Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-17 Info Packett CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY Of IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 17, 2014 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule MISCELLANEOUS IP2 Memo from Public Works Dir. to City, Manager: Iowa City Gateway Project (Follow up to April 1, 2014 Work Session and Formal Meeting IP3 Email from Asst. City Manager to City Manager: Food Truck Film Short Flier IP4 Email from Fire Chief to City Manager: Structure Fire at 2339 Heinz Road [press release included] IP5 Article (editorial) from City Manager: Coralville, UI deal sets poor precedent IP6 Article from City Manager: Avoiding mistakes in bike -ped infrastructure IP7 Article from City Manager: Sprawl Is Not A Synonym For Growth IP8 Article from City Manager: Ask Strong Towns, Question # 1 IP9 Civil Services Entrance Examination — Senior Accountant - Accounting DRAFT MINUTES IP10 Board of Adjustment: April 9 IP11 Planning and Zoning Commission: April 3 (formal) IN City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule LA*1 Subject to change April 17, 2014 CITY of lowA CITY Date Time Meeting Location Monday, April 28, 2014 4:30 PM Joint Meeting/Work Session TBA / ICCSD ...� n rt.,,.q �I iill x h�� Ii�i,uua r�', w.1���Il P�� r�i �liiii it £^. 1 Jb��l�`�h.. ..... ..0 �. Tuesday, May 6, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, May 20, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeti Tuesday, July 1, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Formal Meeting s`— '?� �r 'i E 'Y Y K "-0 Ip Tuesday, June 3, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 5:00 PM 7:00 PM Formal Meeting w 1? }`s- s'{,.'i%. '���'I �x�7. Formal Meeting 2'f Hd "x.'v;'itNf Q���������11�'. ����i (��Ya.,S�.�... Rqi �.���i Tuesday, June 17, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeti Tuesday, July 1, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting 7:00 PM Formal Meeting i PPP .�°- s -"' " I 1 OR ��i OPEN Sr��s. .. iXxlx , Tuesday, July 15, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting vnr 3 Tuesday, August 5, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting ",, � �� a ",�'�.`r s .N , ,., .�u n�l ... . w , c c.+w,. .. I w�".'kw F�? Tuesday, August 19, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Ai li `Ik ,6 h5 ✓x;.�'�K...�.: ;r . Tuesday, September 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting :' ✓ t h # 1 1 N t t," a? Tuesday, September 16, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting dig ' '' ` ° '"r ` . .F Tuesday, October 7, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting rMOR Tuesday, October 21, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 4, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting t o; �q Y !"a:3t;.x «.4 Tuesday, December 16 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting .31�1i�1�x ` ` !�E" .x.;3u.� .. .... VIIIvk e NNm �{ kr e,s Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting t o; �q Y !"a:3t;.x «.4 Tuesday, December 16 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting .31�1i�1�x ` ` !�E" .x.;3u.� .. .... tom. ---. ®fir ` +C rlSat . z�..ML CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM DATE: April 9, 2014 TO: Tom Markus, City Manager FROM: Rick Fosse, Public Works Director RE: Iowa City Gateway Project Follow -up to April 1, 2014 Work Session and Formal Meeting M IP2 On April 1, 2014, City Council passed a resolution establishing the design elements for the Iowa City Gateway Project that are necessary for completion of the Concept Statement. We anticipate submittal of the Concept Statement to the Iowa DOT during the week of April 21. At the same time, our consultant (HNTB) is able to move from conceptual design into the preliminary design phase. Preliminary design is expected to last through early June. During the preliminary design phase, HNTB will be able to establish the horizontal alignment based on the new design elements, review and revise grading and begin to look at utility layout. A tree survey and species identification will be completed within the corridor. When this Information is combined with the revised grading limits, staff will be able to provide more detailed information to property owners adjacent to the project and identify areas of concern that can be focused on as we move toward final design. Based on our notes from the April 1`t meeting, we developed the following list of aesthetic and landscaping elements to be discussed at the next Gateway Project work session. Aesthetic and Landscapinq Elements • Retaining wall appearance • Options for aesthetic ties between the bridge and Hancher Auditorium • Potential bridge bump -outs and seating locations • Lighting • Tree Survey and species identification (including Ash Trees) • Plantings • Potential bio- swales and median drainage April 9, 2014 Page 2 We originally planned to have the next Gateway Project work session in early May, but now feel it would be best to schedule it for late June or early July to allow adequate time to develop the concepts and to explore the following questions discussed at the April 1 :t meeting. The design schedule will not be impacted by moving the work session. Questions Discussed at the April 1, 2014 Work Session • Where is the best location for the 25 mph transition north of Mayflower? • How tall is the proposed retaining wall near 1818 N. Dubuque Street? • Should the east side walk be extended from the Cliff Apartments to Foster Road? If not, should the grading be completed to accommodate it in the future? What effect does this sidewalk have on the property at 1818 N. Dubuque Street? Is there a cost analysis for doing it now v. in the future (20 years). • Can the Iowa River Trail on the west side of Dubuque Street meander through Terrell Mill Park as it currently does or should it follow along the road? • Without a pedestrian crosswalk in front of Mayflower, what other design elements can be introduced to improve the crosswalk and make it more visible to vehicles? • Is there a plan to have green space / plantings between the river bank and the bottom of the proposed retaining wall south of Terrell Mill Park? • What are the Kimball Road impacts? • More detail is needed south of Park Road to the end of the project. What are the impacts to the first property on the west side and its driveway? What does the east sidewalk between Brown Street and Park Road look like and how tall is the retaining wall that is required? • Are pocket parks possible throughout the corridor and more specifically at the bottom of the Bella Vista bluff? • Is a promenade or other pedestrian friendly area possible along Dubuque Street? Can similar areas or bump outs be provided on Park Road Bridge? • Can the west side trail be placed at the bottom of the wall, or at a lower, river walk elevation? Should a separate walk be provided at a lower elevation in addition to the trail? Is a split -grade crossing possible on the east abutment of the bridge? During the design process, the web site and the public email distribution list will continue to be used whenever there is new information available. Communication with the City Council will continue to occur as needed or when requested through the information packets and work sessions. As always, do not hesitate to contact staff with any additional questions or comments during this process. Cc: Ron Knoche, City Engineer Melissa Clow, Special Projects Manager From: Tom Markus Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 3:34 PM To: Marian Karr Cc: Jeff Davidson; Simon Andrew; Geoff Fruin Subject: FW: Food Truck Film Short Flier Attachments: food truck wars flyer. pdf Info ? From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 3:13 PM To: Tom Markus Subject: FW: Food Truck Film Short Flier Tom, Can we add this to the info packet? Geoff From: krsieck @gmail.com [mailto:krsieck @gmaii.com] On Behalf Of Kyle Sieck Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 1:30 PM To: Jann Ream; Anthony Browne; Teddy Browne; Geoff Fruin; christopherwilliamgeorge @hotmail.com; liz@theboxlunchllc.com Subject: Food Truck Film Short Flier Dear Jann and Geoff, Thanks again for taking time to meet with us today. Attached is a flier for our event April 28th Meeting Room A 730 -9pm ICPL. Feel free to attend or share with other city staffers and council members. We hoping this generates some good discussion. Note: The title "Food Truck Wars" comes from the show, "Food Truck Wars ", not an impending battle cry from our coalition! Best, Kyle Sieck Sou rce:foodtru ckwa rs. com Free Showing of "Food Truck Wars" Documentary Short Local Food Truck Owner Panel Discussion to Follow When: April 28th, 7:30- 9:OOpm Where: IC Public Library Meeting Room A Why: To address public interest and private concern regarding national trends and local potential for a more dynamic mobile food vending environment in Iowa City. Sponsored by Mobile Vending Association of Iowa City Please contact organizer Kyle Sieck with questions, concerns or special requests for persons with disabilities or special needs. 563 - 241 -2857 or iowacityfoodcarts.com 1 From: Tom Markus Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 9:18 PM To: Marian Karr Cc: Geoff Fruin; Simon Andrew; Matthew J. Hayek Subject: Fwd: Structure Fire at 2339 Heinz Road Info packet please. Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: John Grier <John- Grier&iowa- city.org> Date: April 15, 2014 at 8:38:30 PM CDT To: Tom Markus <Tom- MarkusPiowa- cit.00rg> Subject: Fwd: Structure Fire at 2339 Heinz Road FYI -- - - - - -- Original message -- - - - - -- From: Brian Platz Date:04 /15/2014 20:18 (GMT- 06:00) To: John Grier Subject: Structure Fire at 2339 Heinz Road Chief, The fire that occurred today involved a commercial condo building that housed up to nine businesses. We believe the fire started while a welder was doing some work on a steel trailer inside one of the units. Of the occupancies, I was only able to capture a few of the business names and they include STS Transportation, Penske, and Pouleson Woodworking. Seven of the nine units suffered extensive fire damage with the remaining two suffering water damage. The building is a total loss and was assessed at just under $1,000,000.00. Building contents will greatly increase that estimate for a total loss amount. On arrival crews found fire coming through the roof from one of the far eastern occupancies. The initial crew witnessed at least five explosions and very difficult access to the fire. The fire was able to migrate through the building via the attic space and once the truss system started to fail, the tin outer shell concealed the fire which made it difficult to suppress. All occupants of the businesses were out of the building at the time of arrival and there were no injuries reported, civilian or firefighter. We later learned that the building contained LP tanks, acetylene tanks, gas tanks, diesel tanks, many paints as well as lacquers. Crews were able to remove multiple file cabinets and computers from the STS Transportation company during the suppression efforts. Also, ALPLA had to shut down production as we closed the street in front of their business. We were sure to open it back up as soon as possible to get them back up and running. The fire went to a third alarm which included responses from various mutual aid companies. Those companies included West Branch, North Liberty, Solon, Tiffin, Lone Tree, Riverside, and Coralville. BC Tinnes was going to work up a press release upon his return to the station. Thought you might be interested in a few items of note prior to that release. Let me know if you need additional. Brian Structure Fire 2339 Heinz Road Structure Fire 2339 Heinz Road Page 1 of 1 Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 12:02 Contact Information AM Name: Battalion Chief Greg Tinnes Structure Fire 2339 Heinz Road Web Policies On Tuesday, April 15, at 3:18 pm, the Iowa City Fire Department was Email: Send Mail dispatched for a structure fire at 2339 Heinz Road. The fire department Phone: (319) 356 -5255 responded with three engines, a quint, a ladder truck and battalion chief. The first in unit arrived to find smoke and fire coming from the first three overhead Jobs doors and roof ridge. The building was a 270'x60' commercial structure with 11 overhead doors. Due to fire involvement in shop area and attic, fire crews Copyright © 2006 -2012 City of conducted a defensive fire attack. Multiple ground monitors, hand lines and Store two aerial devices were placed in service. Crews experienced roof collapse early in the operations and had multiple explosions in the structure. All 410 E Washington St., Iowa City, employees had evacuated the structure prior to the arrival of the fire department. Fire was under control within 90 minutes with overhaul continuing into the evening. A callback of all off duty Iowa City firefighters and mutual -aid from Solon, West Branch, Hills, Coralville, North Liberty, Riverside, Lone Tree and Tiffin were requested to assist on scene and backfill stations. The Iowa City Police Department, Johnson County Ambulance, Mid - American Energy and Iowa City Streets assisted on scene. No injuries to employees or emergency personnel reported. Fire investigators continue to investigate the cause of the fire. Iowa City Fire Department crews will remain on scene throughout the night. No initial damage estimates to structure or contents. A -Z Index Citizen Service Center Contact Information Residents Transit Routes Web Policies Business News City Employee Resources Government E- Subscriptions Visitors Jobs Calendar Copyright © 2006 -2012 City of Store Iowa City 410 E Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone (319)356 -5000 http: / /www.icgov.org/apps /news / ?newsID =9545 4/17/2014 From the City Manager 1P5 Coralville, UI deal sets poor precedent By The Gazette Editorial Board Published: April 16 2014 112:05 am in Staff Editorial, While there is nothing secret or illegal surrounding a payment agreement between the University of Iowa and the city of Coralville, its details raise public policy questions. Last year, as part of a new annual "payment in lieu of property taxes" agreement, the UI gave Coralville slightly more than $1 million. The PILOT agreement provides city services — primarily police, fire and street maintenance — for the 150,000- square -foot UI Health Care Clinic in Iowa River Landing. The agreement is one of the most lucrative in the nation, and the City of Coralville isn't interested in sharing. For comparison, during the past fiscal year, Iowa City received $1.76 million from the UI for providing fire service to 16.8 million square feet of campus. The Coralville -UI agreement was based on the clinic's exterior value, estimated at $28 million. Then the full property tax rate — not just the city's portion — was applied. But unlike property taxes, these PILOT funds are not being shared by all entities providing services. Instead, and with a nod to the tax increment financing district it put in place, Coralville is keeping the entire pie. This effectively means the state is paying twice. The UI, a part of state government, effectively is paying the full tax rate, which would normally include about $387,000 earmarked for the local school district. Because of the TIF district in which the UI clinic is located, the state also is backfilling at least a portion of the property tax funds due to the school district. As for the county and the $190,000 it would receive from a property tax bill this size? Nada. While Coralville and the UI may have no qualms tapping the state coffers twice or devaluing county services, residents deserve more than collaborative lip service. If the PILOT deal cannot be rewritten to include only Coralville's tax portion, the city should share. Also, a multi jurisdiction task force should be established to ensure regional PILOT fairness and collaboration. When everybody wins ... well, everybody wins. Comments: editorial @thegazette.com or (319) 398 -8262 Avoiding mistakes in bike -ped infrastructure I Better! Cities & Towns Online Page 1 of 5 From the City Manager IP6 MJ �e 4*wL emNMw* CITIES&TOWNS ONLINE Avoiding mistakes in bike -ped infrastructure Bloe post by Charles Marohn on 14 Apr 2014 bicvclina streets Charles Marohn, Better! Cities & Towns There are a lot of cities out there — a lot of staff members and a lot of elected officials — that would like to make changes in the direction their community is heading. There are many, in fact, who desire to move away from the financially- ruinous auto - dominated building pattern and into something that would provide for more opportunities for biking and walking. This can be scary, especially when these urges are relatively new, not well grounded in a coherent worldview, completely inconsistent with the local government's other actions and being done in a place that is lacking a culture of walking and biking. Have no fear. Today I'm going to provide some tips — some do's and don'ts — for public officials to help them navigate this difficult transition. Do: Ensure that your proposed bike lanes connect places people may want to bike to. Don't: Simply add a bike lane to a random project where there is little demand, or even reason, to bike. To be successful, a bike lane should actually allow a biker to get somewhere they want to go. For your first project, pick a location where you have destinations already in place. For example, a commercial node with restaurants, a barber shop and retail stores would work well. Schools and parks also make for good destinations for bikers. Your proposed bike trail is not likely to be embraced if it, for example, begins at a highway intersection and ends in a field with nothing but a church (more on that later) in between. It is important that new bike lanes actually connect desired destinations, at least if there is an expectation that they will be used. http: //bettercities. net / news - opinion /blogs /charles- marohn/2103I /avoiding - mistakes- bike -p... 4/16/2014 Avoiding mistakes in bike -ped infrastructure I Better! Cities & Towns Online Page 2 of 5 Do: Ensure that your first foray into real biking and walldng transportation infrastructure will be a success by going where there is already a demonstrated demand. Don't: Simply pick the next project on the capital improvements plan and try to convince people who are not already biking and walking that they should be. This might be a successful, and non - controversial, place to invest in some biking or walking infrastructure. Remember, if you want to build bike lanes throughout the community — and you really need to if you want to restore the city's finances to health — then you need to build demand for biking infrastructure. You can try having public meetings, use the power of persuasion (you'd better be charismatic), put together a report and apply for some federal /state grants OR you can simply look around and see where people are trying to bike and walk today, but struggling, and make their efforts a little easier. In almost all communities, this low- hanging -fruit is everywhere. You just have to get out from behind your desk and actually go out in the community and observe. Where that mom with the stroller is trudging through knee high weeds, you could probably use a sidewalk there. Where those kids are biking on the sidewalks despite the street being void of cars, well there might be a reason they don't feel safe in the street. Where people run across the street — even at a crosswalk and even at a stop sign — you might have a situation where some intervention would help. The ideal scenario should be where you install your bike lanes and, within hours, people show up and start using them. Look for that situation and start there. http: //bettercities. net / news - opinion /blogs /charles- marohn/21031 /avoiding - mistakes- bike -p... 4/16/2014 Avoiding mistakes in bike -ped infrastructure I Better! Cities & Towns Online Page 3 of 5 Do: Zealously advocate for common sense approaches within your community. Don't: Appear to be completely impotent in the face of state mandates that require you to do ridiculous things. If you are going to truly advocate for biking and walking infrastructure, then do it. It is going to appear disingenuous — if not simply laughable — if you, for example, routinely meet with your legislative delegation to discuss a project that will spend millions and take away from walking and biking opportunities within the community yet you claim state rules that require two additional feet of roadway width prevent the installation of bike lanes. Are your legislators briefed and mobilized to get such a destructive and ridiculous rule changed, something they could do without spending any money? You will not appear to be trying very hard if you claim, for example, that this street pictured below cannot legally — according to state rules -- accommodate biking lanes without expanding the roadway by two feet or removing the non - existent parking lanes, especially if that is the end of your story. In order for this very low volume street to meet state standards for parking Q ?) and bike lanes, the street would need to be widened by two feet. In other words, an insurmountable obstacle. Do: Build neighborhood coalitions and avoid malting unnecessary enemies. Don't: Make your first project one that will only impact one very well- organized group. When embarking on something new, something that runs counter to past and current practice and the general culture of the community, it is important to have allies. For example, local non - profits — especially the type that have a blog with hundreds of local readers and tens of thousands of national readers — can be a valuable ally in promoting a new agenda. Neighborhood activist groups, if they were supported and not simply feared or loathed, would also help out in this regard. It might be best to avoid, for example, a church, especially if your proposal is not going to have broad support and immediate use but will remove parking used by parishioners. Christian churches tend to, by design, be somewhat organized with well - established leadership and an ingrained spirit of activism. Try to http: //bettercities. net / news - opinion /blogs /charles- marohn/21031 /avoiding - mistakes- bike -p... 4/16/2014 Avoiding mistakes in bike -ped infrastructure I Better! Cities & Towns Online Page 4 of 5 avoid picking an unnecessary fight with a church before you've had other successes and the demand for bike lanes throughout the community increases. Do: Advocate for infrastructure to support biking and walking because it is a high returning investment within the community. Don't: Consider hiking/walking infrastructure as a recreational amenity instead of transportation. This is particularly important when your community is considered poor, has a large percentage of its budget as unreliable state aid and has lacked growth for decades. If biking and walking infrastructure is presented as some kind of recreational amenity, it will be the first thing cut the next time budgets tighten. Successful biking and walking infrastructure is not recreation but transportation. It is also an extremely high returning investment, one that not only disproportionately grows the tax base but allows local money to stay within the community longer. For example, the average car costs $9,122 per year to own and operate. If your city's neighborhoods were made more walkable and bikable so that a family could relocate there and go down to having only one car, that is a huge amount of savings per year. If that amount were applied to a mortgage, the family could buy an additional $140,000 in housing. That's a game changing amount of investment just sitting there waiting to be captured from the oil companies, car manufacturers, insurance companies and bankers that all reside outside of the community. Do: Have a coherent dialog — or at least enunciate a coherent vision -- on why building biking and walking infrastructure is essential to the financial health and well -being of the community. Don't: Simply embrace the latest fad of the planning and engineering professions because that is what the APA newsletter suggests you should do. If you do things like prioritize a recreational trail along a river or refer your community's biking and walking policy to a committee not scheduled to report back for three years, well .... you are going to lack credibility, to say the least. These things might score high on the sticker chart at your scripted visioning session, but look around and notice who isn't there giving input: most residents. You are not going to be taken seriously by the broader community and, when you do stick your neck out, people who would naturally be your allies are not going to defend you. They may even publicly call you names like "stupid ". If you want to build biking and walling infrastructure, you first need to understand why. Why is this important to the future of the community? Why should people who will never use the bike lanes or sidewalks care that they are there? Why is this a priority worth fighting for, worth putting ahead of others things we might do when we are so cash- strapped? What exactly is at stake here? The people who ripped apart our neighborhoods decades ago, destroying the historic fabric that was naturally walkable and bike - friendly in order to give priority to the automobile, those people could answer all of these questions. No problem. http: //bettercities.net/news- opinion /blogs /charles- marohn/21031 /avoiding - mistakes- bike -p... 4/16/2014 Avoiding mistakes in bike -ped infrastructure I Better! Cities & Towns Online Page 5 of 5 If we're going to stitch our neighborhoods back together and build a nation ofstrong towns, we need to be able to answer them just as clearly. Charles Marohn is a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Minnesota and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He is author of Thoughts on Building Strong tron T� owns (Volume 1). and is president of Strona Towns, a non-partisan, non -profit organization that advocates for changes in development patterns and a complete understanding of the full costs of methods of growth. For more in -depth coverage: • Subscribe to Better! Cities & Towns to read all of the articles (print +online) on implementation of greener, stronger, cities and towns. • Get New Urbanism: Best Practices Guide, packed with more than Boo informative photos, plans, tables, and other illustrations, this book is the best single guide to implementing better cities and towns. Comments Add a comment... Facebook social plugin Comment using... l http: //bettercities.net /news- opinion /blogs /charles- marohn/21031 /avoiding - mistakes- bike -p... 4/16/2014 Sprawl Is Not A Synonym For Growth - We Create Here • Our Team Search Search April 14, 2014 at 6:20 pm Tweet Thic Page 1 of 7 From the City Manager IP7 Sprawl Is Not A Synonym For Growth Posted by Ben Kaplan In an article from the Saturday Gazette, Gravity can matter for growth on the periphery, developer Drew Retz equated sprawl and growth. Let's make one thing clear — the word sprawl is a pejorative. It is a term to describe bad development. Sprawl is not a synonym for growth, it's simply one of many options to grow a community. The worst one. The choice of downtown living or urban sprawl is a false dichotomy. I don't doubt that most new buyers in today's market want single family homes. A new development of single family homes is not sprawl, sprawl is how that development connects with existing infrastructure and development. A sprawl development is a development that does not connect with nearby communities. An example were probably all familiar with are housing developments with a single access point, meant to be used only by car, and with no street or pedestrian connections. Your kids might live a few hundred yards from their best friend a neighborhood over, but they have to travel three quarters of a mile and onto a major road to get to their friends house. There are no public spaces. The neighborhood does not have a park, community center or public square to host events like a potluck dinner or birthday party. There is only one type of housing stock, most likely single family homes. A New Urbanist development connects with it's nearby communities. Streets are linear and go through more than one developments. There are multiple access points that can be used by bikers, pedestrians or cars. If you want to visit someone nearby you can easily walk or bike a direct route to a nearby house. The neighborhood has a park, community center, or public square that can host neighborhood events. The neighborhood has multiple different types of housing on http : / /www.wecreatehere.net/2014 /04/14 /sprawl- synonym - growth/ 4/15/2014 Sprawl Is Not A Synonym For Growth - We Create Here Page 2 of 7 different sized lots. The neighborhood might even have space for commercial development with a focus on neighborhood needs, stuff like a coffee shop, dry cleaners or small convenience store. The largest New Urbanist development in America is Mesa Del Sol in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It covers 25 square miles and should eventually have 38,000 homes, 100,000 residents and 60,000 jobs. It's going to take 40 years to develop. Mesa Del Sol isn't sprawl. It's a brand new city within a city. And it isn't alone. Denver has Stapleton, which will eventually be home to 30,000 people. There's even development like this in Iowa. Ames has the Somerset community and Iowa City has the Peninsula. New Urbanism doesn't mean we don't build single family homes. It means building communities. It's a proven development model, when houses in Denver were losing value during the height of the recession house prices in Stapleton rose and demand stayed strong. New Urbanism allows developers to build up areas with a wider price margin between properties. $100,000 condos can be sold alongside $450,000 single family homes, with products available at every price point, size and style that the buying public wants. You can reach everyone in the market, not just a subset. You can go big, like Mesa Del Sol and Stapleton, or you can stay focused like Somerset and the Peninsula. It's not a one size fits all development model. New Urbanism is good for local government. Sprawl is, by definition, sprawling and takes over large areas it requires a lot of infrastructure to serve relatively few people. Making the cost of infrastructure compared to revenue very high. Mixed density land brings in more property taxes per acre than single density or single use land, even though it doesn't need that much more in infrastructure spending to build out and maintain. It's a more efficient use of land for the tax- payer. Sprawl is what happens when communities don't think ahead. It diminishes civic life, increases traffic and is an inefficient use of tax -payer money. New Urbanism addresses all of these negatives and allows you to get a large single family house with leaves to rake, and a place for your grill in the backyard. http: / /www.wecreatehere.net/2014 /04/14 /sprawl- synonym - growth/ 4/15/2014 Sprawl Is Not A Synonym For Growth - We Create Here The Peninsula Development has a variety of housing types, including single family homes of varying size. Image courtesy of The Peninsula Neighborhood. Page 3 of 7 A rendering of single family homes in the Mesa Del Sol development in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Image courtesy of Pulte Homes. http : / /www.wecreatehere.net/2014 /04/14 /sprawl- synonym - growth/ 4/15/2014 Sprawl Is Not A Synonym For Growth - We Create Here Page 4 of 7 The rear of a house in Stapleton, Colorado. Image courtesy of Brett VA. A neighborhood on the Southwest side of Cedar Rapids developed by Jerry's Homes. Photo by Justin Wan of The Gazette. http: / /www.wecreatehere.net/2014 /04/14 /sprawl- synonym - growth/ 4/15/2014 Sprawl Is Not A Synonym For Growth - We Create Here Page 5 of 7 One of the reasons for this blog is to underscore the importance of planning. Sprawl is development with the absence of proper planning. New Urbanism is a model for planning that incorporates many different types of housing, and includes space for commercial development, parks and public spaces. I don't doubt that Cedar Rapids will expand south to Ely. We will and we should. The highway 151 extension will almost certainly spur massive investment and development around it's planned exits. How and what we build in these areas matters. We can satisfy the desire for single family homes with a development model that incorporates the services new homeowners will need in a community. Growth is good. Our city is growing outward and upward. It's filling in and pushing out. That's great! That's not an excuse to build out without foresight. Strong Towns - Strong Towns Blog Ask Strong Towns, Question #I Tuesday, April 8, 2014 Charles Marohn in Ask Strong Towns Page 1 of 4 From City Manager 'P$ We invite our members to submit their questions. We'll give you a Strong Towns answer or find an expert who can. This week's question is submitted by John T. The City of Iowa City is in the preliminary design phase of Dubuque Street, a four -lane, partially divided arterial street leading into town. The University of Iowa has bus service on a portion of the street. City Staffs recommendation for most of the project was a 35mph speed limit with 72 -Foot lanes. Community members advocated for a 25mph speed limit with 11 -foot lanes. Last night, the City Council agreed with our position. City staff, however, recommended a 2.5 -foot curb and gutter, measured separately from the lane width, and City Council agreed, In my view, we've ended up with a 73 -foot curb lane, much wider than desired if controlling speeds is a concern. References I've been using, 'Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach" by ITE /Congress of the New Urbanism, and "Walkable City" byJeff Speck, make no mention of the curb and gutter as a design element distinct from the traffic lane. My assumption has been lane width is taken from the face of curb, with the gutter included in the curb lane width. Please advise. I'm probably not going to endear myself to you with this response, but I think both the staff and the community members have this wrong. If I'm looking at the area correctly, this is not a street but a road, which is to say that it is a high speed connection between two places. You leave the interstate and head south into the heart of the city. The objective here should be high speed travel. You can easily travel 55 mph through this section as it is designed today. http: / /www. strongtowns. org /journal /2014/4/8 /ask - strong- towns - question -1. html ?printerFri... 4/14/2014 Strong Towns - Strong Towns Blog Page 2 of 4 Dubuque Street in Iowa City. Looks more like a road than a street. (Image from Google Streetview) When you get to the bus stop at the University, you are injecting a little bit of street function into the roadway (but just a little bit). There are some design approaches that could be used here to keep the road function strong yet accommodate the university. A median between the bus stop lane and the two travel lanes would allow traffic to continue at high speeds along the road while having the street function where it is needed for the bus pickup. Dubuque Street in Iowa City. Creating a separated bus pickup would allow the road function to continue unimpaired. The more difficult question is how to get students over to the recreational trail on the west side of the roadway. In a world where we don't care about roads /streets, we do what they have done here already, which is to pretend there is no distinction and just run the sidewalk perpendicular to the road. Maybe traffic counts are low enough — and students agile enough — where they can judge http: / /www. strongtowns.org /j oumaI/ 2014 /4/8/ ask - strong - towns- question - l .html ?printerFri... 4/14/2014 Strong Towns - Strong Towns Blog Page 3 of 4 the gaps (although that might be a little more dangerous Saturday nights). Ultimately, if Dubuque is going to function as a road though this section, there should not be a pedestrian crossing unless it is grade separated (bridge or tunnel). The question then is whether or not this can function as a street through this section, which seems to be the desire of citizens with the suggested 25 mph design speed. A street is a platform for creating and capturing wealth. While there is plenty of room here to slow traffic, develop a node and attract investment, this is not happening here already. Not only would there be lower - hanging -fruit for the community to seek investment, I suspect the desire of residents is to have a more natural park area without intense development. Thus, making this a street does not seem viable. across from the bus stop. Does not seem likely that Iowa City will be able to create a lot of community wealth here, so making Dubuque Street an actual street here does not seem viable. To get to your specific question on how to measure the width of the lanes, I agree with you that it should be measured curb face to curb face. The mischief you describe is something we see quite often, where intransigent staff "loses" the fight but then redefines the parameters so that the elected officials can both support their constituents and acquiesce to the staff. Down in the Minneapolis area, I have seen staff actually present this as a "curb impact zone," as if the curb needs to protected from traffic. This is really frustrating because it does not represent sound engineering practice but simply adherence to dogma with a touch of vindictive thrown in. So yes, I will confirm your belief that you are getting messed with. It the lanes are 13 -feet measured from the curb face, then you have a 13 -foot lane. If it is approved that way, then I would start advocating for striping that at least provides some of the boundary function on the curb side. In other words, make them stripe the lane at 11 feet. And just one last thought: if you are designing a 35 -mph stroad (35 mph is, by definition, stroad speed) or if you are designing a street at 25 mph, you don't need such wide lanes. To really be a street, your design speed should be lower — 20 mph or less — and your lanes even narrower, ten feet or less. Eleven and twelve foot lanes are stroad size, especially where there is no parking on the side of the street. You're having a battle here where both sides are guaranteed to lose. http : / /www.strongtowns.org/joumal/ 2014 /4/8/ ask - strong - towns- question - I.html ?printerFri... 4/14/2014 Strong Towns - Strong Towns Blog Page 4 of 4 You can become a member of Strong Towns, and ask your question today, by going to our membership site. Article originally appeared on Strong Towns (http: / /www.strongtowns.org /). See website for complete article licensing information. http: / /www. strongtowns.org /journal/ 2014 /4/8/ ask - strong - towns- question - l .html ?printerFri... 4/14/2014 IP9 t r � •ww w; ' CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356 -5000 (319) 356 -5009 FAX www.lcgov.org April 15, 2014 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Senior Accountant - Accounting Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Senior Accountant — Accounting. Steven Christopher IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Lyra W. Dickerson, Chair L IP10 Z MINUTES PRELIMINARY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT APRIL 9, 2014 — 5:15 PM CITY HALL, EMMA HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Baker, Gene Chrischilles, Connie Goeb, Brock Grenis, Becky Soglin MEMBERS ABSENT: Baker was in attendance until 6:35 p.m. STAFF PRESENT: Sarah Walz, Sarah Holecek OTHERS PRESENT: Russ Garrett, Kim Glenn, Amy Pretorious, Adam Pretorius, Pete Brokaw, Keith Reiys, Chad Diefenderfur, Corey Wilson, Carolyn Beyer RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: None. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 5:15 PM. ROLL CALL: A brief opening statement was read by Grenis outlining the role and purpose of the Board and the procedures that would be followed in the meeting. CONSIDERATION OF MARCH 12. 2014 MEETING MINUTES Goeb moved to approve the minutes. Soglin seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion carried 5 -0. SPECIAL EXCEPTION ITEMS EXC14- 00005: Discussion of an application submitted by Russ Garrett for a special exception to reduce the rear setback requirement to allow a home addition for property in the Medium Density Single - Family Residential (RS -8) zone at 632 Brown Street. Walz pointed out on a zoning map that this is the only house on the Brown Street frontage that is in the RS -8 zone, while the two adjacent houses along Brown Street are in the RS -5. She said it's more similar size and configuration -wise with the other houses in the RS -8 zone. She said the other houses adjacent on Brown Street also have much deeper set - backs, and she Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 2 of 10 showed various photos of the subject house and examples of corner houses in the Northside that are typical in lot size and configuration to the subject house. She said this is a contributing house in the Brown Street Historic District, and an application is going to be put before the Historic Preservation Commission for the proposed addition. Walz said that staff believes the situation is peculiar to the property because due to setback averaging the property is subject to a deeper front setback requirement from Brown Street, the subject property is significantly smaller than the other two lots along the Brown Street frontage, and while a lot of 6,000 square foot is not unusual in this neighborhood, the deep front setback (32 feet) on a lot that is just 100 feet is unusual. Walz said there is practical difficulty complying with the setback requirements because the deeper front setback makes it more difficult in making use of the lot and as a corner lot, the property must provide 2 front setbacks: one along Brown and the other along N. Dodge Street, which reduces the usable portion of the lot. She said the Brown Street neighborhood was established long before current zoning standards and is characterized by small lots with minimal setbacks, especially on the corners; because this is a corner lot, the rear setback functions similar to a side setback, which in the RS -8 zone is a minimum of five feet and in this case is 10 feet, in terms of its relationship to the adjacent property to the north; Walz said that any potential negative effects resulting from the setback exception are mitigated to the extent practical by the fact that it has to go through a Historic Preservation Commission review and that the proposed addition is limited to one story. Walz said the other critical factor is even though this is a rear setback reduction, it does have an impact on the Dodge Street frontage due to the garage entry. Although the applicant can't meet the Zoning Code regulations of twenty -five feet from the garage face to the property line, they can apply for a minor modification. She said they can meet the minor modification requirements of being twenty -five feet from the sidewalk line and the wider curb cut and driveway will actually make a safer situation than now exists. Walz said in response to Goeb's inquiry that there has been no negative response generated by the sign posted or the letters sent to neighbors about this project. Grenis invited the applicant to speak. Russ Garrett, the contractor, and Kim Glenn, one of the property owners, came forward. Garrett said the owners would like to expand the house in order to live there much longer. Chrischilles asked if the privacy fence encompassed the entire rear of the property. Glenn responded that it does. Grenis opened public hearing. Grenis closed public hearing. Baker moved to approve EXC14- 00005, a special exception to reduce the rear setback requirement for the principal structure from twenty feet to eleven feet, five inches subject to the following conditions: 1. The setback reduction applies to the proposed one -story addition only; Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 3 of 10 2. The applicant must secure a Certificate of Appropriateness for the addition from the Historic Preservation Commission. 3. The applicant must secure a minor modification for a reduction in the drive -way length; driveway design should be in substantial compliance with the drawing proposed by staff. Chrischilles seconded. Soglin stated that this is a rear setback that functions like a side setback with the side setback expectation being five feet. Baker said that regarding EXC14 -00005 he concurs with the findings set forth in the staff report of April 9, 2014, and concludes that the general and specific criteria are satisfied. Unless amended or opposed by another Board member he recommended that the Board adopt the findings in the staff report as their findings for the acceptance of this proposal. A vote was taken and the motion carried 5 -0. Grenis declared the motion for the special exception approved, noting that anyone wishing to appeal the decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days after the decision is filed with the City Clerk's Office. EXC14- 00003: Discussion of an application submitted by Peninsula Development Company, LLC, to allow an eating establishment (coffee shop) to be located in the Planned Development Overlay, Low Density Single - Family Residential (OPD -5) zone at 2280 Willenbrock Circle. EXC14- 00004: Discussion of an application submitted by Peninsula Development Company, LLC, to allow an eating establishment (restaurant) to be located in the Planned Development Overlay, Low Density Single - Family Residential (OPD -5) zone at 1010 Martin Street. Walz said she would explain both of these special exceptions since they were so closely related, and then the Board could discuss them separately. Walz said showed the Board where the subject properties are located on aerial photos and location maps. She said early in the planning process, areas around the central square were identified as being appropriate and planned to be appropriate for mixed uses and small scale commercial uses to serve the neighborhood. She showed slides of the properties and the surrounding area and plans for the proposed businesses. Walz said the coffee shop is under 500 square feet so it's a low intensity use. She said it's such a small site that not a lot of disturbance could be created, and staff recommends approval of a special exception subject to conditions listed in the report. Chrischilles asked if the Peninsula Code specifies how many mixed use buildings there will be. Walz said some are planned, some are at the discretion of the developer, and all of them will be around the Square. Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 4 of 10 Grenis asked why in the Peninsula Code these two uses need a special exception and other commercial uses don't. Walz said the other uses are considered lower in intensity and hours of operation and potential for externalities such as noise. She indicated that there was some confusion about the outdoor seating —staff had interpreted the application that all outdoor seating was in the courtyard. Staff had some concern about outdoor seating along the sidewalk. Baker asked if each of these two applications is contingent on the other being approved. Walz said it doesn't affect it from a zoning aspect. Grenis invited the applicant to speak. Amy Pretorious of the Peninsula Development Company said someone will own and maintain the courtyard space, and it would be unfair to the two other unsold units or the coffee shop entrepreneur if the restaurant person were to utilize that space. She said she thinks that when they eventually create the condo documents for this, it will be the larger unit, the restaurant, that will actually be furnishing that space and have priority use for that space. She said right now that the restaurant is not using it, the coffee shop will have access to it but in the event that it becomes full, it would be nice to allow the coffee shop to at least have three bistro tables outside its unit. Chrischilles asked what the distance is from the building to the street in front of the coffee shop. Pretorious said it's about 10 feet back from the sidewalk, the sidewalk is about 6 feet, and there's an 8 foot setback to the curb, so approximately 24 feet. Goeb queried if the applicant is asking to have tables in the front. Pretorious said she was. Soglin asked what the hours will be. Pretorious said they would like to open at 6:00 a.m. to serve the bus traffic. Walz explained that the coffee shop owner will probably not stay open until 10:00 p.m. as recommended, but overtime the intended use could change. Chrischilles asked if the zoning is locked in or if there is the possibility of making a so- called commercial area. Pretorious said there are already two mixed use buildings that are live /work and all the mixed use buildings yet to come can have certain types of commercial uses. She said all the properties along the square have the opportunity to be live /work, but the commercial uses that are allowed are fairly limited. Baker asked what the population was and was told that it could get as high as 1,000 occupants. Chrischilles said he thinks it's a good idea to have businesses around the square, but if there are too many commercial properties out there, massive traffic problems will be created. He said on a Sunday when he drove out there, there were already many cars on the street. He said even if it's intended to be a pedestrian area, people would drive to a commercial site if they had a lot of things to buy. He wondered if the development company had thought about a parking lot. Pretorious said she had been told by staff that they couldn't have one. Walz said that they did talk about putting a parking lot behind a future daycare. Parking is not allowed as a principal use in the residential zone. She pointed out where the applicant is trying to get two additional parallel spaces in front of the restaurant and four diagonal parking spaces near the park. Baker asked if comparable commercial activities have to go through the same process. Holecek said under Peninsula rezoning an eating establishment needs a special exception but there are Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 5 of 10 four commercial uses that are allowed by right. Baker said Chrischilles makes a good point about the long -term future when it changes the whole nature of the development and how much control the City has over that. Baker asked if the other establishment is approved what is to prevent someone coming over and using the outdoor facilities of the coffee shop. Walz reminded the board that alcohol outside is not allowed in a residential zone, but if it happened frequently that people were eating at those facilities and that bothered someone, the City would probably receive a complaint and act on it. Grenis opened public hearing. Adam Pretorious of the Peninsula Development Company said this lot is the only lot in the Peninsula zoned for this type of commercial use. He added that the Book of Principles that was put in place by the City, which is one of the three covenants that governs the Peninsula, also gives the Master Association, which every homeowner belongs to, power and authority to add restrictions to hours, noise, or pollution. Walz reminded the Board that the entire neighborhood is zoned Residential and it is just particular sites that are designated as allowable for live /work. Grenis closed public hearing. Soglin moved to approve EXC14- 00003, a special exception to allow an eating establishment at 2280 Willenbrock Circle ( unit 4) subject to the following conditions: 1. Substantial compliance with the site plan submitted; and 2. The establishment shall not exceed 500 sq. feet of gross floor area; 3. Hours of operation are limited to 10 PM weeknights and 11 PM on Friday and Saturday; 4. Amplified sound on the exterior of the building is prohibited. Chrischilles seconded. Baker said he finds this a perfectly reasonable application and feels better knowing that the homeowners association and the property owners association also have additional oversight control, if necessary. Soglin said she agreed the homeowners association having some oversight was comforting but she still had some reservations about the hours of operation at certain times in the morning. She said a slamming car door can be loud but that will be up to the residents to know when and if that becomes an issue for them. She said it's a good use for this neighborhood that has a strong sense of community, and she would hope that the Association encourages people who live in the neighborhood to actually walk there to get their coffee and not drive three blocks. Chrischilles said that regarding EXC14 -00003 he concurs with the findings set forth in the staff report of April 9, 2014, and concludes that the general and specific criteria are satisfied. Unless amended or opposed by another Board member he recommended that the Board adopt the findings in the staff report as their findings for the acceptance of this proposal. Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 6 of 10 Grenis said he concurs with Chrischilles, and based on the responses the Board received regarding this application it's supported by the community. A vote was taken and the motion carried 5 -0. Grenis declared the motion for the special exception approved, noting that anyone wishing to appeal the decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days after the decision is filed with the City Clerk's Office. Walz said that EXC14 -00004 is for the larger unit, a proposed restaurant and wine bar. She clarified that the term "bar" is misleading in that the proposal is not for a drinking establishment but rather an eating establishment that serves alcohol. She said it has the opportunity to seat more people and so there may be more potential for issues with parking and noise and activity, and then there is the concern about alcohol. She said the maximum occupancy load, which applies to both indoor and outdoor, would be capped at sixty, and that's a Building Code regulation that has to do with provision of bathrooms and the fact that alcohol is being served. Walz said the City did hear from some of the neighbors that there was concern that with the alcohol use things can get a bit more carefree at late hours. She said the fact that the applicant alcohol cannot be in the outdoor areas and is confined to the interior of the building, alleviates much of that concern. She said that staff feels it's best to keep the outdoor seating in the courtyard. She said the conditions staff is recommending are the same as those for EXC14- 00003 with the addition of a new pending ordinance governing the placement of oven vents. Baker said he's know the prohibition of alcohol outside is because of the residential zone, and he wants to know if that alcohol ordinance can ever be changed or is it ironclad. Walz said it would take an amendment of the Outdoor Service Area ordinance to change it. Baker asked if the Council would change that. Walz said that currently there is no support for changing it. Baker said his concern about lighting for the signs is that they will be lit even when not in operation and may cause a disturbance for the residential. Walz said the City has sign regulations designed specifically with neighborhood residential uses in mind and that the Peninsula Code has additional restrictions beyond those of the City. She said if people were unhappy with the lighting they could certainly complain to the Homeowners Association. Goeb asked if it was true that people wouldn't be able to drink outside on the sidewalk but that they could drink on the patio. Walz said there alcohol cannot be anywhere outdoors - -on either the patio or near the sidewalk. Grenis invited the applicant to speak. Amy Pretorious showed that the design of the restaurant and coffee shop was intentionally recessed to allow outdoor bistro tables. She said a tiny business like this is fragile and the business plan is encompassing, including what they want to do with a couple bistro tables in addition to the courtyard space. She said they feel that restricting too many things does create a potential for failure, so they would like to see as much help as possible with this business. Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 7 of 10 Baker asked Pretorious how she would base her decision on responding to nuisance complaints. She explained the chain of action and said the ultimate decision by the Board of the Homeowners Association is based on the principle of being neighborly. Chrischilles asked how large the courtyard is and Walz said it was less than 300 sq. feet. Soglin said the applicant's numbers for occupancy don't add up. Pretorius said during the warmer times of the year they will move seating outside and decrease the indoor seating. Soglin said she could see times when the restaurant will be over capacity. Pretorious said that the occupancy cap of 60 is relatively new and she hasn't had time to adjust the floor plan accordingly, but she would like the ability to allow seating where the owner wants it, whether in the front or in the courtyard. Soglin said she appreciates that restaurants have huge challenges, but this is a very residential area and the success of the restaurant could produce problems. She said one -third to'h of the letters of support did express concern about the hours of operation, but there is a process in place to deal with that through the Homeowners Association. Grenis opened public hearing. Pete Brokaw of 947 Walker Circle said because of the size of it, he doesn't think this business will draw many people from outside the neighborhood. He said it will be a neighborhood establishment, and he supports it. He thinks there is a good homeowners association in place to deal with any unforeseen problems or issues. Keith Reiys of 1471 Foster Road asked about the hours of operation for the restaurant. Goeb asked what the use of the building could be if the restaurant failed. Holecek it could be a daycare, office, small retail, eating establishment or a living unit. Chad Diefenderfur of 991 Walker Circle said he supports the business but he does have a concern about the hours of operation and would encourage the Board to limit them. He said that according to the Peninsula Code, he doesn't believe that the Homeowners Association has the power to self - regulate the hours of operation. Corey Wilson of 1451 Foster Road said some people have had concerns about alcohol in the neighborhood, but this is not a college bar, or a roadhouse and restaurants of similar size in Iowa City do not have a raucous environment. Carolyn Beyer of 1227 Swisher Street said having an establishment that sells alcoholic beverages is a mistake for the neighborhood and poses a safety concern, particularly to children, who are often in the park. She said her perception is that the primary focus of the proposed establishment is to serve wine and beer and have snack food available, which could attract a college crowd. She said large, multifamily units are being developed right down the street from the subject site, and it will be convenient for college students to frequent the bar. She said she thinks the bar will bring an undesirable element into the neighborhood, while discouraging the establishment of businesses more suited to the area. Pretorious said she and the majority of the residents feel that this type of business is the best fit for the neighborhood. Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 8 of 10 Soglin asked if mixed drinks can be served. Pretorious said definitely beer and wine and sake, but the owner hasn't said anything about applying for a liquor license. Grenis closed public hearing. There was discussion amongst the Board members about defining the hours of operation. Grenis moved to approve EXC14 -00004 to allow an eating establishment at 1010 Martin Street subject to the following conditions: 1. Substantial compliance with the site plan submitted; 2. The establishment shall not exceed a combined indoor - outdoor occupancy load of 60; 3. Hours of operation are limited to 10 PM weeknights and 11 PM on Friday and Saturday; 4. Amplified sound on the exterior of the building is prohibited; 5. The commercial kitchen hood vent shall conform with a proposed ordinance now under consideration by the City Council. Chrischilles seconded. Grenis said he thinks this is a good application. He said he appreciates the concerns with alcohol sales especially the unknown characteristics of what that could be. He said it's a use that's been shown to be desirable by the neighborhood as a whole, and he understands the appeal. Grenis said he likes the conditions the Board has on the application. Goeb said she understands clearly what the concerns are about alcohol but it seems that the way it's configured, this will be a more sedate setting and won't expand into a raucous bar. She said practically speaking, you can't separate a restaurant from a bar and if you eliminate the bar, the restaurant won't happen. She said it seems to be something desired by the neighborhood for some time. Chrischilles said he thinks most of the clientele will be from the neighborhood. He said there could be problems from the sale of alcohol but one of the tempering factors is that it is going to be indoors. He said he can see why most of the neighborhood supports it and thinks it can be a positive addition. Soglin said she agrees with what other members have been saying. She said she hopes that families with children would also patronize this restaurant at earlier hours. Chrischilles said that regarding EXC14 -00004 he concurs with the findings set forth in the staff report of April 9, 2014, and concludes that the general and specific criteria are satisfied. Unless amended or opposed by another Board member he recommended that the Board adopt the findings in the staff report as their findings for the acceptance of this proposal. A vote was taken and the motion carried 4 -0. (Baker left at 6:35 p.m.) Board of Adjustment April 9, 2014 Page 9 of 10 Grenis declared the motion for the special exception approved, noting that anyone wishing to appeal the decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days after the decision is filed with the City Clerk's Office. OTHER: Holecek said that the City received the decision on the 1018 Walnut Street case today and the Board did prevail. She said the court noted that the Board had done their job well. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT INFORMATION: ADJOURNMENT: Goeb moved to adjourn. Soglin seconded. The meeting was adjourned on a 4 -0 vote. F- Z W F- N Q W O 0 Q m D O V W W Z Q Z W F- Q r O N c� r O N a> �a X E N m (D (D � ) o a¢¢z u n n u x0W 0 w Y m x x x x x x x x x x M x x x x x V- N x x x x x V- x x x x x 0o x x x x x a> r N x ; x x ; x w 0 V- x x x x P. N V- x x x x eo co x i x x x x 0 V- x x x x x 4 w x x x x o w o 0 0 0 0 0 N N N N N N W F- W z W ~ J } W (Yj V1 J Y W 3 a 0 m = m J z z y a a o i z 0 z m t9 c9 v vOi a> �a X E N m (D (D � ) o a¢¢z u n n u x0W 0 w Y IP71 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION APRIL 3 — 7:00 PM — FORMAL EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL PRELIMINARY MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Dyer, Charlie Eastham, Ann Freerks, Phoebe Martin, Paula Swygard, Jodie Theobald, MEMBERS ABSENT: John Thomas STAFF PRESENT: Karen Howard, Sara Greenwood Hektoen OTHERS PRESENT: RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: The Commission voted 6 -0 to recommend approval of the amendments to Article 14-4C of the Zoning Code addressing how accessory uses are regulated in the Riverfront Crossings District. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. Comprehensive Plan Item Set public hearing for April 17th for discussion of amending the Comprehensive Plan, Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan, to include a section on affordable housing. Eastham moved to set a public hearing for April 17th for discussion of amending the Comprehensive Plan, Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan, to include a section on affordable housing. Theobald seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried 6 -0. Code Item Planning and Zoning Commission April 3, 2014 Page 2 of 4 Discussion of amendments to Article 14-4C of the Zoning Code, to address how accessory uses are regulated in the Riverfront Crossings District. Howard explained that they are working their way through the Zoning Code to make sure that nothing in it conflicts with the provisions of the Form -Based Code. She said staff is proposing minor changes pertaining to Uncovered Decks and Patios in order to clarify the frontage standards related to decks and patios as they would apply in the Riverfront Crossings Zones. Similarly, the amendment that applies to Fences, Walls and Hedges is intended to clarify and cross - reference the Riverfront Crossings standards. She referred the Commission to the staff memo in their packet. Howard said the amendments to the drive - through provisions will clarify how drive - throughs are regulated in the various subdistricts of Riverfront Crossings. In addition, the approval criteria have been revised and updated to provide the Board of Adjustment additional guidance as they consider requests for special exceptions for drive - through facilities. Freerks asked if the existing McDonalds on Riverside Drive is grandfathered in regarding the drive - through standards. Howard said a drive - through is an accessory use and the restaurant building is the principal use. Changes could be made to a drive - through as long as the changes didn't increase any nonconformities with the current zoning. For example, if the property is rezoned to Riverfront Crossings, changes to the drive - through could be made as long as they didn't increase any nonconformities related to the new zoning. Freerks asked if the recommended number of stacking spaces for drive- throughs is based on industry standards. Howard said staff had looked at other standards and used those as a basis. She said the Board of Adjustment will look at each case on an individual basis and would have the discretion to reduce or require additional stacking spaces based on the specific needs and requirements of the drive - through proposed. Dyer asked for a definition of a drive - through. Howard explained it's a facility where someone receives a service from their car, such as fast food restaurants, banks, and pharmacies. Eastham asked if these proposed standards would allow drive - through uses like fast -food on the corners of Benton and Orchard Streets. Howard said the standards would potentially allow that to occur, but if zoned Riverfront Crossings the facility would have to be designed according to the Riverfront Crossings form -based standards. Freerks asked who would define or have the burden of proof to decide whether loudspeaker and intercom systems would diminish the residential character of a neighborhood, as written in the proposed changes. Howard said those are things that the Board of Adjustment has to decide with every application. Greenwood Hektoen said it's up to the applicant to prove that their design satisfies the requirements of the special exception. Freerks opened public discussion. Freerks closed public discussion. Eastham moved to recommend approval of the amendments to Article 14-4C of the Zoning Code addressing how accessory uses are regulated in the Riverfront Crossings District. Planning and Zoning Commission April 3, 2014 Page 3 of 4 Swygard seconded. Freerks said she thinks this works as a place to start, always be made if needed. She said she believes the over the current language in the code. A vote was taken and the motion carried 6 -0. and as time goes on adjustments can proposed revisions are an improvement Consideration of Meeting Minutes: March 20, 2014 Eastham moved to approve the minutes Martin seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried 6 -0. Other The Commission agreed to have an Informal Meeting on Thursday, April 17 prior to their formal meeting. Adjournment Dyer moved to adjourn. Eastham seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried 6 -0. z O Mn U) O V z Z N z z Z a. 0 O v w w w z D z w H Q V 0 N M r 0 N z P w w O � xxxxxxo; 0 Mxxxxoxx; X X X x x X x CV) Xxx0xxxi, NXXXXXXX; NXxxxxxX; ZoXXXXXX; V- V-XXXXXXX; xxxxx ; xx 0) ; xx N xxxxxxxil V- XXXxx ; xX N X x X- x X X WaLO FX00000000 cncnLO 0000 V- v-XXXXXXX V- z w Z w- ip ti ,XX�XXXx; J2wQ0Z 004 IL 0� Q�v�adw �QNJ 0OXX0XXX; C�QC =�?QmQN O M Q>- W U Q w lx w Q W 2= O~ W oXXOXXXXI — F—� � oXXxxxx; lXXXXXXX; � XXXX LL !xx ��00000000 w w_ > - M QzWQOz w J G w =z0 - -) _ V =OYCZamyQw N Qi- Z 0 QOCQ1 w IL � U) =2w P I— � CD P w w O LL z N � N Ox N W CD 5 �1 5 c c o Q Q Z II II II II II x0O w Y XXxXXXx; N X X X x x X x CV) Xxx0xxxi, T-XXXXXxx; v-XXXXXXX! o� xxxxx ; xx &XXOxx ; xx XXXxx ; xX �wco000)F-Lna0Lnch WaLO FX00000000 cncnLO 0000 w z w Z w- ip J2wQ0Z 004 IL 0� Q�v�adw �QNJ LU C�QC =�?QmQN O M Q>- W U Q w lx w Q W 2= O~ W zawILTV)I — F—� N � N Ox N W CD 5 �1 5 c c o Q Q Z II II II II II x0O w Y