City of Lakewood

Strategic Planning Division

Community Planning & Development

POLICY REPORT NO. 2003-1

TO: Mayor and City Council

THRU: Frank Gray, Director of Community Planning and Development

Roger Wadnal, Manager, Strategic Planning

Sally Payne, Senior Planner

FROM: Holly Boehm, Planner II

DATE: November 8, 2002

SUBJECT: 2003 Neighborhood Participation Program

January 6, 2003, Study Session

RECOMMENDATION

City Council confirm the top projects as rated by staff to be constructed in the 2003 Neighborhood Participation Program, and direct staff to forward a resolution for adoption of these selected projects and funding levels to City Council’s regular meeting on January 13, 2003.

BACKGROUND

The Neighborhood Participation Program (NPP) was adopted by City Council in 1991 as part of the Five-Year Capital Improvement and Preservation Program (CIPP). The intent of the program is to encourage neighborhood organizations to identify unmet needs in their immediate neighborhood and propose projects that qualify for funding under this program. These projects are usually small and might not otherwise be addressed as a priority item in the CIPP.

Seventy-one projects have been selected for the program since its inception. Many different types of neighborhood projects have been completed through this program in the areas of parks and recreation, landscaping, sidewalks, and drainage.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

City Council Resolution 94-74 (see Attachment A) describes how the program is to be administered and identifies criteria for project selection. Briefly summarized, the evaluation process begins with a staff team representing Community Planning and Development, Community Resources, and Public Works thoroughly reviewing each application for completeness and clarity, followed by field visits to every project site, and preparation of preliminary cost estimates. Projects that meet program requirements are then evaluated based on the criteria set forth in the resolution. These criterions are weighted by relative importance to arrive at an overall ranking for each project. This evaluation approach represents a reasoned method of ranking projects of a very disparate nature, since project applications compete directly with all others received for that year.

2000 PROGRAM

All projects from the 2000 program have been completed with the exception of Project No. 2000-15, a pedestrian bridge at McDonnell Park. This project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2002.

2001 PROGRAM

All projects from the 2001 program have been completed with the exception of Project No. 2001-11, a bike path link at the northwest corner of Kipling and Dartmouth Ave. This project is scheduled for completion in early 2003.

2002 PROGRAM

Fourteen applications were received, totaling approximately $299,000 in estimated construction costs. City Council approved the eight projects recommended by staff for construction. Table 1 summarizes the status of the 2002 NPP program.

Table 1 - 2002 Project Rankings

Rank	Project #	Description	Estimated Cost	Comments
1	2002-11	Add a backstop and infield dirt to create a practice baseball field at Jefferson Green Park	($37,000) 22,000	Completed
2	2002-08	Install trees, benches and trash cans in Addenbrooke and Jackson Parks	$7,000	Under contract
3	2002-09	Install pump for waterfall in lake at Addenbrooke Park	$12,000	In bid process
4	2002-12	Install a tot lot in Hutchinson Open Space Park	$23,000	In bid process
5	2002-05	Erect a neighborhood identification sign at Alkire and Cedar	($5,000) $2,500	Under construction
6	2002-01	Connect sidewalk with Bus Stop on Wadsworth at Morrison Road	$30,000	Completed
7	2002-04	Erect a neighborhood identification sign at Bear Creek and Gladiola	$7,000	Under construction
8	2002-07	Complete north end of neighborhood fence along Wadsworth Blvd.	$5,440	Completed
		Subtotal of Projects Within Program Budget	$108,940

In addition, Project 2002-06, Bridgewood Commons Park, was referred to Neighborhood Planning and is to be funded with Community Development Block Grant funds. A conceptual plan has been finalized for the park. It is anticipated implementation of the plan will begin in March 2003.

2003 PROGRAM

The 2003 Program is funded with $100,000 for project construction. The additional $20,000 previously available for consultant design work has been cut from the budget and is no longer available. Applications for the 2003 Program were accepted until September 16, 2002. Nineteen applications were received with an estimated $562,428 in total construction costs.

In order to facilitate Council’s project selection, the applications that ranked the highest and fit within the overall program budget have been identified. Table 2 lists and describes all projects in the order of total ranking points received. A subtotal has been provided showing the projects that

fell within the program budget. A map showing the location of all the projects (Attachment B) is also included.

Table 2 - 2003 Project Rankings

Rank	Project #	Description	Estimated Cost	Comments
1	2003-05	Place permanent speed notification signs on 20^th Ave. between Carr and Kipling streets	$12,000
2	2003-07	Install play shelter at Devinny Elementary School	($32,000) $30,000	Applicant offering $2,000
3	2003-014	Install new information bulletin board at O’Kane Park	$2,000
4	2003-17	Erect entry identification sign at Ponderosa Park Condominiums	($6,000) $5,400	Applicant offering $600. Easement required.
5	2003-08	Improvements to Lasley Park including new park benches and trash receptacles, sanolet improvements, and sidewalk connections	$28,000
6	2003-09	Install new park benches and identification sign at Mountainside Park	($5,000) $2,500	Applicant offering $2,500
7	2003-10	Erect entry identification signs at San Francisco West Townhomes	$14,000	Easement required.
		Subtotal of Projects Within Program Budget	$93,900

Rank	Project #	Description	Estimated Cost	Comments
8	2003-01	Erect 2 neighborhood identification signs in the Green Acres neighborhood	$14,000
9	2003-12	Replace playground equipment at Addenbrooke Park	$45,000
10	2003-16	Redesign and enhancement of entrance island at Concord Townhomes	$19,500
11	2002-04	Erect new Heritage West entry sign and improve landscaping in island at Asbury and Kipling	($30,000) $20,000	Applicant offering $10,000
12	2003-15	Redesign and re-landscape of ROW along east side of Pierce Street between W. Mexico Pl. and W. Oregon Ave.	($10,000) $7,500	Applicant offering $2,500
13	2003-02	Place cobblestone rock along the ROW in 13100 block of West Jewell. Ave.	$6,000
14	2003-06	Install ROW landscaping along north side of Jewell Ave. between Wadsworth Blvd. and Allison	($45,056) $22,528	Applicant offering $22,528
15	2003-13	Erect Lakewood entry features at Sheridan Blvd. and Alameda Ave.	$50,000
16	2003-18	Install bandstand at Whitlock Center	($35,000) $25,000	Applicant offering $10,000
		Total Estimated Cost of Projects	$303,428

Three of the above applications were submitted by business organizations. These applications include:

§ Project No. 2003-06, submitted by the Jewell/Wadsworth Area Business Association;

§ Project No. 2003-13, submitted by the Alameda Gateway Association; and

§ Project No. 2003-18, submitted by Citizens for Lakewood’s Future.

Although all three projects were considered to have merit and were weighed in the original ranking of the projects, staff determined they did not meet a critical submittal requirement of the Neighborhood Participation Program. Resolution 94-74 states that applications should be submitted by neighborhood organizations or a group of neighborhood residents who represent the interests of an entire neighborhood. Staff is concerned that due to the recent budget cut to the M-10 (Arterial Plan Implementation) line item in the CIPP from $100,000 to $35,000 annually, businesses may be turning to the Neighborhood Participation Program as an alternative source of funding to complete projects. Staff does not believe an application submitted by a business organization meets the intent of the Neighborhood Participation Program, and therefore should not be considered for funding.

The review committee did not rank three additional applications. Table 3 summarizes those projects not considered for ranking.

Table 3 – Projects not ranked by committee

Project #	Description	Estimated Cost	Comments
2003-03	Construct sidewalk along Jewell Frontage road between S. Quail and S. Pierson Ct.	$165,000	Not in the City of Lakewood
2003-11	Place 5 traffic islands on Teller St. between Colfax and 26^th Ave.	$80,000	Exceeds the $50,000 per project limit
2003-19	Erect neighborhood identification signs within the Eiberhood neighborhood	$14,000	Incomplete application. Referred to neighborhood planning.

SUMMARY

Staff is seeking Council selection of projects to be completed in the 2003 Neighborhood Participation Program based on the above rankings and the $100,000 available budget in the Five-Year Capital Improvement and Preservation Program (CIPP).

Submitted by:	Reviewed by:
Frank Gray, Director Community Planning & Development	Michael J. Rock City Manager
Roger Wadnal, Manager Strategic Planning	Joni Inman, Director Mayor and City Manager’s Office
Sally Payne Senior Planner
Holly Boehm Planner II