Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning and Development Services

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Danelle Dresslar, Community Development Manager, Planning and Development Services
CC:	Scott McCullough, Director, Planning and Development Services
DATE:	March 31, 2015
RE:	Substantial Amendments to the 2014 Annual Action Plan

Background:

Amendment One:  Tenants to Homeowners, Inc. (TTH), the City’s Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), applied for, and was awarded, $24,543 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in the 2014 program year for infrastructure improvements contained in the development plan for Cedarwood Senior Cottages located behind the United Way Building.  The project was recommended for funding by the CDAC, and upon requesting the release of funds from HUD, staff was informed the project was not eligible, as it was not strictly a public improvement, but a part of a new construction project.  As the original intent of the funding was to go to infrastructure that would not only assist the development but to additionally provide a public benefit, staff interpreted that as eligible.  HUD would not release the funds, and the project had to be cancelled as it was originally presented.

The property located next to the Cedarwood Development is the United Way building. The United Way Center is a public building that functions as a nonprofit incubator. The former county nursing home building now rents office space to not-for-profit organizations that provide services to low income populations in the community. With low rents and cost sharing on copiers, facilities, meeting room space and utilities, the Center can allow nonprofits to spend less on administrative costs and focus more on direct services. The back parking lot provides staff and client parking and an additional accessible entrance, but this parking lot is old, inefficiently designed and has wasted space. The redesign of the parking lot adds five (5) additional spaces while maintaining the handicapped parking spaces and loading area. The lot improvements assist with drainage around the parking lot, and provide connectivity to the east.  Amending the Action Plan to fund this project instead of the Cedarwood development project allows the City to assist the neighborhood and the United Way, without being part of the Cedarwood development.  The United Way building is eligible for CDBG funding under the umbrella of low-moderate clientele.

Amendment Two:  The City of Lawrence Public Works Department has requested an additional $12,000 for bicycle-related improvements in low-moderate neighborhoods where the bike lanes would provide an area benefit to residents of those neighborhoods.  Public Works is requesting unspent funds from the 2014 CDBG Program year for a project that includes bike lanes, sharrows, and bike route signs.  The bike lane project is eligible under CDBG as a low-moderate area benefit.

The proposed 2015 program map has been reviewed by the Utilities Department and the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) as well as other private and public entities.  Public Works will coordinate potential conflict locations with Utilities Department including scheduling and phasing of projects.

Recommendations have been provided by the BAC per their January 20, 2015 meeting minutes.  Proposed 2015 Comprehensive Street Maintenance Program street locations with corresponding recommendations by BAC and Public Works are attached with some notations of complete streets elements included.

Staff Recommendation:

Both projects fall under the HUD CDBG guidelines as eligible projects.  Staff recommends approving the Substantial Amendment, with the projects being eligible for construction after the 30-day written comment period, May 11, 2015, and after all necessary releases of funds from HUD.

Action:

Approval of the Substantial Amendments to the 2014 Annual Action Plan.