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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-10-16 Bd Comm minutes r=r ~IowaCity ~Public Library BOARD OF TRUSTEES Minutes of the Regular Meeting August 23, 2007 FINAL APPROVED Members Present: Linzee McCray, Thomas Dean, Michael Cohen, John Kenyon, William Korf, Thomas Martin, Mary New, Meredith Rich-Chappell, Leon Spies Members Absent: staff Present: Susan Craig, Debb Green, Elyse Miller, Heidi Lauritzen, Kara Logsden, Patty MccCarthy, Hal Penick Call Meeting to Order. McCray called the meeting to order at 5:06 pm. Public Discussion. None. Approval of Minutes. The Minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 26, 2007 were reviewed. A motion to approve the minutes was made by New, seconded by Kort. Motion passed 9/0. Unfinished Business. None. New Business. Board Photograph. A formal photograph of the Board of Trustees was taken at 5:00 pm. Annual Report. McCray said that the annual report was slick and thought there were fun photos of staff. Craig explained that departmental photos are taken every two years. Spies wondered if the annual report was available online. He also asked about whether there was a healthy market for work in public libraries, especially considering the number of boomer age staff. Craig said that she has heard that current library science grads say there are no decent jobs. Also, there has been concern in the profession about replacing all the librarians due to retire in the next ten years, but, when there's a budget crunch, such as in Cedar Rapids, hiring is frozen or reduced. Craig thinks library science is a more interesting field now and believes there are many good young people getting interested in library school. All three of our Children's interns have gotten great jobs after working here. It's a great resume builder. Foundation Strategic Planning and Gift Support. Craig, McCarthy, Les Garner, President of Cornell College and Past-President of the Cedar Rapids Symphony Board, and Don Thompson (who is also a member of the Symphony Board) met to exchange information and ideas as the Friends Foundation prepares to work on its first strategic plan. Craig said through discussion it became clear that setting specific goals for the Friends Foundation to meet would connect the community to their contributions in a tangible way. The Friends Foundation is planning to meet in December for a day-long strategic planning session. A committee will be established at the September Friends Foundation meeting which will be responsible for pre-planning before the December session. Craig stated that this is an opportunity for the Board, as the corporate members of the Friends Foundation, to envision what it will need from the Foundation over the next five years. Craig said that gift money would be a way to support the growth of current Library initiatives that the Foundation supports. Craig suggested projects in the memo included in the packet that she believes would appeal to donors and patrons alike. She does not see that public money will be available to support these programs at the levels needed. New thinks that all of the identified projects are worthwhile but is concerned about using private money to pay for salaries. Craig said these funds would be used the year after money is raised. There would be an understanding up front with staff paid by these funds that this is soft money. She hopes a minimum of a three year commitment could be made. Craig would like money that is given to the collection to grow at an inflationary rate (between 3-5%). Cohen asked about current Foundation annual gift to support for the collection. Craig said it was approximately $77,000 and would like to grow this amount over time to $200,000 and expand the support beyond just the collection. Primary support from the Friends Foundation comes from The Book End, the Annual Fund, and investments. Kenyon wondered if this was a good time to look at a wish list over and above the amount typically raised in a year by the Friends Foundation. McCarthy believes that it is. Kenyon asked if it would be possible to offer a title sponsorship to these programs for a substantial gift. Martin said that it would be helpful for the Friends Foundation to have specific projects on which to focus. Kenyon thought that specific goals would help. Cohen added that including some staffing support tied to a specific project helps when fundraising. A motion was made by Spies and seconded by Martin outlining specific initiatives to raise the Annual Fund gift from the Friends Foundation to the Library. Motion passed 9/0. staff Reports Departmental Reports: Children Services, Systems, Technical Services. TumbleBooks has been moved to the front of the Kids webpage. Kudos to the Children's Department from McCray for all of the great summer programs. Green said that it was definitely quiet on Monday, the first day of school. A wrap up meeting about the Library Bus has been scheduled for September 5 with Transit. The two East side routes brought in 40-50 people per day. The west side route was not as popular. Update on Rental Space. Craig reported that things are moving along and documents are being prepared for bidding for the UIHC basement space. The bidding process is expected to open on September 12. The Library's commitment to pay for the necessary HV AC work will be included in the bid so that there will be one contractor doing all of the work on the space. Happily, a duct was discovered that we didn't know was there. This find will decrease the cost to the Library for this HV AC work. Eric Goers, City Attorney, and Kumi Morris, City Architectural Services, have been very helpful in this process. Our new Eaudio service is in place. Staff are pleased with it so far. It is hoped that we will have more users now that it is easier to use. Live Homework Help is also up and running. The Library created book jackets and distributed them to junior and senior high schools before school started. Coralville and North Liberty also participated in the book jacket initiative. Tuesday night there was a serious incident on City Plaza. A fight began at the playground area; eventually five police cars and an ambulance were on location. Young teenage girls were fighting pretty seriously. One girl came into the library, grabbed a pencil (looking for a weapon). It was a very disturbing incident. The Police blotter noted that a couple of the girls were pepper sprayed and some got arrested. New asked if the security cameras were working. Craig said that they are operational and that Craig, Penick, and Miller have been trained to use the system. Development Office. All of the Development Office (DO) budget is has been entered in QuickBooks. Katie Nolte, the new Development Office Assistant started and is doing well. McCarthy appreciated Iowa State Bank's willingness to collect books for the Book End, which has been generating approximately $500 per week in sales. Martin wondered if it was more difficult to maintain inventory since the move to the Library. McCarthy said it was and that the Book End is always glad to receive books. She also stated that The Book End has been trying to keep library discards out of the store so that these books can be used at future book sales. ILA Conference 10/10-12/07 in Coralville. Craig reminded Board members that they are members of the Iowa Library Association. Please let Miller know if you are interested in attending any/all of the sessions. Readings. McCray wondered about the article about the resident who was charged with theft. Craig said that if the value of library materials is $200 or more and we have tried repeatedly to get the items back with no cooperation, then the matter is turned over to the Police. Craig said that in this instance we received approximately half of the stolen materials back but many of the discs were unusable. Financial Reports. The 2007 year end receipts, expenditures, and gifts and bequests reports were reviewed. President's Report. McCray reminded the Board that Dean will open Library Board of Trustee meetings during the semester. She is teaching a class that ends just about the time Board meetings begin. Announcements from Members. Martin attended the Iowa Commission of Libraries meeting last week at the Gateway Hotel in Ames. Library budgets and finances are of concern to all libraries. In particular, small libraries seek information about fundraising. Commission members participated in the Libraries on the Prairie workshop, sponsored by the Gates Foundation. Martin said that it was apparent that small libraries aspire to the level that their community dictates. The Commission isalways interested in what goes on at ICPL. Martin said that it was a great meeting and was very worthwhile. He looks forward to his work with the Commission, which meets every other month. Committee Reports. None. Communications. None. Disbursements. The Visa expenditures for July 2007 were reviewed. A motion was made by Korf, seconded by Cohen to approve the disbursements for July 2007. Motion carried 9/0. Set Agenda Order for September Meeting. FY09 Budget. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 6:06 after a motion made by Rich-Chappell, seconded by New. Respectfully submitted, Elyse Miller Board or Commission: ICPL Board of Trustees ATTENDANCE RECORD CALENDAR YEAR 2007 Meeting. Date Name Term 1/25/07 2/22/07 3/22/07 4/26/07 5/24/07 6/28/07 7/26/07 8/23/07 9/27/07 EXD Michael 7/01/13 OlE OlE Cohen x Thomas Dean 7/01/09 x x x x OlE x x x John Kenyon 7/01/13 x x Bill Korf 7/01/09 x x x x x x OlE x x Tom Martin 6/30/11 x x x x x OlE OlE x x Linzee 7/01/09 OlE x x McCray x x x x x Mary New 7/01/07 ole x x x x x x x Meredith 6/30/11 x x x Rich-Chappel x x x x x -.'.. Pat Schnack 7/01/07 x OlE OlE OlE OlE x (:.. :.. Leon Spies 6/30/11 x x x 0 OlE x ~x I x David 7/01/07 x OlE x x VanDusseldorp x x KEY: X = Present o = Absent OlE = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting Res = Resigned m MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION THURSDAY, AUGUST 9,2007 EMMA J, HARVAT HALL APPROVED MEMBERS PRESENT: Esther Baker, Michael Brennan, Pam Michaud, Jim Ponto, Alicia Trimble, Tim Toomey, Tim Weitzel MEMBERS ABSENT: John McCormally, Ginalie Swaim STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, Sunil Terdalkar OTHERS PRESENT: Helen Burford, Derrick, Christopher Green, Ron Herman, David Kral, Mary Ann Kral, Chris Manjoine, Shelley McCafferty, John Roffman, Arthur Tambourine, Maureen Tambourine CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Weitzel called the meeting to order at 6:00. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. ITEMS OF CONSIDERATION: Deferred Applications: 525 South Lucas Street. Terdalkar stated that this is a contributing property in a conservation district and that this application was discussed at the Commission's last meeting. He said the Commission needed more information regarding whether any building permits were issued on the property, whether the property owners were sent the most recent courtesy letter from the City regarding the nature of historic review, and when the district here was actually created. Terdalkar said the application involved replacement of windows and the application of some vinyl siding on the house. Terdalkar said that there were no permits applied for the property related to this alteration, although a permit was issued for some electrical work. He said that a courtesy letter was sent to Arthur Tambourine at 525 S. Lucas Street. He said that was the address the ownership was listed under for tax purpose. Terdalkar added that this district was created and the zoning for this district was passed in May 2001. Weitzel referred to a staff memo suggesting that Commission members not dwell on whether or not an action was taken before a permit was issued, so there is not undue influence because of that action. So that all applicants are treated fairly, he said that the Commission members should not weigh the fact that work was done without a permit into their consideration, either for or against the applicant. Maureen Tambourine said that it would be really nice if they would get some consideration for the fact that they live in Northbrook, Illinois. She said that the City sent out a letter on July 30 to answer several questions, but the letter did not mention that this item would be on the Commission's August 9th agenda. Maureen Tambourine said the City then sent out a letter postmarked August 6th stating that this item would be on the agenda for August 9th. She said that it has been an extreme inconvenience for her and her husband to attend this meeting. M. Tambourine asked about the conservation map for the Governor Lucas area, including what the Xs represent. She asked why the X-marked properties were excluded from the conservation district and what the white represents. Weitzel replied that in general, when a district is created, a consultant surveys the area, and based on the consultant's recommendations and expert consideration of the property, the Commission makes a determination. M. Tambourine asked what the consultant's criteria are. Weitzel responded that the consultant is a historic preservation expert. He said that the Commission uses the date range for the context established for the neighborhood, the quality and integrity of the architecture that remains, and Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 2 the date that the building dates to to determine whether a building is eligible, contributing, non- contributing, a key property, or a non-historic building. Weitzel said the Xs are non-historic properties. He said that they are properties that date to after the point at which the period of context was set up for that district. M. Tambourine asked what date that would be, Weitzel said he was unsure of the date for the Governor/Lucas District, but it was probably through World War II. He said that the Tambourines' building is clearly within the context for the neighborhood, and the building is a historic property. M. Tambourine said that this is relevant, because she has found other properties in the district that meet the same criteria but were excluded. M. Tambourine produced 54 photographs of properties on Lucas and Governor Streets. She asked to have the houses examined. M. Tambourine said the properties are not X-ed. She said that she needs evidence that none of the properties that do not comply with the guidelines were done before 2000, or she wants those property owners to be treated the same way she is being treated. M. Tambourine said that she is only asking for fairness. Weitzel said that any property that had vinyl siding installed before this neighborhood was designated a district in 2001 was exempt from review. Brennan said that one could go examine records in the Building Department and/or planning office during regular business hours for this information. M. Tambourine said that she is asking for something very fair. Weitzel said that it is not the purview of the Commission to defend things that were grandfathered in. Arthur Tambourine asked what the Commission will be expecting them to do. He said that they cannot afford to change the wood windows. A. Tambourine said that they own a historic house in the City of Chicago, and vinyl windows were put in three years ago. He asked where the directive for wood windows comes from, Weitzel said that the Secretary of Interior Standards recommend against vinyl windows and vinyl siding, and that is what the Commission's guidelines are based on. M. Tambourine said that the courtesy letter sent in August of 2006 was sent to them at the property address of 525 South Lucas Street, but they live in Illinois and did not receive the letter. M. Tambourine said that she talked to the inspector, who explained that he could only go by what he .inspected. She said that they didn't intentionally do this; if they would have known the guidelines, they would have abided by the guidelines. M. Tambourine said that now they are in a situation where it's going to cost them an arm and a leg. She said they are asking for a compromise here. M. Tambourine said there is a house two doors down from this where the Commission let the owner put another house up in the back yard and let them close off the walkway and attached it. She said that this is not keeping the neighborhood looking like it's supposed to look. A. Tambourine said that he did not know about the vinyl siding prohibition, and it was getting towards winter and they had already lost a year's rent on the property when he had to finish up the project. He said that he has spent thousands of dollars on the house. Weitzel said that the Commission's purview is to enforce the guidelines as they are written. M, Tambourine said that then everyone needs to have them enforced. Weitzel said that as far as he knows, they are equally enforced. M. Tambourine said that she has photographs of 54 houses on two blocks. Weitzel asked about the dates for those projects, and M, Tambourine said that she is asking for the dates. Weitzel said that this is a City of Iowa City ordinance. He said that the Tambourines bought property in the City and therefore need to abide by the ordinance, M. Tambourine said that then so do all of these other people, She said that just because they own a lot of rental properties and have control in the City, doesn't mean they can get away with something she can't. M. Tambourine said she is then asking for a list of the properties and when the projects were done; she said she knows that a lot of them were recently done. Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 3 Trimble said that one can go to the City's website and find out when anyone applied for a permit for whatever work they had done. M. Tambourine said that if she finds the addresses and the owners had no permit to put these in, then all the people need to be served the same way she is. Weitzel said that if they were done in violation of the ordinance without a permit, then yes they would be treated the same as any other violation. M. Tambourine asked how she was supposed to find it if it isn't on the website. Weitzel said that the Tambourines need to have a date for when the work was done. M. Tambourine said that if the owner didn't get a permit, then they're in the same position she's in, and the City has no way of knowing when they got it done. Trimble said that if the owner didn't get a permit, then the work shouldn't have been done. A. Tambourine asked how far the Commission would make him go to make him spend money. He asked how far he would have to go to satisfy the Commission without changing the windows. Miklo said that the siding is only on the front of the house. A. Tambourine said that the new siding is only on the top and on the porch. Miklo said there is a non-profit group in the City that supports preservation activities. He said that it may be possible to approach that group about a low interest loan or some kind of grant program that would assist in getting the windows to the way they would have been if a permit had been applied for. Miklo added that the Commission's job is to determine whether the request to put in vinyl siding and vinyl windows meets the guidelines. He said that if it doesn't, the Commission may approve a certificate to replace them with appropriate siding and windows, and there may be some sources of funding for that. A. Tambourine said that he would agree to take all of the vinyl off if the Commission would give him a pass on the windows, which cost him thousands of dollars. M. Tambourine said that they did a lot of work themselves after the contractor didn't do his job. She said that there are only two companies that make these windows: Pella and Andersen, which are both extremely expensive. Weitzel said that Marvin Windows makes a double hung window, and they were mentioned to the Tambourines at the last meeting. A. Tambourine said that the next door neighbor put on fiber siding that was approved by the Commission and will only last about three years. Weitzel said that if it is fiber cement board, it will last many decades, He said that if the Commission approved it, it would be either wood or fiber cement board, and the Commission would not have approved pressboard. M. Tambourine said that if the Commission didn't approve it, then the inspector needs to serve these people. Weitzel responded that, like most communities, a complaint is required before the City will go out and serve someone. A. Tambourine said that one cannot tell the difference in the windows. Weitzel said that the Commission believes that one can tell the difference, and that vinyl windows are not necessarily better windows. He said that is why the guidelines don't allow them. Weitzel said the Commission can discuss reasons for an exception, which would have to include some kind of extenuating circumstances. He said that on the front of the house, it would be difficult to say that it isn't visible. M. Tambourine asked how the Commission would feel if they changed the front of the house. She added that they are trying to find a compromise. Weitzel said that Miklo has offered a good compromise in that the Commission can approve the work that needs to be done and work towards ways to get it done. Weitzel said the point is to work with a non-profit preservation group to find wood siding and perhaps windows that would work. He said that at some point, the City has taken all the steps to notify the Tambourines that the district is in place and that the guidelines are in place. Weitzel said that the Tambourines have purchased property in a community that has these standards and the Commission has to be consistent in the way they treat all applicants. Miklo said that as long as a property owner is working with the City to resolve something, the City's enforcement division will give him time to do it. A. Tambourine said he wouldn't say anything if these windows made any difference in looks. Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 4 Brennan asked the Tambourines how long they anticipate owning the house. M. Tambourine said they plan to own it three more years or so. Brennan asked what their plans would be at that point. M. Tambourine said that the upstairs has been rented out all along. She said that when their son moves from the house, they will probably sell the house. Brennan asked what the Commission did about the windows across the street. Weitzel said the owners put in the windows the Commission wanted to see there and were told to take the issue up with their contractor, who did not get a permit nor contact the City. Weitzel said that those are now conforming windows; the Commission made them take out windows that were hastily put in and put in the correct windows. He said he believed that was at 602 Grant Street. Brennan asked if this could be a prolonged thing to let the owners correct the siding now and then let them wait with new windows until they have proceeds from the sale of the house. Miklo said the difficult with letting this go over a number of years is that the City doesn't keep records that closely and could easily lose track of this. He said that the Building Department will give up to 12 months as long as some progress is being made. Miklo said that if this is not resolved by then, there could be negotiations to extend that period, especially since this is an income property where rent is coming in and proceeds are being collected. Michaud said that the Commission is trying to get this to look like a historic building' from the streetscape. She said that to her, the most prominent problems are the sliding windows, the door, and the vertical things on the front bay that are part of the vinyl siding. Michaud said that it seems that the Commission could compromise to make this look historic from the street by changing those elements without changing the sash windows. Weitzel said the problem is that the burden is on the Commission to be consistent with all applications. He said the Commission has made people remove installed windows and reinstall them because they didn't meet the guidelines, Weitzel said that once the Commission lets one owner who did work without a permit because they did not know about the ordinance get by with this, then the Commission will see a whole lot of people not knowing about the ordinance. Trimble said the Commission's general instruction on things that have been done is to act as if they hadn't happened. Michaud said that the age of the applicants ought to be a factor in the considerations, and although it's not in the guidelines, there ought to be a humanitarian way of looking at this. Brennan asked about the options if this is denied. Terdalkar commented that there is an appeal process. Miklo said that if this is denied, there should be a second motion to approve what the Commission would have approved to meet the guidelines and to allow some time for the applicant and staff to correct the situation and this might include looking for some funding source to help with the expense. MOTION: Ponto moved to deny an application for a certificate of appropriateness for 525 South Lucas Street for the vinyl siding and the installation of vinyl windows and door. Trimble seconded the motion. The motion to deny carried on a vote of 7 -0. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for 525 South Lucas Street for the replacement of siding with wood or fiber cement board per the Commission's guidelines, with the windows to be wood or metal clad wood as per the Commission's guidelines and with a door of an appropriate composition. M. Tambourine asked what is wrong with the door. Terdalkar said that when he first prepared a staff report for this application, he mentioned that the door was new and that some of the things that were not noticed at first and were not part of the application include the door and the slider window in the kitchen. He said he did not have knowledge of when they were installed. A. Tambourine said that the door is pre-2000; the style is pre-2000. He said it is the exact same kind of door that was lost in the fire. A. Tambourine said that he basically replaced what was there before, Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 5 Miklo said that the door for this house typically would not have had a fan window there but would have been a full panel door. He said the door might have been replaced prior to the fire. Trimble asked what the door is made of. Arthur Tambourine said that it is metal clad wood. Ponto said that if it is metal, it is paintable, which is okay. Weitzel said that the door can also be changed at another point, and it is also not facing the street directly. Because it was a pre-existing nonconformity Ponto removed the stipulation regarding the door from the motion. Terdalkar asked if the Commission wanted to include the trim in the motion. Ponto included in the motion that the trim should be maintained and that the work be done by November 1, 2008. Trimble seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 7 -0. Weitzel said that there is an appeal process available to the Tambourines. Maureen Tambourine said she wanted to go on record as saying that the way the house looks right now is beautiful. She said that when they get done doing what the Commission is asking, it won't look as nice as it does now. Maureen Tambourine said a reason a lot of the houses in town aren't being kept up is because there are a lot of financial restrictions that people cannot abide by. 923 Iowa Avenue. Terdalkar said when the Commission last discussed this property, it was regarding the installation of an accessible ramp at the primary entrance of the proposed building. He said the applicant has revised the proposal for the ramp, and the packet shows an illustration for the ramp, which is basically just a bit of concrete with a guardrail, as required by the Code. Terdalkar said the applicant has found that he will not need to install a retaining wall to install a ramp. He said the applicant would also like to plant a couple of trees there if the grade will allow it. Terdalkar said that if the ramp has to be built at this location, this is probably the least obtrusive solution. McCafferty, the applicant's architect, said there will be a little bit of retaining wall on the west side at the upper end of the ramp. She said that otherwise, it has been graded so that there would not need to be much retaining wall. McCafferty said there will be a simple pipe rail. Weitzel asked if McCafferty had spoken with staff about the recommendations for a lift. McCafferty said that a lift would require a step back in the design process and would be substantially more expensive, requiring large retaining walls and a ten-foot pit there. Weitzel said the guidelines don't really talk about a ramp of this nature or use, so the Commission should look at aesthetic considerations In general. He asked how committed the applicant is to the railing with balustrade to the right, both on the porch and on the retaining wall. McCafferty responded that where the ramp is 30 inches off the ground, a guardrail is required by Code. Weitzel said that a black, pipe handrail is what is recommended for a railing, but the Commission has never considered one this long before. Ponto stated that this is a very unusual situation, and he agreed that this is probably the least obtrusive solution. Trimble said that not having the huge retaining wall here would probably make this a little less visible. MOTION: Michaud moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the design of the ramp at 923 Iowa Avenue, as proposed. Brennan seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 7. Q. Certificates of Appropriateness. 409 Brown Street. Terdalkar said there is a handout with a revised notation from the applicant regarding a two-level garage at the back of the property for this contributing structure in the Brown Street Historic District. He said that the applicant proposes to install a casement window on the front, north side of the garage and a pair of awning windows on the south fa<;:ade. Terdalkar said the applicant has agreed to most of the conditions in the staff report, including matching the trim on the existing windows, reducing Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 6 the size of the window on the north to fit within the structural members so they will not have to be redesigned, and that the paired window be fit within a portion on the south fa9ade. Terdalkar said that staff recommends approval of the revised illustrations. He said, however, that he made a small change in the drawing sent by the applicant. Terdalkar showed his illustration where he shows a drip edge and trim to match. He said he sent the illustration to the applicant. Miklo asked if there is a reason to have a paired window on the south elevation. Terdalkar said the owner wanted a window that had enough room to open it up. He said that because there is a paired window on the house, he thought it might be good to have one on the garage. Miklo said that then there is no structural reason to have a paired window. He said that up that high, a single window might be more in proportion to the rest. Weitzel said that this is a back window, and he likes the first drawing better. He said that a simple barn sash would actually be the best option. Ponto said the owner apparently wanted more light and more ventilation. He agreed that from outside looks alone, he likes the one barn sash window. MOTION: Toomey moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the garage at 409 Brown Street for the north window as requested and with a reduction on the south to a single square awning window of similar proportions instead of two windows. Brennan asked if the Commission should give the owner the option of putting roof vents on the top for ventilation. Weitzel said the Commission doesn't regulate that. Miklo said that it could be added to the motion. Toomey added to the motion the option of adding a roof vent. Trimble seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. 502 Grant Street. Terdalkar said that this application is to alter a side porch. He stated that this is a contributing property in the Longfellow Historic District. Terdalkar said the applicant is requesting approval for replacing the roof with a rolled roof, removal and replacement of the existing railings with wood, and replacing a door with a window that will match the window on the house on the south fa9ade. Terdalkar said the staff report says that most of the windows on the house are wood windows. He said the owner has since told him that the windows are basically all vinyl windows and were replaced at an unknown time. Terdalkar said the applicant is proposing metal clad wood windows, and the windows will be simulated double hung sash casement windows with simulated muntin bars. He said that they would meet the guidelines. Terdalkar said the reason for installation of the casement window is because a door will be removed, and an egress will be needed for the bedroom. He said the decision is whether removal of the door is consistent, and if the Commission agrees the door can be removed, the window would need to meet the egress guidelines. Miklo said that this house originally had a door, but it would not have been unusual for a house of this period to have a railing up there that is simply decorative and not functional. Miklo said that if a door is retained there, the building code may require the railing to be increased in height, which would not be in keeping with the original design. Ponto said that if a window is put in instead, then the railing can be rebuilt exactly as it is now, and Weitzel confirmed this. The contractor for this project said this is the least intrusive idea for the owner to solve the leaky roof problems. He said there is no threshold on that door, and the metal roof goes right flat in under the door and nails into the hardwood floor under the door. Contractor said there is no way to stop the leak, so he wants to flash the wall correctly and fix the roof the right way. He said the roof will stay basically the same shape, although it might be built up half an inch or so back up to the house. Contractor said he can then build the railing back exactly the way it is. Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 7 MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for an application for 502 Grant Street, as proposed. Trimble seconded the motion. Ponto said that it would not be unusual to not have a door there. He said that just having a window will not really change what might have been historically. Ponto said the railing there is a significant feature on this house, and he would like to see it rebuilt as is. The motion carried on a vote of 7-0. 1214 Sheridan Avenue. Terdalkar stated that this is a contributing structure in the Longfellow Historic District. He said that this application is for the replacement of three wood double hung windows with metal clad double hung windows. Terdalkar said the only difference is that two of the existing windows have a five over one divided light pattern, but the applicant is requesting one over one windows, which staff concurs would be appropriate if the windows are approved. Terdalkar said these are the only two remaining original windows on the house. He said the applicant has stated that the windows don't function properly and there are some efficiency issues. Mary Ann Kral said that the windows are moldy and falling apart. She stated that they thought they could save them but they are decayed. Mary Ann Kral said that they would therefore like to replace the windows to match the rest on the house. MOTION: Toomey moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the application for 1214 Sheridan Avenue. Ponto seconded the motion. Ponto stated that, in general, he would like to see the original windows retained, in this case five over one. He said, however, that because all the other windows in the house are one over one, this would make the new windows compatible. Weitzel said the Commission does not know when the other windows were replaced, and apparently these windows are decayed. He said that is the Commission's usual yardstick for allowing replacement, so he will vote in favor of this for that reason. The motion carried on a vote of 7 -0. 1204 Sheridan Avenue. Terdalkar said that this is a contributing structure in the Longfellow Historic District. He said the application is for the replacement of windows. Terdalkar said the application notes that four of the windows are in really bad shape. He said the application also mentions that the rest of the windows are inefficient, and the weight and pulley system is not efficient. Terdalkar said he would recommend exploring the possibility of repair. He said the applicant has replaced some of the exterior storms on the house, which would help with the energy efficiency of the windows. Terdalkar said that replacement is probably the second option that should be considered after repair. Green, one of the owners of the house, said he already put in some windows before he knew he was supposed to get permission. He said that he has owned the house for six years and has restored a lot of it to its original interior look. Green said that he wants to maintain the look of the older house. Green said that when he moved in, the first thing he noticed was that when there was a southwest wind, the curtains in the living room would fly up, even with the storms down and the windows tight. He added that in the bedroom in the southwest corner, the windows produced a loud whistling sound. Green said that over the years it grew worse and then the windows in another bedroom started whistling. Green said the first thing they did was replace the junky aluminum storm windows that were falling apart with some glass storms that had sliding windows. He said that had a big effect. Green said that subsequently they found that the previous owners had tried to wedge some type of insulation between the window track and the actual sash, and over the years it has been worn away. He said that now all the windows shake, even when in a locked position. Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 8 Green said he then decided to go ahead and ask for replacements. He said he looked for those that would match and would only replace the casements, not the frames, and would do nothing to the outside. Green said that the only ones he found to match the look and feel are Jen-Weld, which are fairly expensive, but they decided to go with that. He said they installed them in one bedroom, and it made a big difference in the temperature and the sound. Green said that in the course of the winter, the ratting broke the front window, and they replaced that window in May, He said he later found out that he needed to fill out an application for the replacement. Green said that originally, he asked to replace all of the windows, because they will all eventually need to be replaced. He said that now he would minimally like to replace the two main windows in the master bedroom, which should take care of all the whistling. Green said that he would therefore ask for permission to replace the two additional bedroom windows and also ask for guidance about what he should do over the next 25 years on a case-by-case basis. He added that the depth of the windows is the same, and one can't tell the difference on the interior or exterior. Weitzel said that normally the Commission likes to see windows repaired, but these are fairly standard, square windows without elaborate detail that can't be matched. Toomey said that there are alternatives. He said that the glass in existing windows can be replaced with thermal panes. Green said that down the line, he would prefer to do that rather than replace the whole window, because it would be a lot less expensive. Regarding the window weights, Toomey said that one sees a lot of broken rope, but metal chain is often used. He said there is an air gap in there for insulation. Toomey said that if the trim is taken off on the inside to expose those weights, they can be put into a PVC pipe so that one can insulate around that. He said there is also the copper weather stripping that can be done. Green said that has been pointed out to him, and that is why he is changing the request from all the windows to just the ones with the big problems. He said, however, that down the line he expects the damage from what was done by previous owners to be revealed. Green asked if he should come before the Commission on a case-by-case basis for those windows. Weitzel said that if Green did them independently, with years in between, it probably involves a separate permit each time. Weitzel said that the Commission usually asks the owner to consider the repair alternative but then usually approves the replacement anyway, because the guidelines don't deny a window replacement if it meets all the criteria. Miklo added that the application actually proposes using wood sash, which will result in a pretty insignificant change. MOTION: Baker moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for 1204 Sheridan Avenue for an application for the replacement of six wood windows with replacement wood windows that match the existing wood windows on the house. Michaud seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 7-0. 502 'Y:z Clark Street. Terdalkar stated that this property is a contributing structure in the Clark Street Conservation District. He said the application is for the addition of a second-story structure and possible addition of a deck and a side screened porch. Terdalkar said that the house is a basic vernacular structure with an I shape and has a single-story addition in the back. He said the applicant proposes to increase the height of the existing addition by removing the one-story addition and building a two-story addition in the back. Terdalkar said the applicant also proposes the construction of a deck in the back that would act as a carport. He said the owner would also like to remove an entry door in the back and would like to install a screened porch of a seven by twelve footprint. He said that a shed roof is planned for the two-story addition behind the existing house, which would be fairly unusual for a house built around 1910, Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 9 Toomey said that there is a real problem in the area of the house with the porch in that the wall is collapsing. He said it is not original. Toomey said there is a corner support missing from when the garage door was installed, Weitzel added that that is a non-historic addition. Manjoine said that his plan is to take the whole thing down basically to studs, take the addition off, and start from there. Weitzel referred to Terdalkar's proposed alternatives. Terdalkar said that he showed the applicant the basic form he was looking at, which would be more appropriate for a house of this age. He said it would be taking the I shape and going to an L shape and filling the corner of the L with a hip roof of some sort. Terdalkar said that he also suggested some change in the window arrangement to make it more appropriate for this age of house. Terdalkar stated that he is also showing some offset. He said the applicant is planning to use the same foundation, but it would still be appropriate to have some vertical bandboard, some trim to distinguish between the old house and the new addition. Terdalkar said that the second option would probably be a little more involved because of the cantilever required beyond the deck or reducing the square footage in the area between the L. Michaud asked if the addition would have the same proportion of windows as on the other side. Terdalkar said that there are basically very few windows on an I house, but there is a paired window on one side. He said the intention is to use what is on the existing house. Weitzel said perhaps there should be two with one above and small windows on the top. Michaud said there are a lot of windows on the addition. Terdalkar said the option still has less than what the applicant proposed. Manjoine said there is an interior floor plan, but that is fairly flexible. Weitzel said he did not have a problem with the corner room being an add-on and having more windows, but maybe the addition that looks more like the original house should conform more to the original pattern, Manjoine said that currently the second story has a seven-foot ceiling, and the reason they came up with the roof there is for a vaulted ceiling to accommodate for the low ceilings. He said that was a reason for the shed roof there. Miklo said that this could still have a vaulted ceiling. Manjoine said that from his perspective it comes down to costs. He said that going with something more elaborate will cost more. Weitzel suggested the Commission propose something and approve it, and if it doesn't meet Manjoine's needs, then he can always work with Terdalkar to get something within the guidelines and the permit. Weitzel said if that doesn't work, he can always come back with a new plan. Manjoine said that the only problem he had with the smaller room was (something about the roof - really can't hear him very well). Weitzel said that it is possible that with the addition, one could take the hip up higher and get a higher roof up there. He said that might be okay design-wise. Toomey said Manjoine would want to speak to his engineer to get an evaluation of the structure. Manjoine said that he plans to fix what is there by taking off the entire addition and starting over with the frame, Weitzel suggested it would be less expensive to place the windows as described by Michaud, with the double one on the bottom and one on the top. Miklo said that the Commission could approve alternative number one, with the window placement and design to be approved by staff and chair. He said that would give some design leeway. Miklo said that the motion might also mention the possibility of a steeper pitch on the hip roof to give a higher ceiling. Manjoine asked if the other plan is totally off the table for the Commission. Weitzel said that staff looked at it and came up with the proposed modifications based on his understanding of architecture and the Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 10 local building style. Miklo said the only difference is the roof shape, Weitzel said the floor plans are essentially untouched. Manjoine asked to have a vote on his proposed plan. Miklo said that it is not an addition that one would normally have on this type of building. Terdalkar said that this is essentially building a final product in one go, instead of having additions built on. He said that if this were an L house, one would probably fill in with an addition similar to alternative one. Weitzel said one thing in favor of staff's plan, beyond the design aesthetics, is that it allows a modular approach in that it could be done in parts, although a weather shield would be needed in between steps. Miklo read from the guidelines referring to mass and rooflines, "Constructing additions that are consistent with the massing and roofline of the historic building. This requires that the wall (irons?) and corners as well as the roof pitch and spans are all consistent with the existing building and have proportions similar to that of the existing building." He said that alternative one does that, but the original application doesn't seem to meet this guideline. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for an application for 502% Clark Street. Brennan seconded the motion. Ponto said he would vote against the motion based on Miklo's comments regarding the guidelines that discuss massing and rooflines. The motion failed on a vote of 0-7. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for 502% Clark Street using Terdalkar's proposal labeled alternative one, with the provisions that the alternative design features, including window placement and fenestration combinations meet the guidelines and can be approved by staff and chair, rather than the entire Commission; that the roofline for the corner infill can be raised to a steeper pitch; that all materials meet the guidelines for siding, trim, and window composition; and that the asbestos be removed with the stipulation that if the wood siding is in good shape that it be repaired and repainted, or if it is in bad shape, that it be replaced with wood or fiber cement board per the guidelines. Brennan seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 7-0. 1131 East Burlinqton Street. Terdalkar stated that this is a contributing structure in the College Hill Conservation District. He said that the proposal is for an addition on this house that has already been heavily altered in the past. Terdalkar said that an addition was put on the east side of this house about five years ago before the College Hill Conservation District was approved. He showed the original part of the house and said there were some changes in the lap widths for the siding. Terdalkar showed the L area that the addition would fill. He showed the existing addition that is still under way and undergoing construction. Terdalkar said there will be a one-story addition that will have a footprint of about 21 feet by 26 feet. He said there will be a second story addition that will basically be a stairway. Terdalkar said the applicant is also requesting vinyl windows and doors, because he would like to use some of the doors and windows purchased before the application was submitted. He said the applicant would also like to build a deck on the back after the addition is completed but does not yet have plans for that. Terdalkar said that therefore the applicant proposes a simple stoop to match the railing on the front of the house. Herman, the contractor for the owner, said he would speak on the owner's behalf. He said that this project will break down into two things - the design and the materials. Herman said the owner has been working with Terdalkar toward an acceptable design. Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 11 Terdalkar said the design in the drawing shows a shed roof. He said he suggested that the owner use a hip roof with minimal slope to keep the eave line horizontal and not a shed as shown in the application. Terdalkar said in essence there will be two small shed roofs, one spanning east to west and the other from north to south, Terdalkar said the applicant suggested a system with some braces and was going for a shed with a twelve to one slope. Terdalkar said he thought because of the minimal roof pitch it would be best if sheds are used for smaller spans of eleven to twelve feet rather than the proposed 26-foot span. Herman said he did not see any problem with that. He said that the big problem is that the homeowner started this project without a permit, and at that time he bought all of the windows. Herman said that he has already replaced all of the windows in the house with vinyl-clad Andersen double hungs trimmed with fiber cement board. Herman said that on the back of the house, since the owner already has the windows, he would like to basically maintain a consistent look through the house by using the windows he has already purchased. Miklo clarified that the window replacement may not have been done without a permit but was done before this was a district and therefore would not have required review. Weitzel said that the addition pre- dated the conservation district; therefore design review was not required. Herman said he has seen in the guidelines that vinyl windows cannot be used. He said the owner could throw the Andersen windows away and then he could get aluminum clad windows that on the exterior would be identical in profile to those Andersen windows, and all that will have been done will have been to spend $7,000 or so to get exactly the same 'Iook on the exterior. Herman pointed out that this is the back of the house and will have a three-foot setback on the driveway side and therefore will not be visible from the street. Herman said that he would really like to find a way to use the already-purchased windows. He said that he has looked over recently approved certificates and has found that some exceptions have been made. Weitzel said that usually when the material isn't specified, it is written in the application, and the Commission approves it as specified in the application. Weitzel said the one exception for vinyl windows that he could think of was for a non-historic garage, He said that going back several years, the Commission has in the past allowed a vinyl window that was installed before the person knew it was not allowed. Weitzel said that was several years ago, and the Commission has been trying not to do that again. Herman stated that when the windows were purchased, the owner was not subject to the review. He said that because the homeowner is doing a lot of his own work, it takes him a long time to get things done. Herman said the owner excavated for the foundation last summer. He said he needs to get that done and framed and dried in. Herman said he would be happy to do the shed roof versus the flat roof. He said he likes the stairway and the way it will work now. Herman said he wants to move the process forward so that he can get to work on the back wall of the house. Herman said that the owner bought the windows when he started on Phase I, and then the building permit ran out. He said he believed they were the same size as those on the right elevation on the first floor. Miklo said his understanding was that the owner planned to move windows from the existing exterior walls and reuse those on the exterior. He said he was not aware that the owner had windows in storage somewhere. Herman said there is really only room for one exterior door off the new addition, so there are obviously two doors there that aren't going to be used. Terdalkar said the plans once contained three doors, so there have been quite a few changes. Herman said he would like to have the owner generate the final set of plans. Herman said that if the footprint doesn't change, he can get the foundation in. He said that is his primary concern right now, and that is at the back of the house where none of the windows he will be taking off will fit. Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 12 Weitzel said that in the past the Commission has recommended that people donate things to the Restore to get a tax credit for the full value of the asset. He suggested that the Commission approve a plan, and if it is not agreeable to the owner, then he can come back with another design. Weitzel said the Commission could approve the basic concept subject to staff and chair approval of the final details. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for 1131 East Burlington as proposed in Terdalkar's drawings, with materials to be per the Commission's guidelines and with the final selection of window composition and the details of the stoop, steps, and railing baluster all to be subject to review and approval by staff and the chair. Baker seconded the motion. Michaud asked about the stairwell. Weitzel said the owner has to provide stairway access to an upstairs bedroom to comply with the Code. Michaud asked if the gable would not be there any more. Weitzel said there should be a gable drawn in there, but the drawing is not the final drawing. He said there would be a gable on the box on top. Terdalkar said that there would a door that will open on to the roof of the first floor addition and a window on the south fayade. He said the elevations are true except for the shed roof on the west elevation, which will become a hip roof with a horizontal line, instead of a shed. The motion carried on a vote of 4-3. with Michaud, Toomey. and Trimble votina no. Weitzel said that he doesn't like the shed at all, but there is not much else to do here, Terdalkar said that the only way to not have a second story here was to find a way to put the stairway inside the house. Minutes for June 28.2007 and July 12, 2007. Weitzel said that he had some editorial comments to add to the minutes of June 28th but nothing substantive. The consensus of the Commission was to file the minutes from both Commission meetings. OTHER: Miklo said the Commission would need to hold a public hearing on the Preservation Plan, possibly sometime in September, with an open house to be held beforehand, possibly in August, to make the Plan available to the public. The consensus of the Commission was to hold the public hearing on Thursday, September 20th, at 7:00 p.m., with a backup date of September 19th. Miklo stated that the map in the Preservation Plan has some inaccuracies that will be corrected in that the future survey area shows some areas that have already been surveyed. Burford said that the historic preservation awards will be presented on October 28th. She said that some members of Friends of Historic Preservation have compiled a list of eligible properties, and it would be necessary to narrow that list down by September. Burford suggested that because there are so many eligible properties, they could all receive an honorable mention, and specific projects that stand out could be cited separately. She added that board members have been precluded from consideration in the past, but some board members would like to have their contractors considered. Miklo stated that several board members have received awards in the past. He said the point of the awards is to get the awareness out there, and there are no monetary awards, so anyone is eligible, Weitzel, Terdalkar, and Trimble volunteered to follow up on the list of properties provided by Burford and make a report back to the Commission. Historic Preservation Commission August 9, 2007 Page 13 ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte 5/pcd/minslhpcl2007/8-9-07. doc Historic Preservation Commission Attendance Record 2007 8/9 X X -- -- OlE X X OlE X X X 7/12 X X -- -- OlE X X X X OlE X 6/28 X o -- -- OlE X X X X X X 6/12 X OlE -- -- OlE OlE X X X X X 5/31 X X -- -- OlE X OlE X X X X 5/17 X OlE -- -- OlE X X OlE X X X 4/12 X X -- -- X OlE X X X X X 3/08 OlE X X OlE OlE X X X X OlE 2/08 X X X X OlE X X X X X Term Expires 3/29/09 3/29/08 3/29/07 3/29/07 3/29/08 3/29/09 3/29/07 3/29/09 3/29/10 3/29/09 3/29/08 Key: X = Presen o = Absent OlE = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting -- = Not a Member Name Baker Brennan Carlson Gunn McCormally Michaud Ponto Toomey Weitzel Swaim Trimble C[ Approved MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AUGUST 16, 2007 -7:30 PM EMMA J. HARVAT HALL - CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Brooks, Beth Koppes, Ann Freerks, Charlie Eastham, Wally Plahutnik, Dean Shannon MEMBER EXCUSED: Terry Smith STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, Sunil Terdalkar, Sara Holecek OTHERS PRESENT: Glenn Siders, Charlotte DePew RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: Recommended approval, by a vote of 6-0 (Smith absent) REZ07 -00011, a rezoning of approximately 45.04- acres of land from Interim Development Office Research Park (ID-ORP) zone to Medium Density Single- Family Residential (RS-8) with a Planned Development Overlay zone for approximately 34.58-acres, Interim Development Single-Family Residential (ID-RS) zone for approximately 8.75-acres, and Interim Development Office Commercial (ID-C01) zone for approximately 1.71-acres; and a preliminary Planned Development of Cardinal Point South, a residential subdivision with a mix of single-family and multi-family residential dwellings subject to: . Staff approval of the stormwater management facility prior to consideration by City Council . Staff approval of the locations and designs of the mailbox clusters . A conditional zoning agreement specifying 1. The section of Kennedy Parkway between Camp Cardinal Road and Camp Cardinal Boulevard will be platted, and the necessary right-of-way will be dedicated and a letter of credit of the cost of installing the water main in this section of the street will be provided at the time of final plat approval. 2. Installation of sub-grade for this section of Kennedy Parkway will be constructed by the applicant and/or owner prior to January 1, 2009 3. This section of Kennedy Parkway will be constructed prior to January 1, 2010 or when the school site (located north of Kennedy Parkway) is developed, or Outlot C of Cardinal Point South is developed; whichever occurs first, and 4 If the sub-grade is not constructed prior to January 1, 2009 or if the road is not built prior to January 1, 2010, issuance of building permits will cease for Cardinal Point South subdivision. Recommended approval, by a vote of 6-0 (Smith absent) REl07-00012, a rezoning from Intensive Commer- cial (CI-1) to Community Commercial (CC-2) for approximately 0.95-acres of property located at 805 S. Gilbert Street and 817 S. Gilbert Street. Recommended approval, by a vote of 6-0 (Smith absent) VAC07-00005, the vacation of 102 feet of the north-south alley in Block 102, subject to the retention of public access and utility easements. CALL TO ORDER: Freerks called the meeting to order at 7:34 pm. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: No discussion. Planning and Zoning Commission August 16, 2007 Page 2 Rezonino Items REZ07 -00011, discussion of a application submitted by Southgate Development Services LLC for a rezoning of approximately 45.04-acres of land from Interim Development Office Research Park (ID-ORP) zone to Medium Density Single-Family Residential (RS-8) with a Planned Development Overlay zone for approximately 34.58-acres, Interim Development Single-Family Residential (ID-RS) zone for approximately 8.75-acres, and Interim Development Office Commercial (ID-C01) zone for approximately 1.71-acres; and a preliminary Planned Development of Cardinal Point South, a residential subdivision with a mix of single- family and multi-family residential dwellings. (45-day limitation period: 9/3/07) Terdalkar said at the previous meeting the outstanding issues had been discussed, most of which had been resolved. Remaining issues, some still pending resolution included: Trail network for the school. The on-street sidewalk in both Coralville and Iowa City will be sufficient for the pedestrian traffic. An 8-foot sidewalk on the north side of Kennedy Parkway between Camp Cardinal Boulevard and Camp Cardinal Road is recommended. Recommended that 66-foot right of way be maintained; the applicant has agreed. Elevations The applicant had provided new elevations earlier in the day. Staff felt the new elevation plus the two included in the Commission's information packet were adequate to meet criteria established by City Code. Mailbox clusters The applicant had changed the location of a few mailbox clusters, they were still working on obtaining a copy of the United States Postal Service (USPS) accepted mailbox. Staff had discussed with the applicant moving the mailbox clusters to the private drives instead of having them in the public right-of-way, Potential traffic implications included unnecessarily impeding traffic flow when people pulled up and temporarily parked at the mailbox cluster to retrieve their mail. Staff and the developer will further pursue this with the USPS. Stormwater Manaoement Calculations The applicant's engineer had provided calculations to the City Engineer earlier in the day and received preliminary approval that the capacity would be sufficient in the stormwater basin. Tree landscape desiqn On Ryan Court, lots 20 to 38, the applicant had agreed to include a clause in the covenant indicating that the developer would provide a list of 5 different kinds of trees for the homeowner to select from, to ensure consistency of landscaping along the street. The street trees, one per lot, would be planted on the private side of the property per the City Engineer; to the extent possible all infrastructure wouldl be located between the sidewalk and the street. Public trail access Staff and the developer's engineers had tried to find a way to install an ADA compliant trail/sidewalk access but due to the steep and critical slopes in the area it had not been possible, Miklo said the USPS has recently taken the position of not wanting to deliver mail to individual mailboxes located on the house or in front of residential houses on the street. The USPS was pushing to have 'gang mailboxes', a collection of 12, 16 or 20 mailboxes in one location. Staff had two main concerns, mailbox location and design of mailbox cluster (quantity of mailboxes/cluster). Location of the mailboxes is important to ensure that they are not near an intersection or located too close to the street so as to cause problems for snow plows. For the townhouses, Staff would prefer to see the mailbox clusters located in private alleys or drives behind the townhouses. Staff intend to have a discussion with the USPS to see if they would be amiable to this location for the mailboxes. For single-family and zero-lot line homes there probably is not a good alternative location for the mailboxes so Staff anticipates that the mailboxes will be located on the public street. Staff is not so concerned with the. actual design of the mailboxes; the basic square metal mailbox is acceptable. The number of boxes in a cluster could become an issue. Some developers have dressed up the mailboxes by adding a roof, shelter or other decorative feature to the mailbox cluster which is typically Planning and Zoning Commission August 16, 2007 Page 3 located in the public right-at-way. It the developer opts to enhance the mailbox cluster(s) in any way, the City Engineer would like to review the proposed mailbox structure/enhancement prior to the time of final platting. Staff would also like to assure that any thing built in the public streets did not detract from the overall planned development, but in this case Southgate was not proposing any structures around the mail boxes so that the location of the boxes where the concern. Eastham asked for a clarification of the minutes regarding a reference to funds being available to pay for part of Kennedy Parkway. Miklo said the school district purchased the property to the north of Kennedy Parkway. The City ot Coralville and the City ot Iowa City had each contributed $56,000 toward the purchase of the land with the understanding that it would be used toward building the school's half-of the street and that the school would not be responsible for building the street in that area. The money did not go to the school district but to the party who sold the land. Eastham said the previous Staff Report and discussion from the 8/2/07 Commission meeting included a number of recommendations for this application which Eastham was having difficulty finding the authority in the Zoning Code for the Commission to require those sorts of things. The mailboxes were not a bad idea; to install them so that they would not be an obstacle for the snow-plows was ok. The design of the mailboxes which was unrelated to plowing or maintenance, Eastham said he did not understand where in the Code the Commission had the authority to make that kind of requirement. The same applied to the number of townhouse units and a required number of elevations; requiring 3 or any elevations for the zero-lot line units. Miklo said this was a planned development, with a planned development the City often granted some concessions to a developer such as allowing construction of multi-family units in a single-family zone or building duplexes in a zone that didn't allow them. It resulted in higher densities than would be possible if developed as a non-planned development. The expectation was that there was a plan that laid out what would be done; drawings showing building elevations, an expectation as laid out in the intent that a plan would show a quality development and also requirement that the developer follow multi-family and zero-lot line design standards. Those design standards talked about variety, consistency in architecture, trim around windows - it was all spelled out in the Code. Miklo said he would be glad to sit down with Eastham and go over the specific points and sections of the Code. Freerks said that with Planned Development zoning the intent was for the Commission review the details of the plan in exchange for zoning bonus that are granted to the developer. Eastham said he'd read through all the Code provisions and he was not convinced that some of the specific requirements for this application were neatly and clearly contained within some of the provisions, Miklo said in terms of the planned development, it referred back to the multi-family design standards; that was where a lot of the specifics that Staff had raised were contained. East said he did not see a requirement for more than one set of elevations. Miklo said that specifically would not be found, what the Code did say was that a planned development would be suitable for a residential zone, the multi-family would contain a variety of architecture yet consistency in design. A judgment call had to be made as to whether the plans submitted for the planned development met the intent of the code and the policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Staff provided their professional recommendation and it was up to the Commission to decide when making there recommendation to City Council. Public discussion was opened. Glenn Siders, SouthGate Development, said he pretty much concurred with everything that Miklo had said, With respect to the mailboxes, Miklo had accurately summarized the situation, the developer was more than willing to not block vision or obstruct maintenance at the street. He wanted everyone to understand that they were very limited as to what design of mailbox they could get, they were even uglier than the transformers which sat in the front yard of many homes. They were trying to work with the USPS and had only one mailbox option at present. With respect to design, they were limited as to what they could do. Planning and Zoning Commission August 16, 2007 Page 4 They'd had their engineer look at specifically trying to get a walkway system into the park area somewhere along Ryan or the gap between the single family and the first four units and/or in other locations, With the steep and critical slopes that were on the property, to get ADA compliance would require clearing out a massive area and use of a lot of fill, it just would not work. Physically it might be done but Siders felt it would ruin everything that the developers and Staff were trying to do. Regarding funding for street: the money had been paid to SouthGate Development and the property owners of Cardinal Ridge South. They'd received payment, the school system owned their site, SouthGate had transferred the deed for their site to them, The payment was in part to bring all infrastructure to that site. The cities had participated because they wanted a school on that site, as part payment for street, sewer, everything that was associated with that street right of way. The school system would be obligated, for example, if the wanted a turn lane installed with the street, they would be responsible for the cost of that turn lane or what ever might occur because of the use of that site. It had all been agreed to in the 28E agreement. SouthGate was obligated to install the boulevard and they were happy to put it in. Eastham said he understood that Siders was in agreement with the Staff's recommendations. Eastham asked Siders to make any kind of comment about what effect the recommendations would have on the cost of the homes. Siders said they would increase the cost of the homes. From what they had started out with their original design and what they had now, they were not displeased with the design, and there was a market place for it, it was like the Peninsula, there was a market for that use but it was proven that they paid more for that use; they were paying more per square foot for that type of dwelling than the vinyl siding or customary dwellings that were seen. It was not a good thing or a bad thing, but there was a cost associated with it. Freerks said that a developer did end up with many more units than a conventional development on this property - that was part of a planned development. A trade off for higher density was some scrutiny of the design to make sure that it was compatible. Public discussion was closed. Motion: Brooks made a motion to approve REZ07-00011, a rezoning of approximately 45,04-acres of land from Interim Development Office Research Park (ID-ORP) zone to Medium Density Single-Family Residential (RS-8) with a Planned Development Overlay zone for approximately 34.58-acres, Interim Development Single-Family Residential (ID-RS) zone for approximately 8.75-acres, and Interim Development Office Commercial (ID-C01) zone for approximately 1.71-acres; and a preliminary Planned Development of Cardinal Point South, a residential subdivision with a mix of single-family and multi-family residential dwellings subject to: . Staff approval of the stormwater management facility prior to consideration by City Council . Staff approval of the locations and designs of the mailbox clusters . A conditional zoning agreement specifying 1. The section of Kennedy Parkway between Camp Cardinal Road and Camp Cardinal Boulevard will be platted, and the necessary right-of-way will be dedicated and a letter of credit of the cost of installing the water main in this section of the street will be provided at the time of final plat approval. 2. Installation of sub-grade for this section of Kennedy Parkway will be constructed by the applicant and/or owner prior to January 1, 2009 3. This section of Kennedy Parkway will be constructed prior to January 1, 2010 or when the school site (located north of Kennedy Parkway) is developed, or Outlot C of Cardinal Point South is developed; whichever occurs first, and 4. If the sub-grade is not constructed prior to January 1, 2009 or if the road is not built prior to January 1, 2010, issuance of building permits will cease for Cardinal Point South subdivision. Koppes seconded the motion. Planning and Zoning Commission August 16, 2007 Page 5 Miklo clarified that there had been two elevation drawings included in the information packet plus the third drawing which had been distributed prior to the start of the meeting. Plahutnik also seconded the motion. Eastham said he would vote in favor of the motion but he wanted to state for the record that it was clear to him that the development of this application through the rezoning process had added some additional cost to the eventual homeowners of the properties even though higher densities had been obtained. It was not clear to him that the zoning code was quite clearly called for some of the additional requirements. Mailboxes were trivial additional cost. things that were most difficult for him to understand were requirements for two or three alternative elevations for the zero-lot line and in some cases townhouse units; requiring full width trim around the townhouse units. Eastham said he felt that some of those things could have been done and achieved a well designed subdivision and at the same time achieved some kind of cost reduction. Plahutnik said the developer's main motivation was profit and the City/Commission tried to work within that. As they asked for things that would raise the cost(s) they tried to give something back by allowing more development and a little higher occupancy. They tried to keep things in line so the developer could go ahead with their project and make money. Plahutnik said he was aware that Eastham's hot button was low cost housing; his place on the .Commission - he was not concerned either with the profit or in particular low cost housing. Plahutnik's main concern was that 25 or 30 years from now when someone drove through this area they would say that it was a really good addition to Iowa City. For the developer, hopefully buildout would occur way before then, they would be gone and they'd made their money. Some people had a pride such as SouthGate had, others didn't. Other things like the multiple elevations, Soviet block housing was the most egregious example of single face mass development. Hopefully no one would do that in Iowa City however there were areas of town that one could drive through and say, "What were they thinking? This looked like a mini Soviet block development." There were tradeoffs and each person on the Commission might have a different focus. Eastham's focus was low cost housing, Plahutnik said he had other things on his mind which include the long-term livability of the community. Freerks said it was not black and white, the Code allowed them to do such things in a planned development and she didn't see any issue with it. Freerks said she agreed with Plahutnik; looking at the Longfellow Manor there were a lot of units there and work had been done to create a lot of variety and make the units seem more individual. It had been a benefit to the neighborhood. This application was somewhat similar. She supported having neighborhoods that were sustainable and had a lot of variety, she felt this development would be a good development and she looked forward to seeing it. The vote passed on a vote of 6-0 (Smith absent). REZ07-00012, discussion of an application submitted by George Sehl for a rezoning from Intensive Commercial (CI-1) zone to Community Commercial (CC-2) zone for approximately 0.95-acres of property at 805 and 817 South Gilbert Street. (45-day limitation period: 9-8-2007) Miklo said this parcel was part of a larger CI-1 zone to the west and was bordered on the east by CC-2 zone. The north property contained a medical office, the building on the south property was currently vacant and for lease. Buildings further north contained offices, apartments and a bike shop. Kennedy Plaza was to the east, commercial on the ground floor with residential on the second floor. To the south and west was Ralston Creek, there would be no development to the south as it was publicly owned land and contained the creek bed. To the west was also the creek and further west was a warehouse and quasi-industrial uses, Staff felt the rezoning made a lot of sense as the creek provided a natural transition point from the proposed CC2 and the existing CC2 in the area and the more intensive commercial and quasi-industrial area to the west of the creek. The comprehensive plan showed the area as being generally commercial and the area to the south as intensive plan. The text of the Plan talked about the change in character of the neighborhood; Staff felt that that opened the door for the rezoning to CC-2 without doing a major Comprehensive Plan amendment and it was right on the line of the area of a CC-2 zone as shown in the Comprehensive Plan. It was a small enough area that Staff didn't feel an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan was warranted. Planning and Zoning Commission August 16, 2007 Page 6 Gilbert was an arterial street with some congestion. Given the existing buildings on the site, the CC-2 uses would not likely generate more traffic than a CI-1 use. There were good sidewalk networks in the area so it was suitable for pedestrian traffic. Between the two properties there were 34 parking spaces, sufficient for the proposed office use. Staff recommended approval of the proposed rezoning from CI-1 to CC2. Public comment was opened. Charlotte DePew, 1901 Farrel Drive. DePew was there as part of Informed Choice of Iowa Corporation, who held the primary purchase offer to purchase the South Gilbert Street property which was currently for lease. Their offer was contingent upon the rezoning because they were a non-profit medical clinic. Public comment was closed. Motion: Koppes made a motion to approve REZ07-00012, a rezoning from Intensive Commercial (CI-1) zone to Community Commercial (CC-2) zone for approximately 0.95-acres of property at 805 and 817 South Gilbert Street. Brooks seconded the motion. Freerks said it seemed like a common sense thing to do; there was no need to change the Comprehensive Plan in any way to accommodate this. Koppes agreed. The motion passed on a vote of 6-0 (Smith absent) Vacation Item V AC07 -00005, discussion of an application submitted by Hieronymus Square Associates to vacate 102 feet of the north-south alley located in Block 102 subject to the retention of public access and utility easements. Miklo said this area had been rezoned to CB-10 last year; previous to that the City had vacated a portion of the alley right-of-way and an alternative alley right of way was established to maintain circulation through the block. In conjunction with the development of Hieronymus Square, the Commission had vacated a section with the requirement that an alternative alley or public access easement be established in its place. The applicant was now seeking the vacation, it was determined that rather than having an alley it would be better to have a public access. The City would retain the most southern portion of the alley, As Hieronymus Square proceeded and the designs developed the underground parking area would include almost all of the use of the land under the property and the applicant would be seeking permission to use the land under the alley. To make it clear so there would be no liability issues or lease issues involved, Staff recommended vacation of the alley and retaining an access easement so the public could continue to use the property, The applicant had agreed to do all snow maintenance of the alley. A new building on the former Rebel Plaza property is currently under construction. It would have an underground parking access from the southern part of the alley. With the new design of Hieronymus Square, their underground parking which would be devoted to the residential and upper floors, would be accessed through the parking structure, it would be the easiest way to get there and eliminated a lot of ramping and conflicts with sewer and other easements. Staff recommended approval of V AC07 -00005 subject to retention of public access and utility easements. Plahutnik said if this were a transfer of property between two private parties, there would be some consideration involved. It seemed like the consideration that the City was getting was on the applicant's way to plowing their own lot, they were going to plow the alley as they went anyway. It didn't seem like much consideration in exchange for getting a chunk of city downtown property. It seemed like they had been in the business of giving away downtown property for the last couple of years. Holecek said the City did have an obligation to try and get fair market value. The swap in the consideration was rather than trying to do an agreement where the City would still retain all liability issues and try to manage the property above and below, they got the benefit of still having all public access surface rights without having the responsibility of maintenance of any of the concrete or the snow removal. Given that the City had taken the stance that this project was also worthy of TIFFing, Legal Staff felt it was a fair swap given that the applicant was going to absorb most of the property anyway. Miklo said if this was not going to be encumbered by easements, the City would charge the applicant. The public still had the right to occupy and Planning and Zoning Commission August 16, 2007 Page 7 access it. Holecek said the City had one of the most important sticks in the bundle of rights, non exclusivity, meaning that the applicant could not exclude the public so there was still public access. Koppes said the Planning and Zoning Commission was never involved in monetary considerations for right- of-way vacations anyway. Freerks said this one seemed to have a little different flavor than the vacations they usually did. Holecek said it was up to the City Council to determine if they felt it was a fair disposition or not. Public discussion was opened. No public discussion. Public discussion was closed. Motion: Eastham made a motion to approve VAC07-00005, the vacation of 102 feet of the north-south alley located in Block 102 subject to the retention of public access and utility easements. Brooks seconded. The motion passed on a vote of 6-0 (Smith absent). CONSIDERATION OF THE AUGUST 2,2007 MEETING MINUTES: Motion: Brooks made a motion to approve the minutes as typed and corrected. Plahutnik seconded. The motion was approved on a vote of 6-0. (Smith absent) OTHER ITEMS: Memorandum from Karen Howard dated 8/10/2007, regarding REl07-00010 - Sf. Patrick's Church and related NE District Plan amendment. Miklo said Staff had drafted the CZA for the St Patrick Church site and the Miller's property. The Miller's had shared it with their attorney, who had indicated a desire for some flexibility if the Church was not built. He'd asked for the additional clause in the CZA. Staff felt it was consistent with the intent of what was being done and therefore presented it to the Commission. If there was any concern, Staff would take it to the City Council next week. Brooks said it read fine to him. Koppes said it was fine with her. Eastham said he was fine with it. Freerks said she would abstain from comment or participation. Permanent change of informal meeting time to 5:30 pm. Plahutnik said during the holiday season the earlier meeting time would be difficult for him. Consensus by the Commission to move the informal meeting time to 5:30 pm on Mondays until December. December and January informal meeting start time to be reviewed closer to the holiday season. ADJOURNMENT: Motion by to adjourn by Koppes. Seconded by Plahutnik. Motion approved by a vote of 6-0 (Smith absent). The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 pm. Minutes submitted by Candy Barnhill. s/pcd/mi ns/p&z12007/8-16-07 .doc Iowa City Planning & Zoning Commission Attendance Record 2007 FORMAL MEETING Term Name Expires 1/18 2/01 2/15 3/01 3/15 4/05 4/19 5/03 5/17 6/07 6/21 7/12 7/19 8/2 8/16 B.Brooks 05/10 X X X X X OlE X X X X OlE OlE X X X C. Eastham 05/11 X X X X X X X X X X X X X OlE X A. Freerks 05/08 X X X X X X X X X X OlE X X X X E.Koppes 05/12 X X OlE X X X X X X X X X X X X W. Plahutnik 05/10 X X OlE X X X X X X OlE X OlE OlE X X D.Shannon 05/08 X X 0 X X X X X X X X X X X X T. Smith 05/11 X X X X OlE X X X X X OlE X X X OlE Term Name Expires 1129 2/26 4/16 4/30 6/18 7/9 7/16 7/31 B. Brooks 05/10 X X X X X X X X C. Eastham 05/11 X X OlE X X X X X A. Freerks 05/08 X X X X OlE X X X E. Koppes 05/12 X OlE X X X OlE X X W Plahutnik 05/10 X X X X X OlE OlE OlE D.Shannon 05/08 OlE X X X X X OlE X T. Smith 05/11 X X X X X OlE X OlE NFORMAL MEETING Key: X = Present o = Absent OlE = Absent/Excused I];: APPROVED MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 20, 2007 - 7:30 PM EMMA J. HARVAT HALL - CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Brooks, Beth Koppes, Ann Freerks, Charlie Eastham, Wally Plahutnik, Dean Shannon, Terry Smith STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, Adam Ralston, Sara Greenwood OTHERS PRESENT: Bob Porter, Kristine Wingate, AI Streb RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: Recommended denial, by a vote of 7-0, CZ07-0002, the rezoning of approximately 4.99 acres of property located along the north side of Rohret Road approximately % mile southwest of the intersection of Rohret Road and Landon Avenue from Agricultural (A) to Residential (R3). Call to Order: Freerks called the meeting to order at 7:35 pm. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. REZONING ITEM: CZ07-0002, discussion of an application submitted by Streb Investment Partnership for a rezoning from County Agriculture (A) to Residential (R3) zone for approximately 4.99 acres of property located on the north side of Rohret Road approximately % mile southwest of the intersection of Rohret Road with Landon Avenue. Ralston said the purpose of the Fringe Area Agreement was to, provide for orderly and efficient development patterns appropriate to a non-urbanized area, protect and preserve the fringe area's natural resources, accommodate development and economically provide services for future growth and development. The Fringe Area Agreement contained a land use map which identified appropriate land uses; the applicant's property was identified as appropriate for agricultural purposes. The Fringe Area Agreement sought to' discourage development in areas which conflicted with the Johnson County Land Use Plan. The County's Land Use Plan discouraged development in the City's growth area unless it was contiguous to previous outward growth of the City. The application before the Commission would not be in compliance with either the Fringe Area Agreement or with the Johnson County Land Use Plan. The applicant had indicated that a well and septic system would be installed. A purpose of the Fringe Area Agreement was to "...effectively and economically provide services for future growth and development." A well system was not economical; over time as the City expanded outward existing rural residences would be switcher over to City services. Ralston said Staff recommended that CZ07-0002, a rezoning from Agriculture (A) to Residential (R3) be denied because it was inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan and the Fringe Area Agreement. Miklo said because this item was a county rezoning item, the Planning and Zoning Commission would make a recommendation to the City Council who would make a recommendation to the County. The recommend- ations would be reviewed by and a final decision made by the County Board of Supervisors. Planning and Zoning Commission September 20, 2007 Page 2 Plahutnik asked if there was just one house on the property, Ralston said there was not a house on the property. It is currently farmed along as part of the along with an adjacent property owned by the applicant. The surrounding use was agriculture with one house near by. Miklo said in an area zoned agriculture (A), there could be one house on a 40-acre tract of land, Residential (R3) could have one house on three acres of land, Residential (R5) could have one house on 5 acres. Eastham asked what type of surface was the road? Miklo said it was a chip-seal road. Eastham asked where the closest water service was located. Miklo said probably in Country Club Estates. Koppes asked Miklo for Staff's estimate as to when the growth area might reach this parcel of land. Miklo said it was unknown. Highway 965 had been identified as the boundary on the west, it would connect at Highway 1 to Highway 6. It was doubtful if development would occur before 10-years. Plahutnik asked what happened when homes that had existing water and sewer services were annexed into the city. Were those properties forced to begin utilizing City services? Miklo said that was negotiated at the time of the annex; it was one of the main reasons why the Fringe Area Agreement discouraged development on septic systems and private wells. In other situations where such development was in place there was difficulty incorporating them into the city. Eastham asked if Staff had received similar applications prior to this one? Miklo said he could not immediately recall any in Fringe Area C. Some had been requested in Fringe Area B; the City had recommended not approving those applications and the County had complied, In Fringe Area A, an area identified for growth by the County, some applications had been approved because they complied with the Fringe Area Agreement. Public discussion was opened. Bob Porter, 3136 Windy Meadow Lane, said he supported Staff's recommendation to deny this application. He'd also spoken with County Staff to urge them not to approve this application for rezoning. Porter said the history of a property being designated as a Farmstead was that the property had to be at least 10-acres in size to be classified as a Farmstead. Country Club estates already had a lot of infill capacity. This proposed rezoning was not in compliance with the Johnson County Land Use Plan. Kristine Winqate, 3136 Window Meadow Lane, said she and Porter worked for the school system. Development affected the school system; bussing was already an issue. AI Streb, said he owned 220 acres which had been platted for over 100 years, His daughter wanted to build a home and he wanted to give her 4-acres upon which to build it. It would be a good looking home. If he moved just a few yards to the west there would be no permits required. Streb said he owned the 220 contiguous acres of land which abutted this property. There was a dilapidated school house on the property and a rental house which the owner had not kept in repair. The County allowed a house to be built on land zoned agricultural [40-acre parcel size], although he might have to get building permit. Miklo clarified by explaining that one farmstead designation per property was allowed. If a subdivision were requested then the City would review that particular application. Koppes asked how long the Johnson County Land Use Plan and Fringe Area Agreement had been in effect. Miklo thought approximately 6 years. Porter said there had already been one farmstead split of this property. It has been zoned agricultural for a very long time. The Corn Suitability Rating for this area was higher than 65, which was a very high rating. Public discussion was closed. Planning and Zoning Commission September 20, 2007 Page 3 Motion: Brooks made a motion to deny Cl07-0002, the rezoning of approximately 4,99 acres of property located along the north side of Rohret Road from Agricultural (A) to Residential (R3). Eastham seconded. Smith asked if it was unusual to have small parcels of land zoned Agricultural (A). Miklo said it was not unusual, he said they had received applications for rezoning requests for smaller tracts of land an when they did not comply with the fringe area agreement they were not approved. He said that in this case the applicant owns a much larger tract that surrounds this property so that it is still viable for agricultural uses. He said that in Fringe Area C the only recently approved rezoning request was on Kansas Avenue, where one area was zoned to residential but near by area of equal size was rezoned to agricultural. Koppes said that she recalled in that case they were simply moving the residential zoning. Koppes said she felt that the Fringe Area Agreement policy was clear. Plahutnik said he felt that Streb was going to get his house built one way or the other. It was unfortunate that that it had to be done this way and that the same issue would probably come before the Commission again. Smith said he agreed with Plahutnik. Did or would the Commission have any possibility of approving just one house given that this parcel has existed for a long time. Miklo said that there was an issue of consistency. If this one property was rezoned contradictory to the Land Use Plan and the Fringe Area Agreement, then would it be ok to also rezone the property across the street or down the road as well? He said that this area is clearly in the growth area and it is intended to be annexed into the city at some point in the future. He said that there have been difficulties when properties that were developed in the county have been annexed into the city. For example when Lindemann Heights was annexed the properties around Hummingbird Lane were strongly opposed to being annexed. He said that an additional concern for this property was that it is adjacent to the potential location of Highway 965 and that raised the question of the appropriateness of residential zoning. Greenwood said that the State Code and Fringe area were clear as to the rights of the City to regulate development in the Fringe Area. She said the intent was to give closer scrutiny for properties in the growth area to assure that development according to County standards did not interfere with future growth of the city. Freerks said the County Land Use Plan discouraged development in the City's growth area unless it was contiguous to previous outward growth of this city. This parcel did not comply with those criteria. The motion to deny was approved on vote of 7-0. OTHER ITEMS: Estham said he had attended the City Council's meeting on Tuesday evening. There had been a great deal of discussion regarding Camp Cardinal Road and St. Patrick's Church. Two council members had seemed in favor of universal design standards. Eastham said "he did not believe that there were currently any provisions in the Comprehensive Plan or City Code that would require universal design. Eastham said he'd spoken with Wilburn after the City Council meeting; Wilburn had indicated an interest in meeting in January to see if they were on the same page. Eastham asked the Commission if they would be interested in convening a joint meeting with the City Council after the new councilors were elected to discern their level of interest in either setting new policies or if the Commission should be interpreting the current policies differently. Koppes said the Commission received their direction from the City Council. If the Commission wanted to re- direct their focus, they should review the Commission's work list. Freerks said that in the future it would be good if members could confer with the rest of the Commission to obtain the input from the entire Commission before initiating meetings with the City Council. Planning and Zoning Commission September 20, 2007 Page 4 Smith said he would be in favor of a joint meeting, especially since the revised City Code had been in effect for a period of time now. Miklo said there were really two issues at hand. Aesthetics of a parking lot, and Universal Design which applied to accessible housing for persons with disabilities, Brooks said he would like an opportunity in the future to discuss large parking lots. He felt there might be a need to hold unique situations such as this one to higher standards because the parking lot had the potential to sit un-used a majority of the week. If not designed carefully such a large parking lot could become a heat island, perhaps there could be alternative community uses which could be incorporated into the parking lot. Miklo said City Staff had seen a concept plan of the proposed church/campus and were pleased with it. Rather than having one large parking lot, the parking had been broken into three more manageable areas. Staff felt it had the potential to fit into the neighborhood setting; the final plan would be reviewed by the Board of Adjustment. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: Motion: Eastham made a motion to approve the August 16, 2007 meeting minutes as typed and corrected. Brooks seconded the motion. The motion was approved on a vote of 7-0. ADJOURNMENT: Motion: Plahutnik make a motion to adjourn the Commission meeting 8:23 pm. Brooks seconded. The motion was approved on a vote of 7-0. Minutes submitted by Candy Barnhill. s/pcd/mi nslp&zl2007/9-20-07 .doc Iowa City Planning & Zoning Commission Attendance Record 2007 FORMAL MEETING Term Name Expires 1/18 2/01 2/15 3/01 3/15 4/05 4/19 5/03 5/17 6/07 6/21 7/12 7/19 8/2 8/16 9/20 B.Brooks 05/10 X X X X X OlE X X X X OlE OlE X X X X C. Eastham 05/11 X X X X X X X X X X X X X DIE X X A. Freerks 05/08 X X X X X X X X X X DIE X X X X X E.Koppes 05/12 X X DIE X X X X X X X X X X X X X W. Plahutnik 05/10 X X DIE X X X X X X OlE X DIE DIE X X X D.Shannon 05/08 X X 0 X X X X X X X X X X X X X T. Smith 05/11 X X X X DIE X X X X X DIE X X X DIE X Term Name Expires 1129 2/26 4/16 4/30 6/18 7/9 7/16 7/31 B. Brooks 05/10 X X X X X X X X C. Eastham 05/11 X X OlE X X X X X A. Freerks 05/08 X X X X OlE X X X E.Koppes 05/12 X OlE X X X OlE X X W Plahutnik 05/10 X X X X X OlE OlE OlE D.Shannon 05/08 OlE X X X X X OlE X T. Smith 05/11 X X X X X OlE X OlE NFORMAL MEETING Key: X = Present o = Absent OlE = Absent/Excused