HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Packet of Communications to Council dated December 12, 2025
City Manager’s 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: December 12, 2025
Subject: Packet of Communications to Council
Listed below are the communications to the City Council known to staff as of December
12, 2025:
1. Historic Preservation Commission – December 4, 2025
RE: Municipal Code Chapter 31 Revisions
2. Leon Wuebker, Boone County Property Owner – December 12, 2025
RE: Request for Land Use Comprehensive Plan Amendment
3. Brenda S. Dryer, Ames Regional Economic Alliance Senior Vice President –
December 12, 2025
RE: Workforce Housing Subdivision – Ontario Street
MEMORANDUM
TO: Ames City Council
FROM: Historic Preservation Commission
SUBJECT: Chapter 31 Revision Support
DATE: December 4, 2025
The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) respectfully requests the City Council to authorize
the Planning and Housing Department staff to draft proposed revisions to Chapter 31 of the
Municipal Code relating to energy efficiency and window infill.
Energy Efficiency
As part of HPC’s 2025 Work Plan, we sought to review Chapter 31 and consider changes to
“allow exterior materials on historic structures that would meet the standards and be energy
efficient,” in accordance with Goal #3 of the Ames Comprehensive Historic Preservation Plan
(ACHPP). We created a subcommittee and identified potential revisions pertaining to energy
efficiency, outlined below.
Our proposed changes concern the explicit allowance of double-layer insulated glass (also
known as double-pane glass) for windows. While the code doesn't explicitly prohibit these items,
we believe the code should explicitly allow these items to eliminate any ambiguity. We propose
the following additions be made to Section 31.13(13):
● That double-layer insulated glazing is explicitly permitted in windows. An item (k) can
be added that reads as follows (or similar):
○ (k) Windows containing double-layer insulated glazing (also known as
double-pane glass) shall be permitted.
We note that the inclusion of "double-pane glass" in the suggestion above may create confusion
with the meaning of the word "pane," which is used throughout Section 31.14 to refer to the
glass in a window sash (see Section 31.14(1)(c)(vii) for a description of Colonial Revival
windows having a "multi-pane sash"). Because "multi-pane” and “double-pane” mean different
things, we want to provide clarity and consistency between the Design Guidelines and the
Design Criteria. We therefore propose the following changes:
● Revise the definition of “muntin bar” in Section 31.2(22) to be as follows (or similar):
○ Muntin Bar: a strip dividing a single window sash or casement into a grid system
of smaller panes of glass, called “lights” or “lites.”
● Add items (33) and (34) to Section 31.2 to provide definitions for “double-pane” and
“multi-pane” windows as follows (or similar):
○ (33) Double-Pane Windows: Windows containing two layers of glass, separated
by a space to reduce heat transfer and provide insulation (also known as
double-layer insulated glazing)
○ (34) Multi-Pane Windows: Windows wherein a sash or casement is divided by
muntin bars into multiple panes or “lights,” creating a grid system of smaller
panes of glass
● Revise the description for windows under the Queen Anne Design Criteria in Section
31.14(1)(b)(vii) to be as follows (revision italicized):
○ (vii) Windows Vertical emphasis. Double hung. Window sash with single
undivided pane. Trim 4" to 6".
Window Infill
One of the duties of the HPC is to review Certificates of Appropriateness (COAs) for new
construction, alteration, demolition, or relocation of contributing structures in the Old Town
Historic Preservation District. In the past year, we encountered a COA application for which
Chapter 31 provided inadequate direction. This COA concerned the removal and infill of a
window on a contributing structure, and we found that the code lacked any provisions to help
guide our decision.
It is for this reason that we are seeking Planning staff support to draft language pertaining to
window removal and infill. In our research, we found that the Iowa City Historic Preservation
Handbook provides guidelines for when a window is to be relocated or removed/infilled, and we
wish to establish similar language in the Ames Municipal Code.
It is possible that the revision could be a single line provision under “windows” in Section
31.13(13), but it is paramount that the infill of a removed window be consistent with the
architectural style, and we want to ensure that the language that is added is done thoughtfully
and thoroughly. The assistance we are requesting from staff may warrant a review of other
cities’ Historic Preservation code sections or discussions with their planning staff and HPCs to
understand how they handle such alterations.
With this in mind, we request that the City Council authorize adding the following to the Planning
and Housing Department’s work plan for 2026:
● Research Assistance: Review other cities’ historic preservation ordinances and
information available from the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (or other
preservation organizations) that pertain to window removal and infill.
● Draft Sample Provision(s): Research and propose sample language from these
resources to use in drafting revisions to Section 31.13(13)
In summary, we believe that revising provisions in Chapter 31 to include energy efficient
materials and to address window removal and infill will improve the regulatory efficiency of the
historic preservation ordinance and provide residents with more clarity with respect to alterations
to their historic structures. With the help of City Planning staff, we hope to complete this project
by the end of calendar year 2026.
Thank you for your consideration and support.