HomeMy WebLinkAboutA021 - Discussion of Options and Conditions regarding Voluntary Annexation of Manatt's Laydown Area at S. 17th Street and Hwy 30 InterchangesITEM #:21
DEPT:P&H
October 27, 2026
Staff Report
REVIEW PROPOSED VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION CONDITIONS FOR THE MANATT'S
LAYDOWN AREA AT S. 17TH AND HWY 30 INTERCHANGE
BACKGROUND:
City Council received a memo from staff on August 21st in response to a letter from
representatives of Manatt's regarding potential annexation of approximately 50 acres of land at
1901 South Dayton Avenue. City Council asked to have the item put on a future agenda
for discussion of how to proceed with the request. The original Manatt's letter is attached.
The request was in response to Manatt's 2025 rezoning request to Story County to change
zoning for the subject site to allow permanent industrial use of a laydown area instead of its
use as a temporary use. The temporary use approval has expired by County standards
and Manatt's needed to either discontinue the use or receive a zone change to
Industrial to make the use permanent.
The City of Ames staff provided comments about the proposed rezoning to the Board of
Supervisors noting the site abutted the City and that joint planning of the area for annexation
was part of the County’s Comprehensive Plan when new development is proposed. The intent
originally for the City comments about the rezoning was to fulfill the vision for this area as a
gateway to the City and have the area developed with commercial uses rather than industrial.
As a result, the Supervisors deferred a final decision on the rezoning request until
Manatt's had approached the City about a timeline for being annexed to the City, either
immediately or at deferred date.
Staff has met with representatives of Manatt's a handful of times over the past year to discuss
annexation and their proposed use. Based upon recent experiences with deferred annexation,
staff urged Manatt's to look at it as an immediate request rather than a deferred request.
Manatt's indicated that their desire is to c ontinue with industrial use on the site
indefinitely and they have no plans for commercial. Manatt's finds the laydown area
beneficial to their operations in relation to the Hallett's quarry to the east, which has
many years of permitted use remaining.
The quarry is also in the County. Long term, Story County and the City envision that the quarry
area could become public open space administered by Story County Conservation when the
mining operations ceases. Hallett's Quarry east of this site is approved for extraction through
2035 by Story County.
1
The purpose of annexation for Manatt's is to ensure that the current laydown use would
be approved since they do not know if the County would approve the use indefinitely if
there is no plan for annexation.
If no agreement regarding annexation is reached with the City, staff does not know how the
Supervisors would proceed regarding their rezoning request to the County. If the County
approves the rezoning the use would be administered consistent with County requirements. If
the rezoning is denied, Manatt's would have to cease the laydown operations and conform to
current County zoning for the site of Commercial/Light Industrial.
The majority of the subject site is within the Ames Plan 2040 General Commercial (GC)
designation with some area represented as Natural Area, reflecting the flood plain and
vegetation that exists on the westside of the site. The GC designation reflects the City's ability
to serve the site with urban services, water and sanitary sewer are adjacent to the site.
However, the GC designation is not intended for industrial uses.
If the Council intends to support a permanent use of the site upon annexation as
industrial, the Plan 2040 designation would need to be modified to Employment with a
concurrent rezoning to General Industrial. If the use is not intended to be permanent, other
zoning options consistent with Plan 2040 can be considered.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Staff is aware that the property owner of the former Cyclone Truck Stop, Dave Jensen, has
expressed concerns to the Board of Supervisors and to staff about perpetuating an industrial
use adjacent to his land, which he desires to develop with commercial uses. Mr. Jensen has
indicated that supporting industrial use in this area would make commercial uses
unlikely and that he would also want to consider industrial use options.
OPTIONS:
Option 1: Remain in the County
Take no action on the landowner ’s request to initiate an annexation. If the City has no interest
in the request the applicant can then proceed with their rezoning request to Story County.
Option 2: Proceed with Developing a Pre-annexation Agreement
Direct staff to evaluate options and consult with Manatt's regarding conditions related to
annexation that may be beneficial to the City and the continued use of the property as laydown
area. An agreement could include conditions related to:
Use restrictions/zoning limitations
Site enhancements for landscaping buffering
Sunset date to discontinue the use
Minimum taxable valuation or payment in lieu of taxes comparable to City industrial
use/commercial use valuations
Other operational controls or requirements
2
Staff would then provide a report to Council to then determine whether to initiate an
annexation with or without any specific conditions for a pre-annexation agreement based upon
Manatt's willingness to enter into a pre-annexation agreement with specific terms.
Note that Manatt's has met with staff and indicated that they do not desire to limit the duration
of the use.
Option 3: Proceed with an Annexation Request with no Conditions
City Council would direct Manatt's to file and annexation application with no specific
requirements for a pre-annexation agreement.
STAFF COMMENTS:
Story County's initial approval of the use to support local road projects was considered
temporary. The use has reached the end of its temporary approval status with the County,
which is the reason for Manatt's request.
The site is partially in the flood plain with a limited area of approximately 10 acres used for the
laydown yard. The laydown yard is used for storage of materials and for temporary batch plant
operations. No permanent building improvements are planned for the site that would add
taxable value. The site includes county level buffering with a wall and minor landscaping,
compared to City standards for front yard setbacks with landscaping and buffering.
The City has long held an interest in improving the image of the community at this southeast
gateway to the City. Development north of the Hwy 30 has fulfilled this vision over the past 15
years. Development opportunities to the south have been more limited and the former Cyclone
Truck stop site that is vacant has not been commercially redeveloped. The overall area to the
south of HWY 30 has reasonably good visibility and regional access, but does not currently
have momentum to transition to commercial development with the surrounding quarry,
laydown yard, and vehicle storage/repair facility.
Ultimately, if Council agrees to annexation with no limits on future use the area would
likely need a comprehensive plan amendment to industrial/employment to acknowledge
the use pattern of the area. The owner of the former truck stop property has previously urged
that the Manatt's site revert to open space and not a laydown yard to help market the site for
commercial. They recently indicated that if Manatt's continues with industrial use they feel that
industrial zoning would be the best use for their site as well.
The site has unique considerations for the City. The site abuts the City and can reasonably be
served by City waster and utilities and the site is already served by a City roadways of Dayton
and S 17th. Development of the site consistent with urban standards is feasible. However, the
applicant desires to continue to operate an industrial use as a laydown facility for construction
and extraction activities that can occur in a county or a city due to limited resources needs.
Despite the desired use by Manatt's, annexation of the land could still be in the City's interest
for long term planning of the area. At this time staff believes that Option 2 is worth
3
investigating over the next few months to determined what is in the best interest of the
City. With Option 2, City Council would need to provide direction on any issues they
want to prioritize in an agreement with Manatt's.
ATTACHMENT(S):
1901 S 17th Location Map.pdf
Manatt's - 1901 S Dayton Annexation Request.pdf
4
Location Map
Manatts
Laydown
Area
5
1
Hall, Renee
To:Hall, Renee
Subject:FW: Non-agenda Communication - FW: Annexation of 1901 South Dayton Avenue
From: Joel Mills <joelm@manatts.com>
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2026 1:46 PM
To: Diekmann, Kelly <kelly.diekmann@cityofames.org>
Cc: Chris Sawin <chriss@manatts.com>; Mona Bond <monabond51@gmail.com>
Subject: Annexation of 1901 South Dayton Avenue
[External Email]
Mr. Kelly Diekmann,
Please accept this email and provide it to Ames City Council for their review of our annexation proposal.
Manatts has operated a laydown yard at 1901 South Dayton Avenue for approximately the past decade.
We respectfully request that the Ames City Council approve the annexation of this property, currently
located in Story County, into the City of Ames and designate it as industrial zoning.
This site enables Manatts to efficiently deploy portable asphalt and/or concrete production equipment.
The use of portable equipment at this location allows us to take full advantage of nearby natural
resources, including the Manatts-owned quarry to the east, which is operated by Hallett Materials.
Utilizing this yard for portable equipment reduces the need to transport materials over long distances,
improving efficiency and helping control costs.
We recognize that this annexation request represents a departure from the Ames Plan 2040. However, it
is important to note that the 1901 South Dayton Avenue site is identified in the Ames Plan 2040 “Existing
Land Use, 2019” map as industrial. We believe it is appropriate to reconsider the future land use
designation for areas south of Highway 30, given the long-standing industrial activity and available
natural resources in this corridor.
Currently, the Ames Future Land Use Map designates this property and surrounding areas as general
commercial and notes the adjacent quarry to the southeast. We respectfully request that this
designation be reevaluated by Ames City Council. Considering the quarry has and anticipated lifespan of
another 50+ years and the area’s consistent industrial use, it would be more appropriate to maintain
general commercial development north of Highway 30.
The 1901 South Dayton Avenue site allows Manatts to meet local infrastructure needs by utilizing locally
sourced materials, significantly reducing costs compared to transporting rock, concrete, or asphalt from
more distant locations. Manatts does not intend to construct permanent vertical structures at this site.
Instead, operations will continue using portable equipment, with stockpiles of recycled asphalt,
aggregate, and sand maintained year-round to support rapid production without delays associated with
material delivery.
6
2
Manatts has worked closely with Story County Conservation regarding the western portion of the
property. The existing timbered area will be preserved and designated within the Greenbelt District,
ensuring it remains undeveloped. The current yard size is sufficient for operational needs, and there are
no plans for yard expansion. Additionally, Manatts has collaborated with Story County Conservation to
select appropriate shrub species for planting along the north and east sides of the existing block wall to
enhance visual screening.
It is also important to note that this request is solely for annexation and does not include a request for
municipal utility extensions such as sanitary sewer, storm sewer, or water service. As such, the City of
Ames would not incur costs to expand infrastructure to serve this property. The Ames Plan 2040 states
that “annexation of other areas may be justified due to readily available infrastructure.” We believe the
improvements made to the 1901 South Dayton Avenue site over the past decade position both Manatts
and the City of Ames to continue a strong partnership, enabling the efficient deployment of portable
equipment and supporting cost-effective paving projects.
Thank you for your consideration.
Joel Mills
Environmental Manager
641.501.1399 cell
641.522.9206 ext. 1239
manatts.com
7