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Home My WebLink AboutA004 - Department report CITY OF AMES —� DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REPORT TO THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION PREPARED: March 24, 1978 MEETING .DATE: April 5, 1978 ZONING CASE NO. : APPLICANT: Iowa State University Alumni Association (represented by James Wilkens, of Wilkens, Bussard, Dikis , Ltd. , Architects & Planners) STATUS OF APPLICANT: Owner REQUESTED ACTION: To rezone the east portion of the subject property from A-1 to I-1 and to rezone the west portion of the property from A-1 to C-5. PURPOSE FOR REQUEST (as stated by Applicant): "I-1 is the highest and best use for the property" "C-5 is the highest and best use for the property" LOCATION: Property bounded by U.S. 30 on the north, C & N Railroad on the east, Airport Road on the south and Elwood Drive on the west. SIZE: C-5 area: 9.4 acres I-1 area: 6 acres EXISTING LAND USE: Open space and agricultural SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING: North: U. S. #30, ISU School of Veterinary Medicine; A-1 South: Agricultural use; I-3 and C-5 East: Open space; County West: Gateway Center Hotel ; C-5 FINDINGS: Land Use Policy Plan The Land Use Policy Plan designates the east portion of this property for industrial development and the west portion of the property for commercial development. Zoning History The property was annexed in 1976 and became A-1 at that time. Publ i c 'Uti 1 i ti es Water -- 12" line along Elwood Drive Sanitary Sewer -- 10" line along Airport Road Storm Sewer -- None Other -- Transportation The subject property occupies a very strategic position with respect to transportation access. It is bounded by Airport Road on the south, Elwood Drive on the west and U.S. 30 on the north. U. S. 30 is a major east-west route providing access across central Iowa as well as direct connection with Interstate 35. Airport Road is a collector street serving various industrial uses in the area and providing access between east & west Ames. Elwood Drive is a north-south major route which serves as access to and from U. S. 30 and will carry significant volumes of traffic with the opening of Gateway Center. For this reason, access to the subject property should be restricted via Airport Road. Chicago & Northwestern Railroad bounds the west portion of the property providing potential access to industrial uses in the area. _Physical Characteristics Vegetation -- Vegetation is limited to partial ground cover, with some woody vegetation along the right-of-way and drainage ditch. Terrain -- The subject property is generally flat. Drainage -- Drainage is toward a natural drainageway in the middle of the property where it flows to the northeast under U.S. 30. Soils -- Soils are suitable for agricultural use and should pose no problem for industrial or commercial development. Flooding -- Flooding should not be a problem as long as an adequate open area is provided for the natural drainageway. ANALYSIS: 1• The proposed zoning (commercial and industrial ) is compatible with the land uses designated in the Land Use Policy Plan. The proximity of this property to the interchange of U.S. 30 and Elwood Drive makes it an advantageous location for commercial and industrial development. 2. The site to the south of the subject property is presently zoned I-3 (planned industrial ) with the exception of a small area at the southwest corner of the intersection of Elwood Drive and Airport Road which is zoned C-5 (planned commercial ). The area directly west of the subject property (Gateway Center) is also zoned C-5. These designated zones--planned commer- cial and planned industrial--reflect the need to control the type and quality of commercial and industrial development in this area. Of particular concern is the extensive development that will be attracted to the inter- change once the Gateway Center is completed. RECOMMENDATION: The Department of Community Development recommends: 1) That the rezoning request from A-1 to C-5 be approved. Permitted uses should include all those permitted under the C-5 zoning district listed in the zoning code with the exception of hotels and motels (at the request of the applicant). 2) That the east portion of the property be rezoned to I-3 rather than the requested I-1 for the following reason. Because of the sensitive nature of the subject property regarding its relation- ship to surrounding properties which are zoned C-5 and I-3, it is important that all development be carefully controlled. The need for development control is the primary reason that the I-3 zoning district is being recommended. It has been noted by the staff that the present I-3 limits the uses which can be included in a planned industrial area. Those limitations are more flexible in the proposed zoning ordinance which is presently being reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The new planned industrial district permits a greater flexibility of uses while maintaining a high level of development control . March 13, 1978 The Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council City of Ames Ames, Iowa 50010 E.:._�Jmc Dear Messrs. and Mesdames: The Iowa State University Alumni Association owns the property legally described on the enclosed Requests for Rezoning. It is the intention of the Iowa State University Alumni Association to petition the City of Ames for rezoning of the land described in the Requests for Rezoning and shown on the enclosed drawing. The subject property was annexed into the City of Ames in 1976 and as a result of that action it is currently zoned A-1 . It is our proposal to request rezoning of the east portion of the property from A-1 to 1-1 in accordance with Section 38-1023, Ames Municipal Code, and to request rezoning of the west portion of the property from A-1 to C-5 in accordance with Section 38-1022, as amended Ames Municipal Code. Originally in consultation with the staff we had concurred with their wish that we request rezoning on the east portion of the site from A-1 to 1-3. It is our understanding that 1-3 does not allow Warehousing as a permitted use. With railway access to this portion of the site we believe that Warehousing is a good and proper potential use, hence we feel the 1-1 zoning request to be reasonable and would result in the highest and best use. With that background, we respectfully request the Council to refer this matter to the Plan and Zoning Commission for their recommendations. Sincerely, 1 James W. Wilkins, AIA JWW:Idm Enc: 3 cc: Planning Division, Department of Community Development WILKINS BUSSARD DIKIS LTD ARCHITECTS PLANNERS 414 SIXTY-FIRST STREET DES MOINES. IOWA 50312 AREA CODE (515) 274-4074 a WA -75 TO + - 'r '✓. 4-= r•. O41 'C _ c n a _ o u¢ 1 O L tea- s x O O W -' co LTE Ln 1p .. a N W o z - 2