Bronwyn's Council Preview

The City Council meeting starts at 5 p.m. this Tuesday. (That's right, 5.) The agenda includes (but is not limited to):
 

• 40. Discussion with ASSET volunteers regarding 2019/20 ASSET Priorities.
  Council will be examining our ASSET priorities for the upcoming year, with some feedback from ASSET committee members. Current ASSET priorities are included in the staff report, and a few changes were suggested by ASSET volunteers. Some proposed changes included minor language adjustments, though one proposed change does reduce our priorities from 4 to 1 in the mental health/substance abuse category. Council will then decide if and how to modify the priorities before final approval.

• 43. Hearing on proposed Campustown Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID).
  Last meeting we got a report about CAA's recent undertaking to establish a SSMID. To recap, a SSMID is a geographic tax district requiring minimum 25% approval from involved properties. CAA reported an approval of over 40% of the property owners in the area to establish this district. The funding generated through this tax can be used for a number of things, including maintenance (snow removal), clean-up, and marketing of the district, among others.

• 44. Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment relating to a proposal to allow dry cleaning and laundry facilities to be located in Highway-Oriented Commercial Zone by Special Use Permit.
  Recently Council referred a request from a developer to consider dry cleaning as a use within HOC zoning. Staff are presenting an option by which a dry cleaner could apply for a special use permit through the Zoning Board of Adjustments, provided they don't use Perchloroethylene, a toxic air contaminant. 

• 45. Hearing on Major Amendment to 2014-18 Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan.
  This staff report incorporates the newly awarded HOME funds into our Consolidated Plan, a federally required plan. 

• 47. Staff Report regarding request for amendment to the Land Use Policy Plan and rezoning of 3125 and 3115 Grove Avenue.
  Council recently asked staff for a memo on a request to change two parcels in an otherwise high-density residential zone to Highway Oriented Commercial zoning. The properties are adjacent to lower density residential on the east. In the staff report, it is noted that there is available commercial space in the Northern Lights area, though a stand-alone building is the typical model for this particular business. (Sherwin-Williams)  
  
  
   

• 48. Staff Report regarding request for Urban Revitalization Area designation for 127, 121, and 115 Dotson Drive.
  The map below shows the area requesting urban revitalization. The applicant has partially met the criteria for the city's new URA policy, with two of the three buildings on the property being vacant, the third occupied by Indian Delights. Since the URA designation means tax abatement on the incremental value added by redevelopment, Council typically has some goal for public good in mind, in exchange for this tax abatement. In this case, Council will have to weigh the need for more commercial options on the west side of town, and see if establishing the URA is justified.
  
  

• 49. Staff Report regarding request of Paul and Margot Eness for a waiver of City policy to allow Boundary Line Adjustment within Suburban Residential Area of Ames Urban Fringe (east of Hyde Avenue).
  
  

• 51. Staff Report regarding Minimum Height and Floor Area Ratio Standards in the Downtown Service Center Zoning District.
  A developer has requested that we modify our minimum FAR (floor area ratio) in the downtown area, in order to build a one-story campus for their business. Simply put, the FAR encourages taller (minimum two-story) buildings in the Downtown area. (Note that the DSC zoning district encompasses more of Downtown than the historic area, which has its own requirements for redevelopment.) As Ames continues to grow, I would think we would want to discourage any reduction in density of buildings in the city's core areas, Downtown and Campustown. 

• 54. Staff Report regarding Special Event Parking.
  This proposal would raise (double) fees for parking violations on special event days (ie, Game Days) in areas near the stadium. If Council does consider this, staff is requesting a lot of time to warn visitors and residents about the potential increase, maybe even waiting until 2019 until implementation.. 

Thanks for reading,

Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
City Council At-Large