Calendar:
   (See Below)

Information Items:
- Transportation Action Plan
- City Services Bill
- Archdale Drive Sidewalk Petition

Attachments:
- Responses to REBIC Issues 5-06
- Council Follow up Report--4-28-06
- City Response to Status of Seniors Initiative
- Environment Committee Summary 4-17-06

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City staff met this morning with representatives from the Real Estate & Building Industry Coalition (REBIC), the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. The meeting was scheduled to follow-up on concerns about the Transportation Action Plan (TAP) raised by REBIC at the April 24, 2006 Council meeting. The meeting was very constructive and helpful in achieving better understandings of the TAP and of REBIC's concerns.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed that their concerns could be summarized as follows:

• The use of the word "Ensure" in several of the policy statements. "Encourage" was suggested as an alternative.
• The lack of clarity as to whether certain policies, such as the Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG), would be adopted as part of the TAP. It was suggested that a statement similar to the following be added at the beginning of the document: "City Council's adoption of the Transportation Action Plan enacts no policies not explicitly included in the Plan."
• Concern about the cost of the TAP on home affordability and property tax payers.

Staff explained that the TAP that Council considered on April 24 was the result of a Committee recommendation and that staff could, therefore, agree to no change. Staff did agree, however, to relay to City Council that staff agreed that "encourage" could achieve the same results as "ensure", and that the addition of the statement relative to policies such as the USDG was entirely in keeping with the intent of the TAP. As to the cost of the TAP, the group understood that was a decision that City Council would be making as part of your budget deliberations over the next six weeks.

Attached is a list of REBIC's questions and concerns about the TAP, as well as staff's responses. If additional issues come up before Monday night, this information will be updated for you at the workshop. You may access an additional copy of the TAP policy document, as well as the TAP technical document, on-line at http://CDOT.charmeck.org.

City Services Bill
Staff Resource: Greg Gaskins, 704-336-5885 - ggaskins@ci.charlotte.nc.us  

Starting in May, the City's 260,000 water, sewer, and storm water customers will begin receiving a bill with an updated layout. The new look is part of a larger effort to streamline the City's billing process and enhance customer service. Finance, Utilities, and County Storm Water worked together to design the bill and make several enhancements which include:

• A 13-month consumption graph, which lets residential customers monitor water usage. 
• Reformatted bill summary and disconnect notice areas 
• Improved payment coupon with a check box to enroll in the automatic monthly bank draft service.

The new format also incorporates more information on each bill, thereby requiring less pages printed. Finance is also examining the implementation of e-billing, which will allow customers to have their bills emailed to them, which will also reduce costs associated with printing and mailing.

Archdale Drive Sidewalk Petition
Staff Resource: Todd Thorne, 704-353-0993 - tthorne@ci.charlotte.nc.us  

The Mayor's Office received the attached petition from Mr. Reid Keiger of 1131 Archdale Drive on April 21, 2006, asking the Mayor and City Council to reconsider the sidewalk slated for his neighborhood (Montclaire South) as part of the South Corridor Improvement Program (SCIP). Mr. Keiger is generally opposed to the sidewalk project, and he is specifically concerned that the 6 foot width of the sidewalk and accompanying planting strip will take away a lot of his yard and put the sidewalk close to his house. Seventeen of the twenty affected Montclaire South residences are listed in the petition.

City Council awarded a contract to United Construction on March 27, 2006 to construct Archdale Signature Package, the subject project. The City has issued United a notice to proceed with a construction start date of May 1.

The City executed an extensive interdepartmental design process and public input process which resulted in the current design of a 6' wide sidewalk and 6' planting strip. These dimensions are consistent with the Charlotte Department of Transportation's standards for a minor thoroughfare, such as Archdale Drive. A 3' sidewalk width would be substandard and is not considered to be an acceptable design anywhere in the city.

The planting strip and sidewalk will be built entirely within existing City right of way on Mr. Keiger's parcel, and his house will be 40' behind the proposed sidewalk. The City acquired only temporary construction easements on all of the affected Montclaire South residences for the purpose of tieing in front yard slopes and driveways. The only exception was for a small permanent sidewalk easement needed on the corner of one property. One property did not require any easements.

Mr. Keiger signed the City's easement agreement and was paid $650. The owners of all the Montclaire South parcels requiring easements voluntarily signed agreements with the City, and property owners were compensated between $450 and $3,000 each (average of $957).

Mr. Keiger has signatures from 23 residents. Some of the petitioners were not directly compensated because they are not the actual property owners, and others recently purchased their homes from property owners who previously signed agreements with the City. A total of 73 easement agreements have been secured for the entire Archdale Drive Signature Package, and only one of these, a commercial property not represented in the petition, was a condemnation.

Although some residents directly affected by the construction oppose the project, the Montclaire South Neighborhood Association president supports the work and says the majority of the neighborhood is very excited about the coming light rail and the improved streetscape on Archdale Drive.

This sidewalk was chosen as a high priority by the SCIP program team to promote pedestrian connectivity to the Archdale LRT station. It will be the primary pedestrian route to reach the Archdale LRT Station for residents of the Montclaire South Neighborhood as well as residents of the surrounding apartment complexes.