Planning & Housing Work Plan Priorities
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Bronwyn's Council Preview |
Before you dive into this week's agenda, please feel free to complete the following survey about the future look of Welch Ave.
The City Council meeting starts at 6 p.m. this Tuesday. The agenda includes (but is not limited to):
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12. Resolution approving Professional Services Agreement with GBA Systems Integrators, LLC, of Lenexa, Kansas, to perform Ames Traffic Network Master Plan project in an amount not to exceed $100,000.
In this year's Capital Improvements Plan, $20k of road use tax, along with $80k of federal funding, is allocated to create a master plan for the Ames traffic network. This would eventually mean a system that could gather information and coordinate traffic citywide through sensors, signals, etc. -
26. First passage of ordinance pertaining to exceptions and hardships to Rental Concentration Cap.
It's baaaaaack... The difference between this ordinance and the one the mayor vetoed is that this version allows one roomer to make an owner-occupied house eligible to maintain it's rental permit only in one or two-bedroom houses. The prior version of this ordinance would have allowed an owner-occupier with one roomer to maintain an LOC (letter of compliance, aka "rental permit") in a house of any size. -
30. Motion directing staff to pursue deeding of a portion of the land located at 397 Wilder Avenue for use as a City Park if certain conditions are met (Sunset Ridge Subdivision).
While the current Park Master Plan doesn't call for a new park yet in West Ames, the Parks and Rec Commission was approached by the Sunset Ridge Property Owners' Association (POA) with a proposal for a park at 397 Wilder Ave., and agreed that it would be worth pursuing. The only other park nearby is south of Lincoln Way, with no safe crossing for children and other park users. Staff are recommending the land be deeded to the City for a park, rather than leasing the property from the POA.
Park at 397 Wilder Avenue:
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34. Presentation on International Existing Building Code.
This is the section of code regulating work done on existing buildings, which may include renovating historic buildings, increasing the height of a building, or changing a building's use (i.e. from a hair salon to a bar). The code has three main components, a prescriptive method, a work area method, and a performance method. The slide show linked above shows the staff report, with some examples from each category. -
35. Planning & Housing Department Work Plan Priorities.
Planning and Housing, as usual, has a lot going on. There are a number of projects underway, such as the Consolidated Plan, 321 State's affordable housing, discussions of a Campustown plaza, and the potential Ardent Group development in the new Downtown Gateway area, just to name a few. In addition, staff describe a few potential projects that may soon come before Council; first a village/suburban residential development between 240th St. and Hwy 30, west of South Dakota Ave., and second, a potential change to the development agreement at the site off of 13th St. where the new mall was proposed years ago. Staff estimate the time needed for each, and Council will be asked to prioritize these and other projects for the next half-year or so.
If you didn't see the link at the top, please check out the following survey about the redesign of Welch Avenue, and give your input.
Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
City Council At-Large
