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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Council Packet Summary April 8, 2025 City Office 515.239.5105 main 515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811 515.239.5142 fax Ames, IA 50010 www.CityofAmes.org MEMO To: Mayor and City Council From: Jeramy Neefus, Principal Clerk, City Manager’s Office Date: April 4, 2025 Subject: Packet of Communications to Council Listed below are the communications to the City Council known to staff as of April 4, 2025: 1. Kelly Diekmann, Planning and Housing Director – March 19, 2025 RE: Driveway Standards Referral 2. Kelly Diekmann, Planning and Housing Director – March 28, 2025 RE: Monthly Work Plan Status Updates 3. Kelly Diekmann, Planning and Housing Director – April 2, 2025 RE: Social Service Provider Standards Referral Memo Department of Planning & Housing TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Kelly Diekmann, Planning & Housing Director DATE: March 19, 2025 SUBJECT: Referral To Discuss Driveway Standards BACKGROUND: City Council received a letter from the Ames Homebuilders Association prior to the March 11th meeting requesting Council review the driveway regulations that were adopted by City Council in 2023. Staff’s understanding of the request is to focus on standards related to driveway widths. City Council overhauled the front yard parking and driveway width requirements in 2023 by clarifying driveway dimensional requirements and by providing greater flexibility to create additional “flared” parking options to the side of driveways. The process included months of Council review and included consultation with the builder community prior to adoption. A fundamental element of the current standards is to proportionately size front yard paving (driveways) to the area needed to access garages or parking areas to the side or rear of homes. Additionally, the driveway standards are designed to minimize pedestrian conflicts, maximize on- street parking with controlled curb cut widths, and to treat all single-family properties the same across the City. The ordinance defines maximum driveway width based upon garage size. The maximum width is measured at the sidewalk/property line of a home. After the sidewalk crossing, the driveway can widen the width of the garage or use an angled flare for additional paving. The maximum widths at the sidewalk are 12 feet-1 Car Garage; 20 feet- 2 Car Garage; 24 feet- 3 Car Garage. Staff had met with a handful of local builders prior to the letter from the AHBA. The discussion addressed the overall permitting process for both new house construction and replacement paving for existing homes. The primary concerns in this discussion were interests by the builders for larger driveway options for newer homes, focused on widening of 2-car garages and 3 car garages. They noted concerns about the look and usability of the driveway maximums for larger garages. Staff noted that this would be an issue especially when large garages were situated at minimum setbacks. Ideas discussed for wider driveways ranged from increasing the width to a minimum of 24 feet and up to 30 feet, in various configurations, and to again consider if circle or multiple driveways could be allowed. STAFF COMMENTS: If Council desires to explore changes to driveway standards, staff believes the issue should be narrowly construed to topics described above to limit the scope and time committed to this discussion. The primary options are whether to allow for a small increase of 4 feet for 2-car garages ranging up to larger increase of up to a maximum of 30 feet scaled to the size of larger garages. Keeping in mind the goals to manage curb cuts that although the current standards are functional, a small change in width could be accommodated without a likely significant impact to neighborhoods and to the transportation system. If Council is interested in this request, it could refer it to an upcoming meeting in April for discussion and direction on whether to initiate a zoning text amendment for driveways. The AHBA would like to have this issue addressed as soon as possible as they approach the next construction season for new homes. The overall process to modify a standard would take six weeks for P&Z review and Council adoption of an ordinance. Memo Department of Planning & Housing TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Kelly Diekmann, Planning & Housing Director DATE: March 28, 2025 SUBJECT: Monthly Work Plan Status Updates City Council requested monthly updates of the approved Planning and Housing Division Workplan. City Council last formally approved the Work Plan priorities May, 14 2024. Future updates will remove completed items. In addition to Work Plan projects, there is follow up for major project and other Council initiated that are listed below. May 14, 2024- Work Plan Approved List Status Zoning Ordinance Update Workshop scheduled for April 15th to discuss scope and timing Downtown Plan Partnership with Ames Main Street Council Workshop held February 18th, Council to continue discussion to late mtg, planned for April 8, 2025. The Linc Development- Lincoln Way Awaiting Developer Update with Partner Entity by April 2025 Reinvestment District Final Application Updated IEDA January 2025, Pending Developer Updates for April 2025 Townhome Infill Housing Building Type Zoning Text Amendment Completed: Scheduled for approval on March 10th Rezoning process for West Towne mixed use and affordable housing units Awaiting developer response to proceed Burgason Cedar Lane Paving Waiver Request and Pioneer Infrastructure Definition Council approved waiver of Cedar Lane paving with development agreement at a future date, likely to coincide with next final plat. Housing Task Force development review and incentives letter (Three Referrals, URA, Conservation Subdivision, Pioneer Infrastructure) Completed: Citywide URA Completed: Conservation Ordinance Changes Staff is assessing options related to Pioneer infrastructure policies for specific needs; likely to be part of North Growth Area Annexation discussion and for developments along Hyde Avenue. Administrative exceptions to zoning standards with staff approval (20% rule) Completed Chautauqua Ridgewood Neighborhood National Register Historic District Application Underway, initial draft submitted for state review, scheduled for completion July 2025 Harrison Road Surplus Land Infill Development Option Report RFP Issued during the summer of 2024. No formal responses received. Council approved MOU on March 25th with Alliance to identify a potential builder. Identify Priority Infill Area-Redirection Area South of Campus Area around Knapp, Hunt, Hayward selected by Council in June2024 for outreach and study of updated zoning standards to encourage redevelopment. Outreach to owners and others has begun Spring 2025. Elwell Request E 13th Street Commercial Zoning- O-GNE Revisions Draft standards provided to Elwell representatives to discuss moving forward, update to Council in April 2025. Net Zero Home Incentive Completed Partner with ISU on projects, deferred to fall 2024 (Council Goal 2024) Staff received no interest related to planning projects in the fall 2024, staff is discussing options with ISU administration for use of land. Development Application Tracking (Council Goal 2024) Provide quarterly summary of development applications. Will be posted on Planning Division website by end of April 2025 Other Council Referrals/Major Projects starting on or after January 1, 2025 Topic Status Driveway standards changes requested by AHBA Provide a memo to Council- April 4, 2025 Special Use and Social Service Provider Standards Zoning Text Amendments request from Old Town Provide a memo to Council-April 4, 2025 Digital Billboard Lease and Zoning Text Amendment Draft ZTA for P&Z and CC review in April, 2025 Request for information on mailed notice practices Review 2 years of noticing related to 200-foot mailed notice standard-Staff report on April 22, 2025 Request for staff report on notifications and options for courtesy notices Referred to April 22, 2025 Create “Legal Notice/Project” Website for Public Awareness Will review options on April 22, 2025. Zoning Text Amendment for Hyland/Oakland to modify density and parking for new overlay Initiated on March 11th, potential starting date mid-April with goal of completion in Summer 2025. Borgmeyer Annexation Process Initiated annexation boundary March 11th, Council hearing tentative May 27, 2025. AGCC Irons Annexation Propose 3 yr tax incentive to voluntarily annex by April 30, 2025. Separately, study options for sewer main extension related to timing, costs, special assessment. Borgmeyer Development planning proposals with developer team Staff reviewing infrastructure needs, incentive requests, and conceptual details at request of developers-TBD- Tentatively planned report to Council on April 22, 2025 Hayden’s Preserve Development Agreement Amendments Staff reviewing proposed changes to development plan and incentive requests- TBD-Tentatively planned report to Council on April22,2025 JT Warehouse Subdivision Platting and Dev. Agreement changes Approved March 11, 2025/Minor Site Development submitted for staff review. Romero House Special Use Permit ZBA Hearing March 26, 2025, Special Use Permit approved by ZBA with conditions. Next step is code enforcement and transition of uses from 709 Clark property to 702 Clark. Subdivision of former Animal Shelter Land along Billy Sunday and Hwy 30 City hired surveyor for Minor Final Plat, approval May Annual CLG Report and HPC Work Plan Review Council accepted work plan on February 25, 2025. Rezoning and Special Use Permit for HOPE Lutheran Church Rezoning Agreement approved March 25, 2025, ZBA review in April of the Special Use Permit. PUD Rezoning for Townhomes at North Dakota and Lincoln Way PUD proposal to P&Z April 18, 2025, to City Council in May 2025. (Note there is a Neighborhood petition against the rezoning.) Furniture Mart Tax Abatement Incentive Public Hearing to approve Urban Revitalization Plan on May 13, 2025. Work With Furniture Mart For A 20’ by 20’ Pedestrian Easement Related to CyRide Bus Stop Staff will provide an update by May 13, 2025 Memo Department of Planning & Housing TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Kelly Diekmann, Planning & Housing Director DATE: April 2, 2025 SUBJECT: Referral Regarding Social Service Provider Standards City Council received an email from Kate Gregory, representing a group of Old Town residents, on March 7th requesting Council consider creating new Special Use Permit criteria for Social Service Providers. Council referred the list of proposals to staff for a memo. (See Attached) Social Service Providers are a broad category of use as defined within the Zoning Ordinance Article V and can range for day services like a soup kitchen to overnight sheltering of people. The proposal delves into many operational aspects of a potential Social Service Provider use and identifies topics and criteria for regulating the use in more detail than currently exists in the Zoning Ordinance. The current standards do not address specific operational requirements ore establish limitations and leaves the details up to the Zoning Board of Adjustment evaluation on a case-by-case basis regarding a Special Use Permit. This is how the Romero House was recently approved with the current general Special Use Permit criteria. The proposal addresses a wide range of issues that relate zoning, fire code, and building code issues. At a high level the proposal has standards for:  Siting and minimum separation standards  Requirements for per-approval meetings with neighborhoods, additional notice and review periods  Operating Procedures for hours, contact information, training of staƯ, etc.  Code of conduct for clients/patrons  Security and Emergency Response Plan  On-site employee/resident at all times  Minimum Facility and site improvement requirements  Signage limitations  Criteria/metrics for Permit Renewals While the degree of specificity proposed exceeds any comparable specifications in the Zoning Ordinance, the proposed standards could be added to the Zoning Ordinance in the format of performance standards rather than individual permit conditions of a Special Use Permit. As the City Council reviews the suggested standards, it would need to consider expectations regarding the amount of time to process an application as well as monitoring and enforcement of such standards once a project is approved. Overall, the proposed standards would create much more defined expectations for Social Service Provider Uses. Generally, staff believes the proposal is intended to apply to situations where such a use is within or near a residential neighborhood. Creating the proposed standards would set a policy limitation on the intensity of services providers and likely create a more defined path for approval of a permit for the use compared to the current process. If City Council desires to expand the Social Service Provider review process and standards, in whole or in part, the Council should refer this request to a future agenda for discussion, likely no sooner than May 27, 2025 agenda. If Council does not see taking on these types of changes at this time, no further action is needed. Staff also notes that the proposed changes are extensive and believes that if Council chooses to initiate Zoning Ordinance text amendments it would need to be evaluated by Council in terms of timing and for priorities related to the Planning Division Work Plan established by the City Council. Attachment Next Page Proposed Social Service Provider Special Use Permit Conditions Require social service providers to develop a “Good Neighbor Agreement”. This Agreement would be created with their neighborhood association to foster communication between the community and the social service provider and to ensure that issues of importance are identified early with the social service provider and are collectively resolved before they become larger issues. This would also include a plan for engaging with the neighborhood to address concerns and foster a positive relationship. Require a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This Procedure would ensure transparency and clarity regarding the activities of the social service provider with an emphasis on mitigating negative consequences to the neighborhood. The SOP would discuss: - Name and contact information for individual responsible to be contacted if there are problems - Hours of operation. These would be posted on social media, marketing, correspondence, public notices, and other publications to ensure clear communication and reduce the risk of neighborhood disturbance during non-operational hours - Services allowed on site and acceptable visitor activities/behaviors - Maximum number of persons allowed on the premises (at a single time and throughout a 24-hour period) - Required minimum supervisor-to-guest ratio - Requirements for participation (if any) in provider-required counseling, improvement programs, training, spiritual programs, etc. - Social Service Provider primary purpose and target constituency; or identification of the primary population to be served - Daily log (names) of clients served - Training or qualifications of staff, including CPR and basic first aid, crisis intervention, substance abuse counseling, and case management - Property maintenance, including plans for snow removal, trash removal, and shielding of client carts, tents, and other belongings by moving them either inside buildings or within privacy fencing surrounding a back yard. All carts, tents, and belongings that absorb water would be housed in a dry area. Require a Code of Conduct. The Code would ensure personnel visiting the social service provider respected the property and rights of others at the social service provider and in the local community. Require a Safety and Security Plan (SSP). An SSP would ensure the social service provider is prepared for potentially dangerous conditions and able to protect those at the social service provider facility accordingly. The social service provider’s plan would be reviewed annually by the Ames Police Department. Comments made by the Police or Fire Department during the review process would become part of the record and be used to inform permit approvals and renewals. An SSP would include: - Actions to be taken in the case of fire, tornado, derecho, or other natural or man- made disasters and annual fire inspections by City Fire Department - Criteria for rejection or removal of an individual seeking access to the social service provider - A plan for how disruptive behavior within the social service provider facility would be addressed and a description of the consequences for engaging in disruptive behavior - A plan for managing loitering, panhandling, and unpermitted camping around the social service provider - A plan for managing individuals excluded from accessing the social service provider - How the social service provider would coordinate and communicate with the Ames Police and provision of a phone number and point of contact of the SPP - A plan for addressing reported concerns and documenting resolutions, and making this information publicly available Require On-Site Owner/Employee Presence. Social Service Providers in residential areas would be required to have an owner or employee to be at the facility 24 hours per day to divert clients that might arrive at the shelter outside of business hours to other facilities. This individual would be responsible to ensure no violations occurred in which individuals were allowed to access the facility after hours of operation or for uses not allowed in the Special Use Permit. Require Minimum Facility Requirements. To ensure facility safety, the following would be required and the city would verify compliance as part of the permitting process. - ADA Compliance. As a facility open to the public, the social service provider would comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. This would ensure the facility is able to serve all community members. - Appropriately Sized Restroom Facilities. Social service provider facilities would have adequate restroom facilities for the maximum number of people allowed by permit on the property at one time. If the services offered include laundry services, they would also be sized accordingly. Hygiene supplies, like those available at the Ames Public Library, would also be provided. - An internal waiting area. This would support client intake adequate to serve the maximum number of clients allowed by permit and accommodate visitors and guests. This would help to eliminate exterior queuing during operating hours. - A detailed site plan. This would show entrances, exits, parking areas, and pedestrian access. The plan would consider pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow and potential disruption to the neighborhood. - Adequate and residentially appropriate outdoor lighting. This would provide clear visibility from the public rights of way, including clear lines of site from the sidewalks/ street without obstructions from vegetation. Require Conditions on Social Service Provider Siting: Prior to permitting a social service provider, the following conditions would be met. - An informational neighborhood meeting. This meeting between the owner/sponsor of the proposed social service provider and the local neighborhood would be required. The applicant shall conduct a public information meeting within, or close to, the location where the proposed daytime service center would be located within 8 weeks of filing the subject application. The time and location of the meeting shall be agreed upon between the city and the applicant. All property owners of parcels within a 1000-foot radius of the parcel shall be notified in writing at least 14 days in advance of the meeting by the applicant. In addition, notice of the neighborhood meeting, in a sign size and format consistent with applicable City standards, shall be posted in a conspicuous location on the property on which the facility is proposed at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting. Posting of this notice within public right-of-way adjacent to the subject property shall be considered as meeting this requirement. The intent of the neighborhood meeting would be to facilitate information sharing by the applicant about the proposed use and to respond to questions and input from the community. - Statement of experience. The owner/sponsor would provide a statement of their experience providing daytime drop-in or other social service provider care to ensure a safe environment. - Transit resources. The social service provider facility would be located within 1500 ft of bus transit stop. - Social service provider density. A social service provider facility would not be located within 1,000 feet of a parcel containing another social service provider and there would be no more than one drop-in or congregant housing social service provider per neighborhood. - Occupant capacity. The social service provider would have no more than 30 occupants exclusive of on-site staff. In the event the maximum building occupancy, as defined by the Ames building code official, is less than 30 total occupants, the building code shall govern occupancy maximums. Require Criteria for Use in Permit Renewals. The metrics would be used to track compliance with the SUP conditions and inform decisions related to permit renewals. The metrics, maintained by the City, would include violations of the safety and security plan, number of times the police or other outside resources had to respond to an issue, and number of valid complaints from the neighborhood (as evaluated by the Ames Police). Metrics would also include number of clients by types of services provided. Require Appropriate Exterior Signage: The following signage requirements would ensure the social service provider is less intrusive. At a minimum, signage for social service providers in residential communities would comply with Ames Municipal Code 29.1304 (4)(iii), Home Occupations. (https://www.cityofames.org/home/showpublisheddocument/76773/638633969190870000) Appropriate signage would be flush mounted and would include the business name and hours. Signage would be illuminated by an overhead residential lighting fixture attached to the building (such as a gooseneck) and be appropriate in size and character to the home and district/neighborhood style. - Sandwich boards. No sandwich boards or temporary signage would be allowed on the grounds. Permanent signage with hours and purpose statement in permanent style plaque would be allowed to be attached to the door or door area. - Electronic signage. No electronic signage would be allowed on the social service provider ’s outdoor property. - Illumination. No internally illuminated signage would be allowed on the social service provider ’s outdoor property. - Poles/placards. No signage hanging from poles or placards would be allowed on the social service provider ’s outdoor property. - Size and information. Signage would show the social service provider ’s hours of operation hours and, in residential areas, not be larger than allowed by zoning for home occupations. - Location. In no circumstances would permanent signage be located more than 15 feet from the front door. - Style. Signage in residential areas would be unobtrusive and non-commercial in appearance. It would strive to blend with the style of the neighborhood environment and character and be esthetically pleasing.