HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/27/02 corresp324greenJulie Tallman
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Julie Tallman
Friday, August 31,2001 10:25 AM
Ross Spitz
Rick Fosse; Tim Hermes
Green Mountain Meadow Subdivision
Here are photos of Lot 13, above-referenced subdivision.
Photo taken 8/29 shows close-up of retaining wall with orange spike for reference of where easement begins.
Photos taken 8/31 show 1) Ross standing in center of where swale is to carry water from the street to the basin and 2)
another shot of retaining wall in the easement, but without reference point on 8/29 photo.
On October 20, 1999, City Council accepted all public improvements except sidewalks, so detention facility has been
accepted. I put a "hold" on the building case so we don't issue a permanent Certificate of Occupancy until the swale is in
place - what about the manholes that are buried? Can we work with Public Works to make certain that items related to
stormwater detention are addressed before final Certificate of Occupancy is issued?
P8290043.jpg P8310001 .JPG P8310002.JPG
CITY OF I0 WA CITY
11 September 2001
Martin Gaffey
324 Green Mountain Drive
Iowa City, Iowa 52245
Dear Mr. Gaffey:
The purpose of this letter is to clarify what needs to be done before a Certificate of Occupancy
can be issued for your new residence at 324 Green Mountain Drive.
1)
2)
The overland swale that lies between your house and lot 12 needs to be graded so it matches
what was shown on the grading plan. The swale needs to have a four-foot wide bottom, and it
needs to taper up at a 4:1 slope, to 1-1/2 feet in depth. While the swale is being graded, be
sure to consider whether you'll be seeding the finished grade or adding sod.
There is a manhole for the storm sewer that was buried with fill from construction of your
home, near the south-east corner of your lot. The manhole needs to be uncovered. There
are two possible methods:
> Concrete spacer rings can be added to bring the manhole casting to finish grade. There
is a maximum height of two feet, measured from the top of the casting to the bottom of
the very lowest ring.
> The area around the manhole could be re-graded. The entire area around the manholes
would need to be re-graded. In other words, it wouldn't be appropriate to just dig a hole
right above the manhole. It is very important that the dirt removed from around the
manhole is taken off-site, and not pushed into the stormwater detention facility. In fact,
any dirt that has already fallen into the basin needs to be removed so the capacity of the
basin is maintained.
Finally, you need to be aware that the retaining wall on the east side of your house was
constructed within platted easements for storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and drainage. The
easement agreements specifically prohibit any structure, including a retaining wall, in the
easement area. The wall can stay where it is, but if maintenance on either sewer or the drainage
easement is required, the retaining wall will need to be removed at your expense. If this occurs,
the City has the right to prohibit replacement of the retaining wall in the easements. We will
require an affidavit on file from you, stating that you understand these conditions.
The circumstances I've outlined in this letter are rather unusual; it is not typical that a residential
lot is encumbered with easements to this extent. So while our department prefers not to issue a
temporary Certificate of Occupancy (CO) for a single-family dwelling, we are willing to do so in
your case. However, a permanent CO will not be issued until the swale is in place, the storm
sewer manhole is uncovered, and the enclosed affidavit is signed, notarized, and received by our
office.
I understand that you blocked off access to your porch until steps are in place, in order to begin
moving into your new home. We will require that the porch steps pass a final inspection as well,
before issuing a permanent Certificate of Occupancy.
Respectfully,
~pecialist
julie-tallman@iowa-city.org
319/356-5132
319/356-5009 fax
Enclosure
C: Ross Spitz; Tim Hennes
Julie Tallman
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Jim Wells
Friday, February 01,2002 6:33 AM
Julie Tallman
GreenMountain Dr.
Julie,
No, haven't heard from anyone concerning manholes on GreenMountain.
Jim W.
Writing this 02-01-02, 06:45AM.
Febmaryl9,2002
Dear Sir or Madam:
I received notification on February 19, 2002 that the City of Iowa City would like to
dismiss the claim against me and have me pay the court cost. This is outrageous. Not
only am I not guilty, I should not have to pay the court cost for them backing down. I
would like to have my day in court as planned. I believe the evidence I have will show
how this City Inspector stepped over her bounds and turned this into a witch-hunt. This
deserves the proper attention. Not only will I not pay the court cost, but I plan to counter
sue the city and Julie Tullman for this outrageous act. I believe the evidence will speak
for itself. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Martin Gaffey
Clerk's Office
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