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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA004 - Supplemental report to Planning and Zoning Commission CITY OF AMES DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION EV COCHRANE AND ASSOCIATES PREPARED: OCTOBER 5, 1976 MEETING DATE: OCTOBER 8, 1976 At its September 10, 1976, meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission made the following recommendation: "That the area presently delineated R-2 be R-1, that the area delineated R-3 be R-2, the area delineated C-5 north of the windbreak be R-3 and south of the windbreak (the northwest corner of Elwood Drive and Oakwood Road) be C-5; and that we not delineate the area east of Elwood Drive but have the staff work out some sort of C-5/I-3 combination that could be worked out for that area, keeping in mind that we don't want a C-5 area that would permit a huge shopping center, that it would be a convenience center for the people who live and work in the area." This recommendation was transmitted to the City Council on September 28, 1976, and was tabled until a recommendation was received for the entire area. With regard to the size of the commercial center, it is not contemplated or recommended that a major shopping center be located in this area. Some- thing more on the "Neighborhood Center" size is recommended. According to various research materials, such as the Urban Land Institute, such a center provides for the sale of convenience goods such as foods, drugs, sundries, and personal services such as laundry, hair styling, etc. , for day-to-day living needs of the immediate neighborhood. A grocery store is usually a principle tenant. The range of gross floor area of a neighborhood center is normally between 30,000 and 100,000 square feet with an average of 50,000 to 60,000 square feet. The corresponding tract size is four to six acres. As a basis of comparison, the following are representative of the sizes of Ames' major commercial centers (these are approximate sizes only, derived from scale, and are not exact totals) : Wards Lincoln Old North New North Total Plaza Center Grand Grand North Grand Area 7 acres 9.6 acres 7 acres 25 acres 32 acres Gross Floor 77,300 96,400 52,900 424,200 477,100 Area sq. ft. sq. ft. sq. ft. sq. ft. sq. ft. The Commission's recommendation designated the triangular tract at the north- west corner of Elwood and Oakwood as C-5, and that further, a combination of C-5/I-3 be analyzed for the east side of Elwood. As a follow-up to this directive, it appears that the only appropriate combination or arrangement of land uses is to designate additional commercial land fronting on the east side of Elwood and that the remaining acreage be industrial. The commercial area on Elwood could be approximately 5, acres, in rectangular form, with a dimension of approximately 360 feet east/west by 650 feet north/south. This tract would be a workable solution for a neighborhood center. The site functionally meets such criteria as location, shape, topography, and utilities. However, it does not functionally meet ad- ditional criteria of adjacent future land use and access. The southeast corner of Elwood Drive and Airport Road (Sevde/Burgason) has already been recommended for C-5 by the Commission and a public hearing has been set by City Council. This parcel, along with the aforementioned 650-foot frontage for commercial, would effectively commercialize the east side of Elwood from Airport Road south to Oakwood Road with the exception of the approximate 200-250 feet which is outside the City limits and is being used residentially. It would not be unreasonable for these latter properties, upon future annexation, to request and receive commercial zoning due to the fact that commercial zoning would- flank them on either side. This, then, commercializes the total east side of Elwood. The Planning and Zoning Commission's prior designation of the triangular tract at the northwest corner of Elwood and Oakwood as commercial further compli- cates the situation. The triangle has a 600-foot frontage on the west side of Elwood which when added to the 600 feet of commercial frontage of Gateway Center results in the west side of Elwood being commercially zoned except for an approximate 250-foot strip in the middle. This creates a circumstance not unlike that forecasted for the east side. In light of the above, it is the recommendation that the Commission reconsider its earlier decision for the configuration of zoning on both sides of Elwood. Zoning for the commercial center should be on the west side of Elwood as ori- ginally recommended by the Department. Further reasoning in addition to the comments made above, includes: 1. An integration of the site design can be accomplished by having one compact tract in one location not separated by public streets. 2. By itself the triangular tract of land is very awkward for design due to its acute angles. 3. A land use pattern of commercial uses facing industrial uses across Elwood Drive from one another is functionally better than commercial-to-commercial or commercial-to-apartments. In fact, it would be anticipated that the development of the industrial area would be in one to three tracts in that the I-3 zoning district requires a ten-acre site minimum. A large portion of the industrial tract(s) would be anticipated to be open space in accordance with contemporary industrial development practices. This would provide an open appearance on one side of Elwood which would not otherwise be provided. -3- 4. Commercial land use in this location further separates future residences from Elwood Drive. 5. Access to the commercial center is better if it is located on the west side of Elwood. The center is intended to serve primarily its immediate neighborhood. This location gives the opportunity for better pedestrian and bicycle access to the existing and future residences to the west and eliminates the crossing of Elwood. This additionally gives the oppor- tunity to integrate the commercial center as a part of the overall development design, in order to avoid adverse commer- cial/residential relationships. This opportunity is not pro- vided by facing the residential and commercial uses towards one another across Elwood Drive. It is a further recommendation that the R-2 designated by the Commission be reevaluated and consideration be given to R-3 or a combination_ of R-2/R-3. The total size of the commercial area we are recommending is approximately 13 acres. This exceeds the standards we have enumerated elsewhere in this report. However, the existence of the windbreak affects the usable portion of the property in two ways. First, it serves to divide the commercial uses into two smaller areas. Secondly, it reduces the usable commercial area by cutting the land at an angle, thereby creating spaces which are not efficient- ly usable adjacent to it. In general, the windbreak will serve to control the scale of commercial usage and keep it well within neighborhood center standards. It is the recommendation of the Department that the land use pattern de- lineated by the Oakwood/Airport Area Study be affirmed and that the zoning pattern consist of the following: 1. I-3 east of Elwood Drive. 2. C-5 west of Elwood Drive (13 acres) . 3. A phased combination of R-3, R-2, and perhaps R-1, further to the west. 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