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MEMORANDUM Date: March 4, 2013 To: Janine Jordan, City Manager From: Randy Hunt, Community Development Director Subject: Report: Community Development Dept. – February 2013 Code Administration, Building Permits: Here are the permit summary statistics for January 2013: Month YTD 13 YTD 12 Month YTD 13 YTD 12 New Single Family 4 4 1 355,266.00 355,266.00 149,205.00 New Multiple Family No. Units - YTD 13 No. Units - YTD 12 New Manufactured Homes Residential Remodel 6 6 8 54,307.00 54,307.00 160,422.00 New Commercial or Industrial New Public Facilities Commercial, Industrial or Public Remodel 7 7 7 12,456,610.00 12,456,610.00 758,262.00 Demolition 1 5,000.00 Signs 3 3 3 53,526.00 53,526.00 30,870.00 Electrical 17 17 34 2,105,796.00 2,105,796.00 1,607,600.00 Plumbing 17 17 15 3,382,078.00 3,382,078.00 51,427.00 Mechanical 11 11 18 3,035,400.00 3,035,400.00 152,379.00 Misc. TOTALS 65 65 87 21,442,983.00 21,442,983.00 2,915,165.00 Permits Valuations1 It is never wise to make assumptions about a single month’s building-permit data, especially when that month is typically one of the slowest of the year. The only striking statistic here is the sizeable valuation total in Commercial Remodel, at $12.5 M. Nearly all of this total (98.8 percent) is accounted for by the Ivinson Memorial Hospital project now underway. This permit is for a single phase only; the full remodel project value is estimated at $36.5 M, and will be staged in four phases. Expected completion date is January 2016. City of Laramie Community Development Department P.O. Box C Laramie, WY 82073 Planning: (307) 721-5207 Code Administration: (307) 721-5271 Fax: (307) 721-5248 Engineering: (307) 721-5250 Fax: (307) 721-5216 TTD: (307) 721-5207 ---PAGE BREAK--- March 4, 2013 Page 2 In last month’s report, I indicated the Code Administration Division’s Annual Report was expected to be complete by now. We are behind schedule in completing it, but I expect to have it distributed in the next two weeks. Code Enforcement: Here are the Code Enforcement figures for February 2013: New Issues for February 2013 Type of Violation Total Number Not Resolved Total Number Not Resolved Total Number Not Resolved Offensive Growth 6 3 116 119 117 116 117 Junk 29 14 10 24 13 23 13 Junked Vehicles 5 5 1 6 4 3 4 Abandoned vehicles 3 0 2 2 0 5 0 Other 8 1 7 8 0 15 0 Snow removal 161 1 57 58 5 218 5 Nuisance Totals 212 24 193 217 139 380 139 Volunteer Hours 9 0 10 10 0 19 0 Date End of February January 2013 2013 2013 End of Year to As with building permits, January is too early to discuss patterns and trends in these statistics. However, the Offensive Growth category needs explained. In absolute numbers over a full year, most Offensive Growth violations are overgrown lawns, weed-infested vacant lots, and the like. This category also includes “nuisance” trees, though. The Community Development, Public Works, and Parks & Recreation Departments are working together over the next few months to identify and take steps to reduce the number of nuisance or hazardous trees in or near public spaces, such as streets. Elevated numbers in the Offensive Growth category may continue to be higher than normal in the winter, but it’s hoped that this effort will help to reduce future issues with Laramie’s aging tree stock. Planning: February 2013 highlights include: Planning Commission/Board of Adjustment met twice in February holding a hearing on the following matters: Indian Ridge 1st Addition (FP-12-04) – Postponed to the April 8, 2013 Meeting. Gardiner Subdivision (PP-13-01) – Recommendation to approve ---PAGE BREAK--- March 4, 2013 Page 3 Boulder Addition (FP-13-02) – Recommendation to approve 6 new development applications were submitted to the Planning Division during the month of February, consisting of: o SSI-13-02 3626 East Grand Avenue – Site Specific Investigation – Luciano’s Restaurant o LL-13-01 1015 South 8th Street – Lot Line Adjustment o CUP-13-03 312 South 7th Street – Family Child Care Center o CPA-13-01: Land Use Plan Amendment requesting a change from Estate to Auto Urban Multifamily for approximately 6 acres at the northeast corner of Bobolink Street and Vista Drive (proposed for future annexation). o CUP 13-04 - 618 Ord Street St Type 2 Home Child Care Staff continues to work with the owners of the Laramie Country Club regarding de-annexation. De-annexation requires City Council action within 180 days of filing. Staff has been in contact with the petitioner regarding the process and water and sewer service. Official filing is anticipated in the near future. The Ad-Hoc Committee established to oversee the update to the Parks, Trails and Recreation Master Plan met on February 6th and 13th. Four Public Information Meetings were held at the end of February; the 27th from noon to 2 & from 5:30 – 8 at the Recreation Center and the 28th from noon to 2 at Fire Station #3 and from 6 – 8 at the Lincoln Community Center. The meetings were well attended by the public and valuable input was received. Staff continues to work with AVI Engineering on preparation of the LaBonte Park replat. (You may recall that several of Laramie’s older parks, including LaBonte, consist of small building-size lots separated by phantom public streets. The replat will eliminate this obsolete land-division pattern and facilitate future park-redevelopment projects.) Work on other long-term projects continues: o A draft Ordinance on the Tree Area Overlay Zone is ready and will be before Planning Commission and City Council as staff time permits. o Staff continues to receive feedback for future Development Code revisions and expects to bring “Round Three UDC Revisions” forward to the Planning Commission this spring. o Staff review of mobile home, manufactured home, recreational vehicle park and campgrounds sections of the municipal code in regard to licensing requirements has been completed. Proposed amendments will be brought forward to the Planning Commission for the March 25, 2013 meeting. o Staff is proposed changes to the Planned Unit Development Ordinance process for clarification. Staff anticipates amendments will be brought forward to the Planning Commission for the March 25, 2013 meeting. o Trihydro continues work on the I-80 Aquifer Protection Monitoring Well Design and Hazardous Spill Detention Pond Design. This is a County-let project in partnership with the City and WYDOT. o The Laramie Downtown Development Plan was approved by the City Council at the February 19, 2013 regular meeting. o Staff selected Coffey Engineering to survey property being considered for donation to the City of Laramie for open space, parks and trails located along the north side of Grand Avenue, south of the Turner Well Field. The donation is slated for Council’s Mar. 5 regular meeting. o Staff has selected Orion Planning Group to complete the update to the Turner Tract Area Plan Update. Staff and the consultant will be meeting with major stakeholders throughout the day on both the 6th and 7th of March. Additionally, a public open house will be held for anyone ---PAGE BREAK--- March 4, 2013 Page 4 interested in the development of the Turner Tract on Wed., March 6th at 6:00 pm at the Recreation Center. Engineering: Development Review Continued reviewing Indian Ridge Final Plat submittal. Continued reviewing Silver Sage Final Plat submittal. Staff had meetings and phone calls with consultants working on the proposed high school site in the Turner Tract parcel. Staff worked on utility and street layout for the Cirrus Sky Project. Storm drainage design is being pieced together, while issues of rights of way are being negotiated. Construction Inspections Staff continues inspections of local development projects for erosion control measures. Staff submitted as-builts for the previous Harney Street Reconstruction to DEQ, to provide closure. Capital Improvement Projects. Staff had the bid opening for SPT Schedule 2, Phase 9 alley and utility reconstruction project. Cirrus Sky Technology Park: Beginning this month, we will have updates in each Community Development Dept. Report on the Cirrus Sky project’s progress toward completion. As you are aware, the WBC grant was fully funded at approx. $5.4 M on Jan. 17 by SLIB, and the award was accepted by City Council on Feb. 19. The Phase 1A project, including local match, is estimated at approx. $8.7 M. The grant award may seem like a large milestone – which it unquestionably was. However, turning the money into a developed technology park is an enormous undertaking. Meeting our target completion date (Oct. 31, 2013) will be challenging but feasible, as this is the first priority for our department and other City units as well. A City-staff-led Cirrus Sky Project team, including participation by partner LEDC, is meeting informally on a regular basis to keep tasks on track and discuss development issues that may arise. Some February 2013 highlights for CSTP: On Feb. 5, Council approved a comprehensive plan amendment and annexation ordinances for the subject property, and adopted the new Technology-Office Zoning District and applied it to the park. Quotes were received for preparing preliminary and final subdivision plats for the site. The low quote was submitted by a local survey firm, Coffey Engineering and Surveying; Coffey has been selected and has begun work. ---PAGE BREAK--- March 4, 2013 Page 5 Detailed engineering for CSTP Phase 1A is being done in-house by the CD Dept.’s Engineering Division. Detailed design has begun and will occupy much of the winter and early spring. Concern about the project’s neighborhood impacts, especially regarding traffic on residential streets such as 22nd St., continues to be expressed by residents and citizens. The City understands these concerns and staff are considering alternatives to reduce impacts. One specific step to be begun shortly is a comprehensive Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) for the project, which will examine congestion and make recommendations to alleviate impacts, especially at key intersections such as Reynolds-22nd and Reynolds-30th. Traffic-calming designs for extension of 22nd and 30th into CSTP will also be reviewed and recommended. This study is a high priority and staff would like to see the TIA complete by the end of April, which will allow design implementation via the preliminary plat review and approval process in late spring or early summer. University of Wyoming and City staff have met to review more specific site-development information regarding UW’s proposed 23.1-acre property purchase in the southwest part of CSTP. These discussions will be continuing over the next several months. CSTP’s ridgeline trail concept has been refined somewhat further. The trail corridor along the top of the escarpment (ridgeline), originally estimated at 100 feet wide, has been reviewed and determined to actually need 200 feet or more width in some places (to include enough flat ground for a trail that meets ADA requirements, among other considerations). A near- future task will be determining an exact trail alignments within the corridor so that platting may proceed. Legal and procedural steps are moving forward to acquire title to the Cirrus Sky Phase 1A property from the seller, Mr. Charles Coughlin Jr. Easements from adjacent owners to access and develop CSTP are also in latter stages of negotiation.