HomeMy WebLinkAboutA027 - Council Action Form dated February 24, 2009 ITEM # 27
DATE 2/24/09
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: REVISION OF URBAN REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR CAMPUSTOWN
URBAN REVITALIZATION AREA
BACKGROUND:
The Campustown Urban Revitalization Area and Plan (CURP) were established
because the rehabilitation, conservation, redevelopment and economic development of
this area are in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of
Ames. The Criteria Matrix of the Plan is used to guide City Council decisions regarding
tax abatement in the Campustown Urban Revitalization Area.
Since the approval of the CURP, the City has gained more experience with the on-going
impacts of the larger residential buildings in the area and the management of those
impacts, as staff reported at the City Council meeting on February 10, 2009. The
proposed new criteria relate to the following issues of safety and security for the public
and the residents:
• Large crowds gathering spontaneously where no one is responsible for safety
and which exceed capacity of exits
• Opportunities for illegal or dangerous interactions due to inadequate lighting or
lack of protection against public access to residents or their vehicles
• Ability to throw objects to streets, sidewalks, or other places where people or
vehicles may be
• Lack of access to natural light and air
At the February 10th meeting, the City Council directed staff to prepare recommended
Plan revisions and set February 24 as the public hearing date. The proposed revisions
would require all residential uses to meet the following additional criteria:
o Limit commercial space in the same building to the ground floor
o Provide separate entrances required for commercial and residential uses
o Locate all residential entrances to be visible from the street and provide secure
access control at each
o Prevent access from the exterior to the interior through doors that serve only as
fire exits
o Prohibit public access to structured parking, using overhead door and secure
access control
o Provide transparent glass windows into all stairwells
o Provide camera monitoring of all pedestrian and vehicle entrances and areas
o Minimum widths of all exit routes: 48" for halls, 42" for doors, 60" between rails
for stairs
o No balconies are permitted
o Provide for natural daylight requirements of applicable codes with exterior
windows
o On facades facing any street use only fixed windows
o Design of all other windows shall prevent passing of sphere larger than 4"
diameter
o Prevent by physical means access to all roofs
o Where access is not required, provide security fencing controlling access to all
areas between new or existing buildings
o Provide a minimum of four 100 watt metal halide light fixtures on each building
fagade: two at elevation between first and second floors and two at elevation
between third and fourth floor
City Council has chosen to consider new tax abatement criteria as the more voluntary
and less restrictive approach to these issues. Abatement of property taxes on 100% of
the added property value for three years is available under this program. This change to
the CURP would use this financial incentive to more effectively promote safety and
security for residents and citizens in the Campustown area.
Approved amendments to the Plan would apply to all future tax abatement projects in
the Campustown Urban Revitalization Area, including 116 Welch for which prior
approval for tax abatement has been requested. Although staff has requested additional
information needed to act on that request, as well as comment on these proposed
revisions to the CURP, the applicant has not yet responded.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The City Council can approve the proposed changes to the Campustown Urban
Revitalization Plan.
2. The City Council can approve alternate changes to the Campustown Urban
Revitalization Plan.
3. The City Council can refer this item back to staff for additional information.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Public safety and security in Campustown varies widely depending on time of year, day
of the week, property management practices, building design, and many other factors.
Safety and security risks at the extreme end of this spectrum consume significant public
resources for police, for other emergency responders, and for clean up and repair of
private and public property.
Methods to protect the public and its resources could include additional laws or ending
the tax incentive for residential projects altogether. However, the community has
benefitted from the structured parking and durable materials that the tax abatement
program has promoted. It would seem appropriate to require a higher standard that
protects public resources for projects that will pay fewer property taxes in their first few
years.
2
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council
adopt Alternative #1 approving the proposed changes to the Campustown Urban
Revitalization Plan. These changes to the Campustown Criteria Matrix will promote a
higher level of safety and security for projects that receive the publicly funded incentive
of partial property tax abatement.
Staff will bring to City Council the request for prior approval of tax abatement for the
proposed project at 116 Welch after the application is complete and the needed
additional information is received.
3
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