HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Variance Application - 1111 Duff Ave Mary Greeley Medical Center z.(3t�- t1- 1 to
Application Form Last Updated: January 21, 2011
Variance
Application Form
(This form must be completely filled out before the application will be accepted)
1. Property Address for this Variance Application: 1111 Duff Ave Ames, IA 50010
2. Legal Description (attach if lengthy):
3. 1 (We) the undersigned, do hereby respectfully appeal to the Ames Zoning Board of
Adjustment to grant a "Variance"to the Zoning Ordinance to allow the issuance of a Zoning
Permit to permit. Building within the required building setback (25').
4. The Zoning Permit was refused because:
5. Property Owner. Mary Greeley Medical Center
Address: 1111 Duff Ave Ames Iowa 50010
(Street) (City) (State) (Zip)
Telephone: (515) 239-2011
(Home) (Business) (Fax)
6. Applicant. Shive-Hattery
Address: 1601 48th Street West Des Moines Iowa 50266
(Street) (City) (State) (Zip)
Telephone: (515) 223-8104
(Home) (Business) (Fax)
7. Contact Person: Emily Naylor, Shive-Hattery
Address: 1601 48th Street West Des Moines Iowa 50266
(Street) (City) (State) (Zip)
Telephone: (515) 223-8104 (515) 223-0622
(Home) (Business) (Fax)
E-mail address: -enaylor@shive-haftery.com
JUN 1 7 2011
CITY OF AMES, IOWA
DEPT OF PLANNING & HOUSING
Application Form Last Updated: January 21,2011
The Zoning Board of Adjustment may grant a Variance, provided the Board members can
make a finding that the Variance will not result in unnecessary hardship, will not be
contrary to the public interest, will observe the Spirit of the Ordinance, and shall result in
substantial justice.
This appeal will not be granted unless sufficient facts are presented in this application to
justify the variance in light of the standards and to show that the granting of the variance relates
to the intent and purposes of the Zoning Ordinance and the Land Use Policy Plan.
Approval of the Variance by the Zoning Board of Adjustment in no way absolves the applicant
from subsequently obtaining the necessary building permits or other permits from the City of
Ames or from other applicable agencies.
I(We) certify that I(we) have been denied a Building/Zoning Permit, that I(we) have submitted all the
required information to appeal for a Variance, and that said information is factual.
Signed by: Date: 6 14,111
(Pr erty Owner)
(Note: No other signature may be substituted for the Property Owner's Signature.)
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and: (� Date:
(Afj- lic-ant
and: 1 Date:
(C n act P son)
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Application Form Last Updated: January 21,2011
Variance
Supporting Information
(This form must be filled out completely before your application will be accepted)
The Zoning Board of Adjustment can grant a Variance, only if all of the following
standards are satisfied. In order to facilitate review of this application for a Variance, the
applicant must address each of the "Variance Standards" set forth in Section 29.1504(4) of the
Zoning Ordinance,which are listed below.
(Note: The applicant's explanation of how the request meets each standard may be attached on
a separate sheet if sufficient space is not provided.)
1. Variance Standards. The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall review each application for the
purpose of determining that the "Variance Standards" are satisfied. Pursuant to Iowa law, a
variance shall be granted only if all of the following standards are satisfied:
(a) The granting of the variance shall not be contrary to the public interest.
Please present information to indicate that the Variance will not result in injury or
endangerment to other property or persons, nor will it devalue nearby property.
Explain how the request meets this standard.
The granting of this variance will not be contrary to the public interest in that by granting
this variance Mary Greeley Medical Center will be allowed to continue to provide
emergency medical service to the community and region that it serves without compromise.
This action will not harm or endanger property or persons, nor devalue adjacent properties
in that the modifications proposed by this project make no worse a condition that currently
exists and will make significant improvements by reducing the extent of the violation.
Existing Condition (Building):
The Mary Greeley Medical Center Emergency Department and Ambulance Garage is
currently located in a one story building that was added to the existing hospital in 1974 and
again in 1986. The current ordinance has established building set back requirements that
the existing buildings now violate. Currently, there is 163 lineal feet(LF) of building running
parallel to Duff Avenue which violate the required set-back of 25 feet for buildings. See
Exhibit EX1.
Proposed Condition (Building):
As part of the proposed 128.7 million dollar expansion project, the Emergency Department
will be relocated to areas immediately adjacent to the current location and the 1974 and
1986 buildings will be demolished This will include the removal of the existing ambulance
garage. The proposed plans include the construction of a new ambulance garage. The
proposed eastern face of the ambulance garage will not encroach towards Duff Avenue
any further than the current building.
RECEIVED
JUN 1 7 2011
CITY OF AMES, IOWA
DEPT. OF PLANNING & HOUSING
Application Form Last Updated: January 21, 2011
This request seeks approval to vary from the required set-back for approximately 50 LF.
This represents a reduction of 113 LF from the current condition, or a 70% reduction
of building located within the setback zone.
Since the proposed site improvements reduce the extent of the violation of the building
setback, the granting of the variance will not be contrary to the public interest. Granting this
request will not result in injury or endangerment to other property or persons, nor will it
devalue nearby property. Granting this variance will provide a direct benefit to the health,
safety and welfare of the public by allowing Mary Greeley Medical Center to continue to
provide necessary access to emergency care services without compromise.
(b) That without granting of the variance, and due to special conditions, a literal
enforcement of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship.
Unnecessary hardship exists when:
(i) The land in question cannot yield a reasonable return if used only for a
purpose allowed in the zone;
To meet this standard, please show that all beneficial use and/or enjoyment
of the property will be lost if the Variance is not granted. Supporting
evidence from a professional appraiser, realtor, or other professional, may be
necessary to support your appeal. The Zoning Board of Adjustment may
require documentation of loss of value in order to grant this variance.
Explain how the request meets this standard.
Currently the value of this property is solely dependent on Mary Greeley
Medical Center's ability to provide health care services. The structure and
configuration of the buildings make it essentially unusable for any other
function, and the cost to remove the structures and prepare the site for
another use will far exceed the value of the property. By not granting this
variance, the ability of the hospital to perform its service will be diminished.
A hardship will be created which will diminish its value.
Special conditions:
An essential component and service provided by Mary Greeley Medical
Center is the Emergency Department. To comply with healthcare
regulations, codes, and guidelines, as well industry best practice standards,
the Emergency Department must be easily and immediately accessible to
the public and emergency transport services. This is critical to the timely
delivery of emergency care services.
Duff Avenue currently serves the residents of the City of Ames as a major
Collector-Distributer/Arterial street. The current location of the Emergency
Department and the Ambulance Garage, accessed directly from Duff
Avenue readily facilitates this immediate accessibility.
Application Form Last Updated: January 21, 2011
Relocating the Emergency department to another location on the site will
eliminate this essential access and will increase the time and hazard involved
in accessing this service.
Due to the constraints of the existing built conditions and land use,there is
insufficient space immediately adjacent to the Emergency Room to build an
ambulance garage or parking for ambulatory patients without continuing to
transgress on the required parking and building setbacks.
Maintaining full compliance with the current Zoning Ordinance would either
require relocating the Emergency Department to another location on site, or
restrict the ability or level of care that can be provided. Either would diminish
the quality of healthcare that can be provided.
Since the value of the property is intrinsically related to the function of the
hospital, not granting this variance will diminish the value of this property to
_Mary Greeley Medical Center and to the City of Ames.
(h) The plight of the owners is due to unique circumstances and not to the
general conditions of the neighborhood;
Please show that the physical circumstances on the subject property are
unique and unlike other properties in the vicinity.
Explain how this request meets the standard.
Mary Greeley Medical Center has established itself as a valuable resource to
the residence of Ames and the surrounding community as a Regional Health
Facility. The complex organization and relationship of all of the varied
services provided by a modern hospital is critical and unique to all other
building types and land uses.
Unique circumstances:
Key ancillary health care services (Radiology, Surgery, Emergency
Department, Laboratory and Pharmacy) all play critical roles in the delivery of
healthcare services. Their relationship to one another is important and must
be well configured. If this relationship is poorly designed, the delivery of
healthcare services is compromised. The Emergency Department in its
mission to provide immediate lifesaving service relies heavily on the services
offered by the Radiology Department and Surgery. It is also critical that the
ambulance garage be built immediately adjacent to the Emergency
Department to facilitate the delivery of patient by emergency services
transport. In addition, immediate parking for personal vehicles is also
essential in the delivery of ambulatory patients to the Emergency Department.
Currently this relationship is well established by the current building layout
and functions well.
This project proposes relocating the Emergency Department in such a
manner that it will be housed in existing building and as described above will
reduce the extent that the building infringes on the required set back. Most
importantly it maintains the necessary relationship to the other key ancillary
services without unnecessary financial burden to the institution.
Application Form Last Updated: January 21,2011
However, due to the program required number, size and maneuvering
requirements of the ambulances; the garage cannot be accommodated within
the required set-back.
A strict enforcement of the required setbacks will require the relocation of the
Emergency Department to another location on site, such as the west side of
campus. This change would compromise the delivery of healthcare services
by divorcing critical components from one another resulting in an enormous
financial burden to Mary Greely Medical Center in to reconfigure services to
maintain the proper relationships and access. In addition to the internal
relocation critical services, additional challenges would be faced by relocating
the Emergency Department to the west side of the campus. Routing
ambulance traffic through the neighborhood will undoubtedly disturb the
adjacent residential area and meet serious resistance by the neighbors. For
these reasons it is not practical, affordable or considerate to relocate the
Emergency Department.
Granting this variance will allow Mary Greely Medical Center to continue to
provide its unique charge to deliver healthcare services to its constituents
without compromise to the quality and accessibility, or without unnecessary
financial burden.
(iii)The use to be authorized by the variance will not alter the
essential character of the locality.
Please show that the proposed use is compatible with the
character of the surrounding area.
Explain how this request meets the standard.
Granting this variance will not negatively alter the already established
character of this locale. The land use of adjacent properties on both the
east and west side of Duff Avenue, and both north and south of Mary
Greely Medical Center provide a supporting array of health care facilities
and services. The character of the immediate vicinity is consistent in the
established relationship of these buildings (including Mary Greeley Medical
Center)to their property lines and to the street; they all share a common
violation of the current set back limitations that establishes a local
microcosm unique to these properties.
Granting this request will not alter the essential character of this locality.
This proposal does not increase the extent or the level of non-compliance
with the current ordinance.
Application Form Last Updated: January 21,2011
(c) The spirit of the ordinance shall be observed even when the variance is
granted.
Please show that the Variance is consistent with the intent of the Sign
Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance, and the Land Use Policy Plan.A Variance
would not be consistent with the intent if alternatives for development exist that
do not require a Variance.
Explain how this request meets the standard.
The spirit of the Zoning Ordinance is to create building separation from lot and
adjacent property lines that yield visual access to open/green space, vistas, and
sunlight. The proposed redevelopment of this site to the greatest extent possible
decreases the extent that this intention is compromised, and increases the
neighborhoods access to view and light. Alternatives do not exist. Thus granting this
Variance will improve the level to which this site contributes to these intentions.
Alternatives do not exist:
As established above, relocating the ambulance garage to another part of the site not
immediately adjacent to the Emergency Department will result in diminished health
care services.
Relocating the ambulance garage, parking and Emergency Room to the western side
of the hospital property will have an adverse effect on the transported patient whom
will travel a more circuitous route as opposed to the direct access from a primary
arterial.
Relocating the ambulance garage, parking and Emergency Department to the west
side of the hospital property will result in an adverse impact on the adjacent residential
neighborhood due to the increase in noise, traffic and speed in which ambulance must
sometimes travel. This would impact the residential neighborhoods along Kellogg and
west of the hospital in a manner that is not consistent with their current use or
character.
As described in the paragraphs above, the ability of Mary Greeley Medical Center to
provide affordable high quality healthcare services is best served by maintaining the
Emergency Department accessed from Duff Avenue and by preserving the internal
relationships to other vital ancillary services. Any alternative to this would compromise
the accessibility and quality of care and create unnecessary costs to the facility.
Without a viable alternative, this proposed variance is necessary to allow the hospital
to adapt itself to serve its needs in a manner that more fully supports the spirit and
intent of this ordinance.
Application Form Last Updated: January 21, 2011
(d) Substantial justice shall be done as a result of granting the variance.
Explain how this request meets the standard.
The MGMC facility has exhibited continual growth over its nearly 100 years of
service to this community. A resultant of this growth is that the site on which it
is situated in a predominately residential neighborhood has become congested
and urban in character. Space is precious. The challenge for this facility is how
to provide for further growth as necessary to meet the every changing
demands and trends of the healthcare service industry without unduly and
adversely impacting the surrounding neighborhood.
Justice is served by:
The services provided by Mary Greely Medical Center are valuable and
essential to the community.
Recognizing that it is not possible to provide necessary services conveniently
and affordably while maintaining full compliance with the current Zoning
Ordinance, Mary Greeley Medical Center is submitting a plan that complies
with the Zoning Ordinance to the greatest extent possible.
The site challenges coupled with the unique services offered by MGMC clearly
offset the inability to meet specific zoning ordinance requirements in its entirety.
This variance will allow justice to be serviced by allowing Mary Greely Medical
Center position itself to continue to provide the best healthcare service possible
to the residence of Ames, Story County, and the surrounding locals.
Application Form Last Updated: January 21,2011
Variance
Site Plan Checklist
(For Properties Occupied by a Single-Family or a Two-Family Dwelling)
(This form must be filled out completely before your application will be accepted)
The applicant shall submit a Site Plan, drawn to scale, that clearly shows the Variance
being sought. The Site Plan shall be a reproducible, black line drawing on a sheet of
paper no larger than 11"x1 ". If the project for which the Variance is sought is a single-
family or a two-family dwelling, or other use exempt from the requirement for a "Site
Development Plan". then the Site Plan shall include, at a minimum, the following
information:
(NOTE: If the proposed project requires approval of a "Major or Minor Site Development Plan",
it should be included with this application for a "Variance", not the Site Plan described on this
checklist.)
® Dimensioned property lines
® Abutting streets and alleys
® Location and size of all existing and proposed buildings and structures (include distances to
all property lines and distances between buildings and structures.)
® Required setbacks
® Driveways and parking areas, fully-dimensioned
® Other pertinent information necessary to fully understand the need for a Variance (e.g.:
significant change in topography, location and size of mature trees, etc.)
Application Form Last Updated: January 21,2011
Variance
Permission to Place a "Zoning Action Pending"
Sign on Private Property
(This form must be filled out completely before your application will be accepted)
Section 29.1500(2)(d)(iii) of the Zoning Ordinance, requires that notice shall be posted by the
City on signs posted on the subject property. One sign shall be posted for each public street
frontage. Required signs shall be posted along the perimeter of the subject property in locations
that are highly visible from adjacent public streets not less than seven (7) days prior to the
meeting or hearing, unless otherwise prescribed by statute.
The owner of property at 1111 Duff Avenue hereby grants the City of Ames
permission to place "Zoning Action Pending" signs on the property for the purpose of informing
interested persons of the request for action by the City of Ames.
I understand that the signs will be placed on the property several days prior to action on the
request by the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, or the City
Council, and may remain on the property until the request has been approved or denied by the
City.
Signed by: Date: !t/-/(oLz
(fYoperty Owner)
(Note: No other signature may be substituted for the Property Owner's Signature)
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Application Form Last Updated: January 21,2011
Adjoining Property Owner Statement
(Completion of this form by the applicant is optional)
To Whom It May Concern:
We the undersigned, own property adjoining 1111 Duff Avenue Ames, Iowa.
It is our understanding that Mary Greeley Medical Center has filed an
appeal with the Zoning Board of Adjustment to allow Parking within the required lot line
buffer(15`), parking within the required abutting property buffer (8")setback and
building within the required building setback (25').
As adjoining property owners,we would have no objections to the issuance of this building
permit for the purposes stated above.
NAME ADDRESS DATE
l VA_
M
RECEIVE®
JUN 1 7 2011
CITY OF ANTES, IOWA
DEPT OF PLANNING & MOUSING