Agenda Notes:
Agenda Item #12: Carolina Theatre Competition with Existing Charlotte Theaters
Staff Resource: Tom Flynn, 704-432-1396 - tflynn@ci.charlotte.nc.us
During discussion of the Carolina Theatre at the last Council meeting in December, City staff was directed to get opinion letters regarding the impact the Carolina Theatre programming would have on the Blumenthal, Ovens, Spirit Square and Wachovia Theater from Tim Newman (CRVA) and Tom Gabbard (NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center). Attached are the letters received by the Economic Development Office.
Agenda Item #18: Renaming of Stonewall Street to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Staff Resource: Doreen Szymanski, 704-336-7527 - dszymanski@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Agenda Item #18 pertains to the renaming of Stonewall Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Below is additional information regarding the street renaming:
- The entire length of Stonewall Street, from South Mint Street to the I-277 ramp at Independence and Kenilworth, would be re-named Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
- The best candidate streets for renaming should minimally affect property owners, businesses, and residents located on those streets. There are expenses associated with a street renaming, such as changing all legal documents, licenses, business signing, letterhead, etc.
- While there is no documentation, staff has been asked to consider re-naming a street for Martin Luther King, Jr. on numerous occasions. Two previous attempts involved Beatties Ford Road and portions of Fifth Street and Rozzelles Ferry Road. The length of these streets and the numerous affected businesses made re-naming these streets very difficult.
- The Charlotte Department of Transportation has notified property owners and businesses along Stonewall Street of the potential name change. There are four active business sites affected:
Crush - 300 Stonewall
Actor's Theater - 650 E. Stonewall
Goodyear Auto Service - 100 E. Stonewall
Bob Walton Plaza - 700 E. Stonewall
The private businesses have concerns about the costs associated with the street renaming. CDOT does not compensate businesses or residents for the incurred costs. New street signs and installation will cost the City approximately $5,000.
Crush and Actor's Theater lease property. We also heard from three individual property owners. At least two owners expressed opposition for various reasons; one of them being the impending sale of property for development. There are no residential properties along the street.
- CDOT's 60-year archive does not include any information on how Stonewall Street was named originally.
Agenda Item #21E: South Corridor Infrastructure Program Package F
Staff Resource: Jim Keenan, 704-336-4252 - jkeenan@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On Monday, you will be asked to approve a construction contract for the South Corridor Infrastructure Program, Package "F" (Item 21 E). This contract includes four individual projects that represent three separate programs. Included are:
- Turn lane additions, bicycle and pedestrian improvements to the South Blvd./Woodlawn Rd. intersection (2002 Roadway Bonds)
- Bicycle lane and pedestrian improvements to Woodlawn Rd. from South Blvd. east to Murrayhill Rd. (South Corridor Infrastructure)
- Bicycle lane, median, and pedestrian improvements to the Woodlawn Rd./Old Pineville Rd. intersection (South Corridor Infrastructure)
- Water main replacement along Woodlawn Rd from South Blvd. to Murrayhill Rd. (CMU water main rehabilitation)
This work has been packaged together to reduce bidding costs, better manage construction traffic control and minimize construction inconvenience for area citizens. Construction of these important projects represents a significant challenge on a busy thoroughfare such as Woodlawn but we feel that this collaboration offers the optimum service to both citizens and commuters.
Agenda Item #29H: CATS South Corridor Light Rail Property Acquisition - Owners W. Vernon and Maggie M. Simpson
Staff Resources: David Leard, 704-336-7999 - dleard@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Diane Johnson, 704-336-2854 - djjohnson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Linda Poissant, 704-336-2562 - lpoissant@ci.charlotte.nc.us
This property transaction appears on City Council's January 9 agenda as a condemnation request. The property is necessary for the construction of a traction-powered substation approximately 73' x 45' (3,285 sq ft) for the South Corridor Light Rail Project. See attached map.
City staff has met with the property owner, Vernon Simpson, on numerous occasions since September 2004 to explain the City's need to acquire property for the South Corridor Light Rail project.
The original design required the acquisition of a portion of the Simpson property located at 299 East Palmer Street (Tax ID 123-015-04), "Area 1" on attached map. The initial acquisition area included 1,778 square feet (0.0408 acres) of permanent easement outside the rail right of way. Based on an independent certified appraisal, an offer to purchase in the amount of $92,450 was made to the property owners.
The original substation design was revised in June 2005 to include a brick façade to mitigate noise. The revision required additional property to be purchased (a portion of Tax ID 123-015-04 and 123-015-02), "Area 2" on attached map. The revised property areas to be acquired included 5,619 square feet (0.129 acres) of fee simple acquisition outside the railroad right of way and 623 square feet (0.014 acre) of temporary construction easement. Based on an independent certified appraisal, a revised offer to purchase in the amount of $295,750 was made to the property owners.
Mr. Simpson declined the offer to purchase and requested CATS investigate relocating the substation. Mr. Simpson stated that if it had to be located on his property, he would prefer it be located across the railroad tracks on the west side. He also suggested relocating the substation to property further south closer to Bland Street.
CATS' staff investigated relocating the substation and determined that it could be moved to the west side of the tracks (Tax ID 123-015-01) on property owned by Mr. Simpson, "Area 3" on attached map . Design plans were revised again in November 2005 and the changes required the purchase of a small undevelopable parcel which is 5,854 square feet (0.134 acre). Of this area, 3,436 square feet (0.079 acre) is within the City owned rail right of way. Based on an independent certified appraisal, an offer to purchase in the amount of $26,125 was made to the property owners.
Mr. Simpson has declined the latest offer to purchase. Mr. Simpson has reiterated his request that the City relocate the substation to property closer to Bland Street. CATS staff has explained to Mr. Simpson that because of the proximity of other substations, this substation needs to remain in this vicinity.
- 2005 Simpson Petition to Abandon Right-of-Way
There was an original petition to abandon a portion of East Palmer Street, South College Street and a portion of an unnamed street filed by Vernon Simpson on December 6, 2001.
A revised petition was submitted on July 12, 2005 by Mr. Vernon Simpson removing East Palmer Street from the original request. See "Area 4" on attached map.
The Resolution of Intent to set the Public Hearing for this abandonment petition was approved by City Council on August 22, 2005. The public hearing was scheduled for September 26, 2005. However, in response to Mr. Simpson's request, CATS began evaluating the relocation of the substation to Mr. Simpson's property on the west side of the tracks. This was also the same property adjacent to the right-of-way subject to the abandonment.
As a result, CATS and CDOT requested that the proposed abandonment scheduled for City Council on September 26 be postponed. This was done to prevent the scenario of the City having to pay for property for the substation that it once had control of before abandonment. Staff contacted Mr. Simpson on September 23, 2005 and advised him that the public hearing was being deferred until the substation location had been finalized.
Information Items:
Valet Services in Center City
Staff Resource: Doreen Szymanski, 704-336-7527 - dszymanski@ci.charlotte.nc.us
There is a growing concern in the Center City regarding the operation of valet services. The Charlotte Department of Transportation and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will be meeting with the Hospitality Forum on January 11, 2006 to discuss this issue. The Hospitality Forum consists of representatives from the hotel and restaurant industries, visitor and tourism organizations, and Charlotte Center City Partners. Discussion will center around:
- Identifying what issues need to be addressed
- Insurance needs for valet services
- Growing congestion and emergency service access issues
- Next steps
Monroe Bypass
Staff Resource: Jim Humphrey, 704-336-3883 - jhumphrey@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Yesterday, the Mecklenburg-Union Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) voted to recommend the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO) approve moving forward with public involvement for potentially adding a segment of the Monroe Bypass in Union County to the Thoroughfare Plan.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and apparently most jurisdictions in Union County, would like construction of the Monroe Bypass between Highway HwH601 and Marshville to proceed (segments B and C). This project is funded, but has been held up due to environmental concerns related to another nearby and related project - the Monroe Connector. The NCDOT has indicated that the regulatory agencies would potentially allow them to proceed if the environmental plan for the entire Monroe Bypass project were updated (i.e., they are willing to not hold up the Monroe Bypass, while environmental analysis for the Connector project continues).
Segment A of the Monroe Bypass between US 74 and Highway 601 is not in the Mecklenburg-Union Long Range Transportation Plan or Thoroughfare Plan because it was not on the Monroe Thoroughfare Plan when that area was recently added to our MPO. The MUMPO would have to amend those plans and do a new air quality conformity analysis to add that segment to gain approvals for the project to proceed.
Potential controversy is created by the fact that the Towns of Stallings and Indian Trail, which border US 74, do not want the Monroe Bypass to tie to US 74 and, instead want segments B and C to tie to an alignment of the Monroe Connector that runs parallel to US 74. The Connector project still has several alignments under consideration, and whether US 74 will be the route chosen is not known at this time. Furthermore, development has occurred in the alignment of segment A while it was off the Thoroughfare Plan for Union County (and then the MUMPO). The Monroe Connector was also recently selected for study as a toll road, which also may have bearing on the decisions.
The TCC recommendation, if approved by the MUMPO, would begin public involvement for potentially adding segment A to the Long Range Transportation Plan (and preparing a new Air Quality Conformity Report) and the Thoroughfare Plan. At the conclusion of the public involvement process, possibly as early as March, we will share information with you and seek a directed vote on whether to approve the changes being sought.
CMPD Street Crimes Task Force
Staff Resource: Chief Darrel Stephens, 704-336-2337 - dstephens1@cmpd.org
The Police Department is forming a new Street Crimes Task Force which will become operational on January 28. CMPD has taken a number of measures to impact the continuing increases in robbery and vehicle theft, but has not yet achieved the desired outcomes. To that end, Chief Stephens has decided to consolidate some of the department's resources into a Street Crimes Task Force which will operate under a focused strategy that will target robbery and vehicle theft and, hopefully, have some impact on burglary and larceny as well.
The Task Force will be comprised of members of the street crimes units that are currently assigned to each of the patrol divisions, the Robbery Offender Apprehension Team, and other departmental resources that are currently being identified. The Task Force will be headed by Captain Kerr Putney, with Deputy Chief K.D. Williams serving as the Executive Sponsor.
The Task Force will operate under a comprehensive strategy that will focus the department's enforcement, prevention and intervention efforts. The advantages to the task force approach include:
- Building a work group of sufficient size to target multiple hotspots and patterns at the days and times they are needed
- Locating and arresting more offenders
- Coordinating strategic efforts between patrol officers, detectives, neighborhoods and businesses to emphasize the opportunities for prevention
- Focusing on problems and issues common to all parts of the community
The specific strategies are still under development, but they will rely heavily on the use of crime analysis in identifying hot spots and determining deployment plans. A group of CMPD employees will be visiting the Los Angeles Police Department week after next to look at the strategies that they are using to reduce all Part One UCR crimes. Chief Stephens anticipates incorporating some of those strategies into the CMPD model.
The Task Force will initially operate as a six to eight month temporary assignment. CMPD will then assess its progress and determine the next components of its strategy. Division Captains will communicate with their community leaders regarding the new task force to help them understand that it concentrates a higher level of resources on the city's most significant crime problems.
