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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Summary from December 17, 2002 meeting COUNCIL ACTION SUMMARY Meeting Date: 12117102 Agenda Item #:Comments SUBJECT: Letter from Ev Cochrane and Associates dated December 17,2002,requesting that the City review its current policies with regard to multi-family development with parking structures in the RH zones of the University-Impacted Areas. ACTION TAKEN: Referred to staff. MOTION BY: Goodhue SECOND BY: Cross VOTING AYE: Cross, Goodhue, Hoffman, Quirmbach, Vegge VOTING NAY: None ABSENT: Wirth By,� Diane Voss, City Clerk Copy to: Brian O'Connell .� . /� - I� -0.�), A c EV COCHRANE AND ASSOCIATES 200 Stanton, Suite #101 P.O. Box 1099 Ames, Iowa 50014-1099 phone 515.598.9000 fax 515.598.9500 December 17, 2002 f Honorable Frank`Ted"Tedesco, Mayor, and l� 15 f Ij Honorable Members of the Ames City Council r7f s City of Ames �' °' t 515 Clark Avenue q Ames, IA 50010 CIIFAMES,IOWA .w Re: Request to review public incentives for structured parking in University impacted areas Dear Mayor and Council Members: We ask that the City review its current policies with regard to multi-family development with parking structures in the RH zones of the University-impacted areas. It is our understanding that in response to on-street parking congestion, the City's current zoning ordinances increased the required parking standard to one stall per bedroom for all residential zones citywide. Additionally, the University-impacted areas were perceived to need additional parking, and therefore the standard for this area was set at 1.25 stalls per bedroom. In discussions with City Staff there does not appear to be any formal research that was utilized to establish the 1.25 standard. We believe that the current zoning standard has had a significant detrimental impact to the redevelopment of the University-impacted RH zone. A significant reason for this is that structured parking can be 7 to 12 times the expense of providing grade level parking. Grade level parking can only be accomplished by acquiring more land. In the University-impacted areas it is generally very expensive to acquire RH zoned ground because it usually includes an existing older property that already has a good income stream flowing from it. Therefore, it is generally cost prohibitive to provide grade level parking in this area, Since the advent of the current zoning ordinance the majority of the apartment development has occurred on the edges of Ames. We believe that it is in the best interest of the public to provide incentives for the redevelopment of the RH zoned University-impacted areas. One method for public involvement in this redevelopment is through the tax abatement program. It has been demonstrated in the DCSC zone that structured parking can be accomplished through the tax abatement program. The current tax abatement program offers two methods to gain the abatement, however for certain redevelopment efforts the program conditions are too restrictive. We urge the Council to move toward an abatement program in the University-impacted RH zoned areas that will encourage through tax abatement the construction of parking structures to be used with new or existing multi-family housing projects. Without some public incentives, we believe the redevelopment of these areas will not be economically possible. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, r Davi . Keller Russ McCullough Vice President Chief Economist z 'd OOZE 13C2135d1 dH Wd90 =2 200a 9 T 03Q