HomeMy WebLinkAboutA006 - Letter dated April 8, 2009 regarding staff comments for minor subdivision final plat DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & HOUSING
515 Clark Avenue,P.O.Box 811,Ames,IA 50010
Coring People Phone: 515-239-5400♦Fax: 515-239-5404
Quality P-g— sperry@city.ames.ia.us
F=ephonal Service
April 8, 2009
APR - 8 2009
CJTY CLER
Scott Renaud Cf[Y OF AM ES,KOWA
FOX Engineering
Suite#103
1601 Golden Aspen Drive
Ames, IA 50010
RE: Case File SUB-09-06
Dear Mr. Renaud:
In response to your March 24,2009 submittal of the"Southern Hills West Plat 2".Minor Subdivision
Final Plat, the staff comments are attached to this letter. You have the option of addressing the
comments and providing.revisions/re-submittals, OR you can request the City to process the
subdivision application as submitted.Please respond within seven days of the date of this letter(April
14, 2009) to inform us of your decision.
If you choose to have the application processed "as-submitted," the City Council review of the
subdivision plat will be scheduled for the next available meeting.
In addition, if you would like to withdraw the application,please do so in writing, so that the file can
be closed.
Please note that comments #3 and #4 are new comments compared to the past several versions of
similar plat applications that you have submitted,beginning in fall 2008. Comment#3 was discussed
.with Inspections Division, and it was their preference that this be the remedy for the un-approved
parking lot expansion instead of opening a new zoning violation case file. Comment#4 results from
the need for planning staff to know about site conformance as it relates to proposed new lot lines.
y
April 8, 2009
Page Two
If you have any questions or would like to set up a face-to-face meeting with staff,please contact the
Department of Planning and Housing at 515/239-5400. We look forward to working with you on
completing this subdivision in accordance with City Council policies.
Sincerel
r
Sam D. Perry
Planner
SDP:clh
Attachment &Enclosures
cc: Tracy Warner, Public Works
Greg Lynch, City Assessor
Doug Marek,Legal Department
David Brown, Inspections Division
Diane'Voss, City Cler
Mark Imhoff, Electric Department.
Scott Wall, Story County Auditor's Office
S:\PLAN_SHR\Committees\DRC\FINAL PLATS\LETTERS&MEMOS\2008\Southern Hills West Plat 2 Comment Letter-04-06-09.doc
B
Minor Subdivision Final Plat Staff Comments
April 9, 2009
Southern Hills West Plat 2 (submitted and stamped"received"March 24, 2009)
2201 North Loop Drive
1501 Airport Road& 1525 Airport Road
Case File SUB-09-06
1. Due to the proposed re-platting of these lots, sidewalk installation in the right-of-way is
required along the entire frontages of the proposed lots 1, 2 and 3, prior to City Council
approval. Improvement plans must be submitted to and approved by the Public Works
Department. The easement of record to the City for the bike path can only serve to meet the
sidewalk requirement if the lots are not re-platted.The proposed re-platting of the lots requires
compliance with all city regulations. The sidewalk requirement is found in Municipal Code,
Subdivisions, Section 23.403(14).
We are aware that your desire is to have the Sevde's March 23,2009 request for"waiver of the
sidewalk requirement"decided upon at the same council meeting as the plat.We will strive for
the simultaneous review. Therefore Note#4 on the plat(or something similar to it)will only
be allowed if the waiver is granted.
Th_e.pidt can i ot-be;ap-- d as shown until the'easerrient vacations for Lot 3 have:occurred:�
This can pen- the same council meeting, subject to public notice and publicafiori
requirements/deadlines.We received the easement descriptions today and are reviewing them,
but still need verification from you that there are no utilities in the easements. After you
provide the verification to the Public Works Department(Corey),then the City Clerk's office
can schedule and advertise the hearing. If you do not wish to vacate the easements, please
show the easements of record on the plat.
e 3 : . The:parking area for proposed Lot 1 w_as expanded beyond approved;site plans Apptoval fort'
the expansion requires-the approval of a Minor Site Development Plan.However,please note
that vehicular parking is not a permitted use in the Clear Zone Easement area(Outlot A);and
will need to be removed.The balance of the un-approved parking lot addition that is not in the
Outlot/Clear Zone Easement will still need approval by way of a Minor Site Development Plan
application. If there is a staff recommendation to approve the plat, there will likely be a
condition recommended that the plat not be recorded until this site development issue is
corrected. Section 29.1603(1)provides for this method of remedy.
For your convenience, a series of related correspondences from 1999, as well as a reduced
copy of an approved 1994 site plan,drawn March 15, 1994 by Pierson Enterprises(see sheet 2
of 2), are enclosed.The enclosed site plan shows that the clear zone easement was respected.
The series of 1999 correspondences illustrates the City's intent to restrict parking lots from
being constructed within the clear zone.
;
4. Please detail how the new lot lines proposed to be created along parking area edges will
conform to parking area setbacks and landscaping for the adjacent site developments, as
outlined in Section 29.403 (4)(b). This section states that the parking area setback and
landscaping applies to all parts of the parking area,which includes the driveways,drive aisles
and stalls.You will therefore need to make sure that the proposed new lot lines do not create
any non-conformities to this section. In the case of HOC zoning, the required minimum
setback would be 5 feet if there is L2 landscaping, and 10 feet if there is Ll landscaping.
Evidence will not be needed for existing lot lines that are notproposed to be changed.
5. The second"whereas" statement in the Council's resolution for approval should be deleted,
since the Planning&Zoning Commission does not review Minor Final Plats(they go straight
to Council)
6. The phrase about "dedicating streets" in the consent and dedication document should be
deleted since there are no new streets being created with this plat.
S:\PLAN_SHR\Committees\DRC\FINAL PLAMLETTERS&MEMOS\2008\Southern Hills West Plat 2 Comment Letter-04-06-09.doc