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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA003 - Memo to City Council from City Manager dated May 6, 2011 AL Memo City Manager's Office Caring People Quality Programs Exceptional Service TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Steve Schainker, City Manager DATE: May 6, 2011 SUBJECT: MANAGER ALERT—CYCLONE TRUCK STOP- 1811 South Dayton Avenue Over many months, you have received information regarding the status of the buildings on the site. More recently, some of you received citizen inquiries about the activities that are occurring on the site and asked me to investigate. This intent of this memo is to inform you of zoning and flood plain issues that now are occurring on the site. After visiting the site, a letter was sent to the owners of the property by Charlie Kuester on April 26, 2011 stating that the activities at the site were a zoning violation of the HOC-Highway- Oriented Commercial and O-GSE Southeast Gateway Overlay districts. The letter further described violations of the flood plain ordinance due to the machinery, sand piles, and fuel tank that have been brought onto the site. A copy of this letter was also provided to Manatts, which has established a concrete batch plant at this site. Manatts has established the batch plant at this location for the reconstruction of US Highway 30 from just east of 230th Street in Boone County to just west of University Avenue (Exit 146) in Ames. The project is expected to be completed by November. On May 2, 2011, Planning & Housing and Public Works Department staff met with representatives of Manatts to discuss options to bring them into compliance. At that meeting, Manatts indicated that they would write a letter and ask the City Council for any alternatives to allow the portable concrete plant to remain on the site to complete the project. In addition, they indicated they would comply as soon as possible with the flood plain regulations. As a result of this discussion, staff met representatives of the firm at the site on the afternoon of May 6 to identify actions to bring the site into compliance with the flood plain regulations. Manatts officials wanted the Council understand that it was not their intent ignore City requirements. They had approached the Public Works Engineering staff and received support for this location. Unfortunately, the issues involved in this situation involve more than traffic issues and review of the zoning and flood plain ordinances were required in this instance that involve more than Public Works approval. r Manatts has made a very persuasive case for utilizing this site. While the paving project is underway, approximately 850 vehicles per day enter and leave the site. These include ready-mix trucks, dump trucks carrying sand, fly ash and aggregate, and semi-trucks carrying cement. It is preferable that this heavy traffic operate outside our connectors or arterials. City staff has attempted to identify alternative sites for which the zoning is acceptable for this magnitude of use. One such is their existing location on Dayton Avenue, about two miles north of this site. The concern of Manatts and of the Engineering staff is the number of heavy trucks that would be going up and down Dayton Avenue and the impact of these vehicles on the roads and the local traffic. Manatts also indicated that that site is not large enough to accommodate the extra demand for their services and still accommodate their normal business. Another site discussed is the Hallett quarry site just to the southeast of 1811 South Dayton Avenue. Although the site is large, the amount of space able to be used to set up the batch plant, sand and aggregate stockpiles, refueling, and truck maneuvering is limited. In addition, neither the access to this site nor the site itself is hard-surfaced which would raise concerns about storm water quality as trucks track mud onto city streets and the federal highway. It is apparent to Manatts officials and our Public Works staff that the former truck stop site provides the best option for this temporary use since it has access to arterial roads, minimal interaction with local traffic, paved site to protect storm water quality, is close to the construction project, and is large enough to accommodate the proposed activities. While the truck stop might offer the most appropriate site, the Zoning Ordinance makes no provisions for establishing a temporary use in a district in which that use is not normally allowed. Many communities make allowances through a special use permit by which the Zoning Board of Adjustment could evaluate the appropriateness of the site and place any conditions that may be appropriate, including a time limit. If the City Council chooses to facilitate the reconstruction of Highway 30 it can refer this item to the May 24th agenda. At such time options can be researched and presented back to the City Council for direction or action. In the interim, Manatts can appeal the staff s declaration of violations to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The appeal will stay enforcement until the appeal is decided. C: Doug Marek Charlie Kuester John Joiner Tracy Warner Steve Osguthorp Bob Kindred _. ..... .._.......... _ _ . ..._ ii rr r r r jF 2% i/ 1775 Old 6 Rd NIN� ';'•/:i�/ i PO Box535 INC. Brooklyn, 1A. 52211-0535 11110 www.manatts.com May 5,2011 Honorable Ames City Council, Manatt's Inc. received notice that our portable concrete batch plant setup at 1811 South Dayton Avenue in Ames is in violation of zoning ordinances and flood plain regulations. Manatt's Inc.would like to explain how we ended up setting our portable concrete plant on this site. In July of last year Manatt's was awarded a contract from the Iowa Department of Transportation to remove and replace 8.2 miles of Highway 30 from 1.8 miles east of Iowa 17 to 0.4 miles east of University Blvd. Manatt's contract period started on 9/13/10 with 180 working days to complete the project in 2011. Once awarded the contract, Manatt's needed a location for the concrete plant. Once the site was chosen, I called the city engineer to ask if there would be a problem with Manatt's setting a concrete plant on this site. It was indicated that there would not be a problem. We moved forward at that point working with the property owner to setup on the site. Manatt's has an agreement in place with the property owner to cleanup and restore the site once the project is complete. We have a long history of leaving our portable concrete plant sites in better condition when we leave then when we arrived. This is the fourth portable concrete plant Manatt's Inc. has had in Ames since 1993. The most recent of these being a portable concrete plant in 2001 on the west end of Mortensen Road to pave the new ramps onto Highway 30 at South Dakota Avenue as well as to pave South Dakota Avenue from just south of Highway 30 to just south of Lincoinway. Once Manatt's was awarded the paving on these projects in 2001, 1 called then city engineer Jerry Byg to discuss setting up a portable plant on Mortensen Road. Mr. Byg indicated to find a location for the plant,let him know,and there would be no problem with setting one up. This is the reason Manatt's Inc.felt it went through the needed channels to utilize the property at 1811 South Dayton Avenue. We have always had a great working relationship with the City of Ames engineering department and always look forward to completing paving projects in Ames. This project has approximately 82,000 cubic yards of concrete to be hauled and placed for the new highway. This equates to approximately 850 truckloads of material being hauled in and out of the portable concrete batch plant every paving day. A typical paving day is from 6 am to 6 pm. This is 70 dump truck/semi truck loads/hour. The concrete stone for the concrete mix is being supplied by Martin Marietta Materials out of the Ames mine. The haul road is down Dayton Ave.to the plant site. There are approximately 120 loads of concrete stone hauled per paving day. The concrete sand and concrete chips are being supplied by Hallett Materials from the Ames pit. There are approximately 220 loads of these materials hauled per paving day. The haul route is out the Hallett gate north into the plant site. The cement and fly ash haul is on Highway 30 to Dayton Road to the plant site. There are approximately 40 of these loads per paving Faxes • 641-522-9407 Phone • 641-522-9206 • 641-522-5594 _.... ....... .... ........ .. ........._._..... _.._._..--._........................ .. ...... :s day. There are approximately 470 loads of concrete hauled from the plant site to the construction zone per paving day. This material is hauled from the plant site to Dayton Ave.to Highway 30. Manatt's is able to contain the majority of the construction traffic pertaining to the concrete production south of S. 161"Street except for the concrete stone. This eliminates a lot of wear and tear on city streets as well as this is safer for the traveling public. The plant site was chosen with these factors in mind. Manatt's Inc. is working with the City of Ames Department of Planning and Housing to address and correct the violations of the flood plain regulations. Manatt's Inc. respectfully asks the council to offer any alternative solutions to allow the portable concrete plant to remain on the site to complete the Highway 30 reconstruction project. It is our hopes to work with the council to determine a mutually beneficial outcome. Respe Wtf.ully Submi tted, s Spoo er General Superintendent Manatt's Inc. z?