Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutA010 - Letter dated April 4, 2000 from Keith Arneson and Douglas Pyle requesting approval y - Dq -D© Campus Pointe,L.L.C. a P.O.Box 767 Ames, IA 50010 tAPR 4 20M CITY CLERK. April 4,2000 CITY OF AMES,10PJA Ames City Council This is a formal request to adopt the resolution approving the Urban Revitalization Plan for 150 Campus. We would also ask that you suspend the rules,and pass the ordinance establishing this property as an urban revitalization area,on the first reading. We would ask that you do this at your April 11,2000,regular council meeting. Our reasons for this request are as follows: Our project provided the Council an opportunity to evaluate the implementation of the recently adopted "criteria matrix"as a standard to determine if a project is worthy of urban revitalization. The Council, in adopting a new criteria matrix,changed the responsibility for the determination of slum&blighted from the City Assessor to the City Council. This change allowed the council to approve our request for designation of urban revitalization. We appreciate the changes made to the matrix and the approval by the Council of our request. The process to change the matrix has delayed our project. Had our request been approved initially at the January 25, 2000 council meeting,the initial public hearing date could have been set for March 7 and the third hearing date on April 11. By suspending the rules,and passing the ordinance on the first reading,we would receive approval on a date that final approval could have been received without suspending the rules,had the plan been approved initially. The second reason we would like you to consider passing this ordinance on first reading is the physical condition of the properties to be removed from 156, 152 and 148 Campus Ave. Since they have been vacant for several months they have become increasingly difficult to secure. 152 Campus has had numerous windows and doors broken out and is"open"to anyone who wishes to frequent the property. 148 Campus has had the door boarded up but someone continues to force windows open to gain access. These properties are unsafe and should be removed for the public good. Passage of this ordinance would allow the building and grounds to be made safe. Finally, if the ordinance approving the urban revitalization is approved at the April 11 council meeting,we are prepared to start construction immediately. Our goal is to have the project complete for occupancy on September 1. A September 1 completion date is imperative if we expect to successfully rent the apartments this year. We need to start construction now if the project is to be completed September 1. We respectfully request that you approve the urban revitalization plan for the 150 Campus Avenue Urban Revitalization Area at your April 11,2000 council meeting. Very trul yours, Dougla G. Pyle r NVQ Keith Arneson