Dan DeGeest's Council Review

Hi Friends,

A fairly routine meeting this past week.  Please see below for comments on a few items.  Thanks for reading.

Dan DeGeest>>

The Ames City Council for March 7, 2017. The agenda included:

• 23. North River Valley Low Head Dam Improvements Project. (VIDEO)
  Way back in 2008, Ames began looking at how to improve the safety of the low head dam at North River Valley Park. Three options were presented since then, the favored one being more in-depth (and costly), with improved access and recreational features. Staff are finding, in applying for grants, that the City's $ match is a little low, and now they're recommending adding $150,000 from the General Fund and $150,000 from the Source Water Protection Program be committed to the project.
  
  This looks like a very promising project that will improve safety and turn a dangerous area with KEEP OUT signs into a natural area that encourages and welcomes people to recreate in the river.  Often the best option is the most expensive, this is true in our own daily purchases and not different for a large City entity.  I'm encouraged to see continued support for this project.
  
  Motion approving increased funding passed 6-0.
  
  

• 24. Request from London Underground for Firefly Country Night on September 8. (VIDEO)
  From last week's Preview: Event organizers are planning to schedule this event (the second of two planned Country Nights this summer) for the Friday evening of Cy-Hawk weekend, September 8th. Organizers have made several changes to the event, to mitigate the chance for any disturbances that might involve the Police Department. Such changes include ending alcohol service at 8 p.m., ending the event by 9 p.m., hiring security, and setting price points to attract "an older crowd", among other things.
  
  -City staff are still hesitant to recommend this event, given that the police are working mandatory overtime for the busy Cy-Hawk game weekend, and the organizers, while both past presidents of the Main Street Cultural District, are not acting under the official umbrella of the MSCD. (Though they do have MSCD's approval for the event.)
  
  There continues to be pushback on this event being held on Cy-Hawk weekend.  Additional concerns have been raised about the impact on Main Street businesses from the street closure and reduced parking.  There was a lengthy discussion between the Council and the event organizers but in the end the majority of City Council felt there were sufficient safety measures in place and that our Police force was ready to handle both events on that weekend.
  
  Motion approving the event but requiring reimbursement for lost parking revenue and a vending license (normally waived for Main Street events) passed 4-2 (Beatty-Hansen and Betcher NO).

• 28. Hearing on Voluntary Annexation of property located at 5508 Lincoln Way and 632 N. 500th Avenue (Trinitas). (VIDEO)
  A development company called Trinitas is hoping to develop an 800+ bed student housing development on the west edge of Ames.  This area is underserved in several ways, and such a development would require improvements to Lincoln Way, a shared use path into town, water main extensions, sanitary sewer, storm water improvements, and this area isn’t currently served by CyRide. We are being asked to approve annexation and approve a development agreement, which specifies the developer's responsibilities for the aforementioned services.
  
  I have been critical of various recent projects in Campustown such as new mixed-use hotel in the 2700 block and in the last review raising concerns about the last two-story block being torn down and consolidated for more 3+ story buildings.  However, I do believe the intensification makes sense there, we should try to house and provide services for students directly across the street from the ISU campus.  This makes total sense from an infrastructure, sustainability, and nearly every other metric you can measure.  This project proposed by Trinitas makes no sense at all.  An 850 bed student housing complex on the edge of town on land not even in the City limits that has no services, no CyRide,  or even adequate streets.  There is no bike path or sidewalks to get you to the nonexistent grocery stores and other services these residents will need.
  
  Motion approving the annexation with an approved development plan passed 4-2 (Beatty-Hansen and Betcher NO)
  
  

• 29. Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment to clarify Mixed-Use Parking Standards for Downtown and Campustown. (VIDEO)
  Staff are recommending adding the following language to parking standards for mixed-use developments in Downtown and Campustown: "mixed use development parking shall be determined as the sum of parking requirements of the individual use components". Staff assert that this language addition serves to correct an oversight in the ordinance, and that the city's intent has always been to measure parking requirements this way.
  
  Motion approving text amendment passed 6-0.

• 30. Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment relating to child care as a home occupation. (VIDEO)
  Two amendments are being proposed regarding home child care. First, to bring the city's definition of home child care providers into line with the state's definition, and second, to make smaller operations a matter of staff approval, rather than the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
  
  Motion approving text amendment passed 6-0.

•  Non-agenda packet: Only one letter in this week's non-agenda packet, from the South Squaw Valley Association, regarding hooking up that area to the city's sanitary sewer system. (VIDEO)