HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ Agenda Packet 06.21.2023PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Formal Meeting – 6:00 PM
Emma Harvat Hall
Iowa City City Hall
410 E. Washington Street
Agenda:
1.Call to Order
2.Roll Call
3.Election of Vice Chair
4.Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda
Development Items
5.Case No. CREZ23-0001
Location: 4201 Nursery Ln SE, Unincorporated Johnson County
An application for a conditional use permit to allow a home industry on approximately 3
acres of land zoned County Residential (R3) in unincorporated Johnson County outside the
City’s growth area.
6.Consideration of meeting minutes: April 19, 2023
7.Planning and Zoning Information
8.Adjournment
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact
Anne Russett, Urban Planning, at 319-356-5251 or arussett@iowa-city.org. Early requests are
strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Upcoming Planning & Zoning Commission
Meetings Formal: July 5 / July 19 / August 2
Informal: Scheduled as needed.
Date:
To:
June 21, 2023
Planning and Zoning Commission
From: Parker Walsh, Associate Planner, Neighborhood & Development Services
Re: CREZ23-0001 Conditional Use Permit for 4201 Nursery Ln SE in Unincorporated
Johnson County
Background Information:
Pablo Mejia has submitted a conditional use permit application to the Johnson County Board of
Adjustment for the allowance of a home industry at 4201 Nursery Ln SE, in unincorporated
Johnson County. The subject property is located within in the City/County Fringe Area. The
Johnson County Unified Development Code requires that cities be allowed to review conditional
use permits within their extraterritorial jurisdiction (the area covered by the City/County Fringe
Area Agreement).
It is the role of the Planning and Zoning Commission to make a recommendation on the
conditional use permit to the City Council. The City Council will then make a recommendation to
the Johnson County Board of Adjustment. Conditional use permits in Johnson County require a
4/5 majority vote of the Board of Adjustment to approve if the use is opposed by a vote of the
City Council.
The subject property is zoned County Residential (R3). Adjacent properties to the immediate
north, east, south and west are zoned County Agricultural (A).
Proposed Land Use:
The subject property contains an existing single family home and two warehouses. The
applicant has requested to convert an existing warehouse on the residential property to a home
industry. The proposed warehouse is intended to serve as Super Star Granite LLC, a kitchen
remodeling business to operate between 8am-5pm Monday-Friday. The property also contains
an existing parking area for clients.
Analysis:
When reviewing applications for property located outside Iowa City corporate limits, staff relies
on the policies outlined in the Fringe Area Agreement, which was recently updated. The Fringe
Area Agreement is a component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and applies to areas not
specifically planned for in the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The Fringe Area Agreement is
intended to provide guidance regarding the development of land located within two miles of
Iowa City’s corporate limits. The agreement’s slated purpose is to provide for orderly and
efficient development patterns appropriate to non-urbanized areas, protect and preserve the
fringe area’s natural resources and environmentally sensitive features, direct development to
areas with physical characteristics which can accommodate development, and effectively and
economically provide services for future growth and development.
The subject property is located outside of the City’s growth area. According to the Johnson
County Future Land Use Map, the subject property is designated agricultural. Converting an
existing warehouse to a home industry business would remain a compatible use for the subject
property as Home Industry is a conditional use in both agricultural and residential zones as
noted in the Jonson County Code of Ordinances. The proposed use would remain consistent
June 21, 2023
Page 2
with the intended development pattern of the Future Land Use Map and the Fringe Area
Agreement.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of CREZ23-0001, an application submitted for a County conditional
use permit to convert an existing warehouse to a home industry use intended as Super Star
Granite LLC.
Attachments:
1.Location Map
3.Fringe Area Map
4.Application Information
Approved by: ________________________________________________
Danielle Sitzman, AICP, Development Services Coordinator,
Department of Neighborhood and Development Services
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MINUTES PRELIMINARY
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
APRIL 19, 2023 – 6:00 PM – FORMAL MEETING
EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Susan Craig, Maggie Elliott, Mike Hensch, Maria Padron, Billie
Townsend, Chad Wade
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Liz Craig, Sue Dulek, Anne Russett
OTHERS PRESENT: John Thomas
CALL TO ORDER:
Hensch called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THE CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN:
Thomas noted last week he presented to the Historic Preservation Commission and one thing
they did prior to the meeting was develop a work plan in response to this Strategic Plan, which
he was impressed by. The HPC looked at it critically and developed a response in terms of their
mission as it is reflected in the Strategic Plan so that may be something this Commission would
want to consider.
Thomas noted this Commission met with Council just last night, and he is not sure if any of them
watched the discussion about the rezoning, they have more readings to do, but his concern was
the process, not so much the zoning that it was not, there were no conditions on the rezoning
and insofar as it's in commercial intensive, which is a fairly intense land use. The only other
categories maybe more intense would be industrial, and oftentimes in an intense commercial
zone they will pay special attention as the code calls to address whatever negative impacts may
come from the use that's takes place on those properties that are zoned commercial intensive.
Because they didn't know what the use was that made it difficult to know how to respond to the
impacts, they don't know what the impacts will be.
Hensch noted Thomas is a former P&Z Commissioner so he has more knowledge of P&Z than
probably any other City councilor. When Thomas speaks, he always listens because he's been in
the trenches of it. Thomas stated it’s a great prerequisite if anyone has interest in serving on
City Council. Maybe that's a work action item, developing a short course for City Council
members that so they have some idea how they govern land use in terms of the Comprehensive
Plan and the relationship to the zoning code. Explain what are the zoning codes, what are the
district plans and what actually is the Comprehensive Plan.
Thomas noted he did spend three and a half years on P&Z and while he was there The Billion
Auto Dealership came before P&Z so that particular property did go through a planning and
zoning review and there was a specific plan for that property and there were conditions on the
rezoning. He doesn’t know if it was always applied in that general area but thinks most of the
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April 19, 2023
Page 2 of 16
properties developed went through P&Z and City Council. Last night, the rezoning without any
conditions, the approval is handled administratively so he is concerned about that area and to
simply rezone without knowing what will go there or requiring an application along with the
rezoning for a particular project.
Craig noted that property had been zoned a certain way for a property that never materialized,
and that is why it was to be rezoned back and they have many times rezoned areas without
knowing what is going there.
Padron stated that is their job, they only review the code but shouldn't have to review every
project specifically because once the land is rezoned, they can build whatever the code says.
This Commission shouldn’t be reviewing each project one by one.
Thomas stated in his experience there are examples of why that is not a good thing. The first one
that comes to mind was before he was on planning and zoning and was the Northside
Neighborhood Coordinator. There was a project proposed at the corner of Linn and Bloomington
and had a project associated with the rezoning. The Council at that time denied the project but
approved a portion of the rezoning. The rezoning would have covered three lots and what
Council agreed to were the two lots facing Linn Street, the third lot would have wrapped around
the corner to Bloomington. So they voted down the project, but approve the rezoning. That then
came back as another project, which is the one that is built there now. He found it useful knowing
what the project was as it gave him a sense that not all projects are the same in terms of how
they meet the zoning code and the Comprehensive Plan. It can be helpful to see how the zone is
being interpreted by the project with respect to meeting the language of the Comprehensive
Plan.
Moving on to talking about the Strategic Plan, Thomas stated it does in a sense pertain to what
they are talking about and also issues of public engagement. How do they define and select the
processes on these projects that go through P&Z so that the public has confidence in the
decision making. Especially when there are controversial projects, how do they address them in
terms of ensuring that they don't end up in situations where the community feels that there's
been a lack of transparency or that they weren't heard. Thomas has always felt drawn into Iowa
City politics because of some of the decisions made on land use matters. They were not
optimizing the projects in terms of win/win, it seemed like there were people who were winning,
and there were people who felt they were losing. His feeling was to strive to try to develop
projects where the result doesn’t end in that way. He has been involved in personal projects
where he felt the City did make an effort to try to ensure that happened because we are one
community and this is not a game where there are winners and losers, we're one community. He
has just met too many people who felt burned out by the tensions and struggles that they
encountered while engaging in City politics. Just recently this Commission lost a commissioner
which was unfortunate because his experience and his sensibilities were really valuable to P&Z.
One of the goals of this Strategic Plan is to promote this idea that we are one community,
because they have come together as one community in difficult times, and those difficult times
will continue with respect to what some people call the poly crisis. One of the issues here in
terms of values is the Climate Action Plan. Issues related to climate are in one respect another
symptom of what some people have called the fact that we have exceeded the carrying capacity
of the planet, which has resulted in what is referred to as overshoot. One of the consequences of
that overshoot, exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet, is climate change, but there are
other impacts as well. In Iowa there is soil erosion, there is flooding, nitrates in water quality, a lot
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April 19, 2023
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of things associated with the industrial agriculture are part of exceeding the carrying capacity of
the land in Iowa. They are dealing with multiple issues and faced with all of these issues, one of
his greatest concerns with respect to climate action, and all the other impacts is, do they hold
themselves together as a community. Or do they end up under the stresses and strains of
experiencing trauma on a personal level, or perhaps on a social level. Thomas is looking and
trying to find ways faced with these challenges and difficulties on how they can, through public
processes and building social capital, prepare for the times ahead. It is already challenging and
they're going to continue to be challenging. They live in a time of extraordinary uncertainty.
Council spent a long time on this plan, they started in March and didn’t complete it until the end
of last year. They worked with many other local entities on various issues.
Thomas has been mentioning some of the things regarding partnership and engagement. The
notion of engagement to him is a multifaceted one, he is very interested in seeing if they can't
promote governance at a more local level within the neighborhoods and more localized
communities. His background is in landscape architecture and designing public spaces so he’s
always been fascinated with how to create space in which people can encounter one another. It
can be at different scales, it can be just on a block where you run into your neighbor on the
sidewalk, or it could be in a neighborhood park, it could be the celebration over women's
basketball in front of the Old Capital, having a whole nest of different spaces in which we can
relate to one another as one community or in a smaller neighborhood ideally. It is really
important in building connections with others. COVID really brought home how isolated we can
be, and when we were all sheltering in place it revealed how some neighborhoods are rich in
ways one can relate to others within a five-minute walk of their home, or other neighborhoods
maybe not so much. COVID revealed a lot of the inequities running through the community and
one of them is access to social spaces is not equally distributed.
Thomas stated the biodiverse environment found throughout the community is again one of the
challenges they face in an urbanized setting in a state which is been probably transformed more
than any other state in the country in terms of its land that makes up Iowa. Creating biodiverse
environments is a challenge. Many people would say it's especially true in Iowa with the loss of
habitat, one opportunity in cities is ensuring to have habitat within urban areas. The natural areas
are gardens, personal gardens, parks, all of those can contribute to creating habitat, because
they're short on natural area outside the City.
Hensch noted interestingly, that's one area that's not addressed very well in the Comprehensive
Plan, about trying to rewild or provide habitat, because Iowa really is a monoculture state so they
have to be intentional about creating pollinator habitat and brown bat habitat and those sort of
things that are more friendly to an urban environment.
Thomas stated he has had many conversations with Backyard Abundance and those who are
interested in community gardening and things of that sort, and he agrees, when he initially
moved here he was planting annual vegetables and then realized what he should be doing in his
yard is creating habitat for pollinators and natural habitat for native plants and critters. Maybe
that’s more valuable and he can always go to the farmers market or supermarkets where they
have excellent produce. That growing things from seed every single year and having to break the
ground and fight the multiple waves of weeds through the growing season is a lot. He found it
easier just to plant perennials and enjoy being around all the birds and insects and the flowers
and so forth. What Iowa does have, although it lost probably over 99% of it, was one of the most
beautiful plant communities in the world of the prairie. It's just an extraordinary plant community.
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April 19, 2023
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Reverting to prairie has just been a revelation for him at a backyard level and it is something he
has been trying to promote. They did some plantings in North Market Square, there are perennial
beds, it’s not all lawn. Those are interesting things to do locally and can be a way of building
relationships with neighbors.
Thomas stated his goal is that when people come to City Hall how can they minimize the sense
that they just feel left out or angry with the outcome. He is concerned that when that happens,
they may lose people because they just feel that the process isn't worth their time. Again in his
background of designing public spaces what he found interesting was sometimes working on the
design of a neighborhood park could be a gateway drug to deeper civic involvement due to
engagement on a project makes people feel like they had a role to play. Maybe they'll take on
some of the more challenging issues we have as a community. They've had some success on
this and need to build on it. He is hoping to see more people have a sense of confidence and
interest in city affairs, whatever they may be. There's no question land use is one of the more
challenging issues but to the extent they can try to find common ground that's something he is
always trying to strive for.
Thomas would like to talk with ex-Commissioner Signs in more detail to understand what or if
there were particular things that caused him to resign, what were the stress points. He noted
one issue might have been what to was referred to as the bait and switch on the project north of
the tracks on Myrtle. Again, because they didn't tie the original project to the rezoning, it was not
a condition of that rezoning, so it was possible to go in a different direction without having to
come back.
Elliott noted they still were in the Comprehensive Plan, it was still zoned correctly, they didn't do
anything outside of what that area allows.
Craig stated if the project isn't financially feasible it may have to change and that’s likely what
happened in this instance. But they were very disappointed about that. Thomas stated they
could come back and reapply with a new project.
Russett noted this is something they've talked about with the Commission before. Part of the
reason they have the Riverfront Crossings Master Plan and the form-based code is to make that
process easy for developers. The City adopted a vision and made it clear that they wanted this
property zoned Riverfront Crossings West, that's what it says in the Plan, they adopted specific
form-based regulations for how they want those projects to be developed and that was the vision
and they're staying true to that even though the project changed.
Thomas stated his observation is that because they've done a number of projects through the
form-based code for Riverfront Crossings, some large some small, because the idea with the
form-based code is predictability they don’t have to pay attention to the use, they pay attention to
the form. In the end it's also in a transition zone. The near east side, across from where Blank &
McCune is on College Street is a form-based code project and it's a relatively small site only 125’
deep and maybe 80’ wide. It's two buildings, townhouses along Van Buren, and then on to the
east of that is an apartment building. Where things can be less predictable is when the sites are
larger and the way the code is written, there can be extremely different outcomes, they don't
have the predictability as with a smaller site. That's something he has seen, the projects can
change dramatically, even though both arguably comply with the code, one shouldn't expect that
they will have similarities, there could be considerable differences. That's a concern, those
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April 19, 2023
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differences could play out in terms of what the goals of the Comprehensive Plan are. The
projects, at least in terms of expectations with the form-based code, have been more successful
when they are more or less the size of the projects that were identified in the Riverfront
Crossings Master Plan itself. After years of seeing the code play out, the bigger the project, the
bigger the site, and in many cases these have been consolidated lots like the Gilbane project is
the full block, the Master Plan called for four developments on that block and it’s just one
development now. The other one just added on the other side of the river, west of Riverside
Drive, the project north of the tracks, that was multiple lots, it's a big site, over three and a half
acres, and there's going to be more variability and less predictability the larger the lot size. He is
not saying the code shouldn’t allow for that consolidation the question is, should they
acknowledge that the predictability from project to project diminishes the larger the site.
Padron commented but then what will happen if someone wants to build a project on a plot that
is already in the zone that is supposed to be, that doesn't even come to planning and zoning,
nobody has to review it and they can just build whatever they want. So then, how is that fair just
because someone wants to build something in a site that has a temporary zone that will change
eventually, they have to come to this Commission to get permission on their building, but another
person can build whatever they want, because the site is already on the right zoning code.
Thomas stated how do they carry out these values in terms of the Strategic Plan. Craig feels the
biggest way that they carry out the values is through the public input process. Recently this
Commission had a really good conversation and changed the bylaws to be a little more
regimented in how that public input process happens. The tension between trying to make that
fair for everybody and at the same time acknowledge the level that some people bring to the
conversation is very important to them. It was a good conversation and went along with the
Strategic Plan in trying to get at being an inclusive government and listening to all voices.
Hensch stated another example this Commission has done is increase the distance that they
send out public notices for rezonings and other activities. They also put an increased emphasis
on Good Neighbor meetings. He doesn’t believe they have ever cut off public input, even when
it’s gotten late, everybody has the chance to speak.
Padron stated they also give very good reasons for the votes and always explain, they never just
say no, they explain why.
Elliott noted it's hard to see people not going away feeling like they've been heard with
developments coming into their area that they don't want. Hensch agreed, that's just a human
factor, because it is frustrating on both sides. If people provide their input and then the vote goes
contrary to what their input was they feel like they weren't heard but they are informing the
decision making, they may have not got the output that they wanted, but their input was
respected and heard. Elliott agreed and added sometimes the Commission makes conditions
based on what the public has said.
Townsend stated if they are fair with everyone that comes through here, in the same way, and
using the same rules for everybody, then while they may not be happy, they can’t complain. The
Commission follows the codes, the zones, and do what they are supposed to do. They listen to
the public comments and if they see or hear something that's a little different than they try to
incorporate that input.
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April 19, 2023
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Thomas stated he has watched many of the P&Z meetings and is pleased with the way in this
Commission engages with speakers from the public.
Townsend stated they owe a lot to their leader, Hensch does a great job of keeping things under
control and letting people know what is or not part of the meeting or asking them to wait their
turn.
Hensch noted they likely all have the same feeling that City Councilors do when they hear
negative feedback. The public may write a letter, speak to us, come to meetings and still not get
the vote they want. That is that person’s opinion and perspective, and it doesn’t matter even if
100 other people agree, the Commission has to follow the code, the zones and while what the
public says can inform the decision making, the public is not making the decision.
Elliott stated looping back to the Strategic Plan and biodiversity, can they make that part of the
process somehow to look at the biodiversity of the area and is it being maintained, or can it be
improved. The Commission talks about the swales that are put in and that it is the homeowner’s
responsibility to take care of it, but they often don’t. So at this time of strategic planning can they
look hard at a development and the biodiversity. Is there something that this Commission could
bring forward to the City Council.
Hensch noted the Historic Preservation Commission created a working plan and that is probably
a good idea for what this Commission can do, maybe have a session with one of the agenda
items to be discussing the City's Strategic Plan and how to respond or make some suggestions
to the Council.
Thomas stated he does view this as an opportunity to provide feedback on their own processes
and decision making. Perhaps look at prior decisions that were made with respect to land use
and evaluate which ones were successful and which ones perhaps less so. It would be
particularly good to observe their own decision making and what was the expectation and
understanding of the process and the project, and then observing it once it's constructed to see if
it is in fact a benefit to the community and to the public life of this community. Is it consistent with
the Comprehensive Plan, as that is the charge of this Commission. That would be an interesting
thing to do over time because when he first moved to Iowa City in late 2009 he hadn't read a
comprehensive plan but found it interesting because in all instances with the zones it talks about
compatibility with the neighborhood. He has since gone through neighborhoods and questioned
how this project is compatible with the neighborhood. In some cases a project was approved by
some prior Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council as consistent with the
Comprehensive Plan at that time and is now a rezoned redevelopment. For example, the
multifamily developments in the Johnson Street and Van Buren Street area is a redevelopment
area because of lack of usable open space and crowding and how could that inform them now in
terms of usable open space, the way the buildings are configured, and so forth. What makes for
a successful project as it translates to planning and zoning.
Elliott noted again she feels like they're following what's in the Comprehensive Plan and doesn’t
feel like they can make a decision outside of what's in the Comprehensive Plan for a particular
zone.
Russett stated maybe next to discuss the action steps and those that would end up coming
before P&Z.
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April 19, 2023
Page 7 of 16
Russett stated strategy number one is updating the Comprehensive Plan and zoning code to
encourage compact and diverse housing types and land uses. That is something that the
Strategic Plan calls out that will be coming back to this Commission.
Townsend noted they’ve discussed low income housing many times on this Commission and
how it doesn't work well and the struggle. In Iowa City, where housing is very expensive, it's
more of a struggle than some places.
Hensch pointed to agenda item number five on the residential development analysis, that's not
encouraging. Prices are going to go up if everything stays status quo.
Wade stated it can present a little bit of a challenge when talking about creating more green
space and more area to make it a friendlier neighborhood, because then that decreases the
density. Therefore, a goal of achieving both affordable housing and surplus of housing becomes
conflicting when they also want to try to increase the green space.
Thomas agreed it is a challenge trying to increase density while at the same time create
redevelopment which provides open space. With the Van Buren/Johnson Street area his
observation would be that the apartment buildings were attempting to be of a scale that would be
compatible with the neighborhood, but when they increase density to an RM-44 level, without
going to a four story building height, in order to achieve that between the parking requirements
and the unit densities, there was nothing left for open space, so something in the equation has to
be reconsidered.
Craig noted in a real urban area, there is no open space left. She spends a fair amount of time in
Brooklyn, New York, where her son lives and it was a revelation to the Iowa girl to see the lack of
open space, most people don't even have any kind of yard or a place to park a car, they have
nothing. The houses that do have yards are very small yards, but the public spaces make up for
it because they're everywhere and fairly well maintained. Everyone is in them, rich, poor,
whatever, they're all in the public spaces because the building density drives them into the public
space to be outside, which is not a bad thing.
Elliott thinks of the peninsula where the housing is very close together but they have a public
park. Thomas agreed, they also have the dog park and also the little central park, which is not
very large, maybe 13,000 square feet, but it's a little pocket park easily accessible to the
residents of the peninsula. What happened in the south Burlington Street area was higher
densities and going from single family residential to RM-44 with the parking requirement left no
room for open space. Perhaps they need to acquire some of these properties and consolidate a
couple and create a pocket park.
Craig stated the form-based code is has addressed that to some degree. Thomas agreed
because with form-based code comes higher densities but also the necessity to make sure there
is easily accessible open space in conjunction. In the Comprehensive Plan it talks of not only the
development but the open space opportunities as well. Looking at Riverfront Crossings South
District Plan there's a complete full acknowledgement of this is development and also
acknowledged is the need for well distributed open space. That was a new concept to include a
network of open spaces within the development area when rezoned. There are some
neighborhoods in Iowa City that don't have access to a neighborhood park and is now identified
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April 19, 2023
Page 8 of 16
in the Parks Master Plan. For example, the Lucas Farm Neighborhood, there's Highland Park, a
mini-park, but it would be nice to have a central gathering space and that's in the Strategic Plan.
That was a new concept introduced in the Strategic Plan.
Townsend asked how they are addressing permanent affordable housing and defining what
exactly is that permanent affordable housing. She stated since she has been on the
Commission, that is a term that keeps coming out and places are not affordable for people that
need it. If they want to be fair, they need to address that issue because it's a problem. There are
a lot of poor folks in Iowa City that can't afford this “affordable housing”. Just this past year, a
whole subdivision was just put up on Riverside which tore down a lot of affordable housing.
They are putting up these high rises that are going to be expensive and where are these folks
supposed to go. That may not be the purview of this Commission, but as City Council it should
be. The Forest View development was also a situation of leaving people with no place to go.
Thomas acknowledged Forest View was a tragedy. Again the question of affordable housing is
something he would like to bring to Council to enable the nonprofits, for example The Housing
Fellowship, to have in its portfolio a blend of affordable and market rate housing, with the idea
that the rents from the market rate units combined with the rents from the affordable units would
allow a revenue stream to provide affordable housing. Additionally, if they were to mix market
with affordable in one building, there would be a diversity of occupants in that building. This
should not just be affordable for 10-to-20-year commitments, but permanent. If the nonprofits,
whose mission is to create affordable housing, had a larger percentage of their portfolio at
market rate that would provide them with the income to provide permanent, affordable housing.
It's very difficult in a market that is seeing increases in land values to provide affordable housing.
The City and the nonprofits need to be more aggressive in finding affordable properties to build
on. One of the challenges is once land is rezoned, the land values go up. The land values in
Riverfront Crossings, it's astonishing what they're paying on a per square foot basis. Thomas
stated having seen what land is selling for in Riverfront Crossings this would require a change
and may not be possible. If a developer does in lieu of fees in Riverfront Crossings, those funds
have to be spent in Riverfront Crossings and the cost of land in Riverfront Crossings, from an
affordable housing standpoint, is arguably prohibitive and very expensive. So maybe instead of it
having to be spent in Riverfront Crossings maybe there's a way of expanding the envelope and
spend the money elsewhere where land is less expensive.
Craig noted that would lead to no affordable housing in Riverfront Crossings. Thomas replied
they could look for proximity and try to find something as close to the source of the income as
possible. The land values in Riverfront Crossings are extremely high and the City has $3.8
million in a bank account for affordable housing in Riverfront Crossings but because it's
extremely expensive to purchase land there, one land purchase could easily absorb half that
money. Craig stated it says in the Strategic Plan that it should be dispersed throughout the
community and she absolutely agrees with that.
Thomas stated they develop these documents, like the Strategic Plan and Comprehensive Plan,
and they're inspiring and aspirational but then reality hits, and many parts of Iowa City are not
designed in a manner in terms of their existing layout of the properties, so it's very difficult to
create opportunities for affordable housing. There are limits, unfortunately, to how many
neighborhoods would adapt to missing middle housing, it's not going to happen everywhere and
that's just a built-in challenge.
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April 19, 2023
Page 9 of 16
Townsend noted they need stop saying all these beautiful words and start making some changes
to make it happen. They know they need affordable housing and do not want to see it all in one
part of Iowa City, but the reality is there are areas where it is conducive, the houses that have
been there, the apartments that have been there are being tore down because they're old and be
replaced with high-rise apartment units that are expensive and people can no longer afford those
spaces.
Thomas stated on the agenda for the coming year will be looking citywide at code reform. He
would encourage them to look how other cities have attempted this. It's a very challenging issue
because so many cities have dedicated so much of their land to single family housing and that is
not always accommodating in terms of trying to increase density. Minneapolis, for example, now
allow up to three units on a residential property in a single-family zone, but not many property
owners are taking advantage of it. There are parts of Iowa City that are well adapted to
affordable housing and also well adapted to creating more density.
Thomas noted in terms of the Strategic Plan the impact area of neighborhoods and housing is
probably the most significant piece regarding mobility, economy, all of the things. They are all
interrelated. The other piece he has always argued on Council is that they tend to look at
affordability in terms of just the housing but it's better to look at it as both transportation and
housing, those are the two main expenses of a household. If you combine them, the percentage
that's typically used would be it shouldn't exceed 45% of a household income. So that means if
someone lives in a walkable part of Iowa City, they could spend more on housing because
transportation costs are down.
Hensch stated there's discussions going on to form a watershed management agency for the
middle Iowa River, which would be the Iowa River down to the reservoir and Iowa City is
participating even though none of the City limits are in that area. There's nothing going on about
the lower Iowa River watershed, which is from the reservoir on down to the Mississippi and is
probably the primary geologic feature of Iowa City. He doesn’t understand why they're not paying
more attention to the Iowa River, it’s been the major source of problems in the past with the
flooding and it’s certainly a resource for tourism and recreation. It seems like it's just a
perpetually missed opportunity. Maybe this isn't the place for that but is something to bring up
and how can they not pay attention to the primary geological feature in Iowa City. Water quality
and water quantity are both are going to be bigger issues in the future. Thomas agreed, water
quality in the state of Iowa is one of the most challenging issues the state faces. Hensch added
then water quantity, from the floods to holding all that water back to slow down floods and make
the creeks retain water more in the streams and the different basins.
Thomas stated in terms of flooding and the use of detention basins, that is another interesting
aspect of land use planning. The City just approved that project, Western Homes, and the use of
the detention basin there was treated as a focal element in the development not just a crater
which is what almost always happens when they look at the presentations. In this instance they
were able to incorporate it and actually arrange the development around that water feature. This
again could be an attempt to create gathering opportunities in that central open space with the
water as the central feature. Water and flood control can be used as an amenity and not to just
look like an engineered water detention basin that doesn’t contribute anything to the quality of
the development.
Hensch agrees because right now they're designed to be mowed with turf grass but they always
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April 19, 2023
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end up with invasive species of weeds and saplings and become overgrown. It's really a missed
opportunity. Yes, the primary purpose is water detention but what a great opportunity for some
habitat, for some pollinators and various other things. Maybe they should think about and
recommend that and not just let it all go to turf grass.
Thomas stated coming from the west coast in California, water is scarce there, and one thing
that drew him to the Midwest was there's water all year round. It may be snow, it may be ice, it
may be rainfall, but there is a lot of precipitation all year round here and very green. Typically,
California dries out, its semi desert, and it feels dry, but here it's feels lush and is very green.
The transformation from the dead of winter to the tropical paradise is an astonishing
transformation and water is an important part of that. So if there's ways of trying to capture it, but
develop it in a way which is pleasing and add to the biodiversity of the site, then it's not just
simply trying to mitigate the potential flooding downstream, but to better to retain all these
sources of water that may be coming to the Iowa River before they arrive. Then, how can they
incorporate them in property development so that they're an amenity and not just a way to deal
with the stormwater. ADA is often the same issue, it’s sort of an afterthought of how to
incorporate access, it’s something added at the end of the project and hasn't been deeply
integrated into the site plan. If accessibility was thought of at the beginning of the planning
process it could be so well integrated into the design that it isn’t even noticed as ADA access. In
fact, maybe it's sort of this another interesting way of experiencing the circulation on the site.
There are some wonderful opportunities with ramps and so forth that can be incorporated as
more than just simply providing accessibility and instead choreographing movement in an
interesting way. A lot of the things maybe viewed as burdening in the process actually can
enhance the project if they're viewed in a different way.
Thomas stated mobility and land use are correlated and when he was on P&Z he asked if they
could include transportation under the mission of planning and zoning because the transportation
systems, the mobility networks, and the land uses need to be understood as two sides of the
same coin. To obtain density, they've got to figure out alternatives to the automobile. If there is
an increase in density and everyone's still got car, it’s a nightmare and the cars are going to
crowd out what little space is left. These things have to work in unison. At the same time they
need to make sure the bicycle networks are in place and the pedestrian networks are well
functioning, that they have a good transit service. Most of Iowa City is not designed for transit,
the densities aren't high enough, high density is needed for transit, roughly 20 units per acre to
make transit work. Iowa City has a lot of RS-5 zoning which works well as a commuting system.
Creating little neighborhood commercial pockets where people could walk to the places, require
density to serve it at a scale that's walkable. It's tough to do in RS-5 densities. How can Iowa City
resolve that, well if Iowa City has good bicycle networks, even in RS-5 zones, one can access a
lot in Iowa City by bicycle with good bicycle networks. However not everyone can bike, and
there are the winters. Thomas stated what's interesting is some of the highest bike use is in the
Nordic countries. Probably the most bike friendly city in the world is the artic city of Finland, but
they have the infrastructure and are committed to maintaining that infrastructure. They
understand to have higher densities they have these alternative networks. Even when they have
a snow event they get on their bicycle networks. The snow removal process doesn’t have to be
just for vehicles, it's just a matter of is it a priority or not. Unfortunately, it's seems to be a
chicken and an egg problem. We are promoting bicycling and thought when we expanded the
network we'd see more people on bicycles but that doesn’t seem to be the case around town.
Maybe it is because of the on-street systems and bicyclists don't feel safe using them, maybe he
is wrong and people are actually using them. Additionally, the trail system here is incredible, but
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April 19, 2023
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the on-street network concerns him. This is why they revisit things, they make decisions, whether
it's zoning, transportation policy, etc., but it's important to revisit decisions and see how well they
turned out and do they need to make changes. He learned in his work as a landscape architect,
every decision was in effect a hypothesis as to how that park was going to work and, in a way it's
the same with planning and zoning. It's a hypothesis, we think it's going to work, it's consistent
with the Comprehensive Plan so it probably will work but they need to verify these things.
Hensch agrees with the whole quality improvement of plan, do, check, act and circle back in land
use but how long do they wait before they act. When is it right to say something isn’t working.
That a difficult question.
Thomas stated with the bike paths, they did the Bike Master Plan five years ago, so it seems like
maybe now it's time to just see how they're doing and what parts of the system are working and
what parts aren't. Also what might they have learned or can learn from other countries that are
pursuing bicycle networks, because his observation is that in the last 10 years one of the areas
that has really changed is of understanding how to design a bicycle network. Standards are just
in constant flux. For a while it was the lanes on the street are defined by paint on the ground, but
the new standard is protected bike lanes, and some vertical element defining that bike lane, for
the user to feel safe, at least on major streets. There may also be an acknowledgment that
maybe that isn't even enough and they actually need to separate those lanes from the traffic in
some fashion. What was the answer before may not be the answer now.
Hensch thanks Thomas for coming and speaking with the Commission, he got their creative
juices flowing to put this on the future agenda and see what they can come up with.
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THE 2022 IOWA CITY RESIDENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS:
Russett explained this is an annual analysis that staff puts together on residential development
within Iowa City. Piggybacking on the conversation about housing affordability, this impacts
housing affordability in Iowa City for sure. What they looked at was residential subdivision data,
building permit data, related tracks, short- and long-term development patterns as a really an
important part of planning and making sure that Iowa City can accommodate the growth and the
population projections anticipated. They looked at final plats, this Commission doesn't view final
plats, but it's the next step after preliminary plat and once Council approves the final plat, it's
really creating those lots for new development. Staff looked at final plats, building permits and
then single family, duplex and multifamily developments.
Some of the takeaways is that 2022 continued the trend of low levels of residential lot creation.
The number of dwelling units permitted through the building permit process did increase slightly
from 2021 but the City is still seeing fewer units permitted than before the pandemic. Permit
activity continues to outpace the creation of new lots. They are seeing a diminishing supply of
residential lots in the City and if residential growth continues at this pace the City will only be able
to accommodate less than 6300 new residents by 2030, when the growth projection is over
10,000. Redevelopment can provide some additional housing but the City is still on track to
experience unmet demand and deplete its supply of all vacant lots.
Russett showed the final plat activity and a chart that showed the anticipated dwelling units
based on lots that have been plotted for 2022. The chart also showed the 10-year average and
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April 19, 2023
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the 30-year average. In 2022 only two residential final plats were approved which included 18
single family lots, part of Sand Hill Estates, south of Weatherby Park, and the one lot that was
created for the senior housing facility over by Hickory Hill Park which can accommodate about
158 units. The one lot for Hickory Trails will actually just be beds, so it's not technically new units,
but it does help address some of the residential needs.
Russett explained this was the fewest single family platted lots since 1990. There were zero
duplex lots created. The 10-year average for single family is 128 lots, and again Iowa City had 18
last year. The 30-year average is 133. Lot creation tends to occur in cycles and Iowa City is in a
downturn so hopefully it goes back up. Looking at some of the charts that show the number of
lots plotted over a period of time it will show a better sense of that roller coaster effect. Starting
in 1990 there was a peak in 1999, 2003 and then more recently in 2015. Since 2015 it's gone
down and obviously there was a downturn during the Great Recession around 2008. Looking at
building permit activity, Russett shared a chart showing dwelling units based on building permits
issued. In 2022, for single family, there were 95 permits issued, 2 duplexes, and 266 multifamily
units. Again, compared to the 10 year and 30 year averages it's down. There was an uptick from
2021 as there were fewer building permits issued in 2021. Duplexes are harder to track because
it's not as steady and there's more variation with duplex units, but it is lower than the long-term
averages. In terms of multifamily, 2022 was an increase from 2021, but again it's lower than the
longer-term averages. Russett also pointed out, from the 266 units 249 of those were from one
project in 2022. She showed the longer-term data going back to 1990 and there was a big spike
in 2016, which corresponds with the spike in lots created in 2015. Also with the Riverfront
Crossings Master Plan being developed and implemented there was an uptick in development
activity after that, but since that time it's trended down.
Staff next looked at vacant lots, vacant single family and duplex lots all across the City for
development potential however, they looked at whether or not those lots have infrastructure or if
infrastructure was not yet provided. They are seeing that single family and duplex lot supply has
decreased over time and the units permitted exceed the new lots that are created, at least since
1990. Based on the trends from 2012 to 2021 this supply of lots will last two years for single
family, and that's down from 2.7 years in 2021, and 2.4 years for duplex units. Unlike the analysis
done in 2021, the 2022 analysis is more comprehensive and includes all of the vacant lots in
Iowa City and so indicates the deficit in single family and duplex lot supply being larger than they
had thought it was last year. Looking at vacant multifamily lots, multifamily units permitted
exceeded the lots created since 1990. Unlike single family and duplex though that's not
necessarily a bad indicator because a lot of multifamily development doesn't rely on new lots
created its more redevelopment and infill unlike single family and duplex. However, based on the
2012 to 2021 development trends, the supply of lots will last 1.8 years for multifamily units.
Redevelopment of existing lots would extend that timeline and there's still capacity for additional
units on partially developed lots that weren't included in this count. Staff didn't look at
underutilized sites or sites that are could potentially see some redevelopment in the near future
when looking at vacant lots.
Looking forward, the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County projects a demand
for over 10,000 new residents in Iowa City by 2030. Based on these development trends, Iowa
City will fall short of the housing needs and the development needed to accommodate those new
residents. Just 2600 new residents would be accommodated if all vacant and residential lots
were developed, 3100 new residents would be accommodated based on average annual lot
creation trends. Iowa City would be able to house another 3100 residents, not the 10,000
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April 19, 2023
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expected. Almost 6300 new residents would be accommodated based on the average annual
building permit trends from 2020 to 2022. However, the most optimistic scenario, which is around
2300 new residents, all currently plated vacant lots would need to be built on including those that
don't currently have infrastructure. An additional 689 single family, 30 duplex and 935 multifamily
units would need to be plated over the next seven years and this would still only accommodate
61% of the projected growth that is anticipated in Iowa City.
Russett reviewed the key trends that show continued low levels of residential lot creation and
permit activity continues to outpace the creation of new lots. Despite this, the number of dwelling
units developed has increased over the past 30 years, primarily due to multifamily redevelop,
primarily in Riverfront Crossings which does not depend as heavily on the creation of new lots. If
residential growth continues at this pace, the City will only be able to accommodate less than
6300 new residents by 2030. While redevelopment provides additional housing, the City is on
track to experience unmet demand and deplete its supply of vacant lots.
Russett next discussed the implications of this with regards to housing affordability. Housing
supply isn't the only factor that impacts housing affordability, but it is a major factor. They need
more housing, the lack of supply can lead to increased competition for a limited supply of
residential lots, and the cost of housing goes up. There are also environmental impacts. If Iowa
City can’t accommodate the growth within Iowa City, it has to go somewhere. It could go to Tiffin
or North Liberty, further away from more employment centers, which is going to increase car
dependence and traffic congestion. Therefore, staff thinks it's really important to continue
encouraging residential growth in the areas where it's appropriate, especially infill locations with
access to City services, and within those areas that are designated growth areas that are
anticipated at some point be annexed into the City.
Hensch noted this is very sobering and presents some challenges because it seems pretty clear
that this will put increased stress on affordability. Another thing is these people will move
somewhere, they're leaving the small counties, most counties in Iowa are shrinking, and people
are moving to the urban areas including Iowa City as one of the faster growing urban areas. But,
if they can't live in Iowa City where they work (UIHC or UI) then they'll live in a surrounding area
which means they're driving to work. That would hurt the environmental goals. Additionally, it is
not addressing affordability. One of the things the City actually has some control over is volume,
creating the opportunity for more structures to get built for people to live in. Iowa City has to
make sure they are not doing anything that is discouraging housing and housing opportunities
because those houses are getting built, they're just not getting built in Iowa City.
Craig asked if housing construction is down everywhere because it costs so much more since
2020. People are choosing to live elsewhere and maybe more housing is being built in North
Liberty and Tiffin, but they're probably not happy with the number of houses they've had built in
the last two years, either.
Hensch noted they can't control the financial end or how people finance their new construction or
their homes but they need to make sure they're not putting up any roadblocks and actually find
ways to encourage people to live here. There's something wrong with the society when one
can't live in the community they're working in, that's a real red flag being waved. People that are
in service positions at the University or the hotels or whatever can’t afford to live in Iowa City and
that needs to be addressed, that’s an affordability problem and it’s only going to get worse.
Planning and Zoning Commission
April 19, 2023
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Padron stated there is a town in Colorado, which is a really good example, because it's in the
mountains and the houses are very expensive, but then the coffee shops cannot hire anybody
because service people cannot live there. That could be also a problem for Iowa City too. HyVee
will have less applications if people cannot live here. Sometimes people may choose to travel
here to work and choose somewhere else to live. Another thing is the City Manager mentioned
at the last Council meeting that three quarters of the City’s revenue comes from residential taxes.
That's also a huge problem for the City to consider.
Hensch noted they are never supposed to consider when approving a rezoning the fact that the
City is financed by property taxes but it is always in the back of his mind. To have a healthy,
vibrant city, they have to have the financial resources to provide that healthy, vibrant city.
Wade asked if they have any benchmark data to compare to neighboring communities. Russett
said that is a good question, but she doesn’t know what the numbers look like for other
jurisdictions but would agree with what Craig said in that they are also probably seeing fewer
units and housing come online.
Wade noted when driving around it does feel like the growth is maybe a little bit outside of the
City and the fringe area. There is a lot of development by Liberty High School, which kind of falls
outside the Iowa City jurisdiction. The construction industry is facing increased labor costs, a lack
of people to do skilled trades, and increased land cost and materials cost. There is a lot out of
their control but what they can control is to continue to be a good partner in a project and
pushing it forward. Sometimes they may get caught up in the perfect project versus what fits the
area.
Craig lives on the east side of town and most of her shopping and errands and places she goes
are on the east side of town. Remember they just approved a considerable housing development
on the corner of Scott and Rochester. Also out on American Legion Road there are houses still
being built out there. noted that's in the County. Community View on American Legion Road is in
the City and they have infrastructure.
Russett stated that is true, however take the Scott and Rochester development, it takes a year to
get the infrastructure in place. The final plat was approved last month so maybe they will start
putting infrastructure in but that's plated for 2023 because no one will probably be building a
dwelling there for a year.
Craig asked where they see the growth, she has been anxious to see something in the areas
changed to form-based code. Russett said there is nothing in the pipeline yet in the new form-
based code area. Craig noted there is another place being development off Gilbert on the way to
Terry Trueblood, Cherry Creek. Hensch said it’s turning out to be really an ideal development
with multifamily, single-family, townhouses, a nice little layout.
Russett stated regarding the new form-based code area, Navigate Homes owns a lot of land
south of Wetherby Park and staff has had conversations with them so at some point they're
going to move forward in that area but right now they're building homes out on Camp Cardinal
Boulevard. They also were involved in the new self-storage facility in the South District in
Pepperwood Plaza. That is the retail and restaurant space where Royceann Porter's new
restaurant is.
Planning and Zoning Commission
April 19, 2023
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Wade asked if it's going to take a while to get the project done that has the City services ran
under Highway 218. Russett believes that construction is planned for this year.
Padron noted this will be very good information for new commissioners. It is very eye opening
and very scary. But she is hopeful because COVID was big and heavily impacted everyone in all
the communities but by 2030 hopefully it will be recovered and maybe building again.
CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: APRIL 5, 2023:
Craig moved to approve the meeting minutes from April 5, 2023. Townsend seconded the
motion, a vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0.
PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION:
Russett reported it was busy last night at the Council meeting. The Riverfront West final plat was
approved, the Western Homes preliminary plat out by St. Andrew Church was approved, and the
Melrose Commercial Park Subdivision on Melrose was approved with the vacation of Grand
Avenue Court also approved. Council also did approve the first reading of the Dane rezoning on
Mormon Trek.
Wade asked if it had any conditions with it. Russett replied it did not end up with any additional
conditions. Hensch noted it's very difficult to add conditions if they don't know the project and
they didn’t have to submit a project when they asked for rezoning, they are not required to have
a concept plan.
Hensch noted on the next agenda they will need to have an election of a vice chair because he
will be gone in June so somebody's going to have to run a meeting.
Craig noted the vacancy was listed and they are accepting applications. They're also accepting
applications for the two vacancies that are up July 1, which is Townsend and Wade, so they're
going to need new people. Wade can reapply and he'll can be reappointed since he hasn't been
here very long. Townsend has also only done one term so can reapply as well.
ADJOURNMENT:
Townsend moved to adjourn, Elliott seconded, a vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0.
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
2022-2023
7/6 8/3 9/7 10/19 11/2 11/16 12/7 12/21 1/4 1/18 2/15 3/1 4/5 4/19
CRAIG, SUSAN X X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X
ELLIOTT, MAGGIE X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
HENSCH, MIKE X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
NOLTE, MARK O/E O/E O/E -- -- --- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
PADRON, MARIA X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X
SIGNS, MARK X X X X O/E O/E X X X X O/E O/E X -- --
TOWNSEND, BILLIE X X X X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X
WADE, CHAD --- --- --- --- X O/E X X X O/E X X X X
KEY:
X = Present
O = Absent
O/E = Absent/Excused
--- = Not a Member