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Vacating Petition_Portion of Cox Street_Citiizen CommunicationsTo: Honorable Mayor Roy Buol Dubuque City Council Mike Van Milligan, City Manager From: James E. Collins, President The Loras Board of Regents has authorized me to submit the following proposal for your consideration: • Loras College proposes purchasing Cox Street for $50,000. Loras desires the part of the street as it extends from Loras Blvd. to West 17th St. • If this purchase agreement is acceptable to the City of Dubuque, Loras would bear responsibility for all aspects of that portion of the street's utilization and costs associated with the street's upgrades and operation for such use including: o Accepting ownership of and all liability related to the retaining wall that exists along this part of Cox Street (the demise of the wall would likely cost around $1M according to professional estimates we have received); o Paying for the utility, pavement, landscaping and sanitary costs related to this part of the street (we estimate costs to be approximately $400,000) o Paying the outstanding IIW bill in full which the two entities (city and college) are disputing o Investing in and installing an emergency access system to support emergency response personnel and vehicles o Meeting all reasonable requirements established and set forth by law enforcement and fire safety officials • Loras College believes that the benefits to the City of Dubuque, if this purchase and ownership agreement is accepted, include the following: o Saves the City of Dubuque budget (and tax payer money) the cost of upgrading the purchased portion of Cox St. (utilities, water, pavement) o Exonerates City of Dubuque (and tax payers) from any potential liability related to vehicular or pedestrian accidents that may occur on the purchased portion of the street o Unequivocally ends the debate with regard to retaining wall ownership and the liabilities and costs related to wall ownership • In making this proposal, Loras has taken seriously the costs associated with and responsibility for owning this part of the street. To that end, we would not permit vehicular traffic, except for emergency and service purposes. We believe the risks associated with pedestrian safety and the potential further deterioration of the wall to be too great On May 12, 2010, Loras College sent a letter (see attached) to one hundred and seventy six (176) neighbors to inform them of the College's desire to acquire the above - mentioned portion of Cox St. and invite them to an information meeting on campus. Loras did receive one phone call prior to the meeting from a resident near the corner of Cox and Angella who spoke in favor of the proposed closing. She was referred to City Engineering for her further comments. The meeting was held on May 18 and there were thirteen individuals who attended the one hour and twenty minute session facilitated by 3 College officials. A varying degree of comments were fielded from seven participants, each of whom expressed opposition to Loras' proposal regarding Cox Street. There were no comments from the remaining six. Of the seven who commented, these were the points made with regard to Cox St.: • One neighbor cited buying his house with the expectation that Cox Street was a trafficable street. He further expressed concern about winter driving conditions • One neighbor questioned why Loras wouldn't just fix the wall and articulated concerns about parking and the street closure • One couple said they were opposed to anything and everything. They were tax payers and no one was going to own their street The only consensus reached during the conversation related to the street, curb lines, and wall needing repair. All other discussion related to complaints registered by the neighbors about the College was unrelated to the Cox Street proposal. Loras College is Iowa's oldest College and has an annual economic impact of over $150,000,000 on the Dubuque area. We contribute mightily to the area's workforce with over 4,000 alumni gainfully employed, more than 1,300 students annually volunteering over 33,000 service hours to not - for - profit organizations and nearly 500 students providing valuable services as interns for businesses each year. The intellectual vitality, cultural richness and recreational opportunities Loras adds daily to this community cannot be overstated. With over 400 employees and 1,600 students, Loras is one of the top ten local employers and enrolls the largest full -time, undergraduate student body in Dubuque. While some generally understand these attributes, few recognize that for every Iowa student that enrolls at Loras rather than a state institution, it saves the average taxpayer more than $17,000 a year. That is a powerful fact when underscored by the additional reality that 40 percent of our out -of -state students stay in Iowa to live and work after graduation. Thank you in advance for your willingness to consider this specific request and for recognizing the general merits related to Loras College! May 12, 2010 Dear Neighbor: Loras College has been working to provide a safer and more accessible campus for many years now. The College's plans for growth and expansion are in response to the needs of our nearly 1,600 students on a predominantly pedestrian campus. We invite you to attend a neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, at 6 p.m., in the Alumni Campus Center on the Loras College campus, to hear more about the request that Loras College will be making to the City of Dubuque to close Cox Street up to the south side of 17` Street. This would mean that 17 Street would remain open. Your thoughts and opinions are important to us as we move forward with our plans to create a safer environment for our students. In addition, as we move toward summer, we would like to inform you of a few key dates that could potentially bring more than usual traffic to the area. • Students will be moving out of their residence halls and campus -owned houses during the week of May 17 -23. • On Saturday, May 22, we will celebrate Baccalaureate at 10 a.m. in the Athletic and Wellness Center on Cox Street. We will follow this event with a lunch in the Alumni Campus Center and then Commencement exercises at 1:30 p.m. in the Rock Bowl Stadium (rain site will be the Athletic and Wellness Center). • Loras College Summer Academy will run June 6 -11 and again July 25 -30. Loras College All - Sports Camp will run June 20 -25, June 27- July2, July 11 -16 and July 18 -23. On behalf of the Loras community, I apologize in advance for any inconvenience any of these events may cause you, your family or friends. We thank you for your patience during these upcoming events and look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions at the meeting on Tuesday, May 18. Sincerely, James E. Collins ('84) President July 25, 2010 City Clerk City of Dubuque 50 West 13 Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Dear Honorable Mayor Roy Buol and Members of the City Council: We support Loras College's request to acquire Cox Street, between 14` and 17 Streets. The request seems reasonable, in light of the many benefits to the college, to the surrounding neighborhood, and to the city. The most notable of these benefits are a) the significant increase in safety and convenience for the numerous students, faculty, and staff, as well as visitors, who must cross Cox Street daily when school is in session, b) the further beautification of the campus, and thereby of the surrounding neighborhood and city, achieved by the geographic integration of the campus, and c) the significant improvements to Cox Street and surrounding retaining walls that the college would undertake. For these reasons we ask that you approve Loras College's request to acquire Cox Street. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, e qe tj Roman T. Ciapalo y Nancy B. 4Yapalo 1209 Highland Place Dubuque, Iowa 52001 563 -556 -0210 cn co a rn 0 City Clerk 50 W. 13 Street Dubuque, Ia 52001 Michael J. Mulgrew 1694 Catherine Street Dubuque, IA 52001 319 - 556 -2453 July 16, 2010 Dear Honorable Mayor Roy Buol & City Council Members: n p c_ 73 cs 0 r- rn o - — CO `° TI C. — r CO We are writing in regards to the request, by Loras College, to close Cox Street, south of W.17th. As a neighbor of the college we are opposed to their request. Cox Street is one of our main arteries when going to, or coming from the west end of the city. It would be a great inconvenience if we could not go up 17 Street and travel South on Cox, to get to Loras Blvd. In the winter, when the streets are treacherous, we do not have a lot of choices for travel. Many times going down 17 street is not feasible and definitely going North on Cox is not an option. Three years ago, about the same time the "Athletic Center" was being built, Loras requested the closing of Cox Street. The request was denied. Has anything changed? Was a traffic study every completed to see how many people use Cox? We observe many cars going up 17t and traveling on Cox. In the past we, as "neighbors "have received letters or postcards from Loras when they have had a special event. If they truly wish to be neighborly, why not let Cox Street continue to be a street for all of us to use? We believe it would be a great disservice to close Cox Street and would like to know what action we may take, to keep it open. Thank you for your attention to this matter. City Clerk 50 W 13 Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Thank you. Sincerely, e i> ) ‘&1 Ray Martelle Ray Martelle 610 W 17 Street Dubuque, IA 52001 July 16, 2010 Dear Honorable Mayor Roy Buol and City Council Members: I am writing to let you know that I am opposed to the city closing Cox Street, between 14 street & 17 street, for Loras College's use. This is one of my main roads when I travel. In the winter, 17 street, coming up from Locust, is not always accessible because it is not always cleaned right away and cars get stuck and block the road. Please leave Cox street open so the public can continue using it. City Clerk 50 W 13 Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Dear Honorable Mayor Roy Buol & City Council Members, This letter is to inform you that I am against Loras College wanting to close Cox Street. I use Cox street on a daily (at least five times) basis and it would be very inconvenient for me not to have access to it. Please let me know what I need to do to keep Cox Street open. Thank you. Sincerely, Bob Selle Bob Selle 1610 Catherine St. Dubuque, IA 52001 July 15, 2010 VI 'anbngnOO Go WO s :Y1.21O '1O 81 : I I NV 61 iT 0l City Clerk 50 W 13t Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Dear Honorable Mayor Roy Buol & City Council Members, We are writing to let you know we are not in favor of Loras College closing Cox Street. When we want to go to the west end we go up 17 street and over Cox to get to Loras. We have lived on West 17 street for many years and would hate to lose access to Cox street. In the winter, W 17 is not cleared the greatest and cars get stuck and block the street from Locust, making it impossible for us to get home if Cox street is not available. Do we need to sign a petition? Please let us know what action needs to be taken. Thank you. Sincere, Giles Ede es de &Carol Nestby Giles Ede & Carol Nestby 590 W 17 Street Dubuque, IA 52001 July 15, 2010 t/1 'GnbngnQ 201110s..1 81:IIWV 61li Ol OBAt3O]1 Dubuque City Council T This e -mail is in response to the request by Loras college to acquire Cox Street. As a homeowner and representative of many of the other homeowners on Angella Street [if the council wishes a petition signed by the residents I have spoken to, I would be happy to provide this to the council] I wish to express our objection to the proposed request for Loras to acquire Cox Street from 17th to Loras. This Street continues to be a primary access for all of the homeowners on Angella to the primary Street of Loras Boulevard. This access is especially needed during the winter months. Two different council members have mentioned the current problem of who owns the wall along Cox street and who would be responsible for repair of the wall. I understand that this is a dilemma that needs to be resolved but should not be a bargaining chip to close the Cox Street access to residents living on Angella, 17th St. and the rest of Cox Street. We purchased our homes knowing we would have access to them from Loras Blvd. Loras has expressed their concern for the safety of their students who are crossing the street during the course of the normal day. During my 20 years as a resident on Angella and utilizing the Cox Street access to Loras, I have never heard of or seen an injury due to traffic on that street. I would note that I have heard of and seen injuries that have resulted from the numerous beer parties that occur in the areas rental units that Loras owns. Most recently, I arrived home at 2a.m to see six squad cars at one of Loras's properties and spoke with two different officers that described a Loras student trying to escape the officers and jumping out of a second story window. Even then no injuries were incurred. I have no doubt that Loras students may have incurred twisted ankles from walking home drunk from the various bars they attend. I don't think closing off the street is going to change this problem. Since the last proposal by Loras college was turned down, the city Council allowed Loras to close down the section of Cox Street to Loras when they had special event's. We did not have a problem with this approach and continue to feel that this was a good compromise. I would remind the council that Loras specifically built the overpass in order to allow traffic to move along Cox Street. They also built it on top of the specific wall that is in dispute. The last time Loras spoke to us, they assured us that parking issues would not be a problem and that buses will be parking in a different area than lower Cox. This has clearly not been the case and I see closing Cox Street off as only opening the door for more traffic issues. It is not unusual to see traffic lined up and down our street while parents attend their children's athletic events. These situations have especially increased since Loras now allows Wahlert high school to play their football games in the rock bowl. The suggestion was made that maybe one of the other access streets such as 17th, Cox or Angella could be named as a primary Street such as Loras in order to be thoroughly cleared in the winter in order to //' allow access. I would caution that the streets are very steep and would continue to be a problem getting up. We wish to have Loras Boulevard as our point of access from Cox Street, since this is one of the factors we thought about when we purchased our homes. I attended the neighborhood meeting arranged by Loras college on May 18. At that time, Loras made it clear that they were approaching the city in order to purchase Cox Street in exchange for accepting full liability for the wall that they claim belongs to the city. If this deal is struck, Loras indicated they would allow only access of this section of Cox Street to emergency vehicles. They indicated in their meeting that any previous adjustments to how that street could be used are off the table and no adjustments would be made. As homeowners and taxpayers, we ask the city Council to reject the Loras proposal to take over Cox Street and our access to Loras Boulevard. If you have questions of me, please feel free to e-mail or call my cell at 581 -5987. Respectfully Submitted, Tom Hoelscher CA) Mayor Buol and City Council 50 W 13 Street Dubuque, IA 52001 August 2, 2010 RE: Monday Loras College's request to purchase and close the portion of Cox Street from Loras Boulevard to West 17th Street As a property owner on West 17 Street, we fully support Loras College's request to purchase and close the portion of Cox Street from Loras Boulevard to West 17th Street. Currently in the process of remodeling, it is necessary to travel [sometime several times in a day] to and from the property more frequently than usual. We consciously avoid utilizing the portion of Cox Street from Loras Boulevard to West 17th Street, as we simply don't want to add to the already congested area; heavy pedestrian traffic, parked cars, rough/uneven surface, along with delays and challenges of pulling out onto Loras Blvd. We believe closing the street to create a safer walkway reinforces the respect and support Dubuque has for the hundreds of young adults that move to Dubuque to live at Loras College, along with the staff, and thousands of visitors Loras welcomes to campus and Dubuque every year [fieldtrips, camps, sporting events, arts and culture events, academic offerings, high school events, weddings, reunions, iowa games, etc.] We feel the benefits of closing the street outweigh the inconvenience of driving an alte ve route downtown or to Loras Blvd. Sig er °ly, Anne Call. 1assen (owner) Matthew a lan (builder) 611 W 17Rear /Alley August 2, 2010 City of Dubuque 50th W 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 City Clerk, Mayor and City Council: I live at 615 Angella Street and understand some families have expressed an opposition to Loras College's request to close Cox Street from Loras Blvd to West 17th Street. Please take note that I am NOT OPPOSED to this and believe it would be safer for those students walking on campus if that portion of the street were closed. Placing a higher priority on clearing snow on W17th and the portion of Cox that many of us will be driving on, is critical. Knowing the city has agreed to this, does help the situation. Sincerely, <10.:5 0 IDD N "17 N Cr.) rn rn m 0 August 2, 2010 City of Dubuque 50th W 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 City Clerk, Mayor and City Council: I currently reside at 611 W 17th street. I understand Loras College is requesting to buy and close Cox Street from Loras Blvd to West 17th Street. Many students live on campus and students walk back and forth from upper and lower campus all the time. This may add a little inconvenience and change in how we get to Loras Blvd and downtown; however it would make for a much safer pedestrian walkway for those students living on campus. I support Loras College's request to close Cox Street from Loras Blvd to West 17th Street. Sincerely, l.embKe ut-0 g_eAlitoQ m 0 C7