring the implementation of the Drake/MMS restoration plan, by means of a bond or some other financial instrument. Some Planning and Zoning Commissioners have commented on the attractive appearance of a recently restored S & G Materials pond just south of Isaac Walton League Road. Thank you for the opportunity to review this application. Sincer /~' ~ Ernest W. Lehman Mayor Indexlw/Itrs/el~stutsrnan .doc 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 · (319 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 September 12, 20~0 Sally Stutsman, Chair "'..~ Johnson County Board o~'6upervisors 913 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA 52240 \ Re: S & G Materials Gonditi~pal Use Permit A Dear Sally and Members of the The City Council has received the from S & G Materials for a conditional use permit for a sand mining and e~raction operation in Johnson County south of Isaac Walton League Road. At its August 17 meeting the Iowa Cit and Zoning Commission recommended unanimously that the Iowa City City Council recomr approval of the conditional use permit, subject to the County requiring the implementation of nd pit restoration plan developed by Lon Drake and MMS Consultants. This restoration with the conditional use permit application. The City Council concurs Planning ~d Zoning Gommission's recommendation, and recommends the conditional use permit uest su~ by S & G Materials be approved, subject to the County requiring the of the restoration plan, by means of a bond or some other financial instrument. ,e Planning and Commissioners have commented on the attractive appearance of a recent S & G just south of Isaac Walton League Road. Thank you for the o to review this a Sincerely, Ernest W. Leh an Mayor I d I/I /I t 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: August 4, 2000 (For August 17 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting) To: Planning & Zoning Commission From: John Yapp, Associate Planner"/r' Re: CU00-0002 S&G Materials Conditional Use Application S & G Materials has applied to Johnson County for a conditional use permit to operate a sand extraction operation on property south of Iowa City and west of the Iowa River. Lon Drake, a professor of geology, and MMS Consultants have prepared an analysis of the site, the sand mining operation, and a restoration plan for the area (attached). This property is within Fringe Area C of the Fringe Area Agreement between Iowa City and Johnson County, outside of the city's growth area. The Fringe Area Agreement does not address mining or mineral extraction uses. The Johnson County Zoning Ordinance allows mining and mineral extraction as a conditional use in the A-1 and A-3 agricultural districts. This property is zoned A-1. The Johnson County Zoning Ordinance requires that cities be allowed to review conditional use permits within their extra-territorial jurisdiction. Conditional use permits in Johnson County require a 4/5-majority vote of the Board of Supervisors to approve the permit if the use is opposed by a vote of the City Council. Local Regulations. Conditions for mining or mineral extraction in the A-1 and A-3 districts include the following: 1. The applicant shaft obtain approval for withdrawal of water if required by the Iowa Natural Resources Council. The Environment Protection Division of Iowa DNR has advised that if the ground water is returned immediately to the site in good condition as part of the sand extraction process, no permit is needed. 2. The applicant shaft obtain approval for operating in a flood plain as required by the Iowa Natural Resources Council. The function to approve operation in a flood plain is now assumed by the Iowa DNR. According to Iowa DNR, the proposed sand extraction operation will not need this permit because: a. It is set back greater than 100 feet from the river. b. There is no levee construction. c. There will not be stockpiling of material along the riverbank. d. There is no removal of water directly from the river. e. There is no discharge of water directly to the river. f. There is a recognition that there is an indirect connection to the river via groundwater flow. g. There will not be a net removal of groundwater or a reduction in groundwater quality as part of the extraction process. S&G Materials Conditional Use Application (CU00-0002) August 10, 2000 Page 2 3. The applicant must obtain a license to operate from the Iowa Department of Mines and Minerals. The Iowa Department of Mines and Minerals will treat the new site as an extension of the present adjacent sand-mining operation and the existing license will apply. 4. The proposed site shall be located no closer than 1,000 feet to any property zoned A- 2, RS, R-1A, R-1B, R-2, or R-3A. This condition may be modified upon a showing of good cause by the applicant, but shaft require a 4/5 vote of the Board of Supervisors for approval. The proposed area for the sand extraction operation is zoned A-l, and the site is not closer than 1,000 feet to any property of the above zones. There is a cluster of residences north of Isaac Walton League Road on the west side of the Iowa River that is within 1,000 feet of the operation; however, the land on which those residences are located is zoned A-3. The proposed sandpits are further away from these residences than the existing sandpits. 5. There shaft be no excavation within 50 feet of any adjoining property which is under separate ownership. The proposed design respects this distance. 6. The applicant and his or her successors shall take all precautions to prevent dust contamination along the principal access to the activity. The principal access will be defined as the route of least distance between the entrance to the property and a paved public highway. The sand itself is processed while it is wet, and it is hauled while it is damp, minimizing dust contamination. The property owner has been maintaining Isaac Walton League Road, and will continue to maintain it as a hard-surfaced, dust-free road. State Regulations. Besides the regulations noted in the County Zoning Ordinance above, the state specifies that topsoil cannot be destroyed or buried in the process of mining. S & G Materials expects to reuse or sell all the topsoil that will be relocated due to the mining operation. Federal Regulations. The Army Corps of Engineers is the agency which enforces federal regulations regarding bodies of water. The Army Corps of Engineers will require wetland delineation as part of the permitting process. If any wetlands are deemed present, and are rated as "prior converted wetlands" no further action is required. If any wetlands are rated as "farmed wetlands" mitigation will be required at a ratio of at least 1.5 to 1. The Corps has no specific requirements on how the sandpit is operated or reclaimed. The restoration plan submitted as part of this application makes reference to how wetland areas will be created if required. Description of Operation. The mining operation, as with the existing mining operation, will be conducted by hydraulic dredge. Sand and water is pumped out of the pit, and the water is returned to the pit for reuse, so that there is no net loss of water. Small particles washed from the sand are returned to the pit where they settle. The net result is that shallow wells a short distance down show no change in water level or quality. There is no blasting or obtrusive odor associated with hydraulic sand dredging. S&G Materials Conditional Use Application (CU00-0002) August 10, 2000 Page 3 Restoration Plan. The application notes that restoration of sandpits will be done as individual pits are fully mined. Soil being moved from newly mined areas will be used for restoration of previously mined areas. The restoration plan contains recommendations for creating aquatic and wetland habitat, controlling bank erosion, and maintaining flood plain functions. While the Johnson County Zoning Ordinance does not specifically require that a sand mining and extraction operation go through a restoration process, staff feels that it is important for the sandpits to be restored as they are abandoned. While this site is outside of Iowa City's growth area, it is close enough to City Limits that it may be annexed into the City at some point beyond the time frame of our plans. The application notes that future use of this land after the mining and restoration plan has been completed include recreation, limited agriculture, a conservation area, or a commercial enterprise such as hunting, horse riding, or growing wetland nursery stock. Requiring implementation of the restoration plan will help improve the long-term value of this property and surrounding properties. While the applicant intends to implement the restoration plan, staff feels it is important to require it through the approval process in case the property or business changes hands in the future. This may be done through bonding or some other financial instrument. In 1997, Johnson County required a similar restoration plan and $150,000 bond for the sand pits currently being mined by S & G materials just south of Izaak Walton League Road. Isaac Walton League Road. The public access for the sandpits is via Isaac Walton League (IWL) Road. When the sandpits currently being mined were approved in 1997, S & G Materials agreed to chip-seal IWL Road and maintain it in a dust-free condition due to the increased truck traffic expected using IWL Road. A 1998 traffic count on IWL Road indicates an average of 220 vehicles a day. This is not an inordinate amount of traffic for a chip-seal road. The public access to the proposed sandpits will continue to be IWL Road, and S & G Materials will continue to maintain it in a dust-free condition. Staff defers to the County Engineer on whether the road needs additional upgrading in the future due to the truck traffic using it. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council forward a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, recommending that a conditional use permit be approved, subject to the County requiring the implementation of the restoration plan developed by Lon Drake and MMS Consultants. Robert Miklo, Senior Planner Dept. of Planning and Community Development Attachments: 1. Location Map 2. Site Plan 3. Restoration Plan Iw/mern/sandpit.doc SITE LOCATION: Proposed sand pit, south of Iowa City CZ00-002 , I~TO~TION PLAN ~ ~o~ ;;;.;. =.. '- Prepared for: S & G Materials \ By: Lon Drake and MMS Consultants, Inc. Date: June, 2000 RESTORATION PLAN FOR FUTURE SAND MINING Prepared for: S & G Materials By: Lon Drake and MMS Consultants, Inc. Date: June, 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT 1 Figure 1 - Location Of Proposed Mining And Some Historic Sand Pits 2 PART I - A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAND MINING IN IOWA CITY 3 Figure 2 - An Old Sand Pit Now Serving As A Decorative Pond And Habitat. 5 PART II PRESENT CONDITIONS OF SITE 6 A. Landscape 6 B. Commercial Sand 6 C. Wetland Delineation 6 Figure 3 - Present Conditions At Site 8 Figure 4 - Wetland Plants Recovering In Agricultural Fields 9 PART III - THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 10 A. Federal Permits 10 B. State Permits 10 C. County Permits 11 D. Iowa City Ordinances 12 Figure 5 - S & G Letter To SHPO 14 Figure 6 - SHPO Reply To S & G Letter 16 Figure 7 - Separation Distances 17 PART IV - RECLAMATION DESIGN 18 A. Assets 18 B. The Floodplain Environment 18 C. Sandpit Reclamation 19 D. Wetland Mitigation 2 1 E. Schedule for Reclamation 22 Figure 8 - Reclamation Design Map 24 Figure 9 - Typical Cross Section For Wetland Mitigation 25 PART V - SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS 26 A. Good Neighbor Policy 26 B. Neighborhood Opinion 27 Appendix I - Request for Approval, From Landowners Within 500 Feet 28 Appendix II - Request for Approval, From Neighbors Beyond 500 Feet 29 and Beyond 1000 Feet ABSTRACT S & G Materials has purchased 280 acres of floodplain land south of Iowa City, of which 60 acres contain sand suitable for construction purposes. (Figure 1). Lon Drake, assisted by MMS Consultants, has researched the site and in this report we offer recommendations how to conduct the mining operation to meet regulatory goals and how to reclaim the site to a benign and environmentally friendly condition. General design goals include: · safety, especially for children revegetation · slope stability · wetland mitigation · good aesthetics · avoid river blowouts The sand layer to be mined is relatively thin and maximum mining depth will be about 16 feet. Mining will be done with a hydraulic dredge, in which a slurry of sand and water is pumped out of the pit and the water is returned to the pit for reuse, creating no change in local groundwater conditions. Mining will be limited to the agricultural portions of the property, avoiding the wooded sloughs and drainageways. The sand reserves are expected to support approximately 7 years of mining. The sand pits and wetlands will be reclaimed and mitigated as mining progresses. This report is organized into five parts. · Part I provides a brief historical perspective on sand mining in Iowa City over the past century. · Part II provides information on the present conditions of the property. · Part III outlines the regulatory framework pertinent to developing and reclaiming a sand mining operation on the property. · Part IV offers our design for reclamation of the site. · Part V addresses social considerations. -1- FIGURE 1: LOCATION OF PROPOSED MINING & SOME HISTORIC SAND PITS PIT#5 ~ !'i .. 2 ........... ...........::::::' :::" ,:: .. ~ "..../ .':..-!..:, ::, ':;i, ': ........c:.: ......' ........ ......................... :!...~!;;~i: ,--.:'..::: 'i~ ::'i .......so .... · . ..: ', . :: - :..~ ............. ~ ~".::...' -.: ........ .................. . .......i ...............i" 'ii:. ""..;.. "~ "'...... .... .:' ! -..., :-.-.:: i o~~::. ..... "" ': "' 'L. ~'~ ..... ': ~..:'....: .:.,.~:' ..... "'~"'EP~R~ RD ~ ... "' ........' 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'~ ' ' ~" '~::'" ~ ':' : ~ "'~ :..L::~;:;.LL'.~'.'.~;~:"::':':;::'~"::.:;.':'~.-.';'.'.'.'~'.'.'.:~':':'~'.'." '...~v~.-~ ...................... "'~:' .................:?""';"' ';~" '~' ""'~;;' ................:: ......~': ........' ......:"r': ....~ ~ ~~ ... ~/:'~..'.'.'.'j,::::..~ ..-.::.' ......~..:=... :,. =~ ~.:.~.::::....;':.~":.-.:,:.:L:.: .........:.-'~..~ ..................... · .. ..........~: ~'.---.~..:: ::~~::.~.L.:..'.::;;;::;;;.~::.h:::.~:::':::::;::~'::::..~ ..........,.:.~.:.:~::....~ ............. .... -: ..................~ .... :~ ~ '...'.': ..........~>:....;.' ........: ........ '..... :]~; .., ...- ....'.' · .. '.. :;...-;..::."' .. ';:;-;'; ;..' .....::: ............ ..... :.: ........: ......::':~:::~j~ ~;;.. ':~:-;:;.;:].-....:~.~,.,. '-.... ' · · .._. ~,.;. ' .....' Z; .. :. ~~ """ ....... ....... "' :· . '. ""..., · . ....:: ;.::: .:/ ;:..;.. ":;.'.:.~::..~ f~ ~... .... " "' ;:;:::' h" '.'.::";."~'.~';~';'.~ ............... -. ....... .. :, ....::: :. ;).'.Z ;;;:../.'. PIT~8 ~ ' .~ :. ~.-::~ ..... ':;.[.~ ........ : PIT~3 ~ ~;~' ' ~.. .... : ...- ., X "' ......... ..... ' P I T ~ 4'::"~'.'-;;; ;' .~" ~ ~~ ~ ~= PRE~OUSLY MINED ....... : ~ ~ ";~: ~ = PRESENT MINING ................................. ~' P]~ ': ~;:']:';:':~:~::':~;:;;;;:" ":::,. ~ = FUTURE ,. ..................................::::.,,.'.: ..;.;.. ............ 't:.' ~: " ':~"" PIT~9 m ~ PROPOSED MINING .... .~. s~ ~ THIS REPORT ................................ :, (4 SAND POCKETS) .,.: .........:::,-..........,...:....: / :{: ~ ::~' ,.........::......-.-...-...... ,...-.-.....-...... ~: PART I A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAND MINING IN IOWA CITY Prior to 1902, the major masonary construction materials were cut stone and brick. Sand was used in mortar and as a tamped subgrade for building foundations and brick roads. Sand was also added to some brick clays before firing. During that era, one of the largest sand pits was located between the Iowa River and Riverside Drive, extending south from Benton Street to what is now the Highway 6 bridge (Pit #1, Figure 1). Around 1902, poured concrete quickly replaced stone and brick for building roads, sidewalks and basements. Most commercial buildings since then have been built of concrete block, although brick and cut stone is still used as decorative facing, and in recent decades has been supplemented with plastic facing materials. Concrete is composed of about 80% sand and coarser aggregates. The original pit was quickly exhausted and became the City dump, where fires would smolder for years until put out by floods. This pit was filled with refuse by about WWII. However, because of open burning the remaining refuse became stabilized fairly quickly and in the mid-1970's a commercial block was built on top of the former dump, from McDonald's on the north to Professional Muffler on the south. In the meantime, sand pits were opened on both sides of the River south of where the Highway 6 bridge now crosses, (Pits #2 & #3, Figure 1 ). Around WWII, the west side pit (east of Wardway Plaza) was converted into a City landfill which operated until about 1964, when it reached capacity. Landfill operations then moved further south to Pit #4 (Figure 1). The city garage complex was later built across from Wardway on old Pit #2 and continues to experience problems as the garbage below decays, settles, and gives off methane gas. The south end of this landfill is now Sturgis Ferry Park. Between 1968-1973 several geology students from the University studied the groundwater flowing through the three landfilled pits. All three sites had a plume of contaminated groundwater flowing toward the river. The Iowa Geological Survey published an opinion in 1972 that landfills should not be located on floodplains, which quickly became a regulatory requirement for siting landfills. The Iowa City landfill operation was moved to uplands west of town, in 1972, where it remains today and the landfill in Pit #4 later became Mesquakie Park. In 1989, a new sand pit opened on the floodplain just north of Interstate 80 ("Butler Pit - #5, Figure 1 ). This pit produced some of the highest quality aggregate found locally - including very coarse sands and small gravel ( the latter marketed as "river rock"). These coarse layers also have excellent aquifer characteristics and in 1993, the City took over the land, closing the mining operation and is now in the process of converting the Butler pit into part of its new water supply system. Another sand pit (Pit #6 Figure 1 ) was operated in the 1950's and 1960's just south of the airport. In the last few years it has been modified into a somewhat more decorative pond, as a landscaping amenity at the Lake Ridge manufactured housing tract. Several other pits of similar vintage, located in the area south and east 0fthe airport, vanished when urban renewal came to Iowa City in the early 1970's and space was needed for demolition debris. The old long sand pit on the east side of the River, behind Hills Bank (Pit #3 Figure 1), has been casually filled with demolition debris for many years and gradually converted to commercial property. However, a few years ago the Corps of Engineers brought this to a halt, claiming that the pit was useful for storage of floodwaters (an interesting turnaround for an agency which has devoted a century to building levees and dikes to keep floodplains from flooding and thereby preventing such storage). The -3- large S & G sand pit now operating on the east side of the River, just south of City limits ( Pit #3 Figure 1 ) is nearing the end of its lifespan and will be mined out in another year or two. The newer Williams' pit on the west side of the River (Pit #8 Figure 1) was opened in 1998 but only had a total of 3 or 4 years worth of reserves, so it too will be exhausted within a few years. This report presents a reclamation plan as pan of preparing to extend sand mining south of the present Williams property (Figure 1 ). The permitting process has become sufficiently complex that a substantial lead time is prudent in order to assure an orderly transition to a new location, and provide an uninterrupted supply of construction material to a growing community. -4- PART II PRESENT CONDITIONS OF SITE A. LANDSCAPE Geomorphically, the parcel of land under consideration for sand mining is located entirely on the floodplain of the Iowa River (Figure 3). Its overall stratigraphy consists of a few feet of loamy alluvial silts overlying a package of glaciofluvial sands which averages about 13 feet in thickness. Below is a "blue clay", which based on interpretation of driller's logs, is probably a clay-rich glacial till. Hydrologically, the lower 2/3 of the floodplain sand package is commonly saturated. Under normal conditions, groundwater to the west of the property is higher than the level of the Iowa River, so the flow is from west to east, toward the River. During floods which fill the channel of the Iowa River, this gradient is temporarily reversed and river water flows back into the floodplain sands (called bank storage). Two types of land use presently prevail, agriculture and woodlands. Most of landscape is very flat with a relief of a few feet and is in row crop agriculture. Historically, in Iowa, this was some of the first land cleared for agriculture by pioneer farmers because the sandy loams were easily tilled with wooden plows, in contrast to the prairie sods of the uplands, so this land may have been tilled for over 150 years. Running through this flat land are drainageways and abandoned sloughs. These range from 3-7 feet deep. Because they flood often, the deeper ones are not suitable for agriculture and so remain as strips of forested land. The natural levee beside the river is very sandy and excessively drained and also largely remains forested (Figure 3). B. COMMERCIAL SAND S & G Materials retained a driller to bore 88 shallow test holes across the property to search for commercially useful sand (fine sand or "sugar sand" is of little use except as fill, commercial sand is coarser). The search was not conducted beneath the forested sloughs and drainageways on the assumption that these should remain undisturbed, and continue their present floodplain functions. The borings revealed four pockets of commercial sand (pockets A-D) within the floodplain sediments (Figure 3). Sand bodies B and C are probably part of the same deposit, but a buried gas pipeline is present (Figure 3) and mining will not be conducted within its right-of-way, separating it into two minable pockets. C. WETLAND DELINEATION In eastern Iowa, the most accepted method of wetland delineation evaluates three types of criteria, which were utilized on the S & G property: 1. Soils - Soil properties indicate that saturated conditions prevail within at least one foot of the surface for at least a couple of weeks during most years. Criteria are usually a peaty accumulation in or on the upper mineral soil, or a shallow mottled zone within 12 inches or 18 inches of the surface (depending upon your authority). -6- 2. Vegetation - the presence of obligate wetland species, like cattail or bulrush. Because the widespread use ofherbicides and cultivation keeps these plants mostly killed off, this criteria includes places where they could grow if agricultural practices were to cease. Nearby fence rows are sometimes used for reference. 3. Hydrology - Landscape position, drainage and geologic setting combine to introduce enough surface water and/or groundwater to the location to produce the saturated soils and hydric vegetation discussed above. Because most eastern Iowa landscapes have been modified, the presence of any two of the three criteria above are normally accepted as evidence of detineatable wetland. Using these criteria in the field, the S & G property breaks out into two types of landscapes. The high portions of the floodplain has a slightly irregular surface, including many small basins. These shallow depressions will form a puddle during a rainstorm, but the water evaporates and/or soaks in within less than a day and the upper soils are dry again within a few days. These shallow basins show no signs of obligate perennial wetland species, have soil mottling commonly at depths of 20-26 inches, have no peaty accumulations in the upper soils and have tiny watersheds for gathering surface runoff. They do go under water every few years when the Iowa River goes out of its banks and covers the entire floodplain, but this is not frequent enough for them to qualify as a wetland. The location of these non- wetland shallow depressions, which are in the vicinity of the commercial sand bodies, are shown on Figure 3. Those distant from areas to be impacted by mining were not mapped. The drainageways and sloughs which cut across the upper floodplain surface are incised to different depths in different places. On the S & G property, those deeper than 2 ½ -3 feet below the upper surface are mostly wetlands in their bottoms. Those deeper than 4 feet are forested and because they will not be impacted by the mining operation they were not mapped in detail. Those shallower than 4 feet are mostly in agriculture. Those shallower than 2 ½ feet do not fit the definition of wetland. Mapping of the wetlands was conducted on a site-by-site evaluation and these generalities evolved from the mapping. Most of the wetlands in the agricultural portion of the property are classified as "farmed wetlands" because they retain sufficient hydric soil properties plus a "seed bank" (seed, rhizomes, tubers and roots) capable of reverting to obligate wetland vegetation if agriculture were to cease (Figure 4). The distribution of wetland features as they existed in spring 2000, is mapped on Figure 3. No uncommon or especially significant species were observed in these wetlands, which would warrant any special protection. -7- FIGURE 3 PRESENT CONDITIONS AT PROPOSED SITE JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA \ PRESENTLY OPERATING ,, S&O SAND PIT, WILLIAMS PROPERTY ~ \" J"SEWAPE STUMP ,, ' j-LAGOONS ,~, ' ' · ' W ~,,, ! ~ ,,7""'..: . . RESTED ,, "':" / / //F'O I · -' Q / DIRT ROAD ,' \ k,,, -----_ .~ TRASH ,. 7 ' / LEGEND /' / D ~ , CONTAINING WETLANDS ~ I ,,>,--:' \ , ,,,,""' \ \ - COMMERICLAL SAND POCKETS GRAPHIC SCALE IN FEET 1%600' ~ FIGURE 3 ~ MMS CONSULTANTS, INC. i: t = ~ ~ Projoct T'tle: ~ Iowa City,owa (319) 551-8282 ~ o o ~ PROPOSED SAND PIT ~ Oesig~e~ b~ 0tow~ bF Checked b~ ~ ~ o JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA , LOO jJK LOD ~ PART III THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The network of local, state and federal regulations constrain and guide the development and reclamation of the proposed sand mining operation. These regulations are outlined below in the context the permits required. A. FEDERAL PERMITS Gene Walsh, from the Rock Island District of the US Army Corps of Engineers office (309/794- 5674) provided the following recommendations regarding the federal regulatory role: · Wetland delineation under the Section 404 permitting process will be required. If any wetlands are deemed present and are rated as "prior convened", no further action shall be required. However, if these wetlands are rated as "farmed wetlands" then mitigation will be necessary, with replacement at a ratio of at least 1.5:1. Mr. Walsh suggests that Nationwide Permit #21 is probably the most appropriate permit for this site. · The Corps regulations about setback distances from the river will not apply as long as no direct access to the river is constructed. None is planned. · Nationwide Permit # 18 would be needed if more than 10 cubic yards of bank sediment were moved per 100 feet of riverbank, but this is not planned. The usual riprap requirements apply, including clean concrete with no protruding rebar and no asphalt. New riprap shall not extend above the level of the natural levee. · The Corps has no specific requirements on how the sand pit is operated or reclaimed. · Providing Mr. Walsh with a copy of this report will constitute adequate "notification" of intended activities in the vicinity of the river. · Mr. Walsh will need an approved copy of the state mining permit in order to proceed with the Corps permitting process. This has been obtained, details below. The Office of Surface Mining is administered from Des Moines. Erica Barrier (515/281-5347), of that office, advises that sand mining operations in Iowa do not fall under OSM jurisdiction and they recognize IDALS as the appropriate permitting agency. B. STATE PERMITS The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship conducts the licensing program to operate sand mining. Susan Gillliland (515/281-5029) has advised that IDALS will treat the new sand mining operations as an extension of the present one operating on the adjoining property to the north. The existing mining license (#404, registration #52019) will apply to the expanded site. In general, while mining, an operator is responsible for keeping soil erosion and topsoil losses to a minimum. Iowa Code section 208.17 (3) specifies that topsoil cannot be destroyed or buried in the process of mining. S & G considers the topsoil to be a valuable asset and intends to use part of it for on- site wetland reclamation and to sell the rest for reuse on construction sites in town. -10- The floodplain Section of the Iowa DNR regulates uses of floodplains, including development of sand pits. Jack Riessen (515/281-5029) of that Section has advised that no state level permit is needed as long as the sand pit operation: 1. Is set back greater than 100 feet from the river channel. 2. There is no levee construction (meaning elevating the land surface vertically near the river by any means). 3. There is no temporary stockpiling of material along the river bank. 4. There is no removal of water directly from the river. 5. There is no discharge of water directly into the river. 6. Items 4 & 5 recognize that there is an indirect connection to the river via groundwater flow. 7. There is no net removal of groundwater or serious reduction in groundwater quality. The sand pit design and reclamation plan proposed herein accommodate all these requirements, so no state floodplain permitting is required. Groundwater withdrawal from flood plains is regulated by the Environmental Protection Division of the IDNR. Jim Neely of the that Division (515/281-6681 ) advised that if hydraulic dredging were used to mine the sand, that if all the water were obtained from the mined sand unit and that if all the water were returned directly to the same sand unit without serious reduction in quality, then no water withdrawal permit would be needed. The proposed operation conforms to those no-permit specifications. The State Historic Preservation Office sometimes takes a regulatory interest in doing a Phase I archeology survey of wetlands to be lost by mining. S & G Materials wrote a letter to SHPO (Figure 5) offering to cooperate in a timely fashion. They replied with a form letter (Figure 6). C. CO UNTY PERMITS At the county level, the Conditional Use Permit of the Johnson County Code of Ordinances specifically deals with Mining and Mineral Extraction (page 93): · Item H2a advises that "the applicant shall obtain approval for withdrawal of water if required by the Iowa Natural Resources Council." This role is now assumed by the Environmental Protection Division of the IDNR and as noted under the state permitting process, no permit is needed as long as the groundwater is retumed immediately to the floodplain aquifer in good condition. · Item H2b. "The applicant shall obtain approval for operating in a floodplain as required by the Iowa Natural Resources Council." This function is now assumed by the IDNR, and as discussed in the preceding section of this report, the proposed sand extraction operation will not need this permit. · Item H2c & d, requires a license to operate from IDALS (Division of Mines & Minerals). As noted previously, IDALS will treat the new site as an extension of the present adjacent sand mining operation, and the present license will apply. -11- · Item H2e specifies that "the proposed site shall be no closer than 1000 feet to any property zoned A2, RS[RS3, RS5, RS10] [RS20] R1A, RIB, R2 and R3A. This condition may be modified upon a showing of good cause by the applicant but shall require a 4/5 vote by the Board of Supervisors for approval." Zoning data was obtained from Johnson County Planning & Zoning and relevant distances of separation are shown on Figure 7. Note that all separation distances from the proposed site are greater than 1000 feet from all the zoning classes listed above. · Item H2fprohibits mining within 50 feet of any adjacent property under separate ownership. The proposed design respects this distance. · Item H2g requires that fugitive dust be controlled. The sand itself is processed while wet and hauled damp. The extended access road, shown on Figure 7 and 8, will be maintained to be dust free. Most of the 8:1.29 floodplain Management portion of the Johnson County Code of Ordinances deals with habitable structures and their accouterments, which is not relevant to the sand mining operation. However item 2B6 would indicate that if liquid fuel is to be stored onsite, it should be in containers which can be removed in the event of serious flooding. D. IOWA CITY ORDINANCES The site is located within the "fringe area"between the county and the city, so this proposal must also be reviewed for approval by the city. Amongst the City Ordinances, the Sensitive Areas Ordinance is generally the most restrictive but Julie Tallman (356-5132) advises that these ordinances do not apply within the fringe area. On overview of the Sensite Areas Ordinance, provided below, demonstrates that this proposal meets the intent of the ordinance and should be acceptable to the City. · Woodland areas greater than 2 acres are to be protected. This project avoids all densely wooded areas and only a few scattered trees will be removed. · Floodways shall not be blocked. All portions of the rehabilitated landscape will be at or below the level of the present natural floodplain and will not restrict flood flow. · Drainageways, both large and small will be avoided by this project. · Any farmed wetlands delineated will be mitigated with created and enhanced wetlands. · Any archeological sites discovered during mining will be evaluated for mitigation. · No large areas of fully hydric soils are present. · No steep slopes are present within the area to be mined (maximum of 7 feet of relief in 300 acres). · No prairie remnants are present. · In general, the impact of sand mining will be limited to four flat areas presently in row crops, which offer little in the way of habitat value or other environmental amenities worth preserving. The proposed post-mining reclamation will offer considerably greater habitat diversity and support more species. Those details are presented in the next section of this report. · The City Ordinance also requires adequate buffering for wetlands. The mining operation -12- will not disturb the wooded wetlands in the nearby sloughs and will replace agricultural wetlands lost by mining with more functional wetlands. The new mitigation wetlands will be buffered mostly by wooded sloughs and the Iowa River, see Part IV for details. · All native species are recommended for the wetland restoration. · Present drainage patterns will remain unchanged. Large floods on the Iowa River floodplain will completely cover the site, as they do today. · Reclamation will be an annual ongoing process as mining proceeds, which will span about 7 years. · Sand mining will come no closer than 300 feet to the Iowa River, which exceeds the Iowa City 50 foot width requirement. · After mining and restoration, the parcel of land will have more habitat value and better wetland functions than at present, see Part IV of this report for details. -13- ,__~7~ MATERIALS 4213 Sand Road SE iowa City, iowa 52240 354-1667 RGUP 5: S&G LETTEP TO SHPO May 15, 2000 ~ Douglas W. Jones, Archeologist ~ State Historical ~ociety of Iowa 600 E. Locust Des Moines, IA 50319-,0290 Dear Mr. Jones: In late 1997 and ea,~rly 1998, I negotiated with you procedure for conducting a Phase 1 archeological survey of a property on the flood plain o'r' the Iowa River south of Iowa City, on which I intended to conduct sand mining. (R&C~980152070). We agreed to conduct this study on all wetland areas to be dis- turbed by the mining operation, plus any riverbank areas to be rip rapped for increased stability. Ou~ heavy equipment operator and foreman also took a train'ing session in order to increase awareness and ability to identify remains of interest. The sand mining is now well underway and so far no archeological materials have been uncovered. Today, 1' am investigating the option of expanding the sand pit onto the adjacent property. The geologic setting is the same and includes scattered wetlands on the flood plain surface. The purpose o'~ this letter is to inquire whether we can use the same procedure for determining the areas for a Phase I survey, namely any wetlands to be disturbed by sand mining plus any riverbanks 'to be modified for erosion control. If we can agree on this, I will do the following: 1. Hire someone to delineate all the wetlands in the potential mining areas, using approved Corps of engineers 404, permitting procedures. 2. Hire a designer to create a mine restoration plan so we will know which areas of riverbank need modi ficat i on. 3. The wetlands are now in no-till agriculture 'and the land surface has considerable crop residue cover. If we can agree on the areas to be~ studied, I will hire someone to lightly disc the surface for maximun exposure of artifacts. and d:Lsc will have to be driven 'bhrough a].ready plan'bed fields and I wish to I.{eep the crop de- st ruct i on t o a m in 'i mum. 4. I will reta:~.n an accrecli'bed archeologis'b to c o n d u c t t h e P h a s e I s u r v e y. Our Corps o'F Engineers regula'bor w:Lll be (Z~ene Walsh from the Rock Island []ffice. Si ncef"e 1 y, FIGURE 6: SHPO REPLY TO S&G · z..? '.:..". ii.>.~" .::; . ";.:..,r..~::-.!:.;, ?i;,", ,.!,:~i'.~::~,.:i~.~?i'.'.'.,:,'.",'!' ::.:.::..!....';,~ .:..' .:...i,.~,.i.' ..' .......':~ .~:.'.. :!,~ ....:. '..'-:: .:.'. ,.V~"-' ..; .'"' ....':'..:-';T~;,:.~-...!...i. :,~Z."= .' r.~i~.,.,: '.'.' :: i.¢,:i~:!',c,~gi ;~!";;-./,:'.=;:;;.4)1,i~ .:.C .......: ,: .,'.. :.,..' .'., "':. '...:';'. '.:..'.-.' '-'. - . , !~ . ' r" '.' ' " , · :~..." -' '. :,:'..'5..":i.... '.' .'.' ' .: ..: ' :.' .' . "" '5 '." "· ., .. '. :i ' . .....~ ...'x5"¢'...:'~.' '.:' :.' ·'0 ' ' ' '.' .,' ' .'." ' · '... '.: . . . ......... ' ' . ', :.' ':"~ .'..' ...... '.'",'. '~....... :-. '.," . ' .C. "' r)~!te Recc,:cd 5'17.'2000 grid ol 30 Day Pedod. 6/16.'2000 : ' ': .... ' ' . ': · · · ' .: '..:.77. 2 .'0'...,.' ":'~. S&G MATERIALS 'OSA/CCR#599. PROPOSED EXPANSION OF THE S&G ' :'~ ' ~";~: MATERIALS SAND PIT, SEC. 34, T79N-R6W .. :....~'~ .!:~.~ 'j .....::,~; '.'... ::' ,:., ..... ~,.= ".., ...{ .;. .':' . '. ..= "..~..;':..-. ~.'..':.... )....'..-'.'.....!..", .:'~.. ":-" ..'.' . · ..' .~;' ~'::~i. ',~ ..:;~:i'~,~;i !.: :,,-:1"":'~' .; :!': ,.' .'.' .~' .....": .": i:: . .2 . · . ,. ..... "!.' '::.""'=". '~' ~. ....~.,:.,,-'-:+.,,;'.-.?:..,~,:., ,.. :!..~,~;:..i! ;~.',~-C' :4-;-'~i,. ',. '-'.;..-'.,~? :--;, ' .~ · ~i;..~::~,;~:::'.:.. ' ...%,......'...':,...:,,; i.j.,i.i )': L',.: :.';;..;, :~..'2,?}!:~.,':5',~:.!'i;!.!::i,.: ... :,.. :..'.... ,,'.'.!,::..:'."):' '. '..ii:..'~'z2,i:.~.:..~,...:'.':;,':2i..r;..:....ii:r,..,:!:::'.)",:.,.','....,= .'..:,......~ ...: ":' '1' .: ':"".. "" 5) ~s..~.dinis. ~,. ; · ". 5 j,i'' "" ~.,' '-',..:,;;.. ~'. C'. = :.::. ~:. ~..,.i: .. : ) . ...... . ' . el ~'" · " ' ~" ."' ;;" "' . . '~.'..-"I: '~". '. ' ':'*' ':" ' ;; :' ' .. '.' ' '" ~:~;'::'i't~: ,.. . :::..~.. ,..: .. ",,> . · :, :..,..~.;~5~.~.v..,~n,~ Eff~t ~...~:, {..h~..~.sUeo$ w~ "'BE A' N',rH S cARD S'H 'O 'COmiCS' Form issued 12-I-99 F CURE 7: SEPARATION DISTANCES " '~ Izaak Walton Rood t;'V~ 1000 Feet I J ~ ....... IAc ....-'-:_E~: ' L :;:' ,~';~ ~ RESIDENTIAL PROPOSED S~TE BOUNDARY -- .E"2~ , ~ ~ ~]}E: COMMEROAL SAND Coy. L~t 4 , i 1"=1200' ZONtNC LOCATION MAP PROVIDED Bv THE JOHNSCN COgNfY ZONING OFFICE PART IV RECLAMATION DESIGN A. ASSETS The assets of the site, both useful and constraining for a reclamation design, include: · Four future sand pits to be excavated below the water table on the floodplain, creating ponds. · An abundance of topsoil and sandy loam which overlie the sand and is available for reclamation. · The regulatory constraints outlined in Part III. · The floodplain site is not well suited for future human habitation. · The site is near the edge of a growing city and may someday become part of the city. · S & G Materials has access to large quantities of clean fill and riprap which can be incorporated into the reclamation where needed. Collectively these assets and constraints suggest that the most useful and feasible reclamation design should be directed toward creating aquatic and wetland habitat, compatible with the floodplain functions, and useable by people and wildlife. A map of our design plan to accomplish this is illustrated on Figure 8 and details follow. B. THE FLOODPLAIN ENVIRONMENT It is slowly and belatedly becoming recognized that floodplains should not be used for landfills, housing or storage of junk. In addition, blockage and constriction of the floodplain with dirt fill, levees, large buildings and undersized bridge and culvert openings is to be discouraged and reversed where possible. The appropriate uses and functions of floodplains include: 1. open space for passage of floodwaters 2. storage of floodwaters and sediment 3. industries not damaged by flooding and compatible with sound flood management 4. large areas of wetlands 5. storage of groundwater during wet seasons 6. release of stored water to rivers during dry seasons 7. habitat for plants and animals 8. recreation 9. room for the river to meander, where there are not conflicting uses Sand mining can be comparable with these appropriate uses and functions, and the goal of this design is to create a post-mining floodplain landscape which meets all of the criteria listed above. Beyond sand mining, the future use of this parcel of land is not well-defined. Possibilities include: · It could remain in private hands for recreation and limited agriculture (limited by flooding every few years). -18- · It could be acquired by a public agency to maintain the goals above, with public access. · It could be acquired by a youth camp or conservation group. · It could be used for commercial enterprises such as fee hunting, horse riding, or growing wetland nursery stock. · Our design, which follows, is intended to be compatible with all of these potential future uses. C. SANDPIT RECLAMATION In the pre-regulatory era, abandoned floodplain sand pits usually had steep side slopes. These were unstable and would slowly unravel and over decades would gradually become less steep, finally allowing vegetation to become established. Where these slopes extended steeply into deep water they created a safety risk for children because the banks could collapse, with nothing to grab except loose sand. Large floods would occasionally undermine these steep slopes, leading to large scale collapse. The reclamation plan proposes overcoming these problems by cutting the sideslopes back to a 4:1 angle (run:rise), covering the exposed sand with two feet of silty soil and planting flood tolerant vegetation. In selected places, where more erosion control is deemed prudent, the shorelines of the newly created ponds will be faced with riprap, see Figure 4 for details. Abandoned sandpits from earlier eras remain barren of vegetation on their sideslopes for a long time because this is a harsh environment, being very dry most of the growing season, yet occasionally underwater during floods. Gradually, over decades, the sand slopes become layered with flood silts, and vegetation becomes better established. A two foot layer of silt cover can hold approximately four inches of rainfall for subsequent plant use, compared to only an inch stored in two feet of sand. Adding this silt cover immediately, as the first step in reclamation, will greatly enhance the ability of the sideslopes to support vegetation. The silt-covered slopes should be planted to a three-stage grass and forb mix. The first stage grasses should be either oats for a spring planting or winter wheat for an early autumn planting. These will sprout immediately and provide erosion control. The second stage should be a common pasture mix with timothy, red top, red clover, etc., which develops more slowly that year (or the following year for an early autumn planting). The third stage is smaller quantities of native prairie species which will attempt to gradually displace the pasture species. Approximate quantities of seed needed are listed on Table I. Floods will bring in additional seed from upstream, and over time the plant community will continue to change in response to flooding, herbicides, fertilizer, manure, sewage effluent and whatever else comes down the river. As soon as construction of each pond is completed it should be stocked with 10 pounds of fathead minnows. This species remains small, reproduces prolifically, eats mosquito larvae plus other tiny plants and animals, and tolerates a wide range of water quality conditions. It is low on the food chain and supports a wide range of predators, from bass to kingfishers. The other small plants and animals, including algae, diatoms, ostracodes, pondweeds, snails, beetles, stoneflies, leeches, may flies, fairy shrimp, rotifers, crayfish, hydras, etc. will migrate rapidly to the site without assistance and colonize each pond as it becomes available. These do not need to be stocked. -19- TABLE I SIDE SLOPE SEEDING MIX Stage Species Pounds/Acre 1 Oats or Winter Wheat 45-55 (cover) 2 Timothy 12-15 (pasture) Red Top Red Clover Perennial Rye Kentucky Bluegrass Alfalfa 3 Big Bluestem 9-12 (native prairie) Indian Grass Little Bluestem Purple Coneflower Sideoats Grama Sunflowers (several species) New England Aster Partridge Pea Pale Purple Coneflower Yellow Coneflower Monarda Note: Some pasture mixes and some native prairie mixes will contain different species. Avoid pasture mixes which contain brome or sweet clover, and select mesic prairie mixes. -20- D. WETLAND MITIGATION There are many ways to restore, reclaim and enhance wetlands, and the methods selected should be tailored to the most constraining conditions at each site, plus the greatest opportunities available. At the S & G property, the constraints include: 1. A large population of resident geese plus seasonal migratory geese. Early this March on a late afternoon, Drake counted over a thousand geese in the air at the Snyder Creek bottoms just across the river. This makes the planting of nursery seedlings very risky and subject to total failure. 2. The entire floodplain is subject to occasional deep flooding plus heavy loads of sediment, nutrients and herbicides. This favors reed canary grass takeover unless other aggressive species are established. 3. A total of 13.2 acres of "farmed wetlands" will be lost to mining. The opportunities include: 1. Farmed wetlands which still have a "seed bank". Based on what recovered in comers too wet for corn in 1999, this seed bank includes large amounts of assorted smartweed species and water plantain (as seed) plus small amounts of cattail, river bulrush, saggitaria, burreed and reed canary grass (as rhizomes). 2. Agricultural areas between the "farmed wetlands" which are only a few feet higher in elevation than the "farmed wetlands". Therefore, the general mitigation plan designed around these constraints and opportunities includes: 1. Locating the mitigation area in the southwest section of the property, where the landscape is generally low and close to the water table. 2. Selecting a place for mitigation where the resulting wetlands can be managed as a single unit, which makes for more useful habitat than small scattered parcels. 3. The drainageways in the southwest sector have a small watershed and little agriculture in the headwaters, making for reduced future nutrient and sediment loading. 4. Transplanting a foot of topsoil and its seed bank from the "loss" wetlands to 14.2 acres of "created" wetlands. These would be created by excavating non-wetland areas to the appropriate depth and then topsoiling, see Figure 9. 5. Transplanting large chunks of locally obtained wetland sods (6"x6"x4") into the "created" wetlands, planted at a wide spacing (average 6'x6' apart). The sod species selected will be tall, fast-growing emergents which can compete with reed canary grass and which also would not be seriously damaged during their planting year by grazing geese. These will include sweet flag, river bulrush, cattail, burreed, softstem bulrush, cordgrass and mixed sedges. Each sod chunk shall contain at lease one large rhizome or rootstock of one of -21- the above species. 6. Cease farming an adjacent 11.2 acres of existing cornfield wetlands to allow that seed bank to begin recovery (to be "enhanced" from cornfield to recovering pioneer wetland species). 7. Locate and cut as many tiles as possible to encourage a higher water table, for longer times, beneath the 25.4 acres (14.2 acres "created", plus 11.2 acres "enhanced"). 8. Manage the 25.4 acres as a package to encourage wetland vegetation development. This will mainly consist of maintaining a mown firebreak around the parcel and annual late spring burning to set back the reed canary grass, trees and shrubs which will invade. Note that this approach to wetland mitigation needs no berms or dikes and is not vulnerable to muskrat or beaver burrowing, which reduces its long term vulnerability. Being located well away from the river, riprap will also not be necessary. The large and already rooted rhizomes in the sod chunks are also less vulnerable to drowning than nursery seedlings during their planting year, if deep flooding OCCurS. The layout of the wetland mitigation plan is shown on Figure 8, and a typical cross-section showing excavation, topsoil replacement, etc. is illustrated on Figure 9. From a regulatory perspective this will provide a wetland gain:loss ratio of 1.9: 1, where the gain combines 1.1: 1 "created" wetlands (topsoil, seed bank and sod pieces), plus 0.8:1 "enhanced" (seed bank only). Every constructed wetland should make provision for mosquito control, even if remote from human habitation. In the proposed S & G created wetlands, this can be done by gently sloping the final land surfaces toward the new pond and toward the existing drainageways. The purpose is to avoid creating little isolated depressions which will hold a temporary pool of water for a couple of weeks in summer, in locations isolated from aquatic mosquito predators like minnows and dragonfly nymphs. A very low surface gradient is suitable for this purpose, with a drop of approximately 2 feet per hundred feet being adequate. Final grading, and later planting, should avoid leaving tire ruts, which can become breeding areas. Stocking each pond with 10 pounds of fathead minnows (available locally) will provide a starter population of these predators in the ponds. When water levels rise above the rim of pond D and start backing up into the constructed wetlands, the fish will advance and retreat in an out of the wetlands as water levels rise and fall. The other mosquito predators, like dragonfly nymphs, bats, nighthawks and adult dragon~ys will move in on their own. The wooded areas around the constructed wetlands are especially good habitat for bats. E. SCHEDULE FOR RECLAMATION As previously noted in Part I, S & G Materials presently operates two sandpits nearby, both of which only have a couple of years reserves remaining. As these operations reach the end of their lifespan, the dredging equipment will be moved to the new location described in this report. The precise dates cannot be predicted yet, being driven by market demand. It is presently thought that site preparation at the new location will occur in 2001 and sand production will begin in 2002 and probably last for about 7 years. The reclamation should be spread out over approximately the same period as the mining progresses, so that soil being moved from newly mined areas (A, B, C, & D) can be used for reclamation of the previously mined area plus used for wetland creation. Thus the final stages of -22- reclamation must follow after the final stages of sand mining. Because there are 4 separate sandpits involved, it is proposed that the reclamation and its financial bonding requirements be divided into four units, utilizing the schedule below (assuming that preliminary site preparation, including constructing the access road, is done in 2001 ): Pit Mining Reclamation A 2002-2004 2004-2005 B 2003-2005 2005-2006 C 2005-2008 2007-2009 D 2007-2010 2008-2011 The created and enhanced wetlands can also be placed on a similar schedule, divided into quarters, with one fourth scheduled to be completed by the final reclamation dates above. Some of the earlier created and enhanced wetlands might become sources of plants for the later ones. -23 - FIGURE 8 RECLAMATION DESIGN ~j~,,y~JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA RAiN .., -~:=- . / LEGEND - FARMED V(TLANO$ [RHAN(I:D [ : ': ' '~;f~a - EXIS'nNG FARMSO V~TLAND$ ~ FORES"~D 450 eS~ RE:QLmIREI~ 1'=600' ~= o~ EXHIBIT 8 M MMS CONSULTANTS, INC. ~-~, Pro}eat Title: M Iowa City, iowa (319)351-8282 .oz ~ PROPOSED SAND PIT o JOHNSON COUP. IOWA LDD T YP I C A L FIGURE 9 CROSS-SECTION FOR WETLAND LOCATION OF A-A' SHOWN ON FIGURE 8 NOTE: NOT TO SCALE, LARGE VERTICAL EXAGGERATION PROV1DED TO SHOW DETAIL MITIGATION A FORESTED DRAINAGEWAY PRESENT A' "FARMED WETLAND" FINAL LAND PRESENT LAND , SURFACE OF ,, SURFACE Y ~ WETLAND TOPSOIL -- 5' BOTTOM OF REPLACED IN EXCAVATION "CREATED WETLAND" FORESTED DRAINACEWAY mtm,~No~. 180t-%lf9 PART V SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS A. Good Neighbor Policy In 1997, when S & G Materials made application to mine sand on contract from the Williams property, they made promises to the people who lived nearby that they would maintain the site and maintain a good neighbor policy. Specific things which S & G has done since 1998 (when the Williams pit was opened), to fulfill these obligations, include: 1. Large quantities of rubbish were cleaned up and hauled away from the Williams and adjoining Pechous property. 2. Old car bodies were removed from the bank of the Iowa River and replaced with clean riprap. 3. A storm shelter was built for local school children on Izaac Walton Road and a turnaround developed for the school bus. 4. The two old sandpits on the adjacent Pechous property nearest the river bank homes, were filled, smoothed and planted to grass. 5. The third old sandpit on the Pechous property was converted into a dredge pond to begin sand mining into the Williams property. Now that mining has moved onto the Williams property, reclamation of the north side of the old sandpit has begun. 6.S & G upgraded the Izaac Walton Road to safely accommodate the heavier truck traffic. 7. Three mature oak trees were present in the middle of the Williams property and instead of removing them to get the sand below, S & G dredged around them and left them on an island, which adds much to the aesthetics and habitat value of the site. 8. Four areas of new banks are at their final configuration on the Williams mining area and this spring S & G put on a layer of topsoil and seeded them down, beginning the reclamation process, as mining progresses. 9.Near the river, riprap placement on interior pit slopes is underway. 10. The sand dredge is only run during the day so there are no nighttime engine sounds. The future sand mining operation proposed in this application will be an extension of that now underway at the Williams site. The S & G scale house and shop will remain at their present location and truck traffic will utilize the same routes as today. The sand processing machinery will be moved south to the site labeled on Figure 8. As the dredging operation is moved further south from A to D, the dredge will become increasingly buffered visually and acoustically by several layers of trees. -26- B. NEIGHBORHOOD OPINION Requests for approval of this permit are included from: 1. Landowners within 500 feet of the property limits (Appendix I). 2. Neighbors beyond 500 feet of the property limits and also beyond the 1000 foot zoning requirements from the proposed site (Appendix II). -27- APPENDIX I: REQUEST FOR APPROVAL FROM LANDOWNERS WITHIN 500 FEET I support the application of S&G Materials for' this Conditional Use Permit for the removal of sand and gravel and urge its approval. APPENDIX II: REQUEST FOR APPROVAL FROM NEIGHBORS BEYOND 500 FEET AND 1000 FEET 1 suOoort the aoplication of S&G Materials for this C'onditional Use Permit for the removal of' sand and gravel anti urge its approval,, - J.CC · ~ T:'~,,'-, rr.~I I1'1 e ITI 0 F~' t,"l . ,Z' lZb /t · ~.~,'~ l,~f F,'~ ~ + A~ . .......... :Z: L~:-7- %":-'- ":..". ...................... "2 ........ I ., . .~-~ 4 I0 EAST WASHINGTON STREET .IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826. (319)356-5252. FAX (319) 356-5009 . , .I , . . -.; Link Label 405 ==> 448 437 ==> 440 437 ==> 4378 4378 ==> 548 440 ==> 444 444 ==> 448 448 ==> 462 448 ==> 548 452 ==> 456 540 ==> 546 542 ==> 1162 546 ==> 548 548 ==> 552 1154 ==> 552 1162 ==> 1154 QRS-II Model Analysis 'First Ave. extended from Rochester to N. Dodge St. and Capt. Irish Prkwy. from Scott BIrd. to N. Dodge St. Desuip~n 1st Ave - S. of Rochester Roch- W, orScott BIrd. 11000 CapL Irish - N. of Roch 10000 CapL Idsh - to Dodge SL 10000 Rc~,hester 8QO0 Rochester 8000 Rochester ,~7000 1st Ave-P, och. to N. Dodge10000 Rochester 7000 Dodge SL 6000 Dodge St, 8000 Dodge St. 8000 Dodge St. 8000 Dodge St. 11000 Dodge St. 11000 LOr~SC~ Existing Existing ~,cao,/q_99ng~, v/c Ratio ,ORS Vd. ~'6000 ~":~ '.7108 '~ :::i,18 2698 3226 0.29 1638 5727 0.72 2192 5727 0.7? 2076 :~-8735 t25, 4399 7022 tOO 7592 10456 1.74 7443 7559 0.94 7223 10720 1,34 7443 10720 1.34 7443 7559 0.69 6554 7559 0.69 7223 Exis~ng + ~ Existing + ~ 4- Capt. Irish/~Adj,'~ New VIC Capt, Idsh ~ Pkwy ~Vdj Ratio & 1stAve 2887 '~7606 ~'1.27 ~ 7932 '~2089T 2402 4731 0.43 1330 2~19 1576/-JO9~2 0.16 492 1576 ~ 0.16 492 13-7~ 2696 7566 0.95 1818 4750 2502 6902 0.86 1719 4742 3954 %~851 ~:' 1,i2 4033 8008 6935 6796 6286 0.90 6112 5653 6036 8479 1.41 4298 6038 7562 7914 0.99 7736 8096 6036 8694 1.09 4298 6190 7607 10956 1,37 11306 16284 6949 8015 0.73 10138 11693 7562 7914 0.72 7736 8096 V~, Fubre + New V/C Future ~ Future Capt. idsh Ratio QRS Vd. VlC Ra~o Pkwy ~ :3.48 3950 10406 1.73 4768 8580 ' 0.24 3770 7425 0.67 4886 4181 0.05 4385 0.05 4385 0.59 4916 12844 1.61 5660 6594 0.59 4786 13203 1.65 5153 6166 1.~4 7185 14267 2.04 5922 7200 0.69 0.81 9851 9111 1.30 8261 5669 1.01 8955 12580 2.10 6122 7148 1.01 9108 9532 1.19 9285 0.77 6955 12898 1.61 6122 7329 2.04 8955 12898 1.61 10293 1.06 8004 9231 0.84 9312 8794 0.74 9108 9532 0.87 9285 7706 Future + NewVlC C, apt Irish'~1. NewVl~ Ratio & lstAve V~,oJj 0 1.43 10085 18148 "' 1 0.38 2866 2452 0.22 0.44 1514 0.15 0.44 1514 0.15 4 0.82 3642 4243 0.53 6 0,,77 3517 4206 0.53' 0 1.03 6004 7299 1.04 0 8362 0.54 .9 0.64 7667 5465 0.78 8 1.19 5128 5988 1.130 ~ 0.96 9460 7851 0.98 $ 0.92 5128 6139 0.77 r2 1.54 14466 17317 2.16 ~4 0.80 12882 12156 1.11 ~ 0.70 9460 7851 0.7i JC-C0G Arterial December 1998 Traffic Study 'c ACT I -88 $h'~fmmlllll~ Cap 100'~"+10yr Captain Iri vo; 0 S 4098 no S&I 12'9 ' o~ oo Cap 10000 Vol 0 S 0 S& 1 9986 r',,00 I~,-I ~l O O ~lr~l "" Cap Vol 7108 S 7606 -,, S&l 20897 +lOyr ~lCS m~m ~' + or,-*t~l(N 63 o e,~ 6ooo *lo, = = Scott 10406 o E 8580 1814~ 1 st Rue 9,oc1~es~er OPINION Will extending First Avenue save lives? Preventing emergency What seems to be missing in this defibrfilators for neighborhood p~esumed analysis ~s an ~n-depth ~ssociafions. situ3tions may be~ore comp~ison of the f~ costs of ~e How abou~ m~g ~ts to extension ~i~ ~ne~ts t~at co~d ~ neighborhood prope~ o~e~s to ~st~ cost effective e~c~ without ~e extension. ~ore ~ e~ishers, smoke ~s I wo~d l~e to s~ the Io~a Ci~ s~ ~d sprier systems? Or we co~d f~us ]read wi~ some ~erest the add a more sophisti~ted cos~ne~t on "ex~st~g residents (~ weste~ Iowa coteries made by Io~a City ~ ~ysis to ~e F~st Avenue extension City that f~ ~to t~e 8 to 12 m~ute Chief ~dy Roeca ~ The Io~a City debate~ For ex~ple, let's comp~e ~he l~e ~es~nse t~e catego~) that ~e G~eRe ~ May CF~e chief looks do~ ~d pro~ sav~gs ~om a F~s~ Avenue ~nde~e~ed, rathe~ ~ o~n fields ~a~ ~e ~oad," May 27). He ~di~t~ that extension (wi~ pressed quicke~ ~e underse~ed," as no~ed by David extend~g F~s~ response ~es) ~i~h ~vest~g t~e money Re~awsk, s~kesm~ for Common Sen~, Avenue to CaD~ for ~e extension ~ preventive ~eas~es. ~ The G~eRe ~icle. ~ish P~'kway (no~ GUEST ~e cost of ~he ~st Avenue extension How m~y lives wo~d ~ ~v~ wi~ of R~heste~) wo~d COLI ~ i~eff is about ~,~. Some of o~ ci~ the above ~novative ~d p~eventive reduce ~e ~e Dl~e~ es~ate tha~ more ~han dep~ent's : $1 minion w~ be measles? ~er, we n~d ~o ask the c~ent 10 to 12 ~ c~n~ F~st Avenue more accidents w~ m~utes to s~ :: (~om Mus~t~e In almost all situationS, ~c~ on F~t Avenue as a reset of the m~utes or less." ~ ~ ~:~ Avenue to Rochester) prevention is a less proj~t~ W~zc In a ne~ pe~t ~ order to br~ ~is world of ne~ : ~ s~etch of road up to expensive and more ~crease to 20,~ ~s ~r day, ~ l~i~ess reso~ces ~ ~ ~er~ s~t effective method. For ~cre~g ~e n~ for ~d ~ doH~, we Steven s~nd~ds. example, the city could emergency Iowa Ci~ wo~d have E~e ~d ~t's ~y we ~e a emergency res~n~ Kanner ve~ con~wative increase neighborhood r~e~ter ass~mce. In ad~tion, we n~ to t~es of~der a fi~e -- ~ ~rcent of CPR training and buy 'rind out what ~e m~ute. Of co~, ~ere ~e l~i~ ~ o~ ~e above $1.5 m~ion re~ world of Iowa Ci~. We do not have to~ -- as o~ cos~ for user-friendly automatic res~n~ ~e wo~d ~ for a new s~t~n ~ en~ess t~ dories. preventive E~e E~t~g defibrillators for ~e Sco~ ~effier we ~we as co~c~ mem~rs, ~d emergency neighborhood Bo~ev~d-Cap~ r~e chiefs or co~ity mem~rs, we ~ res~s. By not do cos~nefit ~yses -- fo~y or extend~ ~d associations. ~h P~kway ~a. ~om~y -- on how we use o~ widen~ ~t I have ~n a v~ resorts. In read~g Chief Roc~'s end Avenue, ~ wo~d sup~er of ~e quote, "as ~ chief, I ~ res~nsib]e for ~ve Iowa Ci~ ~,~ to ~ for IoWa ~it~tive to stop ~e develop~g ~e ~st possible Erie and Ci~ E~ prevention. ~ ad~tion, ~e ~st Avenue extension. Even so, I ~vite emergency ~wi~ I c~ with the~ t~ cit~ens of Iowa Ci~ w~d ~ve clo~ to ~e ci~ s~, co~c~ mem~ ~d ~e do~," I ~s~e ~at he (or ~e r~e $1.2 m~ion on ~e~ fut~ ~ b~s plus rest of ~e co~i~ to ~e ~e t~e to E~t~g ~dus~) must have conduct~ ~ road ma~ten~ce' ~s~. go ~yond ~ A ~d B, ~d e~lom ~me ~ of a~ysis to meas~e ~e Sup~se Iowa Ci~ ~vest~ ~ ~ssible ~ C,D ~d E ~ d~i~g ~e ~ne~ ~e Iowa Ci~ ~ Dep~ent ~,~ ~ preventive meffi~s ~at ~ve fate of ~e ~t Avenue ~ot ~it~tive. wo~d m~e ~om ~ ~st Avenue ' lives ~d pro~. ~ ~ost ~ ~t's ~y as ~y of ~e fac~ on ~e ~ble e~ension. ~is must have ~n done situations, prevention ~ a less e~nsive ~ ~ible. , wi~ ~s~t to ~tent~ ~v~ lives, ~d mo~ eff~ve me~..For e~ple, . p~vent~ ~j~ies ~d r~uction ~ ~ ~e ci~ ~d ~ ne~rh~ CPR ' S~n Kan~r ~ a ~m~ of t~ Io~ pro~ damages. ~ ~ ~d buy u~r-~ien~y automtic G~u~I.