HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Letter dated May 5, 1992 from Flummerfelt Properties submitting Conceptual Development Plan Flummerfelt Properties Mike Flummerfelt, Owner
1316 South Duff
Ames, Iowa 50010
(515) 232-6971
May 05, 1992 F IL F rD
u :
Mayor Larry R. Curtis
Members of the Ames City Council MAY .. 6
City of Ames
1992
515 Clark Avenue L -----,- --_J
CITY CLERK
Ames, Iowa 50010 CITY OF AMES, IOWA
Re: Requests for Revisions to the City of Ames Municipal Code
R-5 (Mobile Home) District
Meadow Lane Mobile Home Park
Dear Mayor and Council Members:
Flummerfelt, Inc. will be submitting a Conceptual Development
Plan for development of three acres located adjacent to existing
homes in Meadow Lane Mobile Home Park. This additional property
is to be be developed as an expansion of the existing park.
As we have proceeded with detailed development plans for this
project, we have found several areas of the current R-5 zoning
ordinance that should be revised in the interest of developing
higher quality mobile home parks. No mobile home parks have been
developed under this version of the ordinance, and we feel that
the changes requested herein will benefit all future development
in this community.
As part of the CDP approval process , we are hereby formally
requesting your consideration for revisions in three specific
areas of the Ames Municipal Code. The first involves placement of
a garage within the mobile home lot as an accessory structure;
the second request involves provisions for storm shelters; and
the final request involves placement of an outdoor deck within
the required lot yard area. Each request is outlined in further
detail below.
• Permitted Accessory Uses
Section 29 . 20 ( 5 ) (a ) of the Municipal Code defines accessory
buildings and structures as "carports, cabanas, patio awnings,
porches and storage buildings." We would request that garages
also be defined as an allowable accessory building. This would
allow mobile home park residents the same basic amenities as
traditional single family home owners.
The general requirements for garages could be structured in a
similar manner to the requirements for garages in single family
Mayor Larry R. Curtis
Members of the Ames City Council
May 05, 1992
Page Two
zoning districts as follows:
• Front Yard Setback
No accessory building allowed within the limits of the
front yard area. Additional criteria might include a
minimum of twenty ( 20 ) feet from the garage door to the
street, which would allow sufficient space for off-street
parking in front of the garage structure.
• Side Yard Setback
Minimum six ( 6 ) feet to property line or adjacent
structure.
• Rear Yard Setback
Minimum ten ( 10 ) feet, with an additional requirement for
minimum separation of twenty (20 ) feet separation between
structures across a rear lot line.
• Structure Size
Maximum gross floor area not to exceed six-hundred ( 600 )
square feet.
• Storm Shelter Requirements
Section 29 . 20 ( 6 ) sets forth requirements for provision of storm
shelter facilities for any mobile home park development. This
section requires "a structurally adequate storm safety facility
capable of providing adequate shelter from tornadoes and other
forms of severe weather for all mobile home park residents. . .".
We are requesting that this requirement be deleted from the Code
in its entirety , allowing development of mobile home parks
without requiring construction of storm shelters . There are
several reasons for this request:
• Ames is somewhat unique in this requirement. National site
development standards from the Department of Housing and
Development, which are applied to areas that have no local
code, have no such requirement. Other Iowa cities, including
Des Moines , Iowa City and Cedar Rapids , have no such
requirement.
• Mobile homes are subject to state regulations that require
tie-down systems that anchor mobile homes below frost level.
This system provides a high level of stability and load/wind
bearing capacity for the structure.
• Other forms of housing ( i . e . , wood frame single family
homes, apartment and condominium buildings) that do not have
basements have no requirements for separate storm shelter
Mayor Larry R. Curtis
Members of the Ames City Council
May 05, 1992
Page Three
facilities. With adequate load bearing structural capacities,
mobile home developments are unfairly singled out for storm
shelter requirements.
• There may be serious liability issues if storm shelters in
use by residents do not provide full protection :in a very
severe storm. There is always the possibility that a resident
could file suit against the landowner and the City in case of
injury.
• Mobile homes are seen as a very viable form of affordable
housing in this community. The costs and economic feasibility
for development of mobile home parks are further compromised
with inclusion of requirements that add unnecessary costs to
the project.
• There is also the issue of whether residents would in fact
utilize shelters in a severe storm. Even if such a facility
were to be provided, most residents would not likely make use
of the shelter for protection.
• Design and Development Requirements
Section 29 . 20 ( 18 ) of the Municipal Code sets forth various
minimum requirements for development of mobile home parks. We
would request that subsection (e) , where "no part of any mobile
home, room addition, or related awnings shall be located less
than thirty (30) feet from the exterior boundary of the mobile
home park" be revised to allow placement of awnings (attached to
a mobile home) and open, raised decks within the thirty foot
setback area.
This would allow residents whose homes are located along the
perimeter boundaries of a project to make better use of a
generous rear or side yard area by constructing decks or other
open, outdoor living areas.
We would appreciate your favorable consideration of these
requests . Please feel free to contact us with any questions
regarding these issues.
Sincerely,
FLUMMERFET,T, INC.
t:
Mike Flummertelt, President
c: Eden Schmitt, Department of Planning and Housing