IP2 of May 8 Info Packet

CITY CITY
MEMORANDUM
OF IOWA
[J;J
Date:
f:O!Pt
May 5, 2014
To: Tom Markus
From: Ann Freerks, Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission
Re: Incorporating a walkability clause into the school district diversity policy
At our meeting on May 1, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to request the City
Council to send a recommendation urging the Iowa City Community School Board to adopt a
"walkability clause" into its diversity policy. The Commission requests that the City Council
forward the following message to the school district:
The City of Iowa City would like to work collaboratively with the school district to
promote a more sustainable community by supporting and investing in our core
neighborhoods, which exhibit many of the attributes we are striving for in our new
subdivisions: a mix of housing types that support families of varying incomes; a
highly connected pattern of sidewalk-lined streets; and a layout of lots and blocks
that places as many homes as possible within walking distance of neighborhood
schools, parks, and shopping areas.
It is well-documented that when a significant number of children can safely walk
to school, it increases the health and welfare of those families and of the
community as a whole. It not only reduces transportation costs for the school
district, it reduces living costs for families. Unfortunately, not every neighborhood
in the school district is designed in a manner that makes it comfortable, safe, or
even possible for children to walk to school. So when a family chooses to live in a
compact, walkable neighborhood within a safe walking distance of their child's
school, we feel that choice should be supported.
Since walkability is a key indicator of healthy neighborhoods, and the City strives
to preserve and sustain the long-term value embodied in our walkable
neighborhoods, we urge the school district to adopt a walkability clause into its
diversity policy that states, "Elementary students that live within Yz mile
walking distance along safe routes of one or more elementary schools are
guaranteed enrollment in one of said elementary schools. Further,
residential areas within Yz mile walking distance along safe routes of one or
more elementary schools shall not be redistricted to another elementary
school outside said Yz mile walkable distance."
Inserting a walkability clause into the diversity policy will provide encouragement
to all jurisdictions within the district to build more compact, walkable
neighborhoods. The sustainable development pattern that results will reduce
costs to the cities, to the school district, and to families and will help make our
future neighborhoods more affordable to all families.
Planning and Zoning Commission
May 1, 2014
Transcript- discussion of walkability and diversity:
Freerks: I have one other thing under "other" that I would like to bring up. I know that there has been a
lot of talk of the redistricting or whatever they've called it recently and I would like to propose that we
ask the City Council to send to the school district a letter or something to request that there be some
type of walkability clause included with the diversity policy so that (and I'm not here to put parameters
on it) the City and the School District can discuss that every school, not just certain schools, have an
amount of walkability which is supported in our Comprehensive Plan and everything that we lay out-
not competing against, but making sure that it's a part of that so that we can support schools and
walkability in our schools. I would hope that is something that people would support here.
Theobald: I think that sounds like a great idea.
Eastham: I would be happy to support the notion of walkability to neighborhood schools. It is
something that we enjoyed when our kids were young, although sometimes they had to walk longer
than they wanted to. I also would like the City to be a little more candid in its use of its policies and
practices that are trying to preserve or enhance neighborhood stabilization. City Community
Development people wrote a memo to the City Manager which got to the School Board that said that
the UniverCity program was increasing stabilization in the Lucas-Governor Street area, which is
perhaps true but that stabilization is achieved by putting people of higher incomes in that area not
people that have kids that are eligible for FRL status.
Freerks: What I'm asking about though is about walkability and I think if you want to bring something -
Eastham: Walkability is fine as long as it is walkability for all households.
Freerks: --and that is what I'm asking is for walkability at every school. I am not singling out anything.
Eastham: Not for all households at all schools?
Freerks: Weill don't know that every house that goes to every school is walkable. Windsor Ridge is
bussed as an example. What I am talking about is that every school has an area that is a walkable
area and that's important to our comprehensive plan and to what we develop in our communities. I
don't want to spell out what it is. I want them to communicate with each other about it and I want the
communication to happen between the two.
Dyer: It seems like in newly developing areas that means that we also need to have diversity of types
of housing.
Freerks: Yes. And that is something that we support.
Thomas: I think Charlie is only saying that this walkability concept be integrated with a diversity policy.
Freerks: That's what I'm asking- for it to be part of it. I want to make sure that it's a part of the
discussion. Is that something that people agree on?
Commissioners: Yes.
Eastham: As long we are clear that what we are suggesting exactly what Thomas said.
Planning and Zoning Commission
May 1, 2014
2 of2
Freerks: I don't know that is. What are you saying?
Theobald: My concern is that the walkability trumps diversity.
Page
Freerks: I'm not saying one trumps the other. I am saying that at the heart of our Comprehensive
Plan-and it is supported by our Comprehensive Plan-that we have neighborhoods that have
walkability and that neighborhood schools are part of that- schools and neighborhoods. And I want us
to support that and I want our school district to support that as well. That's all. Would you do that then,
Bob? Talk to them.
Bob: Sure. We can draft something. It might be helpful to maybe have an outline or something.
Freerks: Sure. Yeah. I'll do it quickly.
To: Mayor Matt Hayek and City Manager Tom Markus
From: Jim Throgmorton
Subject: Diversity and walkable neighborhoods
Date: May 13,2014
Item #2 in the City Council's May 8 information packet includes a March 5 memo from
Ann Freerks. Her memo involves an important and substantively challenging problem:
how to help the School District comply with its Diversity Policy without undermining the
city's efforts to preserve and sustain the long-term value embodied in our walkable
neighborhoods.
Posed that way, it sounds as if we face an Either/Or choice between walkability and
diversity.
It's not an Either/Or choice. We can marshal our creativity to achieve both walkability
and diversity.
Freerks' memo states, "At our meeting on May 1, the Planning and Zoning Commission
voted to request the City Council to send a recommendation urging the Iowa City
Community School Board to adopt a "walkability clause" into its diversity policy." The
clause would read, "Elementary students that live within % mile walking distance along
safe routes of one or more elementary schools are guaranteed enrollment in one of said
elementary schools. Further, residential areas within mile walking distance along
safe routes of one or more elementary schools shall not be redistricted to another
elementary school outside mile walkable distance." Freerks' memo further states,
"Inserting a walkability clause into the diversity policy will provide encouragement to all
jurisdictions within the district to build more compact, walkable neighborhoods."
Tom's May 8 email to Superintendent Murley indicates our Council is likely to consider
the proposed recommendation at our May 20 meeting. Tom copied us on that email so
that we could be thinking about how to respond to the commission's recommendation.
I have two preliminary responses, one procedural and the other substantive. In offering
these responses, I fully recognize that our staff has far more detailed knowledge about
specific programs than I do.
With regard to procedure, I have two questions. First, is the commission legally
empowered to make recommendations concerning School District policies? And, second,
is the commission authorized to vote on recommendations without giving the public an
opportunity to comment subsequent to due public notice that the topic would be
considered? (I understand the commission "voted" on the general intent of the clause in
its last meeting, despite the fact the topic was not included on its published agenda.
Moreover, I understand that the commissioners did not see the actual language of
Freerks' memo until after it had been sent to Tom.)
With regard to substance, I agree with much of the language contained in Freerks' memo.
Most of it is fully consistent with my long-term advocacy of more compact, walkable
neighborhoods.
But her memo is silent about economic diversity within neighborhoods and about city
policies concerning the distribution of affordable housing within the city. (So too was my
April25 email to Steve Murley, which appeared in one of our info packets.) This is a
crucial omission.
Not all Iowa City neighborhoods are economically diverse enough to achieve the School
District's Diversity Policy solely on the basis of the school-aged population that lives
within safe walking distance of the neighborhoods' schools.
Moreover, sustainable neighborhoods are not just compact and walkable; they also
contain a diverse mix of housing types and costs, which permit economic diversity within
each neighborhood's population.
Furthermore, many parts oflowa City, especially those built after 1970, are not
"walkable" in a strong sense; that is, they are not neighborhoods in which it is easy and
safe for residents to walk to elementary school, grocery stores, neighborhood parks,
places of employment, and other activities. In these post-1970s developments, it is simply
not possible for many elementary school children to walk to school, at least not safely. In
some cases, a substantial fraction of these children come from lower-income families.
To be walkable in this strong sense, neighborhoods have to be dense enough for people to
walk to desired destinations, and they have to be designed well enough to make them
want to walk. As architect-planner Peter Calthorpe puts it, "a well-designed city is ... a
place where your destinations are close enough to walk to and where you feel safe
enough to walk. And it's a place that is interesting enough socially to make you feel that
walking is perhaps something more than just getting from point A to point B."
In order to consider Freerks' recommendation wisely, therefore, we need to assess the
fairness of the proposed "walkability clause." Put simply, the question is: who can walk
safely to school? To answer this question, we need to generate/obtain factual information
about the diversity of the school-aged populations that live within Y2 mile safe walking
distance from each of Iowa City's elementary schools. Perhaps this question could be
answered using the District's FRL data.
We also need to explicitly state or improve policies that promote economic diversity
within Iowa City neighborhoods. The most important step would be to adopt policies that
distribute new affordable housing units throughout the city, partly though inclusionary
zoning and partly through economic incentives.
We need to ensure that all new neighborhoods built in Iowa City are designed to be
walkable in the strong sense. This is especially important for the areas surrounding the
new elementary schools.
And we need to enhance the (srong sense) walkability of existing post-1970s
neighborhoods, especially ones that currently have a disproportionately high
concentration of very low-income households.
This is a complicated and politically challenging issue. I look forward to learning how
you and the five other members of the City Council think we should respond.
Marian Karr
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Tom Markus
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 8:14AM
'Charles Eastham'
Tuyet Dorau; Patti Fields; Sally Hoelscher; Brian Kirschling; Chris Lynch; Jeff McGinness;
Marla Swesey; Stephen Murley; Council; Ann Freerks; John Thomas; Jodie Theobald
(ICTheobald@mchsi.com); Paula Swygard; Phoebe Martin (phoebe@skogman.com); Carolyn
Dyer (Carolyn-dyer@uiowa.edu)
RE: Incorporating a walkability clause into the Iowa City Community School District diversity
policy
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I will take it up with the city staff and share with the city council.
From: Charles Eastham [mailto:eastham@mchsi.com]
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2014 10:17 PM
To: Tom Markus
Cc: Tuyet Dorau; Patti Fields; Sally Hoelscher; Brian Kirschling; Chris Lynch; Jeff McGinness; Marla Swesey; Stephen
Murley; Council; Ann Freerks; John Thomas; Jodie Theobald (ICTheobald@mchsi.com); Paula Swygard; Phoebe Martin
(phoebe@skogman.com); Carolyn Dyer (carolyn-dyer@uiowa.edu)
Subject: Incorporating a walkability clause into the Iowa City Community School District diversity policy
Date: May 12, 2014
To: Tom Markus, City Manager
From: Charlie Eastham and John Thomas, members, Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission
CC: Iowa City Community School District Board of Education, Stephen Murley, Superintendent of Schools,
Iowa City Council, Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission
Subj.: Incorporating a walkability clause into the Iowa City Community School District diversity policy
We are writing as members of the Planning and Zoning Commission to inform you that we do not agree with
the "walkability clause" contained in a memo to you sent on behalf of the Planning and Zoning Commission
dated May 5, 2014. The clause calls for guaranteeing attendance assignments to all elementary schools to
elementary students living within a specified distance from each school.
Purpose of the ICCSD Diversity Policy
The ICCSD adopted a diversity policy in February, 2013. The policy's purpose is to "provide equitable learning
environments for the students attending ICCSD" and states that "enhanced learning will be the result" of
establishing the diversity goals of the policy. Prior to adopting the diversity policy the District received research
reports demonstrating improvements in student learning for all students resulting from reducing socioeconomic
concentrations in schools, The District is now engaged in developing attendance zones necessary to put the
1
policy into practice. The District proposes that altering attendance zones will result in improved student learning
for all students.
Role oflowa City in pursuing its Comprehensive Plan goals and supporting the ICCSD Diversity Policy
Iowa City has legitimate interests in establishing sustainable neighborhoods. Achieving walkable distances to
common destinations is important to creating and maintaining such neighborhoods. The City also has interests
in achieving actual income diversity in neighborhoods. Indeed, the lack of such economic diversity in certain
neighborhoods is contributing to the need for the ICCSD to adopt a diversity policy in the first place. So we
wholeheartedly support walkable, mixed income neighborhoods and agree walkability should be considered by
the ICCSD within its Diversity Policy.
However, attempts by the City to have the District guarantee enrollment in elementary schools for students
living a specified distance from schools places the interest of the City in walkable neighborhoods above the
District's responsibility for creating equitable learning environments for all students and risks hampering the
flexibility the District may need to fulfill its responsibility. We urge the City to instead develop robust programs
to address imbalances in economic diversity and thereby achieve the ICCSD's diversity policy goals and the
City's comprehensive plan goals by providing a mix of housing and incomes within all neighborhoods and
school attendance areas.
Planning and Zoning procedures leading up to the May 5 memo
At the Commission meeting ofMay 1, under the "Other" part of the meeting agenda, a member of the
Commission proposed that the Commission ask the Council to communicate with the ICCSD for the purpose of
including a walkability provision in the District's diversity policy. During the discussion that followed we
voiced the viewpoint that any walkability concept should be compatible with the District diversity policy. Other
Commission members talked about various other issues, including a concern that walkability not trump
diversity. No motion was made so there was no vote on the proposal to communicate to the Council. The
discussion ended with the staff agreeing to draft a possible memo to Council. The "walkability clause" proposed
in the May 5 memo to you was not introduced at the meeting and in our view the clause is not consistent with
the tone and content ofthe discussion at the meeting. We say again, we do not support the clause as it appears in
the May 5 memo and we would not have voted for the clause had it been put before us.
Respectfully,
Charlie Eastham
John Thomas
2
Marian Karr
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
May 13,2014
To: Tom Markus
ictheobald@mchsi.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 12:49 PM
Tom Markus
eastham@mchsi.com; Tuyet Dorau; Patti Fields; Sally Hoelscher; Brian Kirschling; Chris
Lynch; Jeff McGinness; Marla Swesey; Stephen Murley; Council; Ann Freerks; John Thomas;
Paula Swygard; Phoebe Martin (phoebe@skogman.com); Carolyn Dyer (Carolyn-
dyer@uiowa.edu)
Re: Incorporating a walkability clause into the Iowa City Community $chool District diversity
,
From: Jodie Barry Theobald, Planning and Zoning Commission member
Re: Walkability clause
I am writing to add support and agree with the concerns expressed in the memo sent by Charlie and John. While
walkability should be one ofthe goals ofthe district, it should not be privileged over diversity in our schools and
neighborhoods. I would not have supported the walkability clause as written in the memo.
Respectfully,
Jodie Barry Theobald
-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Eastham <eastham@mchsi.com>
To: Tom Markus <tom-markus@iowa-city.org>
Cc: Tuyet Dorau <Tuyet.Dorau@lowaCitySchools.org>, Patti Fields <Patti.Fields@iowacityschools.org>, Sally Hoelscher
<Sally.Hoelscher@lowaCitySchools.org>, Brian Kirschling <Brian.Kirschling@lowaCitySchools.org>, Chris Lynch
<Chris.Lynch@lowaCitySchools.org>, Jeff McGinness <Jeff.McGinness@lowaCitySchools.org>, Marla Swesey
<Marla.Swesey@lowaCitySchools.org>, Stephen Murley <Murley.Stephen@iowacityschools.org>, council
<council@iowa-city.org>, Ann Freerks <ann-freerks@uiowa.edu>, John Thomas <johnfredericthomas@gmail.com>,
Jodie Theobald {ICTheobald@mchsi.com) <ICTheobald@mchsi.com>, Paula Swygard <pswygard@gmail.com>, Phoebe
Martin (phoebe@skogman.com) <phoebe@skogman.com>, Carolyn Dyer (Carolyn-dyer@uiowa.edu) <Carolyn-
dyer@ uiowa .ed u>
Sent: Mon, 12 May 2014 22:16:39 -0500 {CDT)
Subject: Incorporating a walkability clause into the Iowa City Community School District diversity policy
Date: May 12, 2014
To: Tom Markus, City Manager
From: Charlie Eastham and John Thomas, members, Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission
CC: Iowa City Community School District Board of Education, Stephen Murley, Superintendent of Schools, Iowa City
Council, Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission
Subj.: Incorporating a walkability clause into the Iowa City Community School District diversity policy
We are writing as members of the Planning and Zoning Commission to inform you that we do not agree with the
"walkability clause" contained in a memo to you sent on behalf of the Planning and Zoning Commission dated May 5,
2014. The clause calls for guaranteeing attendance assignments to all elementary schools to elementary students living
within a specified distance from each school.
Purpose of the ICCSD Diversity Policy
The ICCSD adopted a diversity policy in February, 2013. The policy's purpose is to "provide equitable learning
environments for the students attending ICCSD" and states that "enhanced learning will be the result" of establishing
the diversity goals of the policy. Prior to adopting the diversity policy the District received research reports
demonstrating improvements in student learning for all students resulting from reducing socioeconomic concentrations
in schools, The District is now engaged in developing attendance zones necessary to put the policy into practice. The
District proposes that altering attendance zones will result in improved student learning for all students.
1
Role of Iowa City in pursuing its Comprehensive Plan goals and supporting the ICCSD Diversity Policy
Iowa City has legitimate interests in establishing sustainable neighborhoods. Achieving walkable distances to common
destinations is important to creating and maintaining such neighborhoods. The City also has interests in achieving actual
income diversity in neighborhoods. Indeed, the lack of such economic diversity in certain neighborhoods is contributing
to the need for the ICCSD to adopt a diversity policy in the first place. So we wholeheartedly support walkable, mixed
income neighborhoods and agree walkability should be considered by the ICCSD within its Diversity Policy.
However, attempts by the City to have the District guarantee enrollment in elementary schools for students living a
specified distance from schools places the interest of the City in walkable neighborhoods above the District's
responsibility for creating equitable learning environments for all students and risks hampering the flexibility the District
may need to fulfill its responsibility. We urge the City to instead develop robust programs to address imbalances in
economic diversity and thereby achieve the ICCSD's diversity policy goals and the City's comprehensive plan goals by
providing a mix of housing and incomes within all neighborhoods and school attendance areas.
Planning and Zoning procedures leading up to the May 5 memo
At the Commission meeting of May 1, under the "Other" part of the meeting agenda, a member of the Commission
proposed that the Commission ask the Council to communicate with the ICCSD for the purpose of including a walkability
provision in the District's diversity policy. During the discussion that followed we voiced the viewpoint that any
walkability concept should be compatible with the District diversity policy. Other Commission members talked about
various other issues, including a concern that walkability not trump diversity. No motion was made so there was no vote
on the proposal to communicate to the Council. The discussion ended with the staff agreeing to draft a possible memo
to Council. The "walkability clause" proposed in the May 5 memo to you was not introduced at the meeting and in
our view the clause is not consistent with the tone and content of the discussion at the meeting. We say again, we do
not support the clause as it appears in the May 5 memo and we would not have voted for the clause had it been put
before us.
Respectfully,
Charlie Eastham
John Thomas
2