HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-02-17 Public hearing NOTZCE OF PUBL?C HEAR.ZNG
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will
be held by the City Council of Iowa City, Iowa,
at 7'.00 p.m. on the seventeenth day of
February, 2004, in Emma .~. Harvat Hall, 410 E.
Washington Street, Iowa City, Towa, or if said
meeting is cancelled, at the next meeting of the
City Council thereafter as posted by the City
Clerk; at which hearing the Council will consider:
An ordinance amending the zoning code
regarding requirements for religious institutions
in the Commercial Office (CO-l) Zone.
A copy of the proposed ordinance is on file for
public examination in the office of the City Clerk,
City Hall, Iowa City, Iowa. Persons wishing to
make their views known for Council
consideration are encouraged to appear at the
above-mentioned time and place.
I~IARI~AN K. KARR, C~I-Y CLERK
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
January 9, 2003
To: Planning and Zoning Commission
From: Karen Howard - Associate Planner
Re: Religious institutions in the Commercial Office Zone
The City recently received a request from The Church in Iowa City to amend the
requirements for religious institutions in the Commercial Office Zone (CO-1). The
church is in the process of purchasing property at 2040 Keokuk Avenue in the CO-1
Zone with the intention of reusing the existing building as a religious institution. At your
meeting on December 4, the Commission directed staff to analyze the merits of this
Code amendment request.
Currently, a church may locate in the CO-1 Zone, if it meets the conditions in Article L of
the Zoning Code. The standards listed in Article L are as follows:
The lot where the church is located must be at least 40,000 square feet in size;
· The church must have vehicular access to an arterial or collector street or to a street
with paving wider than 28 feet;
· The building must be set back from all lot lines at least 2 feet for every foot of
building height.
It is the minimum lot size requirement that presents a problem for The Church in Iowa
City. The setback requirement may also present an obstacle for the applicant, because
they intend to re-use the existing building, which may not be set back far enough to
meet the standard.
The provisions in Article L of the Zoning Code were established as a means to buffer
residential uses from large religious institutions. These standards apply in all of the
residential zones where churches are allowed. The CO-1 Zone is the only commercial
zone where the requirements of Article L apply, presumably because the CO-1 Zone is
sometimes used as a buffer zone between residential zones and other commercial
zones. In the Neighborhood Commercial (CN-1) Zone, the Community Commercial
(CC-2) Zone, the Central Business Service (CB-2) Zone, the Central Business Support
(01~-,5) Zone, and Central ~usiness (0~-t 0) Zone churches are allowed by special
exception, but no special dimensional standards apply. Churches are a permitted use
in the Intensive Commercial (C1-1) Zone and are not allowed in the Highway
Commercial (CH-1) Zone.
Allowing churches by special exception in the commercial zones without specific
dimensional requirements provides the Board of Adjustment flexibility to consider each
application for a religious institution in a commercial zone on its own merits. Where the
property abuts a residential property, the Board often requires additional screening or a
buffer area, and carefully considers the traffic impacts of the institution.
Requiring a large lot for religious institutions in the CO-1 Zone does provide some
assurance that there will be enough .land to buffer any externalities for nearby
residential uses. However, it is just as likely for property in the CN-1 or CC-2 Zone to
be adjacent to a residential zone as it is for a property in the CO-1 Zone. Given the
wide variation in commercial sites, it may be unreasonable to require nearly an acre for
a religious institution, when other uses such as offices, retail uses, meeting halls, clubs,
and hospitals are allowed on smaller properties with no additional setbacks. The
requirements of Article L may also limit opportunities forsmaller churches to locate in
Iowa City by requiring a large amount of land, regardless of the size of the church.
Amending the Code to allow religious institutions in the CO-1 Zone by special
exception, without being subject to the provisions of Article L, will provide the flexibility
for churches of various types and sizes to locate in the CO-1 Zone. This change will
also allow the Board of Adjustment the power to establish appropriate screening and
buffering, similar to the regulation of churches in other commercial zones in Iowa City.
Therefore, staff recommends that the Zoning Code be amended as follows:
Delete the following paragraph from subsection 14-6E-1C. Provisional Uses:
Add the following paragraph to subsection 14-6E-1D. Special Exceptions:
6. Reliqious institutions.
(The remaining paragraphs in subsection 14-6E-1D should be renumbered
accordingly.)
Approved by:
Robert Miklo, Senior Planner
Department of Planning and Community Development
ATTACHMENTS:
· Letter from the Church in Iowa City
THE CHURCH IN IOWA CITY
1014 SUNSET, IOWA CITY, IOWA 52246
20 November 2003
Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission
410 E. Washington Street
Iowa City IA 52240
Dear Commission:
We, the church in Iowa City, are in the process of purchasing the commercial property at
2040 Keokuk, Iowa City IA 52240 as a place of meeting for the church
It has been brought to our attention that there is consideration for a revised code that
specifies the size of the property that a church may purchase for its meetings. We were
not aware of this rule when we made an offer on this commercial property. A private
inspection of the building has already been done, our offer has been accepted by the
seller, and we are requesting permission to go ahead with the purchase, hoping to close
on the property in January.
It is our request that the code be changed to allow us to purchase this site. We believe that
this change will give us the opportunity, as a small church, to expand affordably and, at
the same time, have a proper place to meet and worship God.
As time is of the essence for all parties which includes both the buyers and sellers, and
the time frame for interest rates at our bank, we ask that this request be considered at the
December 4th Commission meeting. We are in hopes, trusting God, that you will fmd our
request acceptable and act upon it so that the closing can take place as planned.
Very Sincerely,
Duane Brenneman, Robert Nelson,
President Vice-President
cc: Tracy Barkalow, Coldwell Banker
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the City Council
of Iowa City will hold a public hearing on the 't7th
day of February, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. in the Emma
J. Harvat Hall of the Iowa City City Hall, 4'10 E.
Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa, or if said
meeting is cancelled, at the next meeting of the
City Council thereafter as posted by the City
Clerk; at which hearing the Council will consider
a Resolution Authorizing Conveyance of '1927
Grantwood Street, also described as Lot 153 in
Mount Prospect Addition Part III, Iowa City, Iowa,
to a Iow-income family.
Copies of the proposed resolution are on
file for public examination in the office of the City
Clerk, City Hall, Iowa City, Iowa. Persons wishing
to make their views known for Council
consideration are encouraged to appear at the
above-mentioned time and place.
MARIAN K. KARR, CITY CLERK
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the City Council of
Iowa City will hold a public hearing on the 17th day
of February, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. in Emma J. Harvat
Hall, City Hall of the City of Iowa City, 410 E.
Washington Street, Iowa City, iowa, or if said
meeting is cancelled, at the next meeting of the
City Council thereafter as posted by the City Clerk;
at which hearing the Council will consider a
Resolution Author[zing Conveyance of the west
one-half of a twenty foot wide by eighty foot long
vacated portion of the alley located between Lots
4 and 5, Block 15, County Seat Addition, adjacent
to 729 South Capitol Street to Eagle View
Properties, LLC.
Copies of the proposed resolution are on file for
public examination in the office of the City Clerk,
City Hall, Iowa City, Iowa. Persons wishing to
make their views known for Council consideration
are encouraged to appear at the above-
mentioned time and place.
MARIAN K. KARR, CITY CLERK