AGENDA #4k
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
Ralph D. Karpinos, Town Attorney
SUBJECT: Amber Alley Improvements
DATE: June 25, 2008
PURPOSE
The attached resolution would authorize the use of $60,000 in Streetscape Bond Funds to make improvements to Amber Alley, the alley which runs from Franklin Street, just east of the Bank of America Building to the alley adjacent to the Wallace Parking Plaza, and the execution of an agreement to provide that the Alley will continue to be available for public use.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
For the last several months representatives of the owners of property adjacent to Amber Alley have been in discussions with the Mayor’s Office and Town Staff regarding ways to make improvements to Amber Alley. The alley is a major pedestrian connection between the Wallace Parking Plaza and Franklin Street. Although Amber Alley is a private alley it is used by the public to access businesses along the alley and provides a convenient mid-block connection between Rosemary Street and Franklin Street.
In early April, the Mayor received a letter requesting that the Town invest $59,879 to make improvements to the alley and signage. The owners of adjacent properties will be investing private funds to improve the building facades along the alley, as well, as indicated by the attached letter. (Attachment 1)
Attachment 2 is a proposed Agreement between the property owners and the Town that will provide that the private alley will continue to be open and available for use by the Town and the public for a period of 30 years. Thus, in exchange for the Town’s funding the alley improvements, the Town would, by this Agreement, be receiving a right for that public use that will last for a time period that is reasonably related to the value and anticipated life span of the improvements. The alley will benefit the Town as well as the public because it connects a public street to a Town parking facility.
The Town Manager and Town Attorney believe that given the commitment to long term public use provided by this Agreement, the Town will have a sufficient interest in the alley to warrant the use of bond funds to pay for the public improvements described in the letter.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution to authorize the use of $60,000 in Streetscape Bond Funds to make improvements to Amber Alley upon the execution by the Town and owners of property adjacent to Amber Alley of the attached Agreement providing continued public rights to use the private alley for a period of 30 years and to authorize the Town Manager to execute an agreement substantially in the form as attached to this report.
ATTACHMENTS