HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 05/06/2014+M INUTE S OF T HE S P ECIAL M EE TING
O F T H E A M E S C IT Y C O U N C IL
A M E S, IO W A M A Y 6, 2014
T h e A m es C ity C o u n c il m e t in sp ecial sessio n at 7 :00 p .m . on the 6 d ay of M ay , 2 0 1 4 , in th e C ityth
C ou ncil C ham bers in C ity H all, 51 5 C lark A ven ue, pu rsuant to law w ith M ayo r Pro T em M atthew
G o o d m a n p re sid ing an d th e fo llo w in g C o u n cil m e m b ers p re se n t: G lo ria B e tch er, A m b e r C o rrieri,
T im G artin , C h ris N e lso n , an d P e ter O razem . M ay o r A n n C am p b e ll w a s ab se n t. E x o fficio M em ber
L issa n d ra V illa w a s also p rese n t.
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING WATER CONNECTION FEE DISTRICT: Moved by Corrieri,
seconded by Orazem, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO. 4180 establishing
a Water Connection Fee District with respect to certain properties in the Northern Growth Area.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING SANITARY SEWER CONNECTION FEE DISTRICT:
Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Betcher, to pass on third reading and adopt ORDINANCE NO.
4181 establishing a Sanitary Sewer Connection Fee District with respect to certain properties in
the Northern Growth Area.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Ordinance declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
A PPO IN TM E N T S TO AM ES TR A N SIT A G EN C Y BO A R D O F TR U STEE S: M ove d b y
B etcher , s e c onde d by O razem , to a dopt RE SO LU TI O N N O . 14 -212 confirming appointment of
the Government of the Student Body Senator Hamad Abbas and Representative Zachary Murrell
to the Ames Transit Agency Board of Trustees.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
CHANGE ORDER FOR SPRING 2014 BOILER REPAIRS: Moved by Corrieri, seconded by
Orazem, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 14-213 approving Change Order No. 2 to ProEnergy
Services, LLC, for the Spring 2014 Boiler Repairs in the amount of $133,000 w ith ap plicab le
sales taxe s to be p aid directly b y the C ity .
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby
made a portion of these Minutes.
WORKSHOP REGARDING DEVELOPMENT BY BRECKENRIDGE OF OLD MIDDLE
SCHOOL PROPERTIES: Mayor Pro-Tem Goodman explained that the plan for this workshop had
been to give the Developer an opportunity to speak and then give the Neighborhood an
opportunity to speak. They would then be given ten minutes to respond to the priorities of the
other group. However, it had just been learned that Charlie Vatterott, representing the Developer
Breckenridge, was in transit from the Des Moines Airport to Ames. Therefore, the Neighborhood
representative Sharon Guber had agreed to speak first. Mr. Goodman recognized that there were
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a lot of people who were interested in this issue; however, the goal of this workshop was to give
the Neighborhood and the Developer an opportunity to share their perspectives and priorities.
There will be a roundtable dialog on ways to find common ground and attempt to move things
forward. It was hoped that the Neighborhood would be able to represent the public’s perspective.
According to Mayor Pro-Tem Goodman, if something was missed during the Developer’s or
Neighborhood’s presentation, others may be allowed to speak.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRESENTATION: Each person representing the Neighborhood
introduced himself/herself and gave the reason they had gotten involved with this project.
Representing the Neighborhood were:
Mike Peterson, 3302 Morningside
Joanne Pfeiffer, 3318 Morningside
Marilyn Clem, 3306 Morningside
Sarah Cady, 2812 Arbor Street
Sharon Stewart, 437 Hilltop Road
Emily Thurmaier, 3310 Tripp Street
Jason Paull, 3310 Tripp Street
Sharon Guber, 2931 Northwestern Avenue
Ms. Guber advised that she had formerly lived on State Avenue for 20 years and had been the
Co-Founder of the State Avenue Neighborhood Association.
Ms. Guber provided a brief history of the properties in question from 2007, when discussions
began to occur by governmental entities on the future use of the “Old Middle School” property,
to the present. The deliberations over the sale of governmental lands had indicated the need and
desire for single-family housing and culminated in a Land Use Policy Plan (LUPP) designation
of RL. Maps of what the property in question looked like in 2003 and what it looks like now were
shown by Ms. Guber.
Core values contained in the Land Use Policy Plan were highlighted by Ms. Guber and
explanations given as to how they pertained to each of the below-listed priorities for the
Neighborhood.
Priorities:
1.Ensure residential development is consistent with subdivision requirements so the units
would be attractive for owner-occupied re-use. Design of the Old Middle School
properties’ residential development must be sustainable, re-purposeable, and subdivision-
compliant. The make-up of the residents should be heterogeneous.
2.Retain the College Creek/Old Middle School Neighborhood 3.7 housing units/net acres and
consistent RL zoning for all three parcels. Minimize the total number of student-oriented
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rental units and bedrooms, which includes the limit of three unrelated persons per unit to no
more than 400 beds.
3.Preserve and protect the South Parcel’s natural and recreation areas with an increased
conservation easement from seven (7) acres to 18 acres.
Ms. Guber explained environmental concerns if a large-scale development were allowed.
4.Ensure that safety issues are addressed in the South Parcel for the shared-use path from State
Avenue to the Ames Middle School.
5.In-depth viable traffic study for all three parcels to be completed as part of the Master Plan.
Ensure that the needed traffic improvements and traffic-calming techniques are implemented
at the time of development and not deferred.
The current traffic study did not include the residents in the North Parcel. It was pointed out
that an informal traffic study had been done by someone who watched for six hours yesterday
and six hours today on Arbor Street.
6.Increase off-street parking requirements within the development to account for the number
of rented bedrooms and guests. The Neighborhood asked for three vehicles on the lot and a
sufficient number (three stalls/unit) of small visitor parking lots dispersed throughout.
It was pointed out by Ms. Guber that the cities that have Aspen Heights’ projects have
indicated problems with parking.
According to Ms. Guber, safety of the residents is a concern since the housing would be on slabs
(with no basements), and the residents would have nowhere to go if a tornado were to hit the
area. Ms. Guber noted that the party culture is also a large concern.
Ms. Guber said that, in making its decision, the Council should consider what would create an
opportunity for a successful blending of a new development with an existing neighborhood – a
new development that would be compatible with the existing neighborhood. Above all else, it
should provide for the quality of life each Ames citizen seeks, works towards, expects, and
deserves.
DEVELOPER PRESENTATION: Brian Torresi, Davis Law Firm, Ames, stated that he was
representing the developer. He also introduced Scott Renaud, FOX Engineering, Ames, as the
developer’s engineer for this project.
Mr. Torresi advised that the Middle Parcel is currently zoned RL. The LUPP calls for the North
Parcel to be RL and the South Parcel to be Suburban Residential. It was stated by Mr. Torresi
that Breckenridge’s request was for FSRL zoning on the South Parcel.
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Mr. Torresi explained that with the current zoning on the property, there would be 600-700
developable bedrooms on the three parcels. The developer intends to construct 100% student
rental housing. It was stated by Mr. Torresi that none of the land that Breckenridge will develop
and keep title to will be anything but student rental housing.
Priorities:
1.Developer wants a total development size of 1,000 bedrooms spread across three sites.
2.Developer wants more five-bedroom dwelling houses in exchange for fewer total units (while
maintaining the same bedroom totals).
3.Developer wants a clubhouse to be allowed on the Middle Parcel along State Avenue.
4.Developer wants to only be required to subdivide the Middle Parcel.
5.Developer wants the bike trail on the South Parcel to be relocated on site.
6.Developer wants High-Density Residential on the North Parcel with mixed-use buildings
(commercial on the first floor and apartments on the upper floors) along Lincoln Way with
buffers to the neighborhoods to the south.
Mr. Torresi pointed out that the Ames Rental Code prevents occupancy by more than three
unrelated persons except in the dwelling house. Dwelling houses are only allowed in the RM
Zone, and that was why the developer’s previous request was for RM. According to Mr. Torresi,
Breckenridge had consistently said that it did not want the RM zone to achieve RM density.
They want RM zoning “in name only” so that they can get the four- and five-bedroom homes to
make the neighborhood look more aesthetically pleasing instead of “cramming” in as many
three-bedroom homes as possible on the lots. Also, clubhouses are only allowed in the RH zone,
however, Breckenridge would like a clubhouse to be allowed on the Middle Parcel.
Since there is current litigation between Breckenridge and the City, Mr. Torresi did not want to
address the requirement to subdivide the property. He stated that the plan from the beginning was
for the property (all three parcels) to be developed as one single lot as a condominium regime.
Under a condominium regime, the streets could be dedicated to the public, infrastructure would
be installed, and each building would be completely salable as an individual unit. That would
allow for re-use just like any other subdivision.
Mr. Torresi stated that the developer believes the North Parcel off of Lincoln Way should not
be residential low-density due to its location next to other High-Density Residential and
Highway-Oriented zones.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESENTATION. Warren Madden, Senior Vice-President
for Business and Finance at Iowa State University, advised that he was representing the
University. He pointed out that there are agricultural research activities occurring immediately
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south of the South Parcel; that will continue. Mr. Madden said that that tract of land was
originally owned by Iowa State (in 2000). It was sold to the School District. At that time, the
City and School District were discussing joint recreational facility developments. According to
Mr. Madden, the University did not sell that tract of land to the School District in 2000 with the
understanding that it would be developed as some type of residential housing area. If it had been
contemplated as such at the time, the University would not have proceeded with the sale. It is
important to the University that there be compatibility between the agricultural research station
and land adjacent to it. Mr. Madden stated that the University would be interested in re-
acquiring the south 29 acres at its appraised value. According to Mr. Madden, the University has
a number of concerns about increased traffic. In addition, State Avenue along most of the area
in question is an institutional road, which places its maintenance as a responsibility of the
University.
Priorities:
1.The developer to install any needed traffic improvements at the intersection of Mortensen
and State or along State Avenue.
2.The bike path proposed on the South Parcel to be relocated away from streets and parking
lots.
3.A 60-foot setback on the South Parcel to provide a buffer to the University property.
4.Higher density on the North Parcel in return for less density on the South and Middle Parcels.
5.The developer to install a pedestrian crossing along State Avenue.
6.The parcels to be developed for single-family use; it supports RL zoning.
7.The developer to be responsible for lighting the bike path in the South Parcel.
8.The University to acquire 29 acres from the South Parcel from the developers for the
appraised value.
M r. M a d d e n in d ica ted th e U n iversity ’s su p p o rt o f th e neig h b o rh o o d gro u p fo r th e are a in
qu estion to b e low -den sity sing le-fam ily dev elop m ent. It w as ackn ow ledg ed b y M r . M add en that
the U niversity is grow ing and there currently is a need for addition al s tud ent ho using ; ho w ever
it d o e s n o t believ e th a t th e area in q u e stion is th e rig h t plac e fo r stud en t h o u sin g . T h e are a in
q u estio n is a m ix of retiree -ty p es o f fa m ilies as w ell as y o u n g fa m ilies . Its lo c a tio n in p ro x im ity
to th e U n iv ersity prov id es a g o o d en v iron m en t fo r th o se ty p es o f fam ilies.
T h e me e tin g recessed at 7 :5 3 p.m. an d co n v e n e d at 8 :0 4 p .m.
C h arlie V attero tt, E x ecu tiv e V ice-P resid en t o f A sp en H eigh ts, adv ised th at h is co m p an y w as a
full-service d ev elop m en t, co n struc tio n , an d m an ag em en t co m p an y b ased o u t o f A u stin , T ex as.
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He sta ted th at, in th e la st fo u r y ear s, h is co mp an y h a d d e v e lo p e d o v e r 1 1 ,0 0 0 b e d s in th ree time
zo n es.
Acco rd in g to Mr . Vattero tt, Io wa S tate Un iv e rsity is “sev ere ly s h o rt” o n its s u p p ly o f bed ro o ms
fo r its stu d en ts. H e sa id th a t th e re h a d b een n u m ero u s n e w sp ap er articles sa y in g th a t stu d en ts
w ere b ein g p u t up in ho tel ro o m s a n d so m e stu d e n ts d id n ’t ev e n h a v e h o tel ro o m s. M r. V atte ro tt
s a id that w as w hy A spen H e ights cam e to Am e s. The 48 -acr e site in q ue stion tha t Breckenridge
w ill be d e v e lop in g is w ith in o n e -h alf m ile fro m C a m p u s.
M r. V a tter ott acknowle dged that Iow a State has the bigge st sta ke in the South Parc e l. The
s epa rati on be tw een the South Pa rcel a nd the M iddle Par c e l is the cre e k, the floodp la in, a nd a
fa irly lar ge bu f fer. M r . V a tter ott e stim a te d tha t the re w a s 25 0 fee t betw e e n the Parc e l and the
closes t re side nc e . It w a s sta te d b y M r. V a tterott that the developer c ould meet se ve n o f the eight
P riorities, in w h o le o r in p a rt. T h e o n e th at the d ev elo p e r c an n o t m eet is to se ll 2 9 ac re s b ack to
Iow a State U niversity; it is no t for sale.
D EV EL O PER ’S RESPO N SE TO I O W A STAT E U N IV ER SITY ’S PRI O R ITIES:
1.R e ga rding the South Parc e l, D e ve loper w ould provide a 25-foot bu ff e r; but, w ill also provide
a six-foot fe nc e as long as the zoning w ould b e RM and no subdivision w ould b e re quire d.
2.The U nive rs ity, N e ighbo rhood , and D eveloper ha ve agreed o n all po ints concerning the bike
path.
3 .In refe re n c e to im p ro v e m en ts at M o rten se n an d S tate alo n g S tate, A sp en H eig h ts w o u ld
provide $1 50,000 upon a pproval of R M zoning (allow ing five-be droom co tta ge s) of the
S ou th P arcel. It w ou ld p rov ide an add ition al $1 00 ,00 0 to p ay fo r traffic im prov em ents at
M o rten se n an d S tate u p o n rez o n in g to R M fo r th e N o rth P a rcel.
It w a s pointe d o ut by M r. V a tterott, if platting w e re done, the m ajority of the expense for the
tr a ff ic signal w ould have to b e bo rne by the U niver sity.
4.A spen H eigh ts is O K w ith the R L d esign ation on the M idd le Parcel. T he D evel op er believes
th at th e M id d le P a rcel is o f m o st in tere st to the N e ig h b o rh o o d .
M r. V atterott referenced the “d ispu te” w ith the C ity as to w hether or no t the D evelop er has
to su b d iv ide. A sp en H e igh ts w o u ld b e w illin g to dro p that law su it if it w ere n o t req u ired to
d o an y su b d ivisio n o n th e N o rth o r S o u th P a rcels. T h e lo ts w ill b e platted o n the M id d le
P arc e l.
5.D eveloper is O K w ith lighting the bike path o n the South.
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6.D eveloper w ould Insta ll a pedes tria n c ross ing along State A venue; ho w e ve r, do e s no t w a nt
to p o rtr a y a fa lse sen se of secu rity . E v en w ith a p e d e strian cro ssin g , traffic is n o t g o in g to
sto p for ped estrian s.
7.D eveloper is O K w ith h igher de nsity on the N orth in return for le ss de nsity o n the South. The
D eveloper has pla nne d for the N orth Parc e l to h ave the highe st density.
8.The D eveloper w ill no t sell 29 ac res to the U niversity.
D EV EL O PER ’S RESPO N SE TO NE IG H BO R H O O D ’S PRI O R I TIES:
1 .M r. Vatte ro tt said th e n u mb er of bed s is tab led fo r n o w.
2.Pe r taining to the N eighbo rhood’s re que st to p res e rve the South Parcel’s natura l a nd
recreation al areas w ith a C on servation E ase m ent from s even (7) to 1 8 acres, the D evelop er
had d isc overed tha t le ga lly, the re w a s no Cons e rvation Ease m ent. The proper ties w e re no t
inv entoried p er Iowa C ode C h a p ter 5 4 7 A . H o w ev er, th e D e v e lop er w o u ld b e w illin g to
establish an d ex p an d th at C o n serv atio n E asem en t - prob ab ly n o t to 1 8 acres, b u t som ew h ere
in b etw e e n seven and 18 - if the South Parcel w er e to be zoned RM and not have to b e
su b d ivid ed (allo w ing fou r- an d fiv e -b ed ro o m co ttag es).
P ictu res o f w h at a fo u r-b e d ro o m h o u se/co tta g e w o u ld lo o k lik e w e re sh o w n . M r. V a ttero tt
advised tha t those units w ill be bu ilt on the M iddle Parc e l. They w ant to b uild those units on
th e S o u th P arcel. A ll th ree-b ed roo m u n its w o u ld b e co o k ie-cu tter.
3.A s pe n Heights w ould work for re-use. Re-use as condo m inium s w ould b e fe a sible for the
N orth an d S ou th P arcels if the stud ent ho using need w ou ld g o aw ay in the future.
4 .D ev elo p er w ill ex c e e d C ity re q u irem e n ts fo r p a rk in g fo r a p a rtm e n ts o n the M id d le a n d S o u th
Pa r c e ls . Par king in the a m ount of 1.15 (pa r king spa c e s per bed) w ould b e provided for the
M idd le a n d S o u th P a rcels an d w o u ld m eet C ode o n the N o rth P arc e l.
5.Pe nding the sc ope of tr a ff ic im provem e nts , D eveloper is op e n to tr a ff ic im provem e nts a nd
calm in g tech n iq u es.
6 .T h e bik e p a th is no lo n g e r an issu e as D e v e lop er has alread y ag reed to it.
A m ap o f the 5 4 lots w as sho w n if w hat is currently allow ed w as bu ilt. T he D evelop er prop osed
the sam e num be r of beds (162) w ith cotta ge ho use s (density for RL ), bu t w ould n ot w ant Tr ipp
S treet to go th ro u g h . In su c h a ma n n er, th ere wo u ld b e no stu d en t-h o u s in g traffic g o in g do wn
W ilm o th . M r. V attero tt ad d ressed th e n eed fo r a club h o u se, o fferin g tw o o p tio n s:
1.Locate the clubho use on the M iddle Pa rcel and isola te it fr om the neighbo r hood w ith a 70 -
fo o t bu ffer, w h ich co u ld b e g reen sp ace o r sin g le-fa m ily res id e n tial.
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2.Locate the clubho use at the corner of W ilm oth and Linc oln W ay as it is zoned for H igh-
D ens ity.
M s. G ub er po in ted o u t that the D evel op er had taken his tim e for rebu ttal to the N eigh bo rho od ’s
priorities and ha d n ot m a de a pre se ntation o n its own proposa l. She state d that the N eighbo rhood
w ould like to h e ar the presentation and w a s w illing to give the D eveloper m ore tim e in o r de r to make
tha t pre se nta tion.
M r. V attero tt said an o b v io u s qu estio n fo r IS U w o u ld b e h o w th e C ity an d th e N eigh b o rho o d w ere
g o in g to p ro tect th e in tere sts o f Io w a S tate U n iv ersity. A cco rd ing to M r. V atte ro tt, “F S R L is by rig h t”
I t is the defa ult zoning for the Par c e l. There ar e no density lim its in FSRL . The re w ould be no
r e quire m ents for A s pe n Heights to “provide a nything - no bu ff e r, no fe nc ing, no path lighting, no
traffic im provem e nts, no pedes tria n cr ossing – n othing.” M r. V atte rott s a id that s ubdivis ion of the
S o u th P arc e l w o u ld m e a n th a t th e U n iv e rsity “w o u ld b e stu c k w ith a h u g e ex p en se ” as so ciate d w ith
traffic im prov em ents at M orten sen and State A ven ue. H e reiterated that the D evelop er w ill protect
the inte res ts of the U niver sity by offe ring to provide the follow ing priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7,
b u t n o t 8 (wi ll no t s e ll 29 a c res fr o m th e S o u th P a rcel fo r its a p p raised v alu e ) in ex ch an g e fo r RM
zo n in g w ith fou r- an d fiv e -b ed ro o m c o ttag es an d n o su b d iv isio n o n the S o u th P a rcel. It w o u ld lim it
th e nu m b e r o f b e d ro o m s o n th e S o u th to 42 5 .
Pe r taining to the N e ighborhood ’s priorities , M r. V atte rott s tated the D e ve lope r w ould:
1 .T a b le th e nu mb e r o f b e d s fo r n o w.
2.Expa nd the Conser va tion Easem e nt
3 .E n su re res id e n tial dev elo p m en t is co n sisten t...D ev elo p er w ill d o th a t.
4 .In c rease p ark ing ...D e v e lo p e r w ill do th a t.
5.Traffic im provem e nts...have bee n pre viously addres se d.
6 .P ro tect th e b ik e p ath ...D ev elo p er w ill d o that.
M r. V atterott said that the D evel op er r eally loo ks forw ard to w orking w ith the p eop le resources
in the N eighbo r hood . The re w ill be colla boration w ith the N e ighborhood on ce construc tion
begins. Intera c tion w ith the N eighbo r hood res idents w ith the s tudents is desired a nd w ill go a
long w a y in a collabora tive effort to b e c om e part of the N e ighbo rhood .
NEIGHBORHO OD’S RE S P ONS E TO DE VEL OPE R:
M s. Gu b er su mma r ized th at th e De v e lo p e r’s p ro p o sed RL zo n in g f o r th e No rth P a rcel an d F S RL
for th e S o u th P arcel an d h as req u e ste d to g o to R M . T o g o to R M w o u ld req u ire a L an d U se
Polic y Plan a m endment. M s. G ube r pointe d o ut tha t the C ounc il c ould rezone the property to any
zo n in g d esig n atio n . S h e n o te d th at th e D e v e lo p e r’s p r o ject is a g r e a ter d e n sity pro je c t th an R M;
h o w ev er, m o re im p o rtan t to th e N eigh b o rho o d is th at it is a grea ter in ten sity – it m e an s m o re
b ed roo m s. T h e D ev elop er talks ab o u t th e sig n ifican ce o f redu cing the n u m b er o f h o u sin g u n its;
h o w ev er, th at is n o t sig n ifican t if m o re b ed roo m s are p u t in . W ith fo u r- an d fiv e-b ed roo m un its,
there w ill be m o re bed roo m s. T he N eigh bo r ho od is con cerned abo ut w hat the D evelop er
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“tabled,” w hich w as the n um ber of bed s. M r. V atterott prom ised that the D evelop er w ou ld k eep
th e sa m e n u m b er of bed ro o m s o n the M id d le P a rcel.
M s. G uber no te d tha t the D eveloper continues to a sk for RM and to not ha ve to have pla tting.
T he N eigh bo rho od w ants R L sing le-f am ily; that is a m ajor sticking p oint. A no ther real prob lem
is that the D evelop er h as stated that the d evel op m ent m ust b e 10 0% stud ent ho using . M s. G ub er
indic a te d that part of the attractive ne ss of the neighbo r hood is that it is m ixe d; it is ble nded.
A n o th er p ro b lem is th a t th e D e v e lo p e r still h a s its R M fo o tp rin t th a t th e y are try in g to m ak e fit
in the RL z one . The N e ighborhood w ould li ke to w ork w ith the D eveloper to se e if the
development could b e m ore advanta ge ous to both s ides . She e nc ouraged the D e ve loper to think
outside of the box to f i nd something tha t re a lly wor ks for a un ive rsity tow n a nd for the
n eigh b o rho o d . It do es n o t w an t to b e k n o w n as a n eigh b o rho o d th at d o esn ’t lik e stu d en ts, beca u se
that is no t true. M s. G ube r po inte d o ut that a n e ighbo rhood tha t is a ll students is m uch dif fer e nt
than a m ixed n e ighbo rhood .
A m e m b er of the N eig h b o rh o o d sh are d her p e rsp ectiv e n o tin g that a s a n e ig h b o rh o o d , th e y w o u ld
all sha re traffic space, parking spa c e , natura l s pa c e s, etc . She no ted tha t s he had seen p ic tures of
other A spen Heights developments w he re la rge pa rtie s had b e e n held a t the clubho use. The
D eveloper’s plan for putting a clubho use on State A venue that is directly acr os s from a qu iet
natura l s pa c e that is ho m e to wildlife and quie t re c reational spa c e is no t a c c e ptable to the
N eig h b o rh o o d . T h e ed g e o f th e M id d le P a rcel an d the ed g e o f th e N o rth P arc e l is p erh a p s a half
m ile fro m th e ed g e o f C am p u s; ho w ev er, th e S o u th P arcel w h ere th ere w o u ld b e th e h ig h est
den sity is app rox im ately tw o an d o ne-half m iles from C entral C am pu s. S he d oes no t believe that
is w a lka ble in the w inter , a nd c urr e ntly, no CyR ide route s e rvic e s the South Pa rcel. N oting the
purported 2 0% reduction in the nu m be r of cars on the Par c e l, the resident said tha t that w ould b e
suitable if the n eigh bo rho od con tained a m ix o f fam ilies, sing le ind ividuals, and up to three
u n related peo ple sharing a un it; ho w ever, that redu ction is no t a r eason able sce nario . It also
does n’t identify the tr ip nature of a student-occupied property. Studies have show n tha t student
trip generation in the e ve nings is higher tha n the genera l a pa rtm ent com plex tr ip genera tion
stu d ies th at are cited in th e T raffic Im p act A n alysis.
M s. G ube r s a id that ther e are landlords in the R L zon es w ho m ay h a ve four- a nd five-be droom
homes; ho w ever , they can o nly r ent to t hree unre la ted p e rsons. Ther e fore , the N eighbo r hood
cou ld n ot hav e an agreem ent on five.
C o u n cil M em b er B etch e r e x p re ssed her un d erstan d in g th at th ere w o u ld be in p u t by o th ers
allo w e d . M a y o r P ro -T em G o o d m an stated th a t th is w o rk sh o p w a s to a llo w fo r m o re intim ate
con versation am on g the N eigh bo rho od , Iow a S tate U niversity, and D evelop er to see if there w as
an y ag reem e n t. T h ere w ill b e oth er o p p o rtun ities fo r in p u t if a p ro ject co m es b efo re the C ity
C o u n c il.
C ounc il M em ber O razem as ke d if there w a s room to maneuver so that all 48 ac res w ould n ot be
stu d en t h o u sin g . T o clarify, h e ask ed if th ere w as an o th er “m o d el” th at w o u ld w o rk . M r.
V atte ro tt res p o n d e d that th e d e v e lo p m e n t w as d e sig n e d to be 10 0 % stu d e n ts, bu t no n -stu d e n ts
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w o u ld b e w e lco m e to ren t th e re as w ell. A c c o rd in g to the D e v e lo p e r, th e M id d le P a rcel w o u ld
lo o k lik e the n e ig h b o rh o o d . H e ask ed if the N e ig h b o rh o o d w o u ld like a n y ch an g es to th at P a rcel.
M s. G ube r added that the N eighbo r hood w a nte d the M iddle Pa rcel to be pla tted as a subdivision
w ith ro a d s a n d n o clu b h o u se .
M r. V atte ro tt said that h is co m p a n y h ad b e e n lo o k in g at A m e s fo r a lon g tim e an d w a s “read y to
m ov e;” they w ill be breaking grou nd in A ug ust. M r. V atterott ind icated that the D evelop er had
s ugge s t ed put t ing the c lubhous e on the M iddle Pa rcel be c a use it w ould be the leas t ob trus ive
there. H e ind icated that the d evelop m ent has to h ave a club ho use. T hey can pu t it r igh t no w at
the co r ner of W ilm oth and L inco ln W ay. M r. V attero t t n o ted that if he w ere a r esiden t in that
area, he w o u ld no t w an t it at th at lo catio n b eca u se it co u ld cau se a h u g e traffic p rob lem th ere. M s.
G uber a ske d if the clubho use could contain a torna do s he lter . M r . V a tterott indic ate d that the
D ev elo p er w o u ld b e w illin g to loo k at th at, b u t it w o u ld n o t b e larg e en o u g h to ac c o m m o d a te a ll
th e p o ten tia l resid e n ts o f th e dev elo p m e n t.
M r. Torresi no te d that the qu e stion w a s w he the r the deve lopm e nt could re tain more of the
h etero g e n e o u s c h a racteristics o f the c u rre n t n eig h b o rh o o d . M r. V atte ro tt n o ted th at th e M id d le
Pa r cel w ould contain 1 8 single -fa m ily lots. There is the potentia l for those to be owner-oc c upie d.
H e is not sure of the saleability o f owner-oc c upied housi ng be ing inte rs pe rsed with student
housing.
C ou ncil M em ber O razem sug gested that the M idd le Parcel be available for ow ner-occu pied as
a trad e -o ff fo r h ig h e r den sity elsew h ere . H e b elie v e s th a t th e re are w ay s to m ak e it w o rk fo r b o th
the D e ve loper and the N eighbo rhood.
M r. V a tterott s ta ted that the D eveloper is proposing 45 0 beds on the South Pa rcel, 162 beds on
the M idd le Parcel, and 4 32 b eds o n the N orth P arcel. A m ap o f the lots w ith F S R L zon ing w as
sh o w n w ith th at n u m b er of lo ts.
A ccording to M r. V atterott, the idea o f A spen H eigh ts is to loo k like a neigh bo rho od . T hey
w ould look a t m a xim iz ing the num be r of row ho uses on the site. H ow ever, the re nt for a cottage
is m ore prefe rable tha n that of a row house. The y could ta ke fe w e r cotta ge s, ra ther than row
ho uses. In F S R L , there w ou ld b e no fou r-bed roo m un its. M r. V atterott no ted that the D evelop er
w ill be breaking ground in Summ er 2014 or as soon as the Per m its m a y be ob ta ined.
M r. Ma d d en no ted th at th e Un iv e rs ity is a ls o co n c e rn ed a b o u t lig h t p o llu tio n aro u n d th e Ag
R e se a rch Station.
C ou ncil M em ber B etcher asked M r. M add en if IS U w ou ld b e w illing to accep t the finan cial
incentive s offer e d b y the D eveloper f or traf fic im provem ents, fe nc ing, etc ., in exchange for
less e ning the setback o n the South Par c e l. M r . M a dden ans w e red that he w as no t per sua de d on
b eh alf o f Iow a S tate th at th at w o u ld b e in th e U n iv ersity ’s b est in terest. M r. V attero tt ask ed M r.
M a dden if the U nive rsity w ould be advers e to dif fer e nt zoning even though FSRL w ould allow
A spen H eigh ts to b uild m ore bedroo m s closer to Iow a State U niversity’s prop erty. M r. M add en
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sa id th a t he h ad n o t heard an y in fo rm a tio n that w o u ld lea d h im to th ink th a t th e lo w e st den sity
w ould n ot be in the U nive rsity’s bes t intere st. H e indic a ted tha t it w a s un fortunate that the
property in q ue stion had been sold by the Sc hool D istr ict and w as now being propose d to b e
dev elop ed in such a m ann er. M r . M add en reiterated that the U niversity do es no t b elieve the ar ea
in q ue stion is the bes t loc a tion for student hous ing.
C ou ncil M em ber G oo dm an asked if the D evelop er w ou ld co nsider offering ow ner-occu pied
h o u sin g o n the so u th . M r. V atte ro tt ind ica ted th a t th e m a rk et in th is are a w o u ld n o t su p p o rt th at.
C ounc il M em ber B e tc he r a sked to know the m inim um nu m be r of be ds tha t w ould wor k for the
d ev elo p er. M r. V atte ro tt in d icated th a t th e D ev elo p er ca n an d is p rep are d to m o v e fo rw a rd w ith
the cu rrent zoning. Plann ing and H ou sing D irector K elly D iekm ann clarified that on ly o ne p arcel
had be e n re z oned; tw o R e z oning A pplications w e re pe nding. M r. D ie km ann sta te d tha t the
M idd le P arc e l had b e e n rez o n e d to R L .
A t the inquiry o f Council M e m ber O razem , M r . V a tterott said tha t the rents w ould probably range
b etween $4 0 0 an d $5 0 0 /b ed ro o m.
M e m be r G artin sha red his unders tanding of w ha t he had heard at this w orkshop. If the
N eigh bo r ho od w on ’t give, it w ill get a dev elop m ent that is no t aesthetically p leas ing . H e no ted
that if there w as s om e f lexibility in the la yout of the un its, it could p e rhaps be w orkable for the
N eighbo r hood . M s . G ube r c larifie d that it w as no t the configuration of the hous ing, it is the
number of beds - the number of people . The N eighbo r hood w ants to reta in it s neighbor hood
characteristics. C ou ncil M em ber G o o d m an p ointed o ut that w hat he h ad h eard w as that it w as
no t abo u t aesthetics for the N eigh bo rho od ; that w as no t on e of the N eigh bo r ho od ’s stated
p rio rities.
Sc ott R ena ud a ddres se d the Traf fic Study tha t had b e e n p e rf orm e d by FO X Engine e ring.
A ccording to M r. Rena ud, the Tra ffic Study w as done for a “middle -of-the -roa d” nu m ber of
units. W he re it is right no w is on the highes t e nd of all the units togethe r. The distinction of the
2 0 % w a s actu a lly F O X ’s attem p t to b e m o re co n se rv ativ e in th e T ra ffic S tu d y th a t if th e traffic
guideline s w er e used. From FO X ’s sta ndpo int, the Traffic Study w a s m uch more conse rvative
than requ ired b y the C ity. M r. R enau d p ointed o ut that the level of service redu ced b y o ne level
o f se rv ice at th e in tersectio n of M o rten sen an d S tate w a s n o t at th e th re s h o ld to req u ire traffic
im p rov em en ts.
N eigh b orho o d R e sid e nt M ike P etersen stated th a t th e N eig h b o rh oo d w o u ld fee l m o re co m fo rtab le
if the u nits had basem ents. M r . G oo dm an asked if there w as a po ssibility that the D evelop er
w o u ld integ ra te b a se m e n ts in to its p ro p o sa l. M r. V a ttero tt an sw e red , “N o t at th is po in t.”
N eighbo r hood Reside nt Rich Ketc ha m , A rbor Street, A m e s, asked w hy the de ve lope r w ould be
ag re e a b le to m o v e the c lu b h o u se fro m th e co rn e r o f W ilm o th /L in c o ln W a y to the M id d le P a rcel.
M r. V attero tt in d icated th at it w as felt th at lo catin g it o n th e M id d le P arcel w o u ld b e th e least
o b struc tiv e for th e N eigh b o rho o d reside n ts.
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A t th e inq u iry o f C o u n c il M em b e r G a rtin , D irecto r D iek m a n n ind ica ted th a t w h a t is cu rren tly
allo w ed w o u ld betw een 50 0 - 70 0 b ed s if th e zo n in g w as ap p rov ed p er th e p en d in g ap p licatio n s.
M r. V atte rott indicate d that the re appea rs to be a n as sum ption that the law suit w ill be w on by the
C ity; ho w ever, the D evel op er is no t of that op inio n . If the D evelop er w ins the law suit, they
w ould n ot be s ubdividing.
L eslie Pen sac k, 31 7 S ou th W ilm oth, A m es, po inted ou t that an issue that had no t been cov ered
w as tha t ultim a tely the C ity of A m e s (ta xpa ye rs of the C ity of A m e s) w ould be res ponsible for
the re sults of the decisions. She is c onc e rned, for exam ple, tha t if ther e is no t sufficie nt parking,
add ition al parking w ill hav e to b e con structed at the C ity’s (taxp ayers’) exp ense.
Daniel DeGeest, 4212 Phoenix Street, Ames, s aid that he w as a bic yc lis t a nd the parent of five
children. H e belie ve s that the c urre nt M iddle Sc hool had b e e n overlooke d in discus sions about
the propose d d e ve lopment. M r. D e G e e st po inted o ut tha t there ar e m ore tha n 1,000 c hildre n who
need to g et to the n ew M idd le Sch oo l safely ev ery d ay. M r. D eG eest asked to k no w w hat
com m itm ent there w as to the safety o f ped estrians and bicy clists. M ayo r Pro-T em G oo dm an
pointe d out that a ll thre e entitie s indicate d they were in agreem e nt re ga rding the bike path.
ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Corrieri to adjourn the meeting at 10:04 p.m.
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D ian e R . V o ss, C ity C lerk A n n H . C am p b ell, M ay o r