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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Packet of Communications to Council September 4, 2026 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: Renee Hall, City Clerk Date: September 4, 2026 Subject: Packet of Communications to Council Listed below are the communications to the City Council known to staff as of September 4, 2026: 1. Janet S. Padgitt, Ames Resident – August 20, 2026 RE: Flooding on Stone Brooke Road weekend of July 4, 2026 2. Jason Dietenbach, Architect/Planner for Avec Design – August 28, 2026 RE: Request to amend the Municipal Sign code regarding the size of religious institutional signage in residential districts 3. Travis Small, Real Estate Development Manager – September 1, 2026 RE: Request to amend Special Use Permit to extend 24 months due to road construction extending Kwik Trips development timeline 4. Justin Clausen, PE, Director of Public Works – September 8, 2026 RE: Memo on City of Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan 5. Justin Clausen, PE, Director of Public Works – September 8, 2026 RE: Memo on Request for Additional On-Street Accessible Parking at the Ames Public Library avecdesignbuild.com 131 Main Street, Ames, IA 50010 515.233.4641 August 28, 2026 Mayor Haila and City Council City of Ames PO Box 811 515 Clark Avenue Ames, IA 50010 MayorCouncil@cityofames.org RE: Lutheran Church of Hope – Building Signage Dear mayor and city council, I am writing to request a text amendment to the Municipal Sign Code (Sec. 21.121) regarding allowable signage for religious institutions located in residential zones. This request is promoted by the construction of the new Lutheran Church of Hope facility at 5119 Lincoln Way. Currently, Sec. 21.121 limits religious institutional signage in residential districts to a maximum of 16 square feet. While this threshold may suit smaller, neighborhood-scale religious institutions, it does not seem appropriate for larger properties fronting major commercial corridors. Several unique site conditions support an amendment to allow proportionally scaled signage for this location: • Building Scale: A major 27,500 square foot facility. • Property Size: A 22.22-acre parcel with extensive frontage along Lincoln Way. • Traffic Speeds: Lincoln Way carries traffic moving at 50 MPH, requiring larger visual elements for safe readability and visibility. • Building Setback: The primary structure sits 220 feet back from the roadway, drastically reducing the legibility of a standard 16 sq. ft. sign. I request to have staff amend the code to allow for a larger amount of signage for this condition. For reference, this rending reflects a 5' x 13'-4" building signage (66.65 SF). Respectfully, Jason Dietzenbach, AIA Architect/Partner Avec Design September 1st, 2026 City of Ames, IA 515 Clark Avenue Ames, IA 50010 RE: Text Amendment Request - Signage - Special Use - Computerized/Digital Scrolling - A portion of 3220 Cameron School Road and George Washington Carver Ave. Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council, We respectfully submit this letter requesting revisions and amendments to Special Use Permit Section 29.1503, Subsection 6, and the Convenience General Services (CGS) Zone Development Standards related to signage in Section 12. Specifically, we ask that the City and Council consider modifying the standards to allow for the requested revisions. Special Use Permit Section 29.1503 (6) Lapse of Approval. All Special Use Permits shall lapse 12 months after the date of issuance unless the use is undertaken, or a building permit has been issued and actual construction started. Where unusual circumstances may prevent compliance with this time requirement, the Zoning Board of Adjustment may, upon written request by the affected permittee, extend the time for required start of construction an additional 60 days. Excavation shall not be considered construction for the purpose of enforcing this Section. Kwik Trip request that all Special Use Permits shall lapse 24 months after the date of issuance. The anticipated construction and completion of the roundabout at George Washington Carver Avenue and Cameron School Road will extend the project's development timeline, necessitating additional time beyond the standard permit period. (12) Signage (d) Number (i) The number of wall-mounted signs shall not exceed two (2) signs per tenant space, including lettering on awnings. Kwik Trip requests that this be increased to three wall signs, as its site has frontage on three public streets. In no case shall the three signs comprise a combined total of more than 86 square feet. (CGS would currently allow signage of 86 sq.ft., but only on two signs, one of which must front on an arterial street to gain the additional square footage). A wall sign facing a local road may be no larger than 16 square feet. (On the Kwik Trip site, this would mean the wall sign facing south; such verbiage would prevent another CGS-zoned site in the future from installing a large sign along a local classification street, which is more likely to have residential uses.) (ii) Only one monument sign is permitted for each principal building on a lot. A monument sign is not permitted on a lot that is not the site of a principal building. Kwik Trip requests that sites with frontage on two or more arterial or major collector streets be permitted two monument signs per site. Such signs shall only be permitted to front on the arterial/major collector street frontages. Only one monument sign shall be permitted on each arterial/major collector frontage, and the monument signs on site shall be separated by a minimum of 150’. (iii) The cumulative area of all incidental signs shall not exceed 32 square feet per building for wall signs and shall not exceed eight square feet per site for ground signs, except that incidental signage on the rear façade of a building that does not face a public right-of-way shall not be included in the maximum incidental sign area. Kwik Trip requests the cumulative area of all incidental signs shall not exceed 30 square feet per site for ground signs, since parking duration/no parking signs are included in this group. The parking signs are critical to prevent the store from becoming a park-and-ride lot and keep people from parking for long periods, such as on football weekends (we’ve faced the issue of people attempting to camp at stores). For the same reasons, Kwik Trip is installing several parking signs at Stores #1768 (S. 16th and S. Grand) and #1770 (South Dakota and Mortensen). (e) Height restrictions. The maximum permissible height for a monument sign is eight feet, including the sign base; that is, the top of a monument sign shall be no more than eight feet above the grade of the site on which it is erected. However, the height of a monument sign, including the base, may be up to twelve feet if the sign is erected on a lot that abuts on an arterial street. Kwik Trip requests that the two monument signs are allowed to be: • 12’ tall/64 square feet • 8’ tall/32 square feet These dimensions are similar to current CGS code standards in terms of sign height/sign area. (i) Computerized/digital scrolling signs are only permitted if the lot on which it is located abuts an arterial street, and the computerized/digital scrolling sign faces the arterial street. Kwik Trip proposes that an Electronic Message Sign/EMC be permitted in CGS, subject to reasonable lighting standards. The EMC Kwik Trip proposes for use is programmed by the manufacturer to operate at 8,000 nits during the day and, when displaying all-white content, measure 320 nits (four percent brightness) at night, meaning most content would measure less than 320 nits. The EMC is equipped with a photosensor to adjust brightness in relation to ambient light. No changes are requested to Sec. 21.131. ELECTRONIC MESSAGE SIGNS. The EMC Kwik Trip proposes would comply with the current standards of 21.131. Allowing these amendments would enable Kwik Trip to implement signage that is consistent with our standard sign package implemented at stores across the Upper Midwest. Consistent signage helps customers easily identify a Kwik Trip/Kwik Star store, enhances wayfinding on site, and reinforces the strong brand recognition that Kwik Trip has established within the communities we serve. While often recognized as a convenience store, Kwik Trip also serves as a neighborhood destination for groceries, fresh food, and much more. Please consider these amendments to better accommodate development and retail signage while preserving the character and appearance of the community. Thank you for your time and consideration of this request. We appreciate the City’s continued efforts to ensure that local regulations remain practical, forward-looking, and supportive of economic development. We welcome the opportunity to discuss this proposal further or provide additional information if helpful. Sincerely, Travis Small Real Estate Development Manager MEMO Public Works 515.239.5279 main 515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811 Administration 515.239.5404 fax Ames, IA 50010 www.CityofAmes.org To: Mayor and Ames City Council From: Justin Clausen, PE, Public Works Director Date: September 8, 2026 Subject: City of Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan BACKGROUND: At the May 26, 2026 City Council meeting, the Council referred to staff a request from a resident, Lisa Kuehl, for formal adoption of the City of Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan. This plan was initially submitted to the Ames City Council in the non-agenda packet on May 23, 2023. The Council received the plan and took no additional action at that meeting. SUMMARY OF THE PLAN: The City of Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan was developed in conjunction with a City of Ames partnership with Prairie Rivers of Iowa. A task force comprising City of Ames staff, community members, and Prairie Rivers of Iowa staff assisted in establishing the priorities of the plan. The plan identifies 4 main goals: 1. Create and enhance habitats that support native pollinator diversity 2. Continuously monitor pollinator abundance within the City of Ames and urban fringe area over the next 10 years. 3. Provide a healthier environment for pollinators 4. Deliver marketing to amplify awareness of the Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan Under each of these goals, there are strategies and actions identified to support the goals. Many of these actions involve the use of city staff time and/or resources in order to continually support the actions and ultimately the goals of the plan. The plan includes volunteer committees that composed of community members. Public Works Engineering staff currently sit on those committees in an advisory capacity and work to advance the goals of the plan throughout the community on private and city-owned property. Additionally, the City currently provides approximately $40,000 annually to Prairie Rivers of Iowa to facilitate implementation of the Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan. This work focuses on coordination, communication, and guidance to align community efforts with the goals of the plan. Funding for this work is provided through the Storm Water Utility Fund. MEMO Public Works 515.239.5279 main 515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811 Administration 515.239.5404 fax Ames, IA 50010 www.CityofAmes.org STAFF COMMENTS The City of Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan includes a number of action items that would require policy decisions regarding the expansion and prioritization of pollinator habitat on both City-owned and private property. Should the City Council desire to formally adopt the City of Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan, there are action steps that would require the city to commit to expansion of pollinator habitats, education, promotion, and increased partnerships with private property owners. Staff believes implementation of these action items would require additional staff time and financial resources beyond those currently committed to the program. Even without formal adoption, City staff continues to identify opportunities to expand pollinator habitat when those opportunities align with projects in the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) or can be incorporated into routine maintenance activities. Staff believes this approach continues to advance the goals of the plan while balancing those goals with other infrastructure needs and available resources. Recent severe weather and flooding events have also created additional demands on staff resources and the Storm Water Utility Fund. As future budgets are developed, staff believes these recent stormwater infrastructure needs should be considered when determining the appropriate level of ongoing funding for implementation and facilitation of the Pollinator- Friendly Community Plan The FY 2026/27 operating budget includes approximately $40,000 for continued facilitation of the plan. Should the City Council decide to formally adopt the plan, staff would evaluate the additional staff and financial resources necessary to support implementation of the identified action items and incorporate those needs into the FY 2027/28 budget process for consideration. Alternatively, if the City Council takes no action to formally adopt the plan, funding for facilitation of the plan would not be included in the subsequent fiscal year operating budgets. The approximately $40,000 currently dedicated to facilitation would instead be available for other Storm Water Utility priorities, including needs identified as a result of recent flooding events throughout the community. City staff would continue to participate in the various planning and advisory committees and identify opportunities to advance the goals of the plan through Capital Improvements Plan projects and routine maintenance activities when appropriate. However, without continued City funding for facilitation, ongoing coordination and advancement of the plan would transition to a volunteer- and community-led effort. MEMO To: Mayor and City Council From: Justin Clausen, PE, Director of Public Works Date: September 8, 2026 Subject: Request for Additional On-Street Accessible Parking at the Ames Public Library BACKGROUND: At the August 13, 2026 City Council meeting, the Council referred to staff a request from a resident, Kathy Bever, regarding a request for additional accessible parking spaces at the Ames Public Library. The resident indicated that there is only one (1) accessible stall at the Library. REVIEW OF PARKING SYSTEM: The United States Access Board’s Proposed Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way (PROWAG) are commonly used as the national reference for accessible on-street parking. PROWAG establishes minimum quantities for accessible on-street parking where parking is marked or metered. Under PROWAG guidance, accessible parking is generally evaluated by block perimeter and is typically provided at a rate of four percent (4%) of marked or metered on-street parking spaces in areas with more than 200 parking stalls. Overall, accessible stalls represent approximately 4.7% of the marked or metered on-street parking inventory in the downtown area, which provides additional context regarding the availability of accessible parking downtown. While only a limited number of these stalls are located immediately adjacent to the Library entrance, there are 11 designated accessible parking stalls within the immediate vicinity of the Library, including both on-street spaces and spaces in public parking lots. Image of block around the Ames Public Library Yellow stars indicate on-street and lot located accessible parking stalls STAFF COMMENTS: On-street parking within the downtown area meets the guidelines as set out by PROWAG. More specifically, when looking at the Ames Public Library and the adjacent parking lots, there are 11 accessible stalls in close vicinity. Staff acknowledges that accessible parking stalls can be high in demand, especially when located directly near the front entrance to an amenity, such as the Ames Public Library. There are times where accessible parking stalls are occupied by other patrons and the users may need to utilize an accessible stall that is farther from their preferred entrance. Based on the number and distribution of existing accessible stalls, staff does not believe that the overall supply of accessible parking in the vicinity of the Ames Public Library is deficient. Should the City Council want to provide additional accessible parking, it could direct staff to add stalls at the locations identified by Council. Additional accessible stalls would likely replace existing metered spaces, resulting in a modest reduction in parking fund revenue used to support maintenance of the downtown parking system. Alternatively, the Council could consider allowing free parking for a predetermined amount of time at a parking meter if an accessible placard is displayed. This option was considered by the City Council at the August 25, 2026 meeting and no action was taken at that meeting.