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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA004 - Council Action Form dated June 12, 2001 -a4 ITEM # DATE 06/12/01 COUNCIL ACTION FORM SUBJECT: REQUEST TO WAIVE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR A 20- LOT SUBDIVISION WITHIN THE TWO-MILE JURISDICTION AREA OUTSIDE THE CITY'S CORPORATE LIMITS GENERALLY LOCATED AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF NORTH DAKOTA AVENUE AND CAMERON SCHOOL ROAD. BACKGROUND: Hunziker and Associates wish to subdivide approximately 50 acres of land generally located at the southeast corner of North Dakota Avenue and Cameron School Road into 20 single-family residential lots and three outlots (see Location Map attached). The site is located outside of the City's corporate limits, but within the two-mile jurisdiction area. State law allows city's the authority to approve or deny subdivisions within a two-mile limit of the city. In order to meet the City's requirements for subdivision, the applicants would be required to install public infrastructure to City standards, including water mains, sanitary sewer mains, and storm sewer, as well as curb and gutter, sidewalks, street lights, and street trees on all public streets. The applicants are requesting that the City Council waive the requirements for sidewalks, dry sanitary sewer, curb and gutter, street lights, and street trees (see Applicant Letter attached). The applicants propose to use rural water and septic systems for the development. They are proposing to install streets to County standards, which will not include curb, gutter, sidewalks, and street trees. The applicants are proposing to install street lights, however, they will not be installed to City standards. ANALYSIS: Policy In the past few years, City Council and staff have met to discuss the issue of development within the City's two-mile jurisdiction area_.._As a result, staff is of the belief that the:City Council supports the olicy of requunn urban infrastructure imprvement_s in subdivisions a ing within_" trhetvyo mile ju,ristliction area; Staff also supports requiring urban infrastructure improvements in these subdivisions. This is endorsed by Goal No. 5 of the Land Use Policy Plan, which states: `it is the goal of Ames to establish a cost-effective and efficient growth pattern for development in new areas and in a limited number of existing areas for intensification. It is a further goal of the community to link the timing of development with the installation of public infrastructure including utilities, multi-modal transportation system, parks and open space." It is further supported by Objective 5.D. of the Land Use Policy Plan, which states: `Ames seeks to have the real costs of development borne by the initiating agent when it occurs outside of priority areas for growth and areas served by existing infrastructure." The proposed subdivision is located northwest of the City's corporate limits, which is obviously outside of the Land Use Policy Plan's recommended initial southwest growth priority area. Furthermore, the land is located outside the Land Use Policy Plan's alternative northwest growth priority area. For lands located outside the growth priority areas, Chapter 6 of the Land Use Policy Plan, Development Priority Options, states: "Outside Priority Growth Areas. For new development that is to occur outside of the Priority Growth Areas (southwest) as defined in the Land Use Policy Plan, total costs (on and off site) for all infrastructure (including but not limited to street, water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, etc.) and community facilities shall be the responsibility of the developer. These costs include but are not limited to the following: costs associated with the installation of infrastructure improvements and community facilities that are designed to provide service to the areas being developed; - costs associated with over-sizing and extension of the infrastructure improvements that are reasonably anticipated in future development beyond the time frame of the Land Use Policy Plan; and costs associated with an impact from development that exceeds the capacity of the infrastructure improvements and community facilities that have already been constructed.". Staff would note that the intent of these policies requiring urban infrastructure in subdivisions located in the County, but within the City's two-mile jurisdiction area, is to try to prevent problems similar to those that the City has had recently with the County subdivisions located to the southwest of the City's corporate limits. 2 Previous Actions In the past seven years there have been situations in which the City Council has waived the urban infrastructure requirements for subdivisions within the City's two-mile jurisdictional area. Most notably urban infrastructure was waived for the Country Estates subdivision (1995) and the Copper Cove subdivision (2000). Country Estates is a 34 lot single-family residential subdivision located north of the City on the west side of Dayton Road with lot sizes ranging from 1.5 acres to 13.3 acres. Copper Cove is an 11 lot single- family residential subdivision located north of the City on Riverside Drive with lot sizes ranging from 1.84 acres to 4 acres. Previously developed rural subdivisions in the immediate area (Squaw Valley) have been required to install a centralized collection system for sanitary sewer. Rural water was not available when Squaw Valley was developed, however, they did install a central water system for domestic use. The area streets were constructed to County standards, which include ditches and no curb, gutter, or sidewalks. Criteria for Review When reviewing whether or not to waive urban infrastructure requirements, three operational policies or criteria have been examined, they are; 1. the number of lots to be developed; 2. the size of the lots to be developed; and, 3. the proximity to existing urban infrastructure. In this instance the applicant is proposing 20 single-family residential lots ranging in size from 1 acre to 1.4 acres. The nearest City water and sanitary sewer service is well over a mile away. The number of lots proposed is greater than the 11 lots developed in Copper Cove and less than the 34 lots developed in Country Estates. In staffs opinion, the 20 lots proposed to be developed have the potential to create larger impacts and demands on public services in the future. All of the lots developed in the Copper Cove and Country Estates subdivision were larger than the lots proposed in this development. Staff believes that the smaller the lot sizes the more potential there is for problems with the on-site septic systems. Conversely, the larger the lots, such as those proposed in the Country Estates and Copper Cove subdivisions, the more the potential for on-site septic system problems are reduced. This proposed subdivision is located well over a mile away from the nearest City water and sanitary sewer service. The City has no plans of extending the services into this area at any time in the near future. As mentioned earlier, the applicant is proposing to provide rural water service to these lots. This is an acceptable form of water service. In addition, because sanitary sewer service is not available to this site, the applicant is proposing to utilize individual septic systems for this development. In past situations the City requirement would have been for the developer to install a "dry line", to 3 allow for activation if and when the City annexes into the area. However, it is not foreseeable that City sanitary sewer service would be extended to this area any time in the near future, as this area is not located within the initial or alternative growth priority areas. Therefore, it is possible that the dry line could remain for many years. In this instance, it may make some sense to waive the sanitary sewer requirement for this development. ALTERNATIVES: 1. The City Council can deny the request to approve the waiver to the Subdivision Ordinance for the installation of infrastructure for this residential subdivision located at the southeast corner of North Dakota Avenue and Cameron School Road. 2. The City Council can grant the waiver to the Subdivision Ordinance for the installation of infrastructure for this residential subdivision located at the southeast corner of North Dakota Avenue and Cameron School Road. 3. The City Council can modify the request and grant a partial waiver to the Subdivision Ordinance specifying what infrastructure is waived and what must be installed for this residential subdivision located at the southeast corner of North Dakota Avenue and Cameron School Road. 4. The City Council can refer this request back to staff and/or the applicant for additional information. MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: If the City Council believes that there are enough lots proposed and that the planned lot sizes are too small, which could have demand and impact on public services in the future, then it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council approve Alternative #1. This is a recommendation that City Council deny the request to waive the requirements of the Subdivision Ordinance. If the City Council believes that the distance of this proposed development from existing City services, and being located out of the initial and alternative priority growth areas, as outlined in the Land Use Policy Plan, is great enough that providing urban infrastructure is not feasible, then it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council approve Alternative #2. This is a recommendation that the City Council approve the request to waive the requirements of the Subdivision Ordinance for the installation of infrastructure for this residential subdivision, located at the southeast corner of North Dakota Avenue and Cameron School Road. COUNCIL ACTION: 4 ]Bnfh St1 Q 2-MileLimit NO00 soltIG . i SOUT SWING ARO IS DR 0 dd i I W � � C Q S Cti m U ' ERONSCHOC D x Proposed Subdivislon 799TH ST �a ieNas `. 200TH ST .Quarry, 01 a Sac x o O C,1 o et 041a O Oc z L. Y 2inth St ONION CREEK LN g a r `_ _f•' w L i Proposed Subdivision Within the 2-Mile Boundary of the City of Ames Location Map 2000 0 2000 4000 Feet Prepared by the Department of Planning and Housing - June 7, 2001 P1 SSOCIUATUS, REALTORS" 105 South 16th Street Ames,Iowa 50010-8009 (515)233-4450•FAX(515)232-5521 email:hunzikerRE@aol.com May22, 2001 RECEIVED City and Mayor y y Council MAY 2 3 2001 515 Clark Ames, IA 50010 DEPT.OF PLANNING B HOUSING Dear Mayor and City Council, Hunziker&Associates respectfully requests a waiver from the subdivision regulations for a county subdivision at the Southeast corner of North Dakota Avenue and Cameron School Road. This property is within the 2 mile jurisdictional limit of the City of Ames. The subdivision will consist of 20 single family lots. The lots will be a minimum of 1 acre each. As Developers, we would like a waiver of the following items, 1) Sidewalks 2) Dry sanitary sewer 3) Curb and gutter on the streets 4) Street lights and street trees The area is served by Xenia rural water and the Developers are willing to put the water mains in to City specifications. Many of the Subdivisions in this area do.not have curb and gutter. I talked with Iry Klaas regarding this issue and he agreed that it is better for the storm water to run off naturally and be absorbed rather than to be put into storm sewers. We do not see a need for sidewalks in a County subdivision. Each lot will have it's own septic system. The Developers do not want to put in a dry system that will not be hooked to anything and won't likely be hooked to anything for 30 years. The Developers are planning on installing street lights, however they may not be equal to the City's standards. The Developers would like a complete waiver on the street trees. The restrictive covenants will address landscaping on each lot. Respectfully submitted, Chuck Winkleblack Hunziker& Associates SS_2CAF APPROVAL SS . BK SL JK10� JP To be sent to: Chuck Winkleblack Hunziker& Associates 105 South 16th Street Ames, Iowa 50010