AG 2002 10 21 (Regular) - Laserfiche WebLink

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The downtown cannot be healthy if the residential areas aroUnd it are not. As a result, a full Center City study is underway. This study is comprehensive and will provide a vision for these neighborhoods and recommend steps needed to reach the vision. At the same time, work on the Cabarrus Avenue entrywaY project is serving as a model for improving an older mixed-use area so it can provide an attractive corridor into our city and reinstate it as a viable residential and commercial district. Neighborhoods The City's effort to forge partnerships with recognized neighborhoods is vital not ~)nly 'to communications efforts but also to the sustainability of the quality of life in specific areas of our community.. The Silverhill, Logan, Gibson Village, Oak Park, Kiser Woods, and Residents of Historic Concord neighborhoods have been officially recognized by the City Council. Staff expects more to seek recognition in the upcoming year. In addition to the City Manager assigning a staff liaison, the Planning Department will offer neighborhoods assistance in developing formal neighborhood plans that focus on the long term. These plans can provide the framework for the future private and public development and revitalization of these neighborhoods using the 'input of those who live there. Electric System This budget contains the funds to continue a major project to upgrade to electric system capacity and reliability. This wo~:k has been necessitated by the growth that makes it imperative that we utilize the additional capacity that the City has developed in the Kings Grant area to offset higher loads in other parts of the City. This is just the beginning of an effort with several future phases as it is important that we continue to reinvest electric revenues so that we can continue to provide higher levels of services and reliability than our competitors. Concord and its customers have benefited greatly by having a municipal electric system and we must continue to prepare for the future so this advantage will be maintained. TRANSPORTATION Surface The City has completed more than half of the 13 initial projects being funded, by the 2-cent transportation fund. All the projects should be completed during the next fiscal year. Staff will continue to work with Council to identify future uses of this fund such as some of the improvements associated with the Cabarrus Avenue Corridor project. However, it is likely few new projects will be able to be funded until the property tax revenues grow beyond the debt obligations of the recent improvement projects. The budget carries over $1,450,000 in expenditures for the cabarrus Avenue Corridor Improvement Project. This will cover the improvements from Warren Coleman Boulevard to White Street. At the same time, NCDOT will be acquiring the right-of-way for the roundabout. The budget reflects the use of revenues from the 2-cent transportation fund to cover the Coleman Boulevard to White Street segment. The combination of local, state and federal funds will allow both Phase I and Phase'II of this project to be completed. The staff will also continue to implement Council directives regarding traffic calming and pedestrian transportation planning. The Pedestrian Improvement Plan (PIP) will be used to provide direction for the future location of sidewalks in established areas of the City without such