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School designation downtown D~~-@uE ~ck~ MEMORANDUM June 2, 2004 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Downtown Elementary School 'Z~ § I C') -- - 0:) ,~ 16 en ',.11 The Dubuque Community School District has requested the vacation of 12th Street between Central Avenue and White Street and the alleys between 11th Street and 13th Street between Central Avenue and White Street, to build a new downtown elementary school. I respectfully request that the Dubuque Community School District be asked for a Traffic Study prior to final consideration of this request. 111~iA l4ì ~ Michael C. Van Milligen - MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Gus Psihoyos, Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer John Burgart, Superintendent, Dubuque Community School District ". j 4' Dubuque -0- Community 4' ~.. Schools ,. PC:CE!V,::O c::v> 4/4: - ~ Ron Holm, CPA (Inactive) Executive Director of Finance and Business Services ¡¡AT 19 f,J1 if'; " " , Phone: 563/588-5110 Fax: 563/588-8377 Leaming.Leading.Living 2300 Chaney Road Dubuque, Iowa 52001-3095 rholm@dubuque.k12.ia.us May 13, 2004 Honorable Mayor Terrence M. Duggan and Members of the City Council City of Dubuque City Hall 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4845 Dear Mayor Duggan and Members of the City Council: The Dubuque Community School District has selected the site for a new downtown elementary school. The site is termed "Site #1" and is bounded on the south by 11th Street, on the north by 13th Street, on the west by Central Avenue and on the east by White Street. A diagram of the site is enclosed. The effective use of Site #1 for a modem elementary school requires a minimum of two blocks of contiguous property. Additional parking outside of the two-block area may also be required. In addition to the building, the site will include turnout lanes for bus traffic, student drop-off and pick-up points, parking lots and playground areas. It is clear that dividing the property by a street or an alley would make the site inappropriate for a new elementary school. We have contacted the City Engineering Department and they indicated that existing utilities may need to be relocated and/or easements put in place. We also understand that the vacated area would need to be surveyed and platted at our expense, plus we would pay for publication and filing fees. This letter is a formal District request that the City Council agree to vacate 12th Street between Central Avenue and White Street and the alleys between nth Street and 13th Street between Central Avenue and White Street as a part of the District's acquisition of all property in Site #l. The City Engineering Department has indicated they would not object to vacation of those particular streets and alleys. Please see the attached letter. The architect for this project is the firm of Straka Johnson Architects, P.C. They are currently under District contract to design the building but have not yet determined the location of the building footprint. May 13, 2004 Page 2 Thank you for your consideration of this request. We will be pleased to work with your staff to provide any additional information required. Sincerely, ~~~ Douglas J. Horstmann Board President ~ ~~IiA--. John L. Burgart Superintendent of Schools jms Enclosures C: Michael VanMilligan, City Manager 03/15/2004 MON 15: 45 FA! ~vv_. vvv Engin..nng Dh-mon Œvl1311 !\II w.'" 13th Sh-.ot Dubuqu., IA 52001-4864 (563) 5B<J-427!J nffioe (563) 5119-42.l15 fax D~B@UE $I~-k~ , , March 15, 2004 Mr. Robert S. White, Sr. Dubuque Community Schools 2300 Chaney Road Dubuque, IA 52001 Dear Bob; I This is to confirm our discussion relative to the two sites under consideration for the downtown elementary school. Site 1 is the current location of the school, and the site encompasses from the south side of 13tn Street to the north side of 111t1 Street, bounded by Central Avenue and White Street. ' The current location would require the closure of 12th Street between Central Avenue and White Street, which we previously discussed and have previously given tentative approval to the school district. The greatest obstacle in utilizing this site is the number of utilities, which are both overhead and underground, and fiber optics, running in the alley for the full length of the project. Site 2is the site that encompasseS the south side of 12111 Street to the north boundary of 10th Street, bounded by Iowa Street and Central Avenue. Site 2 would require the closure of 11 th Street from Iowa Street and Central Avenue. The traffic count on this section of 11th Street is only 1,290 vehicles per day, which is an extremely low volume for a public street and should not be a factor in the traffic patterns in the downtown area. Again the greatest problem with the use of this alley will be the existing utilities, both overhead and underground, which run the entire length of the parcel. In early discussions with the utility companies involved in these alleys, it is indicated that the school district would be responsible for the cost of the relocation Of their facilities, at no cost to the utility companies. "',-vi'" l'c-o¡>Jo 1"'~~rilv H"'p"">iJ,n,,y 10,""""°" 're"""",,' ~ 03/15/2004 MOO 15: 46 FA! ,- ; Page 2 March 15,2004 Keep in mind that this is only an initial approval of the closure of 111h and 12th Streets, and the vacating and closure of these streets will requirethe input of City Council, and ultimately, the City Council approval at a public hearing. If you have any questions, please advise. Sincerely, ~ ~.j;,~~ Michael A. Koch Public Works Director MAK/vjd cc: Gus Psihoyos, Assistant City Engineer Ronald J. Tumer, PLS Via Facsimile ""vu., uu. D~ ~ck~ MEMORANDUM May 26, 2004 TO: FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Gus Psihoyos, Assistant City Engineer )ì:f. C? SUBJECT: Proposed Downtown Elementary School Traffic Study Scope of Services As a follow-up to the May 25, 2004 memo and the May 26, 2004 meeting, Engineering suggests that a traffic engineering firm be retained by the District to provide a traffic study on the closure impact of 12th Street. It is recommended that the traffic study include, but would not be limited to, the following: 1. Traffic levels-of-service at the following sites: a) 1ih Street and Central Avenue; b) 12th and White Streets; c) 11th Street and Central Avenue; and d) 11th and White Streets. 2. School crossings on Central Avenue and White Street. 3. Operational impact to businesses bounded on the south by 11th Street, on the north by 13th Street, on the west by Bluff Street, and on the east by US 61/151. (This would involve direct contact with each impacted business.) 4. Impact to the state highway system since Central Avenue and White Street are part of that system. 5. Potential impact to the Downtown Master Plan. 6. City services such as Transit, Operations and Maintenance, Police, and Fire Department travel response times should also be evaluated. Based on current estimates, a traffic study would be approximately $5,000. cc: Bill Schlickman, Traffic Engineering D~ ~ck~ MEMORANDUM May 25, 2004 TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Gus Psihoyos, Assistant City Engineer SUBJECT: Proposed Downtown Elementary School BACKGROUND Based on the May 13, 2004 letter to City Council, the Dubuque Community School District (the District) has selected "Site 1" as the location for the new downtown elementary school. The site is bounded on the south by 11th Street, on the north by 13th Street, on the west by Central Avenue and on the east by White Street. (Note attachment.) As noted in the attached March 15, 2004 letter, the District must deal with two concerns raised by engineering about this site: 1) Traffic issues: The closure of 12th Street between Central Avenue and White Street and the impact to surrounding intersections. 2) Utilities: Relocation of existing utilities and/or the need for easements to accommodate these underground/overhead utilities. DISCUSSION To move forward and address these issues, the District has requested that the City Council vacate 12th Street between Central Avenue and White Street and the alleys running from 11th Street and 13th Street between Central Avenue and White Street. Traffic Issues Normally, a developer is asked to provide a traffic study when a development poses significant changes to the traffic flow. The attached information from the 1997 Downtown Traffic Analysis and Management Study provides prelimina~ information on traffic impact with the closure of 12th Street. Because closing 12 Street is a considerable change, I would recommend that a traffic/intersection capaéity study be conducted to determine the impact of the 12th Street closure. A traffic study is estimated to cost $5,000. Page 2 May 25, 2004 Also attached is the information from Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens regarding the Downtown Master Plan and the downtown elementary school. Utility Relocation As noted in the March 15, 2004 letter from Michael Koch to the School District, the greatest obstacle in utilizing the site is the number of utilities-gas, telephone, cable, stonm/sanitary sewer, watenmain, etc.-which run in the alley and along 12th Street. The known impact of each utility is as noted: Sanitary Sewer: The sewer runs in the alley to service properties between 11 th and 13th Street. Because the businesses that are served will be removed, the sanitary sewer could be abandoned. Stonm Sewer: The stonm sewer system currently exists in 12th Street, connecting to the stonm sewer on Jackson Street. This system would need to be relocated by the District to Central Avenue and connected to the existing three-foot by four-foot stonm sewer on 11 th Street. Watenmain: The 20-inch watermain exists in 12th Street. This main would probably need to be relocated by the District to either 11th Street or 13th Street. All Remaining Utilities (Gas, Telephone, Cable, Fiber Optics, Etc.): The District would need to work directly with the respective companies to coordinate potential relocation. ACTION TO BE TAKEN Based on available information, and depending on the results of the traffic/intersection capacity study, the Engineering Division foresees no difficulty with "Site 1" for the location of the new downtown elementary school. However, it is recommended that the Dubuque Community School District work closely with the City and the respective utilities to ensure all concems are addressed. Attachs. c;;-," f [ J vc--- ~ ~ck~ MEMORANDUM May 25,2004 TO: Michael C. Van Milligen FROM: Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager~ SUBJECT: Downtown Dubuque Master Plan - Discussion of the Downtown School The Downtown Dubuque Master Plan includes the following comments addressing the Prescott School project: Section 1: Overview Page 14, Paragraph 3 Note: A current example of this is preservation of the Prescott School in its downtown location. Cities across the country are actively trying to reverse the flight of downtown and central city schools to the fringe of their communities. These cities heard from business and industry siting representatives that the presence of educational facilities in the downtown market is a significant factor when considering a central business district location to a fringe location. Dubuque is in the enviable position of not only maintaining, but also improving its downtown school. Section 3: Culture. Education and Entertainment Page 43, Paragraph 3 "The City of Dubuque has a unique opportunity to increase its art offerings through the Prescott School. As explained earlier, many communities use their downtown schools, when they have them, to promote arts education. Schools with an emphasis in the arts can quickly become magnet schools and draw instructors and students from a larger geographic region. By investing in an education-based program for the arts, you have invested in the residents of your community; created an economic benefit, and enhanced livability, and ensured the presence to serve current and future residents of the downtown neighborhood. While, the City is participating in selecting a new location Downtown Dubuque Master Plan - Discussion of the Downtown School Page 2 for the downtown school, it should actively encourage participation by all of the downtown stakeholders, public, private and institutional, and consider expanding its program offerings to include a broad arts education curriculum." Section 5: Public Space and ODen Areas Page 58, Catalyst Opportunities; Bullet 4 "Creation of several new public green spaces (1/3 - 1/2 block in size) in conjunction with larger, full city block redevelopment projects intended to serve as passive pocket parks and landscaped open space for Downtown residents, workers and visitors. In addition, develop a downtown park with open play space for children that are accessible for active recreation. Note: This initiative could be coordinated with the downtown school, and other catalyst projects as they develop. " Page 59, Catalyst Opportunities; Bullet 7 "Not reflected, but equally important, drafting of formal design guidelines for the entire study area providing property and business owners with valuable guidance for improving the appearance of their buildings and stabilizing the value of their investment...Also, the passage of policies which require all new residential have their own and lor contribute to public play spaces, including new school opportunities, and these, and all, public spaces meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility standards including new school opportunities." Section 6: Residential Living Page 74, Downtown Housing Implementation Principles: "Infrastructure and Public Services - Infrastructure, including streets, water, sewer, parks and schools- that make Downtown more accessible, functional, and attractive encourages infill housing development. As the public sector has the longest-term investment in the health and sustainability of the community, it is appropriate for the City to "ready the physical environment for investment." Page 76, Bullet 3: "Negative perceptions that create barriers to attracting potential residents to downtown include the following:" . Inadequate school system Page 78, Priority Actions Bullet 12: . "Actively l11¡¡intain the critical elements of the Downtown neighborhood - school, churches(Prescott School) - through advocacy, education and financing." Note: There are also other references to schools in this document. Cc: Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Gus Psihoyos, Assistant City Engineer Dubuque Community Schools ,. c::v> 4/4: - ~ Ron Holm, CPA (Inactive) Executive Director of Finance and Business Services 0',/it,YI9 !,;'¡¡C; l u, ,~ Phone: 563/588-5110 Fax: 563/588-8377 . S "-,,nee Leaming, Leading' Living 2300 Chaney Road Dubuque, Iowa 52001-3095 rholm@dubuque.k12.ia.us May 13, 2004 Honorable Mayor Terrence M. Duggan and Members of the City Council City of Dubuque City Hall 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4845 Dear Mayor Duggan and Members of the City Council: The Dubuque Community School District has selected the site for a new downtown elementary schooL The site is termed "Site #1" and is bounded on the south by 11 th Street, on the north by 13 th Street, on the west by Central Avenue and on the east by White Street. A diagram of the site is enclosed. The effective use of Site #1 for a modem elementary school requires a minimum of two blocks of contiguous property. Additional parking outside of the two-block area may also be required. In addition to the building, the site will include turnout lanes for bus traffic, student drop-off and pick-up points, parking lots and playground areas. It is clear that dividing the property by a street or an alley would make the site inappropriate for a new elementary school. We have contacted the City Engineering Department and they indicated that existing utilities may need to be relocated and/or easements put in place. We also understand that the vacated area would need to be surveyed and platted at our expense, plus we would pay for publication and filing fees. This letter is a formal District request that the City Council agree to vacate 12th Street between Central Avenue and White Street and the alleys between 11 th Street and 13th Street between Central Avenue and White Street as a part of the District's acquisition of all property in Site #l. The City Engineering Department has indicated they would not object to vacation of those particular streets and alleys. Please see the attached letter. The architect for this project is the firm of Straka Johnson Architects, P.C. They are currently under District contract to desigu the building but have not yet determined the location of the building footprint. May 13, 2004 Page 2 Thank you for your consideration of this request. We will be pleased to work with your staff to provide any additional information required. Sincerely, ~~~ Douglas J. Horstmann Board President ~~~. John L. Burgart Superintendent of Schools jms Enclosures C: Michael VanMilligan, City Manager 03/15/2004 MON 15:45 FA! IaJ 002/003 Enginoering Dh-mon Œvl1all !\II ¡.¡,.'" 13th Sh-.d Dubuqu., IA 52001-4864 (563) 5I <J-427!J nffke (563) s¡;<)-42,l15 fax D~~~E 5I~-k5r;:e-. March 15,2004 Mr, Robert S. White, Sr. Dubuque Community Schools 2300 Chaney Road Dubuque, IA 52001 Dear Bob: This is to confirm our discussion relative to the two sites under consideration for the downtown elementary school. Site 1 is the current location of the school, and the site encompasses from the south side of 13th Street to the north side of 11th Street, bounded by Central Avenue and White Street. The current location would require the closure of 12th Street between Central Avenue and White Street, which we previously discussed and have previously given tentative approval to the school district. The greatest obstacle in utilizing this site is the number of utilities, which are both overhead and underground, and fiber optics, running in the alley for the full length of the project. Site 2 is the site that encompasses the south side of 12'h Street to the north boundary of 10th Street, bounded by Iowa Street and Central Avenue. Site 2 would require the closure of 11 th Street from Iowa Street and Central Avenue. The traffic count on this section of 11th Street is only 1,290 vehicles per day, which is an extremely low volume for a public street and should not be a factor in the traffic patterns in the downtown area. Again the greatest problem with the use of this alley will be the existing utilities, both overhead and underground, which run the entire length of the parcel. In early discus5ion5 with the utility companies involved in these alleys, it is indicated that the school district would be responsible for the cost of the relocation of theirtacilities, at no cost to the utility companies. "'",i", I'copk 1"'-'$"i[y R"po""¡"1i>y ¡""ov,ti"" 'Ie,"",,""" 03/15/2004 MON 15:46 FA! I4J 003/003 ( , ~- Page 2 March 15,2004 Keep in mind that this is only an initial approval of the closure of 11th and 12th Streets, and the vacating and closure of these streets will requirethe input of City Council, and ultimately, the City Council approval at a public hearing. If you have any questions, please advise. Sincerely, ~ ¥.r1r~~ Michael A. Koch Public Works Director MAKlvjd cc: Gus Psihoyos, Assistant City Engineer Ronald J. Turner, PLS Via Facsimile