Agenda - Council Work Session - 06/12/2007

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,- CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION Topic Report: CommerciallIndustrial Performance Standards . By: SylVia Frolik, Asst. Com. Dev. Dir./HRA Exec. Dir. Background: After much discussion at the City Council work session of May 1, 2007, City Council determined that it is time to reqUire existing commercial and industrial sites, as well as the newly developing and redeveloping sites, to come into compliance with performance standards established in City Code. The City Council was also very adamant that the enforcement of performance standards be applied uniformly in all of the commercial and industrial districts. City Staffhas drafted the enclosed letter which is proposed to be mailed to all owners of commercial and industrial sites in the City. The intent of this letter is inform all of the property owners of the recent City Council discussions about required performance standards as it relates to enforcement. Following the issuance of the .letter, City Staff is proposing to visit all of the commercial and industrial sites in the community to determine which properties will need to upgrade their site conditions. Examples of required improvements or performance standards include the installation of pavement and curbing, removal of non-conforming accessory structures, and elimination of outdoori storage in zones that do not permit outdoor storage. I I The inspections will tben be followed up with a letter to all sites that are dete~ined to be in need of certain impro'1ements or corrections in order to be in compliance with City Code. The letter will include a d~adline by which the corrections are expected to be accomplished. A logical question from the property owner will be: ''what are the consequences for failure to bring sites into compliance?" The .draft letter proposes that failure to comply would result in the issuance of a citation and forwarding the matter to the City. Attorney for legal action. However, the letter is not intended to be threatening and stresses the City's desire to work with the business owner to resolve issues and not enter into adversarial roles. City Code requires that the edge of all bituminous and concrete surfaces be finished with B6/12 concrete curbing. It strengthens the edge of the pavement, directs drainage, directs traffic, and improves the appearance of the site generally. The City recognizes that there is a significant cost associated with the installation of curbing on existing bituminous or concrete surfaces. Therefore, City Staff is proposing a policy of not requiring the installation of curbing along the perimeter of existing pavement and concrete until such time as these types of surfaces go through a major maintenance procedure. Major maintenance would include overlays of bituminous or replacement of concrete; seal coating shall be considered routine maintenance. Detailed information of this nature would be included in the second letter issued to properties that have been identified as needing to install pavement in order to be in compliance with City Code.