Park Naming and Stoplight at State & Mortensen
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Bronwyn's Council Preview |
Greetings! We recently added quite a few subscribers to this newsletter, so I wanted to start with a greeting and introduction. This Preview newsletter was started by former Council members Jim Popken and Matthew Goodman, and I continued Matthew's role as newsletter-writer when I inherited his At-Large seat 4 years ago. This preview is not a summary of all items on each Council agenda, but rather a few interesting or important highlights. We try to send out newsletters prior to each regular meeting, and sometimes may also send one for special meetings, such as our upcoming Goal Setting or Budget meetings. Thank you for your interest in staying informed on City issues, and please feel free to reach out with questions or feedback at any time!
The Ames City Council meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. this Tuesday at city hall. The agenda includes (but is not limited to):
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This intersection, like several roads in Ames, is shared property between Iowa State and the City. ISU is planning to install a permanent signal at this location in 2023. In the meantime, the City and ISU will share the cost of installing a temporary signal, because traffic volumes have outgrown the current four-way stop sign.
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In 2019, the School District transferred the site of the former Edwards Elementary building to the City for use as a park. The park has not yet been officially named, and a request has been submitted to name it Tahira and Labh Hira Park.
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The application for this naming points to the Tahira and Labh's exemplary record of service and impact in the community. The Hiras have also pledged $50,000 towards the development of the park, representing around 37% of the park's funding.
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Public input was gathered in several ways; at a meeting in November, through e-mails from neighborhood representatives, and at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting during which the naming was discussed. Most of the comments were in favor of the naming, though some residents expressed interest in keeping the name Edwards. After reviewing the application and feedback, Parks and Rec recommend this proposed naming to "Tahira and Labh Hira Park", as do City staff.
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20. Resolution approving Demolition Permit for 120 Lynn Avenue.
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The Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority house, built in 1930, currently houses 62 members. They are requesting a demolition permit in order to build a new house which would house 66 members. To approve the demolition, Council needs to determine if the request meets the following criteria from Section 29.110 (2)b:
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"The structure cannot be used for the original intended purpose and/or no alternative reasonable use can be identified and the property owner can show evidence that an economic hardship will be created if the structure cannot be removed."
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This proposed text amendment would clarify the language regarding stacked parking for single-family and two-family dwellings, and would allow it for the newly established Guest Lodging use.
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Non-Agenda Packet: The following items are requests and communications to the council that are not on the agenda. This includes staff reports and communications/request from constituents/developers. By tradition the council can ask city staff for more information (a report), put the item on a future agenda for discussion or just accept the communication (taking no further action). This usually takes place at the end of the meeting during council comments.
- Campustown 20 foot Midblock Utility Setback Text Amendment.
- Memo on Council Member Appointments to Boards.
Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
At-Large Council Member