HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Major Site Development Plan for 5498 Mortensen Road RESOLUTION NO. 17-575
RESOLUTION APPROVING MAJOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
FOR 5498 MORTENSEN ROAD
FOR THE CITY OF AMES
WHEREAS, G.W. Land Holdings, LLC, is requesting approval of a Major Site Development
Plan for 120 apartments on the property located at 5498 Mortensen Road for a lot within the recently
platted Crane Farm Subdivision, 5th Addition; and,
WHEREAS,. The lot is 7.49 acres and currently zoned Suburban Residential Medium
Density (FS-RM ); the site is located south of Mortensen Road and north of Highway 30 with
recently bull apartments to the east, future development area to the west, and a developing single-
family home subdivision to the north of Mortensen Road; and,
WHEREAS, the site was approved for FS-RM zoning with a Master Plan in 2016, and the
Master Plan identified three sites for development within the FS-RM zoning for a total of 801 beds
across the entire 28 acres and defined the types of housing that could be constructed as well, and,
WHEREAS, the developer of the site proposes a residential apartment development
configured with 10 buildings for a total of 120 units; and,
WHEREAS, the apartment buildings are three-story buildings with 12 units per building;
within those 120 units, there will be 287 bedrooms for an average of 2.39 bedrooms per unit; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed development intensity and use is consistent with the Master Plan;
and,
WHEREAS, FS-RM includes requirements for common open space as part of development
and, due to the limited density allowances, also has large landscaped areas on the site; the common
open space abuts the site to the east as an outlot to serve all of the FS-RM developments, and the
City Council approved a site plan for the landscaped common area to the east this past spring; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed project is the first apartment project required to meet the new
landscape standards; and,
WHEREAS, as part of the Major Site Development Plan review, the applicant seeks
acceptance of modifications to some parking lot screening requirements for parking areas set back
from property lines behind other yard areas; and,
WHEREAS, staff supports adjusted landscaping plantings for trees and shrubs along the front
and side of the property where the parking is situated behind buildings with intervening yards and
landscaping; and,
WHEREAS, at its meeting on August 16, 2017, the Planning and Zoning Commission
recommended approval of the site plan with the following conditions and stipulations as
recommended by staff: a) finalize the site plan details for the pool house and swimming pool area
prior to the public hearing with the City Council; b) update plans to include compliant mechanical
screening of electric and gas meters prior to the public hearing with the Council; c) move mechanical
units located in the front setback near buildings E and J out of the front setback along Mortensen
Road prior to the public hearing with the City Council; and, d) include shrub screening materials
along the head in parking spaces at the southwest and southeast portions of the parking lot where no
shrub screening has been proposed; and,
WHEREAS, since the time of the Planning and Zoning Coirnriission meeting, the applicant
has made revisions to the plan to address all of the conditions; therefore, the revised plans currently
reflect the noted conditions of items a through d as recommended by the Comi nission.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa,
that the Major Site Development Plan for the proposed 10-building apartment project at 5498
Mortensen Road is hereby approved.
ADOPTED THIS 12th day of September, 2017.
Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor
Introduced by: Gartin
Seconded by: Corrieri
Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin,Nelson, Orazem
Voting nay: None Absent: None
Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 12th day of September, 2017.