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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Use Permit to Construct a new elementary school at 820 Miller AvenueCITY OF AMES, IOWA ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT ---------- IN III MATTER OFTIIE APPLICA,riON OF AMES COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR A SPECIAL, USE PERMIT, §§ 29.701 AND 29.1503, AMES MUNICIPAL CODE, 1'0 CONSTRUCT A NEW ELEMENTARY SCI4OOL ON TILE PROPERTY LOCATED A rl '820 MII I ER AVENUE CASE NO. 12-29 (-j'OCODE NO. �09-07-407-000 DECISION & ORDER FACTS rs In October of 1996, the Anles Community School District purchased I I acres of` vacant land north of U.S. Highway 30 and West Of South Dakota resi thddfuture site forall elementary school. This land is zoned RL (low densitydential). At the time of the purchase, the Surrounding vicinity was also vacant, but in the intervening years the area has been developed with a n-ux of low and high density residential uses, as well as commercial and university uses. The School District has found that some of its buildings are of the age requiring replacement or CXtCIISIVC updating, so capital improvements have been oil the horizon. Several years ago, the Ames Community Schools constructed a new middle school Or' Mortensen Avenue about a quarter mile to the east of South Dakota Avenue, within a mile ofthis location. ng is appropriate this time for a grade school, and The District has again found that a new building I I I the District has received voter approval of a bond issue to fund that construction. Me District is now at the point of the process where they have designed a specific construction plan and the District is before the Board at this time seeking a Special Use pci-Illit to go forward with tile construction steps, A 70,000 square foot school is proposed to house three sections each of kindergarten through fifth grades, serving rou,21111y 400 students. The building Is proposed to have four wings that will be 14 feet in ]]eight. The wings on the side toward Millet- Avenue Will be for fourth and fifth grade students as well as music and art program space. The other two wings will be on the east side of the building and will be for kindergarten and first grades in one wing with second and third grades in the other. Expansion space has been designed Into three Of the wings. The central area of the building will have a media center, cafeteria, offices and support I'acility space as well as a 30 loot tall gyriltiasium. 'File main school entrances will be oil the north and east sides of the building and each will be served by a separate driveway. It is planned that buses will be directed to the north side while the south side will be reserved for conventional passenger vehicles and will have 64 surface parking spaces. Since t i his is an elementary school, a large playground area with basketball courts will be oil the cast side of the building. 'file South side of the site will have Open space and a storm water detention area. This proposed school will abut a low density residential area and will serve the South and west parts -c, I ted under the Land Use of the school district, which is hart-rionIOLIS With the use ofthe at a iden i tifi ith tile Surrounding Policy Plan. The appearance and design of the school will be harmonious with area and should not change its essential character. The building is itself in the center of the site, and its taller portion will be in the center of the building so that tile lower wings and the open spaces around the school will provide a buffer to the homes and uses nearby. The utility infrastructure in the area is adequate to meet the needs of' this school. The proposed school will introduce a significant amount of Impervious Surface to this site and potentially create storm water runoff from the site. In light of that potential, a storm water management system that will include a detention feature will be incorporated so that storm water runoff of the developed property will not exceed the rate of runoff ol'the undeveloped parcel. City services are capable of serving this use without additional cost to the public. This site is bordered by Miller Avenue on its western side, which is a 31 Im wide city street with one driving lane either direction. Miller Avenue Intersects with Mortensen Avenue a block south ol'this site. Mortensen Avenue is a IbUr lane arterial street that connects within a I'ew blocks to South Dakota Avenue, another four lane arterial street. Those two roadways (Mortensen Avenue and South Dakota Avenue) will III-,cly be the two roadways that will be used by most of' the vehicles coming to the school. While those larger streets can easily accommodate the extra school traffic without noticeable impact, Miller Avenue is likely to experience different travel patterns and traffic flows than Currently exist if the school is built. These impacts can be addressed more comprehensively if the City and School District work together to develop a Safe ROUtCS to School plan identifying physical improvements, operations and management activities that are involved rather than having to undertake that process as part ol'this permitting procedure. The peak anticipated hours Ot'Use of the school will be during the hours that most of'the residents in the vicinity Lire at work. 'These anticipated hours Of operation will be minimally disruptive to the residents. Finally, although this use will consume residential land, the use for a school has been anticipated and has been Supported by the public, as evidenced by support of the construction funding in bond issue initiatives. It Would appear that the loss of'residentral land is justifiable in relation to the benefits to be realized. DECISION The Board considers the standards applicable to Special Use Permits under the provisions ol'the zoning ordinance. The evidence presented establishes that an elementary school is a use that has been anticipated for some time in this location. As designed and planned, a school will be harn-10111OUS With the I -and Use policy Plan and with the character in the area. There is infrastructure in place that is sufficient to serve this proposed Use, and city services are also adequate to serve the school. The peak use hours are when the most residents are not home. The vehicular and pedestrian traffic generated by this site will be different than what the area currently experiences, but addressing all of those impacts involves many factors and variables that are better addressed by the ( "ity and School working through them systematically. The proposed use is highly beneficial compared with the loss of'residential land. In light of all these factors, the Board determines that this Special Use Permit can be granted. ORDER WHEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the applicant is Granted a Special Use Permit, sections 29.701 and 29.1503 of'the Arrics Municipal Code, to construct a 70,000 square IM elementary school with the following conditions: R 1. A new tLIrnarOLInd for CyRide buses will be COIlStI`LICtCd separated frorn the Miller Avenue Intersection, the cost for which the City of Allies will special assess the Ames C01111111.1111ty School District; 2. To ensure greater safety when school IS III use, the Allies Community School District will request that the Ames City (,',OLIIICII Change the on -street parking regulations on Miller AVC11LIC, which may Include prohibiting parkini.1, on Miller Avenue when the school is ill use; 3. The public sidewalk on the cast side of Miller Avenue Will be widened to six feet from file north property line of the subject property to the intersection of Clemens Street, at the sole expense of the Allies Community School District; 4. The Ames COI'IllllLlllity School District will provide a traffic impact study to determine if the proposed use will result in additional traffic that will change the street classification or lower the level of set -vice below "C" at area intersections. If file Study determines that the proposed use Will result in additional traffic that will change the street classification or lower the level of service below "C" at area intersections, the Study will provide options and recommendations to mitigate impacts of increased traffic. City staff will verify that the data in the report Supports the recommendations. The Allies Community School District will pay all costs (within the restrictions oil funding Sources in the Code of' Iowa), such as for traffic signs and traffic calming measures, within the area west of South Dakota Avenue and South Of College Creek. ']'he Study will be completed by May 1, 2013; S. The Allies Community School District will participate with City staff in a Safe Routes to School plan to identify operations, management and public Hil'ormation activities to help establish safer and more efficient pedestrian and bicycle access to and from the school site that also minimizes impact on the use and crIjoyi-neilt of private properties in the neighborhood. This 1-1an will be completed by April 30, 2014. The Allies Community School District and the City of Allies commit to working together before and after the school opens to carry Out the plan; E. The Ames Community School District will return Miller Avenue pavement to its pre - construction condition before the school opens; 7. When the school expands, the Ames C0111111LInity School District will install the additional off-street parking indicated on the approved site plan; and 8. The Allies Community School District will provide a minimum of three (3) adults to monitor pedestrian and vehicular traffic crossing the street, entering and leaving the site, and picking LIP and dropping off of students at various locations on the site and Miller Avenue, Including the crosswalk at beats, as appropriate to nianitain safety, cty, all for the property located at 820 Miller Avenue. m Any person desiring to appeal this decision to a court of record may do so within 30 clays after the filing ofthis decision. Done this 13"' clay Of February, 2013. f1tilily BUrton / Secretary to ��e Board