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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-02-2003 Planning and Zoning CommissionREVISED AGENDA #2 (9/26/2003 at 1:00) Agenda Informal Meeting Planning and Zoning Commission Monday, September 29, 2003 - 7:30 ****** RECREATION CENTER MEETING ROOM B ****** 222 SOUTH GILBERT STREET Agenda Formal Meeting Planning and Zoning Commission Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 7:30 p.m. Emma J. Harvat Hall (Iowa City City Hall) A. Call to Order B. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda C. Announcement of Vacancies on City Boards and Commissions D. Zoning / Development Item: 1. SUB03-00028/REZ03-00020: Discussion of an application submitted by Southgate Development for a rezoning of 119.94 acres from Interim Development Single-Family and Multi-Family Residential (D-RS and [D-RM) to Planned Development Overlay, OPDH-5 and a Preliminary Plat of Sandhill Estates, a 146.48-acre, 378-1ot subdivision located south of Pepperwood Addition and east of South Gilbert Street. (45-day limitation period: October 25, 2003) E. Development Item: 1. SUB03-00036: Discussion of an application submitted by Kennedy-Hilgenberg Enterprises for a preliminary plat of Wild prairie Estates, Part 5, a 35-1ot, 25.77-acre residential subdivision located north of Wild Prairie Drive. (45-day limitation period: October 26, 2003) APPLICANT REQUESTED DEFERRAL OF WILD PRAIRIE ESTATES PART 5. F. Other: 1. Discussion of Capitol Improvement Program. G. Consideration of the September 18, 2003 Meeting Minutes. H. ADJOURNMENT I ~ ~&_ Zoni~o_mmission Meetinl~s: nt0r~m, al ~ ~ct°.ber !~3 _~ N°vember 3 November~~ 5)ecember 1 December 15 ~ _L octol0er 16 ~ ~~ Novembe~-~ 1 December ~ December 18 January 12 January 15 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: September 26, 2003 To: Planning and Zoning Commission From: John Yapp, Assistant Transportation Planner'~',~y~,~,.-~ Re: Additional information related the Sandhill Estates preliminary plat and rezoning request (SUB03/00028/REZ03-00020) A number of questions and requests for additional information were raised at the September 18 Commission meeting. This memorandum is a summary of that additional information. Lot count compared to Arendt concept plan The Sandhill Estates preliminary plat contains 36 fewer lots than the Arendt concept plan, upon which the preliminary plat is based. Arendt concept plan: 300 single family lots (all smaller than RS-5 lots) 114 narrow single family lots 414 total, with apartments and commercial shown on outlots A&B Preliminary plat: 307 single family lots (including approx. 36 RS-5 size lots) 71 narrow single family lots 378 total, with outlots A&B designated as future development Many of the lots were "lost" in the translation from the Arendt concept plan to the preliminary plat due to City street design requirements that were not fully taken into account in the Arendt plan. Specifically, 'smoothing out' the Sandusky Drive collector street curvature in order to meet City requirements resulted in the loss of some lots. Similarly, some of the narrow 30-foot lots had to be re-designed to meet street frontage requirements and to resolve fire access issues. Stormwater management As proposed, the linear-basin stormwater management system can be a wet system (standing water in basins) or a dry system (basins fill with water during rain event, then drain). The basins are a terraced system that directs water to the south and east. Terraced systems such as this are suitable for relatively flat terrain; for example the South Sycamore Greenway system is essentially a system of terraced basins. The information submitted to the City indicate a system of wet basins, however the applicant has indicated they may implement dry basins for ease and cost of maintenance. This can be done within the existing design by altering the depth of intakes and stormwater pipe. City staff is comfortable with the preliminary design of the basin system and capacity calculations. Acceptance of central open space The Director of the Parks and Recreation Department has agreed to accept the central open space (Outlot I) sooner in the development process than is typical for public open space. Typically, open space is not accepted until 90% of the lots in the subdivision are developed and the open space is prepared to be used by the public. However, in this case, the open space will not be groomed in the same way a playground area would, and there is public interest in being able to undertake prairie restoration / creation on this parcel of open space. Outlot I may be accepted as soon as the first final plat is approved, assuming it is platted as a lot with adequate street access. Prairie restoration and maintenance Staff has discussed the potential for prairie restoration and maintenance with the Parks and Recreation Department, Fire Department, and a few experts in the field of prairie management. All parties agree that burning is preferable to mowing as a method of eliminating unwanted and dead foliage. Burning is less expensive, more successful, and mimics the natural prairie fires that the prairie ecosystem evolved with. Mowing needs to be done more often, and must include baling and removing much of the material that has been mowed, so it is very labor intensive. However, as homes are constructed around this open space, burning becomes more problematic from a safety and nuisance perspective, and burning must be balanced with public safety. Burning adjacent to residential development requires very specific wind and barometric conditions to ensure smoke and fire do not impact adjacent homes. The Fire Department does have a permit process for open burning, which includes setting requirements for weather conditions, time of day, setbacks from structures, mowed barriers, and other conditions necessary to ensure the safety of surrounding structures. In general discussions about this open space, staff has discussed more widespread burning of this area as an early strategy, before it is ringed by homes. As restoration occurs, and as homes are established, a transition to mowing may be a long-term strategy, with smaller-scale burning being a possibility in segments of this open space as necessary. Since the area will come under public ownership sooner rather than later, the city or a city-approved conservation group will be able to work on this parcel before extensive development occurs around it. Correspondence Staff has attached some correspondence received regarding this development proposal, including a letter from Randall Arendt, the designer of the concept plan used as a basis for the Sandhill Estates proposal. Consistent with staff, Mr. Arendt suggests removing lots from the north side of Covered Wagon Drive adjacent to Outlot I, in order to preserve views into this open space. Views into the central open space is an important design element of this type of development, whether the open space be prairie restoration, golf course, woodland, or a park such as Willow Creek Park. Also consistent with staff, Mr. Arendt discusses the benefit of requiring the garage to be visually subordinate to the faCade of the house, in order to preserve the residential appearance of the neighborhood, as opposed to an appearance dominated by garages. Staff has discussed this with the applicant, and has shared some home designs that would meet the proposed criteria to ensure the garage does not dominate the faCade of the house, as outlined in the September 18 Sandhill Estates staff report. Some of these home designs are found in recent Iowa City subdivisions, including the neighboring Southpointe subdivision. Staff feels some criteria for garage placement is necessary for sub-60 foot wide lots to preserve a RS-5 single-family appearance for the neighborhood The applicant is considering this issue, and the designs staff has shared as examples of homes that would meet the intent of the garage criteria. If this issue is not resolved by the Commissions October 2 meeting, staff would recommend the application be deferred to allow for further discussion. Alley adJacent to open space At the Commissions September 18 meeting, there was some discussion of the possibility of having narrow-lot homes with alley access back onto Outlot I, the central open space. Having an alley along a border of the open space is actually a design element of the original Arendt design plan. It would be a similar design to the narrow-lot homes on Irving Avenue, which have rear garages and an alley adjacent to a private open space and the Willow Creek corridor and trail (see photos below). In staff's opinion, this type of design is not objectionable provided there is some landscaping along the alley to soften the garage-scape facing the open space. Rear view of narrow-lot homes from open space behind Irving Avenue Rear view of narrow-lot homes from open space behind Irving Avenue Rear view of narrow-lot homes from open space behind Irving Avenue Randall Arendt 43 Prospect Avenue Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882 (401) 792-8200° rgarendt@cox.net Memo To: Iowa City Planning & Zoning Commission c/o Mr. John Yapp 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 From: Randall Arendt Date: September 22 2003 RE: Sandhill Estates I have reviewed Southgate's Preliminary Plan for Sandhill Estates, which closely parallels my original concept plan for the property. With a couple of minor modifications (outlined below), I enthusiastically support the application. 1. I believe that the layout would be greatly enhanced by relocating five lots away from Covered Wagon Drive, to increase views of the prairie open space with an additional 300 feet of unobstructed street frontage. I would whole- heartedly support repositioning those lots in various other parts of the neighborhood, by tweaking the layout here and there, which I believe can be done. I would urge the City to encourage conservation subdivisions by not being too stringent on the overall density, as sensitive site design benefits the City and future neighborhood residents too. As you know, the overall unit count has already been cut by about 35 lots, so there is really no more room for cutting back, and still having a project that is worthwhile doing from an economic perspective. 2. I would suggest that front-facing garage doors be visually subordinated by several architectural enhancements. For example, on page 146 of my third book ("Conservation Design for Subdivisions"), there is an illustration of an attractive house with 2400 sq. ft. of floorspace that is 32 feet wide. I included it in the book because its garage doors are down-played by two architectural enhancements. First, they are part of an entire 2-1/2 story elevation, with two windows and two gables above, which integrates the garage element with the house element. Second, the front porch roofline extends all the way across the entire facade, including above the garage doors themselves. A third item to mention is that the garage doors should be painted to match the color of the siding on the house, not the trim color (i.e., definitely not white). That would also help the garage to blend in with the rest of the structure. In addition, I would like to say that I fully support the development of Outlot A into higher density multi-family housing, and Outlot B into commercial, as shown on my original concept plan. These are areas that I feel should all be planned together, as complementary land-uses in a multi-use conservation subdivision. To the extent that Outlot B could also be developed with some second-story as residential, as was done in the shopping center where Southgate has its offices on Mormon Trek Blvd. that would be an excellent opportunity to provide some mixed uses at this intersection of two arterials. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at the above number. Randall Arendt Cc: Glenn Siders IT' From: Sent: To: Subject: Bob Miklo Thursday, September 25, 2003 12:10 PM John Yapp FW: Sand Prairie Importance: High ..... Original Message ..... From: I. nugent [mailto:lynne-nugent@uiowa.edu] Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 9:40 AM To: planningzoning@iowa-city, org Subject: Sand Prairie Importance: High Dear Planning and Zoning Commission: I am concerned about the Sandhill Estates development, which will be discussed at your meeting October 2. The design has changed from what was presented to community members wishing to preserve the sand prairie, and what was designed by conservation designer Randall Arendt. Please keep the plan that allows all to enjoy the open space. How ironic it would be if "Sandhill Estates" destroyed the actual sandhill! Yet, this is an all too common irony these days in many communities. Here is a chance to do something to show that it doesn't have to be that way, that allows everyone to win, and that helps preserve Iowa City's unique featu res. Thank you for your attention, Lynne Nugent 719 Streb St. Iowa City, IA 52246 From: Sent: To: Subject: Bob Miklo Thursday, September 25, 2003 12:45 PM John Yapp FW: Comments on Sandhill Estates Importance: High ..... Original Message ..... Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 12:32 PM To: plannin.qzonina~iowa-city, or.q Subject: Comments on Sandhill Estates Importance: High September 25, 2003 Dear Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission, As a member of the Pepperwood neighborhood, I have been following Southgate Development's various plans for the land they purchased in the South District in 2001 now called Sandhill Estates. , Many people believe it was a shame that ten years ago the City did not acquire, at agricultural prices, the land containing the Sand Hill Prairie. I would hate to hear people say ten years from now that it was a shame that the City allowed Southgate to do this, or it's too bad that Southgate didn't do that. I want to see Southgate's plans conform as close as is feasible to the original vision expressed in the City's South District Plan. I don't do this in a spirit of nit-picking or in a quest for perfection. I believe that tweaking these plans will improve this new neighborhood. Discussing these details of the development is like paying attention to the finishing work on a new house. Getting the last finishing touches right will greatly add to the feel of the neighborhood instead of detracting from it. I was very pleased that Southgate had the imagination to employ Randall Arendt to design a plan for the subdivision which preserved a sizeable portion of the sand hill, as an open space, through the clustering homes and reducing of lot sizes. I was disappointed that Arendt's concept plan was not based on a plant inventory. I suspect that Randall's choice of the location of the preserved section of the sand hill was based mainly on the visual aspects of the open space. This creates the problem that some of the best areas containing prairie remnants could be developed instead of preserved. To mitigate this, I'd like Southgate to allow plant rescue throughout the entire sand hill, so that any remnants could be saved. Having a land management plan in place before construction actually begins seems essential. Arendt's plan was unveiled at a meeting in August 2002. I think that even the neighbors who were disappointed that more of the sand prairie wasn't preserved were generally happy that the Arendt design would make this subdivision quite livable. The combination of a significant amount of open space, public accessibility to that space and the visibility of that space by many of the smaller Jots contributed to that sense of livability. However, the most recent version of the plan contains a change for the worse. Dropping the amount of open space from Arendt's. plan by about three acres is disappointing. More serious is the fact that the extra houses that encroach on the prairie hill will reduce public accessibility of the space and the visibility of the space for many lots. I also worry it will make managing the prairie hill with burns more difficult. If my house was next to the prairie, I would certainly feel more comfortable during a prairie burn to have some concrete, either a sidewalk or a street, as a barrier between my yard and the burning area. The current plan before the City has improved dramatically over the past two years and I applaud Southgate's and the City's efforts. I feel that these final improvements follow the vision of the South District Plan and will make this a great instead of just a good neighborhood to live in. Sincerely, Jim Quigley Jim Quigley, 915 Pepper Drive, Iowa City, IA 52240-2210 phone:319-338-4958 email address <.mailto iqui.~ev~.avalon.net> Other email address <.mailto:iames iohn qui.qle¥~vahoo.com> September 26, 2003 Dear Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission, Sandhill Estates is one of the largest proposed developments in recent years. This development will have profound effects on the South District. Over the past two years, I have worked alongside my neighbors to help integrate the principles of the South District plan into the proposed development. Much progress has been made. Southgate's hiring of Randall Arendt to create a conservation subdivision design was the catalyst to progress. However, I recommend you defer the application until the following two issues are resolved. Conservation subdivisions preserve large open spaces by clustering homes and creating smaller lots. Open space is strategically placed throughout the entire development so all homes can experience the vistas and have accessibility. Arendt's original plan (that was presented at the neighborhood meetings) utilized single loaded roads along Outlot I. That way, everyone, no matter the size or location of the lot, had access to the vistas. The current plan has double loaded streets, along Outlot I, which restrict the vistas to a select few homes. For conservation subdivisions to be successful, the smaller lots must have access to the vistas. Single loaded streets will also serve as natural firebreaks needed for the long-term maintenance of the restored/reconstructed prairie areas. The single loaded streets will also provide a definitive border helping avoid mowing or chemical spraying in the prairie areas by adjacent homeowners. Lots 74-77 and 120-124 along Covered Wagon Drive and 210-214 and 281- 289 along Sandusky Drive should be removed to create single loaded streets reflecting Arendt's original plan. To remedy the removal of lots, density should be transferred to Outlot A along Gilbert Street. The South District Plan designates Outlot A for higher density. Transferring density to reestablish single loaded streets would help create a win-win situation. Everyone in the neighborhood would be able to experience the vistas and have accessibility to the open space and Southgate would be able to achieve their density. The design of the homes and garages is critical to the overall appearance and atmosphere of the neighborhood. Garages should not dominate the streetscape. Design standards shonld be incorporated with this development proposal to ensure that this doesn't happen. The OPDH-5, Planned Development Overlay-Single-Family Residential classification allows you flexibility to make changes to the current plan for a reason. This is a large development with a mixture of RS-5 and RS-8 lots. Please give this conservation subdivision a chance to be successful. Defer this application until the vistas have been restored and building design standards are established. Sincerely, 1049 Briar Drive September 26, 2003 To: Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission Subject: Sandhill Estates Dear Commission: After reviewing the latest proposed revision of the Sandhill Estates development, I have the following concerns: The lot sizes for the development are consistently smaller than those in the surrounding neighborhoods - with these small lot sizes, it was my initial understanding that the trade-off was to preserve more open space and protection of the prairie remnant that exist on the site. The streets adjacent the prairie should not be double loaded. The stormwater detention basins should be designed in a manner that would provide permanent storage for runoff water instead of a dry basin that would have greater maintenance and a potential unattractive look within the proposed development and the surrounding neighborhood. A properly designed detention pond (with well planned buffers and open space surrounding it) also adds an additional feature to the site that would provided multiple benefits including improved water quality, wildlife habitat, and aesthetic value for the entire neighborhood. 3. The narrow proposed townhouse lots are located in a place that destroys natural vistas available to existing residents in the surrounding neighborhood. I feel that the Iowa City has done a great job in trying to get input on this project and presenting the planned information to the community. I thought there were some very positive aspects that came out of the public meetings, and the design assistance provided by Randal Arendt. The major points of some of those meeting are being left out of this latest plan. Please give citizen input an opportunity to truly have a role in setting an example and standard on how win - win development should work in a community. It all boils down to adhering to the original intent of the South District's Plan- OPEN SPACE should be maintained as proposed. People want to enjoy their homes in a development that does not create or accelerate environmental problems, but rather protects/prevents them from occurring. Let's get it right this time. Sincerely, Wendell Jones September 25, 2003 Planning and Zoning Commission City of Iowa City Iowa City, Iowa Dear Members of the Commission, I am writing to you in regards to the planned housing development Sandhill Estates, which is currently under your consideration. I am recommending that you defer approval of this proposal until two key aspects are rectified. The first aspect that will be critical to the future of this new neighborhood is the current lack of public vistas of the proposed preserved portion of the existing sand prairie that is within this development. When it became clear that only a portion of this rare natural resource could be saved, a conservation subdivision design was proposed to and accepted by Southgate Development Corporation. This type of development design is ideal for land that has significant and valuable natural features and allows for development to proceed while maintaining these features. Allowing these features to be preserved enhances the development that surrounds them, improving marketability and value, adding to visual attractiveness and enhancing quality of life for the people who live in and around these neighborhoods. The noted conservation subdivision designer, Randall Arendt, created a plan for Sandhill Estates that did an excellent job (except that he did not have a critical environmental study of the sand prairie) of meeting all the criteria for such a design. This plan was presented by Southgate to the neighborhood as their intended development proposal. However, the current plan has been significantly altered from Mr. Arendt's plan. Single-load streets around the proposed prairie are critical to making the shifted densities attractive and marketable. Smaller lots and houses that are closely spaced must have open vistas to offset what would otherwise be a congested and hemmed-in feel to the neighborhood. This type of design must have all features in place for it to work as a whole concept. Leaving certain features out, such as critical vistas of the open spaces, is not optional. I wish to see Mr. Arendt's original concept restored; specifically lots numbered 281-289, 210-214, 120-124 and 74-77 should be removed. If these vistas are not restored, this new neighborhood is in danger of being less desirable to the public as single family housing. I fear that high turnover in this new neighborhood and a reversion to rental housing will be a real possibility if single family-owned homes are not marketable. This will have a long-term impact on the surrounding neighborhoods as well. The South District cannot be allowed to deteriorate any further in this regard. The second key aspect that must be resolved also relates to a key feature of conservation subdivision design. Housing types and appearances must be carefully planned and regulated in order for the smaller lots to work. Every effort must be made to avoid a "row house" type of appearance in these neighborhoods. Again, houses that have garages that are set back or are within the main footprint of the house, ensure that the overall appearance of the neighborhood is visually appealing. Individual styles and features of each house are also critical to the overall feeling of being in an interesting and varied neighborhood. These specifications must be part of the planned development before it is approved. I believe that this development is the first test of the strength of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Planning and Zoning Commission can play a key role in communicating to area developers that the Comprehensive Plan must be taken into consideration and followed with respect to any new development in our community. Please do not approve Sandhill Estates until these two critical issues are resolved. Respectfully, 1055 Briar Drive (Pepperwood neighborhood homeowner since 1987)