HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Variance to allow the construction of three parking stalls in the front yard at 233 Washington Avenue l l L LE
CITY OF AMES, IOWA F E 0 1 4 2018
ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMEN
CITY CLERK
CITY M A
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF DANA THOMANN, FOR A CASE NO. 17-26
VARIANCE, SECTION 29.1504 OF THE
AMES MUNICIPAL CODE, TO ALLOW GEOCODE NO. 09-11-102-090
CONSTRUCTION OF THREE PARKING
STALLS IN THE FRONT YARD OF THE DECISION & ORDER
PROPERTY LOCATED AT 233
WASHINGTON AVENUE
FACTS
Applicant Dana Thomann seeks a Variance to allow for three front yard parking stalls with
access directly from Washington Avenue at the subject property. The Applicant seeks relief from
the minimum parking requirements of Ames Municipal Code section 29.406(2). She intends to
sell the property asserts that it is difficult to sell this property for its current residential use. The
property owner has an interested buyer who wants to purchase it for a commercial office use.
The three additional parking stalls in the front yard would allow for a total of five parking stalls
on-site, which is the minimum required parking ratio for commercial offices based on the total
square footage of the house.
The setback from the front property line is approximately 25 feet. Two existing parking stalls are
located on the west side of the home accessed from South 3rd Street. It is not physically possible
to add three additional stalls to the west side of the home due to dimensions of the property and
location of structures. The proposed Variance is to locate 19-foot deep parking stalls in front of
the building. Required parking between a building and the street is not permitted in this zoning
district under Code section 29.1003(13).
City Planner Justin Moore reviewed the site plan, project description, applicable law and
Findings of Fact and Conclusions. He explained that the zoning standards in the South Lincoln
Sub Area Mixed-Use District are that front yard parking is not allowed between buildings and
streets. While some properties in the district contain front yard parking, these were permitted
prior to the existing zoning standards being put into place. The current zoning standards are in
place to discourage the further proliferation of parking areas between buildings and streets.
Additionally, the dimensional challenges of placing the parking stalls into the front yard with
such limited area could pose hazards for vehicles and pedestrians in the Washington Avenue
right-of-way given the lack of area available between the proposed parking stalls and the right-
of-way as well as with any necessary improvements near the entryway to the building for
accessibility design standards. The proposed front yard parking stalls would be located less than
60 feet from the intersection of Washington Avenue and South 3rd Street. Current SUDAS design
requirements discourage entrances and exits this close to intersections like the one mentioned.
2
Ms. Thomann testified that she believes that the home is located in an area that is unlike others in
the neighborhood, as it is surrounded by cement and has a view of a business and apartment
complex. She feels that most of the homes in the neighborhood are newer, and most of the
residents are students who desire modern luxuries that the home doesn't offer. She put money
into the property with hopes of it becoming a rental property. Ms. Thomann described her recent
hardships which led to her putting the home on the market in September. She said she has
received an offer to purchase the home, but it is conditional on the granting of the Variance.
Two women testified against the Variance. Joyce Hatfield of 1204 N. 3`d Street stated that she
owns four houses in the area and does not want to see parking permitted in the front yard. She
feels it would be unsightly and bring the neighborhood down. Balinda Ellsworth of 312
Washington Avenue stated she would like to keep the feel of a residential neighborhood. She
would not like to see more commercial uses in the area.
DECISION The Board considered the facts as detailed above and provided in the staff report,
and found that all of the relevant standards in Section 29.1504(4) were not met and established
by the Applicant.
ORDER
WHEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the applicant is DENIED, pursuant to Ames Municipal
Code Section 29.1504, a variance to allow the construction of three parking stalls in the front
yard of the property located at 233 Washington 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 1 Oth day of January 2018.
*Cha
Heidi Petersen 1
Secretary to the Board