HomeMy WebLinkAboutA10 Fw: Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting scheduled for November 12, 2014,
regarding Conditional Permit Application etc.
Kelly Diekmann to: Charles Kuester 11/12/2014 03:55 PM
Please provide to the ZBA.
Kelly Diekmann
Planning and Housing Director
515.239.5400- main 1 515.239.5181 direct 1515.239.5404 -fax
kdiekmann@city.ames.ia.usI City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue I Ames, IA 50010
www.CitVofAmes.org ^ Caring People — Quality Programs — Exceptional Service "
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----- Forwarded by Kelly Diekmann/COA on 11/12/2014 03:55 PM-----
From: "Joyce Cummings"<cummings@isunet.net>
To: <Kdiekmann@city.ames.ia.us>
Date: 11/11/2014 04:48 PM
Subject: Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting scheduled for November 12, 2014, regarding Conditional
Permit Application etc.
Hello Kelly Diekmann from three longtime and property-tax-paying residents of the Oak-Riverside
neighborhood:
We are writing in regard to the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting scheduled for November 12 to
receive and consider"Brent Havercamp's request for a Conditional Use Permit for an Alternate Method of
Elevating a Residential Structure in the Floodway Fringe for two apartment buildings proposed on the
property located at 1204 S. 4" Street" (see Debra Lee's email to our Oak-to-Riverside Neighborhood
Association, dated November 7). Following are some of the concerns that we three and any number of
others have about this project.
We three undersigned residents of this neighborhood have lived in our homes here for well over a total of
100 years! Thus, we have experienced the Flood of'93 and that of 2010 though because of our locations,
we escaped damage. In '93, Ames police came to the neighborhood to warn us ALL, including our three
families, to sandbag around our homes in viewing of the rising waters. Though our three homes were not
affected, close neighbors lost their homes, we lost great neighbors who had to move elsewhere, and other
neighbors needed to make repairs to damaged portions of their properties. And then of course came the
flooding in 2010/
After the Flood of'93, which resulted in the FEMA buyout of a number of homes in the neighborhood on S.
Riverside, S. Russell, and S. Hazel, and the establishment of parkland in those areas. I think we all
assumed that steps would be taken to avoid recurrence of flooding to the remaining residential area.
Despite much discussion and various studies and meetings, flooding reoccurred in 2010, so many
concerns remain. More studies have been done. For one, and to quote from our neighborhood
association liaison with the City, Debbie Lee's email to the Mayor and City Council on August 28, an email
which contained many of the issues voiced at our August 23d Oak-Riverside neighborhood association
picnic after Charlie Kuester's informative presentation:
"The elevation of the apartment buildings on fill dirt right at the edge of the FEMA floodway line and the
construction of a retaining wall seem to be similar to constructing a levee at this site. The flood models
developed as part of the flood mitigation study indicated that flooding in the Oak-to-Riverside
neighborhood could be made worse in the presence of the levees proposed in the study."
In addition, the concrete and building&parkinglot-covering over of absorptive land will obviously increase
runoff: where will that water go?
What, for example, will be the effect for the two apartments to the east of Riverside Manor South? And
what will be the effect of adding two additional apartments on the west side of Riverside Manor upon that
nursing home, which in 2010 had to be completely evacuated (some residents to facilities as far away as
Newton!) and afterwards stood empty for many months until renovations of many sorts could be
completed. The impact of the flooding for those residents was major.
Hopefully, such questions as well as others regarding issues raised by the Conditional Permit application
will be addressed at the Wednesday night meeting. Also, I'm sure you are aware that residents have a
number of other major concerns about this whole project, concerns beyond the flooding possibility. I hope
such concerns can be addressed at another meeting. There are also a few comments about the P&H
Report to ZBA that we'd like to make at some point, perhaps even by tomorrow, but for now, our main
purpose is to send this along in a relatively timely fashion.
One other point: unfortunately, it is doubtful that any of the three of us will be able to attend this night
meeting, especially given the current weather. So it's our hope the meeting will be viewable on the City
TV channel and also online.
Please let Joyce Cummings know if you have any questions, Mr. Diekmann. (I apologize for any
differences in print appearance—due to emendations after the original was written!).
Sincerely,
Joyce R. Cummings (1212 South Third Street, cummings(c isunet.net 232 8641
Betty Clark (301 South Hazel)
Elaine Jondall (315 South Hazel)
(we're all in the phonebook, Betty under James W.)