HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated January 11, 2000 (,rl� ITEM #
DATE 01/11/00
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: MOTION DETERMINING TW THE REQUEST FOR DESIGNATION OF
URBAN REVITALIZATION AREA FOk 25 WELCH AVENUMEETS THE CRITERIA
FOR ELIBILITY UNDER THE MULTIPLEFAMILY RESIDENTI L MATRIX AND SET THE
DATE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR APPROVAL OF REQUEST FOR DESIGNATION OF
URBAN REVITALIZATION AREA.
ACTION FORM SUMMARY: The City of Ames has received from the property owner of
325 Welch Avenue a Request for Designation of Urban Revitalization Area under the
Multiple Family Residential Matrix for a proposed project consisting of a rehabilitation of
a vacant fraternity to a 3 story, 9 unit apartment building.
Staff has determined that the request meets the criteria for eligibility for designation as an
Urban Revitalization Area under the Multiple Family Residential Matrix and recommends
that the City Council set a date for Public Hearing for approval of the Request for
Designation as an Urban Revitalization Area.
BACKGROUND:
On August 10, 1999 the City Council approved the Urban Revitalization Program Criteria
Matrix for multiple family and commercial properties to be used in the administration of the
Urban Revitalization Program on a "case-by-case" basis. This property has an approved
site plan for a 3 story, 9 unit apartment building of masonry construction, with 17 parking
spaces being provided. Currently the structure is vacant.
The action to be taken by the City Council is to determine if the request meets the
Criteria for Eligibility under the Urban Revitalization Multiple Family Residential
Criteria Matrix and if the City Council determines that it does, then to set a date of
Public Hearing for approval of the Request for Designation of Urban Revitalization
Area for 325 Welch Avenue.
ANALYSIS:
The applicant, TAJMA LLC, has submitted a Request for Designation of Urban
Revitalization Area for 325 Welch Avenue under the Multiple Family Residential Matrix (see
attached request). Staff has determined that the request was complete and the information
submitted is correct.
The existing building was occupied until 1998 as a fraternity for over 50 years. When
occupied as a fraternity the condition of the building had deteriorated over the past 20
years. The fraternity Gamma Phi Delta Theta abandoned the building in 1998 and the
building has been uninhabited since. The applicant, TAJMA, LLC, purchased the property
in 1999. The building was in poor condition as rated by the City Assessor. Windows were
broken out and vagrants were living in the structure. On May 27, 1999 the Ames City
Board of Review decreased the building value by $319,600 to $133,100. The Board found
the market value was less than the assessed value. The building value was reduced to
$0 until it is either demolished or refurbished. The value of the building, once the
renovations have been completed, has been estimated at $500,000.
Required Conditions
The Criteria for Eligibility under the Multiple Family Residential Matrix (See attached sheet),
mandates that the property must display one of four required conditions before it can be
determined that the property is eligible to be considered further. These two threshold
conditions are:
- A slum and blighted condition, or;
- An underutilized condition.
- Zoning nonconformity
- Floodway fringe nonconformity
The applicant has indicated that the site is slum and blighted in its present
condition.
For meeting the slum and blighted portion of the matrix the property needs to have been
given a condition rating of poor or very poor by the City Assessor:
- The City Assessor has given this property a rating of poor condition as of May,
1999.
- City staff believes the applicant has met the requirements of slum and blighted
condition found on the City Assessor's rating of poor.
Optional Conditions
Under the optional requirements of the Multiple Family Residential Matrix there are two
options:
- Structured Parking: A minimum of 70% of the total required parking is provided in
a structure.
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- Brick Construction or Similar Masonry Material: 100% of the street face and 50%
of the sides of the structure shall be masonry material; and — Landscaping Beyond
Required-Landscaping improvements installed at 150% of the required landscaping
standard or greater.
The applicant addresses the brick construction or similar masonry material - 100% of the
street face and 50% of the sides of the structure shall be faced with brick or a similar
masonry material. The building is 90% bricked on all sides.
Landscaping Beyond Required - Landscaping improvements installed at 150% of the
required landscaping standard or greater. The approved site plan has 451% of the
required landscaping standard. The required landscaping standard is 10% of the square
footage of the parking area, which needs to be landscaping around the parking lot. The
total paved parking lot square footage is 4,653 square feet. 150% of the required 10%
landscaping is 697.95 square feet. The actual square footage of parking lot landscaping
on this site is 2,098 square feet, which equals 451% of the required landscaping.
Although this application doesn't fall under the proposed new zoning ordinance, the 150%
requirement is also achieved under the proposed new zoning ordinance. Under the
proposed new zoning ordinance, for every 60 feet of frontage along a public street, one
unit of landscaping is required for this project. With 282 feet of linear feet of frontage, five
units of landscaping would be required. 150% of this requirement would be 7.5 units. The
development meets the 7.5 units of landscaping by the following:
- four overstory trees = 4 units (1 unit per overstory tree)
- six shrubs = 1 unit (1 unit per six shrubs)
- two evergreen trees = 1 unit (1 unit per two evergreen trees)
- three ornamental trees = 1.5 units (1 unit per two ornamental trees)
City staff has determined the applicant has met the required (slum and blighted
condition), and optional (brick construction and landscaping beyond required),
criteria for the Multiple Family Residential Matrix and should be allowed to proceed
to the next step in the process which will involve the City Council setting a date of
public hearing for the approval of the Request for Designation of Urban
Revitalization Area for 325 Welch Avenue.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The City Council can determine that the request for designation of urban
revitalization area for 325 Welch Avenue meets the criteria for eligibility and setting
the date of public hearing of February 22, 2000 for approval of the request for
designation of urban revitalization area for 325 Welch Avenue and direct staff to
prepare an urban revitalization plan for this area.
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2. The City Council can determine that the request for designation of urban
revitalization area for 325 Welch Avenue does not meet the criteria for eligibility.
3. The City Council can direct staff to research alternatives available to the developer.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
It is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative #1.
This action will allow the City Council to set a date of public hearing to take the request for
designation of urban revitalization area to the next step in the establishment of the first
Urban Revitalization Area for 325 Welch Avenue under the new criteria.
COUNCIL ACTION:
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