AGENDA #5k

BUDGET WORKING PAPER

TO:                  W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

FROM:            Roger Waldon, Planning Director

SUBJECT:       Possibility of Using Active Living By Design Funds for Sidewalks in the Northside Neighborhood

DATE: March 30, 2004

The purpose of this memorandum is to respond to a question raised by a Council Member at the February 25, 2004, budget work session regarding the use of the Active Living by Design Grant to construct sidewalks in the Northside neighborhood. 

BACKGROUND

In October 2003, the Town was awarded a $200,000 grant by the Active Living By Design Program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  This grant will provide funding for a variety of projects designed to increase mobility and active living within the Chapel Hill community.

The Active Living By Design grant guidelines specifically prohibit the use of grant funds for the construction of physical facilities such as sidewalks. The Active Living Grant does include a work element that will complete an assessment of barriers to mobility within the Northside neighborhood. This assessment will be completed this spring in cooperation with local residents. The assessment will be used to develop a program of improvements intended to improve mobility within the area.  This mobility assessment will include an evaluation of the need for new or improved sidewalk facilities in Northside. 

Issues that emerged during the development of the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District and at a Design Workshop for Northside on March 6, 2004, included whether sidewalks are feasible given the lack of right-of-way in portions of the neighborhood, and crime/public safety concerns related to the potential for loitering on sidewalks.

DISCUSSION

Potential sources of funds for sidewalk construction include:

2003 Bond Funds

In November 2003, voters approved a package of bonds that includes $5.6 million for sidewalk and street improvements.  In the Manager’s Preliminary Capital Improvement Program for 2004-2019, the Manager is recommending that sidewalk construction be funded in the future from the 2003 Bond fund proceeds.  The Council will begin discussing priorities for use of the 2003 Bond funds at its March 30 budget work session.

Surface Transportation Program/Direct Allocation Funds

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization budgets a portion of these funds annually for sidewalk improvements in the jurisdictions.  Currently, Chapel Hill is earmarked to receive $200,000 of these funds for Airport Road improvements.  A 20 percent match is required.   Generally, these funds are intended to be used for major transportation corridors.  Therefore, it is unlikely that these funds would be provided for sidewalks within a residential neighborhood such as Northside.

2004-2005 Community Development Program

The preliminary 2004-2005 Community Development program includes $121,700 to continue neighborhood revitalization activities in the Northside, Pine Knolls, and public housing neighborhoods.  Activities must benefit households earning less than 80% of the HUD published area median income.  Funds could be used for the following activities: second mortgage assistance; property acquisition and/or renovation; code enforcement; demolition; public improvements such as installation of sidewalks, curb and gutter improvements or parks and recreation facilities; or community service activities.  This year, we recommend that the funds be used primarily for public improvements in the Northside neighborhood such as sidewalk improvements.  

CONCLUSION

Potential future sources of funding for the construction of sidewalks, subject to Council authorization, include 2003 Bond funds, and 2004-2005 Community Development funds.  The preliminary Community Development budget for 2004-05 includes up to $121,700 that could be used for this purpose. The Council is scheduled to adopt the Community Development plan on April 26, 2004.  Funds would be available in mid-July 2004 to begin sidewalk projects.