IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa City may put nearly $1 million in public money toward a $5 million medical office building proposed for an east-side neighborhood city leaders have targeted for redevelopment.

MDK Development LLC has asked for the money for the 14,850-square-foot building it wants to build at the corner of Muscatine Avenue and William Street in the Towncrest neighborhood.

On Tuesday, the City Councils Economic Development Committee, made up of council members Susan Mims, Michelle Payne and Mayor Matt Hayek, voted unanimously to recommend the project receive $950,000 in city money. The full City Council will make the final decision at a future meeting, possibly next week.

It would be the first new building constructed as part of the citys efforts, started a couple of years ago, to revitalize the Towncrest neighborhood. Towncrest was originally intended as a medical campus south of Muscatine Avenue, but many of the medical offices have relocated and there has been a lack of investment the area.

Mims said she thought the medical building could be a catalyst for further projects.

Im excited to see some significant private money coming in. I think its a real key, she said.

The public money would come up front from three sources, said Tracy Hightshoe, Iowa Citys community development planner. It would include $325,000 from two programs created to help with Towncrest projects. The other $625,000 would come from selling bonds, which the city would repay with tax increment financing.

The city received an opinion from the National Development Council saying the project demonstrated a need for the $950,000.

Hayek said city staff also thoroughly vetted the request.

I think this is a significant jumpstart and is absolutely consistent with what weve talked about for years, he said.

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Committee Recommends Iowa City Give $950,000 to Medical Building Project

Published: Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7:10 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7:10 a.m.

BARTOW - Polk County officials will appeal this week's denial of a zoning permit for a new boat ramp park on Lake Juliana, County Manager Jim Freeman said Friday.

The Polk County Planning Commission voted 5-1 Wednesday to deny Polk County Parks and Natural Resources' request for a zoning permit to develop the new park on a 1.8-acre site off State Road 559 north of Auburndale.

No date has been set for the appeal hearing before the county commissioners.

Planning commissioners sided with lakefront property owners who argued the ramp was unneeded, posed a safety hazard and was a waste of public money.

Parks advocates maintain it's important to expand the public park system and lake access in general, adding the funds for development of the park, which come from a share of boat registration fees, cannot be used for any other purpose.

County parks officials had been working on the project for more than three years as part of an effort to establish public boat ramps on more of the larger lakes in the county at the direction of the Lakes Access Advisory Committee. Freeman announced the decision following Friday morning's budget work session with commissioners.

"Wouldn't it have been better to talk to commissioners individually before making the decision?" Commission Chairman Sam Johnson asked.

Freeman said he made the decision after conferring with County Attorney Michael Craig.

He said it probably wouldn't have been proper to talk to commissioners beforehand since they're the body that will be hearing the appeal.

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County officials plan to appeal boat ramp denial

Published: Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7:11 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7:11 a.m.

DAVENPORT - The bids are in, and costs of a new sewer collection system should be lower than expected.

City Manager Amy Arrington said Wednesday the low bid for the wastewater treatment plant is just under $2 million, which is what engineers projected.

However, the low bid for the sewer collection system to be installed in old Davenport east of U.S. 17/92 was $1.7 million less than projected.

"If that bid is a good one, we're in a good position," Arrington said. "We're waiting for our engineers to verify that everything is good with those low bids."

Based on Reiss Engineering's advice, the City Commission will discuss the issue at its workshop at 7 p.m. today at City Hall.

The commission decided last month to build its own wastewater treatment plant because it was less expensive than hooking into the Polk County's or Haines City's.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has been pressuring towns whose residents have septic tanks to build sewer systems to prevent pollution of lakes and streams.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $4.9 million in loans and a $2.3 million grant for to fund the project. The loan will be repaid by charges to residents.

The city has a bond issue ready to go to borrow the funds needed to install the sewer system and wastewater treatment plant but will wait until a town meeting tentatively set for July 12.

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Sewer bids come in lower than expected

GROTON -- After a years' long effort, the Lost Lake Sewer Committee are prepared to begin the final lap to have a new wastewater system installed in the environmentally sensitive Lost Lake neighborhood.

At a meeting held Monday night, member Tom Orcutt reported meeting with officials in Ayer updating them on the commission's progress.

Earlier in the year, Groton joined Ayer in an intermunicipal agreement regarding a proposed hookup between a planned sewer line for the Lost Lake area and wastewater facilities in the neighboring town.

The commission has continued to move forward with plans to install a sewer system at Lost Lake, after submitting a final report on its feasibility to the Board of Selectmen last year.

The final report by the Sewer Committee estimated that to serve 390 potential households, it could cost as much as $10 million to install a sewer system in the Lost Lake area, exclusive of a wastewater treatment plant.

Commission Chairman Carol Quinn estimated that if a plan including hook up with Ayer were followed, it would cost each person who owned land along the sewer line between $18,000 and $24,000 each in betterment fees paid over 20 or 30 years depending on the type of loan the town could secure.

Those numbers however, would also be based upon whether the town could secure federal or state grant money for the project or if town residents agreed to cover part of the cost of installation with tax dollars.

To find out

Questions on the survey are to include whether residents were aware of the Lost Lake sewer project; whether they supported the idea; and if they would support paying a portion of the project via taxes and if so, what percentage.

After the results have been received, the committee plans to hold a number of public hearings and informational sessions in the fall before Town Meeting.

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Groton's Lost Lake panel continues plans for new wastewater system

Those wondering what the laity's response to the LCWR crisis might mean for the future of the church justice movement needed only look at the front steps of New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral on the very warm evening of May 29.

More than 150 people gathered to hold a vigil in honor of women religious. The vigil was part of a movement spearheaded by Nun Justice, which called for peaceful protests at cathedrals throughout the country on three consecutive Tuesdays in the month of May.

LCWR supporters protest outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City in May. (NCR photo/Jamie L. Manson)Other vigils were equally successful, but the turnout at St. Patrick's was remarkable for a region that only successfully created a Call to Action chapter in 2011. Although New York is regarded as one of the most forward-looking cities in the United States, its brand of Catholicism has remained remarkably traditional.

Witness, for example, that in Manhattan, tens of thousands still stream through the cathedral on big feast days like Ash Wednesday, and the archbishop of New York is typically something of a local celebrity.

When Archbishop Timothy Dolan was elevated to cardinal in February, local new stations broadcasted the liturgy live from the Vatican. An even greater spectacle could be seen at the construction site of One World Trade Center, where for two weeks in February the tower's white lights were turned "cardinal red" to fete the church's newly anointed prince.

Hearing the crowd make impassioned demands of Dolan just outside the doors of his liturgical domain felt like a strong wind of change on that oppressively humid May evening.

Of course, it's not that the island of Manhattan is devoid of justice-oriented, Vatican II Catholics. For decades, most liberal Catholics could find several parishes where they could be spiritually fed, so there wasn't as strong a need for a formal church reform group.

But in the past few years, the culture of fear has reached even the most prophetic parishes, where allowing women to preach regularly or the public affirmation of LGBT rights was once the norm.

Want to read more about important issues in the life of the Church? A subscription to NCR will keep you up to date and informed.

"Progressive parishes were oases, but the oases are shrinking," said Jeff Stone, director of media relations for DignityUSA and a longtime activist and member of Dignity's New York chapter.

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Justice vigils for LCWR unite the church reform movement

Construction to replace the deteriorating Godfrey Brook culvert at Church Street is set to begin July 9.

The project, which will replace the existing culvert with a wider and deeper one, will cost approximately $211,000 but the town is only responsible for about a quarter of that, $52,000. Work is expected to last four to five weeks and will close the road to non-residents.

Town Engineer Michael Santora said Town Meeting last fall appropriated the towns share of the cost. The remaining cost will be covered by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Santora said the brooks stone culvert has collected too much dirt on the bottom and is in serious disrepair. He also said the banks of the brook are too small for the water flow.

The construction will cut down on flooding in the area and replace a culvert that cannot be there anymore, he said.

It gets overwhelmed quite easily.

Separate from the culvert project, the town is designing plans with an environmental firm for the rest of the deteriorating Godfrey Brook.

The brook runs through several Milford neighborhoods, including West Street and Water Street.

That project could cost $6 million. The town is hoping the state will provide construction money through its environmental bond bill. Construction for the project will not begin until the funding is provided.

On the work to begin next month, Highway Surveyor Scott Crisafulli said the new culvert will be 5-feet deep by 11-feet wide, more than double the size of the existing 4-foot by 4-foot structure.

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Work on Milford Brook to begin in July

LOS ANGELES, June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --For those that use their kitchen every single day, it can be devastating when any of the countless appliances and devices breaks down. Many owners will take these appliances for granted, not realizing how often a family will use their refrigerators, ovens, stoves, ranges, and microwaves throughout the years. For those that are expecting to host this summer, this problem can be especially devastating and will bring any social event to an immediate halt. For these locals, one appliance repair company, AM PM Los Angeles Appliance Repair, is now offering affordable home repairs on all of the leading kitchen appliance brands.

From the moment that one of these devices breaks down, owners will immediately need to make a call to a LG, KitchenAid, and Maytag appliance repair specialist.Not only are they used every day, any damage could put owners at serious risk. From refrigerators to stoves, food that is not kept at the proper temperatures and then cooked to the correct temperatures could mean serious illnesses for a family, and this is something that everyone wishes to avoid. With affordable Los Angeles appliance services and repairs from AM PM though, this is no longer a concern.

AM PM has remained a trusted appliance repair company throughout Southern California for nearly 20 years.They work with all major appliances and their Sharp, Sub-Zero, and Electrolux appliance repair specialists have trained diligently in order to be able to carry out most major repairs onsite and in a single day. In addition to their affordable appliance services and maintenance, this company also offers a 5 year guarantee on all labor so that customers can rest assured in their choice.

No one needs to struggle with broken kitchen appliances this summer with affordable services being offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by AM PM Appliance Repair.

About AM PM Appliance Repair

AM PM has been assisting residents throughout Southern California for all of their repair needs since 1994. Their Haier, Kenmore Elite, Sharp, and Bosch appliance repair specialists carry many factory parts on hand in order to carry out maintenance and service quickly and affordably.

You can call (800) 343-6011 for any services request. Visit http://www.ampmappliancerepair.com for more information about their services.

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Los Angeles Appliance Repair Company, AM PM, now Offers Affordable Home Repairs for All Kitchen Appliances

For the last few years, Rantoul Street has been the road of choice for developers looking to put up new buildings in Beverly.

Now, it's Cabot Street's turn.

A developer has filed plans with the city to build a three-story apartment building in a parking lot at 130 Cabot St., next to the Siam Delight restaurant and Sam's Cleaners.

If the plan is approved, it would be the first significant new construction in the main section of downtown in years.

"We think the downtown is moving toward the Beverly-Salem bridge a little more," said Jeff Holloran, the developer who plans to buy the property if the project is approved. "We wanted to bridge the gap."

The proposal calls for 13 apartments, with space for two retail stores on the first floor. Gin Wallace, executive director of Beverly Main Streets, said the plan meshes with her organization's efforts to bring both more residents and retail to the downtown.

"Most of the residential stuff is happening on Rantoul, but we're really excited about (this plan) because it fits right into our vision for the downtown with residential above and retail below," Wallace said. "The more people you have living downtown, the more people you have for the businesses."

The parking lot at 130 Cabot St., at the corner of Vestry Street, has been owned by Jay Levy since 1995. He has rented the lot to various businesses over the years, including the Registry of Motor Vehicles, but said the lot has essentially been a "hole" at that end of Cabot Street.

Levy, who has owned an office/retail building across the street since 1978, said the combination of an apartment building and retail stores should provide a boost for the area.

"This end of Cabot Street is kind of a neglected end of Cabot Street," he said. "Once you get past City Hall, the retail kind of falls off. If they put up a building and there's some retail, it will extend the retail on Cabot Street and help some of the other retail in this area."

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Cabot Street housing planned

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Construction is starting today on Circle South Park a $52 million luxury apartment community from developer Crescent Resources, LLC. The first apartments are expected to be available in summer 2013.

Circle South Park will include 321 apartment homes on a Carnegie Boulevard site adjacent to Piedmont Town Center near SouthPark mall. Circle South Park, which will feature classical traditional architecture and blend with other buildings in the neighborhood, will be the third Circle community developed by Crescent Resources in the Charlotte region.

"South Park is an ideal location for our Circle brand and our next multifamily project," said Brian Natwick, president of Crescent Resources' multifamily division. "Like other Circle communities, Circle South Park will offer a unique lifestyle and provide residents with an opportunity to live, work and play within easy walking distances. South Park is the southeast's premier shopping and dining destination, and the opportunity to live within this neighborhood in a Circle community is unprecedented."

Circle communities offer unique programming from volunteering to pet happy hours aimed at enriching social experiences and fostering a sense of community among residents. Circle South Park will feature a cyber lounge, business center, Wi-Fi throughout the amenity areas, and a state-of-the-art clubroom with a show kitchen and gaming area. The project will also feature a multistory health club; resort-style saltwater pool with aqua sundeck, outdoor kitchen and lounging area; two-acre dog park and a scenic pond with a walking trail.

Apartments will include a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Interior features will include stainless steel appliances, washer and dryer, stone countertops, wood cabinetry, Moen fixtures, and a designer lighting package.

Circle South Park is being financed by an equity investment from Crescent, construction financing from J.P. Morgan Real Estate Banking and mezzanine financing from Nationwide Real Estate Investments. The project team includes architect The Preston Partnership, LLC; landscape architect LandDesign; civil engineer ColeJenest & Stone, interior designer Vignette Interior Design; general contractor State Building Group and property management firm Greystar.

In keeping with Circle's green philosophy, the project will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council upon completion.

More information is available at http://www.circlesouthpark.com. The website also provides a signup form for people who wish to receive project announcements and leasing information.

About CircleCircle was inspired through extensive review and analysis of industry trends and marketplace needs. The progressive Circle communities are places where neighbors connect and become stewards of the larger community. In addition to presenting a new breed of apartments in which people are excited to live, Circle developments are infused with the exceptional quality and customer-oriented features that have become Crescent hallmarks. Visit http://www.liveinthecircle.com for more information.

Crescent is the developer of Circle at South End in Charlotte and Circle at Concord Mills in Concord, N.C. Crescent's multifamily communities under construction include The Venue at Cool Springs in Nashville, Tenn.; Circle West Campus in Austin, Texas; Gallery at Cameron Village in Raleigh, N.C.; Circle Crosstown in Tampa; and Circle Ninth Street in Durham, N.C. Crescent's planned multifamily communities include Circle Bayshore in Tampa, Circle Alexander Village in Charlotte and Circle Terminus in Atlanta, as well as four additional developments planned to start construction this year.

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Crescent Resources Starts Construction On Circle South Park

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Residents in Middleborough voted Monday night to make the foul-mouthed pay fines for swearing in public.

At a town meeting, residents voted 183-50 to approve a proposal from the police chief to impose a $20 fine on public profanity.

Officials insist the proposal was not intended to censor casual or private conversations, but instead to crack down on loud, profanity-laden language used by teens and other young people in the downtown area and public parks.

I'm really happy about it," Mimi Duphily, a store owner and former town selectwoman, said after the vote. "I'm sure there's going to be some fallout, but I think what we did was necessary."

Duphily, who runs an auto parts store, is among the downtown merchants who wanted take a stand against the kind of swearing that can make customers uncomfortable.

"They'll sit on the bench and yell back and forth to each other with the foulest language. It's just so inappropriate," she said.

The measure could raise questions about First Amendment rights, but state law does allow towns to enforce local laws that give police the power to arrest anyone who "addresses another person with profane or obscene language" in a public place.

Matthew Segal, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the government cannot prohibit public speech just because it contains profanity.

The ordinance gives police discretion over whether to ticket someone if they believe the cursing ban has been violated.

Middleborough, a town of about 20,000 residents perhaps best known for its rich cranberry bogs, has had a bylaw against public profanity since 1968. But because that bylaw essentially makes cursing a crime, it has rarely if ever been enforced, officials said, because it simply would not merit the time and expense to pursue a case through the courts.

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Mass. town OKs $20 fines for swearing in public