Monday evening, October 6, City Council has a special meeting to decide whether to pledge $500,000 to the expansion of the Roane State Community College branch campus in Oak Ridge.
Details of square footage are a bit confusing, but it seems that Roane State wants to add a new 53,000 square foot building for health occupations and add 22,000 square feet of space to the existing building, including adding a second story to the library. This would increase the size of the campus by 62%. The college says this is needed to accommodate high enrollments and meet community needs in the areas of healthcare and nanotechnology occupations. The college wants to gather $5 million in pledges (about 15% of the total project cost) in order to get the state to add this project to its priority list for higher education projects — and eventually commit to paying the rest of the project cost. Anderson County has already pledged $500,000.
As Monday’s Oak Ridger reports, funding the request would add about 1/2 cent to the City tax rate because the money could be obtained through borrowing. Roane State is important to the community (for students, their future employers and future medical patients, ORICL partiicipants, and the jobs the school provides), and that’s not a big addition to the tax rate. I hope that area residents are enthusiastic enough to make generous pledges from their personal and business resources. I have serious doubts, however, about whether City Council should pledge to spend “other people’s money” (city taxpayer dollars) on a state project when there are significant unmet capital needs in areas that are the city’s responsibility. (To name a few of these, the city preschool is in a building that was thought of as “too old” long before the Roane State campus was built, the municipal building needs significant work, and the city has been chronically unable to address needs for a senior center.)
Just as I am uncomfortable with “spot zoning,” I am not comfortable with the “spot budgeting” that this request represents — I’d like to consider this proposed capital expenditure alongside other city priorities.
Also, I wonder about alternative ways to address Roane State’s needs. The Roane State Oak Ridge campus is abuzz with activity in the morning but gets real quiet in the afternoon — couldn’t some enrollment growth be handled by adding more classes in the afternoon? Oak Ridge just completed a new state of the art high school, and it is not at capacity — couldn’t some Roane State classes (particularly dual enrollment classes) be held there? The Roane State proposal is ambitiously large — what could be accomplished with a smaller expansion (say, just a new health building), and what would it cost to do that?
People who read an article in last Monday’s Oak Ridger have been asking me “what’s this about the height of houses?”
Since the article apparently was confusing, I’ll try to provide the whole story here.
The city planning staff presented a comprehensive revision of the city’s zoning ordinance for residential districts. After being passed by the Planning Commission, it went to City Council for two “readings” in August and September. The proposal is on the city website as a .doc file and in the PDF version of the City Council agenda.
One major theme of the changes was to relax restrictions on house size, setbacks, etc., to make the zoning ordinance more friendly to developers of new subdivisions. However, the same zoning regulations that apply in new subdivisions also apply in existing neighborhoods — and zoning rules are one of the things that people rely on to help ensure that a homeowner’s neighbors won’t make changes that harm the value of their own properties.
In reviewing the proposal, I kept asking myself (and staff) “How will this affect existing established neighborhoods?” I was thinking, if a house burns down and is replaced, or if a long-vacant lot is finally developed, will new (bigger) houses adversely affect the neighbors’ quality or life or reduce the value of existing homes? This is not purely hypothetical — disruption of neighborhoods by “mansionization” (building of homes on a much larger scale than the rest of the neighborhood) has become a big issue in some other parts of the country. I figure it’s better to avoid conflict by not relaxing standards in the first place than to try to fix neighborhoods later on after they’ve been disrupted.
Staff convinced me that most of the proposed changes would not be detrimental to established neighborhoods. They pointed out that a new larger home up the street tends to raise the value of the other homes on the street, not reduce them. Also, the changes in setback distances were mostly modest reductions in Oak Ridge’s generous rear-yard setbacks, and they would not noticeably diminish most people’s privacy.
However, I was not convinced about the proposed change in the maximum height of a house in single-family residential zones — from 35 ft to 40 ft. According to staff, taller houses are needed because ceilings are higher than they used to be, multi-story houses need space between floors for HVAC ducts, etc., and steeply pitched roofs are now in fashion. In a typical Oak Ridge neighborhood of one-story homes, I think the addition of a 40-ft-tall house (this is the typical height of a 3-story or 3-1/2-story commercial building) would be very disruptive. (Thirty-five feet also could be “too tall,” but that rule was already in place.)
I asked about making the new rules apply only to newly platted areas, but was told that couldn’t be done — zoning regulations must be uniform across the district. That’s when I started wondering whether the new height limit is truly needed. I asked my sister (a residential architect in Colorado) to help me understand the need for taller houses, and to my surprise she told me that all the jurisdictions she works in (places like Aspen, Colorado) are more restrictive than our current ordinance. With that info, and after searching Google for height limits in other cities and counties, I concluded that the 35-foot height limit should not be a problem for new development. Few jurisdictions that have height limits in feet for single-family residential zones set the limit any higher than 35 feet, and some have more restrictive limits. The 35-ft limit (measured from the ground to the midpoint of the rooflines) is ample to allow a 3-story building (or a 2-story building with a full walk-out basement). Additionally, I figured that property owners in R-1 zones should be able to seek variances for steep lots on which the 35-ft limit would pose a special hardship.
After all that, at the Sept. 22 Council meeting I proposed to amend the new zoning ordinance to change the “Maximum Height in Feet” for the R-1-A, R-1-B, and R-1-C zoning districts from 40 feet to 35 feet. My amendment failed by a 4-3 vote (Tom Hayes and Dave Mosby agreed with me, but Charlie Hensley spoke out regarding the need to accommodate 3-story houses with steep-pitched peaked roofs, and the other Council members apparently agreed with Charlie). However, Council voted unanimously to ask the Planning Commission to look into measures to ensure that existing neighborhoods are protected with respect to height limits.
This week’s Newsweek magazine has an article about RecycleBank. In Everett, Massachusetts, the article says the program has resulted in a 10x increase in recycling. It quotes the mayor as saying, “The recycling buzz is out there; it’s fun filling that thing up to the top.”
As described in the article, the company’s current push to expand into the South and Midwest is about establishing a “conservation culture” in these regions, and keeping trash out of landfills.
The article also says that RecycleBank was still operating at a loss in the most recent financial reporting period, which is consistent with my theory that recycling doesn’t generate big revenues.
Monday evening’s City Council agenda included several resolutions to authorize sale of municipal bonds in order to refinance some of the city’s debt at lower rates of interest. (Oak Ridge recently attained a very favorable bond rating, making it possible to borrow at better interest rates than the city was able to get earlier.)
Two weeks ago, when the agenda was being drawn up, the proposal to refinance some debt looked pretty mundane. After the financial crisis that has unfolded over the past 9 days, though, it felt downright surreal to be talking matter-of-factly about selling millions of dollars’ worth of bonds.
Here’s hoping that “normal” returns to our money system soon…
Earlier this week the local newspapers reported (here and here) that the city had received two proposals for redevelopment at Oak Ridge’s marina site at Melton Lake park. People are talking and wondering about what might happen.
Count me among the many residents who see unfulfilled potential at the marina, but worry that redevelopment — particularly redevelopment with a commercial focus — could get in the way of the public’s enjoyment of this area.
In my opinion, some parts of the marina area (mostly the area around the boat basin) have become run-down and do not make the best possible use of the site. Therefore, I see merit in the notion of considering some sort of “redevelopment,” but obviously redevelopment could take many forms.
The City’s request for proposals sought conceptual proposals, with the expectation that staff would review them and ask City Council for authorization to negotiate with the submitter of the most attractive proposal. I think we were hoping for more than two proposals, but the two submissions give an indication of what’s possible and should offer some real choices…
So far, I’ve seen just one of the proposals (the one from local landowner/developer R&R Properties, headed by Rick Chinn). City staff have said the other one would also be provided to Council members; I just haven’t seen it yet.
The R&R proposal presents a vision for the future of the lakefront that I think most residents would find attractive. Among other things, it includes lakefront entertainment venues, covered boat storage (at a proposed rental fee of $250/month), additional pedestrian/bike trail access next to the water, and new condos and other development on property that R&R owns adjacent to the Flatwater Grill. It definitely would not restrict public access to the area, but it would change the nature of the lakefront.
The City will have to make decisions on the physical changes proposed, as well as on the financial aspects (which I think are likely to be more difficult to evaluate than the physical changes).
Staff projects that Council will see a recommendation in November. Between now and then, it would be helpful to hear about what it is people want and don’t want to see at the lakefront. For example, if you have kept a boat at the existing boat basin or if you would like to keep a boat there in the future, what are you looking for in a boat slip? How would you react to a $250 monthly rental for covered storage?
At Monday evening’s work session on recycling, the full Council heard about plans to start single-stream recycling on October 1, 2008. Yes, Virginia, we can put all of our recyclables at curbside starting October 1: not just alumninum and steel cans, #1 and #2 plastic bottles, glass bottles, and newspaper, but also mixed paper (office paper, junk mail, magazines, cardboard, phone books, etc.), plastic #1 through #7, and all kinds of plastic bags.
City Manager Jim O’Connor said that he expected to present a proposal for a contract for the Recycle Bank incentive program (see this earlier blog post) at the October 18 City Council meeting (not September 22 as projected earlier). After 3 weeks of cramming all of our recyclables into the current bins (or seeing a wide variety of containers left at curbside to handle the overflow — note that plastic bags or cardboard boxes can used, but both the content and container will be considered as recyclable), I expect that many people will be excited about the idea of a large recycling cart with a cover on it. However, City Council needs to decide whether that cart plus the RecycleBank’s recycling incentives (which are said to average about $20 per month of value for a household) justify charging every household an additional $2 per month. I expect that some households will have difficulty managing the carts — finding a place to keep the cart, getting it to the curb, preventing theft, etc.
The RecycleBank incentive program would come with a 5-year extension to the City’s contract with Waste Connections. The contract already extends to 2016, but the proposal would extend it to 2021 — a whopping 13 years in the future. Back-door garbage collection would continue for the term of the contract. The current cost of $11.22 per household (of which $5 is paid by fees and $6.22 is paid by taxes) and the $2 extra for the incentive program would be adusted upward for increases in the Consumer Price Index, but would not be renegotiated.
Added (Sept 11, 2008): Ray made some worthwhile comments, which I’m addressing here in addition to commenting on his comment.
R: Is handing out coupons an incentive? I was afraid of this, once again, a good effort to increase recycling participation in Oak Ridge comes with a price tag of $2.73 a month per household to increase retail in Oak Ridge. People, we can recycle more and not incur the cost …
E: For the record, the proposed price is $2 per month, not $2.73. The company says that people can expect to receive promotional coupons worth an average of $20 per month per household. I share your concern that the coupons might not be as worthwhile as advertised, but at the same time I figure that as long as their perceived value is more than $2 per month, people will feel like we’re ahead of the game. (Also, part of that $2 fee is needed to pay off the investment in the recycling carts, which I figure are worth somewhere near $100 each at retail.) Also, note that households will not be issued coupons directly, but will be given points that can be redeemed toward various “deals.” If even some of the coupons are good for “$10 off on a purchase of any size” at businesses where we actually buy stuff, I think we’ll feel that they are worthwhile. The Recycle Bank spokespeople told EQAB that the most popular rewards are for grocery stores and drug stores.
R: I have coupons in my mail, newspaper, credit cards, store cards, and online. Everyone I spoke with says they want to be able to spend these coupons on the $2.73 cents charge Recycle Bank sends us and to use these coupons on the $5 waste charge on our utility bills. This will increase participation.
E: It would be nice if we could get actual cash (or a reduction in the bill) as a reward for recycling, but the sad fact is that the market value of our recyclables is not high enough to provide a meaningful payback. The purpose of the promotional incentive is to encourages more people to recycle more stuff, so we send less stuff to the landfill, waste less energy and water in production of new virgin materials, and boost the recycling economy — the more we recycle, the more markets there will be for recycled materials.
R: Have you used PriceLine Groceries when it was a start up business like Recycle Bank? They are out of business now Ellen. I do not believe this company will make it till 2021, what happens then?
E: I never used PriceLine Groceries, but you have an excellent point regarding the possible longevity of the company. The City will need to make sure that any contract we sign lets us get off the hook if the Recycle Bank service stops being available — or if the quality and value of the promotional incentives declines significantly.
R: Do we get to keep the big plastic cart with an information tracker that allows them to sell my information to advertisers and spammers? Does this company provide a privacy policy for its customers?
E: Data privacy is definitely a concern. The RecycleBank has a privacy policy that says (in part): “We do not rent, sell or share your personal information or program activity to anyone without your express consent. We may share information with municipalities and haulers about the frequency with which you recycle and the weight or volume of the material you recycle but not about the content of this material. We may also share information with others about the aggregate volume or weight of material recycled by many households, including yours.”
Here’s a very long list of upcoming events in and around Oak Ridge, from the Convention & Visitors Bureau and other sources (updated to remove past events):
Next weekend, September 12-14
September 12 -14 - Women’s Water Weekend - Melton Hill Lake, Come out to enjoy a Fall Weekend on the water with Friends - New and Old! Learn to row on one of the top courses in the country, build relationships and trust with your friends and co-workers. Also participate in a Dragon Boat Clinic. Friday, 6 - 8 pm, Saturday 9am - 4pm, Sunday 8am to noon $175.00
ANDERSON COUNTY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION EVENT -SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2008, 9 am TO 2 pm,CLINTON HIGH SCHOOL, 425 DRAGON DR. & HILLCREST ST., CLINTON. SPONSORED BY ANDERSON COUNTY SOLID WASTE MGT. and the TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION.FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: ANDERSON COUNTY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT - 463-6845. This is a once-a-year opportunity for households (no commercial or agribusiness waste, please) to dispose of wastes that should not go down the drain or into a landfill:
HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS: DRAIN OPENERS, POLISHERS, DISINFECTANTS; HOME IMPROVEMENT / MAINTENANCE: OIL-BASED PAINT, ADHESIVES, STRIPPERS, THINNERS, REMOVERS; HOME LAWN AND GARDEN: HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, POISONS, FUNGICIDES, WOOD PRESERVATIVES; AUTOMOTIVE FLUIDS: OIL & FUEL ADDITIVES, STARTER FLUIDS, SOLVENTS, CLEANERS, REFRIGERANTS, COOLANTS, FUEL; MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES: RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES, PHOTO PROCESSING CHEMICALS, POOL CHEMICALS, MEDICINES / DRUGS, AEROSOLS / COMPRESSED GAS, CHEMISTRY SET CHEMICALS, COMPUTERS & RELATED EQUIPMENT
PLEASE DO NOT BRING:
LATEX (WATER-BASED) PAINT, ALKALINE BATTERIES, MEDICAL & INFECTIOUS WASTE, EXPLOSIVES / AMMUNITION, RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS (including smoke detectors), ANY EMPTY CONTAINERS
AUTOMOTIVE OIL, LEAD ACID BATTERIES
Saturday, September 13 - Dynamic Dragon Boat Clinic- morning or afternoon session. Oak Ridge Rowing Boathouse on Melton Hill Lake, $35.00 perperson for a three hour session. 865-742-4306 Limited Space Available.
Saturday, September 13- Antje Duvekot - Grove Theater - 8:00pm - See allenmcbride.com for details
LATER THIS MONTH
Monday, September 22 - Oak Ridge City Council meeting, 7 pm, city courtroom
September 26 -27 - Memory Magic Scrapbook Event - Oak Ridge Civic Center, Come to crop and come to shop. 865-425-3450
EARLY OCTOBER
October 5, 2008 - 13th Annual ASES National Solar Tour- See solar technology at work in an East Tennessee home.
Oct. 9-12, 2008, 2008 Secret City Film Festival, at the Oak Ridge Playhouse. Will feature 60 independent films from around the world. See www.secretcityfilmfestival.com.
EVERY SATURDAY AND WEDNESDAY - Oak Ridge Farmer’s Market - fresh local produce and other products sold at Jackson Square. Saturdays, 8am; Wednesdays, 3pm
EVERY SATURDAY - The Oak Ridge Flea Market runs on Saturday mornings March - December as a fund-raiser for the ORHS Student Council.
It seems you can’t open a newspaper or turn on a TV without hearing about traffic enforcement cameras. I’m still scratching my head over the news that Knoxville is terminating its contract with RedFlex due to late delivery of the company’s bid on a contract renewal.
Meanwhile, WBIR-TV has a report that the Oak Ridge police and RedFlex are studying intersections and streets before deciding where to install red-light and speed cameras. I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised — instead of identifying traffic safety problems and seeking the best methods to solve those problems, the city has selected a high-tech solution and is now seeking a problem to apply it to. Now that the majority of my fellow Council members have decided that we will have cameras, we all must hope they will be beneficial for public safety, but I do wish we had a clearer idea what problem we want them to fix.
Update Sept. 29: In response to those of you who have asked, I have no specific news on when cameras will appear on our streets. However, I realize that I failed to document one important piece of news. Earlier this summer, City staff had our signalized intersections evaluated by a traffic engineer to determine whether they had the appropriate yellow-light durations. As a results, most of the intersections that were evaluated had their yellow-light timing adjusted in at least one direction to increase the yellow duration. With or without cameras, I hope this makes it easier for all of us to avoid running through intersections as the lights change from yellow to red.
An unexpected feature of the Oak Ridge High School renovation is an impressive clock (at the dedication it was described as an astrolabe, which I think is a correct term for it) in the lobby. The News Sentinel has a good photo.
Last week the local papers had some positive news regarding the Oak Ridge mall property: the prospective developers are doing test drilling for a “geothermal” HVAC system on the site.
Of course, a “green” HVAC system is not much use at a shopping center unless the center has some commercial tenants to use the conditioned space, but I choose to see this as good news. This kind of “green” feature is the kind of thing that could give a commercial development a special identity — to entice customers to choose to shop there.
Now here’s hoping for some good tenants to complete the package!
