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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Demolition of 138 Gray Avenue - Acacia Fraternity House RESOLUTION NO. 16-022 RESOLUTION APPROVING REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION OF GREEK HOUSE AT 138 GRAY AVENUE FOR THE CITY OF AMES WHEREAS, Acacia Fraternity is seeking approval to demolish its existing Greek house in order to construct a new fraternity; and, WHEREAS, the current house at 138 Gray Avenue was constructed in 1920 and has been a fraternity on and off again over its existence; and, WHEREAS, the zoning of the property is High-Density Residential (RH), and , it has the East University Impacted Area Overlay District(O-UIE); and, WHEREAS,this overlay requires City Council approval prior to demolition of any structure currently or formerly used by a"Greek" organization; and, WHEREAS,the Acacia House currently accommodates 29 of its membership of 45 men,and a larger number of its members wish to live in the house so the Corporate Board of the Acacians seeks to demolish the structure and build another one to accommodate 43 members and to improve the common and amenity space of the house; and, WHEREAS, the existing Acacia House is one of the smallest Greek houses in terms of number of beds,and Acacia is also the one of the smallest fraternities in terms of total members;and, WHEREAS,if a new house were to be built,it would remain in the smallest quintile in terms of numbers of beds ; and, WHEREAS,at this time,the site development plan has been submitted to staff for approval, and the Council is not required to approve the replacement development site plan; and, WHEREAS, the property owners are requesting approval for demolition of their current house with a condition that they will not proceed with the demolition until they receive site plan approval; and, WHEREAS, this is the same approach that was approved by the City Council for two prior requests of demolition of Greek houses; and, WHEREAS,the applicant asserts the following points in support oftheir request to demolish and rebuild:remodeling and expansion of the existing structure would still not provide the capacity that the Board desires; an expanded building would still not provide the amenity space; additional parking to accommodate the new residents is not possible due to the orientation of the existing footprint of the building; and, a remodeled house would remain a relatively energy-inefficient building; and, WHEREAS,by contrast,anew structure would increase the capacity to 43 residents,provide study areas separate from sleeping areas,have a dining room with a capacity of 50,allow an increase in parking spaces, and be more energy efficient; and, WHEREAS, to approve demolition of a fraternity home,the Council must find the request is consistent with Section 219.110(2)b.... "The structure cannot be used for the original intended purpose and/or no alternative reasonable use can be identified and the property owner can show evidence that an economic hardship will be created if the structure cannot be removed;" and, WHEREAS, a formal evaluation of the remodel and addition option described by the applicant has not been done with City staff, and from staff s assessment of the site, it appears there is an opportunity for an addition to the existing structure; and, WHEREAS, the addition would trigger parking requirements to meet the new need related to the addition, but it may be possible to reuse the current non-conforming parking spaces in their current configuration to support an addition; and, WHEREAS, staff also notes that under the remodel and addition option,the property would likely be eligible for property tax abatement on the new improvements; and, WHEREAS,with prior requests for demolition,Council has approved demolition contingent upon site plan approval and submittal to the City of building permit plans, and there has also been a condition that prior to demolition, the property owners provide verification of the financial feasibility of building the proposed replacement project to ensure there is no speculative demolition that occurs without assurance of the replacement building being constructed. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the request for demolition of the Greek residence at 13 8 Gray Avenue is hereby approved,with the following conditions:that a minor site development plan is approved by the Director of Planning and Housing before a demolition permit is issued;that an application for a building permit consistent with the building elevations and floor plans submitted with the minor site development plan is submitted before a demolition permit is issued; that approval of the demolition request is valid for the life of the minor site development plan permit SDP-15-44 approval;and,that proof of financing for the construction of the new structure is submitted for review and is accepted by the Planning and Housing Director. ADOPTED THIS 12`h day of January, 2016. Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor Introduced by: Gartin Seconded by: Orazem Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Corrieri, Gartin,Nelson, Orazem Voting nay: Betcher Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 12'day of January, 2016.