#1 Public hearing & possible action on Ice Skating Center site and advertising lightsCITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
January 19, 2010
TO: City Council
FROM: Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
SUBJECT: Discussion/possible action on request from Janesville Youth
Hockey Building Committee for City Council consideration on
City providing funding to build new ice rink.
Summary
In 2009, the City performed some preliminary evaluations of issues and possible
deficiencies at the ice rink. During the spring of 2009, the City experienced
several small failures and one large failure of the ice cooling system. In addition,
there have been some structural concerns with the facility including the roof and
back concrete wall. There are temporary repairs that are in process.
A group of individuals proposed, during the spring, that the City consider building
a new rink rather than renovating the current rink. This group is currently within
the Janesville Youth Hockey Association.
The City Council in October approved $2 million in public funds for a one-sheet
ice rink and up to $2.5 million in public funds for a two-sheet ice rink if private
funds were raised to complete the facility. It was also approved to place the rink
on the South side after discussion on location.
Request
Based on some issues that have come forward, Janesville Youth Hockey
Association has requested the following considerations from the City Council.
1. That the City Council approve the ability for the club to sell naming rights
for the building for $500,000 and the two sheets of ice for $250,000 each.
The City Manager’s recommended restriction is that the City has approval
regarding appropriate advertising.
2. That the City Council reconsider the decision to place the facility on the
South Side. A letter is attached with a request to place the facility off of
Blackbridge Road adjacent to the current baseball fields and landfill or
alternatively to place it on the East side near the Youth Sports Complex.
Possible Motion
st
1 possible Motion:
I move to approve authorizing the selling of naming right of the building for an
amount not less than $500,000 and the two sheets of ice for not less than
$250,000 each and that the naming rights would need to have final approval of
the City Manager.
nd
2 possible Motion:
I move to approve moving the proposed location of the ice center facility to
________________.
City Manager Recommendation
As the City Council is aware this project has been an evolving concept or project
since the Spring of 2009. Due to that there have been a variety of issues that
have arisen.
The first request is regarding the ability to sell naming rights for the facility and
each sheet of ice. Since this is a partnership, this request allows the group to
enhance their fundraising opportunities. I understand the downside to the City is
future revenue potential, but there needs to be tradeoffs and the dollars
requested substantiate the need to leave a given name on for at least 15 to 20
years.
I will provide the alternatives that I believe are feasible for a location at this time.
Locating the Ice Rink on Blackbridge
1.
Pros:
?
The Janesville Youth Hockey is requesting this site and believe it would be
better located for reasons stated in their letter.
?
The location is closer to retail locations.
?
It is argued that it is easier to get to from both the West and East side.
?
Allows for using the current site for a new Central Fire Station.
Cons:
?
I believe that we would need to have neighborhood involvement on this
location.
?
There are concerns with traffic impacts and may require infrastructure
improvements.
?
More detailed concerns are outlined in the attached memo.
Locating the Rink on the South Side
2.
Pros:
?
This site has access to Beloit Avenue and to the Bypass.
?
This location provides opportunities in the future for growth in use if Beloit
is interested in joint use. This is more of an operational concern regarding
2
will the future facility remain the same in demand, potentially decline in
demand or have potential for future growth.
?
Allows for using the current site for a new Central Fire Station.
Cons:
?
May not have the same marketability for advertising.
?
Concerns as far as more remote from some areas of Janesville.
?
There are limited Commercial parcels or potential for Commercial growth.
?
It would use a part of the Industrial Park.
Locating the Rink close to the Youth Sports Facility
3.
Pros:
?
Would be able to reduce cost through use of shared parking.
?
Reduce storm water impacts.
?
Adjacent to other youth sports.
?
Good access.
?
Allows for using the current site for a new Central Fire Station.
Cons:
?
Depending on location may impact industrial space. (A new concept has
come up that would allow the location to be closer to the baseball fields
which may impact a baseball field.)
?
Not centrally located.
Locating the Rink in the downtown
4.
Pros:
?
Appears to be the preferred long-term location.
?
Would be a catalyst for continual redevelopment
?
Central location.
Cons:
?
Would be longer term project due to not having a current location.
?
Would cost money for property acquisition.
?
Would likely need to move forward with Fire Station siting.
If option 4 would be the preferred option, the City would need to do some
repairs to the current facility.
Known repairs include:
?
Roof
?
Outside wall
?
Some doors
?
Projected cost = $220,000
3
Potential repairs include:
?
Compressor
?
Freon system piping
?
Projected cost = $1,000,000
Depending on the length of time using the current facility there may be other
unknown improvements necessary. Projected cost = $50,000 to $ 150,000.
The City Manager had originally recommended components of option 4 including
improvements to the current rink that would allow for more in depth look at
relocating the facility.
Background
In 2008, the City began evaluating costs to improve the rink in response to the
potential to attract a Junior A hockey team to Janesville. The initial estimates for
full improvements to the rink ranged in costs from $1 million to over $2 million,
but averaged out to approximately $1.5 million.
As the City negotiated the contract with the Junior A team (now named the
Janesville Jets), the City Council authorized $200,000 in improvements to the
rink. Concurrently, the rink experienced a variety of problems this spring and
was shut down for almost 2 months fixing issues with the ice cooling system.
A group of Janesville residents, now affiliated with the Janesville Youth Hockey
Association, began developing a proposal to form a partnership with the City of
Janesville to build a new rink. The proposed rink is located adjacent to the Youth
Sports Complex and built on 11 acres of City owned land.
The proposed partnership evolved over the summer and has evolved into the
th
attached proposal. The proposal on October 26 had the following elements:
?
The building and one sheet of ice would cost approximately $4 million (not
including land).
?
The expansion to a second sheet of ice would cost approximately an
additional $1 million.
?
The City is requested to commit an initial $2 million and an additional
$500,000 when funds are raised for a second sheet of ice.
?
The proposal projects the City to close its current $85,000 actual subsidy
to a $0 operational subsidy when 2 sheets of ice are operational.
?
The proposal discusses the expansion of users at the current rink over the
last year
?
The ownership of the rink would be initially the Janesville Youth Hockey
Club, but would be sold to the City of Janesville for $100 at the completion
of 5 years of operation (the City would operate the rink during the 5 years).
4
The City Manager has indicated to the group that due to concerns with
competitive bidding, it would be his recommendation that if the City had
ownership and responsibility for the operations of the facility that he believes that
it would be best to competitively bid the project management and construction.
5
Community Development Department Memorandum
Date: January 14, 2010
TO: Eric Levitt, City Manager
FROM: Bradley A. Cantrell, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Analysis of Proposed Ice Arena Site on Black Bridge Road.
_________________________________________________________________
You requested an analysis of the potential location of a new ice arena on the
approximate 13.5 acres of land owned by the City located on the south side of Black
Bridge Road adjoining and east of the now-closed landfill. The northern one-third of
the property is relatively wooded. The center portion is relatively flat and in an open
space use and the southern one-third is developed with some off-street parking and
a baseball field which is currently leased to Boys Baseball. The site is approximately
400 feet in width, widening to 570 feet in the southernmost area, and approximately
1,150 feet in depth running from Black Bridge Road south and backing up to single-
family homes fronting Matheson.
The property is zoned C, Conservancy, which would allow an ice arena use under the
permitted use listing of “a public recreational facility”. The property is adjacent to and
across the street from an R1 District on the north, east and south, all of which are
developed with single-family residences. A portion of the R1-zoned property directly
east of the southernmost area is developed with the Boys Baseball fields. The
property directly to the west was formerly used for sanitary landfill purposes. Landfill
activities were discontinued and the site was closed several years ago. Significant
grades define the perimeter of the remaining depressional area of the landfill.
Currently, it exists as an open space use.
Staff has evaluated this site and believes it would not be an optimal site for an ice
arena facility as proposed. Our concerns are as follows:
?
Black Bridge Road provides the only access to the site given the ownership pattern
and without directing traffic through a residential neighborhood. Although Black
Bridge Road is constructed as a four-lane section west of the site, it is currently
constructed wtih two lanes from the western boundary of the property east to Milton
Avenue. Therefore, road-widening improvements would be necessary in order to
provide an adequate transportation network to this site. Although two access points
could be provided onto Black Bridge Road, access in and out of the site after major
hockey events would still be problematic.
?
Because of the site’s narrow and long configuration, the building must be located in
the southern portion of the site. This places the building within 100 feet of existing
single-family residences and the parking area within and 20 feet from residential
uses. Staff has concerns about the impact of this intensive of a use on the
surrounding residential area. Because of the lack of distance between the building
and parking lot areas to the single-family properties, screening and buffering could
not be adequately provided.
?
No storm water facilities are within the area to accommodate the drainage of the
parking lots or building area. Directing storm water to the former landfill may not be
possible because of its environmental condition. If this were determined possible
staff would be also be concerned about destabilizing the steep hill side which could
undermine the building and parking lot areas.
?
Staff believes that the site being considered on Black Bridge Road, while adequate in
terms of size, is ill-configured and immediately adjoins residential land uses that
would not be appropriate for a use of this intensity. A short time ago, a local group
approached the city about establishing a dog park on this city owned property. A
neighborhood meeting was held and strong neighborhood opposition was received to
such a use. Staff believes that a dog park would be a relatively minor use as
compared to a 1,800 seat ice arena.
As indicated above, the area east of the southern portion of this site is developed
with the recreational fields associated with Boys Baseball. Boys Baseball is in the
process of relocating their fields to the Youth Sports facility in the near future. The
City’s Land Use Plan which is a component of the Comprehensive Plan identifies the
Boys Baseball property as appropriate for mixed-residential redevelopment. Thus, if
the existing ball fields and recreational activity on this adjoining property are
eliminated and redeveloped as planned, an ice arena use would pose similar
compatibility issues with the anticipated and future adjacent land use.
City of Janesville
JANUARY 18, 2010
January 8, 2010
Dear Friends,
This letter would serve as a formal request to revisit the determination of the Ice Arena
site as approved by the Janesville City Council on the 26th of October, 2009. As such, we
would ask that this matter be placed on the Council agenda for the meeting set for the 25th of
January, 2010.
Previously the City Council had approved the City providing land on S. Beloit Avenue in
the Industrial Park for the site of the proposed new Ice Arena. After three months of working on
the site plans, and meeting with numerous potential donors, we have come to the conclusion that
site is not the best site for this project. Many of the companies with whom we met, were less
than enthusiastic to spend money on a building that would not directly benefit the businesses of
Janesville. It was the overwhelming opinion that Ice Arena users from out of town, would
arrive at the rink via the bypass and return to the Interestate without ever stopping to spend a
dollar in the city.
After carefully reviewing the possible alternative site plans given to us by the City
Planning department, we feel the best site would be the area on the south side of Blackbridge Rd,
and encompassing approximately 13.5 acres, building over the farthest west present youth
baseball diamond. (We will forward a copy of this site plan prior to the meeting) This land is
owned by the City of Janesville, and is not part of that owned by Youth Baseball. In addition, it
is more centrally located than the south side site. For instance, it is only 8-10 minutes from the
new water tower on the west side; it is less than five minutes from downtown; and it is 12-15
minutes from the east side. Furthermore, it would necessitate the users to access the rink
primarily from Milton Avenue, thus fostering more local benefits from out of town patrons. In
addition, by utilizing the location on Blackbridge, the City would still be able to sell the south
side location as intended for a industrial site. Finally with the site on Blackbridge, users could
also be funneled west on Blackbridge, and then south on Parker Drive, to add patrons to
downtown businesses.
When this new location was put forth to donors, there was much more interest. In fact,
our ability to gain donations has been limited by the south side location. If the City Council
does not wish to allow the use of the Blackbridge site, we would request you reconsider the site
next to the New Gazette Building, and south of the new Baseball fields. Although not as
centrally located, its location is still much preferred by the local business community over the
south side site.
Finally, we would request City Council approve the selling of naming rights to the rink
itself and also to both sheets of ice. We have three potential donors, and want to make sure the
City Council is accepting of this proposal, prior to the companies finalizing any contracts.
Thank you,
Janesville Youth Hocky Club
Building Committee
Mark Robinson, Attorney and local businessman
Larry Squire President, Johnson Bank
G R Lyons President, Janesville Sand and Gravel/LYCON
Chris Simonson President, Zalk Josephs