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2014-03-20 Info Packet
1 � „. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET ” -SAL -_ CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org March 20, 2014 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule MARCH 25 WORK SESSION MEETING IP2 Work Session Agenda IP3 Memo from Public Works Director: Gateway Project Design Elements Memo from Public Works Director: Gateway Traffic Operations Analysis [Distributed as late handout on 3/25] IP4 Memo from City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show IP5 Pending Work Session Topics MISCELLANEOUS IP6 Article from City Manager: Bill up for consideration would help individual cities pass local option sales tax IP7 Article from City Manager: Payments in Lieu of Taxes: `Contributions,' Say the Towns; `Extortion,' Say the Colleges IP8 Article from City Manager: Coralville likely on the hook for large chunk of Von Maur taxes IP9 Article from City Manager: University of Iowa pays Coralville $1M for tax - exempt clinic; city keeps it all IP10 Article from City Manager: Iowa City provides fresh start for some urban dwellers IP11 Copy of letter to City Clerk from Mediacom: Channel Changes IP12 Invitation: An Afternoon & Evening with Colin Milner "Building Age Friendly Community: Changing the Way We Age" and "Redefining the Image of Aging" Memorandum from Senior Building Inspector response to Ginalie Swaim, HPC Chair: Noise Regulations [Distributed as late handout on 3/25] Letter from Department of Neighborhood and Community Development to Peninsula Area Neighbors: Peninsula Access [Distributed as late handout on 3/25] DRAFT MINUTES IP13 Historic Preservation Commission: February 13 IP14 Housing and Community Development Commission: March 6 � - 1 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY March 20, 2014 www.icgov.org IN Council Tentative Meeting Schedule MARCH 25 WORK SESSION MEETING I132 Work Sessio%Agenda IP3 Memo from Pubk Works Director: Gateway P IN Memo from City IP5 Pending Work KXIC Radio Show n Topics MISCE Design Elements EOUS IP6 Article from City Manager: ill up f consideration would help individual cities pass local option sales tax IP7 Article from City Manager: Paym in Lieu of Taxes: `Contributions,' Say the Towns; `Extortion,' Say the Colleges I138 Article from City Manager: Coralkille ely o the hook for large chunk of Von Maur taxes IP9 Article from City Manager: U iversity of Iowa pays Coralville $1M for tax - exempt clinic; city keeps it all IP10 Article from City Manager: owa City provid fresh start for some urban dwellers IP11 Copy of letter to City Clerk from Mediacom: hannel Changes IP12 Invitation: An Afternoon & Evening with Colin Milner "Building Age Friendly Community: Changing the Way We Age" and "R efining the Image of Aging" DRAFT MINU IP13 Historic Prese ation Commission: February 13 ` IP14 Housing an Community Development Commission: March 6 IN City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule RUH. Subject to change 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY March 20, 2014 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, March 25, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Special Formal Meeting Tuesday, April 1, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, April 15, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday, April 28, 2014 4:30 PM Joint Meeting /Work Session TBA / ICCSD Tuesday, May 6, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, May 20, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, June 3, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, June 17, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, July 1, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, July 15, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 5, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 19, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, September 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, September 16, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, October 7, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, October 21, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 4, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 16 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356 -5000 (319) 356 -5009 FAX www.icgov.org City Council Work Session Agenda March 25, 2014 Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall 410 E. Washington Street • Questions from Council re Agenda Items • Discuss Gateway Project design parameters [IP# 6 of 3/13 Info Packet and IP #3 of 3/20 Info Packet] • Information Packet Discussion [March 6, 13, 20] • Council Time ■ Meeting Schedule ■ Pending Work Session Topics [IP #5 of 3/20 Info Packet] ■ Upcoming Community Events /Council Invitations 1 r U17-2— QM CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: March 20, 2014 To: Tom Markus, City Manager From: Rick Fosse, Public Works Director Re: Gateway Project Design Elements i At the January 21, 2014 City Council meeting three primary design parameters were selected for the Gateway Project that established the level of flood protection and bridge type. At that time the City Council expressed an interest in having an active role in establishing a number of design elements for the project including: • Review of the transportation model and forecast and findings for the corridor. • Roadway alignment and medians. • Roadway design speed. • Vehicular travel lane width. • Sidewalk locations and width. • Turning lanes on Dubuque Street, Park Road and Park Road Bridge. • Potential pedestrian- activated cross walk signal at the Mayflower dormitory. We will discuss these design elements at the March 25th work session. City staff and HNTB, our design consultant, will be at the work session to facilitate discussion and answer questions. The design elements will shape the Gateway Project and its two multi -modal arterial corridors. Our objectives have been to enhance each mode of transportation without detrimental effects on the others and to maintain the unique character of the corridors. The design elements will be used to develop the concept statement which is a document required by Iowa Department of Transportation ([DOT) that conveys the design intent of the project. The IDOT will review the concept statement for compliance with established design standards and evaluate any requests we have to vary from those standards. State approval of the concept statement is a necessary condition of the federal funds for this project. It is our hope that we can establish the desired design elements by the April 1St council meeting. To assist in preparation for the meeting, the following materials have been included for the Council's review: • A revised version of the Arterial Street Lane Width Comparison that was distributed last week. It has been amended to include additional streets requested by one of the council members, • Pre - Design Meeting Summary — please note that presentation and exhibit materials from the meeting can be viewed here: www.iowacitygateway.org • Revised Project Renderings, illustrating the chosen design parameters, 1. View looking South at Park Road Bridge, Hancher and City Park from 1032 N. Dubuque Street near Kimball Road 2. View looking South from the Patio of the UI Beckwith Boathouse at Terrell Mill Park March 20, 2014 Page 2 3. View looking South from the Cliff House Apartment Buildings, just south of Ridge Road 4. View looking South from the Foster Road Intersection 5. View looking East from City Park toward 1032 N. Dubuque Street and Mayflower Residence Hall 6. View looking East from Park Road near the Lower City Park entrance and the new Hancher Auditorium • Revised Project Cross - Sections, illustrating the difference between the EA Preferred Alternative and the chosen design parameters (8 pages), • Typical Roadway Cross Sections, depicting design elements that will be discussed, 1. Curb and Gutter, No Median 2. Curb and Gutter with Median 3. Rural Median • Through -Arch Bridge Elevation (side view), • Typical Bridge Cross Section, depicting design elements that will be discussed and the dimensions used for the EA Concept, and There will be a formal presentation at the work session the will walk through the different locations of the corridor and the design elements. The design team and staff will have recommendations prepared for discussion. Cc: Ron Knoche, City Engineer Melissa Clow, Special Projects Administrator Arterial Street Lane Width Comparison March 19, 2014 Street From /To Speed Limit Min Lane Width Max AADT Dubuque St Foster Rd to Kimball Rd 35 mph 12' 23,300 Dubuque St Kimball Road to Park Rd 25 mph 12' - 10.5' 23,300 Dubuque St Park Rd to Iowa Ave 25 mph 10.5' 18,300 S. Gilbert St Market St to Hwy 6 25 mph 10.5' 14,900 S. Gilbert St Hwy 6 to Southgate 30 mph 11.0' 12,300 S. Gilbert St Southgate to Napoleon 35mph 11.0' 6,700 S. Gilbert St Napoleon to McCollister Blvd 35 mph 12.0' 5,400 S. Gilbert St McCollister Blvd to Sycamore St 45 mph 13.0', 7' bike lane Not Available Mormon Trek Melrose Ave to Abbey Ln 35 mph 10.5' 10,300 Mormon Trek Abbey Ln to Hwy 1 35 mph 11.0' 12,100 Mormon Trek Hwy 1 to S. Riverside 35 mph 12', 14' turn lane 3,370 Rochester Ave Market to Montrose 25 mph 11' 5,900 Rochester Ave Montrose to 1St Ave 25 (20 *) mph 10' Not Available Rochester Ave 1St Ave to Scott Blvd 35 mph 15' 4,490 Rorhet Rd Mormon Trek to City Limits 35 (20 *) mph 11.5', 5' bike lane 4,960 Lower West Branch Rd Scott Blvd to City Limits 25 mph 14' 840 Scott Blvd Hwy 6 to Rochester Ave 35 mph 14' 9,500 Scott Blvd Rochester Ave to Hwy 1 35 mph 15.5' 14,100 Court St Muscatine Ave to Scott Blvd 25 mph 14' 6,200 First Ave Hwy 6 to Bradford 25 mph 10.5' 13,000 First Ave Bradford to Ralston Creek 25 mph 11.33' 13,300 First Ave Ralston Creek to Court 25 (20 *) mph 15' 10,500 First Ave Court to Rochester 25 (20 *) mph 11' 8,100 First Ave Rochester to Scott Blvd 25 mph 14' 9,300 N. Dodge St 1 -80 to Scott Blvd 45 mph 12', 4' paved shoulder 20,000 N. Dodge St Scott Blvd to Dubuque Rd /Conklin Ln 45 mph 12', 4' paved shoulder 10,400 N. Dodge St N. Dubuque Rd /Conklin Ln to St. Clement's Alley 35 mph 12', 14' turn lane 9,700 N. Dodge St. St. Clement's Alley to Governor 25 mph 12', 14' turn lane 9,000 N. Dodge St N. Governor St to Iowa Ave. 25 mph 14' 8,100 N. Governor St Iowa Ave. to N. Dodge St. 25 mph 14' 7,000 McCollister Blvd S. Gilbert to the bridge 35 mph 12', 14' turn lane 3,790 McCollister Blvd The Bridge to S. Riverside Dr. 35 mph 14' 3,700 Burlington St Muscatine to Summit 25 mph 14' Not Available Burlington St Summit to Johnson 25 mph 11.5' 15,300 Burlington St Johnson to Gilbert 25 mph 11.5' Not Available Burlington St Gilbert to Front 25 mph 11.6' 20,300 S. Riverside Dr Iowa Ave. to RR 30 mph 11.5' 23,000 S. Riverside Dr RR to Hwy 1 /US 6 30 mph 12.0' 21,100 S. Riverside Dr Hwy 1 /US 6 to Ruppert Rd 30 mph 11.5' 11,500 S. Riverside Dr Ruppert Rd to McCollister Blvd / Mormon Trek 45 mph 11.5' 9,100 Bifurcated Streets Melrose Ave University Heights to Hwy 218 35 mph 11' 15,900 Mormon Trek Melrose Ave to RR 35 mph 12' 16,200 Camp Cardinal Rd Melrose Ave to City Limits 35 mph 11', 5' bike lane 7,700 (20 *)= School Speed Zone March 19. 2014 IOWA CITY— Iowa City Gateway Pre-Design Public Meeting GATEWAY A pre-design public meeting was held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at the Iowa City Public Library, with a presentation at 5:30 p.m. More than 100 residents participated in the meeting. Meeting publicity: Postcards were mailed to the nearly 2,000 name project database, e-mails were sent to residents who had expressed an interest in the project, a press release was distributed and meeting information was posted on both the project and City web site. Meeting content: Participants were shown to two stations, with roll plots and exhibits showing conceptual plans for the project. Their comments were noted on flip charts, and meeting participants were encouraged to fill out comment forms. The presentation included an overview of the project and its progress to date. Comments: Copies of the comments captured on flip charts and completed comment forms follow. Key themes included: • The importance of protecting or improving bike and pedestrian access throughout the corridor. • The desire to keep the corridor "green" by protecting the river, trees and overall natural aspects. • Concerns about pedestrian and traffic safety. • Concerns about accommodating rush-hour and event traffic. • Concerns about protecting historic structures. March 19. 2014 IOWA CITY — GATEWAY Iowa City Gateway Pre Design Public Meeting February 25, 2014 Public Comment Summary 1102 N. Dubuque # Comment 1 Fill from cliffs to road desired Aesthetics # Comment 1 Concerns about view of wall from River and City Park 6 Gateway marking entrance to Iowa City 4 Improved landscaping 13 Keep view of river, trees and park 1 River - minimize retaining wall and vegetation removal, minimize channelization Bridge # Comment 1 4 lanes only 3 5 lanes - dual left needed 1 Light bridge 1 Lighting needed underneath 1 Make vagrant repellant 1 Minimize homeless /squatter habitat under new bridge 1 Minimize /limit fishing under bridge to keep homeless away from trail ramps under bridge 1 Raise west approach Brown Street # Comment 2 Needs left turn lane /intersection improvements City Park # Comment 3 Bench seating from Dubuque Street to river 2 Need floodable amphitheater along crew race river and Shakespeare theater 1 Should be allowed to flood Construction Period # Comment 1 Access to Hancher needed 1 Construction delays and impact on elementary school March 19. 2014 Iowa City Gateway Pre - Design Public Meeting — February 25, 2014 Comment Summary Construction Period # Comment 1 Eliminate left turns from Kimball during construction 2 Keep access open, especially for biking /walking 2 Keep Dubuque open during construction 5 Make as short as possible 1 Meet or exceed standards to protect against construction impacts like sedimentation 1 Need careful phasing with Downtown Streetscape and other projects 1 Noise concerns 1 Temporary entrance for Lower City Park - not through neighborhood Corridor Design # Comment 3 12' lanes needed 1 3 lanes needed south of Park 8 Avoid closures due to flooding 1 Biking or walking near traffic is intimidating, keep parkway feeling 1 Concerns about increased traffic with additional lanes 3 Design for the community, not for the few 1 Dubuque Street should stay at least as wide as it is 3 Focus more on forms of transportation other than vehicles 1 Good access, regardless of weather, is important 3 Improve traffic flow 2 Incorporate graceful curves 1 Landscape for safety /create clear sight lines 1 Lane widths are important to keep traffic moving 1 Make lanes as wide as possible 1 Make sure medians are wide enough to accommodate left turn traffic 1 Minimize footprint further 1 Minimize impacts on historic properties 3 Minimize lane widths 1 Need "Complete Streets" approach 1 Need at least 4 lanes on Dubuque, corridor is already congested during rush hour 4 Safety is important 1 Scale to City, not 1 -80 4 Supportive of plan presented Corridor Design # Comment 1 Traffic in the corridor will only increase 1 We can live with a few days of flooding, but not with a Interstate exit ramp through the neighborhood -2- March 19. 2014 Iowa City Gateway Pre - Design Public Meeting — February 25, 2014 Comment Summary Driveway Access # Comment 1 Concerns about grading 2 Shift NB lanes west Flooding # Comment 1 2 100 -year floods in 30 years; Idlewild neighborhood poorly planned in terms of potential flooding 1 Better flood control, allowing more water to be released without flooding PVT 1 Need coordination with USACE Foster Road # Comment 1 Concerns about access during flooding 1 Needs to be raised Future Needs # Comment 1 Education about river function, water quality and aquifers Green Corridor # Comment 1 5:1 slopes match feel of today's corridor; better infiltration 2 Allow for Swallow nesting 1 Keep trees in City Park 1 Keep trees on bluffs 1 Keep wetlands local 1 Make city more sustainable, healthy and beautiful 1 Make sure sufficient funding to allow for mitigation of impacts to the river and restoration of wetlands 1 Median plantings need to be more than turf grasses 1 Minimize channelization /preserve and increase health of the river 1 Minimize water runoff; use permeable pavers 1 Native grasses for retention of water and soil 1 Ongoing commitment to renew and improve the health of the river; I would like to safely swim in the river 1 Pastoral landscape by Project Green is very important 2 River health and function 1 River is source of drinking water, recreation 1 Some cities have colorful, vibrant plantings 1 Storm water infiltration, bio swales, pervious paving in bike /ped paths 1 Street trees in parkway -3- March 19. 2014 Iowa City Gateway Pre - Design Public Meeting — February 25, 2014 Comment Summary Green Corridor # Comment 1 Trees are part of riparian corridor, not just aesthetics 1 Wetlands removed need to be replaced; keep benefit local 1 Would like permeable pavement 1 -80 # Comment 1 Plans for business park is not what I would like to see. Kimball # Comment 3 Concerns about drainage on south side of Kimball 1 Traffic signal needed 1 Widen if possible Manville Heights # Comment 1 Need pedestrian bridge from dog park Normandy Drive # Comment 2 Do not open to City Park 1 Remove Prairie Grass Park Road # Comment 1 Need street lights Paths /Sidewalks # Comment 1 10' west side, eliminate Ridge to Foster 1 4' on east side between Kimball and Brown 1 6'- 8' on west side 2 8 foot needed 1 Add bike lane from Foster Road into Downtown 6 Add crosswalk at Park Road Paths /Sidewalks # Comment 2 As wide as possible 2 Bike friendly 3 Blue Zone status being sought, need good bike /ped trails -4- Iowa City Gateway Pre - Design Public Meeting — February 25, 2014 Comment Summary 2 Concerns about snow removal equipment size 1 Connect to future 1 -80 trail 8 Crossing at Mayflower 1 Crossings at Mayflower and Park Road 1 Crosswalks on all legs of all intersections 2 Crosswalks with signals 2 Do not like the idea of signal at Mayflower 1 Do not need to be wide 1 Eliminate on east side between Foster and Ice house 1 Eliminate on east side between Foster and Mayflower 4 Eliminate on east side or make as narrow as possible 2 Eliminate through traffic on east sidewalk 20 Full connectivity on east side 1 Good lighting needed 1 Keep trail above bridge 3 Mark clearly and make them easy to use 1 Minimize width to minimize run -off 1 More crossings needed 1 Need good, wide sidewalks but not if it means impacts on the neighborhood 1 Need way under bridge 1 Pedestrian bridge at Mayflower 2 Safety of pedestrians going to and from Mayflower 2 Separate bikes and pedestrians 1 Trail by river would be nice - east bank 1 True walkable neighborhood 1 Two -way on river side, 5' on east side 5 Very important to provide 1 Walkable Dubuque Street 2 Waterfront access 1 Wider on river side 1 Wider sidewalk on Kimball Peninsula Neighborhood # Comment 1 Needs another access and exit 1 Needs bridge to Coralville Ridge Road # Comment 3 Make intersection safer 1 Make intersection safer for pedestrians -5- March 19. 2014 Iowa City Gateway Pre - Design Public Meeting — February 25, 2014 Comment Summary Ridgeview Terrace # Comment 1 Entire neighborhood has been neglected - dead trees, house demolished, streets Speeds # Comment 1 25 MPH because of noise and walking and safety 1 35 MPH is too fast 1 Concern that traffic will go faster if road is straightened 1 Design speed is important; people speed now 4 Keep speeds as is 4 Slow traffic 1 Transition 25 MPH zone to Foster Transit # Comment 1 Add more options 1 Make turn around before Ridge, add acceleration and turn lane 1 More buses would reduce congestion 1 Need bus service for neighborhoods west of Dubuque /Foster Turn Lanes # Comment 1 Add turn lane from NB Dubuque to boat house /turn around 1 Consider turn lane into park 1 Do not support 2 Eliminate SIB right lane at park 2 Important to flow of traffic 5 Need turn access to Hancher during events 1 Needed onto Park Road 1 Needed, especially for game days Walls # Comment 1 Keep less than 8 feet 2 Minimize as much as possible 1 Surface to benefit river flow - slow and calm 1 Terrace to maximize infiltration II[� March 19. 2014 r'r 'lti f N� i� �L a� N s !�r• Y i' 11 i 0 U (6 t�f'��i r'r M �L x �L � � yy ',,� ,rte` E f } f { ti� M 4 �' t ('� H k . 1 t� 9��t �i, f rr • :o �, ` ,,.� f� ':, f. ,� h� " i- �_ a Ad" � ^] � - ifikAk� � �z N I r - r Ak N C O_ N N N O U ti d 'o p C c O m O m O p co O �n O O a N1 Hill 1111 Hill IN i a U o U a .. a d w 9 Z U i f I 0 N +) a) i Fes, N C O_ N N N O U ti d 0 O 6 n j n � m� I d G o U Lu W 3 Z U ,. .1y 6 O M N r O J 0 0 CD N L VJ IMI N C O_ N N N O U ti d 'o H 0 0 rn N N i U) N 7 501 N C O_ N N N O U ti d 'o O 6 n n � bl f0 iU � M QM io co co a n i U N G � O U W 3 Z U O M N r O � 0 LO 0 N CD L VJ W N C O_ N N N O U ti d 0 O � 00 h On m o m n j n � a n a� c o U W 3 Z U CD o� CmO� m io cn .may Il O j M N r O i 0 Lo co N Q) U) FMI N C O_ N N N O U ti d 0 0 Cl) N r C] 0 LO r M L U) Q rml N C O_ N N N O U ti d 'o H LO 0 Lo v N N U) N W N C O_ N N N O U ti d 0 H 0 0 (0 O Y L L.L N C O_ N N N O U ti d 0 0 Cl) N r C7 0 0 (B O ry Y L LL c cu c� o °1 U o N Z U Co 3 U U Q � >, m 3 U G O K t9 O z w_ J 0 rc N u z F N w C f6 � N O75; U N 3 (6 � U 0 .Q� /. co 3 U O 2 O tt U X J 0 'o rc u w F- 0 ++ C U m U c6 6 U � H a .r z 0 w 0 p a Ago w FY m a p J Q O ry Y ry N034 Q 3�a1218 a o -,s r w Q c� r C) 0 0 Tr ,-� �. ®-4 CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM LATE:; HANDOUT Date: March 25, 2014 To: Tom Markus, City Manager From: Rick Fosse, Public Works Director F Re: Gateway Project Design Elements Traffic Operations Analysis At tonight's Work Session, we will discuss roadway design elements for the Gateway Project. To help prepare for this meeting, the attached Traffic Operations Analysis has been prepared. This memo addresses specific questions that were asked at the January 21, 2014 meeting about existing and future traffic in the project corridor. The intent of this information is to provide Council with the transportation data that will discussed in more detail tonight in relation to the other design elements. For those interested only in the findings and conclusions, there is a summary at the end of the report. Cc: Ron Knoche, City Engineer Melissa Clow, Special Projects Administrator Iowa City Gateway Supplemental Traffic Operations Analysis March 25, 2014 This supplemental traffic analysis memorandum has been prepared at the request of the City of Iowa City and the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County (MPOJC) staff. It is in response to various questions regarding existing and future traffic operations within the Iowa City Gateway project area. Specifically, Council has posed questions regarding operations at the intersection of Dubuque Street and Park Road, including: • Is it necessary to add a right turn lane to southbound Dubuque Street at the Park Road intersection? • How many dedicated left turns are needed for eastbound Park Road at the Dubuque Street intersection? • Would a dedicated left turn lane and a shared left/right turn lane suffice for eastbound Park Road? • How many westbound lanes should there be on the Park Road Bridge? Analysis conducted previously during the NEPA study and a recent reexamination of existing conditions indicates that a dedicated southbound right turn is necessary for Dubuque Street at Park Road. Furthermore, analysis concludes that two dedicated left turns and one dedicated right turn on eastbound Park Road at Dubuque Street is warranted today and in the future. Lastly, maintaining the two westbound lanes to better accommodate vehicular traffic and the existing Cambus service on the Park Road Bridge is recommended. Please note that HNTB staff only analyzed intersection operations at Dubuque and Park Road as part of this work. The current four -lane configuration on Dubuque Street is sufficient for existing and projected future traffic volumes and added capacity was not an element of the project's purpose and need. Methodology This memorandum summarizes detailed Synchro analysis results of various traffic operations modeling scenarios. Existing (year 2010) and future (year 2040) traffic operations were reevaluated using Synchro 8 software. Synchro models vehicle movements with existing and future year 2040 traffic volumes. Staff analysis involved scenarios utilizing existing and future traffic volumes including: • Operations on the existing Dubuque Street and Park Road lane configurations (No Build) • Operations with a dedicated right turn lane on southbound Dubuque Street at Park Road • Operations with a dedicated left turn and one shared left/right turn on eastbound Park Road at Dubuque • Operations with two dedicated left turn lanes and one right turn lane on eastbound Park Road at Dubuque • Operations with one westbound lane on Park Road and a scenario with two westbound lanes. The analysis utilizing Synchro provides an average delay per vehicle for each intersection movement. A level of service (LOS) rating is assigned to the resulting average delay per vehicle that is measured in seconds of delay. The criteria for level of service ratings is provided in Chapters 18 and 19 of the Highway Capacity Manual, 2010. Levels of service range from A Page 1 of 10 Iowa City Gateway Traffic Operations at Dubuque and Park (free flowing traffic), to F (delays exceeding 80 seconds). The level of service criteria are as follows: Level of Control Delay(seconds /vehicle) Service Signalized Unsignalized A (best) Less than or equal Less than or equal to 10 to 10 B 30 -20 10 -15 C 20 -35 15 -25 D 35 -55 25 -35 E 55 -80 35 -50 F (worst) Greater than 80 Greater than 50 Ideally, a level of service of C is provided, but in an urban area, a level of service of D is considered acceptable during peak traffic conditions. Existing Operations (No Build) As a basis of comparison to answer Council questions, staff reexamined traffic operations at Dubuque Street and Park Road using the current lane configurations at the intersection. Existing and future year operations were analyzed to determine if conditions warranted modifications to the intersection. The analysis indicates that in both the existing and future years, poor operations on southbound Dubuque Street in the morning and on eastbound Park Road in the afternoon peak warrant examining modifications to the intersection. Tables 1 through 4 show the existing and future no -build operations. Each table displays the following for each movement in the intersection: volume of vehicles; delay in seconds, and; level of service. At the bottom of each table, the overall intersection level of service and the average intersection delay in seconds is provided. Table 1: Existing AM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Existing AM it Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT I SBR Traffic Volume 154 71 175 447 971 742 Movement Delay Sec 28.5 7.1 13.5 7.0 216.5 - Movement LOS C A B A F Approach Delay Sec 21.7 8.8 216.5 Approach LOS C A F Overall Intersection LOS: F Average Intersection Delay: 148.9 Page 2 of 10 ibuque and Park able 2: Existing PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Existing PM 2010 Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 563 240 239 1088 653 177 Movement Delay Sec 241.2 6.1 16.7 10.2 23.9 - Movement LOS F A B B C C Approach Delay (Sec) 170.9 11.3 23.9 Approach LOS F B C Average Overall Intersection LOS: E Intersection Delay: 58.2 Table 3: 2040 No -Build AM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS No Build AM i Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 211 97 171 437 995 760 Movement Delay Sec 31.9 6.5 12.4 6.9 231.9 - Movement LOS C A B A F C Approach Delay (Sec) 23.9 8.5 231.9 Approach LOS C A F Average Overall Intersection LOS: F Intersection Delay: 157.1 Table 4: 2040 No -Build PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS No Build Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 743 317 239 1089 765 207 Movement Delay Sec 440.8 11.1 18.7 9.9 29.0 - Movement LOS F B B A C Approach Delay (Sec) 312.4 11.5 29.0 Approach LOS F B C Overall Intersection LOS: F Average Intersection Delay: 111.5 As displayed in the above tables, there are two key observations regarding existing and future traffic operations are as follows: • In the morning peak hour, the southbound Dubuque Street approach operates at a LOS F. This is the case today with existing operations (216.5 seconds /vehicle) and in the future no -build (231.9 seconds /vehicle) conditions. • In the afternoon peak hour, the Park Road eastbound left turn movement operates at a LOS F in existing (241.2 seconds /vehicle) and future no -build (440.8 seconds /vehicle) conditions. Page 3 of 10 Iowa City Gateway Traffic Operations at Dubuque and Park During the morning peak hour, in both existing and future conditions, the entire intersection has an LOS F because of how poorly the southbound approach performs. This makes the average delay for the intersection a LOS F — with delays of 148.9 seconds /vehicle in the existing scenario and 157.1 seconds /vehicle in 2040. For the afternoon peak hour period, delays on eastbound Park Road cause the eastbound movement to fail today (LOS E, 58.2 second/vehicle delay), and the entire intersection to fail in year 2040 (LOS F, 111.5 seconds /vehicle delay). It should also be noted that the two westbound lanes on Park Road experience no operational issues receiving existing or future year traffic. Question 1: is the Southbound Dedicated Right Turn Lane Necessary? As indicated previously, southbound Dubuque Street operates poorly during the morning peak period in existing and future year conditions due to delays created by vehicles turning onto westbound Park Road. To examine the issue, the intersection was examined first with the existing configuration — one southbound through lane and a shared through /right turn lane — then with two through lanes and a dedicated right turn lane added. Scenario 1 A: Dubuque Street Southbound Without Dedicated Riaht Turn Scenario 1 A examined operations without a southbound right turn lane for existing and future traffic. Tables 5 and 6 display operations in existing and future conditions. The analysis confirms that in the morning peak hour, delays are caused by vehicles traveling southbound seeking to turn right onto Park Road. Without a dedicated right turn lane, right turning vehicles must stop behind through traffic during a red signal. This prevents the right turn on red movement by the southbound right turning vehicles. In both the existing and future year, the delays on southbound Dubuque cause the intersection to fail (LOS F). Table 5: Dubuque Street with no Southbound Right Turn 2010 AM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 1 A* AM 2010 Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 154 71 175 447 971 742 Total Delay Sec 17.4 - 13.5 7.0 216.5 - LOS B B A F Approach Delay Sec 17.4 8.8 216.5 Approach LOS B A F Average Overall Intersection LOS: F Intersection Delay: 148.5 * Scenario 1A includes one LT and one shared LT /RT on EB Park and one lane on WB Park Page 4 of 10 at Dubuque and Park Table 6: Dubuque Street with no Southbound Right Turn 2040 AM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario I A* AM r Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 211 97 171 437 995 760 Total Delay Sec 19.7 - 12.4 6.9 231.9 - I LOS B - B A F - Approach Delay Sec 19.7 8.5 231.9 Approach LOS B A F Average Overall Intersection LOS: F Intersection Delay: 156.6 * Scenario 1A includes one LT and one shared LT /RT on EB Park and one lane on W B Park Scenario 1 B: Dubuque Street Southbound With A Dedicated Riaht Turn Because of the poor operations without a southbound right turn, Scenario 1 B was developed to provide a dedicated southbound right turn lane and intersection operations were again evaluated. It should be noted that in each case, the existing Park Road lane configurations were utilized. A 275 -foot right turn lane was added, as determined by the 95`h percentile queue length (in this case a 273 -foot queue). When a dedicated, southbound right turn lane is added, operational performance of the intersection in both the existing and year 2040 improves. As displayed in Tables 7 and 8, when a dedicated right turn lane is added to southbound Dubuque Street, the delay for the southbound approach decreases from 216.5 seconds /vehicle to 22.1 seconds /vehicle in existing conditions. With the turn lane addition in future conditions, the southbound approach decreases from 231.9 seconds /vehicle to 23.4 seconds/vehicle in delay. In each instance, overall intersection performance improves from a level of service F to an expected level of service B. Table 7: Dubuque Street with a Dedicated Southbound Right Turn Lane 2010 AM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 1 B* AM rr Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 154 71 175 447 971 742 Movement Delay Sec 17.4 - 13.5 7.0 31.3 9.9 Movement LOS B B A C A Approach Delay (Sec) 17.4 8.8 22.1 Approach LOS B A C Average Overall Intersection LOS: B Intersection Delay: 18.4 * Scenario 16 includes Dubuque SB RT and one LT and one shared LT /RT on EB Park and one lane on WB Park Page 5 of 10 Iowa City Gateway Traffic Operations at Dubuque and Park Table 8: Dubuque Street with a Southbound Dedicated Right Turn Lane 2040 AM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 1 B* Park r Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 211 97 171 437 995 760 Movement Delay (Sec) 19.7 - 12.4 6.9 32.9 11.0 Movement LOS B B A C B Approach Delay (Sec) 19.7 8.5 23.4 Approach LOS B A C Average Overall Intersection LOS: B Intersection Delay: 19.6 * Scenario 1B includes Dubuque SB RT and one LT and one shared LT /RT on EB Park and one lane WB Park Question 2: How Many Dedicated Left Turn Lanes Does Eastbound Park Road Need? With the identification of the need for an added right turn lane on southbound Dubuque Street, attention turned to operations on the Park Road movements. As discussed previously, eastbound Park Road performs poorly during the PM peak period for both the existing and future year conditions. The large volume of vehicles trying to utilize one left turn lane on the bridge causes delay. Typically, two left turn lanes are warranted at approximately 300 vehicles in the peak hour. This movement currently has approximately 560 vehicles turning during the peak hour and is forecasted to see 743 vehicles doing the same in 2040. To examine how best to facilitate eastbound left turns and minimize delays, Staff requested the examination of two scenarios. The scenarios include examining 1) a two -lane solution with dedicated eastbound left turn lane and a shared left/right turn lane, and 2) a three -lane solution with two dedicated left turn lanes and a dedicated right turn lane. Scenario 2A: Two lanes eastbound — Dedicated left turn and shared left/ raht turn Scenario 2A utilizes two lanes for eastbound Park Road — one dedicated left turn and one shared left/right turn. Analysis indicates that in this scenario, the eastbound movement would operate slightly better today, but would fail in year 2040. With the shared left/right turn configuration, the eastbound left turn movement operates at a LOS E in existing conditions (64.2 seconds /vehicle) and a LOS F in year 2040 (188.7 seconds /vehicle).The results for this analysis are displayed in Tables 9 and 10 below. The net effect of the slightly improved eastbound operations in the existing year condition improves the overall intersection operations to LOS C. In the future year, the eastbound left turn movement fails, but not to the magnitude previously, hence the overall intersection operations improve slightly to LOS E. Page 6 of 10 Iowa City Gateway Traffic Operations at Dubuque and Park Table 9: Park Road with Dedicated Left Turn and Shared Left /Right Turn 2010 PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 2A* PM 2010 Park Dubuque EBILI EBR NBLI NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 563 240 239 1088 653 177 Movement Delay Sec 64.2 - 10.1 10.2 21.8 3.9 Movement LOS E B B C A Approach Delay Sec 64.2 10.2 18.0 Approach LOS E B B Average Overall Intersection LOS: C Intersection Delay: 27.0 * Scenario 2A includes Dubuque SB RT and one LT and one shared LT /RT on EB Park and one lane WB Park Table 10: Park Road with Dedicated Left Turn and Shared Left /Right Turn 2040 PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 2A* PM 2040 Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBTj SBR Traffic Volume 743 317 239 1088 765 207 Movement Delay Sec 188.7 - 12.6 9.9 23.6 3.8 Movement LOS F B A C A Approach Delay Sec 188.7 10.4 19.4 Approach LOS F B B Average Overall Intersection LOS: E Intersection Delay: 69.2 * Scenario 2A includes Dubuque SB RT and one LT and one shared LT /RT on EB Park and one lane WB Park Scenario 2B: Three lanes eastbound Park — Two dedicated left turn lanes and dedicated right turn Scenario 2A improved operations on the Park Road movement compared to the No Build, but not to the extent desired. Therefore, Staff also examined a three -lane solution. This scenario includes two eastbound dedicated left turns and one eastbound dedicated right turn. The results of in this scenario indicate greatly improved operations for both the eastbound movement and for the intersection as a whole. These results of Scenario 2B are displayed in Tables 11 and 12. If the eastbound approach has three lanes then the eastbound left turn movement operates at LOS C in the existing condition (33.9 seconds /vehicle) and LOS E in year 2040 (58.6 seconds /vehicle). The overall performance of the intersection improves to LOS B and LOS C in the existing and future year conditions, respectively. Page 7 of 10 Iowa City Gateway Traffic Operations at Dubuque and Park Table 11: Park Road with Two Dedicated Left Turn Lanes and Dedicated Right Turn Lane 2010 PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 2B* IPM Park r Dubuque EBL EBR EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 563 240 239 1088 653 177 Total Delay Sec 33.9 6.1 9.7 9.9 21.8 3.9 LOS C A A A C A Approach Delay Sec 25.6 9.8 D 18.0 Approach LOS C A B Overall Intersection LOS: B Average Intersection Delay: 16.4 * Scenario 213 includes Dubuque SB RT lane and two dedicated LT lanes and one RT lane on EB Park and one lane on WB Park Table 12: Park Road with Two Dedicated Left Turn Lanes and Dedicated Right Turn Lane 2040 PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 04 .Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 743 317 239 1088 765 207 Movement Delay Sec 58.6 6.4 12.6 9.9 23.6 18 Movement LOS E A B A C A Approach Delay Sec 43.0 10.4 19.4 Approach LOS D B B Average Overall Intersection LOS: C Intersection Delay: 23.3 * Scenario 213 includes Dubuque SB RT lane and two dedicated LT lanes and one RT lane on EB Park and one lane on WB Park Question 3: How Many Westbound Lanes Should There be on the Park Road Bridge? Analysis of the existing lane configuration indicates that the westbound lanes on the Park Road Bridge operate well under capacity, both today and in the future. Although the lanes are under capacity, there is an increased discomfort level for drivers traveling from northbound Dubuque to westbound Park. Drivers turning left from northbound Dubuque into the westbound receiving lanes are generally not comfortable making the turn at the same time as an opposing vehicle traveling southbound making a right turn onto westbound Park Road. Two scenarios were tested for westbound Park Road — Scenario 3A utilized one westbound lane on Park Road and Scenario 3B utilized two westbound lanes. In both scenarios, eastbound Park Road was configured with three lanes (2 left turns /1 right) and southbound Dubuque Street was configured with two through lanes and a right turn lane. Scenario 3A: One lane on westbound, three lanes eastbound Park Road Scenario 3A has the same lane configuration as Scenario 2B. Scenario 2B tested and demonstrated the need for two dedicated left turn lanes and a dedicated right turn lane on eastbound Park and one westbound lane on Park Road. Both Scenario 2B and 3A include a southbound right turn lane for Dubuque Street. As mentioned previously and displayed in Tables 9, 10, 11 and 12, Scenario 3A operates well in the morning and afternoon peak hours Page 8 of 10 Iowa City Gateway Traffic Operations at Dubuque and Park for both existing and future year traffic turning westbound onto Park Road. If this four -lane Park Road Bridge scenario is considered further, moving the existing westbound Cambus stop to a location between the west abutment of the Park Road Bridge and the entrance to Lower City Park is recommended to prevent intermittent lane blockages during bus loading and unloading operations. Additionally, an increased shy area on the bridge would be recommended to provide greater driver comfort westbound on the bridge. Scenario 313: Two lanes on westbound Park Road Scenario 3B includes two lanes on westbound Park, three lanes on eastbound and a right turn lane on southbound Dubuque Street. This configuration would allow the westbound lane Cambus stop to operate as it does today on the bridge. It also provides a greater comfort level for northbound Dubuque Street drivers turning left and southbound drivers turning right. However, as displayed in Tables 13 and 14 the operations of the individual movements and for the overall intersection do not change from Scenario 3A, which utilized one westbound lane. Table 13: Two Lanes Westbound and Three Lanes Eastbound on Park Road 2010 PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 313* PM rr Park Dubuque Dubuque EBL EBR EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 563 240 239 1088 653 177 Movement Delay Sec 33.9 6.1 9.7 9.9 21.8 3.9 Movement LOS C A A A C A Approach Delay Sec 25.6 9.8 D 18.0 Approach LOS C A B Overall Intersection LOS: B Average Intersection Delay: 16.4 ' Scenario 3B includes Dubuque SB RT lane and two dedicated LT lanes and one RT lane on EB Park Table 14: Two Lanes Westbound and Three Lanes Eastbound on Park Road 2040 PM Peak Hour Volumes, Delay and LOS Scenario 5* PM 2040 Park Dubuque EBL EBR NBL NBT SBT SBR Traffic Volume 743 317 239 1088 765 207 Movement Delay (Sec) 58.6 6.4 12.6 9.9 23.6 3.8 Movement LOS E A B A C A Approach Delay Sec 43.0 10.4 19.4 Approach LOS D B B Average Overall Intersection LOS: C Intersection Delay: 23.3 * Scenario 313 includes Dubuque SB RT lane and two dedicated LT lanes and one RT lane on EB Park Conclusions In response to questions raised in recent City Council work sessions, staff reexamined the previous traffic operations analysis conducted for the Iowa City Gateway project. This analysis focused on operations at the intersection of Dubuque Street and Park Road at the Park Road Page 9 of 10 Iowa City Gateway Traffic Operations at Dubuque and Park Bridge. This work included developing scenarios designed to test the need of a southbound right turn lane for Dubuque Street and various lane configurations for Park Road. The analysis results lead to the following recommendations to Council questions as follows: • Is it necessary to add a right turn lane to southbound Dubuque Street at the Park Road intersection? Yes, analysis indicates a dedicated, 275 -foot long right turn lane is needed now and in the future to address existing issues with morning peak hour operations. • How many dedicated left turns are needed for eastbound Park Road at the Dubuque Street intersection? Three eastbound lanes on Park Road — two left turn lanes and one right turn lane — are needed to improve PM peak hour operations today and to maintain acceptable intersection operations in the future. • Would a dedicated left turn lane and a shared left/right turn lane suffice for eastbound Park Road? No, while overall intersection operations would improve slightly, this configuration would cause the eastbound movement to continue to fail now and in the future. • How many westbound lanes should there be on the Park Road Bridge? While one westbound lane could receive existing and future year westbound volumes without issues, staff recommends keeping two westbound lanes. Two westbound lanes maintains current capacity, provides more room for turning onto Park Road westbound and will allow the Cambus to maintain its current stop location on the Park Road Bridge which is closer to Mayflower. If Council prefers a four -lane bridge, the lanes can be configured with three eastbound lanes and one westbound lane. With this configuration, the Cambus stop would need to be moved to the west, either at the west end of the bridge or at a location between the bridge and Lower City Park entrance. Additionally, a three -lane bridge was examined and it degrades operations now and in the future. It would cause the intersection to operate at an unacceptable level of service today and would degrade further in future years and is not recommended. Page 10 of 10 r .�*�, --..:. CITY OF IOWA CITY L.20-14 4 �lx .WM4 - - MEMORANDUM Date: March 18, 2014 To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk 01 Re: KXIC Radio Show KXIC offers a City show at 8:00 AM every Wednesday morning. In the past Council has volunteered for dates, and staff filled in as necessary. Please take a look at your calendars and come prepared to help fill in the schedule at your work session on March 25th: March 19 — Dobyns March 26 — April 2 - April 9 - April 16 - April 23 - April 30 — Dobyns May 7- Future commitments: June 18 — Dobyns August 6 — Dobyns September 17 — Dobyns November 12 — Dobyns U:radioshowasking.doc IP5 1 b 1 7V1 I L! ��'�► W4 ON �wllt ®��- CITY OF IOWA CITY PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS March 18, 2014 April 1, 2014 1. Review the ability of the City to issue municipal infractions in lieu of certain criminal charges Pending Topics to be Scheduled 1. Discuss community business attraction and anti- piracy compact 2. Review the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families report entitled, "City Leadership to Promote Black Male Achievement" (originally distributed in the 5/16/2013 Information Packet) — To be considered in context with the City's annual equity /diversity report 3. Discuss recycling opportunities for multi- family housing (UISG letter in 10/1/2013 packet)- To be considered subsequent to Fiberight related decisions 4. Discuss Council's neighborhood planning and development expectations near the new elementary school locations 5. Discuss merits of the consolidation of the City and County Assessor offices (May 2014) 6. Receive staff update on Gilbert/Highland/Kirkwood neighborhood concerns (summer 2014) 7. Discuss policy options for expanding mobile vending and /or food truck opportunities in the City 8. Discuss city related marijuana policies and potential legislative advocacy positions 9. Strategic plan update (April 2014) Bill up for consideration would help individual cities pass local option sales tax I Iowa Cit... Page 1 of 3 J—UT-0_4 J4 From the City Manager- 1P6 Bill up for consideration would help individual cities pass local option sales tax Written by Emily Schettler Des Moines Register press - Mar. 17, 2014 9:36 AM I citizen.com Lawmakers and some city officials are quietly rounding up votes for a bill that would make it easier for individual cities to hold referendums for a local option sales tax and alter how that tax revenue is distributed. City leaders in the Des Moines area have long coveted the millions of dollars in revenue an additional penny sales tax would generate. The Des Moines metro area is one of only two large population centers in Iowa without a local sales tax. Iowa City is the other. "We think this local option sales tax is the right way to diversify our revenue," said West Des Moines Mayor Steve Gaer, a vocal advocate for local option sales tax reform. "We don't want to come back to our residents and ask them to contribute in another fashion, so isn't it fair to ask some folks coming into our community to contribute something toward it ?" Of Iowa's 946 cities, 802 collected local option sales tax revenue in 2013, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue. So did the unincorporated areas of 93 counties. An Iowa law requiring cities that share boundaries to vote together on the issue has made it a difficult ballot measure to pass in metropolitan areas like greater Des Moines and Johnson County, city leaders say. Past attempts at metro -wide referendums have been met with strong opposition from voters. Seven years ago, Des Moines -area voters rejected a proposal to raise the sales tax by a penny. Just 14 percent of voters approved Project Destiny, which would have split the penny tax between improving trails and lowering property taxes. In 2009, Iowa City passed a special local option sales tax by just seven votes; money raised from the tax was dedicated to flood recovery projects. That sales tax, which generated about $35 million over four years, expired June 30. City officials from Polk and Johnson counties say a local option sales tax could help take the burden of paying for city services off of property taxpayers. The need for new income streams is weighing heavily on elected officials in cities facing lost revenue from state property tax reforms and increasing costs from pension systems, they say. Local option revenue collected within a county is distributed to those cities and unincorporated areas within the county that have approved the tax using a formula based on population and property valuation. The state charges a 6 percent sales tax, of which one penny is dedicated to school infrastructure costs. "We need some alternative revenue sources so we can take some of the pressure off property taxpayers," said Gaer, who estimates that about 71 percent of West Des Moines' revenue comes from property taxes. He supports the local sales tax instead of adding traffic cameras or imposing a franchise fee, which other cities have done. State Sen. Charles Schneider, R -West Des Moines, a co- sponsor of the bill and a former West Des Moines city councilman, said homeowners and businesses could see a direct benefit in lower property taxes. State law requires that it must say on the ballot what percentage of local option sales tax revenue would go toward property tax relief and how the rest of the money would be spent. http: / /www. press - citizen .com /articlel20l 403 l 7lNEW S01 / 140317004Bill -up- for - considera... 3/17/2014 Bill up for consideration would help individual cities pass local option sales tax I Iowa Cit... Page 2 of 3 "If a city were to dedicate 100 percent to property tax relief, that would mean they're able to reduce property taxes in that amount," Schneider said. Jurisdictions voting on the measure can decide whether to place an expiration date on the tax or allow it to stay in place indefinitely. West Des Moines is a retail destination that attracts people from across Iowa and the Midwest. A local option sales tax could generate more than $7 million in new revenue per year for West Des Moines, city officials estimate. The millions of people who visit West Des Moines each year should financially contribute to the infrastructure and public safety they use, Gaer said. The way to do that is with the local sales tax, he said. The way Iowa law is now written, getting the issue on the ballot in West Des Moines would be a major challenge, city leaders said. The city's boundaries span four counties. Under current law, before West Des Moines voters could even consider the local sales tax, city and county leaders representing at least 50 percent of the populations in Polk, Dallas, Warren and Madison counties would have to agree to allow a special election. "It makes it virtually impossible for any city in central Iowa, especially us, to get it passed," Gaer said. Eight Des Moines -area cities voted on the matter as one jurisdiction in 2007. Altoona and Bondurant also voted together; voters in neither group of cities supported the proposal. The legislation proposed by state Sens. Schneider, Matt McCoy, D -Des Moines, and Jake Chapman, R -Adel, would allow West Des Moines — or any other Iowa city — to vote on the issue individually, without requiring approval from other jurisdictions. McCoy said he is advocating for the bill but declined to talk about it in detail. The tax bill has been assigned to the Senate Ways and Means committee and is not subject to funnel deadlines. However, Schneider said it likely will need to go for a committee vote this week in order to move forward this year. The proposed legislation isn't fully supported by Iowa municipal leaders. Iowa City City Manager Tom Markus questions whether allowing cities to vote individually could lead to an imbalance in property tax revenue and greater competition between cities for retail businesses. "Businesses don't pay sales tax, people do," Markus said. "The sales tax should be distributed back to where the people live. That's a fair way of distribution." Markus said he saw the effects of similar sales tax rules while working in Illinois. Communities with a significant amount of retail saw "almost an unjust enrichment" from the sales tax, particularly if other communities in the area did not adopt it, he said. Schneider said it all depends on which cities decide to implement the tax. If West Des Moines and another suburb with less retail both imposed the tax, money generated from West Des Moines would flow into that other suburb, he said. Iowa City has established a committee to study whether to try and put the sales tax back before voters. The last time Johnson County voted on the traditional local option sales tax was in 1999. At the time, six cities voted together. The measure lost 72 percent to 28 percent. In 2009, Johnson County cities were allowed to vote individually on the local sales tax because of its special status as a flood relief measure. The proposed legislation would also change the formula for how local option revenue is distributed. The state revenue department collects all of the local option sales tax revenue http: / /www. press - citizen .com /articlel20l 4O3 l 7/NEWS01 / 140317004 /Bill -up- for - considera... 3/17/2014 Bill up for consideration would help individual cities pass local option sales tax I Iowa Cit... Page 3 of 3 collected within a county and divides it between jurisdictions within that county that have approved the tax using a formula outlined in Iowa Code. Seventy -five percent of the distribution is based on population and 25 percent on a jurisdiction's property value from 1982 to 1985. Under the proposed legislation, the property values used would be from the three -year time period of July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2013, and they would be updated every three years. "It's important because property tax valuations in West Des Moines, Clive, Waukee, Johnston, Ankeny, they have all significantly increased since 1985, and they would receive more of the sales tax revenue under the updated formula," Schneider said. Des Moines city leaders, who have expressed a need for new revenue sources amid ongoing budget concerns, are monitoring the proposed legislation, City Manager Rick Clark said. He and others say voting on the matter individually could provide more transparency and make the issue easier to understand for voters. "I think for propositions in the past, each city had its own plan for how the revenue was going to be used. It was very complicated and sent mixed messages to voters," Clark said. http: / /www.press- citizen. com/articlel2014O3 l 7lNEW S01 / 140317004IBill -up- for - considera... 3/17/2014 From the City Manager THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Commentary January 31, 2010 Payments in Lieu of Taxes: 'Contributions,' Say the Towns; 'Extortion,' Say the Colleges By Evelyn Brody As the current recession grinds on, municipalities and colleges increasingly find themselves cast as misunderstood fiscal opponents. Soothing town -gown tensions might need the balm of money, and lots of it. From college towns to large cities, financially desperate local governments have increased, renewed, or considered for the first time asking colleges and other nonprofit property owners to pay their "fair share" of municipal services. Exemption from property taxes for such nonprofit groups is granted at the state level —often in the state constitution —and can have widely varying effects on communities. A barrage of news stories attests to the degree that tax- exempt real estate can rankle in times when home values are falling, jobs are in jeopardy or hard to find, and pressure for municipal services grows while governments adopt deep cuts to meet shrinking budgets. A recent example was the mayor of Pittsburgh's bid to put in place a "fair -share tax" —equal to 1 percent of tuition paid to the city's colleges —to raise more than $15- million to deal with shortfalls in the city's pension obligations. The effort did not succeed, but colleges pledged to donate an unspecified amount to the city and help lobby the legislature for a long -term solution to the city's fiscal challenges. Other municipalities and colleges around the country are grappling with similar issues. To cite just two examples: • Even in good economic times, the picture is not a simple one of the taxed versus the tax- exempt. It is not enough for a nonprofit to own real estate: It must use the property for an exempt purpose. Municipalities L :IFP 0 -14 7 1 of 5 3/17/2014 3:47 PM can challenge the exemption of particular property. Yet despite frequent pressure from towns, colleges and other nonprofit entities have shown remarkable success in state supreme courts and statehouses in defending exemptions against municipal and legislative challenge. • Colleges and other charities are not exempt from user fees for specific services (like water, sewage, and trash collection) or from special assessments related to improvements that benefit specific property. Census Bureau data from 2002 show that only an estimated 30 percent of municipalities' revenue comes from property taxes, while 40 percent comes from user fees (the rest is redistributed from the federal and state levels). However, user fees and assessments can't recoup the general portion of the forgone tax, notably the amount paid for public schools. And municipalities can't legitimately disguise taxes as fees to cover the costs of essential services like police and fire protection. Thus, especially in challenging financial times, cities and towns have raised instead a variety of other proposals to try to obtain money from colleges and other nonprofit agencies, including, as the examples that I've cited illustrate, "voluntary" payments in lieu of taxes or Pilots, payroll taxes, or student -head fees or tuition taxes. The use of Pilots has not yet become a systematic solution but is attracting growing interest among municipalities. While few states explicitly authorize or encourage municipalities and exempt charities to make Pilot agreements, the practice is found in taxing jurisdictions across the country. Pilot arrangements vary, not only across states but also within a state —and even within municipalities. Some include "services in lieu of taxes" or "Silots " —a term that covers a variety of in -kind transactions. However, the lack of consistency and transparency in Pilot programs results in uncomforta y a oc public- finance regimes. The basic lesson for colleges is that property-tax exemption is not an inoculation against a community's desire for financial support, because all real estate is local —and thus political. Town -gown financial disputes will not go away; the issues are here to stay. Administrative facilities, parking structures, "commercial" property, mixed industries (notably hospitals), and simply "high salaries" or large endowments are pressure points. Even if a college is only one of many nonprofit entities in the municipality, the larger its exempt footprint, the more it will appear to have the financial wherewithal to make contributions —and be pressured to 2 of 5 3/17/2014 3:47 PM do so. While town -gown relationships vary across the country, some intriguing approaches are emerging. Local governments depend on their states for authority to im osP taYPC nr charges that look like taxes, so it is fair for states to compensate municipalities that have a disproportionate amount of exempt property. Also, municipalities legitimately complain that their resident colleges and other nonprofit groups serve those who live beyond the town's borders. Thus, many states make Pilots to compensate municipalities for state -owned property. But Connecticut (and to a lesser extent Rhode Island) go further. Under a statute dating back to the 1970s, Connecticut pays municipalities up to 77 percent of the taxes that they lose because of exempt property owned by private colleges and nonprofit hospitals. Because the payments must be appropriated, not surprisingly the percentage has been declining. The payments made in September 2009 represented only 45.7 percent of lost taxes —but still came to more than $115 - million. Connecticut paid $37- million to New Haven alone, in addition to Pilots and Silots that Yale University provides. Meanwhile, many colleges have already developed strategies to work with their struggling communities. Some cities have adopted a variety of town -gown economic development and strategic collaborations —for example, a UniverCity Partnership was established in Worcester, Mass., in 2004 following a proposal for a Pilot program. How cities and colleges negotiate is also important, as either party can feel unappreciated and slighted. Several basic understandings on both sides can help build trust. For example, municipalities above all seem to be seeking a predictable revenue stream that they can count on for budgeting purposes, but colleges justifiably fear agreeing to long -term commitments. It is not just concern about future revenue needs — colleges worry about a creeping line of scrimmage. Hence the insistence by the nonprofits that contributed to the Pittsburgh Public Service Fund that each year's collective multimillion - dollar Pilot was a "gift" that couldn't be compelled or become a base line for future contributions. 3 of 5 3/17/2014 3:47 PM Focusing on taxable property being acquired and taken off the rolls, and not on all exempt property, is a legitimate compromise. In 2003 the city of Providence reached an agreement with Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, and Johnson & Wales University calling for Pilots totaling $50- million over the next 20 years. While Brown University might seem to be the wealthiest institution, over the first few years RISD was scheduled to make the highest payments because of the amount of then - taxable property it was acquiring. In addition, as reported in a 2005 plan prepared by the Springfield, Mass., Finance Control Board, "virtually every successful Pilot program focuses exclusively on only the large, private, tax- exempt institutions — primarily colleges and hospitals. Churches, social - service agencies, social clubs, etc., are generally excluded from these efforts due to social and political opposition." But calling on just one or two subsectors raises troubling questions. If the property tax is a "benefits tax" that reflects services provided to the property, why shouldn't churches, cultural institutions, and social - service agencies that own real estate also build at least some Pilots into their cost structure? The focus on "eds" and "meds" renders Pilots almost an income tax. Colleges should avoid, however, two frequently made arguments. First, some have asserted that donors do not make gifts in order for the charity to make Pilots. However, few nonprofit entities are supported entirely by restricted gifts; moreover, a charity generally has the legal power to make a contribution to the community in which it operates. Second, large nonprofits, including colleges, sometimes boast that they are big employers —and thus should receive special treatment from their towns. But that hardly argues for the less - well -off to subsidize services to exempt real estate. Finally, colleges should recognize that, in the negotiations that r many will inevitably face in the years to come, the openness of their process for setting monetary and in -kind contributions to their municipalities, not just the amounts, will best earn their communities' good will. Evelyn Brody, a professor at Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago -Kent College of Law, is the editor of "Property -Tax 4 of 5 3/17/2014 3:47 PM Exemption for Charities: Mapping the Battlefield" (Urban Institute Press, 2002). 5 of 5 3/17/2014 3:47 PM The Gazette IP8 From the City Manager Coralville likely on the hook for large chunk of Von Maur taxes City must pay anything over $150,000 per year cap CORALVILLE — The city of Coralville will likely pay more than half of the property tax bill for a department store it already has given millions of dollars to under a much - criticized agreement. The catch, however, is that the city and its taxpayers will essentially be paying themselves. The Johnson County Assessor's Office recently valued the Von Maur store in the Iowa River Landing district at $10.4 million. That would produce a tax bill of about $331,000 using the tax rate in effect for this year's taxes, although it's not yet possible to say exactly what the amount will be. As part of a deal to bring Von Maur to Iowa River Landing, Coralville agreed to cap the store's property tax payments at $150,000 a year plus inflationary adjustments. The city must pay anything over the cap, which now seems likely to be more than half of the tax bill. "Take that out by 10 years," said Kevin O'Brien, a developer and Coralville McDonald's restaurant franchise owner. "That's crazy." It would be about $1.8 million over a decade if nothing were to change. That scenario had been suggested by critics of the Von Maur deal and in a 2011 Gazette story, but the new property assessment is the first time the completed store, which opened last summer, had been assessed by the county. O'Brien, who was part of an unsuccessful lawsuit that tried to stop the city's incentive -laden deal with Von Maur, stressed that he is not anti - Coralville and wants to work with the city on its finances. But he said the Von Maur tax payments are a reminder that taxpayers have "given so much money that is not going to generate the kind of jobs and certainly not the tax revenue that we need." The city gave Von Maur a $9.5 million grant to build its store and other benefits the city valued at $4.5 million. City Administrator Kelly Hayworth said he did not know about the assessment until told by a reporter Wednesday and was surprised by the amount because the intention of the tax cap was to have it approximate the total tax bill. Even so, he wasn't sure the city being on the hook for nearly $200,000 in Von Maur taxes was a big concern because the store is in a city -run tax increment financing district and the new taxes from redeveloped property there go back into the district. So even if Von Maur paid the full bill, the tax revenue would go toward projects the city undertakes in the district. "To be honest with you, we'd be paying back ourselves, so I don't know that there's a particular interest in that number" being high or low, Hayworth said. But that could be Von Maur money being put into the district. Also, there is the issue of fairness to other taxpayers, including home and business owners, who probably would like to have a ceiling on their tax bills. "That's a good question," Hayworth said. "And that's why when we set that rate, we based it on what the similar stores were in Coralville." By that he meant the anchor tenants in Coral Ridge Mall, like Younkers and Dillard's. Mall anchor stores traditionally get a discount on their property assessments because they help attract other stores. County Assessor Bill Greazel said his office did treat Von Maur like one of those stores. It's assessed value per square foot is higher than the anchor stores in Coral Ridge Mall, but Greazel said those spaces are more than 15 years old, compared with the new Von Maur building. "You have to give them something for being shopworn," he said. He also said Iowa River Landing properties have been tough to value. Appraisers prefer to look at sales of other properties, but there haven't been clean, arms - length transactions at market value in Iowa River Landing to help set assessments, he said. "We might be too high," he said. "We might be too low." Mayor John Lundell said the city negotiated the property tax cap more than two years ago when it thought $150,000 was appropriate. There have been large increases in the assessed values of the anchor stores since then, he noted. "Could the city use the full taxable valuation? Of course we could," he said. "It would ease everyone's burden." Large retailers often challenge their assessed values to try to lower their tax bills. A Von Maur spokeswoman did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Wednesday. Taxes will not be collected on this year's valuations until fall 2015 and spring 2016. 2 From the City Manager The- Gazette University of Iowa pays Coralville $1M for tax - exempt clinic; city keeps it all "In contrast to Von Maur, the university did not get a good deal" CORALVILLE — The University of Iowa pays the city of Coralville more than $1 million a year in place of property taxes for a medical clinic that is tax exempt in a deal that is unusual in Iowa and nationwide. The city in turn keeps all that money even though the agreement is based on a tax rate that includes the tax levies of Johnson County and the Iowa City Community School District. The "payment in lieu of taxes," as it is known, is for the UI Health Care clinic in Coralville's Iowa River Landing district off Interstate 80 and First Avenue. At a little more than $1 million a year for the 150,000- square -foot property, it's an agreement many cities in the United States would love to have, said Daphne Kenyon, an economist who co- authored a leading report on payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTS. "I have not before heard of a specific case where the actual dollar amount of a PILOT for one individual development was so high," said Kenyon, a fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, a Massachusetts -based think tank. The $73 million outpatient clinic in Iowa River Landing opened in fall 2012 and had 27,382 patient visits in its first year. It is home to a dozen medical specialties and other services, freeing up space at the main hospital in Iowa City. Another Coralville land deal in Iowa River Landing — the use of tax breaks in 2011 to attract a Von Maur department store — has received intense scrutiny. But the PILOT agreement mostly has gone unnoticed, although it was approved by the Iowa Board of Regents, which oversees the state's public universities and the University Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and the Coralville City Council in public meetings in 2010. Coralville received its first payment last year at $1,026,774. This year's amount is $1,013,011. The payment is adjusted annually based on the tax rate. The agreement has no end date. Rep. Tom Sands, a Republican from Wapello and chairman of the Iowa House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, said he had been unaware of the agreement but questioned Coralville's rationale for keeping the full amount when county and school district taxes are part of the equation, and noted the UI and its hospital are part of the state government. "You've got one entity of government paying another entity of government and, without knowing the full scope of the agreements, you just question whether that's in the best interest of the taxpayers that are all involved," he said. UI and Coralville officials, however, defended the agreement as reasonable. Iowa River Landing is a 180 -acre former blighted area that the city owns and is redeveloping with hotels, stores, office space and residential units. City Administrator Kelly Hayworth said one of the project's goals is to generate more tax revenue for Coralville, and the clinic — at the entrance and visible from I -80 — is on one of the most valuable sites in the district. "And so one of the things we said (to university officials) is that, `We'd be glad to sell you the lot and all of that, but that's one of the conditions, that we have a PILOT,' " Hayworth recalled. "Because that was so important, that was a major part of what we were doing there." UI Senior Vice President and Treasurer Doug True said hospital officials wanted that specific location for its prominence and its convenience for patients and staff. He also said the hospital has a history of paying property taxes for its clinics. "UI Health Care very much wanted that site for its patients," he said. "That (PILOT) was the tax consequence of it." There seems to be more interest in PILOTS in recent years as municipalities look to not - for - profit organizations and colleges that don't pay property taxes but receive city services, Kenyon said. The agreements are voluntary but have been the source of friction in communities. Hundreds of PILOT payments found in studies, media reports or researched by The Gazette failed to turn up one comparable to the UI- Coralville deal when it came to the amount paid, $1 million, for the size of the property, 150,000 square feet. The most lucrative agreements usually involve large hospitals or the entire campus of a college or university. The city of Iowa City, where the bulk of the UI campus and the UI Hospitals and Clinics are located, received $1.76 million in fiscal 2013 for providing fire service to 16.8 million square feet of campus. The payment is determined by a formula that includes the square footage of UI buildings, the Fire Department's expenses and a couple of other variables. City Manager Tom Markus said he found the agreement fair when he started with the city, and that has not changed upon learning of the UI- Coralville PILOT. "I wouldn't try to make the argument that our agreement is unfair because another seems most generous," he said. He also said that asking for more in light of what Coralville receives for one property "doesn't seem like the ethical thing to do." In addition to the Iowa River Landing clinic, Coralville is to get $150,984 in lieu of taxes this year for three properties in the UI Research Park. The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has a database from a 2011 survey of 288 not - for - profit organizations that made payments in lieu of taxes. Only 17 paid more than $1 million, and all but one of those were either elite private schools — Harvard, Yale and Stanford topped the list — or hospitals. The Lincoln Institute did not survey public universities because most, like the UI, are part of state governments and are not nonprofits, Kenyon said. Other examples The Gazette found included: • Only four of the 13 medical institutions that participated last year in Boston's PILOT program, arguably the most successful in the nation, paid more than $1 million. All 13 had property values nearly double to 64 times higher than the $28 million value placed on the Iowa River Landing clinic for the UI- Coralville PILOT. • Syracuse University pays the city of Syracuse, N.Y., about $1 million a year in acknowledgement of city services it receives on its 680 -acre campus. • Aside from Iowa, two of eight Big Ten schools that responded to an inquiry have PILOT agreements. The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities pays about $50,000 a year. Penn State University paid nearly $2.4 million in 2012 for several services. • Iowa State University paid Ames $1.47 million for fire service last fiscal year. ISU also has paid $935,220 in property taxes this fiscal year for seven buildings it owns and operates in its research park. • Cedar Falls is budgeted to receive $587,450 from the University of Northern Iowa this year for providing fire service to nearly 4.8 million square feet of building space. With the Iowa River Landing medical clinic in a tax increment financing, or TIF, district, Coralville's controversial use of that economic development tool also has come into play with the UI- Coralville PILOT. To determine the $1 million payment, the UI and the city set the value of the exterior of the clinic at $28 million. The interior is not subject to the PILOT. The taxes are calculated using the full rate for the tax district. That includes not just the city's tax rate, but also those from several other bodies, the biggest being Johnson County and the Iowa City Community School District. Hayworth, the city manager, said Coralville keeps the full payment because the property is in a TIF district. In a TIF deal, the taxes resulting from the increased value of a redeveloped property go back into the TIF district and not to tax - collecting bodies. Coralville is putting the money toward other projects and to pay back some of the expenses the city incurred buying the Iowa River Landing properties and cleaning them up, Hayworth said. If the payment from the medial clinic was an even $1 million this year and was distributed as a regular property tax collection not in a TIF district, approximately $190,500 would go to Johnson County, $387,000 to the Iowa City school district and $382,500 to Coralville. 3 Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan, a vocal opponent of what he sees as TIF abuses by cities, said it's inappropriate for county and school taxes to be part of the equation in determining the tax rate when Coralville gets all the money. "It doesn't necessarily make sense," he said. "It's hard to justify for me." Hayworth said if the TIF district were to end, either the other tax- collecting bodies would get their shares, or the UI would only pay the equivalent of the city's taxes. He was not immediately sure. The agreement does not spell out that scenario. The TIF district has no expiration date. Johnson County resident Douglas Paul, a member of a citizens group critical of how Coralville does business, said the use of the full tax rate was unfair to taxpayers in the county, school district and state. The state backfills some of the revenue school districts lose to tax increment financing. Paul was part of a lawsuit that unsuccessfully tried to stop the Von Maur deal. Von Maur received $9.5 million from Coralville to build its store, paid $10 for the property and has its property tax payments capped at $150,000 a year plus inflationary adjustments, with Coralville paying anything over. A recent assessment of the store's value could put its tax bill at more than double that. The UI paid the city $2 million for the clinic property and each year pays the $1 million PILOT and its share for a city -built parking ramp, which last year was $1.1 million. "In contrast to Von Maur, the university did not get a good deal," Paul said. Hayworth disagreed. "The site that the university hospitals wanted was the prime site of any of the locations in Iowa River Landing ... and so we were very clear up front that if they wanted that site, the whole purpose of this was to generate tax dollars for the redevelopment of the area," he said. The PILOT agreement says "the city will provide police, fire and other services to the Property and construct and maintain streets, sidewalks, storm water drainage and other improvements and facilities serving or benefiting the Property." The Coralville Police Department responded to 90 calls for service at the clinic in 2013. The Fire Department responded to six incidents, all of them for malfunctioning fire alarms. Coralville's Fire Department budget this year is $938,435. Its Police Department budget is $4.1 million. The UI's True said the hospital making a payment in lieu of taxes for the clinic is not surprising. N The hospital has seven other clinics in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty away from the hospital's main campus. All are in rented spaces on which the owners pay property taxes, which are passed on to the hospital through the leases, True said. The amount paid by those clinics last year was $117,406, according to the UI. Of the seven clinics, five are small QuickCare sites for walk -ins and two are family medicine clinics. The Iowa River Landing clinic has 13 specialties, counting surgery, radiology services, a pharmacy, a hearing aid center, cardiac rehabilitation services and more, according to its website. The leadership of the hospital is committed to the clinics paying taxes just as the clinics of not - for- profit hospitals do, True said. So even if hospital officials had decided on a location other than Iowa River Landing for the outpatient clinic, a PILOT agreement would have been made, he said. "We would have determined a method and gained our board's approval to pay an equivalent amount of tax," he said. "That's sort of a principle that they operate under." The Board of Regents office referred all questions to the UI. By and large, medical clinics are not considered charitable in nature and therefore must pay property taxes, even those run by tax - exempt nonprofit hospitals, said Julie Roisen, the property tax division administrator for the Iowa Department of Revenue. The UI hospitals' clinics, however, are exempt from property taxes because they are owned by the university, which is part of the state government, Roisen said. The UI does not pay taxes on its sports medicine facility in Iowa City, away from the hospital campus. UI spokesman Tom Moore wrote in an email that the "Sports Medicine Clinic" has not just clinic space but also research and faculty offices. It was built on UI land and "does not occupy private commercial space within the community." The UI bought the land for the Iowa River Landing clinic from the city of Coralville. The Iowa River Landing clinic is expanding into open space on its fourth and fifth floors. The UI, through the Board of Regents, also owns property immediately to the south for a potential second facility. True said no decision has been made on whether to build another clinic. "Many, many factors would be involved in it," he said. "How it'd be used, what kind of clinical services ... parking, taxes." From the City Manager IP10 www.chicagotribune.com /news /local/ct -Iowa- chicagoans - 20140318,0,3942529. story chicagotribune.com Iowa City provides fresh start for some urban dwellers By Barbara Brotman, Tribune reporter March 18, 2014 IOWA CITY, Iowa In the hush of the college library, McLissia Caston sat in front of a computer, propped open a textbook advertisement and settled into her online class in cultural anthropology. Margaret Mead's studies in Samoa, cross - cultural research on chores and children's personalities — Caston carefully answered each of the course questions. "I love being back at school," she said. "I found something I enjoy." In Chicago she took no classes, had no job and saw no clear path ahead. And she worried about her children's safety in their violence - plagued South Side neighborhood. She considered the corner store so dangerous that she met their bus from school and walked them home. Two years ago, she moved to Iowa City looking for a new life. And in this college town ringed by cornfields, she found one. She is getting A's and B's at nearby Kirkwood Community College, where she is majoring in human services. She works for a youth program at the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, a human services agency that helps newcomers settle into Iowa City. Her children are thriving in school and playing sports. "This is a positive place, a good place," she said. Her move from the hard streets of Chicago to the quiet ones of Iowa City follows a path taken by many before her. Over the past 15 years, people from Chicago's South and West sides abandoned the city in large numbers. Some settled in smaller heartland cities, like this one in eastern Iowa, said Andrew Greenlee, assistant professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. Squeezed out by factors including the housing bubble and gentrification in the early 2000s, Chicagoans sought jobs, housing, safety and a fresh start in Iowa and Illinois cities like Champaign, Peoria and Decatur, Greenlee said. How many people from Chicago's inner city have moved to Iowa City is unclear. Census figures don't track what city people move from. And low- income Chicago transplants in Iowa City are a transient population, often moving between the two places. Local perceptions of the numbers are often exaggerated, said Jerry Anthony, associate professor at the University of Iowa's School of Urban and Regional Planning. "There is this urban legend here that hordes and hordes of Chicago people are descending on Iowa City looking for housing because housing is plentiful here," he said. "It's just a legend. Housing costs here are very high relative to incomes." http: / /www.chicagotribune.com/ news /locallct- iowa - chicagoans- 20140318 ,0,5076385,print.story[3 /18/2014 10:31:49 AM] But the presence of former Chicagoans in this city of 68,000 is clear. Several neighborhoods are populated substantially by people who moved from Chicago, many of them having followed friends and relatives. Many clients served by the Neighborhood Centers have ties to Chicago. In 2007, before a residency requirement passed in 2006 took full effect, 14 percent of people with federal housing vouchers from the Iowa City Housing Authority were from Illinois, most from Chicago. Newcomers from Chicago, many of them African - Americans mired in poverty, have for years been a staple of civic discussion and periodic controversy here and in other Midwestern towns. In June, for example, the city of Dubuque, Iowa, was accused by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of altering its low- income housing program to make it harder for African - Americans from Chicago to qualify. In Iowa City "there's always been a lot of push -back in the community over the years," said Brian Loring, executive director of the Neighborhood Centers. "Every imaginable problem (was) blamed upon people moving here from Chicago." But controversy has died down in the past few years, he said: "People have kind of settled into the notion that Iowa City is going to be diverse, both economically and racially." The arrival of Chicagoans, and the city's response, were the subject of an Iowa filmmaker's 2007 documentary "Black American Gothic: Planting Urban Roots in Iowa," which was shown at a number of local venues, and a 2012 theater piece commissioned by the University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium. The play, titled "Mayberry" — it had a Chicago woman telling her daughter that "it's like Mayberry down here" — sold out its six -show run in 2012. "I think it allowed for conversations to happen that people wanted to have but did not know how to start on their own," said Sean Christopher Lewis, artistic director of the Working Group Theatre, who wrote the play based on interviews he conducted. For transplants like McLissia Caston, however, moving to Iowa City is not a matter of public debate, but of personal hope, that here, she and her family might get a fresh chance. Not everyone who leaves Chicago for Iowa City finds happiness. Some simply leave. Fewer than half the people who move from Chicago stay more than a year, said Frederick Newell, executive director of The Dream Center in Iowa City, a youth programming agency in which virtually all the participants have a parent from Chicago. "It's really different. It's difficult to adjust here if you're not used to a very, very slow -paced community," he said. It's also a city with a small African - American population. There were 3,900 African - Americans living in the city in 2010 — 5.8 percent of the population, up from 3.7 percent in 2000. For many blacks who arrive here, the cultural differences are unsettling, Newell said. "You don't have many restaurants where African - American families like to eat. You don't have many barbershops or beauticians," he said. And any black person in Iowa City is presumed to be low- income, poorly educated and from Chicago, said Newell, who grew up in Dolton. "A lot of families have heard that Iowa City is the best place to come move (to), but when you come here you have to deal with a lot," he said. http: / /www.chicagotribune.com /news / local /ct- iowa- chicagoans- 20140318 ,0,5076385,print.story[3 /18/2014 10:31:49 AM] Nonetheless, he said, it is a family- oriented town that offers jobs and a real chance for a better life, where young people are free from gun violence and benefit from plentiful resources and excellent schools. "There are a lot of opportunities here," he said. Those opportunities, however, "come with a multitude of potential costs," according to a study published in 2010 in the journal Human Organization. The study found that while Chicagoans found plentiful jobs, affordable housing, good schools and safety in Iowa City, many also felt rootless, isolated and stigmatized. One woman had started telling people she was from Indiana or Michigan. Some Chicagoans end up in trouble with the law or lose custody of their children to the state's child welfare system. "Children get taken away a lot," said Sabrena Shields, a social worker at the Neighborhood Centers whose clients are almost all transplants from Chicago. Especially, she said, from young women who lack parenting role models because their own mothers were on drugs. "I love my clients, but they are just so lost," she said. "They still want to live that young life, that kind of party life. They come to Iowa City and they have this big -city mentality — but this is not the type of area they should be in." Iowa City is quiet, and that can be a gift, said Shields, who moved here from Chicago with her husband in 2002. "You can take the time to focus on yourself," she said. "That's what I've done — focused on myself and on my family. It's given me time to go back to school and get my education." Valerie Horton didn't immediately find her way in Iowa City. When she moved here from the West Side nine years ago, she said, she kept doing what she had been doing in Chicago — selling marijuana, crack cocaine and heroin. She was arrested, went to jail and lost custody of her three daughters. But "that was the best thing that could have happened to me," she said. Horton, 38, regained custody of her children, stopped selling drugs and embarked on a career as a parent partner — an advocate for parents trying to regain custody of their children from the state — in a program at the Neighborhood Centers that has her speaking before judges and lawyers. Her daughters are thriving in school. They spend time on a nearby farm with a Mennonite family who is mentoring them through a church program. "They like to milk goats," Horton said. She, her children and her mother live in a federally subsidized four - bedroom house on what looks like a suburban street. There were college brochures on the kitchen counter, and Horton's car was in the driveway. "These are things I never thought I would have," she said. "But if you put forth the effort, if you want to lead a calm life, at a steady pace — you can do it." McLissia Caston couldn't do it the first time she moved to Iowa City, 15 years ago. She was living with the father of her younger children, who while in Iowa City was convicted of driving while intoxicated and carrying a concealed weapon. She missed her family in Chicago and kept going back to visit. She left Iowa City and moved back to Chicago after a year. "I wasn't ready for it," she said. When her oldest son graduated high school and was about to leave home for college, she sat down with him to talk about her concerns about the younger children's safety and her hopes of continuing her own education. http: / /www.chicagotribune.com/ news /locallct- iowa- chicagoans- 20140318 ,0,5076385,print.story[3 /18 /2014 10:31:49 AM] Her son had a suggestion: Why didn't she try Iowa again? She moved there with her three younger children. They spent three months in a homeless shelter waiting for low - income housing. She now rents a single- family house with the help of a federal housing voucher, which she had obtained in Chicago. "Here it's so laid -back; it's like living in a suburban area in Chicago," she said. Life hasn't been perfect. Shortly after she moved, she got into an altercation with an Iowa City bus driver she says assaulted her. She was charged with disorderly conduct; the charges were dismissed. But she loves being in school. Her grades have been so good, she said, that her adviser has been urging her to go on to the University of Iowa. And she sees a good life ahead. She worries about her parents' safety; her mother and father live in Englewood. They, however, want her to stay in Iowa City and keep her mind on school and her future. "It's been a long journey for me," she said. "But I'm focused now." blbrotman(a�0 tribune. com Copyright © 2014 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC http: / /www.chicagotribune. com /newsllocallct- iowa - chicagoans- 20140318 ,0,5076385,print.story[3 /18/2014 10:31:49 AM] Mediacom March 11, 2014 Ms. Marian Karr City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 RE: Channel Changes Dear: Ms. Karr Z IN1 FILED 2014 HAR 14 AMID: 2 4 CITY CLERK 101PA CITY, iv 1' "" On or about April 15, 2014 Mediacom will be adding the following high definition channel to the Movies & Music Tier: Programming Fuse HD Channel Location 783 Vivid TV will be added on channel 548 and will be available as a subscription service for $24.95 per month. To order, call (800) 479 -2028. At this same time, G4 on channel 209 and G4 HD on channel 683 will be dropped from the Movies & Music tier. Also on or about April 22, 2014 Mediacom will add the following digital and high definition channels to the Kids & Variety tier: Programming Smithsonian Smithsonian HD Mun 2 Channel Location 289 850 667 At this same time TVGN currently on channel 291 will move from the Movie & Music tier into the Kids & Variety tier but will remain on the same channel. If there are any questions please contact me at 319 - 395 -9699 ext 3461 Sincerely, 064 4 Aot Lee Grassley Senior Manager, Government Relations Colin Milner, Active Aging Expert IP12 The Senior Center announc An Aiternoon & Evening with Colin Milner Tuesday, March 25, 2014 "Building Age Friendly Community: Changing the Way We Age" 3:30 p.m. "Redefining the Image of Aging" 7 p.m. Both programs are at the Senior Center Assembly Room 28 South Linn Street, Iowa City The Iowa City /Johnson County Senior Center, Community Foundation of Johnson County and Hills Bank and Trust will host two programs featuring Colin Milner, founder and CEO of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA). Milner is an award - winning author, public speaker and leading expert on the health and wellbeing of the older adult. He is also recognized as one of "the most innovative and influential minds" on aging - related topics, according to the World Economic Forum, where he has served on its Network of Global Agenda Councils for the past four years. "Building Age Friendly Community: Changing the Way We Age" - 3:30 pm on Tues., March 25 This program will give community leaders, business owners, governmental officials and citizens an overview of how Iowa City and Johnson County can become a better place for everyone to age. This presentation was launched as part of the ICAA's efforts to change perceptions of aging and overturn ageist stereotypes. Its goals complement the community's current efforts to become both a "Livable Community" and a "Blue Zone Community." "Redefining the Image of Aging " - 7 pm on Tues., March 25 This program will focus on changing the way we age around the world. "Active Aging is all about living life as fully as possible," says Milner. "With the right opportunities and supportive environments, people of all ages can strive towards better health and well- being, enjoy new challenges, and continue to learn and grow. Active - aging professionals and organizations are dedicated to providing those opportunities and environments." Presentations are open to the public and for all ages. No fee or registration required. For more information, contact Michelle Buhman at 319 - 356 -5222 or michelle- buhman @iowa - city.org. �_� Community rI'he '✓ Foundation Hills Bank ,oLmoa Coun tY Cm OF IOWA CCTV enter and Trust Company 325 t. N«I,I.,,.o St. UNESCO CITY Of LITERATURE ,. gym..-..,. 1.1. .. Lowe Chry,IA5av #o Reference: Council packet 3/4/14, Item 4f(8). March 20, 2014 Ginalie Swaim, Chair Historic Preservation Commission 1024 Woodlawn Ave. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear Ms. Swaim: 71-R. �r CMI CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 (3 19) 356 -5000 (3 19) 356 -5009 FAX www.lcgov.org Staff has been asked to review current building and zoning requirements to help identify options that best address the concerns noted in your letter to City Council, dated March 12, 2014. As you will recall, the letter to Council was about noise from restaurant exhaust equipment and the impact on adjacent residential property. Staff's recommendation is that Council consider revisions in the mechanical code to regulate exhaust hood terminations in commercial and residential zones. We do not recommend applying these restrictions in industrial zones. Specifically, staff is drafting code amendments that would restrict commercial hood exhaust terminations to roofs, except where an exhaust could terminate at an exterior wall that is adjacent to an alley. Roof - mounted terminations can be prohibited within 10 feet of an exterior wall or property line, minimizing or eliminating their appearance from a public street, sidewalk, or adjacent private property. Exhaust terminations into a public alley can likewise be required to be installed not less than 10 feet from a property line or a building corner. (Mechanical codes already restrict the location of exhaust terminations around windows and air intakes.) Our plan review sequence currently provides opportunities for staff to work with builders and designers, whether in building plan review, site plan review, or staff design review. The proposed code amendments would mitigate the noise and aesthetic impacts of commercial hood exhaust systems by encouraging building owners to build in hood termination locations to allow for future restaurant tenants in new buildings. They would also be applied to existing buildings where a change in use requires the installation of a commercial hood and exhaust. Staff also gave consideration to amending the nuisance code and /or noise ordinance, and concluded that using the nuisance code or noise ordinance would be less effective than a proactive approach during plan review. Our enforcement staff would not be available to measure noise output during evening hours of operation, and it is not always possible to isolate the causes of ambient noise in high- traffic areas. I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any questions please contact me at 319- 356 -5122 or tim- hennes(a.iowa- city.org Sincerely, Tim Hennes Senior Building Inspector Cc: City Council Tom Markus, City Manager Doug Boothroy, Director Neighborhood and Development Services Bob Miklo, Senior Planner Date: March 12, 2014 Towa City Historic Preservation Commission. City I fall, 410 f_; Washington Street, Iowa City. !A. 52240 To: City Council From: Ginalie Swaim, Chair, Historic Preservation Commission Re: Noise Regulations At the December 12 meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, concerns were raised about increased noise levels resulting from a late -night restaurant that recently opened near the College Green Historic District, The exhaust fan for the restaurant is located adjacent to single- family homes. The Commission is concerned that unreasonable noise levels may have a detrimental effect on the quality of life in residential neighborhoods and may hinder our efforts to preserve historic neighborhoods. The Commission asks that the City Council review ordinances related to noise, especially for areas where commercial uses are located adjacent to residential areas, to help assure that City regulations are sufficient to preserve the quality of residential neighborhoods, whether they are historic or not. The attached minutes of the December 12, 2013 meeting provide details of the Commission's discussion. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Marian Karr From: Jeff Davidson Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 4:14 PM To: Marian Karr; Julie Voparil; Kellie Tuttle Cc: Tom Markus; Geoff Fruin; Simon Andrew Subject: peninsula access during the next flood event Attachments: Revised Peninsula Letter.doc Marian /Julie / Kellie: The City Manager asked that this letter be distributed to the City Council in their late handouts for the 3/25 meeting, with the following explanation of its distribution: The letter was prepared in response to the ongoing correspondence from peninsula residents about access to the peninsula during the next flood event. All peninsula residents living beyond Idyllwild Drive were mailed a copy this week. We have also had the letter translated into Spanish, and next week I will be meeting with the owner of Forest View Manufactured Housing Park. I will give him enough English and Spanish copies of the letter so that every household in Forest View can receive a copy. You will note that my contact information is listed at the end of the letter in case there are questions. The City Council should feel free to contact me if there are any questions, and I will be present at the 3/25 work session. Jeff Davidson, Economic Development Administrator March 21, 2014 Re: Access to peninsula during flood events Dear Peninsula Area Neighbors: 44 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 {319) 356 -5000 (319) 3$6 -$809 FAX www.icgov.org There has been recent correspondence between residents of the peninsula and the City Council regarding access to the peninsula during flood events. We all recall 2008 when flood waters severed peninsula access and resulted in mandatory evacuation of all neighborhoods along Foster Road west of Idyllwild Drive. Peninsula residents have asked for clarification of the City's strategy for improving this situation so that the peninsula does not need to be evacuated during future flood events. To clarify, I am speaking of all peninsula neighborhoods, and not just Peninsula Subdivision. There have been three potential construction projects considered by the City which would address the concern about peninsula access during flood events. The first project was the Taft Speedway Levee. This project would have raised Taft Speedway between Dubuque Street and No Name Road by creating a levee that would have kept flood waters from flooding Foster Road. This project was considered by the City Council and rejected due to impacts to the adjacent neighborhood. The second project is the elevation of Foster Road, or more specifically the elevation of the portion of Foster Road which is currently flood prone between Laura Drive and No Name Road. This project would elevate the low portion of Foster Road so that there is less probability that it would be closed due to future flooding. This project currently exists in the unfunded portion of the City's Capital Improvement Program with an estimated cost of $3.2 million. The third alternative is the extension of Laura Drive adjacent to the Forest View Mobile Home Park property and Arn /Cole property to connect with Mackinaw Subdivision as shown in the figure below. We now believe this is the preferred alternative. All of the property necessary for this extension to occur is now under a single ownership, and the City is working with the property owner on evaluating redevelopment opportunities. The Laura Drive extension is independent of the 500 -year flood plain, and ensures the highest probability of not being impacted by future flood events. This would provide a secondary means of access to all properties east of Mackinaw Drive, and a flood proof access to all upper peninsula neighborhoods. There was a request to evaluate a temporary access road through the Arn /Cole property, which could be activated during flood events. Even a temporary access road must be constructed to minimum acceptable street standards in order to provide emergency vehicle access. Our analysis shows that construction of a temporary access road prior to redevelopment occurring would cost approximately $503,000 for a gravel road or $843,000 for a road with an asphalt surface. It would involve extensive property acquisition since the alignment is all on private property, and there is no assurance the temporary road would be in the best location for the eventual redevelopment of the site. March 21, 2014 Page 2 The Laura Drive extension is seen by the City as a project that will occur when occurs on the Arn /Cole property between Forest View Mobile Home Park Subdivision. We hope that working with the private property owner in the next can bring greater clarity to the schedule for the Laura Drive extension. Feel fre e at jeff- davidson @iowa - city.org if you have questions. Sincerely, Jeff Davidson Department of Neighborhood and Community Development redevelopment and Mackinaw 12 months we to contact me L P13 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION FEBRUARY 13, 2014 EMMA HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Kent Ackerson, Thomas Agran, Esther Baker, Thomas Baldridge, Kate Corcoran, Frank Durham, Pam Michaud, Ginalie Swaim, Frank Wagner MEMBERS ABSENT: Andrew Litton, David McMahon STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: Matthieu Biger, Christine Boyer, Ann Connors, Mike Oliveira, Ken Slonneger, Mary Beth Slonneger, Chris Welu- Reynolds, Mike Wright RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action) None. CALL TO ORDER: Swaim called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Miklo said the Commission packet included a report on the proposed Horace Mann Conservation District. He said the report is also available on the City's website. Miklo thanked Bailee McClellan, a City intern who did a lot of work on the report. Miklo said this conservation district designation has been requested by the Northside Neighborhood for the area surrounding Horace Mann School. He said the purpose of a conservation district is to preserve the unique architectural and cultural and aesthetic characteristics of older neighborhoods. Miklo said it is to provide design review for new construction in those neighborhoods to help assure that any new buildings or significant alterations to existing buildings are respectful of the historic character. Miklo said conservation district designation is also to encourage the retention and rehabilitation of existing housing stock and the maintenance of those buildings over time. He said that along with that, the purpose is to stabilize property values and encourage re- investment in older neighborhoods. Miklo stated that another of the purposes of a conservation district is to protect the setting of historic landmarks and nearby historic districts. He said the idea is that if one has a landmark, the buildings around it should be respectful of that building, or if there is a district, there is not a sudden jarring change. Miklo said those are the purposes that the City has established for conservation districts. He said it is one of the tools that the City has to create and promote healthy neighborhoods, by assuring property owners that development in their neighborhood will be compatible with the character of the neighborhood. To qualify for a conservation district, Miklo said that there are some specifications in the zoning code. He said that at least 50% of the properties must be at least 50 years of age or older. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 2 of 13 Miklo said that is the same threshold that is used to start examining properties for eligibility for the National Register. He said it is clear in the proposed Horace Mann Conservation District that the vast majority of the buildings are older than 50 years. Miklo said that a good portion of them were built in the time frame of 1890 to 1900. He said this clearly meets that criterion. Miklo said the next requirement is that less than 60% of the properties qualify as historic or are eligible for a historic district. He said the reason for that is that it is a requirement the State has placed on the City. Miklo stated that it is to insure that the cities do not take the path of least resistance and create conservation districts where there really should be historic districts. He said one of the reasons for that is that the rules and regulations for conservation districts are more flexible than for historic districts. When looking at property classification in the proposed Horace Mann Conservation District, Miklo stated that roughly 33% would be eligible for a historic district, and another roughly 3% would be independently eligible for the National Register as they are that important historically or architecturally. Miklo said that if one looks at the other properties in the district, almost 40% of them would qualify for a conservation district. He said that anything that also qualifies for a historic district or a landmark would also therefore qualify for a conservation district. Miklo said the vast majority, roughly 75% of the properties in the proposed district, qualify for a conservation district. He said there are not sufficient numbers to qualify for a historic district, and that is why this is being looked at for a conservation district. Miklo referred to the map showing the properties as classified. He said the classifications are as follows: non - contributing for modern or newer buildings or buildings that have been remodeled to such an extent that they are no longer recognizable as older or historic structures. Miklo said that typically occurs when there have been several changes such as removal of a porch, change in the roofline, application of replacement siding, or large additions. Miklo said the next classification is contributing properties. He said these properties contribute to the character of the neighborhood. Miklo said they are older, so they have some historic value, but there have been some alterations to them so they are not purely historic. He said examples would include older houses that might have had siding of the wrong scale applied or asbestos or aluminum siding, or a house where the front porch was removed. Miklo said they still have generally their historic characteristics, but they have been altered somewhat. Miklo said that examples of properties that would quality for a historic district are pretty much as they were built. He showed examples of houses that have had very few changes over the one hundred or more years they have been in existence. Miklo said the buildings also might contribute to a historic district because of an association with a historic event or character. He showed a house on Bloomington Street that was the house of Theresa Dolezal Feldwert, who was the person who had the black angel erected in Oakland Cemetery. Miklo said the house would contribute to a historic district on both historic and architectural grounds. Miklo said there are also key properties, which can contribute to both conservation and possibly historic districts or are important enough that they could be independently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He said there are a number of these properties in the proposed conservation district. Miklo said the properties are pretty much the way they were when they HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 3 of 13 were built or if there has been an addition, it was done keeping in mind the characteristics and architecture of the main house itself. Miklo said there are key properties that are landmarks. He said these are buildings that have already been designated as Iowa City's historic landmarks, are on the National Register of Historic Places, and are protected by the preservation ordinance, in that any significant alteration to them would have to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission. Miklo said that when looking at the report in detail, one can look at a property and then look at the key to see how these fall within the classifications. He said the classifications are also important in that, depending on whether a building is key, contributing, or non - contributing, the guidelines are different for those properties. For example, Miklo said for a building that is considered non - contributing, the guidelines would allow those to be removed and replaced with new, modern buildings but using some characteristics present in the historic buildings in the neighborhood. Miklo said the main purpose of a conservation district is to conserve an area. He said that one of the goals is that as buildings are reinvested in over time or new buildings are built, the neighborhood improve in its historic character, and portions of it or all of it could then go to the level of a historic district. Miklo said it is also a tool that the City can use to promote healthy neighborhoods. He said that is something that the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council consider when they consider a conservation district. Miklo said the Historic Preservation Commission's role is to look at the historic character of the properties. He said that in this particular area, the City is reinvesting in the neighborhood through the UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership Program, which encourages home ownership and rehabilitation of older properties. Miklo said the City has also invested in the North Market Square Park and street signs in both the Goosetown and Northside Neighborhoods to promote neighborhood identify. He said the City is encouraging the school district to carry out plans to invest in and add on to Horace Mann School. Miklo said that all of this is part of a bigger goal, not just historic preservation but community preservation. Based on the report, Miklo said staff finds that this proposed district qualifies for a conservation district and would recommend approval. Ackerson asked Miklo if it is possible for any particular property to opt out. Miklo said that a conservation district has to be contiguous. He said that in terms of a property opting out, it would have to be on the perimeter of the district. Miklo said that a building that is considered non - contributing might be found in the center of a district, but the guidelines are very flexible for those properties. Miklo said that in drawing the district boundary, staff, after consulting with the applicant, looked at properties on the border, and if there was a property on the edge that was non - contributing, it was excluded. He said that if a property on the edge was contributing, it was included. Miklo stated that one of the other principles staff tried to adhere to but did not always, and this is more of a broad zoning principle, is to do both sides of a street in the same district. He said that if there is a change, it occurs in a back yard and not a front yard. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 4 of 13 Miklo said that if the Commission finds that some of the properties on the perimeter of a district do not qualify or the Commission does not feel so concerned about them, some of those could be removed as part of the recommendation to the City Council. He asked that Commission members consider and discuss these properties before making a recommendation. PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE HORACE MANN CONSERVATION DISTRICT: Wright said he is Chair of the Northside Neighborhood Association. He said the idea of a Horace Mann Conservation District arose from neighbors talking about preserving the character of the neighborhood, which is one of Iowa City's oldest platted areas. Wright said that the neighbors wanted to preserve the neighborhood and preserve the housing stock and keep Horace Mann School a vital presence in the neighborhood and in Iowa City, because a school is only going to be as vital as the neighborhood that is around it. Wright said that, looking at the map, one can see the school is a center of sort of a donut, with the top already protected by the Brown Street Historic District. He said the areas primarily to the south and east are proposed to be included in the district. Wright said this encompasses some of Mann School's prime attendance area, which is an area where the City has been investing in terms of the UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership Program. He said the proposed conservation district would shore up the City's efforts, as well as the efforts of homeowners who are already invested in the area. Wright said this Would keep the neighborhood desirable and viable. Wright said that while a fair amount of the housing stock in the neighborhood has been moved or has been irretrievably changed, the majority of it does remain more or less intact. He said this is what gives the area its unique character and the vibe that those who live there really appreciate. Wright said it is what they want to preserve and what they want to invest in. Wright said this is a neighborhood that has stood the test of time. He said it is walkable to jobs and to downtown's restaurants and shops. Wright said it creates a sustainable environment. Wright said that, although having taken the lead on this, the Northside Neighborhood did not think about neighborhood boundaries. He said the goal has been neighborhood enhancement and preservation and making a stronger environment to surround the Horace Mann School. Wright said they understand how this singular focus has caused a bit of a stir, for which they apologize. Wright said that, in retrospect, they should have communicated with the folks in the Goosetown Neighborhood, but the focus was indeed absolutely on preservation. He said there was most certainly never any other intent. Wright said the staff report, even the cover photograph, makes repeated references to both neighborhoods, Goosetown and the Northside, which they think emphasizes that the issue here is preservation. He said the issue here is preservation; there was no thought to boundaries, and they really are boundary- neutral when it comes to this. Wright encouraged the Commission to approve the Horace Mann Conservation District when the vote comes. He said its establishment will only be a win for the two neighborhood associations, for those who live within its boundaries, and for Iowa City as a whole. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 5 of 13 Beth Slonneger said she lives on Davenport Street in the Goosetown Neighborhood. She said she wanted to present her thoughts on behalf of herself, her husband and Carl Klaus, who is out of town and asked her to speak for him. Slonneger said she and her husband were out of town and did not go to the January 30 neighborhood meeting and did not know anything about what had come before. She said their concern is that all of a sudden they are finding out that about half of Goosetown is being joined to another area of town and being called Horace Mann. Slonneger said that Goosetown's history goes back 160 years to the first Bohemian immigrant who came to Goosetown in 1856. She said that the Dvorsky family and their allied families settled on Bloomington Street right near Dodge. Slonneger said they spread out on that street in the 700 block and went down, went forward, went above and filled in over time with other families. She said the little cottages still remain there. Slonneger said the families who came scraped together the money to come here, to come to Iowa City, and to buy their first parcel of land. She said she thinks of it as the heart of Goosetown. Slonneger said they came with their skills. She said they built Saint Wenceslaus; they laid brick with the first pastor. Slonneger said they built a Protestant chapel on Fairchild Street. She said they built the CSPS Hall for their monthly meetings and socialization. Slonneger said the families placed their houses on the corner of the lot that would allow their gardens the most productive part of the land. She said they planted fruit trees, planted grapes, made wine, butchered their livestock, had smokehouses, had provisions for heat and laundry, barns, outhouses, and the whole array of buildings on those properties. Slonneger said they had a distinctive character and history. She stated that they were very, very cohesive. She said they liked to socialize together. Slonneger said she started collecting oral histories, which led to a book called Small but Ours. She stated that the title came from a garden sign within the Sojek garden. Slonneger said the neighborhood was very garden- oriented. Slonneger said that when one thinks about dividing off a part of Goosetown; in the eyes of herself, her husband, and Klaus; it is attaching a label that has nothing to do with this 160 -year- old history. She said that in a certain sense, it obliterates that history. Slonneger stated that the treasures; the iconic buildings such as Saint Wenceslaus, CSPS Hall, and the first cottages; are being taken into another district and applied with a new name. She said the problem with that is that she has seen this happen before; they have been fragmentized already. Slonneger said that the northern streets of Goosetown on Brown Street were taken off and made part of the Brown Street Historic District. She said that the property owners are invited to all the social gatherings and the park, but their eyes have shifted forward to the Brown Street concerns and those historic homes. Slonneger said they are no longer, in a sense, part of Goosetown. Slonneger said that if this part is divided off, then they are left with an area to the east of this that would become, possibly, part of Goosetown but perhaps not, because the treasures are gone — the things that identify Goosetown, the earliest buildings. She said this is a concern. Slonneger said that for years, she and her husband and Klaus have worked very hard. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 6 of 13 Slonneger said that she and her husband have restored five buildings in Goosetown, three of which are in this proposed district. She said that is the only way they knew about this proposal. Slonneger said everyone she talked to around her did not even know about this, and they could not understand how half of Goosetown could disappear into a district without being informed about it. Slonneger said she had done all of these interviews with elderly people who had roots in Goosetown. She said that she and Klaus are kind of like a bridge between what was and what we are passing on to the next generation. Slonneger said they have this great fondness, and they have worked hard for it. She said they see it as a cohesive unit that is typified by the buildings that are going to be sliced off it and called something else. Slonneger said that in fact Horace Mann is a 20th century building, and the children in her neighborhood went to the third ward school for much of that time, so it doesn't even fit that. Slonneger said that to think about a way of protecting these buildings is really, really hard, but maybe there should be some kind of small grants awarded to people who wanted to enhance their gardens, put up traditional fencing, plant fruit trees. She said they talked about historic lighting and wrote a PIN grant and were awarded one light that never got to them. Slonneger said that some of these things that could enhance the neighborhood that the City could participate in could help solve this problem of what to do about these buildings. She asked the Commission members to think about what it would mean to their neighborhoods if people were divided in half in two different districts. Oliveira said he owns Prestige Properties /Prairie Sun Building Services in Iowa City. He said they own approximately just under 80 buildings within an 11 -block radius of campus. Oliveira stated that he lives in this area up on Ronalds Street. Oliveira said that his partner attended the first meeting for Horace Mann. He said that one of the things they are looking at about this district and why they have some problems with it is that with this proposed district, given the other historic districts and conservation districts in Iowa City, the City will be circled right now. Oliveira said that when the market does shift, and it is going to shift but not right away, because the best use for property right now is probably rentals on these properties, but some day it is going to shift, where some of these buildings would be better served by either being rehabbed or torn down to build historically accurate reproductions on those lots. Oliveira said that if this whole neighborhood is encumbered, it will limit the market forces for that as older people want to move into the City and spend more money, saving some of these neighborhoods. He said that the nomenclature that he has when he listens to Miklo is a one - sided perspective. Oliveira asked how many of these places are owner - occupied versus rental. Miklo answered that it is roughly 60% rental property and less than 40% owner - occupied. He said that is one of the reasons that this was brought to the attention of the City, which wants to promote a healthy balance. Oliveira said that he understands it. He said one of the things he has a challenge with is that with the historic preservation should be pushing the City Council for is us putting in Iowa City, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 7 of 13 trying to get some more high net worth people in this area. He said the reason why is that they have the money to spend on these older houses. Oliveira said that demand is rising today. He said that people want to move into homes that are ADA compliant, low maintenance, and have good curb appeal. Oliveira said he can see that there is going to be potential for some of these places to be torn down and rebuilt. Oliveira said they don't mind putting it to the Commission to be historically accurate, but not every house is going to be able to be remodeled. He said that some of these houses, especially in this area, this is a very big land grab. Oliveira said that Horace Mann has been fought over for the last 40 years as to whether it will stay open or be closed. He stated that it is unknown what the School District will do over time. Oliveira said that the preservation of Goosetown was a good argument from the previous speaker. He said that deserves merit. Oliveira said that he also thinks that taking this big a land swap in this area probably doesn't need to be done. He said one could probably pick up half of those historic homes that may be qualified and do a little bit more planning on this. Oliveira said he has received calls from well over a dozen land owners in this area asking about what will happen. He said he believes there are a couple of things. Oliveira stated that the best use of these houses in some areas, even if a conservation district is proposed, they'll minimally take care of the houses, use them until they fall over, and then there will be a problem. Oliveira said we should step back for a moment and take a look at what is going to happen here. He said there is a program in Des Moines where there is a ten -year tax break for fixing up older homes. Oliveira said that Iowa City needs to take a look at that. He said they have two or three projects going on in this area right now and will continue to have. Oliveira said that the guidelines in the current Historic Preservation Handbook for reuse of current properties are pretty strict. He said it is very hard to tear down a rebuild. Boyer said she is currently President of the Horace Mann PTO and is also co- leader of the Goosetown Neighborhood Association. She said that she believes the goal of the Horace Mann Conservation District is about preserving the neighborhood and preserving a kind of housing stock that people would like to have in the Iowa City area near that school. Boyer said she is not sure that a conservation district is the way to go about the problem. She said it is a way of dealing with what is the belief of preserving neighborhoods but thinks in this particular circumstance maybe a more laser focus as to what we are really working toward would be appropriate. Boyer said that she knows Horace Mann has been discussed for closure many times and would hate to see that happen. She said, however, that there is a variety of things going on with school districts and whether there will be funding. Boyer said she does not think this approach to deal with the neighborhood is necessarily a bad one, but thinks a bit more needs to be done than just having a conservation district to entice people into the Horace Mann Neighborhood. She said the City could look at a moratorium on rental units or perhaps some tax breaks. Boyer said there are other ways to work on this HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 8 of 13 circumstance. She said it is very distressing that the proposal would carve out part of the Goosetown Neighborhood. Boyer said she understands there is a vision and a plan that people would like to see for Horace Mann, herself included, but she thinks it is somewhat at odds at the moment. Boyer said she thinks that dealing with the housing stock and addressing that issue thoughtfully is perhaps what needs to be addressed. She said it is something that perhaps the neighborhoods should discuss how they want this to work. Welu- Reynolds said she used to live on North Summit Street and when she first lived there she went to a Northside Neighborhood meeting and was told she lived in Goosetown, although she was welcomed to the meeting. She said there has always been some confusion as to where the line is between Goosetown and the Northside. Welu- Reynolds said this area of town is a diverse neighborhood, is walkable, and has a great school. She stated that the School District has committed to doing a complete renovation to Horace Mann. Welu- Reynolds said when she hears talk of tearing down houses, she hopes that the only reason she ever sees for a teardown is when a property has been neglected. She said that of the two houses she and her husband restored up on North Summit Street, one of them probably would have been considered a tear down. Welu- Reynolds said that when one does little by little and utilizes the resources available in Iowa City, one can actually renovate a house fairly reasonably and turn it over to the next generation. Welu- Reynolds said there is some discussion that probably needs to happen as to what is Goosetown and what is the Northside. She said that everyone is probably willing to look at that and to discuss that. Welu- Reynolds said that when she looks at Iowa City and at other conservation areas, she does see a difference in those neighborhoods as to the stability and the historic presence of those neighborhoods. She thinks that can be achieved in this area. She said she is in favor of a conservation area but as to the exact property line, there should be some discussion. Welu- Reynolds said she thinks the Commission should go ahead with a conservation district, because it does benefit the City of Iowa City. Welu- Reynolds agreed that there are trends, with people moving out of the City, and then people want to move back in. She said a conservation district would give people who want to move back in a place they may want to live. Miklo said he wanted to clarify something, as several speakers had discussed this as if the City is creating a new neighborhood or carving out a piece of Goosetown or the Northside. He reminded those in attendance that a conservation district is a zoning tool. Miklo said it is a zoning overlay district, and probably the only place this will be referred to as the Horace Mann Conservation District is in the zoning ordinance. He said he does not believe it will become the nomenclature for the neighborhood, based on other neighborhoods where there are overlays that cross over neighborhood boundaries and they have various names. Miklo said this is not creating a new neighborhood. He said there will not be a neighborhood association nor an apparatus that goes with a neighborhood association. Miklo said this will simply be an overlay on the zoning map. He said that for those who are concerned about HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 9 of 13 whether they are in Goosetown or the Northside, the Commission's consideration of this proposed district does not really get to that issue. Ackerson asked who knows what the actual boundaries of Goosetown are. Slonneger said she has discussed Dodge and Bloomington, all the way up north. She said it has Saint Wenceslaus to the west of that and the CSPS Hall. Slonneger said the geese were taken to north Market Square Park at one time. She said this was a fluid area. Slonneger said that when the dispute became a problem for the neighbors is when they started to form neighborhood associations. She said if one thinks about it in terms of Dodge Street, that might help, and Bloomington. Miklo said he does not disagree with Slonneger's assessment. He said he did not know if there was ever a historic map that showed Goosetown. Miklo said it referred to the area where a lot of the Czech immigrants lived, at the time Northeast Iowa City, with the concentration and major institutions roughly in this area. He said that in addition to the Czech immigrants, there were other immigrant populations, including German families and others. Miklo said the preservation documents show the area roughly form Johnson Street to Reno Street as being the proximate location of Goosetown. He said there was never a territory or something that showed up on City maps. Miklo said it was the research of people like Slonneger who identified and brought attention to it. Slonneger said she was talking about the people who he actually asked that question of who were from the neighborhood. Miklo agreed and said it was Slonneger's research that brought it to light. Ken Slonneger said he thinks a name does make a difference. He said that since his neighborhood is kind of an unorganized neighborhood, they feel like they are at the mercy of the organized neighborhoods. He said they sort of feel like they are going to lose their identity. He looks at the district that is being proposed and counts about 18 city blocks in the district. He said that of those 18 city blocks, eleven or twelve of them are really historic Goosetown. Slonneger said he would be in favor of this proposal if the name were changed from the Horace Mann Conservation District to the Goosetown Conservation District, because that is really what it is. Ken Slonneger said he wants to preserve the identity of the neighborhood, which is really one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City. He said he is afraid it would be lost if this sort of thing goes through. Michaud asked about the whited -out area. Miklo replied that there are properties within this boundary that are zoned residential. He said the properties that are not zoned residential are zoned commercial or public. Miklo said these are areas that are also zoned commercial or higher- density residential or did not contain sufficient contributing properties to qualify for a conservation district. Michaud stated that what she is concerned about is the area near Ace Hardware and across from it. Miklo said that is zoned Neighborhood Commercial, CN -1. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 10 of 13 Michaud said that a lot of people saw the Victorian houses come down near the co -op. She said she lost an opportunity in 2005 to successfully organize her neighborhood to keep it or downzone it to three stories. Michaud said that one can see the contrast between what is there now, the four -story building, adjacent to a historic district. She stated that this is what one risks if multiple houses go down. Baldridge asked, if this became a conservation district, if something that would be risked, given what the buildings are currently. He said the conservation district would prevent anything like that happening, but given what the current zoning is on that neighborhood commercial, he asked if something like that could be built there. Miklo answered that he believes Neighborhood Commercial zoning has a two -story height limit and some design standards that go with it in terms of new construction. He said one would not see what Michaud referred to in the 500 block of Washington Street in this area, but there could be some redevelopment of those areas that are zoned Neighborhood Commercial. Miklo said, however, that in order to remove a building in a conservation district, the Commission would have to approve the removal of a building. He said that some of the buildings would be considered non - contributing. Miklo said that most of them, in addition to being zoned commercial, are modern buildings or are non - contributing. Biger said he lives right across from Preucil Hall. He said he is also part of the Northside Neighborhood Association. He said that if it weren't for the proposed district, he believes that whole area northwest of the park that is wedged between two historic districts likely would not be protected, because those properties, based on the ratios, might not ever be considered to be included in the historic districts. He said that then this wide hole there could get bigger and bigger. Biger said that as a rather new owner of a house in that neighborhood who has already spent time and effort to improve the house, has a child who he hopes will be able to walk to Horace Mann in a few years, and walks downtown through this beautiful neighborhood, he feels that further discussion is needed so that this can be done. He said that a lot of those houses could potentially be turned into something that is not necessarily as contributing to the beauty of this neighborhood. Biger said he would encourage further discussion. He said he moved here recently, and that was one of the reasons they decided to look at that house, which happens to be part of the University program. Biger said there are a lot of positive things that can come of this. Connors said she owns a property in this area. She asked for an example of a conservation district in Iowa City. Miklo said that Iowa Avenue is part of the College Hill Conservation District. He said that when a tornado went through there, the conservation district was one of the tools the City used to restore the neighborhood. Connors said there are many players in Iowa City when it comes to property, and everybody has a valid concern. She asked for the pros and cons of a conservation district. Connors said her house, which also contains a business, is in a conservation district. She said she could research the pros and cons, and that is why she wanted an example of a conservation district. Connors said that Longfellow is a wonderful neighborhood surrounding a school and is very important to the Iowa City community. Miklo said that portions of Longfellow are in a historic HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 11 of 13 district, and Longfellow also contains the Dearborn Conservation District, part of College Hill Historic District, the Longfellow Historic District itself, the Clark Street Conservation District, the Summit Street Historic District, and the Governor -Lucas Street Conservation District. He said that a neighborhood can have multiple districts and still be known for the neighborhood. Swaim stated that the Brown Street Historic District also includes Ronalds Street as well as Bella Vista, which sees itself as an entity but is part of the Brown Street Historic District. Connors said she thinks most people attended the meeting because they care about Iowa City in many regards. She said they don't want neighborhoods that are very important to contributing to the fabric and quality of life in this community to change and just disappear. Connors said that certainly Longfellow and that area did have tough buildings and houses that have been rehabilitated successfully. Connors said Longfellow is a beautiful neighborhood, and one can now start to see it trickling down to the adjacent neighborhoods. Connors asked, regarding goals of the City for creating a conservation district, if there is any kind of public or private component that has ever been modeled before for conservation. She asked if there is a component where there is an interested party or investors who want to come in and invest in a neighborhood that is a conservation district, but there may be some buildings that need to be torn down. Miklo replied that there may be models in other communities. He said that in Iowa City there is the University /neighborhood partnership where the University and City have put funding into buying rental properties, some of which are run down, investing in them, fixing them up, and then making them available. Miklo said the University supports that with down payment assistance, encouraging employees to live close to.work. He said that is a good model, and he thinks that the private sector could certainly do something similar. Miklo stated that Oliveira had mentioned the idea of some financial incentives such as tax abatement. He said that is a model that the preservation plan has that the Commission would like to explore and implement. Miklo said there may be tools, in addition to the conservation district, that would complement it that the City could bring to support this area. Oliveira said there are some very successful projects in Seattle, Portland, and Atlanta, where the districts have worked with setting standards to take down some older buildings and rebuild historically accurate homes in those areas. He said they are zero energy houses; a lot of them are green houses that a lot of people want. Oliveira said that a lot of people want a modern house that looks old like the neighborhood. Oliveira said that when he looks at the historic preservation standards of Iowa City today, he finds it is very hard for someone to come in and do that.. He said he discussed with Miklo before this meeting that he is not against having a district, he is against that it is really hard to change and meet the demand of future housing in this area if the developer or homeowner is restricted from doing a tear down to reuse some of these properties. Oliveira said that 60% of these properties are rental already, and that is a large number. He said that there is a demand out there; it's going to come; and this will hurt the neighborhood overall if there is not a change in some of the thinking. Miklo stated that roughly 25% of the properties in the neighborhood are considered non- contributing. He said those properties would certainly be opportunities to follow that model to HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2014 Page 12 of 13 replace those with new structures that are compatible in character with the neighborhood. Miklo said there are opportunities in this neighborhood for infill. He added that there may be properties in this neighborhood that are classified as contributing but have serious structural problems or issues, and after demonstrating those issues, an owner could propose removing those and replacing them. Mary Beth Slonneger asked if there is any reason why the northwestern part of the proposed district could not be done just by itself. She asked why these disparate things are put together in this configuration. Miklo said it could be done as two separate districts. He said that a big chunk of this could be removed, but he thinks that would defeat the point of trying to preserve Goosetown or Northside or whatever it is called. Miklo said the name could be changed to call it the Horace Mann /Goosetown Conservation District. Miklo said that because the area west of Johnson Street traditionally was not thought of as Goosetown, he did not know if it would be appropriate to call it the Goosetown Conservation District alone. Swaim said that because people would like to have more discussions among neighbors and others involved before voting on this, she would continue the hearing for the present time. MOTION: Corcoran moved to continue the public hearing for the Horace Mann Conservation District to the Historic Preservation Commission's next meeting to be held on March 13. Baker seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Litton and McMahon absent). Swaim said that besides attending the meeting, the public is invited to submit written comments regarding this issue to Miklo. Swaim asked that submissions be sent to arrive the Friday before the next meeting if possible, so that they will arrive in the Commission's packet and give members time to read them a little more thoughtfully than if they arrive minutes before the meeting. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:09 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte Q O O v v Z O w � T � W > Z M Z � a T N N W Z W CL F' U a O H U) z 0 O U z 0 (J� M O N M 0 o � M O xQa CO) Q' Np X x X X X X 0 0 x X X ti M C' N M X X X X X x X LL) X X X N X X X 0 X X O O X O O r r r O 1 X X X X X —O X X X 0 Q r X i X X x X X - - X x CM X i X X X X X - - LU — X 0 co X X X 0 0 X X X O O N X I x X X X - X x x x X i X x X x x X X x ti - w o ' X o LU o x x o x X x �o ip x X x x x X O x x O LLJ x x x x X o x x x o x i x x i i x x x x x M M X i X X I i X X X X et x x x i x w O w O w O X N (O 'V' — LO — V- — CO CO V — "T — 0 — LO — LO — a— W WCA N O N CA N CA N CA N O N CA N O N CA N CA N CA N M CO M M CO co co M co M co Z Q W a w ~ Z W W Z Y O H = Y o a Z LL Z O H W W a" a z c LL DE Z 0 W ;f p g O m = Q Z Y Q � W Y � V � = O Q m a N 7 N x E w aD _� (D -0.0 o a_ QQZ X O w i o' w Y 1 P1 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MARCH 6, 2014 — 6:30 PM EMMA HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Michelle Bacon Curry, Andrew Chappell, Cheryll Clamon, David Hacker, Jim Jacobson, Dottie Persson, Christine Ralston, Rachel Zimmermann Smith MEMBERS ABSENT: Peter Matthes STAFF PRESENT: Tracy Hightshoe, Liz Osborne, David Purdy OTHERS PRESENT: Karen DeGroot, Alex Schmidt, Genevieve Anglin, Barbara Bailey, Mary Knudson, Maryann Dennis, Crissy Canganelli, Laura Shoemaher, John Shaw RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: 1. The Commission voted 7 -1 (Zimmermann Smith opposed) to forward the following FYI CDBG /HOME funding recommendation to City Council: Requested Housing Amount City of Iowa City - Downpayment & Rehab. $250,000 Iowa City Co- Housing - Downpayment $100,950 Habitat for Humanity - Acquisition & Construction $100,000 The Housing Fellowship — CHDO Operating $20,000 Expenses The Housing Fellowship - Rental $300,000 Shelter House - Rapid Rehousing $75,000 Housing Total $845,950 Public Facilities Recommended Allocation $140,000 $0 $0 $15,000 $200,000 $75,000 $430,000 Arc of Southeast Iowa $100,000 $75,000 Neighborhood Centers of JC $84,000 $0 United Action for Youth $122,620 $25,000 Public Facilities Total $306,620 $100,000 TOTAL REQUESTED: $1,152,5701 $530,000 2. The Commission voted 8 -0 to recommend to City Council that if the CDBG or HOME actual allocation decreases by more than 10% or increases by more than 5 %, HCDC will reconsider the budget. If under these thresholds, the allocations will be prorated by program (if an increase, pro -rated up to the requested amount). HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION March 6, 2014 PAGE 2 of 7 CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chair Andrew Chappell. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None STAFF /COMMISSION COMMENT: Hightshoe explained that the City currently has a HOME commitment shortfall of approximately $200,000. The City must commit $200,000 in HOME funds by July 31 or risk recapture of the shortfall by HUD. Commitment means a project site is identified, environmental review completed and an agreement entered. There are only two HOME projects left to commit funds: Charms and Iowa City Owner - Occupied Rehab. The Rehab. staff typically set up agreements in the winter and enter agreements in early spring to start construction. Staff felt they will be able to commit the needed funds by the deadline. Bruce Teague, CHARM Homes, was not confident they could identify and sign purchase agreements on three homes by July (remaining home in their FY13 agreement and two homes with the FY14 allocation). Teague was confident they could identify two and requests that the FY14 project be amended to one home. The $61,650 allocation would go towards one home reducing the amount of private financing needed and allowing the City to commit the needed HOME funds by the HUD deadline. Hightshoe will forward an Annual Action Plan Amendment to the commission in April for consideration. Monitoring Reports • FY14 Free Medical Clinic — Facility Rehabilitation (Ralston) Free Med entered into a contract with the City for their FY14 improvements. She said construction is going well except for the water leak they found that ran up the foundation. The leak was repaired. She said of the total budget, CDBG covered all but $3,000 of their proposal. She said they should be done by the end of April and will then be able to use the basement for programming instead of storage. She said both the clinic and the recipients of the services are very appreciative of the funders. • FY13 HACAP — Rental Rehabilitation (Hightshoe) Hightshoe reported that the construction project is done. 18 transitional housing units were rehabilitated. Improvements included siding installation, new doors, new HVAC, removal of old wall A/C units, brick repair, fencing removed, new paving and new dumpster screening. She said the police requested extra lighting. This was a requirement of the agreement. HACAP did not install the lighting; however is working on an agreement with MidAmerican to install it and HACAP would pay the increased utility charge. Final payment will not be released until the final deal is worked out and a budget amendment signed. Hightshoe stated about half the units were vacant. HACAP is working on filling up the remainder as the period of affordability does not start until the units are occupied by income eligible tenants. • FY13 Habitat —Acquisition and Rehabilitation (Matthes) Deferred to the next meeting. • FY13 Neighborhood Centers of JC — Facility Rehab. (Bacon Curry) Hightshoe reported that they completed Phase I of the lower level Broadway project — kitchen installation, flooring, etc. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION March 6, 2014 PAGE 3 of 7 Discussion Regarding FY16 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Proaram (HOME) Requests • Review Project Rankings • Discuss Average Allocation Worksheet • Develop FY15 CDBG /HOME Budget Recommendation to Council Hightshoe explained to the Commission that CITY STEPS outlines a process for review. This includes the review of high priorities first. For each high priority, the Commission may fund, partially fund or not fund. Once considered, medium priorities are considered and then low priorities. She reminded the commission that at least $316,000 must be allocated to HOME eligible housing activities. She said HUD has not released the final entitlement allocations yet, thus our numbers are subject to change. The Commission started discussion with Clamon voicing her concern that Shelter House has been the recipient of CDBG /HOME money before for increased operations /facilities. She is concerned about their growth and if they will be able to handle, sustain it. Chappell said in previous years he's had the same concern, but he thinks this project is different. Ralston said she saw no problems with capacity on the staff report. Hightshoe stated this project was a continuation of a program they currently administer, not an additional program. Members asked Dennis if full funding was required. Dennis said she had applied for full funding and the application stated it would not be possible without full funding, but at the question /answer session she stated they could proceed with partial funding. There is the availability of Housing Trust Fund dollars and other avenues that could be explored if the project does not receive full funding. Zimmermann Smith recommended full funding for Housing Rehab because it keeps people in their homes in neighborhoods that need to be stabilized, and she thinks this is a great program for sensitive neighborhoods. Jacobson said he has no issue with the program but thinks the funding source should be something that comes out of fees to developers who are building new homes, not money that could go to other projects. Bacon Curry argued that it seemed counterproductive to not upkeep affordable housing that already exists to fund new housing. Ralston said she wasn't entirely comfortable with the scoring system and this program ended up at the bottom for her. Chappell said he agreed with Jacobson's idea about how to fund this, but said he thinks the Supreme Court would call it an impact fee. Discussion continued with Arc of Southeast Iowa's request for playground equipment. Ralston said she funded this at zero because she rated housing programs higher. The next item was Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. Bacon Curry expressed her desire to see the organization be able to just finish the project. Chappell said he thought they were finishing this project last year, but the price came in higher than expected. Chappell was concerned that the same thing might happen again. John Shaw, architect for Neighborhood Centers, said the plans for the project are finished and they have estimates from contractors, so they have a secure handle on the project costs. Discussion continued with United Action for Youth. Persson asked what would happen if they didn't receive full funding. Genevieve Anglin from UAY explained the work they needed done and the estimates for repairing the basement water problem ($25,000), the expanding hole in HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION March 6, 2014 PAGE 4 of 7 their parking lot ($68,000) and the top parking lot ($38,000). She said they have plans to do fundraising with a goal of $16,000 and they have a commitment from elsewhere for an additional $16,000. Alex Schmidt explained what is causing the mold in the basement and how it can be fixed. Chappell said that Iowa City Co- Housing was an interesting project, but perhaps not at the same level need -wise of some of the other projects. He said when staff's concerns about Habitat for Humanity disappear he will be very happy to talk about getting them back in the funding stream, but is not supportive of funding at this point. Clamon said she thought the co- housing was interesting and she likes to fund innovative projects, but doesn't think the organization has proved itself yet. Ralston said she thinks the City is long overdue for some unique way to house its residents and supports this project, giving it almost full funding. She said she thinks the way a city becomes ready for new and innovative projects is by people who have some power to control some of these dollars agreeing to try something different like this. Hacker said he supports both of these programs as they seem to be the only applicants who seem to reach out to the community and let people know there are poor people who need housing. He also appreciates that Co- Housing demonstrates a group of people wanting a community where people of different levels of income can live together. Barbara Bailey of Iowa City Co- Housing said over 50% of the Miller- Orchard neighborhood is rental, and the average income is $17,000. Co- Housing offers neighborhood stabilization. Mary Knudson, a property owner in that neighborhood, said she has a real problem with this project. She does not want to see another driveway access on Benton and has real concerns that this increases the rental housing mix in the neighborhood. Another property owner stated she does not like the swapping of park land and said it might set a bad precedent for other parks in the City. Hightshoe stated the application if for downpayment assistance only. The units assisted must be owner occupied. Bailey clarified that their application is for down - payment assistance for owner occupied units. There was consensus that Iowa City Co- Housing would not be funded at this time. The discussion returned to The Housing Fellowship - Rental. Bacon Curry said her reservation with this project is that there isn't an address for it yet. Zimmermann Smith said she didn't find it to be innovative, it's been that way for a long time, and it's using all government dollars. Ralston said if she can't fund the Co- Housing, she will bump up her allocation to The Housing Fellowship. The Commission agreed on allocating $200,000. The Commission discussed the funding for The Housing Fellowship — CHDO Operating Expenses. There was a consensus to fund them at $15,000. Bacon Curry asked if Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County gave any idea of what they could do with partial funding. No representative was present to answer the question. The point was brought up that lowering the funding for UAY would not allow them to complete the mold mitigation project and health is an important issue. Hacker said he would like to see Arc at least get started on their project (installing the base only), which would require around $33,000. Hightshoe cautioned the Commission to consider how long it would take Arc to put something on the base pad if installed with CDBG funds this year. If they were not able to adequately fundraise, CDBG funds would merely have went to install a cement/tile base. Chappell asked if HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION March 6, 2014 PAGE 5 of 7 the base would be more accessible than the empty lot that is currently there. Karen DeGroot, ARC, said she didn't believe it would be. Hacker asked what the impact is programmatically of not getting the project or not getting it started. DeGroot stated they would have to continue to transport children to an accessible play area. It translates to increased transportation and staff costs. Bacon Curry argued that when you give bits to Arc and UAY, you begin a process of the project but if you give the funding to the Neighborhood Centers you potentially complete a project. She stated the area needs additional space, especially since CDBG funds went to rehabilitate the Wetherby Condos and those will be occupied by households with children. The Commission discussed the public facilities allocations and asked questions of the applicants. Bacon Curry thought they needed to fund at least one public facility project. A majority of the commissioners agreed. She said that a higher number of people are served by the Neighborhood Centers than by Arc. Chappell and Hacker said they thought that Arc provided unique services and their clientele needed facilities in close proximity to their facility. Clamon asked if the playground would be open to neighborhood children. DeGroot said the Arc project would be open to the public. Chappell added that where it will be located on Muscatine is a targeted community. DeGroot clarified that a $75,000 allocation would factor in getting free labor from the Ironworkers. Chappell said Arc is the highest ranked public facility, and the rankings are a guide. Bacon Curry reiterated that she'd rather see Neighborhood Centers get their project finished and Arc could come back and apply next year. Hacker said the problem with that is you can't guarantee what will happen next year, either with available funding or with applicants. Debate continued on how to fund the public facilities. Chappell asked for a motion. Hacker moved to forward the following FYI CDBG /HOME funding recommendation to City Council. Jacobson seconded. A vote was taken and motion carried 7 -1 (Zimmermann Smith opposed). Requested Housing Amount City of Iowa City - Downpayment & Rehab. $250,000 Iowa City Co- Housing - Downpayment $100,950 Habitat for Humanity - Acquisition & Construction $100,000 The Housing Fellowship - CHDO Operating $20,000 Expenses The Housing Fellowship - Rental $300,000 Shelter House - Rapid Rehousing $75,000 Recommended Allocation $140,000 $0 $0 $15,000 $200,000 $75,000 HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION March 6, 2014 PAGE 6 of 7 Housing Total $845,950 1 $430,000 Public Facilities Arc of Southeast Iowa $100,000 $75,000 Neighborhood Centers of JC $84,000 $0 United Action for Youth $122,620 $25,000 Public Facilities Total $306,620 $100,000 TOTAL REQUESTED: $1,152,5701 $530,000 Bacon Curry moved to amend the prior motion to recommend to City Council that if the CDBG or HOME actual allocation decreases by more than 10% or increases by more than 5 %, HCDC will reconsider the budget. If under these thresholds, the allocations will be prorated by program (if an increase, pro -rated up to the requested amount). Zimmermann Smith seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried 8 -0. ADJOURNMENT: Persson moved to adjourn. Ralston seconded. Motion to adjourn carried 8 -0. z O U) U) O U F- z Cw G a O J w w z D O U 0 Qom 0 N 0 Z(pr, U) .r- w O2a- z O_ O U H Z wD 0-0 U w LU 0 Z M T Z D N = Z OQ U z Q 0 z 2 M x x x x x o x x x CD N o x x x x o x x x N x X X X X LU x 0 X T N O x x X x x x x x T T N T x x x x x x x o x T 0 o x x x o o x x x T X x X X p x X w O 0 X X X X X X O O No x x o o x x x x LO X X X X X 0 X X X M X X X X X X X X a. 14, LO IT c� ch LO (r) cr) It 0 0 0 0 LU 0 N 0 N Cl N 0 N 0 N 0 N 0 N 0 N 0 N 0 N 0 N 0 N 0 N LLJ W H 0) 0± 0) CF) Oi 0) 0) 0) CF) 0i 0) Oi O) W J J W = U W Z Z w W Z � Dz a 0_3 W> n W o= z U J J U ' = N m W = 0 N 0 H w J W W W O a w U' J Y J �U Z m U U D D N ` w aEi cam. c� IL Q Q z II II II II W , YXOO