HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Council Action Form dated March 6, 2001 ITEM#: I
DATE: 03/06/01
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: MOTION TO CHANGE THE ZONING FOR A 0.26 ACRE PARCEL
LOCATED AT 208 STANTON AVENUE FROM RESIDENTIAL HIGH DENSITY (RH)
TO DOWNTOWN/CAMPUSTOWN SERVICE CENTER (DCSC).
BACKGROUND:
The applicant is requesting that the City of Ames rezone 0.26 net acres of land
generally located on the southeast corner of Stanton Avenue and Chamberlain Street
from Residential High Density to Downtown/Campustown Service Center. The existing
use on the subject property is a 5-unit multi-family structure-, it is a multi-family
conversion from a single-family home built in the 1920's. The following picture is the
improvement that exists on the subject property.
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The applicant is seeking a zone change to the property to allow for commercial type
uses similar to those that are across the street from the property. The subject property
is adjacent to a Downtown/Campustown Service Center (DCSC) zone designation and
the property's frontage is on Stanton Avenue, directly across from this DCSC zone.
(See graphics titled "Aerial Photo," and "Existing Zoning.")
Water. The City's municipal water system currently services the use on the subject
property. An 8-inch service line runs down the east side of Stanton Avenue. This water
line can adequately service the proposed Downtown/Campustown Service Center uses
on the subject property.
Sanitary Sewer. An 8-inch sanitary sewer is also adjacent to the site and can
adequately service the proposed Downtown/Campustown Service Center uses on the
subject property.
Access/Traffic Impact. The use of the subject property is currently improved upon with
a 5-unit, 8-bedroom structure. The above grade living square footage is 3,661 square
feet. Average traffic counts for this existing use is approximately thirty-five (35) trips per
day. A change in uses from a 5-plex high-density residential use to a
Downtown/Campustown Service Center use could pose increases or decreases in
traffic flows on the surrounding street network. If the property is rezoned, uses could
range from strictly downtown commercial activities to a mix of first floor commercial
uses with high-density apartments above the first floor.
The existing zoning designation, Residential High-Density, allows for commercial uses
on the first floor; the property could, under today's regulations, redevelop as such.
However, Downtown/Campustown Service Center zoning could allow for an even
greater intensification of commercial and multi-family uses, and thus increase traffic
counts. At this time, it is not recommended that a traffic study be prepared. However, if
or when the property is redeveloped, or a use change to the existing structure occurs, a
traffic study may be a requirement of the City's Development Review Committee. A
zoning permit for future development on the subject property will not be granted if the
Development Review Committee finds that traffic impacts are not properly mitigated.
Zoning Districts. The pattern of existing zoning of the subject property and the
properties adjacent to the subject property is as follows:
Subject Property RH (Residential High Density)
North of Subject Property S-GA (Government/Airport) and DCSC
(Downtown Service Center)
East of Subject Property S-GA (Government/Airport) and RH (Residential High
Density)
South of Subject Property RH (Residential High Density)
West of Subject Property DCSC (Downtown/Campustown Service Center)
2
The subject property and surrounding areas fall into the University Impacted Overlay
District (O-UI) in addition to the base zone designation indicated above. (See attached
Existing Zoning and Proposed Zoning Maps.)
Land Use Policy Plan (LUPP). The Future Land Use Map of the Land Use Policy Plan
designates the subject property as Residential High Density. (See attached Land Use
Policy Plan Map.) In addition, the Future Land Use Map also indicates a very generic
designation for a Community Commercial Node to be located in this area, as well.
Revisions to the adopted Land Use Policy Plan are needed with respect to how the
Plan provides guidance for the Campustown area. Generally speaking, these revisions
should include:
• More detailed policy description of the Campustown Commercial area is needed in
the section of the Plan entitled University Impacted Policy Options.
• The generic designation of the commercial area of Campustown on the Future Land
Use Map as a Community Commercial Node needs to be revised to designate the
Campustown areas as being similar to the Downtown Service Center use
designation.
The Future Land Use Map designation of Community Commercial Node does not fit the
land use pattern for the Campustown area. The Campustown commercial area is made
up of land uses that are more similar to the Downtown Service Center zone than a
Community Commercial Node. When the City Council approved the newly adopted
zoning map, this inconsistency was recognized and the Campustown area has been
zoned DCSC (Downtown/Campustown Service Center) but the Land Use Policy Plan
has not yet been changed to address this discrepancy.
In the near future, staff will recommend to the Planning and Zoning Commission and
City Council a series a revisions and adjustments to the Land Use Policy Plan Map that
will bring the Plan and the Zoning Ordinance of the City into a greater degree of
consistency. These revisions will include a recommendation that the future Land Use
Map designation for the Campustown commercial area be changed from a Community
Commercial Node to Downtown/Campustown Service Center.
The analysis of this rezoning request will occur contemplating that the Land Use Policy
Plan will be revised as described previously. Staff believes that it is inappropriate to
analyze the proposed rezoning request on the basis of the future Land Use Map as it
currently exists since it is staff's intent to propose revisions to the Plan for this area of
the city.
3
The Land Use Policy Plan describes a Downtown Service Center as having the
following characteristics: (Page 38, LUPP).
Specialized business services
Governmental services
Retail commercial uses
Highly intense activities
Central in location
Specialized mixing of activities
Parking and design provisions may apply
Floor area ratios of 1.0 and higher
The Land Use Policy Plan describes a Community Commercial Node as having the
following characteristics: (Page 38, LUPP)
Community Scale commercial uses
Clustered developments when compared to highway-oriented commercial
More specific uses
Shared parking
Common design features
Floor area ratios of between .50 and .75
The uses in the Campustown commercial area are a mix of business services, retail
commercial services, government services and high-density residential uses. This
combination of uses serves both the University and surrounding neighborhoods — and
to a lesser degree the rest of the Ames community. The existing land uses of the
Campustown commercial area are more suited to reflect the Downtown Service Center
land use designation. (In light of this conclusion, the May 2000 rezoning of the City of
Ames designated the Campustown commercial area as Downtown/Campustown
Service Center.)
The subject property also falls into the University-Impacted Overlay area. This area is
generally defined as "the transitional residential area that is adjacent to Campustown...
[Where] the area is characterized by mostly older residences that have been converted
often from single tenant to multiple tenant occupancy involving mostly ISU-students."
(Page 41, LUPP). The five-unit converted structure on the subject property is typical of
this description.
4
The Land Use Policy Plan states on page 41 that "Current planning policies have led to
increasing intensification and change that have resulted in parking, building scale and
design conflicts. The designation of University-Impacted is intended to delineate an
area wherein specific parking, building scale and design objectives may be
implemented in order to achieve greater compatibility with the existing character."
Allowing the subject property to be zoned and developed under the
Downtown/Campustown Service Center zone would result in similar uses being
developed across the street from each other and limiting the height of buildings to
seven (7) stories in contrast to nine (9) stories under the existing RH zone designation.
Goal 4.A. of the LUPP states, "Ames seeks to establish more integrated and compact
living/activity areas (i.e. neighborhoods, villages) wherein daily living requirements and
amenities are provided in a readily identifiable and accessible area. Greater emphasis
is placed on the pedestrian and related activities." (Page 26, LUPP). The rezoning of
this property will allow for pedestrian scale commercial activities that will integrate well
into the surrounding high-density resiidential land uses.
Goal 4.13. of the LUPP states, "Ames seeks to physically connect existing and new
residential and commercial areas through the association of related land uses ... "
(Page 27, LUPP). Additionally, vision statements found in the appendix of the Land
Use Policy Plan state that, "[There shall be a] Provision of adequate transitional and
intensification areas and the assurance of compatibility between differing uses and new
and existing uses." (Page 123, LUPP). By facing similar land uses across the street
and providing a better transition between Downtown Commercial land uses and
Residential High-Density zoning, the request to rezone the subject property would meet
this goal.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION:
The Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed this request at their meeting of February
21, 2001. Approval of this rezoning proposal is recommended with a vote of 3-1.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The City Council can approve this request to rezone the parcel of property located
at 208 Stanton Avenue from RH (Residential High Density) to DCSC
(Downtown/Campustown Service Center).
2. The City Council can deny this request to rezone the parcel of property located at
208 Stanton Avenue from RH (Residential High Density) to DCSC
(Downtown/Campustown Service Center).
4. Action on this request can be postponed and referred back to City staff and/or the
applicant for additional information.
5
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The request to change the zoning designation on the subject property represents a
change in zoning to a single property similar to the numerous zoning boundary
adjustments that were decided upon by the City Council as the final decisions were
being made with respect to the newly adopted Zoning Map. Ideally, this request to
change zoning for the subject property should have occurred prior to May 2000, when
the zoning for the entire City of Ames was changed.
The change in the zoning designation of this property will result in the potential of
similar uses of property being located across the street from each other. This feature in
drawing zoning boundaries has been used in numerous occasions as zoning boundary
adjustments were made in the past.
It is important to understand that the rezoning of this property to Downtown Service
Center could result in redevelopment of the site where no off street parking is provided
since the DCSC does not require off street parking for commercial uses.
Staff believes that the request to rezone the subject property to
Downtown/Campustown Service Center is consistent with the pattern of development in
the area and the appropriate land use designation for the area. It is recommended that
Alternative #1 be adopted. Alternative #1 is approval of this request to rezone the
parcel of property located at 208 Stanton Avenue from Residential High Density (RH) to
Downtown/Campustown Service Center (DCSC).
Attachments
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Prepared by the Department of Planning and Housing 200 0 200 Feet
Map prepared.-0211412001
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Prepared by the Department of Planning and Housing 200 0 200 Feet
Map prepared: 0211412001