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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Variances to build a garage structure at 2622 Lincoln Way CITY OF AMES, IOWA ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMECITY CLLBK 1327016 IN THE MATTER OF THE CITY OF AMES, IOWA APPLICATION OF COLLEGIATE CASE NO. 15-18 UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FOR THREE VARIANCES, § 29.1504(4), GEOCODE NO. 09-09-125-040 AMES MUNICIPAL CODE, TO BUILD A GARAGE STRUCTURE ON DECISION & ORDER THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2622 LINCOLN WAY. FACTS The applicant is the Collegiate United Methodist Church, 2622 Lincoln Way in Ames, which is zoned Campustown Service Center (CSC). City Planner Karen Marren appeared, as did Randy Larabee, representing the church. The applicant's request is for approval of three variances to construct a new accessory garage building at 2622 Lincoln Way for the Collegiate United Methodist Church. The three variances being sought are variances from the 1) minimum height, 2) minimum floor area ratio, and 3)percentage of brick on the exterior fagade requirements of the zoning ordinance. The church was built in 1920 and has been expanded over the years, with the last addition to the main church building in 2006. The church ownership area contains multiple properties and buildings, including the main church property at 2622 Lincoln Way, the Church Annex and Lighthouse buildings along Sheldon Avenue, a small house/daycare building located west of the main church along Lincoln Way, and multiple small parcels which are either vacant open space or used for accessory parking. The church campus totals approximately 4.9 acres with all of its properties. A previous accessory garage was located in the church parking lot south of the existing church building, but has been demolished in anticipation of the new, larger garage building for use for maintenance services and equipment for the church properties. Based on the design and proposed location of the garage, construction of the garage as proposed would require approval of three variances: minimum height, reduction in the required percentage of brick for exterior facades, and reduction in the minimum required floor area ratio (FAR) for the properties. The project consists of a request to construct a 1,450 square foot accessory garage structure located along the south property line of the Collegiate United Methodist Church building property in the Campustown Service Center Zone. (See the applicant's submitted site plan for location information). The church previously had an accessory garage located in the same general location, but has demolished the building in anticipation of the new, larger garage to facilitate the storage and use of the maintenance equipment for the church. Section 29.408(7)(c) of the Zoning Code requires that buildings or garages accessory to institutional uses shall be required to receive approval of the Special Use Permit when such garage/accessory building is larger than 900 square feet in area. Pending determination of the submitted variance requests, the applicant has submitted a Special Use Permit for consideration tonight for the proposed garage. The new proposed structure is a one-story, three bay garage proposed at 16'-6" in height as measured from grade along the east side of the structure to the midpoint of the sloped roof. The exterior of the garage will consist of Hardy Plank siding with composite trim and fascia and Timberland shingles. The east and north elevations are proposed with a brick wainscot on the lower 3 feet of the wall. The applicant is not proposing brick on the south and west elevations. Per the regulations for the CSC Zone, clay brick shall comprise more of the exterior wall surface of the building than any other material, excluding the area for windows and doors. The applicant has submitted a variance for this requirement. The CSC zone also requires that the minimum height of structures be 25 feet as measured from grade to the midpoint of the sloped roof. Although the CSC zoning allows for an exception rather than variance for reducing height, it was determined to not be applicable in this case as it refers to a 2-story height requirement and the criteria are related to a physical circumstance not conducive to a two-story building and that there is public benefit from a one-story building. Therefore, a variance has been requested from the minimum height requirement of the CSC. Access to the site will remain as previously approved with ingress and egress from both Sheldon and Hayward Avenues, as well as egress onto Lincoln Way just west of the church building. The location of the proposed garage is shown to cross multiple lot lines. No variance is requested for this due to the church's interest in future consolidation of all the properties under church ownership. A condition of the related Special Use Permit should address the required consolidation for the location of the proposed structure. Due to the need for consolidation of the lots, staff has reviewed the overall floor area ratio (FAR) for the site to determine if the new overall lot would be compliant with the minimum FAR after consolidation. In review, staff has determined the overall site would have a FAR of approximately .57, which is already nonconforming from the 1.0 FAR required by the code. A previous variance had been granted for the church building; however, it did not include all the properties under consideration with this request. The proposed garage area is adding to the FAR for the overall site; however, it is very minimal in area compared to the 90,000+ square feet of floor area needed to be in compliance with CSC zone. The applicant has requested a variance from the minimum FAR for the garage. DECISION The Board considers the standards applicable to requests for variances from the provisions of the zoning ordinance, specifically Ames Municipal Code sections 29.1504(4), as applied to the facts. The Board accepts the facts as determined above and from the staff report and testimony of Mr. Larabee, and makes additional conclusions that the facts meet the hardship criterion, the unique-circumstance criterion, and the spirit-of-the-ordinance criterion regarding the minimum- height and minimum-floor-area variance requests. The Board concludes that: 1) the variance from the minimum height is approved; 2) the variance from the floor area ratio is approved; and 3) the variance request for the minimum percentage of brick on the exterior of the garage is not approved. ORDER WHEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the applicant is GRANTED, section 29.1504(4) of the Ames Municipal Code: 1) a variance from the minimum-height requirement, and 2) a variance from the minimum floor area requirement, to construct a garage for the property located at 2622 Lincoln Way. WHEREFORE, IT IS ALSO ORDERED that the applicant is DENIED, section 29.1504(4) of the Ames Municipal code, a variance from the percentage of brick on the exterior fagade requirement, in constructing the garage for the property at 2622 Lincoln Way. 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 28th day of October, 2015. y�� �'/" Erin Cain helby E 1 Secretary to the Board Chair