TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Downtown Streetscape Construction Options
DATE: March 25, 2002
Adoption of the attached resolution would authorize the Town Manager to:
· Develop detailed working drawings for a section of Streetscape improvements at a location selected by the Council,
· Discuss construction plans with affected property owners and merchants,
· Utilize up to $100,000 of available Streetscape bond funds for the proposed construction, and
· Schedule construction to begin in May of 2002.
background
· The implications of possible future University improvements to Porthole Alley on construction of the staff’s recommended Streetscape section in the 100 block of East Franklin Street, and
· The inclusion of an additional Streetscape construction option for improvements in the 400 block of West Franklin Street from Kenan Street to The Courtyard.
discussion
Public Art:
On February 28, 2002, Public Works staff met with Karen Slotta, staff, and Renee Piechocki, co-chair, of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, to discuss opportunities for including public art in upcoming Streetscape construction projects. We determined that whatever construction option was selected that we could work together to include a small commissioned public art piece in this year’s project.
An issue that arose involved constraints on the type of piece that could be funded using the available Streetscape bond funds. The language of the approved bond specifically indicates that the funds are to be used for sidewalk and infrastructure improvements and “related facilities”. Based on this language, we believe that “related facilities” could include custom crafted benches, railings and other site furnishings as well as specialized paving, but that a free-standing art piece that is functionally unrelated to the sidewalk improvements would need to be funded from other sources. Accordingly, all in attendance at the February 28th meeting agreed that a functional piece, such as a commissioned seat or railing panel, should be included in this year’s Streetscape project. We also determined that the funds available for the commissioned piece could include the amount typically budgeted for a standard Streetscape furnishing along with the approximately $1,000 we propose for this purpose based on 1% of the project’s total budget. For example, if a commissioned seat is included in the project as a replacement for a standard bench, a total of $1,900 could be made available based on adding the $1,000 1% for art funding to the $900 we had previously budgeted for the standard bench.
Once a Streetscape construction option is selected, Public Works staff will reconvene a meeting with the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission representatives to determine a specific site and work with the Commission to proceed with the steps necessary to select an artist.
Porthole Alley:
During the February 11 meeting, several Council members brought up concerns about the impact of possible future University-funded improvements to the Porthole Alley area on the staff’s recommended East Franklin Street Streetscape option. Subsequent discussions with the University Facilities and Planning staff determined that the University is currently in the conceptual design phase for improvements to Porthole Alley that may also involve changes to the adjacent Porthole Building. The University staff indicated that the project is currently unscheduled and, if a conceptual plan is approved, it would likely take an additional 3 – 5 years before actual construction.
Due to uncertainties about the scope of the possible University-funded improvements, the exact impact on Streetscape construction cannot be quantified at this time. The area in question includes 20 linear feet of improvements at the entrance to Porthole Alley and possibly an additional 48 linear feet of improvements adjacent to the Porthole Building. The Porthole Building abuts the western side of Porthole Alley and includes 48 feet of frontage along East Franklin Street. We believe that if the eventual scope of work includes all 68 linear feet that approximately 80 linear feet of the sidewalk may need to be restored as a part of the project but that the other Streetscape improvements in that section, including underground utility conduit installation and improvements within the amenity strip would not likely be affected.
Considering the likely timetable of University construction and the limited impact we anticipate it would have on the adjacent Streetscape improvements, we continue to recommend that improvements be included at this location if the East Franklin Street Streetscape Construction option is selected by the Council. Alternatively, the Council could select a different Streetscape construction option location or could direct the Town Manager to complete the East Franklin Street option without the relatively small section of improvements adjacent to Porthole Alley and the Porthole Building.
Streetscape Construction Options:
This report provides four Streetscape construction options including the newly developed option requested by the Council for a section on the south side of the 400 block of West Franklin Street. The options include:
OPTION 1
South side of the 100 block of East Franklin Street from The Gap to Porthole Alley
OPTION 2
South side of the 400 block of West Franklin Street from Kenan Street to The Courtyard
OPTION 3
North side of the 500 and 600 blocks of West Franklin Street from Chapel Hill Tire to Crooks Corner
OPTION 4
North side of the 100 block of West Franklin Street from I Love NY Pizza to Church Street
These options are described in detail in the attached Public Works Department Staff Report (Attachment #1) along with drawings of each section. We have revised the format of this report from that provided to the Council on February 11, 2002, so that all of the options we recommend for consideration are provided together rather than as attachments to previous Council reports. Accordingly, the copy provided of the previous Council report on February 11, 2002 (attachment #2) no longer includes the attachments that duplicate information we have condensed into the Public Works Department Staff Report.
We believe that all four of the options presented here are worthwhile projects and we are prepared to complete the detailed construction drawings needed to implement any one of them and proceed with construction this summer. The attached Public Works Staff Report includes lists of advantages and disadvantages for each project that we have considered in developing our recommendation here to proceed with construction of the previously recommended section, Option 1, on the south side of the 100 block of East Franklin Street.
The primary reasons we continue to recommend Option 1 can be summarized as follows:
· Completes the only missing link of improvements adjacent to commercial properties on both sides of the 100 block of East Franklin Street, thereby completing the underground conduit installation needed to service anticipated lighting improvements over a large contiguous area of downtown
· Improves the most visible and heavily used section of all of the options presented
· Provides needed pedestrian safety improvements to the uneven steps adjacent to the loading zone
We believe that the completion of this missing link is particularly important as it relates to future lighting improvements. As in previous Streetscape projects, this summer’s construction will include the installation of the underground conduits necessary to service new light fixtures. We anticipate that the level of funding that will become available when the next bonds are sold will be sufficient to accommodate some lighting improvements and that the Council may choose to consider lighting improvements to the 100 block of East Franklin Street as one of the first phases of this work. Because the anticipated lighting improvements involve replacement of all of the existing streetlights at a closer spacing, it is desirable, and may be required by NCDOT to maintain lighting uniformity, that lighting improvements be made to both sides of a street simultaneously. Completion of Option 1 will provide the necessary infrastructure so that future replacement light fixtures could be installed simultaneously within a larger contiguous area that includes all of the business district of the 100 blocks of East Franklin Street and North Columbia Street.
If option 1 is selected, we believe that it can be completed by Public Works Department crews in the period between the University’s May graduation and the beginning of the fall term in mid-August. We believe that if options 3 or 4 are selected they could also be completed in this period. The estimated cost for options 1, 3 and 4 ranges from $78,000 to $98,000. Option 2, is considerably larger than the others and therefore we have presented it as a phased project with three distinct sections. If this option is selected, we recommend that it include sections A and B in the current year and that section C be considered as a second phase to be done at a later date. The estimated cost for Option 2 sections A and B is $92,000.
The balance from the currently available Streetscape bond funds is approximately $220,000. We recommend that a portion of these funds be used for construction of this year’s Streetscape project and that the remainder be kept available for a similar sized construction project in the summer of 2003. We anticipate that an additional $500,000 in funding will become available with the next sale of the 1996 streets bonds and we will provide the Council with recommended options for additional Streetscape projects including lighting improvements utilizing these funds as they become available.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached Resolution authorizing the Town Manager to:
· Develop detailed working drawings for Streetscape improvements located as described in Option 1,
· Discuss construction plans with affected property owners and merchants,
· Utilize up to $100,000 of available Streetscape bond funds, and
· Schedule construction to begin in May of 2002.
Alternatively, if the Council wishes, they may select one of the other options provided in this report for insertion in the attached resolution.
ATTACHMENTS
2. Memorandum to Council dated February 11, 2002, “Consideration of Downtown Streetscape Construction Options” (without attachments duplicating information in the above Staff Report) (p. 18).
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO PREPARE WORKING DRAWINGS FOR IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED _____________; Discuss construction plans with affected property owners and merchants; UTILIZE UP TO $100,000 OF AVAILABLE STREETSCAPE BOND FUNDS; and Schedule construction to begin in May of 2002 (2002-03-25/R-17)
WHEREAS, the Council adopted the Downtown Streetscape Master Plan as part of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, $100,000 currently exists in bond funding to implement a portion of the Streetscape Master Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Council has received a report from the Town Manager describing four alternative plans for possible construction by Town labor forces in 2002; and
WHEREAS, Town resources permit construction of only one of the four options within a summer construction period;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to prepare finished working drawings for improvements located ___________________, discuss these improvements with affected property owners and merchants, and proceed with construction in May of 2002.
This the 25thday of March, 2002.