Calendar Details:
Monday, June 15
11:30am - Economic Development & Planning Committee, Room 280. AGENDA: First Ward Park & Parking Deck; Carolina Theatre; Arts & Science Council Endowment Campaign
12:30pm - Community Safety Committee, Room CH-14. AGENDA: Rental Property Ordinance
3:30pm - Environment Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: Sustainable Facilities Policy, Climate Communities/Climate Prosperity, Summer Schedule
5:00 pm - Council Zoning Meeting, Council Chamber
Wednesday, June 17-Friday June 19
Chamber Inter-City Visit: Charlotte, NC
Information Items:
Monthly Project Update for the NASCAR Hall of Fame
Resource:
Jim Schumacher, City Manager's Office, 704-336-3656, jschumacher@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Attached is the June edition of the Project Update newsletter for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. At Council's request, this document will be provided to City Council each month through completion of the project. It includes a table of expenditures to date, key milestones completed, and a look ahead at upcoming milestones.
June 23 and 25 Steele Creek Area Plan Public Meetings
Resource:
Melony McCullough, Planning, 704-336-5993, mmccullough@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The Planning Department will hold public meetings to begin developing an area plan for the Steele Creek community. The plan area boundaries are Shopton Road West to the north, Mecklenburg County Line to the south, I-77 to the east and the Catawba River to the west (see map below). The study area is comprised of approximately 28,000 acres, which is substantially larger than most area plans. The average acreage of an area plan is usually between 4,500 and 7,500 acres. A plan of this size will better serve the public and planning's response to public requests in this area as well as:
- Update land use and transportation recommendations for a large portion of the Southwest District Plan (1991) and Westside Strategic Plan (2000)
- Complete the gap between the Steele Creek area and Dixie-Berryhill Plan (2003) boundary
- Include the entire Arrowood Industrial Center.
Business and property owners, area residents, neighborhood leaders, and other stakeholders have been invited to attend these meetings. For the public's convenience, a series of identical meetings are scheduled for:
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 23 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Thursday, June 25 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Location: Whitehall Technology Park , 2520 Whitehall Park Drive, Suite 700 (formerly Fabric World) (located off South Tryon Street at Arrowood Road)
Tree Canopy Study
Staff Resources:
Dave Weekly, E&PM, 704-336-4103, dweekly@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Tom Johnson, E&PM, 704-336-3622, tjohnson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
One initiative in the Environment Focus Area Plan (FAP) is to "protect natural ecosystems and habitats, including the tree canopy". One of the measures under this initiative in the FY09 FAP was to conduct an urban ecosystem ("tree canopy") analysis. However, in 2008 the analysis was placed on hold due to budgetary constraints. Recently, private grants totaling approximately $110,000 have been awarded to the non-profit group American Forests for this study from the Women's Impact Fund, USDA Forest Service and possibly Duke Energy. Due to the availability of these additional funds, City staff is preparing to move forward with the contract with American Forests which totals approximately $150,000, of which the City will be now be responsible for an amount not to exceed $50,000. The funding source is the Tree Canopy Protection Program established this fiscal year for this study.
American Forests' services include classifying aerial photos into land cover types such as tree canopy, water body, and impervious surfaces, and reporting on the results. The aerial photos were taken in the summer of 2008 and are being provided by Mecklenburg County. Staff will attempt to accelerate the schedule; however, the results from the tree canopy study may not be available until December 2009.
The urban ecosystem analysis data will be used to understand the current state of the City of Charlotte's natural resources including the tree canopy. By quantifying the current coverage of tree canopy it can be compared to past studies to show the total loss or gain. This knowledge can then be used to measure the effectiveness of environmental regulations such as the tree ordinance. The previous analysis, conducted in 2003, showed Mecklenburg County lost over 22% of its tree cover from 1984 to 2001.
Proposed Revisions to the Charlotte Tree Ordinance: Cost-Benefit Analysis
Staff Resources:
Dave Weekly, E&PM, 704-336-4103, dweekly@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Tom Johnson, E&PM, 704-336-3622, tjohnson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At the Environment Committee's direction, staff is working with the stakeholder committee and a sub-group made up of developers and designers to conduct a cost-benefit analysis in regards to the proposed changes in the City's Tree Ordinance. The following is a status update:
- The stakeholder committee met April 27 and selected the members of the sub-group who will be responsible for selecting sites for stakeholder committee approval, and conducting the cost-benefit analysis.
- City staff met with the sub-group May 4 to give them their charge and May 19 to select proposed sites. The sub-group selected up to nineteen sites to conduct a cost-benefit analysis. The stakeholder committee approved these sites June 1.
- City staff met with the sub-group June 9 to begin the cost-benefit analysis. The sub-group identified four of the nineteen sites to begin the cost analysis. The sub-group will complete these estimates and meet again June 26 to present and discuss results. At this meeting the sub-group will discuss beginning the benefit analysis and analyzing the remaining sites, and provide an overall target completion date.
The initial target date for completing the cost-benefit analysis and presenting to the Environment Committee was August; however, due to the large number of projects selected for the analysis, this may be a challenge. Once the analysis is complete, the stakeholder committee will resume deliberations in preparation for developing recommendations about the Tree Ordinance to the Environment Committee and City Council.
Elizabeth Avenue Project Update
Staff Resource:
David Meachum, E&PM, 704-336-4122, dmeachum@ci.charlotte.nc.us
City Council has been copied on several recent emails regarding ongoing concerns of business owners in and around the Elizabeth Avenue Business Corridor project. Engineering & Property Management staff has been working with the businesses during construction to provide timely project communications and lessen business impact. The combined factors of streetcar infrastructure construction, total street rehabilitation and the downturn in the economy have put a strain on the businesses and their owners.
To complete the construction with as little disruption and negative impact as possible, our staff will:
- Increase our interaction and involvement with the contractor to see sound decisions are made for the quality of the project and the health of the businesses.
- Raise the level of senior staff oversight.
- Intensify communication with the contractor's owner to better share project/business needs.
- Continue regular and frequent communications with the business owners about project status and schedules
Completed sections of the project will open on a block-by-block basis as soon as they are ready. The Charlottetown/Elizabeth intersection opened on May 23. Staff anticipates opening the section between Charlottetown and Torrence by June 15.
Attached is the most recent communication with the businesses outlining our intent and strategy for the remainder of the project.
North Carolina Legislative Update
Staff Resource:
Boyd Cauble, City Manager's Office, 704-336-2009, bcauble@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The budget was debated, amended, and will probably be approved by the House this Saturday. The budget will then be sent to the Senate for concurrence. The Senate will have a chance to offer changes and perhaps propose to totally revamp the tax structure. Next week will be a key point in the budget process. So far, the City of Charlotte has been spared significant cuts resulting from the State's $4.6 billion budget shortfall.
The Attorney General helped us maintain State supported training at Community Colleges for our emergency employees. The House proposed to charge local police, firefighters, and emergency management employees for "continuing education" courses which are required for maintaining licenses. The proposal was dropped after it was pointed out that the money would have to be paid by individual state troopers or otherwise it would be one state agency simply paying another state agency. As the budget bill was debated, the highlighted contributions of emergency employees resulted in an amendment passed to restore state funding 114-0.
Representative Samuelson received approval from the Senate Local Government Committee for the City to be included in the Mecklenburg request for public/private participation in the Uptown UNCC Park project. This bill will allow the City to make installment payments to the developer for providing improvements to the park project.
Representatives Tillis and Gulley received preliminary Senate approval to the changes proposed by the City for the sale of scrap metal.
On Wednesday, the billboard lobby received House Transportation Committee approval for additional clear cutting of vegetation blocking billboards and business signs along major roadways. Charlotte and other local governments which already have ordinances regulating billboards have sought an amendment to the bill that restricts any new guidelines from overriding local ordinances. That amendment is still intact.
