2006-07-17 - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 OTHER BUSINESS Ms. Hamilton said that Council has had trouble filling the Blue Ridge Apartment Council and Chamber of Commerce slots on the Housing Advisory Committee. She suggested that a different group of people be added to the mix, including the Directors of AHIP, Habitat for Humanity, Piedmont Housing Alliance, and CRHA, and also citizen involvement on a geographic basis. She said she would like to see us move forward on this. Dr. Brown agreed and said he will put it on the next agenda. Mr. Lynch said he was on Council when funds were appropriated for five community police officers. He said 118 officers were authorized, but not more than 110 positions could be filled. He said money went to overtime in the end of the year appropriation. Mr. O’Connell said that the positions that were cut in this year’s budget were administrative positions and the number of police on the street has not changed. He said the department is at full staffing now. Mr. Norris said he agrees with Mr. Gaines about moving forward with a public thth hearing and renaming of the 9/10 Street Corridor and making the Jefferson School appointments. Mr. Tolbert said that the sidewalk “thumb” on Cherry Avenue grew out of rezoning of the Cherry Hill property. He said the chief issue of the Fry’s Spring neighborhood was traffic and there were safety concerns at that intersection. He said the Cherry Hill developer offered to pay up to $60,000 to improve the intersection. He said the traffic engineer at that time looked at the intersection and worked with the neighborhood. The traffic engineer then left the City and the current City engineer picked up the project, made minor changes, and it was built. He said a mistake was made by not going back to the neighborhood for review of the project. He said there is a good chance that the Church was not part of the discussion. He said the City’s policy is not to landscape unless the neighborhood agrees to take on the maintenance. He said the sidewalk was built a year ago, concerns were expressed, and the traffic engineering consultant looked at it and tried to improve it. He said the Church did not like alternative suggestions for funerals. He said the neighborhood was met with again in the spring and they again said they wanted it taken out. He said the City also started getting calls from people who originally wanted it in. He said there are safety concerns, but it is obvious the Church will not be happy with the sidewalk. He said he does not know if that is the only design that works. He said it does not meet the warrants for a four-way stop. Mr. Lynch said the reason it does not meet the warrants is that the main street is defined as Cherry turning into Cleveland and other streets are defined as the side streets. He said if you say that Cleveland Avenue goes across the intersection and Cherry Avenue, it will meet the warrants. He said common sense says a four-way stop can be put there. Responding to a question from Mr. Taliaferro, Mr. Bill Winch, traffic engineering consultant for the City, said that there has not been a problem with accidents at the site yet. Mr. Winch said he can take another look at the warrants using Mr. Lynch’s suggestion. Responding to a question from Dr. Brown, Mr. Tolbert said that to his knowledge approximately six people in the neighborhood support the sidewalk, and he thinks they support it because it improves pedestrian safety. Dr. Brown said he has not heard from anyone that likes it. Ms. Hamilton said it is difficult when neighborhoods do not speak with one voice.