HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes 2-08-2017MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF
THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
AMES, IOWA FEBRUARY 8, 2017
The Ames Zoning Board of Adjustment met, pursuant to law, in regular session at 6 :00 p.m. on
February 8, 2017, in Conference Room 135 of City Hall with the following members present:
Shelby Ebel, Kyle Perkins, Matthew Koehler, Susan Bradbury, and Amelia Schoeneman.
Assistant City Attorney Mark Lambert and City Planner Julie Gould were also present.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Moved by Perkins, seconded by Koehler, to approve the minutes
of the meeting of December 14, 2016.
Vote on Motion: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
CASE NO. 17-01
SPECIAL HOME OCCUPATION – Michelle DeMarie, 4933 Utah Drive
Public Hearing on application for a Special Home Occupation Permit to allow a home
massage therapy business on the property located at 4933 Utah Drive
City Planner Julie Gould explained that the application submitted by Michelle DeMarie requests
the approval of a Special Home Occupation Permit to allow a professional massage therapy
business, Healing with Heart Massage Therapy, LLC, to operate in the home located at 4933
Utah Drive. The home is a one-story house with a basement. One of the existing bedrooms of the
residence will be used for the home occupation, and no modifications to the home are being
proposed for use by the business. The home has an attached two-car garage and at least a
double-width driveway. It is anticipated that clients to the business who arrive by car will park in
the applicant’s driveway in front of the residence. The application states that no more than four
clients will visit the home per day, and there should not be more than one client at the home at
any given time. The proposed hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
According to Ms. Gould, the applicant has stated that they will be the only employee, no classes
will be offered, no deliveries associated with the home occupation are expected, no sign is
proposed for the property, and no other home occupations will be located at 4933 Utah Drive.
The applicant is expecting four clients per day, which is well under the limit stated in the
Municipal Code. On-street parking will be available in front of the residence on Utah Drive,
however the applicant has a driveway that is of adequate size to serve clients.
The proposed massage therapy business will occupy approximately 144 square feet of the 1,905
square foot home, which is approximately 8% of the total floor area of the residence. The
maximum allowed is 25 % of the total floor area of the residence.
The site plan, project description, applicable law, and Findings of Fact and Conclusions were
reviewed in detail by Ms. Gould. She stated that based upon the Findings of Fact and
Conclusions, it is the recommendation of the Department of Planning and Housing that the
Zoning Board of Adjustment approve the request for a Special Home Occupation Permit to allow
the applicant to proceed with a massage therapy business at 4933 Utah Drive subject to the home
occupation being operated as described.
Ms. Gould made a correction to the staff report. She said that McCarthy should not have been
included in the sentence that read “On-street parking is allowed on McCarthy and available in
front of the residence on Utah Drive, however the applicant has a driveway that is of adequate
size to serve clients.”
It was said that a few surrounding residents had asked questions about the business, however
there were no oppositions. A letter of support was also sent in.
Michelle DeMarie, 4933 Utah Drive, Ames, Iowa, was sworn in and testified under oath. Ms.
DeMarie described her business as being geriatric massage therapy, which she mostly practices
in retirement homes or at her clients’ residence. She said because of that, she plans to operate as
little as possible from home. Ms. DeMarie said that she plans on having a simple and quiet
practice with very low traffic. The hours of operation would be Monday through Friday from
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., when most of her neighbors are at work. She purposely does not want a
sign at her residence because she does not want the public to know of her home business; notice
of the business would be through word of mouth.
Moved by Bradbury, seconded by Koehler, to approve ORDER NO. 17-01, thereby approving
the request for a Special Home Occupation Permit to allow a home massage therapy business on
the property located at 4933 Utah Drive.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
COMMENTS: There were no comments by the Board.
ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Perkins, seconded by Ebel, to adjourn the meeting at 6:10 p.m.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Heidi Petersen, Recording Secretary Shelby Ebel, Chair