HomeMy WebLinkAboutA013 - Council Action Form dated March 24, 2020 - Major Site Development Plan for 901 North 4th Street ITEM#: 16
DATE: 03-24-20
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
REQUEST: MAJOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 901 N. 4th STREET
BACKGROUND:
MetroNet is requesting approval of a Major Site Development Plan (MSDP) to
establish a Basic Utility use and construct a communications tower at 901 N. 4th
Street in the HOC (Highway-Oriented Commercial) zoning district. (See
Attachment A: Location & Zoning Map & Attachment G: Photos of Existing Site.) As a
Basic Utility use, approval of a MSDP by the City Council is required prior to the
issuance of building permits.
This facility will include a communication tower approximately 70-foot tall with antennas
for television signal reception, and one initial concrete shelter with the potential for a
second shelter in the future to house the MetroNet equipment necessary to provide
internet fiber optic service to the community. Approval of a Special Use Permit for a
Wireless Communications Facility by the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) is
also required specifically for the Communication Tower component, subsequent
to Council approval of the MSDP.
The development site is Lot 1 of Cooper's First Subdivision and includes 7,868 square
feet. Access to the site will be from N. 4th Street by a paved concrete driveway,
approximately 15 feet wide, between the paved street surface and the gate providing
access inside the fenced compound. The applicant (developer) proposes to construct a
"market shelter" for the on-site equipment. As demand increases, it may be necessary
to construct a second shelter, labeled on the site plan as "Future Shelter." Approval of
the proposed plan will authorize construction of both shelters at the applicant's
discretion. A 70-foot galvanized steel tower will be located a minimum of 35 feet from
the north and west property lines to comply with tower setbacks. Television reception
antenna and lightning terminals are proposed at or near the top of the tower. A 7-foot
closed slat wood fence will enclose the entire site. The proposed fence is located inside
the minimum required building setbacks to allow a height greater than 6 feet, including
in the front. (See Attachment E: Proposed Fence.)
Site Landscaping is required to meet the landscaping standards for non-residential
development. This includes front yard landscaping, which has minimum requirements
for the number of trees, shrubs and grasses. Most of the enclosed area will be covered
with crushed rock.
The site currently is part of a broad remote parking easement granted to Heuss printing
in 1992. To staff's knowledge it has not been used for this purpose. There is no specific
parking requirement for Basic Utilities; however, the project includes paved access into
the site for technician visits to the property, no specific parking lot has been required.
Parking of one vehicle is permissible on the driveway.
1
Additional details regarding the site and the proposed improvements are described
within the attached addendum.
Planning & Zoning Commission Recommendation. At the March 18, 2020, Planning
& Zoning Commission meeting, the Commission voted 4-0 to recommend that the City
Council approve the Major Site Development Plan for the proposed Basic Utility use,
located at 901 N. 4th Street. There was no comment from the public.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The City Council can approve the Major Site Development Plan for the proposed
Basic Utility use, located at 901 N. 4th Street. Note: Construction of the tower would
also require approval of a Special Use Permit by the ZBA.
2. The City Council can deny the Major Site Development Plan for the proposed Basic
Utility use, located at 901 N. 4th Street, if it finds the MetroNet proposal does not
meet the Major Site Development Plan criteria.
3. The City Council can defer action on this request and refer it back to City staff and/or
the applicant for additional information.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The proposed Major Site Development Plan is required for approval of the MetroNet
site, since it is a basic (private) utility use in the HOC zone. To locate in the HOC zone
requires that the site plan is consistent with the Design Standards specified for approval
in the Municipal Code. The design standards address site layout, coverage, scale, and
impact on surrounding properties. The analysis by staff indicates that the proposed
site improvements would meet the design standards necessary to allow this
Basic Utility use at this location in the community. The overall project is situated
in an area where the type of use and improvements are compatible with the
surroundings.
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council act
in accordance with Alternative #1, which is to approve the Major Site
Development Plan for 901 N. 4th Street.
2
ADDENDUM
Project Description. MetroNet is requesting approval of a Major Site Development
Plan to establish a Basic Utility use, and construct a market shelter and communications
tower at 901 N. 4th Street in the HOC (Highway-Oriented Commercial) zoning district.
(See Attachment A: Location & Zoning Map). As a "Basic Utility" use, approval of a
Major Site Development Plan by the City Council is required prior to the issuance of
building permits.
Site Layout and Building Design. The site plan improvements are proposed on Lot 1
Cooper's First Subdivision, which includes 7,868 square feet. The developer proposes
a building to house the equipment necessary to provide the MetroNet internet service to
the community, and a tower with antenna to receive signals from the local television
stations. A generator powered by natural gas is included on the site as a backup in the
event electric power is disrupted. There will be a location, as shown on the site plan, for
a future shelter to accommodate growth in the number of MetroNet customers. All of
these improvements will be enclosed by a solid wood fence and locked gates for
security purposes.
The "market shelter" measures 28' x 1 V-6", with a height of 10'-1". Concrete material is
proposed for the shelter walls with an exposed aggregate surface and a sand texture
finish on the trim. HVAC units are mounted on the exterior of the north wall of the
structure. The door providing access inside the shelter is shown on the west elevation.
(See Attachment F: Elevations & Floor Plan.)
A tower is proposed at a height of approximately 70 feet with antennas for television
signal reception. (See Attachment B: Site Plan & Attachment D: Proposed Tower.) The
base of the tower will be approximately 21 inches in diameter with a slight taper to the
top of the tower. An additional 10 feet of the tower will extend below ground. The tower
design includes lightning arrestors extending beyond the top of the tower (approximately
six feet) and the placement of antenna equipment approximately within the top ten feet
of the tower. The antennas attached to the tower are between four and eight feet in
length projecting perpendicular from the pole. Coax cable from the tower base to the
top of the tower is enclosed in electric conduit to meet wireless facility standards.
The site plan includes a 7-foot closed slat wood fence to enclose the shelter, tower and
generator. The fence is shown outside the minimum building setback lines, which are
20 feet from the front lot line, 5 feet from the side lot lines, and 10 feet from the rear
property line. Locating the fence outside the front, side and rear yard setbacks, and
outside the front yard, allows a maximum fence height of 8 feet. (See Attachment E:
Proposed Fence.)
Landscaping. There are minimum landscaping requirements for the site. As a site
with commercial zoning, the non-residential landscaping requirements apply. The front
yard landscaped area requires a minimum of 1 overstory tree per 50 lineal feet of street
frontage or part thereof, as well as 8 shrubs and 12 ornamental grasses per 1,000
square feet of front yard area. The proposed site plan meets the minimum front yard
landscaping requirements. The proposed front yard landscaping will soften the
appearance at the ground level of the utilitarian look of the site. In the HOC zone, a
3
minimum of 15% of the site is to be landscaped. The site plan shows that approximately
35.5% of the site as landscaped. The area outside the fence is counted as landscaping
with a grass ground cover, as well as trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses. Inside the
fence, the ground surface is covered with 4-inch diameter landscaping rock and a weed
barrier fabric, which does not qualify as landscaped area. (See Attachment C:
Landscaping Plan.)
Easements. Easements on the property include public utility easements (5 feet wide)
along the east, west and north property lines of the subject property (Lot 1, Cooper's
First Subdivision). An electric power line easement crosses the southern edge of the
property (approximately the south 10 feet of Lot 1) where overhead power lines are
located. A remote parking easement applies to all five lots of Cooper's First
Subdivision, including Lot 1 . The easement is to provide parking for not more than nine
motor vehicles of the business invitees for the Heuss Printing business premises at 903
South 2nd Street, on the land located at the corner of South Fourth and Elm Streets.
The subject property (Lot 1) has not been used for this purpose since the easement was
approved by the City Council, and subsequently recorded with Story County on July 10,
1992. Staff is not aware that the nine parking spaces have ever been identified and
reserved by the grantor of the easement on any of the five lots in the subdivision. If
necessary, the remote parking easement could still be implemented and does not
necessitate a change at this time. The property owner could seek a change to the
easement with City Council approval to remove the remote parking option from this site.
Parking/Access. Access inside the compound is provided by the paved driveway off N.
Ott' Street.
One parking space is required for this facility to provide a place for a service vehicle to
park. In this case, since the driveway will be paved between the street and the fence
gates, there is adequate room to park one vehicle between the fence and the front
property line, which is a distance of 20 feet. Vehicle will likely also drive through the
gates into the service area on a regular basis. As the site becomes fully operational,
and observations indicate that there are additional activities or regular vehicle use on
the site, it may be necessary for MetroNet to construct paved parking inside the fence.
This would require approval by staff of adding paved parking within the fenced area.
A 5-foot wide sidewalk will be required along N. 4tn Street. The inside edge of the
sidewalk will be at the front lot line.
Major Site Development Plan Criteria. Additional criteria and standards for review of
all Major Site Development Plans are in Ames Municipal Code Section 29.1502(4)(d)
and includes the following requirements:
When acting upon an application for a Major Site Development Plan approval, the
Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council shall rely upon generally
accepted site planning criteria and design standards. These criteria and
standards are necessary to fulfill the intent of the Zoning Ordinance, the Land
Use Policy Plan, and are the minimum necessary to safeguard the public health,
safety, aesthetics, and general welfare.
4
1. The design of the proposed development shall make adequate provisions for
surface and subsurface drainage to limit the rate of increased runoff of
surface water to adjacent and downstream property.
The Public Works Department has determined that the proposed development is not
subject to the "513" storm water requirements in the Municipal Code, since the size of
the area being disturbed is less than one acre.
2. The design of the proposed development shall make adequate provision for
connection to water, sanitary sewer, electrical, and other utility lines within
the capacity limits of those utility lines.
The only utilities needed to serve that site are electric and natural gas. Both are
available to access the proposed site development.
3. The design of the proposed development shall make adequate provision for
fire protection through building placement, acceptable location of flammable
materials, and other measures to ensure fire safety.
The Fire Inspector has reviewed access and other applicable Fire Code requirements
for the site, and finds that minimum requirements are met by the proposed
development.
4. The design of the proposed development shall not increase the danger of
erosion, flooding, landslide, or other endangerment to adjoining and
surrounding property.
This proposed development will not be a danger due to its site location and proximity to
other uses.
5. Natural topographic and landscape features of the site shall be incorporated
into the development design.
The site is currently devoid of any significant vegetation, except for one existing tree in
the front yard that will be retained. Minimal grading will occur for the construction of the
buildings. The site is relatively flat and grading will occur mostly to accommodate the
proposed market shelter.
6. The design of the interior vehicle and pedestrian circulation shall provide for
convenient flow of vehicles and movement of pedestrians and shall prevent
hazards to adjacent streets or property.
Access to the site will be restricted to service technicians, and others authorized by
MetroNet.
7. The design of outdoor parking areas, storage yards, trash and dumpster
areas, and other exterior features shall be adequately landscaped or screened
to minimize potential nuisance and impairment to the use of adjoining
property.
5
There are no parking areas, storage yards, or trash and dumpster areas proposed for
this side. The proposed 7-foot high fence enclosing all of the site improvements, except
for the paved driveway, will minimize any nuisance and impairment to the use of
adjoining property. There is space for a vehicle to park on the paved driveway. The
technician vehicle may also enter the site to approach the shelter(s). Regular parking of
vehicles could require additional paving on the site.
8. The proposed development shall limit entrances and exits upon adjacent
streets in order to prevent congestion on adjacent and surrounding streets
and in order to provide for safe and orderly vehicle movement.
A single driveway, approximately 15-feet wide, will serve the site. Visits to the site will
initially be frequent as MetroNet is establishing their new facility, and new customer
base. However, after the initial period necessary to establish the new internet service,
visits to the site will consist of a service vehicle a few times each day at the most.
9. Exterior lighting shall relate to the scale and location of the development in
order to maintain adequate security, while preventing a nuisance or hardship
to adjacent property or streets.
No exterior lighting is proposed. Any exterior lighting proposed in the future shall be
consistent with the Outdoor Lighting standards, found in Sec 29.411 of the Municipal
Code.
10. The proposed development shall ensure that dust and other forms of air
pollution, noise disturbances, odor, glare, and other nuisances will be limited
to acceptable levels as prescribed in other applicable State and City
regulations.
The proposed development will generate some noise during the times it is necessary to
operate the backup generator, but nothing to the level of a nuisance. There are no
sensitive uses located, nor planned nearby.
11. Site coverage, building scale, setbacks, and open spaces shall be in
proportion with the development property and with existing and planned
development and structures, in adjacent and surrounding property.
The scale of the proposed site development, in relation to the lot sizes in the adjacent
and surrounding area, is appropriate, given minimum building setback requirements,
landscaping requirements, and areas of the site planned for development. The
dimensions of the proposed market shelter is smaller than buildings near this site. The
proposed 70-foot tower is in an area of the community that is not adjacent to residential
properties, and abuts the railroad right-of-way. The zone allows structures up to a
maximum height of 85 feet, with setbacks less than what is proposed. With approval of
the Special Use Permit, and the proposed setbacks, staff finds the tower location
adequate per the zoning standards.
6
Attachment A- Location & Zoning Map
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19
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