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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Approving the Major Site Development Plan Alternative Landscape Plan RESOLUTION NO. 20-671 RESOLUTION APPROVING THE MAJOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN ALTERNATIVE LANDSCAPE PLAN FOR THE CITY OF AMES, IOWA WHEREAS, KWIK TRIP, INC., is the owner of the property at 1910 Isaac Newton Drive and requests approval of an Alternative Landscape Plan for the property; and, WHEREAS, the property is located in the Highway Oriented Commercial (HOC) and the Southeast Gateway Overlay(O-GSE) zone; and, WHEREAS, this is a newly platted lot and will be developed with a convenience store, gas station, semi-truck fueling, and parking; and, WHEREAS, a Minor Site Development Plan cannot be approved administratively for this site until an Alternate Landscape Plan is approved due to the proposed modifications; and, WHEREAS, the proposed site is 3.7 acres with approximately 2.5 acres of paving and an 11,017 square-foot building; and, WHEREAS, all commercial development within the City is subject to landscape standards of Article IV of the Zoning Ordinance related to front yard landscaping and parking lot landscaping, additionally,the Southeast Gateway Overlay does include required prairie and native Iowa plantings to be used on sites within the overlay; and, WHEREAS,the landscaping standards applicable to this site address a combination of front yard and parking lot plantings that include a mix of shrubs, ornamental grasses, and trees; and, WHEREAS, the overall size of the site, the amount of paving and the fact that the site encompasses street frontage of three sides is atypical; and, WHEREAS, the developer is seeking approval of an alternative plan in order to move forward with site plan approval; and, WHEREAS, Alternative Landscape Design approvals are allowed under Sec. 29.403.3 (J) when prepared by a licensed Landscape Architect, as part of a Major Site Development Plan; and, WHEREAS,the applicant believes the proposed plan provides a great degree of diversity and visual interest with its proposed plantings and layout and meets the intent of the Landscaping Ordinance; and, WHEREAS, the proposed Plan complies with front yard planting requirements with a minimum of one overstory tree per 50 linear feet of frontage (before allowed tree substitutions), shrub and grass plantings,a nd use of prairie and native plants; and, WHEREAS,the Overlay requires the use of limited set of plants to support a native or prairie theme and to use decorative groups of plants within front yards; and, WHEREAS, the developer believes that the total number of trees provided and the design with large planting areas that generally exceed the minimum requirements will create an attractive design for the site, although they do not strictly match the parking lot overstory tree requirement; and, WHEREAS, at the December 16, 2020, Planning and Zoning Commission meeting the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council approve the Major Site Plan Alternative Landscape Plan at 1910 Isaac Newton Drive. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the Major Site Development Plan Alternative Landscape Plan for 1910 Isaac Newton Drive is hereby approved. ADOPTED THIS 22nd day of December, 2020. Diane R. Voss, City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor Introduced by: Betcher Seconded by: Junck Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, Martin Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 22" day of December, 2020.