HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Memo and packet dated November 21, 2019 from Planning & Housing AIrIW A m e s
Me-mo
Department of Planning & Housing
Caring People
Qualtry Programs
Escepuonal Service
TO: Diane Voss, City Clerk
FROM: Eloise Sahlstrom, Planner
DATE: November 21, 2019
SUBJECT: Zoning Text Amendment Relating to Stacked Parking for Single Family Uses
The Planning and Zoning Commission took action on the above-mentioned amendment to the Zoning
Ordinance at its meeting of November 20, 2019.
The City Council will be reviewing this proposed amendment at its meeting of December 10, 2019.
I have attached a copy of the Commission Action Form dated November 20, 2019.
Please contact me at extension 5400 if you have any questions regarding this agenda item.
ES\lb
Attachment
SAPlanning.Dep\PLAN_SHR\Council Boards Commissions\PZ\Letters & Memos\2019\Memo to Clerk for ZTA Relating to Stacked Parking for Single
Family Uses 11-20-19.docx
ITEM: 7
DATE: 11/20/19
COMMISSION ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT RELATING TO STACKED PARKING FOR
SINGLE FAMILY USES
BACKGROUND
On November 12, 2019 the City Council adopted ordinances regulating Guest Lodging.
Guest Lodging standards include requirements to have off-street parking spaces available to
support the guest lodging use within a dwelling. Availability of off-street parking on a property
may directly impact the permitted occupancy of the Guest Lodging use. During the review of
Rental Code standards and Guest Lodging over the past year a discrepancy in parking
standards is evident for stacked parking (tandem parking of one car in front of the other) for a
single-family home. The proposed text amendment is intended to clarify that stacked
parking for a single-family owner occupied homes and rental property is also
acceptable for Guest Lodging. This proposed change does not create new options to
expand front yard parking or to receive an exception to front yard parking limitations
of the Zoning Ordinance.
Relevant parking standards currently existing for single-family homes:
• A single-family dwelling requires two parking spaces, covered or uncovered.
• Front yard parking is prohibited, except upon a driveway that leads to parking in a
garage or parking behind the front fagade of a house.
• Parking spaces are required to be individually accessible to count as required parking,
with an exception that for single-family homes stacked parking is allowed in some
cases for"owner occupied" homes.
• Although Guest Lodging can occur in a single-family dwelling, it is not a single-family
residential use that meets the Zoning standard for allowing stacked parking.
• The Rental Code allows for stacked parking for both single-family and two-family
homes.
• The issue of stacked parking is most relevant to the use of older homes for Guest
Lodging that may not have a two-car garage or double-wide driveway width.
Although the general intent to allow front yard parking on paved driveways in front of garages
(stacked parking) is clear, staff has found some discrepancies and unclear language related
to when stacked driveway parking is permissible. These discrepancies may lead to confusion.
For example:
• Chapter 13 Rental Coe applies the exception to "residentially zoned properties";
Chapter 29 Zoning Ordinance applies it to a list of specific zoning districts, including
°'RL', 'RM', 'RH', 'UCRM', 'FS-RL', or 'FS-RM' zones".
• Chapter 13 applies the exception to both single family and two family dwellings;
1
Chapter 29 applies it to only single family.
• Chapter 13 applies the exception to residential "rental" properties; Chapter 29 applies
it to "owner occupied".
Chapter 13 off-street parking requirements were updated in 2018 by the City Council with the
intent of aligning with the Zoning Ordinance, but the issue of the Zoning Ordinance language
for stacked parking was not addressed. Stacked parking was clearly understood to be
acceptable at the time of the Chapter 13 updates due the lengthy discussions on parking
requirements related to occupancy levels.
Refinements to the language in Chapter 29 will provide greater clarity in the application of this
exception and create continuity within the Municipal Code.
PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENTS
Staff has prepared the following text amendments to address this issue.
Sec. 29.406. OFF-STREET PARKING.
x*x
(7) Locating Parking Spaces in Front Yard.
(a) Surface Parking Lot Striping and Landscape Plan (Note-this is a h-pographica/error
correction)
**x
(8) Stacked Parking. Stacked or valet parking is allowed by Special Use Permit if an attendant is
present to move vehicles. If stacked parking is to be used for required parking spaces, a covenant
must be tiled on the City land records obligating the property owner to have an attendant available
at all times that the lot is in operation.
0•
a. Exception. Stacked parking of twe padiiiig spaces is permitted as-ef-_by right for single-family
and two-family dwellinzs. per eeeupied land use.
b. The requirements for minimum spaces and all parking area development standards continue to
apply for stacked parking
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The Planning & Zoning Commission can recommend that the City Council adopt the
proposed amendments regarding stacked driveway parking for both single family and two
family dwellings.
2. The Planning & Zoning Commission can recommend alternative language for the
proposed text amendment that allows stacked parking only for single-family dwellings.
2
3. The Planning and Zoning Commission can recommend the City Council take no action to
amend the Ordinance, thereby not allowing stacked parking for Guest Lodging uses.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The proposed change will expand opportunities for stacked parking compared to existing
regulations related to single-family owner occupied homes. With the proposed change. it
would allow for stacking of vehicles in tandem on single-car width driveways with no limit on
the number of spaces on the driveway to meet required parking. This allows older homes
with long driveways to more readily meet the parking requirement than to limit the number of
stacked spaces to two as currently written. It also allows for stacked parking across the full
width of driveway, such as with the configuration of a three-car garage.
Staff believes that the proposed amendment clarifies how to apply the stacked parking for
one and two family dwellings regulations. This change will ease requirements for establishing
Guest Lodging use to be the same as single-family dwelling or a two-family dwelling, rather
than require Guest Lodging to have individually accessible parking spaces to meet licensing
requirements.
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the Department of Planning and Housing that
the Planning and Zoning Commission approve Alternative #1.
• Page 1 of 1
Noticing Materials for Zoning Text Amendment Relating to Stacked Parking for Single Family Uses
Going to City Council on 12/10/19
Lorrie Banks
to:
Diane R Voss
11/21/2019 09:22 AM
Cc:
Eloise Sahlstrom
Hide Details
From: Lorrie Banks/COA
To: Diane R Voss/COA@COA
Cc: Eloise Sahlstrom/COA@COA
History: This message has been forwarded.
2 Attachments
Memo to Clerk for ZTA Relating to Stacked Parking for Single Family Uses 1 1-20-19.pdf Stacked Driveway Parking 11-20-19.pdf
Attached please find the materials that you will need for a . g Text Amendme Relating to
Stacked Parking for Single Family Uses going to City Coun on 12/10/19.
CITY OF
P m e s
Lorrie Banks
Principal Clerk
Planning& Housing/Public Works/Fire-Inspections
515.239.5400-main 1 515.239.5298- direct 1 515.239.5404-fax
(banks@city.ames.ia.us I City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue I Ames, IA 50010
www.CitVofAmes.org I - Caring People — Quality Programs — Exceptional Service
file:///C:/Users/diane.voss/AppData/Local/Temp/notesFFF692/—web0182.htm 11/21/2019