Agenda Notes:
Agenda Item #21A – Patton and Vest Elevated Water Storage Tank Renovations
Resource:
Doug Bean, Utilities, 704-336-5073, dbean@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On the Monday, September 28 agenda, Council will be asked to approve the renovation and repainting of the Patton and Vest elevated water storage tank (originally built in 1924) on Beatties Ford Road. This restoration will include the sand blasting and repainting of this water storage tank to its original historic black and silver color scheme. City staff has consulted with Stuart Gray of the Landmarks Commission to be sure that the project is achieving the exact color scheme that matches the original construction. One other historic water storage tank in the Elizabeth Neighborhood has been restored in this same black and silver color scheme. All other water storage tanks in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities System are painted/will be painted sky blue in order to blend into the skyscape.
Staff has received an inquiry by Johnson C. Smith University, in partnership with the Arts and Science Council, to repaint/vinyl wrap the Patton and Vest elevated water storage tank in a pattern and color scheme unique to the Beatties Ford Road corridor. In the past, various neighborhood and community groups have approached CharMeck Utilities with designs, logos or color schemes different than our standard practice. Because of higher overall maintenance costs, and the difficulty in deciding which groups and which designs should prevail, the Utilities Advisory Commission has continuously ratified the longstanding policy/practice of a sky blue color scheme for all water storage tanks other than the two historic tanks at Vest and Elizabeth. Staff wanted Council to have this background information prior to action on September 28.
Information Items:
Neighborhood Matching Grants Tree Banding Initiative
Resource:
Stephanie Small, Neighborhood & Business Services, 704-336-2929, ssmall@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The City of Charlotte's Neighborhood Matching Grants Program is offering a special grant for tree banding projects. Neighborhoods located in the cankerworm infestation problem area are eligible for this grant.
Organizations interested in applying for funding should attend one of the following workshops:
September 21 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Albemarle Road Recreation Center, 5027 North Idlewild Road
September 26 from 9:30 - 11 a.m.
Old City Hall, 600 East Trade Street
September 28 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Sugar Creek Library, 4045 N. Tryon Street, Suite A
The Neighborhood Matching Grants program will award funds up to $3,000 to eligible neighborhood organizations to help support neighborhood tree banding projects. Last year's banding was effective in reducing the cankerworm population; however, they still exist and are putting area trees at risk, so continued banding is strongly encouraged. Eligible entities include organized neighborhood associations, business associations and neighborhood-based community development corporations located in the areas of highest infestation.
The application deadline is October 21, 2009. For more information or to check your organization's eligibility, neighborhoods are encouraged to call 704-336-2061 or visit http://neighborhoods.charmeck.org
Attached is a map of the eligible geography.
September 29 First Public Meeting on Energy Strategy and Website Launch
Resource:
Rob Phocas, City Attorney's Office, 704-336-7558, rphocas@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The City of Charlotte will host a public meeting on Tuesday, September 29 at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center to collect the community's ideas regarding development of the City's Energy Strategy. As part of the EECBG program managed by the Department of Energy, the City has 120 days since notification from DOE to develop and submit an Energy Strategy to DOE to become eligible to receive the first half of more than $6.4 million in EECBG grant funding.
The meeting, which will be facilitated by the City's Energy Strategy consultant, will begin with a briefing in the Council Chamber at 6:30 p.m. followed by open discussion and idea sharing at information stations in the lobby. Interested citizens, business owners and residents may attend in person or watch the live presentation on The GOV Channel, on Time Warner Cable 16 or online at www.charlottenc.gov.
The briefing will consist of a program overview, results of the recently-completed City and community greenhouse gas inventories, and a review of projects eligible to receive EECBG funding (e.g., energy efficiency retrofits, education programs, revolving loan funds for energy reduction projects and renewable energy projects). At each information station, the public will have the opportunity to learn about existing ideas under consideration, add new energy efficiency and conservation ideas for consideration, and provide input about the City's energy priorities. Comments submitted by the public will be reviewed by City staff and consultants who are assisting in the development of the Energy Strategy. A draft Energy Strategy will be presented to City Council and the public in mid-November for review and comment, followed by a final plan presentation to City Council on November 23.
The meeting, which will be facilitated by the City's Energy Strategy consultant, will begin with a briefing in the Council Chamber at 6:30 p.m. followed by open discussion and idea sharing at information stations in the lobby. Interested citizens, business owners and residents may attend in person or watch the live presentation on The GOV Channel, on Time Warner Cable 16 or online at www.charlottenc.gov.
The briefing will consist of a program overview, results of the recently-completed City and community greenhouse gas inventories, and a review of projects eligible to receive EECBG funding (e.g., energy efficiency retrofits, education programs, revolving loan funds for energy reduction projects and renewable energy projects). At each information station, the public will have the opportunity to learn about existing ideas under consideration, add new energy efficiency and conservation ideas for consideration, and provide input about the City's energy priorities. Comments submitted by the public will be reviewed by City staff and consultants who are assisting in the development of the Energy Strategy. A draft Energy Strategy will be presented to City Council and the public in mid-November for review and comment, followed by a final plan presentation to City Council on November 23.
The City is undertaking the following public notification efforts: CMail notification on September 16; public service announcement currently running on the GOV Channel and will be posted on the City web site; billboard announcements on the GOV Channel; news release to be distributed on September 24; and environmental electronic newsletter will be emailed on September 24.
In addition, a new Web page has been dedicated to the development of the City's Energy Strategy. It is going live on September 23 and can be found at the City's Economic Recovery Web site at www.charlottenc.gov. By visiting the page, citizens will find information about the EECBG program and details on the City's efforts to develop and submit the Energy Strategy. The site hosts opportunities for the public to actively participate in the development of the Energy Strategy. Visitors may submit energy program and project ideas to the City for consideration in the Energy Strategy up to Monday, October 5. And, between September 29 and October 5, a Community Input Survey will be available. The short survey will allow citizens to voice their opinion about Charlotte's energy priorities.
Community Safety Committee Review of Apartment Complex Tows
Resource:
Eric D. Campbell, City Manager's Office, 704-336-5158, ecampbell@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At its September 17 meeting, the Community Safety Committee reviewed the issue of the City's towing ordinances as they relate to towing practices at apartment complexes. The Committee reviewed the issue at the request of Councilmember Barnes who had a constituent complain that vehicles are towed from his apartment complex lot at night and that the tows contribute to crime at the complex.
A number of apartment complexes have contracts with wrecker companies to tow for reasons that are specified in the lease. Many complexes tow vehicles that are abandoned or junked, parked in prohibited spaces, or have expired tags. These towing contracts are a private matter between the apartment complex and the towing company. Current City ordinances regulate these tows only in regard to requiring appropriate signage, prohibiting drop fees, setting maximum tow and storage fees and requiring the tows to be reported to the City within 30 minutes.
The Committee considered whether there should be additional City regulation of these private trespass tows from apartment complexes. The Police Attorney's Office gave a presentation in which they stated that CMPD receives very few complaints regarding these tows and can document no relationship between tows from apartment complex lots and any crime that may be occurring at a particular complex. Any further City regulation of private trespass tows would have to be linked to public safety concerns in order to withstand a legal challenge.
Given the complexity of regulating private tows and the lack of a demonstrable problem to be addressed, the Committee elected to take no further action on this matter.
Back Creek Church Rd/NC Railroad Crossing Improvement Project
Resource:
Tim Gibbs, CDOT, 704-336-3917, tgibbs@charlottenc.gov
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will be making improvements to the Back Creek Church Road crossing of the North Carolina Railroad just south of University City Blvd. (NC 49) this fall. In addition to improving the intersection's geometry and safety, the project will also address congestion on Back Creek Church Road.
The proposed project improvements include:
- Dual left-turn lanes from University City Boulevard (Hwy 49) to Pavilion Boulevard;
- Dual left-turn lanes from Back Creek Church Road to University City Boulevard;
- Wider lanes on Back Creek Church Road;
- Concrete rail crossing surface panels;
- Updated railroad gates and flashers on both sides of the track;
- A concrete median with tubular markers on the approaches to the rail crossing; and a
- Revised traffic signal at University City Boulevard/Pavilion Boulevard/Back Creek Church Road to handle the change in additional lanes of traffic.
A project website has been established to keep area citizens aware of project contacts, detours, and progress. The website address is: http://www.bytrain.org/safety/tss/backcreek/default.html .
East Forest Neighborhood Improvement Project (NIP) – Proposed Sidewalk along Donegal Drive and Coatbridge Lane
Resource:
Kristie Kennedy, E&PM, 704-366-6194, kkennedy@ci.charlotte.nc.us
East Forest NIP project, located in southeast Charlotte between Rama Rd and Monroe Rd, is a 2008 Neighborhood Bond Project chosen through the Council-approved process. This project involves sidewalk along various streets in the neighborhood, with construction expected to begin in the second quarter of 2010. Residents from two of the streets, Donegal Drive and Coatbridge Lane, spoke to the City Council on June 22 in opposition to sidewalks on those streets and may speak again on September 28.
In response to the concerns of these residents, letters explaining the sidewalk decisions were sent May 27 and the project manager from Engineering & Property Management (Kristie Kennedy) and Councilmember Carter met with the community on July 2 and provided information on the staff intent to install sidewalk on these streets, including:
- Three public meetings were held to discuss infrastructure needs in the neighborhood that can be addressed through the NIP program.
- The City has received numerous requests to install traffic calming devices, such as speed humps, along Coatbridge Lane.
- Sidewalks will complete pedestrian connectivity to two existing area public schools, a county park and a library.
If the sidewalks were being requested by residents of the street through the Sidewalk Construction Program, the Council-approved Sidewalk Policy would require the completion and submittal of a petition, due to the relatively low levels of traffic on the two streets.
Based on the concerns of the residents, staff sent a letter to the entire project area on September 3 seeking further input from the neighborhood. The staff intends to remove Donegal Drive and Coatbridge Lane from the NIP unless the response suggests support for sidewalks, similar to that of a petition. To date, 35 residents have responded, with 19 opposed to the sidewalks and 16 in favor. The deadline for response is October 3.
Mr. Joe O'Neill, one of the three scheduled speakers, also raised a concern about the need for sidewalk along Monroe Road from the 6100 to 6800 blocks, in front of a large apartment complex. CDOT is evaluating this section to be ranked under the thoroughfare section of the Sidewalk Construction Program.
This memo will be sent to Mr. O'Neill and the other citizens who have signed up to speak on this issue.
