While a paper copy may have been sent to many of our members, the contents of this newsletter are as follows...
Sustainability? How as an Association can we guarantee the continued viability of our organization? This is a question I’ve been struggling with for many months. CHNA has accomplished great things over the last few years. How do we keep this momentum going? I keep coming back to the same answer. It requires individuals committing their time and energy to issues that directly affect both their quality of life and their financial investment.
We’ve seen real success stories this year. The Seerley Park neighbors achieved their goal of rezoning around the park and down Iowa St. Something very few thought was possible. The city council passed ordinance revisions to our Overlay Ordinance that will have significant implications to future development. This was another hard fought battle. The city is committed to a million dollar streetscape project to the declining Hill. Groups with a historical investment in the future on this small commercial district are starting to talk about it’s future.
Your Association has a long list of projects and initiatives that need to be carried into the coming years. Who’s going to continue this effort? You? Please take a few minutes to think about what’s important to you. For me, it’s home and family, preserving quality of life, and protecting the surroundings I live in. There’s no better place to have an impact on your neighborhood then through CHNA. But we need more then a pat on the back. We need you. Contact us and let us know what you’re interested in. There’s a place for every idea and every commitment level. I truly believe the future of the neighborhood is only limited by our failure to commit to the possibilities. I’ve seen change and I know it’s possible.
At their December meeting the Board of Adjustment considered two variance requests within the Overlay. The first was a request by the property owner at 1803 College St., to both allow a variance in the front yard setback for fences and also to measure the height of the fence from the newly established artificial berm along College St.
The Board denied the request by unanimous vote. Artificially manipulating the height of the surrounding grade defeats the purpose of the height requirement for privacy fences and it was concluded that height is measured from the “natural grade” of the property.
The second request for a variance came from the new owner of the home at 1510 Starbeck Circle to re-established it as a duplex. Records indicate the residential use of this property had been discontinued for over 4 years prior to purchase. The house was converted to a duplex in 1993. Rental inspection showed that in 2001 the entire structure was being used for business purposes although the City Planning Div. did not become aware of this “illegal use” until 2004.
City code (Section 29-112(b)(2) deals with discontinuance of non-conforming uses. If a non-conforming use is discontinued for over one year it can only be re-established if it meets the current uses permitted in the district it’s located in.
Several changes occurred during the time this property was not being used for residential purposes. The area was included in the College Hill Overlay Zoning District, which in R-2 zoning districts denies the conversion of single-family homes to duplexes and also increases the parking requirements. Secondly, no basement unit may be established in floodplain district. This property is in the 100-year flood plain. The Board voted unanimously for denial.
Both petitioners have indicated that they plan to appeal these decisions to the Black Hawk District Court.
Neighbors and friends were rewarded for their hard work when the Cedar Falls City Council voted unanimously to rezone part of the College Hill Neighborhood Overlay to move the R-3 boundary west from its current location to the centerline of Walnut St. with the southern boundary at University Avenue. Their primary concern was that the existing R-3 zoning in this area would permit new development that would be out-of-scale and character with the surrounding structures. Single-family homeowners can now be assured that the integrity of the neighborhood around Seerley Park will be maintained.
The second major hurdle was the final reading of the proposed revisions to the College Hill Overlay Ordinance. Following is a brief summary of the adopted changes:
You can find the entire College Hill Overlay Ordinance in the City of Cedar Falls Code of Ordinances, Sec. 29:160.
CHNA joined with the Overman Park Neighborhood Association in providing an opportunity to discuss with city council candidates the issues of importance to our members. We were pleased to have student from UNI’s State and Local Government Program help us conduct the forum. A special “thanks” goes to Al Hays, Director of the Public Policy Program at the University, for his assistance.
The evening was televised by the city’s cable television network and was another indicator of CHNA’s efforts to be a positive voice in the future of Cedar Falls city government. Through your membership you give credibility and direction to that effort.
Did you see all the creative snow sculptures gracing our yards in December?
Maybe you were too busy watching your step on our sidewalks to notice.
Well the city has been working hard to encourage property owners to get things cleaned up. A “reasonable time” is considered 48 hours after the snowfall stops. If a complaint is filed a written warning is placed on the door of the property and the owner has 24 hours to comply. If they do not remove the accumulations the city will shovel the sidewalk and bill the owner. According to Code Enforcement Officer, Bob Anderson, the cost is usually around $45. Officer Anderson says that they issued over 150 warnings in the city during the month of December. Code enforcement is a slow, tedious job that deserves our support. I’m sure Bob would enjoy hearing that you appreciate his commitment to your neighborhood. You can thank him at bob.anderson@ci.cedar-falls.ia.us.
If you’re interested you can find the ordinance under:
Article I: General
Sec. 23-5. Clearing of snow and ice from sidewalks.
It shall be the duty of the owner to keep sidewalks abutting the property clear of the natural accumulations of snow or ice. If the owner fails to do so within a reasonable time, the operations and maintenance manager may have the natural accumulations of snow or ice removed without notice to the property owner. The manager shall give the council an itemized and verified statement of the costs and a legal description of the property. The costs shall be assessed against the property as taxes.
Residents of our older neighborhoods have long appreciated the support of re-elected councilmen Axe Haugen and Tom Hagarty. Over the summer both Axe and Tom were strong advocates for both the rezoning on Iowa St. and the much needed ordinance revisions to the College Hill Overlay Ordinance.
The November elections added two new “neighborhood friendly” faces to the Cedar Falls City Council. John Runchey in Ward 3 to the west and Frank Darrah who leaves his position on the Planning and Zoning Commission to represent our neighbors to the east in Ward 5.
Both John and Frank have served the people of our community in many volunteer positions and strongly support the preservation and revitalization of our older neighborhoods with an emphasis on planned growth for the future. CHNA looks forward to working with the 2006 City Council to make the College Hill Neighborhood a centerpiece for historic Cedar Falls.
The 24-hour Relay For Life comes to the Uni Dome at 6:00 pm on Friday, March 31. There will be over 2000 participants in teams of 8-15 people who take turns walking around the dome through the night. Money is raised through team donations with a goal this year of $100,000.
Highlights of the event include a “grill out” from 5:00-7:00 pm on Friday followed by a luminaria ceremony (purchased through donations) paying tribute to those affected by cancer at 8:00 pm. Cancer survivors will be invited to take a victory lap at around 9:00 pm to celebrate their success in this continuing struggle.
Contact us if you’re interested in being part of the CHNA TEAM. For more information you may also visit www.uni.edu/studentorgs/relayforlife or contact our Board’s Student Representative and Event Chair Grant Erwin at grante@uni.edu or 319-404-0254.
The College Hill Neighborhood Association is working with the Cedar Falls Historical Society on planning a neighborhood tour of homes in the fall of 2006.
The Association’s hope is to remind the community of the historical background of our neighborhood and the opportunities for revitalization involving both city and private partners.
This event has the potential to put College Hill back on the map for many positive initiatives. This is not a “small” undertaking. It will take many volunteers to assure success. We need all our members to step forward. It could be as simple as buying a ticket for yourself and your friends or offering to help the home owners during the tour at the various home sites, Our hope is that you’ll want to get involved earlier in the process and give us your ideas and energy in the planning stages. Please contact Mary Brammer, 266-1408 or rbrammer@cfu.net
to find out how you may help. Thanks