HomeMy WebLinkAboutA003 - Council Action Form dated September 24, 2002 e
ITEM #
DATE 09/24/02
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: MOTION TO APPROVE A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING
ORDINANCE AMENDING REGULATIONS IN THE "F-VR" VILLAGE RESIDENTIAL
DISTRICT.
BACKGROUND:
After five years of administering the Somerset regulations it has become evident that there
are three text amendments to the "F-VR"Village Residential District that need to be made
to allow for the effective administration of the regulations. The first one is simply removing
the requirement for approval by the Village Architect for all building designs for all single-
family detached residential units. Currently, all single-family house plans are reviewed and
approved by the Village Architect prior to submission for a building permit from the City of
Ames. With this proposed text amendment, the responsibility to review and approve house
designs is now going to become the responsibility of a combination of the developer, the
Building Inspections Department, and the Planning and Housing Department. The
proposed text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance is as follows (changes are in bold
italics or StriGken threuo):
Table 29.1201(7)-1
Village Residential (F-VR) Floating Zone Urban Regulations
Cou try Houses
URBAN REGULATIONS F-VR ZONE
General Requirements . All„—proposed building designs shall
submitted to and approved by the Village
Ash itesf.
• Country Houses shall be permitted in the
Neighborhood Edge.
• Country Houses shall be permitted on lots
that are between 72 and 96 feet or larger in
width.
Table 29.1201(7)-2
Village Residential (F-VR) Floating Zone Urban Regulations
Village Houses
URBAN REGULATIONS F-VR ZONE
General Requirements • All proposed b iildinn rlocir.nc shall
submitted te and appreved by the Village
AFGh itest.
• Village Houses shall be permitted in the
Neighborhood Edge and the Neighborhood
General.
• Village Houses shall be permitted on lots
that are between 48 and 72 feet in width.
Table 29.1201(7)-3
Village Residential (F-VR) Floating Zone Urban Regulations
Village Cottages
URBAN REGULATIONS F-VR ZONE
General Requirements . All, „ prepese d building deSigRS shall be
submitted toand approved by the Village
4 rnhiteGt
r-crrn�rrcvc.
• Village Cottages shall be permitted in the
Neighborhood General and the
Neighborhood Center, only.
• Village Cottages shall be permitted on lots
that are between 24 and 48 feet wide.
With this text amendment, the process for approving house plans in Somerset will be the
following:
1. The property owner or homebuilder will present the proposed house plan to the
developers for review.
2. Once the developers have reviewed and approved the plans, the property owner or
homebuilder will then submit the plans to the City of Ames Building Inspections
Department for a building permit.
3. The Building Inspections Department and the Department of Planning and Housing
will then review the house plans to confirm that they conform to the Architectural
Pattern Guidelines.
The role of the Village Architect, with regard to review of house plans for single-family
detached dwelling units, will now be conducted by the developers and City staff. The
developers believe that this new approval system will streamline the process for approving
single-family detached houses.
The second text amendment that needs to be made to the "F-VR" Village Residential
District is regarding how screening of parking areas is accomplished for Village
Apartments. The proposed change is as follows (changes are in bold italics or&triGken
threugh);
Table 29.1201(7)-6
Village Residential (F-VR) Floating Zone Urban Regulations
Village Apartments
URBAN REGULATIONS F-VR ZONE
Building Placement Surface parking shall be located to the
interior of the lots and screened from the
view by either the placement of apartment
buildings that will screen the parking lots,
e-r a berm with landscaping, or a Garden
Wall that will screen the parking areas.
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There may not be room to provide a berm with landscaping to screen some parking lots.
Providing a garden wall to screen the parking, as is allowed in the commercial portions of a
village, is an acceptable, if not preferred, alternative.
Finally, when staff reviewed the Zoning Ordinance with regard to Garden Walls, it was
noted there is no definition of Garden Walls in the Ordinance. Therefore, the third text
amendment is to provide a definition of a Garden Wall in the Ordinance. The proposed
definition is as follows:
29.1201(3)(w) Garden Wall means a fence of masonry construction that
is composed of bricks or stones and is not less than eight inches thick,
with an eight inch thick horizontal coping. Wrought iron may be
installed between masonry pillars, as a substitute to brick or stone,
which will require the installation of landscaping where screening is
necessary.
While the Garden Walls are clearly defined in the Somerset Design Guidelines, this
definition will provide a clear basis for Garden Walls in future village developments.
ALTERNATIVES:
1 . The City Council can approve the proposed text amendments to the "F-VR" Village
Residential District of the Zoning Ordinance.
2. The City Council can deny the proposed text amendments to the "F-VR" Village
Residential District of the Zoning Ordinance.
3. The City Council can refer the text amendments to the "F-VR" Village Residential
District of the Zoning Ordinance back to staff for further review and comment.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
It is recommended that Alternative #1 be adopted. Alternative #1 is a recommendation for
approval of the proposed text amendments to the "F-VR" Village Residential District of the
Zoning Ordinance.
Attachment
s:\Council Action Forms\Text Amendments\F-VR Regs Text Amendment-09-24-02.doc
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