HomeMy WebLinkAboutA016 - Council Action Summary from February 9, 1999 meeting COUNCIL ACTION SUMMARY
Meeting Date: 2109199
Agenda Item #: Comments
SUBJECT: Request from the Developers of Somerset Village to Allow the Rear-Yard
Setback to be Reduced from 30' to 20' and the Garage Side-Yard Setbacks to be Reduced
from 5' to 0'
ACTION TAKEN: Referred to staff
MOTION BY: Quirmbach
SECOND BY: Parks
VOTING AYE: Cross, Hoffman, Parks, Quirmbach, Wirth
VOTING NAY: None
ABSENT: Campbell
By:
Diane Voss, City Clerk
Copy to: Brian O'Connell
February 8, 1999 � d
Mayor Ted Tedesco FEB — 9 1999
City of Ames V
515 Clark Avenue b L CiJ CLERK
Ames, IA 50010 CITY OF AMES,IOWA
Dear Mayor Tedesco:
I am writing on behalf of the Somerset Developer Group in reference to the following:
1. Village detached residential lot rear yard set-back requirement.
i Village Apartment side yard oc+_bi aa.s related to garage locations
lr. v lllabe Apartment side J .Yv 1. ask N related
Somerset has been designed and developed as an amenity to the City of Ames. The project has
been created using traditional planning techniques including tree-lined streets, traditional street
lighting, historical building elements and building to street relationship. Another important
aspect of neo-traditional planning is the use of urban planning techniques in addition to
traditional planning. Somerset utilizes different lot sizes as a tool to increase density. The
typical village detached residential lot is 60' x 120'. The rear yard set-back is 30'. The
standard rear yard set-back for R-1, low and medium density lots in the existing Ames zoning
is 20'. The Developers propose to reduce the rear yard set-back to 20' due to the lot
configurations at corner conditions creating lots which require very unique design solutions and
minimize the marketability of these lot types.
The Village Apartment lots are designed to encourage dense urban design. The Developers are
requesting that the garage side yard set-backs be reduced from 5' to 0' to allow a safer
environment by reducing unused 10' corridors and a wider vehicle maneuvering zone between
garages.
I have discussed both of these issues with Mr. Brian O'Connell of the Planning and Housing
T ..�x+t a ^� �+ r „t *h +re Developer's r „Pnf
Departument and he is 1.. agreeme.I ✓.ai a i req eost.
It is my opinion that this request would be viewed favorably by the Ames City staff.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Je rey S. Fenimore, AIA
cc: Somerset Developers
Brian O'Connell
ARCHITECTS RUDI / LEE / DREYER AND ASSOCIATES
103 E SIXTH STREET SUITE 200 AMES IOWA 50010-6300 FAX 515-232-8529 515-232-5600