HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Variance to Parking Requirements to allow Building Addition without Additional Parking at 1315 South Dayton Avenue Q L
CITY OF AMES, IOWA APR 2 6 2012
ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
CITY CI-F-RK
- iNA
IN THE MATTER OF THE
APPLICATION OF THEISEN'S CASE NO. 12-06
DEVELOPMENT CO., LLC, FOR A
VARIANCE TO THE PARKING GEOCODE NO. 09-12-451-010
REQUIREMENTS, SECTION 29.406(2) ,
AMES MUNICIPAL CODE, TO ALLOW
A BUILDING ADDITION WITHOUT
ADDITIONAL PARKING DECISION & ORDER
ON THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT
1315 SOUH DAYTON AVENUE
FACTS
Theisen Farm and Home Store has a large store located on the east side of the city just east of the
Skunk River. It is located in an area zoned HOC (Highway Oriented Commercial). It is also in
the Floodway Fringe Overlay zoning district. This store was built in 2006 and has 50,000 square
feet in size with a hard surface parking lot adjacent to the building which holds 230 stalls. The
business sells a wide range and variety of goods for farm and home use, ranging from tools,
hardware, automotive supplies, livestock feed and sporting goods to clothing and food. The
business has been successful and is now hoping to build a major addition to this store to allow
them to house a greater variety and quantity of merchandise locally. The proposed addition
would be 37,500 square feet in area. Because parking requirements are based on square footage,
this additional space would need an additional 169 parking spaces to meet code. The store is
requesting a variance to avoid building this additional parking. The owner's representative
explains that in addition to this store, they have at least eight other stores across the state. They
have observed the parking demand at this site during its existence as well as at their other stores
and are very experienced with the parking needs for their client base. They explain that unlike
other variety retailers, they do not experience the customer surge during the holidays that fills all
available parking. They are confident that there will be more than enough parking when the
addition is completed even without any additional parking spaces. Staff explains that the
established parking standards are minimums based on the average need for categories of use.
Once construction is complete, it is often the case that there is no space left on site for additional
parking, so the City doesn't have the luxury of hoping more can be added later if it is found to
be lacking. It would be next to impossible for the City to be able to create individualized parking
standards based on each merchant's unique product mix and client base, and reliance on the
average need has proven to be understandable and equitable, even though it is not the ideal
solution. It should be noted that although the essential character of the area will be retained, there
are no physical barriers to this construction and the property would still retain considerable value
even without a variance.
DECISION
The Board considers the standards applicable to requests for variances from the provisions of the
zoning ordinance. In this situation, although the Board understands the applicant's explanation
that this type of merchandise mix doesn't generate the volumes of traffic experienced at other
stores in this same category, the Board is not in a position to judge the wisdom of the ordinance
but rather must determine whether the standards for granting a variance from it have been met.
Since there are no unique circumstances creating this situation and the land will still yield a
reasonable return, the Board finds that a variance cannot be granted.
ORDER
WHEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the applicant is Denied a Variance from the Parking
Requirements for a retail sales and service use in an HOC (Highway Oriented Commercial)
zoning district, Section 29.406(2) of the Ames Municipal Code, to allow construction of a 37,500
square foot building addition without any additional parking on the property located at
1315 South Dayton Avenue.
Any person desiring to appeal this decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days after
the filing of this decision.
Done this 141h day of March, 2012.
:��
ily Burton AruceCaoun
(;Sec etary to t Board Chair