Explanation
Background: The NDC has contracted with the City to provide enhanced services to five of the six NCR areas. Since entering into the contract, additional services have been proposed for the Hilltop NCR area. It is necessary to amend the NDC contract to include these additional services and to extend the contract term to allow time to complete the services.
The street trees planted as part of the Hilltop NCR streetscape improvements in 1987 are Ash trees and most have been infected by the Emerald Ash Borer. All being in a state of decline, the City Forester determined that the trees must be removed to avoid limbs falling on pedestrians or parked cars. All infected trees were removed (cut down and root ball ground down) in the fall of 2014. New trees cannot be planted in existing tree pits due to the existence of a 25-year-old root system that stretches under the sidewalk and the street. To eliminate any trip hazards, new concrete pads will be poured this summer where trees were removed until it can be determined what improvements can enhance this commercial strip outside of complete reconstruction.
A nearby improvement project on West Broad Street between Highland and Terrace (the eastern half of the NCR district known as Highland West) will construct new streetscape elements in that 5 block area. This will include new street trees because the root network will be destroyed during sidewalk demolition. The same treatment can be considered for the western half of the NCR district but the cost of $3 million+ may be prohibitive. The NDC has agreed to gather consensus from Hilltop stakeholders on other options for streetscape improvements for the western half of the NCR district.
Fiscal Impact: No funding is necessary for this modification.
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested so that planning can start now in order to have a streetscape design solution in place by summer 2016 when capital funds will become available for design and c...
Click here for full text