The URL can be used to link to this page

#01 Approve acquisition of land for bike trail purposes to extend Peace Trail (File Res. #2011-817)CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE MEMORANDUM June 14, 2011 TO: City Council FROM: Tom Presny, Parks Director Rebecca Smith, Management Assistant SUBJECT: Action on a proposed resolution approving the acquisition of abandoned railroad grade from Mr. Mike Morris for bike trail purposes as an extension of the Peace Trail (File Resolution No. 2011-817) Request Councilmember Tom McDonald and Council President Brunner requested staff bring the proposed acquisition of land from Mr. Mike Morris for a bike trail extension forward for review by the City Council. Staff requests the Council approve resolution 2011-817 to approve the acquisition of land from Mr. Mike Morris for a bike trail extension. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends the City Council approve resolution 2011-817 to approve the acquisition of land from Mr. Mike Morris for a bike trail extension. City Manager Recommendation The City Manager recommends approval. Proposed Property for Acquisition This property is 4.32 acres in size and has.36 miles (1,880’) of abandoned railroad right of way with elevated grade, crushed stone ballast in place, and drainage ditches on both sides. The property is currently vacant and is located south of Tripp Road. This property also has some vegetation present because it hasn’t been used since the 1970s. A map of the property proposed for purchase is attached. This piece of railroad grade is the last remaining parcel of trail right-of-way needed to complete the City’s portion of the trail extending 3 miles south to Afton. If acquired, the City will have 5.5 miles of continuous bike trail on the abandoned railroad grade and would complete the City’s responsibility in connecting Janesville with Beloit via public trail. The 2008 Parks and Open Space Plan recommends properties along the Rock River Parkway be acquired for extending the bike trail. Additionally, staff believes that if the City owns all of the trail right-of-way, this project would be a good candidate to receive grants to upgrade this trail to pavement. If the Morris property is not purchased, the City could still build the continuous bike trail; however the construction costs would increase. The trail would be placed parallel to the proposed acquisition and would be on land owned by the City’s Wastewater Utility. The alternate site would require fill material and stone to provide an adequate elevated base and drainage; drainage culverts at each end of the trail; and significant tree/brush 1 removal. The cost to prepare this site for construction depends on several factors which have not been quantified at this time since the exact alignment has not identified, but the estimate ranges from $10,000 - $20,000. Analysis Mr. Morris is willing to sell this property to accommodate the bike trail at an appraised price of $45,000. As part of the sell therewill be no requirement to close the trail for hunting each year. Additionally, Mr. Morris offered that if this property is purchased from he will donate his equipment and services to clear the property of vegetation him, to the City’s standards. He shared that he wants to see the trail project move forward on the railroad right of way and felt this gesture would show his support for the trail donation is worth $5,000 connecting to Afton and Beloit. Staff estimates his and would put the acquired trail grade in a usable condition without further short term city expense until the trail could be built with an asphalt surface. With the expansion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Wastewater Division purchased a portion of parkland adjacent to the treatment plant property for the construction of a new cold storage sludge building. The Wastewater Division compensated for this project’s use of parkland by depositing $18,000 in the Parkland Acquisition Fund. Staff proposes this funding be used to pay a portion of this acquisition. The Wastewater Utility is using an additional 1.3 acres of land and they have not yet compensated the Parkland Acquisition Fund (PAF). If the trail is able to be built on the Morris property, the Wastewater Utility would pay the PAF an additional $7,800 for their use of parkland. Plan Commission Review The Plan Commission reviewed the purchase of this property at their June 20, 2011 meeting and found the purchase to be consistent with established city plans and further recommended the City proceed with the land acquisition, but not commenting upon the financial aspects of the transaction. Funding for Acquisition Funding for the acquisition of the property will be provided through several sources. First, the Rock Trail Coalition has agreed to donate $10,000 toward the acquisition of this property. This donation affirms their membership’s belief that the Morris parcel is the best route for the trail. Next, using $18,000 from the treatment plant project is proposed. Third, the additional treatment plant project funding ($7,800) is also proposed to be used. Finally, the remaining $9,200 necessary for the acquisition is proposed to come from the 2010 Note Issue specifically for trails. Funding Sources for Proposed Acquisition Donation from Rock Trail Coalition $ 10,000.00 Funding from Treatment Plant expansion $ 18,000.00 Addt'l Funding from Treatment Plant $ 7,800.00 expansion 2010 note issue funds $ 9,200.00 Total Acquisition Cost $ 45,000.00 2 Conclusion Taking into consideration the costs to ready the alternate site for construction, the donation from the Rock Trail Coalition, Mr. Morris’ offer to clear the trail and the funding available due to the treatment plant project, staff feels this is an ideal time to purchase this property from Mr. Morris for a bike trail expansion. If the Council approves this resolution to purchase, staff would look to close on the property as soon after as possible. cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager Jay Winzenz, Assistant City Manager/Director of Administrative Services Attachments: Map of proposed acquisition Excerpt from Park & Open Space Plan (Afton Road Rock River Parkway) 3 RESOLUTION NO. 2011-817 A Resolution approving the acquisition of abandoned railroad grade from Mr. Mike Morris for bike trail purposes as an extension of the Peace Trail WHEREAS , Wis. Stats. §§ 62.22 (1), 62.23 (17) (a), 62.23 (17) (b), 66.0101, 62.11(5) and Chapter 32 and other pertinent Wisconsin Statutes permit the City’s acquisition, development, ownership, protection, and conservation of parkland, open space, riverfront properties, and development properties; and WHEREAS , this property is the last remaining parcel of trail right-of-way needed to complete the City’s portion of the trail extending 3 miles south to Afton and would complete the City’s responsibility in connecting Janesville to Beloit via public trail; and WHEREAS , the 2008 Parks and Open Space Plan recommends properties along the Rock River Parkway be acquired for extending the bike trail; and WHEREAS , the Common Council hereby find that such uses and acquisition constitute public purpose(s) that benefit the community and promote recreation, health, welfare, safety and best interests of the City, its residents, businesses and visitors; and WHEREAS , the City of Janesville Administration has negotiated with the owner to purchase this property in the amount forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000); and WHEREAS , the funding for this acquisition will be provided by a donation from the Rock Trail Coalition ($10,000), and the Parkland Acquisition Fund ($35,000); and WHEREAS , the Janesville Plan Commission has reviewed this proposed acquisition on June 20, 2011 and found it to be consistent with the City’s established plans, but not commenting upon the financial aspects of the transaction. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of Janesville that they hereby approve and authorize the City Manager and/or his designee(s) to acquire and close upon the City’s purchase of the Property from the owners on behalf of the City; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , that the City Manager and/or his designee(s) on behalf of the City of Janesville is/are hereby authorized and empowered to negotiate, draft, modify, review, execute, and enter into additional agreements, record, file and/or make minor modifications and/or amendments to any and all documents, papers, forms, and agreements, and to take whatever other actions as the City Manager may determine, from time to time and at any time, necessary and/or desirable to effectuate the intent of this resolution and/or the public good. ADOPTED: Motion by: Second by: APPROVED: Councilmember Aye Nay Pass Absent Brunner Dongarra-Adams Eric J. Levitt, City Manager Liebert McDonald ATTEST: Rashkin Steeber Voskuil Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer APPROVED AS TO FORM: Wald Klimczyk, City Attorney Proposed by: Councilmember McDonald, Council President Brunner Prepared by: Management Assistant WASTEWATER TREATMENTPLANT PROPOSED LAND BALMORALDR ACQUISITION WILDFLOWERLN CEMETERYROAD EAUCLAIREROAD Legend ProposedAcquisition(4.32Acres) City-OwnedLand Date:11/24/08 HendricksLand Scale:None LOCATIONMAP CITYOFJANESVILLE MIKEMORRISLANDACQUISITION MAP1 PLANNINGSERVICES S:Projects\LeisureServices\MorrisLand Ý·¬§ ±º Ö¿²»ª·´´» Ð¿®µ ¿²¼ Ñ°»² Í°¿½» Ð´¿² Ý¸¿°¬»® Ú·ª»æ Ú«¬«®» Ð¿®µô Ñ°»² Í°¿½»ô ¿²¼ Î»½®»¿¬·±²¿´ Ú¿½·´·¬·» Î»½±³³»²¼¿¬·±² ®»½±³³»²¼¿¬·±² ±º ¬¸· Ð´¿² ¬¸¿¬ ¬¸» Ý·¬§ ³±ª» º±®©¿®¼ ©·¬¸ ¿²§ ¿²¼ ¿´´ ®·ª»®º®±²¬ °®±¶»½¬ ¿ °®±°»®¬·» ¿´±²¹ ¬¸» ®·ª»® ¾»½±³» ¿ª¿·´¿¾´»ò Û¨¿³°´» ±º ¬¿®¹»¬ ®·ª»®º®±²¬ °®±°»®¬·» ¿®» °®±ª·¼»¼ ¾»´±©ò Í±«¬¸ Ö¿½µ±² Í¬®»»¬ Î·ª»®º®±²¬ò ß ³¿´´ ²«³¾»® ±º ¾«·²» °®±°»®¬·» »¿¬ ±º Í±«¬¸ Ö¿½µ±² Í¬®»»¬ ¿²¼ ²±®¬¸ ±º Ü»´¿ª¿² Ü®·ª» ¾¿½µ «° ¬± ¬¸» °¿ª»¼ ¬®¿·´ §¬»³ ·² ¬¸· ¿®»¿ò Ì¸» Ö¿²»ª·´´» Î·ª»®º®±²¬ Í¬®¿¬»¹§ ®»½±³³»²¼ ¬¸» ¿½¯«··¬·±² ±º °®±°»®¬·» ´±½¿¬»¼ »¿¬ ±º Í±«¬¸ Ö¿½µ±² Í¬®»»¬ ¾»¬©»»² Î±½µ°±®¬ Î±¿¼ ¿²¼ Ü»´¿ª¿² Ü®·ª»ò Ì¸» °¿ª»¼ ¾·µ» ¬®¿·´ º±®³ ¬¸» »¿¬ ¾±«²¼¿®§ º±® ¬¸· ¬¿®¹»¬»¼ ¿®»¿ò ×² ±®¼»® ¬± º·´´ ·² ¬¸» ¹¿° ¾»¬©»»² »¨·¬·²¹ °«¾´·½´§ ±©²»¼ ®·ª»® º®±²¬¿¹»ô ¬¸· ¿®»¿ ¸±«´¼ ¾» ½±²·¼»®»¼ º±® ¿½¯«··¬·±² ¸±«´¼ ·¬ ¾»½±³» ¿ª¿·´¿¾´»ò Ò±®¬¸ Ó¿·² Í¬®»»¬ò Ò±®¬¸ Ó¿·² Í¬®»»¬ ®«² °¿®¿´´»´ ¬± ¬¸» Î·ª»®ô ½®»¿¬·²¹ ³¿²§ ±°°±®¬«²·¬·» º±® ®·ª»®º®±²¬ »¨°¿²·±²ò Ì¸» °®·³¿®§ ¬¿®¹»¬ ¿®»¿ · ¾»¬©»»² Ì®¿¨´»® Ð¿®µ ¿²¼ Ý»²¬»®©¿§ò É·¬¸·² ¬¸· ¼·¬®·½¬ ¬¸»®» ¿®» ³¿²§ ¿¹·²¹ ·²¼«¬®·¿´ ¿²¼ ½±³³»®½·¿´ °®±°»®¬·» ¬¸¿¬ ·³°»¼» °«¾´·½ ¿½½» ¬± ¬¸» Î·ª»®ô ¿²¼ ·² ª¿®·±« ½¿» ¬¸» ¬®«½¬«®» ¿®» ÔÏÉÕØ×ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏÆÕÔÚÕÑÔÐÔÉÊÉÕØÑÜÏÙiÊ ®»¼»ª»´±°³»²¬ °±¬»²¬·¿´ò ß½¯«··¬·±² ±º °®±°»®¬·» ©·¬¸·² ¬¸· ¼·¬®·½¬ ©±«´¼ ±°»² ¿¼¼·¬·±²¿´ ¸±®»´¿²¼ ¬± °«¾´·½ «» ¿²¼ ½®»¿¬» ¿ ³±®» ©»´½±³·²¹ »²ª·®±²³»²¬ ©·¬¸·² ¬¸» Ü±©²¬±©² ¾§ Ü±©²¬±©² Î·ª»®©¿´µ ·³°®±ª·²¹ ¬¸» ¿»¬¸»¬·½ ±º ¬¸» ®·ª»® ½±®®·¼±® ¬¸®±«¹¸ ¬¸» ®»³±ª¿´ ±º ·²¼«¬®·¿´ ¬®«½¬«®» ¬¸¿¬ ¿®» ²±¬ ·² µ»»°·²¹ ©·¬¸ ¬¸» «®®±«²¼·²¹ ½¸¿®¿½¬»®ò Î·ª»® Í¬®»»¬ Î·ª»®º®±²¬ò Ì¸· ¿½¯«··¬·±² · ·²¬»²¼»¼ ¬± °®±ª·¼» ¿ ½±²¬·²«¿¬·±² ±º ¬¸» ¼±©²¬±©² ®·ª»® ©¿´µ©¿§ º®±³ ¬¸» Ó·´©¿«µ»» Í¬®»»¬ Þ®·¼¹» ¬± ¬¸» Ö¿½µ±² Í¬®»»¬ Þ®·¼¹»ò Ì¸» Ý·¬§ ¸¿ °®±ª·¼»¼ ·³°®±ª»³»²¬ ¾»¬©»»² Ó·´©¿«µ»» Í¬®»»¬ ¿²¼ Ý»²¬»®©¿§ò Ì¸· ®·ª»®º®±²¬ ½±®®·¼±® ©·´´ ¿½½±³³±¼¿¬» ¬¸» ×½» ß¹» ÒÍÌò Î·ª»®º®±²¬ °®±°»®¬·» ¾»¬©»»² Ó·´©¿«µ»» Í¬®»»¬ ¿²¼ ¬¸» Ö¿½µ±² Í¬®»»¬ Þ®·¼¹»ô ±® °±®¬·±² ±º ¬¸»» °®±°»®¬·»ô ¸±«´¼ ¾» ¿½¯«·®»¼ ¿ ¬¸»§ ¾»½±³» ¿ª¿·´¿¾´»ò ßº¬±² Î±¿¼ Î±½µ Î·ª»® Ð¿®µ©¿§ò Ì¸» Î±½µ Î·ª»® Ð¿®µ©¿§ô ´±½¿¬»¼ ¾»¬©»»² ¬¸» Î±½µ Î·ª»® ¿²¼ ßº¬±² Î±¿¼ô »²½±³°¿» ¶«¬ ±ª»® îðð ¿½®» ¿²¼ ¬®»¬½¸» ¿°°®±¨·³¿¬»´§ ì ³·´» ·² ´»²¹¬¸ò Ì¸» Ð¿®µ©¿§ °®±ª·¼» °«¾´·½ ¿½½» ¬± ¿ °±®¬·±² ±º ¬¸» Î±½µ Î·ª»® ¾»¬©»»² Î±½µ°±®¬ Î±¿¼ ¿²¼ Û¿« úÑÜÔËØëÎÜÙüÍÜÇØÙËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÉËÜÔÑÒÏÎÆÏÜÊÉÕØjíØÜÚØéËÜÔÑi×ÎÑÑÎÆÊÉÕØËÔÇØË×ÎË ¿°°®±¨·³¿¬»´§ í ³·´»ò Ì¸· ¬®¿·´ ¸¿ ¾»»² ¼»ª»´±°»¼ô ·² °¿®¬ô ±² ¿ º±®³»® ®¿·´®±¿¼ ¹®¿¼» ¿´±²¹ ¬¸» ²±®¬¸»®² ¬©± ³·´» ±º ¬¸» °¿®µ©¿§ò ß½¯«··¬·±² · ®»½±³³»²¼»¼ º±® °®±°»®¬·» ©·¬¸ ®»ª»®·±²¿®§ ½´¿«» ·²½´«¼·²¹ ±¬¸»® ®»·¼»²¬ÔÜÑÜÏÙÚÎÐÐØËÚÔÜÑÍËÎÍØËÉÄÜÑÎÏÖÉÕØÍÜËÒÆÜÄiÊ ©¿¬»®º®±²¬ò Î±½µ ¿²¼ Þ»´±·¬ Ì±©²¸·°ô ¬¸» Ý·¬§ ±º Þ»´±·¬ ¿²¼ñ±® Î±½µ Ý±«²¬§ »»µ ¿½¯«··¬·±² ±® »¿»³»²¬ ±º ¬¸» »ª»² ®»³¿·²·²¹ ³·´» ±º ¿¾¿²¼±²»¼ ®¿·´©¿§ ¬± ´·²µ Ö¿²»ª·´´» ¬± Þ»´±·¬ò ß½¯«··¬·±² ©·´´ ¾» ©·¬¸ ©·´´·²¹ »´´»® ±²´§ô ©·¬¸±«¬ ¿²§ ½±²¼»³²¿¬·±²ò Ì¸· ¬®¿·´ô ©¸»² ´·²µ»¼ ©·¬¸ ¬¸» Ý·¬§ ¬®¿·´ ²»¬©±®µ ¿²¼ ¬¸» ×½» ß¹» ÒÍÌô ©·´´ ¸¿ª» ¬¿¬»ó©·¼»ô ¿²¼ ®»¹·±²¿´ô ·¹²·º·½¿²½» ¾§ °®±ª·¼·²¹ ¿ °¿¬¸ ·²¬± Þ»´±·¬ ¿²¼ ½±²²»½¬·²¹ ¬± Ò±®¬¸»®² ×´´·²±·ò ßæÖçôîððè ìç ÜÑÐÌÛÜ ËÒÛ