HomeMy WebLinkAboutA005 - Council Action form dated June 9, 2009 c
ITEM # 36
DATE 06-09-09
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT RELATED TO SCREENING
AND LANDSCAPING AROUND MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
BACKGROUND:
The City of Ames Electric Services needs to relocate underground electrical vaults in
the downtown area to surface mounted locations due, in part, to new safety rules for
accessing underground utility vaults. Because the downtown is largely already
developed, there are few locations on the surface to place electrical vaults, especially
within rights-of-way. Existing rights-of-way — particularly alleys — are barely wide enough
to allow vehicular passage. The Electric Department has therefore been contacting
private property owners to see if they would be willing to sell the City easements to
place the vaults on their properties. This option also has space constraints because, in
many cases, the only on-site areas on downtown lots where utility vaults might be
placed are in the code-required landscaped areas for parking lots.
Currently, Section 29.201(116) of the Zoning Ordinance defines a Mechanical Unit as "a
climate control device and/or a piece of hardware used for the delivery or measurement
of utilities that is located above ground and is clearly visible." Section 29.408(4)
provides screening requirements for mechanical equipment, as follows:
"Mechanical Equipment. For all uses, except for single-family and two-family
dwellings, all mechanical equipment located on the ground, such as cooling or
heating equipment, pumps or generators, shall be substantially screened from
the street and any abutting residential properties by a partially sight obscuring
fence and/or shrubs. Such fence and/or shrubs shall be at least six inches higher
than the height of the mechanical equipment. All mechanical equipment mounted
on roofs or on the walls of buildings, shall be completely screened from the
ground level of any abutting residentially zoned lot and substantially screened
from all other adjacent properties at any level, with materials that are consistent
with the architectural materials used on the exterior of the building.
Screening requirements for mechanical equipment and code-required landscaping are
essential for both aesthetic and environmental reasons, but these provisions must be
balanced with the provision of vital utility services. The City Council has therefore
directed staff to develop code amendments that would provide exceptions to applicable
landscaping requirements to facilitate necessary and unanticipated upgrades to utility
services when standard landscaping and screening requirements cannot otherwise be
met. The exceptions would not apply to new development where space needs can be
predetermined at the platting and site plan level.
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Accordingly, staff has drafted the following changes for the City Council's consideration.
Section 29.201(116) would be revised to eliminate from the definition of "mechanical
unit" unnecessary and potentially confusing language regarding the placement of a
mechanical unit. The new language would read as follows:
Section 29.201(116) Mechanical Unit means a climate control device
and/or a piece of hardware used for the delivery or measurement of utilities—, that
Section 29.201(116) would be revised to ensure consistent use of the term "mechanical
unit" as defined in the zoning code. The new language would read as follows:
Section 29.408(4) Mechanical Equipment Units. For all uses, except for
single-family and two-family dwellings, all mechanical equipment units located on
the ground, such as cooling or heating equipment, pumps or generators, shall be
substantially screened from the street and any abutting residential properties by
a partially sight obscuring fence and/or shrubs. Such fence and/or shrubs shall
be at least six inches higher than the height of the mechanical equipment. All
mechanical equipment mounted on roofs or on the walls of buildings, shall be
completely screened from the ground level of any abutting residentially zoned lot
and substantially screened from all other adjacent properties at any level, with
materials that are consistent with the architectural materials used on the exterior
of the building.
A new Section 29.403(6) would be adopted, to read as follows:
(6) Screening and placement of mechanical units. Mechanical units must
meet all screening requirements of Section 29.408(4) and must be located
outside of required landscape areas. However, in situations where upgrades or
relocations of mechanical units for utility services are necessary to provide
continued service, the Director of Planning & Housing may approve placement of
mechanical units in required landscape areas, and may also waive screening
requirements of mechanical units, if the Director determines that such upgrades
or relocations could not have been anticipated either at the time of platting or at
the time of site development when the utilities were first planned and/or installed,
and that there is insufficient room for the relocated or upgraded utility mechanical
units to be screened or placed outside of required landscape areas.
Recommendation of the Planning & Zoning Commission. At its meeting of May 20,
2009, with a vote of 5-0, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval
of the text amendment related to screening and landscaping around mechanical
equipment. No one from the public spoke to this issue, and the Commission raised
questions as to its applications but expressed no concerns.
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ALTERNATIVES:
1. The City Council can adopt the zoning text amendments related to screening and
landscaping around mechanical equipment as shown above.
2. The City Council can adopt the zoning text amendments described above with
modifications.
3. The City Council can not adopt the proposed zoning text amendments.
4. The City Council can refer this issue to staff for further information.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
In most cases, the proposed revisions would not loosen current landscaping and
screening standards because the application of the revised standards would be limited.
The revisions would apply to unforeseen situations where there are no other reasonable
alternatives to allow needed upgrades or relocations of mechanical units, and would
ensure a balance between needed utility services and the benefits otherwise realized by
current landscaping standards.
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council act in
accordance with Alternative 1 and adopt the zoning text amendments related to
screening and landscaping around mechanical equipment as shown above.
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