Dan DeGeest's Council Review

Hello friends,

The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.  After a day of reflection and several subsequent viewings of the Channel 12 recording, that is the only way I can think to accurately describe the August 9th, 2106, meeting of the Ames City Council.

The Good:

After a year of discussions and lots of work to create an official park naming policy, the resolution to name the Ames Skate Park in honor of Georgie Tsushima was finally in front of the City Council for a vote.  After impassioned speeches from friends and Georgie’s mother, there was hardly a dry eye in the room when it came time for the vote, and the resolution to adopt the “GEORGIE TSUSHIMA MEMORIAL SKATE PARK” under the category of Outstanding Individuals passed 5-0.

The Bad:

At a previous Council meeting we heard a report from the Planning Department that concluded they had capacity for one more medium sized project but at least three priority projects pending.  Council decided to push forward on the redevelopment of the 2700 block of Lincoln Way with a massive mixed-use apartment and hotel complex that requires a laundry list of Land Use Policy Plan, Zoning, Urban Revitalization Area, and other changes.  In short, created a huge pile of work for the Planning Department that precluded them from working on other City priorities.  Work that could have been avoided if the Council had taken no action and let the developer build their smaller project that conformed to the existing Campustown Service Center Zoning and URA criteria.  The developer would still have the option to expand the project later.  These requested changes filled up the remainder of the Council agenda.

Furthermore, this project site falls squarely in a focus area of the Lincoln Way Corridor study.  But apparently some Council members have determined that they already know the outcome of that study and it is fine to move forward on this project.  This is bad for a couple reasons.  First, they might be wrong and this project might be totally contradictory to the findings of the study.  The developer claims that the existing Campustown zoning and URA doesn’t work, so clearly they think this project site is different - will the study confirm this?.  Second, they might be right and study could produce recommendations that should be used to formulate the requested URA.  If they know the outcome it begs the question why they voted to spend money to study this area and not one of the other portions of Lincoln Way that were eliminated.

Finally, Councilman Orazem was delayed in attending the meeting.  When these items came up in the agenda, the developer, fearing they might not pass with only 5 council members present (and 4 votes needed), asked for the agenda to be reordered, putting the LUPP minor amendment vote at the end of the meeting when Orazem was expected to be present.  While probably legal (I am looking into it) I find it questionable and a bad precedent.  Perhaps they were really counting on a yes vote from Orazem who didn’t fail to disappoint when he finally showed up.

The Ugly:

Apparently in today’s political climate, fully on display on the National stage, there is no longer any need for decorum or respect.  When responding to a neighbor’s concerns, who sat patiently through the reordered agenda to accommodate him, Orazem dismissively stated, “I don’t get it – all this talk about trees and aesthetics and the nature of the neighborhood … this is not the most ideal neighborhood in Ames right now”.  You can hear other members snickering in the background.  He then went on, getting increasingly agitated and condescending, to explain why these mediocre buildings should be razed and that “I know sorta, ideally, what this property would be” and, therefore, it was not necessary to wait for the corridor study to complete.  Later when debating Urban Revitalization design criteria he got into a snit with fellow Councilwoman Betcher.  It was unprofessional, embarrassing, and derailed the conversation.  The URA is our tool to demand outcomes, not a gift and I’m sorry, but if you are not willing to respectfully debate design, aesthetics, landscaping, and so on, then you are not qualified to decide how to dole out multimillion dollar tax abatements for new development projects that will shape our City.

In the end, all of the 2700 block related items passed and another meeting attendee was moved to tears but for a much different reason.

Thanks for reading,

Dan DeGeest>>

The Ames City Council meeting for August 9, 2016.  The agenda included:
 

• 27. Request to rename the Ames Skate Park in memory of Georgie Tsushima.
  The original request to name this park was delayed while the Parks and Rec Commission drafted and adopted a park naming policy. Now that the policy has been adopted, and this request fits the criteria, the Parks and Rec Commission and staff recommend proceeding with the naming the skate park the “Georgie Tsushima Memorial Skate Park”.
  
  Items 29-31 all address the potential development of a mixed use commercial/residential/hotel property at the 2700 block of Lincoln Way. 
• 29. Resolution approving/motion denying Land Use Policy Plan (LUPP) Future Land Use Map Amendment for 2700 Block of Lincoln Way.
  Item 29 deals with the Land Use Policy Plan Future Land Use Map (LUPPFLUM). Currently, the site is designated as low density residential, the developer is requesting a change to a Downtown Service Center classification, which would allow mixed use with a higher residential density. The project being proposed would have between 400-500 apartment beds, 25-100 hotel rooms, and some commercial/retail on the ground floor. While some details have yet to be worked out, staff believe that what they know about the site would rate highly with the City's RH measuring tool, which looks at infrastructure capacity, transportation options, and other LUPP goals to determine if a site is appropriate for high-density residential zoning. The biggest consideration is how to integrate this project into the abutting residential neighborhoods. While no public input was received during the Planning and Zoning Commission's meeting, some residents have expressed concerns to Council regarding this integration, such as parking and density transitions. Planning and Zoning voted 4-1 to approve this LUPPFLUM change, and staff recommend it as well.
• 30. Staff Report on initiating creation of Urban Revitalization Area and Development Agreement for 2700 Block of Lincoln Way (River Caddis).
  Tax abatements are not just a tool to enable development that might happen otherwise, but rather a way for the City to get things above and beyond the standard. Staff and the developer have come up with a preliminary list of 6 criteria, ranging from requiring a certain percentage of commercial space to building design. Council is being asked for input on these and other criteria. Compared to the rest of the Campustown URA, this project is different in that it doesn't have the same parking structure, has less brick facade, has a few bedrooms without exterior windows, and is proposing a roof deck area. Staff will take Council input and return with a proposal before final approval.
• 31. Mixed-Use Development Standards in Campustown Service Center (CSC) Zoning District.
  In order to proceed with the project on the 2700 block of Lincoln Way, something in the current CSC will have to change. Any change Council makes to the CSC district for this project will apply to any future development within the whole CSC. Staff detail two changes that would allow this development to occur. First, allow residential use on the ground floor if it is located across the street from another residentially zoned area. Second, allow "short term lodging" on the ground floor with standard residential above. P&Z voted 5-0 to recommend these changes, and also to reduce the window requirement on residential facades to 30% (as opposed to the 50% required of commercial facades). 
  
   
• 32. Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment to allow clubhouses in the FS-RM Zoning District.
  Currently, "clubhouses" are only allowed in RH, PRD or Village zoning districts. This proposed change would also allow clubhouses under certain conditions in FS-RM zoning districts. Planning and Zoning voted 5-0 to approve the change, and staff support it as well.
• 33. Hearing on Major Site Development Plan for 5310 Mortensen Road.
  This site development plan is for an apartment complex that would sit on approximately 8.8 acres of land to the southwest of Mortensen Rd. (The entire Crane subdivision, of which it is a part, totals 28 acres.) The proposed development would have 15 buildings, with 180 units. Planning and Zoning recommended approval with several conditions regarding parking, landscaping, and the aforementioned zoning text amendment allowing clubhouses in medium density residential zones.
  
• 40. First passage of ordinance changing name of Grant Avenue to Hyde Avenue.
  In December of 2015, Council directed staff to begin the process of changing the name of Grant Avenue to Hyde Avenue. This is the resulting ordinance. (The County will also need to change its name in places where it falls under their bailiwick.)

Others can subscribe at
Follow Council News on
View council on line live at

Any corrections or additions to this email will be posted at the Council Preview Blog.