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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-11-02 Info PacketCity Council Information Packet CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org IPI Council Tentative Meeting Schedule November 2 Work Session IP2 Work Session Agenda November 2, 2017 IP3 Memo from Transportation Planner: Northside Neighborhood Traffic Calming and Related Concerns IP4 Pending Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IP5 Memo from Equity Director and Human Rights Coordinator: Racial and Socioeconomic Review Toolkits Pilot with Attachments IP6 Memo from City Clerk: Proposed Council Meeting Schedule, January — March 2018 IP7 Copy of letter to Mayor from Davidson Hotels and Resorts: Temporary closing of Sheraton Hotel IP8 Civil Service Entrance Examination: Custodian — Government Buildings IP9 Civil Service Entrance Examination: Media Production Assistant Draft Minutes I1310 Board of Adjustment: October 11 IP11 Historic Preservation Commission: October 12 IP12 Human Rights Commission: October 17 IP13 Planning and Zoning Commission: October 19 11 i 1ak1®r®� CITY OF IOWA CITY City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1 Subject to change November 2, 2017 Date Time Meeting Location Monday, November 6, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 21, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 5, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 19, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Saturday, January 6, 2018 8:00A -5:00P Budget Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, January 9, 2018 1:0013-7:001) Budget Work Session (CIP) Emma J. Harvat Hall Monday, January 22, 2018 4:00 PM Reception Coralville City Hall 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (319)356-5009 FAX W w W. icgov. o rg City Council Work Session Agenda Monday, November 6, 2017 Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall 5:00 p.m. • Discuss northside traffic calming project and parking regulations [IP3] • Clarification of Agenda Items • Information Packet Discussion [October 19, October 26, November 2] • Council updates on assigned boards, commissions and committees CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: October 31, 2017 To: Geoff Fruin; City Manager From: Kent Ralston; Transportation Planner Re: Northside Neighborhood Traffic Calming & Related Concerns Introduction During Capital Improvement Program (CIP) discussions for FY18, the City Council showed support for utilizing up to $50,000 from the annual Traffic Calming CIP account fora traffic calming project in the Northside Neighborhood. Subsequently, the Council has also requested that staff examine options to improve parking for residents in the Northside and College Green neighborhoods. History/Background Staff met with Mayor Throgmorton and Councilman Thomas on September 22n1 to discuss a potential traffic calming project, as well as other transportation related concerns in the Northside Neighborhood. The following general topics were discussed - staff recommendations are provided for each topic. 1. Concerns related to safety of the crosswalks at the Jefferson/Linn and Market/Linn intersections This issue was previously raised by the neighborhood in 2013 as part of a formal Northside Neighborhood Transportation Study completed by staff. Since that time (and at the request of the neighborhood), staff removed several on -street parking stalls on Jefferson Street near Linn Street. This was done in an effort to increase visibility of pedestrians at the crosswalk and to provide a safer environment for all users. Prior to the removal of nearby parking stalls, staff installed in -street "State Law Yield to Pedestrians" signs at both the Market and Jefferson intersections in 2011 at the request of business owners in the area. A follow-up study was performed and observations showed that the rate of vehicles yielding to pedestrians at the curb increased from approximately 5% to 32% after the installation of the in -street signs. A follow-up analysis of collisions was also performed and there was no indication that the installation of the in -street signs made the intersections less -safe. Between 2014-2016, the Jefferson/Linn intersection had 14 reported collisions and the Market/Linn intersection had 7 reported collisions over the three-year period — none of the collisions involved bicycles or pedestrians (Map 1). Staff Recommendation: Although there were no pedestrian or bicycle related incidents reported in the past three years, constructing bump -outs on the south side of Jefferson Street (similar to what exists on the north side of Market Street) would reduce the crossing distance and make pedestrians more visible to motorists, and could provide a safer more comfortable experience for pedestrians. If the Council wishes to make improvements to this intersection, staff would recommend bump -outs. IP3 October 31, 2017 Page 2 Fiscal impact. Staff estimates that constructing bump -outs on the south side of the Jefferson/Linn intersection will cost approximately $60,000. 2. Discussion about Bike Master Plan recommendations for the neighborhood as they relate to the larger transportation system The Bicycle Master Plan (adopted 2017) makes several recommendations for improvements in the Northside Neighborhood. The Plan calls for buffered bike lanes on Governor and Dodge streets, and on Market and Jefferson streets. Buffered bike lanes should generally slow travel speeds for motorists given that vehicle lane widths will be narrowed. The plan also recommends implementing 'bicycle boulevards' on portions of Gilbert, Church, and Davenport streets. Bicycle boulevards are primarily marked/signed routes allowing for easier navigation by bicyclists and could also provide additional calming of traffic when bicycles are present. The implementation of any/all of the recommendations found in the Bike Master Plan should not otherwise affect the neighborhood transportation system. The anticipated effects would be an increased presence of bicycles and the potential for a calming effect on vehicle speeds (due to decreased lane widths where bicycle lanes are added). Staff Recommendation: The Governor and Dodge street buffered bike lanes will be the first Bike Master Plan recommendation to be completed and are scheduled for 2018. This restriping coincides with the State of Iowa's planned resurfacing of Governor Street in 2018. Fiscal Impact: The buffered bike lane on Governor Street will be striped as part of a full resurfacing project and the additional cost associated with painting the bike lane will be minimal. The cost estimate for the addition of buffered bike lanes on Dodge Street is $79,000. In addition, future maintenance costs could be increased due to additional pavement markings and a higher pavement condition threshold typically expected for bike lanes. 3. Concerns with sight lines at intersections due to vehicles parked on -street Issues with sight lines at intersections are typically addressed on a complaint basis. However, staff intends to address concerns raised by conducting a comprehensive field audit of the Northside Neighborhood and adjusting parking signage accordingly. These issues are typically addressed by installing 'No Parking Corner to Here' and 'No Parking Here to Corner' signage. Staff will also identify and address any other issues inhibiting sight distance related to vegetation, fences, etc. Increasing visibility at intersections may have the single largest impact on reducing the overall number of collisions in the neighborhood. Staff Recommendation Staff intends to conduct a comprehensive review of the Northside Neighborhood to identify and address visibility issues. It is anticipated that this review will be completed by spring 2018. Fiscal Impact: The anticipated cost will primarily be for staff time associated with the field review and for materials and labor associated with resulting sign installation. 4. The potential for construction of traffic circles at key intersections to slow traffic and reduce collisions Working on the assumption that traffic circles will not be constructed on arterial streets, there are no obvious locations where traffic circles would be beneficial to reduce collisions or calm vehicle speeds in the Northside or College Green Neighborhoods. The rationale against constructing traffic circles (or other physical impediments) on arterial streets is to maintain emergency response times and reduce cut -through traffic on local streets. Between 2014-2016, there are few non -arterial intersections that had more than 2 total reported vehicle collisions for the three-year period. There were a total of 5 reported collisions October 31, 2017 Page 3 involving a pedestrian and there were a total of 12 bicycle collisions in the Northside and College Green neighborhoods. However, these neighborhoods comprise a total of approximately 72 square blocks and arguably have some of the highest rates of walking/bicycling in the city — which results in greater chance for incident. While no number of collisions is encouraging, the data does not suggest that the installation of traffic circles would reduce the overall number (or type) of collisions at these intersections. When looking at speed data provided in the 2013 Northside Traffic Study, the only non -arterial street with 851 percentile speeds greater than 28 mph was Lucas (between Church & Fairchild) and was recorded at 31 mph. Further, at each of the eight locations where average speeds were recorded, each was at (or below) 24 mph. Staff Recommendation: Previously collected speed and collision data does not suggest that traffic circles are warranted. However, staff recommends reviewing the Iowa Avenue corridor (between Gilbert and Governor) and the Gilbert corridor (between Iowa and Market) for potential safety improvements. These corridors had more collisions than others in the study area and also had the bulk of reported collisions involving a pedestrian/bicycle. Itis anticipated that this review will be completed by spring 2018. Fiscal Impact. Initial costs will primarily be for staff time associated with the field review. 5. Concerns with inadequate on -street parking and the potential for implementation of a parking permit system Currently, a majority of the Northside and College Green Neighborhoods utilize a 'calendar parking' scheme whereby motorists are only permitted to park on -street on the side of the street with even home addresses on even calendar days and on the opposite side of the street on odd calendar days between 8AM-5PM Monday -Saturday. Parking is permitted on both sides of the street after 513M and on Sunday. This arrangement is primarily intended to reduce storage of vehicles in one location for more than 48 hours and to limit on -street parking availability for commuting motorists attempting to avoid paying for parking in the downtown/campus area. Several studies have been conducted in recent years attempting to quantify parking availability for residents. A study conducted by staff in 2013 indicated that, on average, 70% of on -street parking was utilized in the northside neighborhood between 8AM-5PM on a typical weekday — leaving 30% of on -street spaces available. After 5PM, the total parking supply doubles as the daytime parking restriction ceases, and availability of on -street parking remains at approximately 30%. A parking study conducted by a consultant in 2017 showed similar results, indicating that blocks nearer to downtown have higher usage than those further from the downtown core. The increased usage nearer the downtown core is likely a function of both increased housing density and commuter parking. The attached map (Map 2) shows the area where approximately 85% of on street parking is utilized. 85% is commonly used to represent 'practical capacity' and indicates 'full' parking — rates higher than 85% result in motorists circling/waiting for a space to become available. While the idea of a residential parking permit system for the Northside and College Green Neighborhoods has been discussed several times in the past, implementation of a system has never been seriously considered. To implement a residential parking permit system, the following issues will need to be considered: • Neighborhood support — Staff has historically received very few complaints related to an inadequate amount of on -street parking availability. That said, it will be important to gauge neighborhood support for such a system —especially given there would likely be an annual October 31, 2017 Page 4 permit fee and an obligation for residents to obtain necessary permits, including occasional guest permits. Cost to implement— Staff estimates that a simple permit system could cost approximately $130,000 to implement in the first year and then $60,000 annually for the additional staff and equipment necessary. This does not include the value of time from existing employees that will need to administer the permit system and respond to customer service requests. Staff estimates revenue from selling annual permits would be in the $40,000 - $60,000 range (assuming 1.5 permits for each of the approximately 2,500 residential units at $10 plus non-resident permits and/or violations). In reviewing programs in other college communities, staff found that such programs do not generate surplus revenue. While staff can account for and report enforcement revenues and expenses in a certain geographic area, we do not believe a formal parking benefit district is warranted. Additional resident input and study—Staff anticipates that additional public input and study would be necessary to determine what type of permit system would work best for the neighborhood, and would also be needed to determine available supply of parking vs potential demand for permits. A system that charges for annual permits but cannot ensure adequate parking availability in close proximity to residences would not be viewed favorably by permit holders. Staff Recommendation: Because of the cost, uncertainty for need, and uncertainty regarding the correct type of system to implement, staff recommends taking an incremental approach to addressing on -street parking needs in the study area. The following is a list of options that Council could consider. 1. Increase enforcement of parking violations in the near downtown neighborhoods using existing parking enforcement staff and equipment. This approach would simply reallocate enforcement resources from the downtown core to better enforce street storage violations, meter term violations, and other parking violations to increase parking turn -over and availability in the neighborhood. 2. Increase enforcement of parking violations in near downtown neighborhoods with additional parking enforcement staff and equipment. This approach would allow for greatly increased enforcement efforts without reducing efforts elsewhere. This approach would help with street storage issues as well as other common problems such as parking too close to a corner or in front of a fire hydrant. 3. Implement a 3 or 4 -hour limit for on -street parking. This approach would require additional enforcement but greatly reduce the use of on -street parking for commuters. It would easily allow for guest parking and service parking without permits (assuming they are less than 3 or 4 hours), but would likely require 'hardship waivers' for households without any off- street parking. 4. Remove calendar parking restrictions and allow parking on both sides of the street (with or without time limits). This approach would effectively double the supply of on -street parking between 8AM-5PM and would thereby increase the supply of parking for residents. An additional benefit to this approach is a likely reduction in vehicle speeds as a result of narrowed travel lanes. This approach was recommended in the recent Opticos study. Drawbacks to this approach would be that snow removal would be more challenging and that garbage collection would be slowed due to the increase in vehicles parked on - street. 5. Implement a full parking permit system whereby only those individuals meeting residency requirements (or their guests) are permitted to park on -street. Limited permits could also be extended to non-residents at a higher cost. This is the costliest approach and would require on-going annual permitting, education, and enforcement. October 31, 2017 Page 5 Fiscal Impact., Aside from simply reallocating parking enforcement efforts using existing staff and equipment, the additional staff and equipment needed for the remaining scenarios would cost approximately $130,000 to implement and then cost $60,000 annually thereafter. These figures are approximate and will fluctuate based on the type of system used and the amount of enforcement required. 6. Concerns with availability of on -street parking near College Green Park Both Staff and Council have received concerns about the lack of available on -street parking near College Green Park. The concern is that on -street parking is primarily used by adjacent residents or by commuters which creates a shortage of parking for those choosing to access the park. There are also concerns that vehicles are routinely 'stored' on -street which exacerbates the issue. Staff Recommendation: Staff will review the usage of on -street parking adjacent to College Green Park. If a shortage of parking availability is identified, staff will either consider adding meters to the area, or implement a 3 or 4 -hour limit for on -street parking to discourage commuter parking. If vehicles are being 'stored' on -street, staff can increase enforcement near the park using existing resources to increase parking turn -over. If there are similar concerns near other City parks, staff could broaden the review to those areas as well. If those areas require more enforcement, staff would simply need to prioritize neighborhood enforcement efforts. Fiscal Impact. Costs are primarily associated with staff time needed to review the areas in question and to perform enforcement efforts. Additional costs for signage and/or parking meters are minimal. October 31, 2017 Page 6 I — NUrnDer 07 uoinsIons & uwelling units In zquoy Area w � Northside & College Green ® Vehicle Collisions t$�r,Northside Study Area Neighborhood Analysis Pedestrian COAisions/rotal Collisions Horace Mann School N Q Bicyea CollisbnsRotal Collisions Mercy Hospital I— Feet w - e 0 200 4W ago S ©. Pedestrian & Boyce Collisionsr otal Collisions Parcels This mso is Intended to sone as an so in graphic relaeeentaaon 1 ®Distilling Units per block 1 ■ 1 i1 1 1 1 1 t 67 48 1 15 1 1 1 4 - 5 1 1 72 17 18 28 19 14 12 1 1 1 ` � 0 J) 1 1 56 51 23 40 24 10 14 i t ® ® 0 ® O 1 1'i L 93 37 32 31 16 22 13 1 1 tl t 0 1 t'. 63 65 29 24 1 17 20 1 1 J) 4) >t 43 29 27 50 17 33 18 1 1 1 7 4 0 41 42 , .., ,i.. © 1 1 q4 48 0 34 33 23 1 1 1 109 30 54 45 71 1 1 C) O © 11 1 1 36 37 70 52 83 1 1 76 0 46 71 ♦ 76 44 ♦ 1 1 51 47 39 58 68 105 ♦ IN Intersection Collisions 2014.2016 Northside & College Green ® Vehicle Collisions t$�r,Northside Study Area Neighborhood Analysis Pedestrian COAisions/rotal Collisions Horace Mann School N Q Bicyea CollisbnsRotal Collisions Mercy Hospital I— Feet w - e 0 200 4W ago S ©. Pedestrian & Boyce Collisionsr otal Collisions Parcels This mso is Intended to sone as an so in graphic relaeeentaaon only. This infonnabon is not warranted for accuracy or other ®Distilling Units per block purposes. rD+r v t . I P4 -11 _.a pop _ �t CITY of IOWA CITY ONBCOCOYOFMMMU PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS November 2. 2017 November 211t • Lusk Avenue code review Other Topics: 1. Joint meeting with the Telecommunications Commission 2. Discuss Graduate and Professional Student Government relationship � t�~r .®dr CITY O F IOWA CITY --t5 — ris�- r"i'1 MEMORANDUM Date: October 31, 2017 To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Stefanie Bowers, Equity Director and Human Rights Coordinator Re: Racial and Socioeconomic Review Toolkits Pilot with Attachments Introduction With the goal of advancing social justice and racial equity within City procedures, policies, programs and services, several City departments for the past year have participated in a pilot project implementing a racial and socioeconomic equity review toolkit. Toolkits provide a mechanism for institutionalizing the consideration of race and income equity into procedures, policies, programs or services. During this year long process when opportunities were identified, staff has implemented those initiatives or has laid the groundwork to begin implementation. This memorandum provides an overview of the pilot along with the opportunities for action. Background: The City Council's Strategic Plan for 2016-17 includes fostering a more inclusive, just, and sustainable Iowa City. One specific goal is for City departments to develop and implement a racial and socioeconomic equity impact review toolkit to assess the effect of City procedures, policies, programs or services on the community. The pilot began in August 2016 and ended in August 2017. Departments evaluated a current procedure, policy, program or service, and a new and/or potentially new procedure, policy, program or service. Participating departments were Neighborhood and Development Services, Police, Human Resources, Transit', Human Rights, and Finance. These departments were intentionally selected because they have one or all of the following: 1) the services provided are heavily relied upon by persons of color or immigrant populations; 2) the community has expressed concern on how the services are delivered; or 3) the services provided impact large groups of persons in the community. Departments used a 3 step process to gather information that would be used to inform planning and decision-making about public policies and programs. Each step is enumerated below. Step I: What is the impact of the proposal on determinants of equity? The aim of the first step is to determine whether the proposal will have an impact on equity or not. Step II: Who is affected? This step identifies who is likely to be affected by the proposal. Step III: Opportunities for action? The third step involves identifying the impacts of the proposal from an equity perspective. The goal is to develop a list of likely impacts and actions to ensure that negative impacts are mitigated and positive impacts are enhanced. 1 Transit, due to transitions in the department in 2017, was not able to complete its proposals but will with the next review group. October 31, 2017 Page 2 Proposals by Department: Neighborhood and Development Services Proposal: Bicycle Racks A survey conducted at 222 residential units in areas designated as low-income found that many of the multi -family developments in these areas lacked bicycle racks, and when they were provided, the racks were in poor condition, of obsolete design, or located in insecure or inaccessible locations. The highest need areas as identified in the study were multi -family developments at Cross Park, Keokuk, Broadway, and Lakeside. Opportunities for action: Develop property -specific recommendations for each location including the number of racks needed and appropriate locations for racks. Contact the property management of those units and offer to review the survey with them and provide incentives for installation—this may include free racks and/or concrete pads. Pursue a code provision for bringing multi -family properties into conformance with current code standards for bicycle parking. Proposal. Complaint Mapping Addresses of housing, building, zoning, and nuisance complaints from 2016 were mapped to identify areas in which gaps in service may exist and to concentrate outreach and education efforts. The City receives and processes over 3,000 housing, building, zoning, and nuisance complaints annually. The map did not illustrate any Census tract that did not submit complaints to the City. All neighborhoods have utilized the existing complaint system (in person, phone, email or ICgovXpress) to submit complaints. The University impacted neighborhoods registered the most complaints received, but the City received complaints from every Census tract, regardless of age and location of housing. Low density single family developments had the least complaints. Opportunities for action: Provide outreach to all areas of the community without regard to geographic area. Mapping the addresses yearly to find out where complaints are filed. To assist in identifying geographical areas to concentrate outreach and education on and also identify gaps in service for where more strategic interventions and improved advocacy need to take place. Proposal: Notification of Rezoning and Redevelopment Starting in the fall of 2016, all residents within 300 feet of proposed rezoning and subdivision proposals were notified. Prior to this, only property owners were notified of proposed rezoning. The residents were notified, as they had been in the past, by letter, public notice sign posted on the property proposed for development, and when possible, by 'good neighbor' meetings in which applicants present their development proposal to neighbors early in the review process. In apartment buildings, developers had trouble getting addresses of apartment units. These addresses are not available at the County Recorder's Office (where property owner addresses October 31, 2017 Page 3 are obtained), nor does the post office provide these address lists. In some instances, applicants posted a notice letter of a nearby development proposal on the door or mailbox cabinet of apartment buildings for which addresses could not be obtained. No difficulties were reported with condominium addresses as they are able to be obtained, even if they are rented. Opportunities for action: Continuing to emphasize 'good neighbor' meetings, posting of public signs, written notice for all dwellings for which applicants can obtain addresses, a new proposed ordinance requiring property owners to notify renters of property proposed for redevelopment or remodeling, and to prepare an occupant transition plan if necessary. In October 2017, staff began an RFP process for new software which will allow for electronic submission of rezoning and subdivision applications, allowing residents to view the same online. Police Proposal., Online Feedback Form Currently, there is no online process used by the police department to obtain public feedback on performance. Those wishing to express concerns about police interactions can only do so in person or through a phone call. Opportunities for action: With the prevalence of smartphones, tablets and laptops, our society communicates much differently than it used to. Email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the many other social networking options clearly point toward the need to utilize this technology for police services. An online form will provide improved customer service. The correspondence will be routed through ICgovXpress to all police supervisors. The on duty supervisor will make every effort to contact the person within a few hours of receiving notice. The online form went "live" in October 2017. Proposal.' Juvenile Curfew Standard Operating Guidelines Evaluate whether disproportionality in minori� citations is occurring based on an estimate of 11.1 % Black/Hispanic population in Iowa City. Curfew Violations by Race: 2012: Total — 34 White —18 Black/Hispanic —19 (55.9%) 2013: Total — 30 White — 26 Black/Hispanic — 7 (23.3%) 2014: Total — 27 White —16 Black/Hispanic —14 (51.9%) 2015: Total — 21 White —13 Black/Hispanic — 11 (52.4%) 2016: Total — 21 White — 14 Black/Hispanic-8 (38.1%) The number of youth curfew incidents is relatively low, making any assessment of trends 2 U.S. Census Bureau as of April 1, 2010. October 31, 2017 Page 4 very unreliable. Over 70% of the cited curfew violations involved one or more additional criminal violations by the minor. When other criminal acts are involved, the officer's discretion is reduced. Additionally, several of the offenses involved victims of crime, which further limits discretion. Given that the citations were issued in 13 different neighborhoods, it does not appear that any group of residents is being overly focused on. Opportunities for action: The Sergeant assigned to the Records Section currently generates a monthly report on curfew violations cited by the Department. The report is disseminated to key departmental personnel and supervisory staff. This process should continue. Watch supervisors should be tasked with reviewing the monthly curfew report to determine if any racial equity issues are occurring with the officers they supervise. The Community Outreach Assistant should be officially assigned to follow up with the minor and parents when a citation is issued. Proposal: Public Hours at Animal Care & Adoption Center Many services offered by Animal Services are only available at the Care Center itself. The Center is primarily open to the public during normal business hours, which doesn't afford easy access to those who work during the daytime. Weekend hours are very limited. The need to expand the hours of operation at the Animal Care and Adoption Center has long been a point of discussion. Feedback from staff and the public overwhelmingly express a desire for this change. Unfortunately, staffing models don't show a viable option for this expansion without the cutting of hours at some other time during the week. Opportunities for action: Alternative locations to provide traditional Center -based services, such as pet licensing, informational materials and animal adoption, should be put in place. A pilot program for these outreach services provided at the Department's substation should begin as staffing allows. Continue to assess the hours of operation at the Center. Human Resources Proposal: Internal Job Postings The City is required to post permanent positions internally in most cases before accepting applications from the general public. It is important to ensure that the existing procedures do not place any employee groups, including non-white employees, at a disadvantage. Employee demographic information based on position and wage census data was reviewed and showed that the highest percentage of racial diversity in the City's workforce exists in the Hourly/Seasonal and Permanent Part -Time position classifications and among employees earning $20 or less per hour. These two categories are largely comprised of the same employees. An employee survey was conducted seeking information on access to job posting information, access to the online employment application, and whether they have sufficient time to apply for October 31, 2017 Page 5 open positions. The results showed that the employee populations with the highest percentages of racial diversity were most likely not to receive information about internal job postings. These same employee populations overwhelmingly indicated that they believed a minimum of 10 days would be an appropriate application period for internal postings. Opportunities for action: The posting period for internally posted positions was changed from 5 days to 10 days in April 2017 to provide employees more time to both access information on open positions and to complete the online application. Create informational materials for all current hourly employees and all new hires which include instructions on how to access, login, and identify information available through the Employee Self Service system including information on current openings and the online application. Future surveying of employees to provide more conclusive information on the new posting period. Proposal: External Job Advertising Identifying potential gaps in current efforts related to the promotion of employment opportunities will enable the City to better direct information to racially diverse populations. A survey which included a summary of current recruitment efforts was distributed to participants of both the City Manager's Roundtable and the annual City sponsored job and resource fair. Feedback received identified state and local organizations recommended for distribution of City employment information that had not been contacted through past outreach efforts. Opportunities for action: Create outreach materials identifying various ways to access information on City employment opportunities in multiple languages for distribution to community organizations serving persons from racially diverse populations. By January 2017, local organizations identified through feedback process were added to the recruitment information distribution list. Annually review and initiate community outreach efforts for feedback on promotional efforts. Proposal: Removal of Names from Applications Evaluate whether removal of candidate names from employment applications is a feasible strategy to minimize potential impact of implicit bias in hiring. Some studies have shown that the removal of information commonly associated with a particular race or ethnicity has had a positive effect on candidates' chances of being selected in a screening process. Software functionality to suppress applicant name does not extend to supplemental documents provided by candidates such as cover letter and resume. These documents would have to be excluded in their entirety and because they often provide valuable information regarding candidate qualifications, their exclusion could cause more harm than good. Software functionality allowing for the suppression of candidate name and supplemental documents is only available through a feature used to suppress data presently only accessible to HR staff, such as social security number, voluntary race/ethnicity and gender disclosures, date of birth, etc. This would result in HR's inability to provide a copy of the application, post - selection of candidates for interviews, that contain any of the previously suppressed information October 31, 2017 Page 6 (name, contact information, etc.,) without providing ALL previously suppressed information (including SSN, race, gender, date of birth, etc.) Opportunities for action: Revisit this in the future to see if applicable software enhancement is available that mitigate the negative impacts of implementation with current functionality. Human Rights Proposal: Online Complaint Submittals Online complaint submittals allow for persons to file a complaint with the Human Rights Office 24/7. This streamlines the process and allows for an efficient and accessible way for persons to report discrimination at any time. Online complaint submittals went live in February of 2017. Opportunities for action: Yearly monitor the number of complaints received to see if numbers increase over time. Advertise that this is only one method to file a complaint and that those who do not know how to use a computer or who are without access to a computer or internet still have the option of filing a written complaint with the Human Rights Office during regular business hours. Proposal: Discrimination Complaint Party Mapping Complaints of discrimination filed with the Human Rights in 2016 were mapped to identify areas in which alleged discrimination occurred more frequently to allow staff the opportunity to conduct more outreach and educational trainings in those areas. The map illustrated that the most cited area for alleged discrimination occurred in the downtown area even though most complainants did not reside in downtown. Opportunities for action: Increase outreach and educational efforts on fair practices to those businesses located downtown, including property management companies. Continue to map the complaints of discrimination yearly to monitor whether complaints decrease in the downtown area and also to identify other areas of the city that educational efforts should be focused. Finance Proposal: Distribution of Capital Grant Funding Review the criteria used by the City to apply for capital grant funding, and determine the need for a Grants Management Policy. A map was created to identify the location of the projects that received applicable grant funding by the City from fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 2016 that were over $60,000 and for transportation, trails, parks, and bridges against an overlay of the percentage of non-white October 31, 2017 Page 7 populations by census tract across the City for fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 2016 that were over $60,000 The finding was that there was little or no minority impact analysis being done by departments when they were applying for capital grant funding. Opportunities for action: Require a minority impact statement as part of a new Grants Management Policy. That includes creating a map showing distribution of racial minorities in the city. Require capital grant applications to use a map to identify the grant's location and review its impact on minority populations with a narrative statement as well as the block group identifier to quantify the impact . Proposal: Utility Billing Carding Policies To determine whether the current utility billing carding policies have disparate impacts on certain populations .3 Addresses where utility billing cardings occurred from September 2016 — February 2017 were mapped against overlays of non white and low income census track data and data from the Low Income Utility Discount Program." Households living below the poverty level particularly Black, Alaska Native and American Indian, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino populations were identified as receiving larger proportions of cardings. Particularly those residing in the southeast part of the city. Within the eleven block groups identified, households participating in the Low Income Utility Discount Program received significantly fewer cardings than those not participating. These numbers also indicate that there are many more households eligible for the discount program than are currently participating. Opportunites for action: Targeted promotion of the Low Income Utility Discount Program. Implement a donor program to help offset the increased costs to the City resulting from the expansion of the Low Income Utility Discount Program Proposal: Requests for Bids and Proposals The Request for Bid (RFB) and Request for Proposal (RFP) process assists departments in procuring quality goods and services, while encouraging competition and promoting fair and equitable treatment of individuals participating in the procurement process. These processes were chosen because they have many rules and requirements that have a potential for creating barriers. 3 A "carding' is a shut-off notice for non-payment. They place a card on the door warning them that their water could be shut-off if they do not make their payment. 4 Eligible Iowa City utility customers can receive a discount of 60 percent of the minimum water and sewer charges, 60 percent of the monthly storm water charge and 75 percent of the refuse and recycling charges each month October 31, 2017 Page 8 There were 59 Requests for Bids and Requests for Proposals issued during Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016. For these 59 requests, the Purchasing Division contacted 319 different vendors directly with the RFB or RFP information for a total of 379 contacts. For the 59 RFBs/RFPs issued, the City received 213 bids/proposals and awarded 63 contracts. In order to assist in a demographic analysis of the vendors contacted, a voluntary demographic survey was e-mailed to the 319 vendors to help identify women- and minority-owned businesses. The survey of the 319 vendors yielded responses from 115 vendors or 36%. Of those vendors, the majority (96 or 83.5% of the vendors) did not describe themselves as women -owned, minority-owned, or service -disabled veteran -owned. Of the 19 that did, 15 identified as women - owned businesses, two identified as minority-owned businesses, and two identified as service - disabled veteran -owned businesses. These numbers are disproportionately lower than the city's women and minority populations. Opportunities for action Reaching out to more women and minority vendors could increase the number of bids and proposals received by these businesses and as a result, increase the number of contracts awarded to women and minority vendors. In FY15 and FY16, six out of 15 or 40% of the bids/proposals submitted by women and minority vendors were awarded contracts, suggesting that those who submit a bid or proposal have a fair chance at being awarded a contract. The City will research resources for recruiting women and minority vendors. Online directories of these types of vendors can be accessed through the Iowa Economic Development Authority's Targeted Small Business page, the Iowa Black Business Coalition, and the Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization through the US Department of Veterans Affairs. From here a database of women and minority vendors will be created to engage with directly in future RFBs and RFPs. Conclusion: The pilot of the racial and socioeconomic toolkit has been a learning process for staff. Future expansion of the toolkit will incorporate lessons learned in this first go around. Next steps are including more City departments in the racial and socioeconomic equity review toolkit, having those departments that just completed its first review toolkit draft racial equity action plans, and expand on the opportunities for community engagement as a part of the toolkit process. Iowa City Urbanized Area Frequency of Issues Submitted Data from ICGovExpress + Sip - 00 . E) Prepared by:Ackerson Date Prepared: 12/1/16 0 0 Data source: City of Iowa City t, 2 Eft- Wv k&ori Online Feedback Form Complete this form to either commend, or complain about a police interaction you experienced. If this is a complaint - use this form to advise supervisory staff of any interaction that you feel was unfair. unpleasant or ineffective, when working with the Iowa City Police Department. After you contact us, we will reach out to you as soon as possible to further discuss this issue in order to better understand the situation. Supervisory staff is available and willing to meet with you in person. through a phone call or email message, whatever you prefer. Tell us what happened: Would you like a supervisor to follow up with you? ❑ Yes ❑ No If yes, please provide your preferred contact information: Submit Online Complaint Form Complaint of Discrimination Form The staff of the Human Rights Office investigate complaints, coordinate mediation, conduct conciliation, and enforce the provisions of the Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance contained in Title II of the City Code (and, by extension, the provisions of state and federal -level anti -discrimination laws). The form below is for complaints in the areas of credit, employment, education, or public accommodation. Complaints of Discrimination must be filed within 300 days after the most recent discriminatory event. Upon the filing of a verified complaint, the Human Rights Office will serve notice on the respondent. Notice shall include both a copy of the complaint and a statement of the respondent's procedural rights and obligations under the law or ordinance. Service shall be effected by certified mail within twenty (20) days of filing for complaints in the areas of employment, public accommodation, credit or education, and within seven (7) days of filing for complaints alleging discrimination in the area of housing. (Ord. 15-4650, 12-15- 2015). If applicable, verified complaints are cross -filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Call 319-356-5022 or 319-356-5015 to speak with a Human Rights staff person if you have any questions. What is your name? What is your street address? Discrimination Complaint Party Mapping r i f U e 11C�► a CORALVILLE ..®t.�t a —a.r._ < ,s CITY OF IOWA CITY 0 N '2m ouoar RO Ato ST Orr Complainants • O s< • Respondents • DO'D STN $T IOWA CITY • PARK RD A N • 0.aHE5TE0.I,VE �pNETn F � yS Na"'ok" Ilininissil NECROSE AVEm COVRT ST • • 8 g i> w • . • • £ N eEMON 9i ® N TO�e NUSLATME RVE ~ QL R�RE10.o F • < 1 LSO • amLs.10R in 1'W l m C , O 90 O KARRI xST tl 3 0 all ST (—L_JFe<t P D 1500 O Outside of the IC Urbanized Area, Complainants Respondents i West Des Moines IA Berkeley CA 2016 Filed Complaints by Location PO Box of Complainant and Respondent Calendar Year 2016����� Distribution of Capital Grant Funding .y Grant Spending by Block Group City of Iowa City r 2016 rr�o.000 s2 184277 S10 3 1,000 _ _�--'�_ $2656.819 Io 156 - 52,123,561 ` $2,220.000 Non -White Population (�-10.o 10. 'A r�1o1-1s.o% - 15.1 - 20.0% - 20.1-25.0% -25.1-30.0% -30.1-51.0% ,. Saurtn. E), M Mo oelE34 O MVVSGS, INCFNWC P. pe Ean Jpm, AEII, 6npin ACCO). EM IWm. EeA (ituibMl. aNGtC,00pm5trxlfAMp eartrdbn,aq ve GlS U9tt Cmmwy Utility Billing Carding Process Non -White Population Iowa City, Iowa 2015 OL Percent of Non -White Population^ by Black Group L_—J30%-80% =81%-140% -14.1%-24.0% 1 _ 24.1% - 38.0% - 38.1 % - 54.0% 4.hN P � C tl Y -1 4, J 4r �..•• 1 I. k ra m f n•me O tlSGS, X . CM. CaOSAWI ince lmr C. Ord EStO. USOS.Psri NPS. NHCI. EriCh I!l�N:4404nWissdG.uno; Smv..y. E a op ME ""p Viwtpp Ruq). swiIs U.. - pipmylrMip. a OpwdbwlALp tantriWb., pM pM 615 UCr CQTTIInn' .I.. Household Income in the Past 12 Months Below Poverty Levee we.N.. Iowa City, Iowa 1 2015 �N� A by aanan . e v Percent Below Poverty by Block Group I 00%-80% 81%-15.0% 11111111111' 15.1%-23.0% 1111111111, 23.1%-44.0% 11111111111, 44.1%-78.0% E i «�. Nayu0on 4 n 0 y:"r NRMy mscwn. .Y�ty fJ?'n Ilal L) Swv Elfi. HERE. GeLprme. Intftn p. inn&�l P Cdp GEBCO. t S. FAO, NPS. NRCAN. Gw8a1Y11G . K dastr NL, O dmmnm SlrveY. Fl,.Jsq METI. E$I.Ch. (HON Kpnp). swiulppp. [. lbpmyln0i�, C 0,m V etB p mnOib.t., s.n0 the GIS User Cpmmunrty ,.� Statistically Significant Areas of High and Low Occurences of Cardings Iowa City, Iowa I September 2016 - February 2017 -- --- ------- ---- - -- -o -- Coltl Spots intlicate low otturences of wrdings - Hot Spot - 99% Confidence - Hot Spot - 9S% Confidence l� Hot Spot -90% Confidence 0 Not Significant Cold Spot - 90% Confidence Cardin[6 by Block Group: September 2016-Febrllary 2017 IMEMEN ARPofiaat. M.rtbaalaCe ApproWrut. %a Irx. %a Ir%arrte 1A.rtber %a %a 1(ote.(talda Di.a.% alaiaewr Tout Total )lotuehola llol..(tam R..Mng Ctl.arwawho NI%t MLoer tae N.onw C. BN.6 Noureh.tdc NUM.r Numberalow %Nae%%it. 8elewit werty R...NNBrwd Mtlklnc.m. Recehx0 N.omme Dwowt Deew Tract G.W (]I Carded %[carded Ill (2) AUW8hce ]) AxXn.Ce 4 Tract CIWwMrl M 1802 2 726 115 IS.N96 53.6% 15.3% 32.1% 1.8% 9 31 111 1 17 1 435 52 11.95% 11096 17.9% 18.114 0.006 6 SS 78 IS 1 684 81 11.84% 45% 10.2% 17.4% 2.8% 4 9 70 '.. 18.01 1 877 % 10.95% 38.3% 16.6% 14.4% 0.06 8 30 1" 17 2 333 35 10.51% 3.6% 5.1% 3.0% 3.9% 2 6 17 18.02 1 810 85 10.49% 28.2% 25. % 10.016 4.1% 3 19 208 nwlb.ra Lw %a Income Ap pronate %a %ef Naa.hoMr Dwont 84iaefar Total NouwhoWC MateeholM RaeMMl6 Cu%awrstabe NunberaLow Lew%.onte Cerra 8Wt Nou.Wdl Number %� 9.bw po.a.y ReuhM16F..4 atha pubr% R.C.h.d Wcome Diccowt Dbro.t Trs. G,. (2) CarCW %Carded 1) 121 AW.ar%e ] M ttal.e t Car Cr.romera IS 2 504 54 10.71% 7.1% 5.0% 3.4% 3.4% 2 8 25 14 1 262 28 10.69% 17.2% 5.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0 1 13 17 3 613 61 9.95% 9.3% 22.2% 1.8% 00% 2 11 136 14 1 3 1,071 99 9.24% 18.2% 171% 1 180% 0.8% 3 1 43 195 Number a low ARPofiaat. %a Irx. Number %a %a Nouseba0r Di.ant Fliriaabr Total Nwaebel& NducMoldc Recemn6 Cu... Numberalow Iowla.rne CanwC BN k NWMltoldr Number %Non-M%ite "k Nhterty MC.MrIBFoad other public Received lawns(h.owt Chan Tract 6,.p M Carded %Carded (3) 121 A... f Atm .e t Cardi Cu.omaa 0. 16 3 905 61 6 74% 23 6% 61.8% 49% 31% 0 0 559 —ter -1 CITY OF IOWA CITY 1P6 m-ft �b MEMORANDUM DATE: October 26, 2017 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Kellie Fruehling, City Clerk RE: Proposed Council Meeting Schedule, January — March 2018 Below is a proposed meeting schedule (January thru March) for discussion at your work session on November 6, 2017. Please check your calendars and let me know if you'd like to make any changes in the proposal. Tuesday, January 2, Special Formal (Organizational Meeting), 8:00 AM January 2, Work Session, 5:00 PM January 2, Formal 7:00 PM Saturday, January 6, Special Work Session (Dept. Budget), 8:00 AM — 5:00 PM Tuesday, January 9, Special Work Session (CIP Budget), 1:00 PM — 7:00 PM Tuesday, January 16, Work Session, 5:00 PM January 16, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, February 6, Work Session, 5:00 PM February 6, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, February 20, Work Session, 5:00 PM February 20, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, March 6, Work Session, 5:00 PM March 6, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, March 20, Work Session, 5:00 PM March 20, Formal 7:00 PM S:clk/TENTATIVESCHEDULE/SCHEDULE PROPOSED 2018 (JAN-MAR.).doc 40 DAVIDSON HOTELS & RESORTS October 27, 2017 IP7 One Ravinia Drive, Suite 1600 • Atlanta, GA 30346 Phone 678.349.0909 • Fax 678.349.0908. • www.davidsonhotels.com VIA OVERNIGHT MAIL & FACSIMILE: 319-356-5497 Mayor Jim Throgmorton 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: Temporary Closing of Sheraton Iowa City Hotel Dear Mayor Throgmorton: We are writing to inform you that the Sheraton Iowa City Hotel located at 210 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240 will temporarily close for renovations on December 31, 2017. This action is expected to be temporary. Davidson Hotel Company LLC d/b/a Pivot Hotels & Resorts is the operator of this hotel. The employee separations in connection with the hotel temporarily closing will occur on December 31, 2017. Enclosed is a listing of the job titles of the positions to be affected and the number of affected employees in each job classification. The employee separations will take place in accordance with the attached schedule. There are no bumping rights at this location. The affected employees at this facility are not represented by any union. You may contact Mary Powers, Vice President Human Resources, at 678-349-0945, if you require additional information. Very truly yours, o � C) ,L, J�,,,�N� c- o 0 Mary Powers < a Vice President Human Resod 0 Enclosure r13 Job Classification Number of Affected Employees in each Job Classification Term Date Accounting Clerk 1 12/31/2017 Asst Outlet Manager 1 12/31/2017 Banquet Manager 1 12/31/2017 Banquet Server 1 12/31/2017 Banquet Setup 1 12/31/2017 Bartender 1 12/31/2017 Concierge 2 12/31/2017 Cook 1 3 12/31/2017 Cook 2 1 12/31/2017 Dishwasher 2 12/31/2017 Engineer 1- Mechanic 2 12/31/2017 Front Desk Agent 2 12/31/2017 Houseperson 1 12/31/2017 Human Resource Assistant 1 12/31/2017 Outlet Server - Outlet 1 2 12/31/2017 Reservations Group Coord 1 12/31/2017 Sales Coordinator 1 12/31/2017 Sous Chef 1 12/31/2017 Executive Chef 1 12/31/2017 Director of F&B 1 12/31/2017 Assist. Banquet Manager 1 12/31/2017 Banquet Server 1 12/31/2017 General Manager 1 12/31/2017 N V C � h rn iv ti r 1 _IP8 • r,11®r�� CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (319)356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.Icgov.org October 30, 2017 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Custodian — Government Buildings 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 Custodian — Government Buildings. Jeffrey Davis IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Lyr W. Dickerson, Chair K14 cr r3 "' s n -C 17— �� �rn � m a K14 7l -Uc- r r IP9 zuiv4cccccr4h CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (319)356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org October 30, 2017 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Media Production Assistant 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 Media Production Assistant. Marlon Hall IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION ,..e.w Lyra W. Dickerson, Chair 11-u-11 IP10 MINUTES PRELIMINARY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT OCTOBER 11, 2017 — 5:15 PM EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Gene Chrischilles, Connie Goeb, Bryce Parker, Becky Soglin, Tim Weitzel MEMBERS ABSENT STAFF PRESENT: Susan Dulek, Sarah Walz OTHERS PRESENT: Ben Kinseth, Duane Musser CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 5:15 PM. ROLL CALL: A brief opening statement was read by Soglin outlining the role and purpose of the Board and the procedures that would be followed the meeting. CONSIDER THE JULY 12, 2017 MINUTES: Weitzel moved to approve the minutes of July 12, 2017. Chrischilles seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion carried 5-0 SPECIAL EXCEPTION ITEM EXC17-00006: Discussion of an application submitted by Hilton Garden Inn for a special exception to expand the hours of operation for a Rooftop Service Area in the Riverfront Crossings -South Downtown Sub -District at 328 S. Clinton Street. Chrischilles noted that he has a personal connection with this item and recused himself from this discussion item. Walz presented the staff report and began by showing a map of the area and where the Hilton Garden Inn is located. She also noted that the vacant lot next to the Hilton Garden Inn (on the corner of Burlington and Clinton Streets) is proposed for development of two seven story buildings, on an extended stay hotel and another a mixed-use building with ground floor commercial and residential uses above. Walz explained that no special exception is required for the Rooftop Service Area (RSA) itself because it is accessory to a hospitality use and it noted as a provisional use reviewed administratively. The Hilton Garden Inn is now open but the Vue Rooftop Restaurant is not at this time and will not open until a certificate of occupancy is issued. Board of Adjustment October 11, 2017 Page 2 of 9 Walz noted that in the staff report they mistakenly identified this area as being "open air", which was in an older version of the plan. However in the updated plan the only area that will be "open air"and defined as a RSA is the front part of the building (approximately 1000 square feet) that directly overlooks Clinton Street. The other area of the rooftop is all enclosed. Walz also showed that the 12 story building is stepped back from the street after the fifth story. On the north side of the building, between future uses, there is a 30 foot alley that exists separating the buildings. The entrance to the RSA is through the restaurant. Walz referred to the staff report notation of the Management Plan that is required for the serving of alcohol on a rooftop and must be submitted prior to the issuance of the occupancy permit. Walz stated that the Hilton Garden Inn has not yet submitted their management plan at this time and Staff is working through that with them. The Plan will need to include notations of no less than one employee at all times to monitor the safety and compliance. If nuisance or safety issues arise the City can require immediate changes to the management plan. The Plan must also indicated that food service is provided and the City knows it will be since it is connected to the restaurant. The Management Plan will also show the understanding of the City's noise ordinance policy regarding exterior amplified sound must be turned off by midnight. Walz did not reiterate all the general criteria noted in the Staff Report, the Board's purview only applies to the extended hours of the RSA. The RSA is allowed by City Ordinance up to 10:00 pm on weeknights and up to midnight on weekends. The Hilton Garden Inn is requesting to go beyond those hours to midnight on weeknights (Sunday — Thursday) and to 2:00 am on weekends (Friday and Saturday). Walz said Staff felt very comfortable in this case with this request and articulated those reasons under the particular Standards in the report. Some reasons are the location of the RSA is at the top of a 12 story building, it will be so different in height from the adjacent uses, the proposed screening of the 8-foot tall glass wall, the limited size of the RSA (it will only be 1000 square feet), limited access to the RSA (can only be accessed through the restaurant), the surrounding zoning and uses (will be much lower buildings) and amplified sound is not allowed in the RSA after midnight. Finally, in Riverfront Crossings, for this sub-district (the South Sub-district), it is seen as an entertainment district and Staff viewed this RSA as an appropriate use in a district that is meant to be lively. Staff recommends approval of EXC17-00006, a special exception to extend the hours of operation for a Rooftop Service Area at 318 South Clinton to 10:00 AM to midnight Sunday through Thursday and to 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM on Friday and Saturday, subject to the following conditions: • General conformance with the site plan submitted with regard to the size and location of the RSA. • The RSA will be located on the 12th floor of the hotel and be surrounded by an a- foot high glass wall. • All aspects of the RSA must conform with code standards, including lighting, sound, and management plan. Goeb asked if the Hilton Garden Inn needs permission from the City or the Board to do whatever they wish in the enclosed area. Walz confirmed that they would not need permission for anything in the enclosed area nor for anything in the RSA beyond the extension of hours. Parker asked about amplified sounds and Walz reiterated that amplified sound could not be in the RSA past midnight. Soglin asked if the assumption is that because the neighboring buildings will be lower the sound Board of Adjustment October 11, 2017 Page 3 of 9 from the RSA will not affect them. Walz noted it is a combination of the height difference of the buildings, the screening around the RSA and also that there is a limit to the loudness of the amplified sound. Soglin asked if this is based on examples from other cities. Walz stated it is not scientifically based it is just given that since the City does not allow an unlimited volume of amplified sound it would be reasonable to expect it would not travel far enough to inconvenience the other neighbors. Soglin asked if there were currently any other hotels operating hours past midnight or 2:00 am. Walz was unsure if there were other examples, this might be the first time this has been proposed in Iowa City. Soglin opened the public hearing and invited the applicant forward to address the Board. Ben Kinseth (Kinseth Iowa City LLC) stated they have a pretty unique situation here with this high-rise rooftop restaurant and bar, likely unique for the whole state. Beyond the fact that they will have a very regimented management staff to patrol the area and they will certainly have door service to exam ids. As far as the experience for the patrons to go outside and get the feel of Iowa City in that unique experience they wish to offer that past midnight on the weekends and past 10:00 pm on weekdays. Goeb asked if the rooftop dining area the main dining area for the hotel. Kinseth replied that it is the main dining area for dinner, for breakfast they have a restaurant on the first floor. Goeb asked about lunch service. Kinseth stated it will be just for dinner at first, they may open for lunch in the future once they are stabilized. Kinseth added that there is comfortable seating out in the outdoor area, a big rail with seats around the glass walls, and will allow patrons to have a nice experience. Parker asked what is directly below the RSA. Kinseth replied it was individual hotel rooms. The construction added sound proofing but they will monitor their hotel patrons' experiences as well. Soglin asked if Kinseth had any similar hotel setups with similar hours. Kinseth noted they have restaurants and bars in other hotels with similar hours, but not on rooftops such as this one. They hope this will be an entertainment destination as well as a restaurant. Soglin asked if there were to be future issues with sound how would it be handled. Walz said they would first look to changes to the Management Plan, perhaps limiting the use of amplified sound, but of course the hotel will want to manage the sound for their own business purposes. It would have to be a persistent long issue for the City to provoke the temporary use permit. Dulek added that a disorderly house citation could be issued as well due to noise that is bothersome. Weitzel asked if a horizon could be placed on this exception so it could be reviewed in the future to see how it worked. Walz believes that is not an option and Dulek also added she is unsure of the answer to that question. Walz said they have added in conditions before that noted if there was a set number of violations of disorderly house or convictions would result in a termination of the special exception but they cannot set a timeline that this special exception would sunset after ten years. Goeb asked if the Board's decisions are precedent setting. Walz confirmed they are not, so if this doesn't work out then other similar special exception requests could be denied. She added Board of Adjustment October 11, 2017 Page 4 of 9 what Staff thought was very different in this situation because of the combination of the building heights, surrounding uses, and the control of the sound needed for the other 11 floors of their business which makes it different from a bar that is just a bar. Of there have been cases where special exceptions have been given to fraternities and special conditions set that will revoke the special exception if there are more than two violations within a year. Walz added that if the special exception was revoked, the RSA would still be able to function, the revoking would just be for the extended hours. Walz stated also that when the adjacent properties are developed they will be developed by the same developers as did the Hilton Garden Inn and are aware of this special exception request. Soglin closed the public hearing. Goeb and Parker both stated they do not have any issues with this special exception request. Parker added that the nature of the business is not the same as a fraternity or bar, the expectation of problems is not there. Weitzel agreed, noting that the building height gives it an advantage as well as the glass wall surrounding the RSA. Soglin admitted she would have a slight preference to add language regarding whatever an appropriate number of violations in the first six or twelve months might be would result in the special exception being rescinded. Parker believes with the direct hotel rooms underneath he feels there would be extra care on sound taken. Goeb agreed it would be self -regulated because of the hotel business. Goeb recommends approval of EXC17-00006, a special exception to extend the hours of operation for a Rooftop Service Area at 328 South Clinton to 10:00 AM to midnight Sunday through Thursday and to 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM on Friday and Saturday, subject to the following conditions: • General conformance with the site plan submitted with regard to the size and location of the RSA. • The RSA will be located on the 12th floor of the hotel and be surrounded by an 8 - foot high glass wall. • All aspects of the RSA must conform with code standards, including lighting, sound, and management plan. Weitzel seconded the motion. Parker noted that he especially considered General Standard 1 and that the building will be separated by adjacent residential properties by a good distance. Weitzel stated that regarding agenda item EXC17-00006 he concurs with the findings set forth in the Staff report of October 11, 2017, and conclude the general and specific criteria are satisfied. So unless amended or opposed by another Board member he recommends that the Board adopt the findings in the Staff Report as our findings with acceptance of this proposal. A vote was taken and the motion carried 4-0 (Chrischilles was recused). Soglin stated the motion declared approved, any person who wishes to appeal this decision to a Board of Adjustment October 11, 2017 Page 5 of 9 court of record may do so within 30 days after this decision is filed with the City Clerk's Office. Chrischilles rejoined the meeting. SPECIAL EXCEPTION ITEM EXC17-00007: Discussion of an application submitted by RKM Investments LLC for a special exception to allow a drive-through facility in the Community Commercial (CC -2) zone at 1075 Highway 1 West. Walz began the staff report showing an aerial view of the site along Highway 1 West. She pointed out a shared drive that serves the entire shopping center area which is at a signalized intersection. All drives within the shopping center area are private drives. The uses within in the shopping center are oriented more toward the private drives rather than the highway. The subject site is a building with two units in it, unit 1069 is home to the Midtown Family Restaurant with an entrance off the east side of the building. 1075 is the portion of the building that faces towards the highway and has been vacant for quite some time and has an entrance off the west side of the building. The applicant is proposing to be able to market the site with the availability of a drive-through service. There is not currently a particular tenant or user in mind, this special exception is to allow for expanded marketing for the vacant site. The applicant is proposing to establish a 13 -foot driveway between the building and the property line. The building itself would be modified (a portion of the north side of the building removed) to allow space for the drive-through lane and required setback. Cars would circulate counter -clockwise with an order area and pickup window. The site plan included in the Board's packet is not finalized because there is a not a particular user with a design in mind. A future use may provide potential walk-in service from the west side of the building and will use the west parking area for any required parking. Walz reviewed the specific standards. 14 -4C -2K a (1) states wherever possible and practical, drive-through lanes shall be accessed from secondary streets, alleys, or shared cross access drives. That is the case here, the access is through the Westport Shopping Center, and there is no driveway from the property directly to Highway 1. The shared driveway to the highway is a signalized intersection. 14 -4C -2K a (2) states to provide for safe pedestrian movement, the number and width of curb cuts serving the use may be limited. No new curb cuts are requested, all curb cuts are already in place. 14 -4C -2K a (3) notes an adequate number of stacking spaces must be provided to ensure traffic safety is not compromised. What is required differs depending on uses. A minimum of six (6) stacking spaces is recommended for drive-- through facilities associated with eating establishments and a minimum of four (4) stacking spaces for banking, pharmacies, and similar nonfood related drive-through facilities. "Stacking spaces" shall be defined as being twenty feet (20') in length and the width of a one lane, one-way drive. Walz suggested they move forward with the assumption that the use here would likely be food related. The submitted site plan shows space for two cars to stack between the pickup window (located at the west end of building) and the order board with three additional stacking spaces at the order board. An island dividing the entry to the drive-through lane may provide space for an additional car to stack outside the shared drive that serves the east parking area. There is ample space for additional stacking within the east parking area. Board of Adjustment October 11, 2017 Page 6 of 9 14 -4C -2K a (4) states sufficient on site signage and pavement markings shall be provided to indicate direction of vehicular travel, pedestrian crossings, stop signs, no entrance areas, and other controls to ensure safe vehicular and pedestrian movement. Staff is recommending that a directional sign for the drive-through be provided at the east drive entrance to Lot 3 to direct traffic directly to the drive-through lane. 14 -4C -2K b (1) discusses locations and in most Staff encourages drive-through lanes and service windows to be located on the backside of the building, however in this shopping center the uses are oriented to the interior drives and due to the change in grade it would be screened partially from the highway. Staff recommends adding additional S2 screening to minimize views of the drive-through. Additionally this drive through lane is separated from areas of property where there may be conflicts with pedestrians. 14 -4C -2K b (2) notes that drive-through lanes must be set back at least ten feet (10') from adjacent lot lines and this will be setback more than 10 feet from the north (and nearest) property line. 14 -4C -2K c discusses the character of the area and since this area is auto oriented Staff doesn't see an issue with the drive-through circulating around the building, especially with the change in grade and addition of additional screening. Stacking to the north and, if necessary, to the northwest of the building would riot conflict with pedestrian circulation. Maintaining stacking space along the north side of the building also minimizes conflict with the use that shares the site (Midtown Family Restaurant). Staff is recommending approval of EXC17-00007 to allow a drive-through facility for property located at 1075 Highway 1 West, subject to the following conditions: • General compliance with the site plan submitted with additional recommendations of staff for screening along the north and northwest portions of the site: S2 landscaping along the north side of the drive-through lane and additional trees, including shade trees along the northwest corner of the property. A final landscape plan must be approved by planning staff. • All lighting and signage for the property must comply with current code standards for the zone in which the property is located. • All modifications to the building must comply with current zoning code standards. • For drive-through pick up of food or beverages, the drive-through lane should provide no fewer than 5 stacking spaces along the north side of the building. Chrischilles asked about the traffic flow Staff recommended. Which entrance would the cars use, etc? Walz stated Staffs recommendation was for a sign to be placed to direct traffic into the lot, drive past Midtown entrance and then circulate around the building and out on the west side. Chrischilles asked about the building remodel and what happens if a drive-through window is not constructed. Walz said the special exception would then go away. She added that if this location was in a zone not so auto -oriented Staff would probably not recommend approval without knowing specific details on the tenant and building use. Parker asked if special exceptions automatically expire if they are not picked up by a certain time. Walz confirmed an applicant has six months to make progress on the project for which the special exception was approved. Board of Adjustment October 11, 2017 Page 7 of 9 Weitzel asked if it changed the number of parking spaces required. Walz said the two landscape areas may reduce the parking in the lot, however there are more spaces in that lot than the minimum requirement. Weitzel inquired if there were any sidewalks to the site. Walz said it is possible, depending on what they do with the site, they would be required to install additional sidewalks. Soglin opened the public hearing and invited the applicant forward to address the Board. Duane Musser (MMS Consultants) came forward and reminded the Board that at one time this was a Red Lobster restaurant and once that use went away the building addition was added. When it was the Red Lobster restaurant there was concrete and parking on the north side of the building. They will have to remove some of the building to make room for the drive-through and be able to maintain the 10 foot setback. Once they receive Board approval on this special exception they will begin the site plan process. This space has been vacant for three plus years, and has been marketed at its current office use with no success, and they have received inquiries about a restaurant use so want to prepare the building and site for such a use. Musser acknowledges the additional landscaping that will be needed and will meet those requirements. Musser also noted that one of the applicants to this project is the owner of the Midtown Family Restaurant so they are concerned about access and stacking of cars and will be making sure the traffic and space is used in the best interest of all. Parker asked if the current office space two story and Musser confirmed it was. Musser showed concept of how much of the building would be remodeled. Chrischilles asked about traffic flow and how it will affect Midtown Family Restaurant. According to the site plan there doesn't seem to be any option other than running cars in front of Midtown's front entrance and feels that will be a problem with people walking from the parking area to the restaurant entrance. Musser acknowledged the concerns but not knowing who the tenant would be makes it hard to give specifics on what will happen. He reminded the Board that one of the applicants of this special exception is one of the owners of the Midtown restaurant and has the same concerns which is why they created a two-lane drive-through option to create more stacking spaces. Chrischilles asked if there has been any discussion of having the new business use the west driveway entrance and running all the business on that west side. Musser said they could not get a car window to the drive-through window coming from that side. Even if they could get the space to make that work, it would then have users going into the business having to cross over the drive-through traffic. Soglin closed the public hearing. Weitzel stated his initial concerns were similar to Chrischilles' however learning that the owner of Midtown is involved in this application and project eases the worry and figures they will do what is best for them. Chrischilles agreed, his strong objections were relieved when he heard the owner of Midtown was also the owner and applicant on this portion of the building. Parker noted that with the elevation change from the highway to the restaurant the light noise will be minimized, especially with the addition of 8 -foot trees and 4 -foot bushes. Board of Adjustment October 11, 2017 Page 8 of 9 Chrischilles asked if there had been any consideration to extending the screening to the stacking area. Walz noted it is steeper to west of the property and less likely to need screening. Goeb moved to recommend approval of EXC17-00007 to allow a drive-through facility for property located at 1075 Highway 1 West, subject to the following conditions: • General compliance with the site plan submitted with additional recommendations of staff for screening along the north and northwest portions of the site: S2 landscaping along the north side of the drive-through lane and additional trees, including shade trees along the northwest corner of the property. A final landscape plan must be approved by planning staff. • All lighting and signage for the property must comply with current code standards for the zone in which the property is located. • All modifications to the building must comply with current zoning code standards. • For drive-through pick up of food or beverages, the drive-through lane should provide no fewer than 5 stacking spaces along the north side of the building. Weitzel seconded the motion. Weitzel stated that regarding agenda item EXC17-00007 he concurs with the findings set forth in the Staff report of October 11, 2017, and conclude the general and specific criteria are satisfied. So unless amended or opposed by another Board member he recommends that the Board adopt the findings in the Staff Report as our findings with acceptance of this proposal. A vote was taken and the motion carried 5-0. Soglin stated the motion declared approved, any person who wishes to appeal this decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days after this decision is filed with the City Clerk's Office. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT INFORMATION: None. ADJOURNMENT: Goeb moved to adjourn this meeting. Weitzel seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 5-0 BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT ATTENDANCE RECORD NAME TERM EXP. 9/14 9/21 9130 10112 11/9 12/14 1/11 4112 5/10 6/14 7/12 10/11 PARKER, BRYCE 1/1/2022 -- -- -- — -- -- X O/E X X O/E X GOEB, CONNIE 1/1/2020 X X O/E X X X X X X X O/E X CHRISCHILLES, T. GENE 1/1/2019 X X X X X X X X X X X X SOGLIN, BECKY 1/1/2018 X X X X X X X X X X X X WEITZEL, TIM 1/1/2021 X 'X X X X X X X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --= Not a Member MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION EMMA HARVAT HALL OCTOBER 12, 2017 MEMBERS PRESENT: Thomas Agran, Esther Baker, Kevin Boyd, Zach Builta, Gosia, Clore, Sharon DeGraw, G. T. Karr, Pam Michaud, Ginalie Swaim, Frank Wagner MEMBERS ABSENT: Cecile Kuenzli STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow, Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: Scott McDonough, Alicia Trimble RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action) CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Swaim called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS - CONSENT AGENDA: Swaim stated that, because the next two items are consent agenda items, the projects will not be explained in great detail, as they have been presented thoroughly in the packet. 1016 East College Street. Swaim asked if anyone had questions or comments regarding this project. There were no questions. MOTION: Boyd moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 1016 College Street, as presented in the application. Clore seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0 (Agran, Baker, and Kuenzli absent). 641 South Governor Street. Swaim said this project involves a basement and egress window for a previously -approved studio outbuilding. She asked if there were any questions or comments. MOTION: Michaud moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 641 South Governor Street, as presented in the staff report and attached drawings. Builta seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0 (Agran, Baker, and Kuenzli absent). CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS: 1033 Woodlawn Avenue. Bristow stated that this property is on the south side of the road in the Woodlawn District. She said that from the front, the house looks like it has been turned 90 degrees. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 12, 2017 Page 2 of 9 Bristow showed where there is an entry porch and where there was one originally on the opposite side. She said that the one entry porch was removed, and a one-story addition with a deck was added to that area. Bristow stated that in the back, there is a cross gable that was originally short, not extending very far past the main portion of the building. She stated that then the addition that extended very far to the west was put on. Bristow showed the front and the entry porch with the main door. She showed where the addition connects to the main part of the house. Bristow showed a view from the back, pointing out what is original and pointing out what is an addition. Bristow said that the current project is to remove the screened porch and add a one-story addition and to change the rear door in the addition to a more formal entry. She said that based on the front porch details, it will be a single stoop and some steps. Bristow showed the drawings and said there will be French doors. Bristow showed the location where the addition would be. She added that nothing will have to be done with the original second floor window over the addition; it will remain and will remain the same size. Bristow said the addition will have a standing seam, metal roof. She said that the house has wood shake shingles, which were done at some point after the previous addition was approved. Bristow referred to a handout showing the current layout of the windows. She said that they have been narrowed a little bit so that there is a better space between the corner board and the window trim so that there are not just little pieces of lap siding running along there. For the little entry porch, Bristow said staff proposes the brick piers to match the brick on the front porch. She said she recommends a slender kind of Doric columns to match the front porch. Bristow said that again it would be a standing seam roof. Bristow said the window and door product information has not yet been submitted. She said that will therefore need to be approved later. Bristow showed the new area for the entry to the basement. She showed the area where the current entry to the basement is alongside the porch. Bristow said the new entry will be rotated 90 degrees so that one will be able to enter into the new addition basement. She said that it will have better head height, and it will be a more watertight and environmental -proof entry that way. Bristow said the owners are proposing a Bilco door. She said that it is a typical cellar door but is not a wood door that would have historically been there. Bristow said that for making an entry on the new part of the foundation and having something that is watertight, staff finds this to be acceptable. She said that staff has also approved this on a few other properties, including one local landmark. Bristow said that, except for the door and window product information, staff has worked with the owners to get the window patterning correct. She stated that the chimney will match the other chimney to some degree. Bristow said that it will be thin bricks. Swaim asked about the standing metal seam roof and said that in recent years, people have begun using a different kind of metal roof on houses that may be more appropriate for HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 12, 2017 Page 3 of 9 agricultural buildings. Bristow responded that staff has discussed not using the agricultural -style metal roof with the owners. She said the owners will use the standing seam that is smooth, with the seams, and then smooth again. McDonough, the contractor for the project, said he was available to answer questions. He said that, regarding the cellar door, the footprint of the existing screened porch actually goes over the existing cellar door. McDonough said therefore that if he puts any kind of foundation in this, that stairwell will be destroyed in the process. He said that to get the same footprint of that screened porch, he would have to remove that anyway. MOTION; Boyd moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 1033 Woodlawn Avenue as presented in the application with the following conditions: window and door product information to be approved by staff. Boyd stated that the other two items in staffs suggested motion have been satisfied. DeGraw seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0(Kuenzli absent). 10 South Gilbert Street. Bristow said that this property involves a recently -designated landmark, the former Unitarian Universalist Church. She referred to the site plan showing the boundary of the property for the new Augusta Place development. Bristow said it is also the church property. She said that the area that is locally landmarked is the hatched area. Bristow said that one small portion of the new development is within that local landmark area. She said that for that reason, the Commission needs to review this small portion of the project. Bristow showed the 1920 Sanborn map of the church, showing that the church was not including those portions of the space as part of its land. She said there were other houses there - other addresses and other properties. Bristow showed the portion of the building that fits within the footprint that is being discussed. She said there is basically a two-story brick area where they have been working very hard to come up with some brick options that would blend with and work with the brick on the church. Bristow said that because this would be a new building, this is not an attempt to match what is on the church but to come up with something that would blend with the colors of the brick on the church. Bristow said that the upper areas have a facing of a tile that, according to the images, look a lot like a slate tile that one would see on an historic roof. She said that this is very complimentary to what one would see in Tudor architecture. Bristow said that coloring and the brick and the slate together really work with and speak to the architecture of the church. Bristow pointed out that there are some recessed areas in the facade. She said that in those recessed areas there are some metal panels. Bristow said there are some aluminum windows also. She said that the Commission needs to look at this with the lens of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation. Bristow said the guidelines discuss multi -family buildings but also talk about them within a context of an historic or conservation district. Bristow said there is nothing in the guidelines that discusses multi -family buildings within the context of a landmark, which could be outside of an historic district in that kind of context. She HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 12, 2017 Page 4 of 9 said that is why one must really look toward the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation and what they talk about. Bristow said this new building will be separated from the church, and there will be an open space. She said the architecture of the church will not be impacted, and it will not be harmed or diminished because of the new construction. Bristow said staff feels this is an acceptable project and could be approved. Michaud said the Commission's primary role here is to make sure the church is preserved. She said that it has been exposed to the elements for a couple of years. Michaud said the southwest corner needs to be finished in some way. Bristow said this discussion concerns the Augusta Place Development. Michaud said she is concerned about the stability of the property. Miklo said it is staffs understanding that the applicant is going to be coming back in the next few meetings with a plan for the church. Michaud asked if the setback is the normal setback for a commercial -residential area. Miklo said it would meet the current zoning. Michaud asked if there is just a couple of feet behind the church. Bristow said that from some of the plans she has seen, there is at least a ten -foot buffer between the two constructions. She showed where the property line was originally. Bristow said it is really close to the church, so there is not really any difference of impact there. Bristow said that side of the church has two windows and a door. Miklo said there is very little finish work on that side of the building. Michaud said she is concerned that the church be stabilized when there is excavation. She said she would not want to see the foundation affected by the construction. Michaud said there is a hole in the front window as well as in the front door. Bristow said she would pass that information on to the developer. MOTION: Builta moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 10 South Gilbert Street as presented in the application. Agran seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0 (Kuenzli absent). REPORTS ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF: Certificate of No Material Effect - Chair and Staff Review. 1022 East College Street. Bristow said the roof on this building was being recoated, and there was some deteriorated eave and fascia material that was found and will be replaced and repaired appropriately. 812 South Summit Street. Bristow said this building in the Summit Street Historic District is getting new signs that will match the existing signs. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 12, 2017 Page 5 of 9 529 Ronalds Street. Bristow said that the roof shingles will be replaced on this building. Minor Review - Staff Review. 814 Ronalds Street. Bristow said this project involved an interesting, shared garage. She said that it is being stabilized and repaired. Bristow said that both of the garage doors are being replaced with appropriate garage doors. 603 Brown Street. Bristow said that this house has had most of its windows replaced, but there is a section on the second floor that was deteriorated. She said that the windows will be replaced to match. 318 Church Street. Bristow showed a 1980s photograph of this house in the North Side Historic District. She said the handbook calls it a key, contributing property. Bristow said that it has vinyl siding, and the addition has something like T111 and brick mold around the window. Bristow said the owners are repairing the porch by removing the unnecessarily handrail, making the stairs extend between the columns, adding skirting, and putting new brackets at the top of the columns. She said the brackets might be simpler than the original, but the fact that it will have some brackets so that it does not look so unfinished is important. Bristow said that this will be painted, but at this point the owners are not changing the siding. She said the window will have new trim that is more appropriate. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 14,2017: Swaim said that on the last page, in the fourth full paragraph, in the sentence, "...and they reminded staff once again...", they should be changed to SHPO. Swaim said that on page five, in the third paragraph of the Discussion of 109 East Market Street, the last sentence should end with "...because of the recommendation to support the preservation of 109 Market Street." MOTION: Baker moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's September 14, 2017 meeting, as amended. Boyd seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0 (Kuenzli absent). COMMISSION INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION: Preservation Summit 2017, Fort Dodge, Iowa. Miklo said that the State Historic Preservation Office holds an annual statewide conference. He said that Iowa City normally sends at least one Commission member. Miklo said that he and Bristow attended this year's conference in Fort Dodge. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 12, 2017 Page 6 of 9 Miklo said that one of the tours included the Warden Plaza Building. He said that it was built as a luxury apartment building in the 1910s in downtown Fort Dodge. Miklo showed some photographs taken on the tour. Miklo said that the building was abandoned about ten years ago. He said the interior was in poor condition, showing what ten years of abandonment can lead to. Miklo said that the City has condemned the building, took it back from the owner, and is working to restore the building. He said the City of Fort Dodge is now using federal and state tax credits to restore the building for a mixed used commercial/residential building. Miklo pointed out two historic Catholic churches that are in danger, since the diocese will be building a new church to take the place of the three churches that existed here. He said the fate of the churches is unknown but not promising. Miklo said that Iowa City has a lot of preservation issues and the Commission deals with trying to preserve buildings. He stated that there is a whole other set of preservation issues throughout Iowa. Miklo said it was encouraging that Fort Dodge is looking for solutions, has found a developer, and is using tax credits to address some of the issues. Miklo said there was a presentation by Jonathan Apple of West Hartford, Connecticut. Miklo stated that Apple is one of the most knowledgeable experts in the country regarding gravestone preservation. Miklo said he discussed with Apple the limestone Summit Street marker. Miklo said it is the survey marker that marks the southeast corner of the original Iowa City plat and has been in place since 1839. Miklo said that Apple visited the monument later in the summer. Regarding the preservation of the monument, Miklo said that Apple plans to do a report and analysis with a recommendation. Miklo said the City is seeking funding from a Certified Local Government Grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to fund that work. Miklo said that if the marker is left in place, it will deteriorate over time. He said that there may be some things that can be done to stabilize it and slow the deterioration. Miklo said that if the City really wants to preserve the marker, it should be moved indoors or covered, which would probably not be an acceptable solution. Miklo said that Apple will give some options in his report - everything from trying to preserve the marker in place to moving it to a museum such as the Old Capitol Museum, which might be appropriate, given its association with the capitol building. Karr asked if the City owns that monument. Miklo confirmed that the City owns it. He said that one thought is to put a replica there, with a sign explaining that the actual stone is available for public viewing. Bristow stated that Iowa City is one of the most historic preservation -related cities in the State that has never hosted the annual preservation summit. She said that it has been discussed recently, and people are talking about the fact that it is about time to host the summit. Bristow said that if the City would want to host the summit in 2020, the City would apply for a CLG grant that would be due September 1, 2018. She said that funding would be used to organize, set up, and make the event happen. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 12, 2017 Page 7 of 9 Bristow said it would take a lot of volunteers and planning. She said there would be tours and speaking at historic sites. Bristow said the tours would need to be walkable and convenient for people. Bristow said staff will be asking the Commission to form an initial committee to begin the planning process. She said the project will involve working with the City, Friends of Historic Preservation, and others. Bristow said it will be a joint effort and said that it's about time that it is held in Iowa City. Swaim discussed the workshops and other things that would be on the agenda. She said that the host city does not plan the workshops or find the speakers. Bristow said that most of that kind of work is done by the State. She said that every year there is some type of topic and overall theme, usually relating to the city. Bristow said it is an opportunity to show off Iowa City. She said that local work would involve logistics such as facilities and volunteers, but getting the speakers and having the subjects of the talks would be done by the State. Miklo said that speakers from other communities would present what they were doing, and people from around the country would come in. He said, however, that there would be one tract or a series of tours that the City of Iowa City would be expected to take care of, and that is where the Commission members could help out. The Commission discussed the potential time frame for the summit. Bristow estimated the usual attendee count to be around 300. Boyd asked if there is an opportunity cost to hosting the summit. He said he wanted to make sure that if the Commission chooses to do this, it isn't delaying something else. Bristow said that is for the Commission to decide. She said that some of the downtown items are somewhat immediate. Bristow said that the Commission would have to begin planning the summit two years in advance in order to apply for the CLG Grant. She said that kind of time schedule is possible. Michaud asked if the event could be substituted for the historic house tour. Trimble said she would not want to see this be a substitute for the historic house tour, because Friends of Historic Preservation actually needs that as a fundraiser. She said that if making downtown an historic district is one of the goals of the Commission, this summit would really help with a downtown historic district. Trimble said that this event brings in so many people who talk about the benefits of historic preservation. She said it would help downtown business and property owners better understand how historic preservation can help them. Miklo said he would hope to have an historic district or a series of landmarks designated by then, based on the study that is coming out. Historic Preservation Awards Committee. Bristow said the awards presentation will be held on Thursday, January 18 at the Public Library. She asked for volunteers for the awards committee. Bristow said that the tasks include looking for award -worthy projects in Iowa City. She said that this year she has a two-page list of HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 12, 2017 Page 8 of 9 possible winners but will also be sending out something to Facebook followers and others in search of projects. Bristow said that discussing and evaluating the award -worthy projects is another task. She said that other tasks include: writing the script to discuss the projects, helping to deliver words of praise to the public and owners/winners, putting out yard signs for winners, and other miscellaneous tasks. Agran, Baker, Clore, and Karr volunteered to be on the awards committee. Regarding the awards, Agran said he was recently in the original conference room on the top floor of the old MidwestOne building. He asked if there was any interest in hosting the annual awards in a different, historic building every year. Michaud said that the Unitarian Church would also be a good site. Miklo said that in the past, the awards have been held at Old Brick, Old Capitol, and the Masonic Temple. He said that the event was moved to the Library, because a lot of times there is an expense for renting those spaces. Miklo said the Library has the technical equipment for video recording. He said there is also nearby parking. Miklo stated that he thinks it is great to hold the event in historic buildings. He asked if the MidwestOne Bank room would accommodate 100 people. Bristow said this might be the kind of thing for which staff will always book the Library ahead of time. She said that if the committee then comes up with another place that works, the Library reservation can be canceled with enough notice. Bristow said it is definitely a possibility to hold the event elsewhere. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 6:18 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2017-2018 NAME TERM EXP. 10/13 11/10 12/8 1/12 219 3/9 4/13 5111 6/15 7/31 8/10 9/14 10112 AGRAN, THOMAS 7/1/20 X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X BAKER, ESTHER 7/1/18 X O/E X X X O/E X X X X X X X BOYD, KEVIN 7/1/20 X X O/E X X X X X X 01E X X BUILTA, ZACH 7/1119 X X X O/E X X O/E X X O/E X X X CLORE, GOSIA 7/1/20 01E X X X O/E X X X X X O/E X X DEGRAW, SHARON 7/1/19 O/E X X X X X X O/E X X X X X KARR, G. T. 7/1/20 — — — — — — — — X X X X KUENZLI, CECILE 711/19 X X X O/E X X O/E 01E X O/E O/E X 0/E MICHAUD, PAM 7/1/18 X X X X X X X X X X O/E X X SWAIM, GINALIE 7/1/18 X X O/E O/E X X X X X X X X X WAGNER, FRANK 711/18 O/E X X X X X X X 01E O/E X X KEY: X = Present 0 = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused — = Not a Member Minutes for the Human Rights Commission Regular Meeting October 17, 2017 Helling Conference Room 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 1. Call to Order Chair Hanrahan called the meeting to order at 5:31 PM. Commission Members Present: Jeff Falk, Adil Adams, Kim Hanrahan, Eliza Willis, Barbara Kutzko, Joe Coulter, Shams Ghoneim, Andrea Cohen, Tahuanty Pena. � Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers Others Present: Iowa City Police Chief Jody Matherly 2. Recommendations to City Council: None 3. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: Iowa City Police Chief Jody Matherly introduced himseNO Department instituted that began on Tuesday, October Linking Businesses for Safety, or B.U.L.B.S! The program par replace burnt out vehicle lights for free for those who cannot a While officers can still issue citations for equipment violations, an option to officers to assist a driver experiencing financial h: new program the Police rogram is called Building Unity with local repair shops to fo place burnt out lights. the I of B.U.L.B.S! is to give 4. Indigenous People tion to City Council: Coulter thanked t ative A ican Council and Student Association at the University of Iowa for accepWM roclanrjon on behalf of the Commission at the City Council formal meeting date of Octo 5. ;Mee Cminutes ber eting s: e amen remove "former Iowa State Senator and Congress nd a date ected to "September 21, 2017" on page 2. im moved t prove the minutes; the motion was seconded by Coaken and th motion passed 9-0. 6. The Sociaf"Justice Racial Equity Grant Process and Evaluation Rubric for FY18: A draft application has been prepared. A final draft will be placed in the November Commission packet along with a draft of the evaluation rubric. 7. National Native dmerican Heritage Month Proclamation: Commissioner Coulter will accept the proclamation on behalf of the Human Rights Commission at the November 6 City Council formal meeting. 8. Commission Procedural Processes: Commissioners discussed its procedural processes including Robert's Rules of Order. The IP12 Minutes for the Human Rights Commission Regular Meeting October 17, 2017 Helling Conference Room 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Commission will receive board training for its members on December 21. This training will include an overview of Robert's Rules of Order and open meetings law. 9. Rapid Response Team: The subcommittee met and has a follow-up meeting scheduled for Monday, October 23. Staff will be present at this meeting to answer any questions. 10. ADA Lunch and Learn: The training held on October 17 was well attended and the presenter was knowledgeable on the ADA and employment law. Overall, participants were satisfied„ ith the content of the training but would have preferred more time left for questions. 11. Human Rights Annual Award Breakfast: The breakfast will be held on October 25, and Jean Lloyd -Jones will serve as the keynote speaker. Five awards will be presented to the following in iduals: Stella and Brate Elias, Officer David Schwindt, Gregory L. Hearns, Fred M in, Jr. sthumously) and Helen Paige Martin, and Kimberly Shiu. 12. University of Iowa's Center for Huptan Rights Advisommittee: The second program, Recording Experiences & Respons , three-part series on Making All Children Matter is scheduled for October 21. The final pr14hp4ill be held on December 10, The Right to a Livable Future: Making All Children Matter. JF 13. Building and Crossing Bridges Together: The subcommittee has decided not to pursue this topic. Three new Commissioners begin their terms in January and they will be encouraged to consider future programming in this area. 14. Iowa City Community School District Equity Committee: Recent topics and r&pcerns, discussed include ADA compliant playgrounds, Title 9 and the LGBTO Taskforcc4♦ 15. Announcements Ghoneim will speak to yoo on November 1, as part of International Day. Kutrko serves on the D,Wrsity and Social Justice Committee for the University of Iowa's School of Social Work. he committee is considering creating an advisory group or holding focus groups to bridge the connection between the school and the larger community. Cohen reminded Commissioners of the upcoming Empower -Her Project being held on October 24. Minutes for the Human Rights Commission Regular Meeting October 17, 2017 Halling Conference Room 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Adams was recognized at the Refugee and Immigrant Recognition Dinner on October 14. He was the second Sudanese person in Iowa City when he arrived in 1997. There are now almost 500 Sudanese families living here. Falk attended the Commission -sponsored discussion of "Butterfly Mosque" the 2017 One Community One Book: All Johnson County Reads selection. Opinions on the book at the discussion varied. A& 16. Next meeting date Minutes for the Human Rights Commission Regular Meeting October 17, 2017 Helling Conference Room 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Member Attendance Sheet Member Term Ex . 1/17 2/21 3/14 4/25 5/16 6/20 7/18 8/16 9/19 10/17 Kutzko 1/2020 Present Present Present Present Present Excused Present Present Present Present Falk 1/2020 Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Pena 1/2020 ------ ------ ------- Present Present Present Present Present Excused Present Coulter 1/2019 Present Present Excused Present Present Present Excused Present 4present Present Adams 1/2019 Present Present Present Present Present Present . esent Prese ° Present Present Willis 1/2019 Present Present Present Present Excused Present Pr ent PresAt Present Present Cohen 1/2018 Present Present Present Excused Present Excused Excused Present Present Present Hanrahan 1/2018 Present Present Present Excused - resent Present Present Present Present I Present Ghoneim 1/2018 Present Present Present Present ed I Present Excus d Present Present Present IF IP13 MINUTES PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBER 19, 2017 — 7:00 PM — FORMAL MEETING E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Dyer, Ann Freerks, Mike Hensch, Phoebe Martin, Max Parsons, Mark Signs, Jodie Theobald MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Sara Hektoen, Bob Miklo, Jann Ream, Sarah Walz OTHERS PRESENT: Mark Seabold, Jerry Waddilove, Glenn Lynn, Joleah Shaw, Heidi Zahner, Robert Domsic, Kevin Engleberg, Richard Arthur, David A. Morales, Doug Brown, Pat McAllister RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 3-3 (Signs recused; Freerks, Dyer, Martin voting against approval) the Commission failed to recommend approval of REZ17-00001, to conditionally rezone from Interim Development Multi -family (ID -RM) to Low Density Single-family (RM -12) for 21.79 acres of property located adjacent to the intersection of South Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard, subject to the conditions listed in the Staff Report. By a vote of 7-0 the Commission recommends approval of amendments to City Code Sections 14-513-4E, Illumination Requirements, City Code Section 14-5B-BA&B, Signs permitted in Interim Development, Overlay Planned Development, and Residential zones. CALL TO ORDER: Freerks called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. REZONING ITEM (REZ17-00001) Discussion of an application submitted by Southgate Developers for a rezoning of approximately 21.79 acres from Interim Development -Multi -family (ID -RM) zone to Low Density Multi -family (RM -12) zone located north and south of the intersection of South Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard. Signs recused himself from this item to avoid conflict of interest. Walz began the staff report showing an aerial view of the location. She also showed a map of the surrounding zoning. The current zoning of the location is ID -RM, which is a default zone; once the required utilities and roads have reached a location it is then considered Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017— Formal Meeting Page 2 of 19 appropriate for rezoning. Across the street there is a small CC -2 zone for future commercial use; along the river is mostly publically zoned property (parkland property, streets department, parks and recreation department, and the Sandhi[] Prairie Park preserve area). There is a developed portion of Sandhill Estates to the east however the only connection east/west from Gilbert Street to Sycamore Street is Langenberg Avenue (until McCollister Boulevard is completed) which led to more traffic on Langenberg Avenue than was anticipated and planned for. McCollister Boulevard will be extended in the near future and that will provide the east/west arterial street that is needed. The Applicant has requested a conditional rezoning for the 21.79 acres to RM -12 zone (Low -Density Multi -family) intended to provide for high density, single-family housing or low density multi -family housing. It is intended to provide diverse housing options in neighborhoods throughout the City. The description in the Code mentions that careful attention to site and building design is important to ensure that various housing types in any one location are compatible to on another. The Applicant would like to build a mix of multi- family uses which include a variety of more traditional multi -family buildings (4-plexes, 8- plexes, and 12-plexes), and also townhome or row house style housing. The area north of McCollister Boulevard has 13.9 acres of land with 109 units proposed on that portion. The area south of McCollister Boulevard is 7.9 acres with 87 dwelling units for a total of 196 units as shown in the concept plan. Walz noted that more than one-fifth of the units (about 22% north of McCollister Boulevard) are proposed as one -bedroom units and south of McCollister Boulevard the number of one -bedroom units is 27% and the remaining are two- bedroom units. This information is relevant given that the current student housing market extends well beyond what is thought of as traditional student housing area. One- and two- bedroom units are typically desirable by a more diverse population, including empty - nesters, retirees, or young working professionals. Walz also pointed out that the concept plan shows preserved open space on the property between the existing single-family neighborhood along McCollister Court and also open space retained within the new development for the enjoyment of the new development as well. A proposed road, Preserve Way, would provide a 26- or 28- foot wide single -loaded street, north of McCollister. Open space is preserved between the single-family housing and the proposed development. Walz noted there would also be an extension of Covered Wagon Drive and Preserve Way also extends south. Additionally the concept features a pedestrian street, which helps break the subdivision into five walkable areas keeping the vehicle parking for each area in the center of each area. A pedestrian streets is appropriate in this area because along an arterial street the block lengths are longer. A pedestrian street is treated like a roadway in regard to building setbacks, lighting, treescape, etc. Walz stated the South District Plan shows the area at the intersection of McCollister Boulevard and Gilbert Street as appropriate for multi -family housing on either side of the street surrounded by low to medium mixed residential. Low to medium mixed residential means a variety of residential including small lot detached single-family units, zero lot line development, duplexes and townhouses. Higher density housing should be located at the edges of neighborhoods, principally in areas with good street connectivity, access to open space or parks, trails, and transit. The "New Residential Development' section of the plan calls for compact and connected neighborhoods, integrating a variety of housing types to serve residents at the various stages of life, with a mix of multi -family and attached housing in areas along busier street frontages or in areas bordering open space. The additional density is, in part, intended to improve the feasibility of transit service and enhance market potential for Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 3 of 19 nearby commercial areas. The plan refers to "Missing Middle" housing types that are similar in scale and character to single-family detached housing -ranging from duplexes and triplexes to smaller multi -family apartment buildings. The plan calls for blocks and buildings of exceptional design to maintain an attractive residential character along streets and provide safe and inviting living environments for residents. Walz acknowledged that she has answered an number of phone calls over the past few days about "Missing Middle" housing types and the City is in the process of going through a "Missing Middle" plan process. Currently is no form -based code to govern missing middle development and it is not anticipated to be complete for a few years. The "Missing Middle" provides a variety of housing that is not being seen in newer neighborhoods. What the Applicant has provided are examples of the "Missing Middle" housing concepts, smaller block sizes, framing the streets with houses, having the parking to the rear, and very pedestrian oriented. How this proposal differs from what would be included with the form - based code is the "Missing Middle" housing types would be on their own individual lots with their own parking provided on each, whereas in this case the housing is all on one property with centralized the parking within block. Freerks noted that "Missing Middle" should also include single-family homes. Walz said that is sometimes correct, however in this case the parcel of land is somewhat uniquely shaped and the row homes or townhouses fill in the area. In the larger picture, this concept is intended to transition the single-family area to the east. Walz stated that in terms of compatibility with the neighborhood the adjacent single-family development is at somewhat of a higher elevation. The Applicant has tried to create a transition between the neighboring houses with the open area and with the single loaded street fronting the housings on the street. The Applicant has also designed buildings with a smaller footprint trying to stay similar in the scale to the larger single-family homes in the neighborhood and breaking up the roof lines to not make the buildings not so out of character with the single-family homes. Walz reiterated that the South District Plan does call for "exceptional building design" and the Applicant has proposed a "modern farmhouse" style about which staff did have a some concerns. The designs will need to meet the multi -family standards because these are all multi -family buildings and also Staff believes the row house and townhouse buildings should meet the standards the City would use for the true single-family attached housing in order to make them more compatible with the single-family housing nearby. Staff therefore has pincluded conditions in their recommendations to address those things. Walz noted that in conversations she has had with neighbors who have called into the City part of the concern is the uniformity of the proposed housing across the site that doesn't seem to reflect the variety of housing designs in the existing neighborhood. Staff believes it can work with the developer to create a better transition through design and the multi -family design standards should help with that. The additional standards Staff recommends are listed in the Staff report. Lastly, Walz addressed the traffic implications and acknowledged the Commission has received a few letters regarding traffic in the area. Traffic concerns also came up at the open house that the applicant hosted. South Gilbert Street is a north -south arterial street, designed to accommodate high traffic volumes across the city, providing a connection to the Downtown and University campus. McCollister Boulevard is also designated as an arterial, providing connections to Mormon Trek Boulevard and Old Highway 218/Riverside Drive to the west. A Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017— Formal Meeting Page 4 of 19 planned eastward extension of McCollister Boulevard to South Sycamore Street is schedule in the 2018-2019 Capital Improvement Program, with construction in 2019. A 2016 traffic study determined that a traffic signal or roundabout is already warranted at the intersection of South Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard due to crash history and peak hour delays. The City has also received numerous complaints from pedestrians having difficulty crossing the intersection to access Trueblood Recreation Area. An improved intersection will be included in the McCollister Boulevard extension project. Staff believes most vehicle traffic from the proposed development will likely travel on Gilbert to and from the Downtown/campus area and commercial areas on Highways 6 and 1 or west on McCollister Boulevard to 218 or Riverside Drive. However, until such time as the McCollister Boulevard extension is completed, some portion of east -west vehicle traffic will rely on Langenberg Avenue, a residential street for which traffic calming measures (speed humps) have already been installed. Staff recommends approval of REZ17-00001, to conditionally rezone from Interim Development Multi -family (ID -RM) to Low Density Single-family (RM -12) for 21.79 acres of property located adjacent to the intersection of South Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard, subject to the following conditions: • Substantial compliance with the concept plan submitted with regard to street and block layout (including pedestrian street), building types, building locations, location of surface parking areas and covered parking, location and size of open spaces, and sidewalk and trail connections. • The proposed pedestrian street must meet the standards for pedestrian streets provided in the Riverfront Crossings Plan. • Townhouse and row house style multi -family buildings must comply with the attached single family housing standards for entrances and design in the zoning code. • Eaves and window and doorway trim will be required on all buildings according to the attached -single family housing standards. • Building designs to be approved through design review. • Buildings shall be constructed of durable, high quality building materials. • Landscaping must comply with recommended plant list provided by the Johnson County Recommended Plant List provided by the Bur Oak Land Trust. • Overall density of the development should not exceed o 115 units north of McCollister Boulevard, 20% of which should be one -bedroom units -the remainder being 2 -bedroom units. o 90 units south of McCollister Boulevard, 25% of which should be one -bedroom units -the remainder being 2 -bedroom units. Hektoen added that in the density recommendation it means at least 20% should be one - bedroom units north of McCollister Boulevard and at least 25% should be one -bedroom units south of McCollister Boulevard. Freerks asked if the density would be about 9.3 if all space were used, Walz confirmed that is correct. Freerks asked how long Preserve Way would be. Walz said it fits the standard along an arterial street and the pedestrian street breaks up the long block and is treated as if it were a vehicle street. Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 5 of 19 Freerks asked if all 196 units are housed in multi -family structures and Walz confirmed that is correct. Walz explained they meet the classification for multi -family because although they are townhouse style or appearance they are not on individual lots. Hensch asked about road widths on Preserve and the parking implications of each. Walz stated that the City Code Standard denotes the parking allowances based on road width. Hensch stated he would then be in favor of stating the road width should only be 26 feet wide therefore allowing only parking on one side and to slow traffic down. Hensch also noted that pictures don't show clearly if all the structures are unique or if there are repeating patterns. He feels it would have more acceptability to the surrounding neighborhood if the buildings had some uniqueness to them and yet still stay with that "farmhouse design". Walz stated that the applicant would be able to address the design questions. Parsons asked if the McCollister Boulevard extension were to be delayed would the City be willing to put a temporary traffic signal at the Gilbert Street intersection. Walz said it is possible to separate out the project but that would be decided by Council with recommendations from the City Engineer. Freerks opened the public hearing Mark Seabold (Shive Hattery) walked through the process they have gone through for this project. They have been working on this project for over a year with Southgate Development and hosted a neighborhood meeting about ten months ago where they received some review comments from the neighborhood and that led them to then go work with City Staff. Working with City Staff has been about a nine month process. He began by showing the Commission the original design they started with and how it changed through the process from the input they received. The original intention was to provide a smaller scale of connected residences that were consistent with the growing market of young professionals, empty nesters, and other people looking for smaller scale homes. He attended a tiny -house meeting that Johnson County held and over 100 people were present listening and were very interested in a smaller scale of living and how to accomplish it. Therefore there is a viable market for homes with a smaller footprint. The other goal of this development was to capitalize on the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, it is a great amenity in the area with lots of natural features. Seabold showed the Commission the original concept plan they presented last winter at the neighborhood meeting. It was comprised of row house units with parking located in-between them, what they were trying to do was have an open front and back of the building, so there would be green views out both sides, public and private green space behind each building. All the homes were two bedroom units and all in the 1000 square foot range with open floor plans on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second floor. In the original plan they also included some more traditional apartments to be located south of McCollister Boulevard. With the two bedroom units there were 344 bedrooms in the concept. Additionally in the original plan they were using the stormwater detention area between the existing neighborhood and this new neighborhood as the buffer zone with the back of their homes backing up to the back of these new units. There would still be a minimum of 150 feet between the neighborhoods. Some of the feedback at the original neighborhood meeting Seabold heard was it looked too much like an apartment complex, they didn't like the large parking lots, and the concerns about visibility and traffic. When Seabold then met with City Staff, he heard a lot of the same Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017— Formal Meeting Page 6 of 19 concerns so they went back to the drawing board. At the same time, the City had hired Opticos to review the Northside and Southside District Plans and Seabold was able to consult with them to get a rough concept of how to incorporate a "Missing Middle" concept for this site, knowing there is a lot of single-family residential adjacent to the area. They then went back and created a plan with a variety of buildings, pushed closer to the streets, and having parking in-between creating the blocks that were shown on the plan. They are still multi -family buildings but at a smaller scale and reflect the residential scale of the neighborhood. So between neighborhood comments, City Staff input, and working with Opticos they came up with a new concept plan. There are four different styles of units, fronting streets in different ways, and pushed the single loaded street all the way to the east. Seabold addressed Hensch's question about the street width and stated the intention is for it to be a 26 foot wide street with parking only on one side and to control traffic on that street. They then designed the prairie buffer very similar as Opticos suggested as a linear area that is a lush green space reflecting the area and incorporates a public park as an in-between zone. The minimum dimension is now 230 feet from the other neighborhood. There is a pedestrian street running down the center of the site to have a more walkable area for not only this development but the extended neighborhoods. There should not be any need for guests to park on McCollister Court, as there will be plenty of parking along the Preserve Way in this development. Seabold noted the plan is five areas, everything is a two-story height except for the four buildings on the south side of McCollister Boulevard, which are three -stories. All the one - bedroom units are located on a second story, there is a larger footprint for the two-bedroom units so the second story can be stepped back to accommodate one -bedroom units. That will minimize the scale of the of the apartment buildings. The four unit types are two-bedroom townhomes with garages. There are two-bedroom two-story row houses at either end of the pedestrian street as well the north side. There are also two-bedroom flats which are ADA accessible, and the one -bedroom flats are typically located on the second levels. So in the new plan, instead of 344 bedrooms the number of apartments increased but the number of bedrooms decreased. So really the area is less dense than the original plan. Seabold also stated they have no intention of doing any three-bedroom units. Seabold noted that contained within the parking areas are some building forms buried in there and those are single story garages that can be used for resident use. Also attached to all those garages will be garbage and recycling centers so it won't be a stand -along dumpster enclosure, it will be incorporated into the design. Seabold stated they will be asking for waivers when they go forward with the zoning request. At this time they are just asking for a conditional zoning tonight to pursue this concept plan. When they move forward they will work with City Staff on architecture design for multi -family as Walz noted in the Staff report. The waivers requested would be to reduce the setbacks along McCollister Boulevard, Preserve Way, and Covered Wagon Drive from 40 feet to 25 feet to create a more walkable neighborhood scale. Seabold reiterated they want to limit the density, with a RM -12 zoning the north site could have around 200 units on it and they are only asking for 115. Seabold next showed the Commission some conceptual imagery, they are looking at simple forms for the architecture, simple interiors with a lot of open space, smaller livable units, and natural outdoor areas. He noted a concern from the neighborhood meeting was the plan looked to modern, Seabold stated that there will be different materials on each building and roof line shifts, etc. to show five different unique designs. Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017— Formal Meeting Page 7 of 19 Seabold said the process has been great, they have learned a lot through their work with Opticos and the City. He understands the neighbors' concerns and they feel they have addressed the concerns by providing a smaller scale multi -family residential option. Freerks asked if Opticos recommended all multi -family buildings and Seabold confirmed they did. Seabold noted that at one stage of the planning they were trying to define an area for duplexes. Freerks noted that it is not a true "Missing Middle" if it is all multi -family and wants to be careful not to misrepresent the idea. Seabold noted that Opticos looked at the whole area, not just their development, as an area and even recommended extending McCollister Court to connect the new development to the existing single-family neighborhood but that did not work into his developments plans. They did agree on the pedestrian connection though. Hensch reiterated that the concept of "Missing Middle" is critical and the first one the City does needs to be done right so the public accepts the concept and sees the benefits. Hensch asked about stormwater and where the detention would be for this development. Seabold showed on the map the area, it is a bit wild and overgrown now and they would manicure it a bit better. The stormwater basin will also accommodate the runoff water from the neighborhood to the east. Hensch asked about the three-story buildings south of McCollister Boulevard and if the third story would be stepped back. Seabold confirmed it would be and showed a rough diagram of the building. Hensch reiterated how important it is to him that there be the unique exterior finishes to keep the area from looking like one large apartment complex. Seabold agreed and said there will be five distinct building types and would be placed appropriately through the development to make it look unique. Martin asked who Seabold envisions as the target occupant of these units. Seabold said it would be young professionals are just starting out and can't afford the bigger houses, or others that just want a smaller home. They may not all be rentals, some may be condos and sold. Martin noted that if there are no three-bedroom units then they are specifically ruling out families with more than one child. Seabold said they are avoiding three-bedroom units to rule out college student living but the two-bedroom units would be ideal for a small family starting out. Martin asked if the upper level one -bedroom units would have elevator access. Seabold said they would not, ADA units would be accommodated on the lower levels. Freerks asked staff to explain the current ID -RM zoning and the South District map that denotes it as low to medium density mixed residential with multi -family just at the corner intersections. She stated that while the Comprehensive Plan is conceptual and not always followed exactly, the zone should not be taken as an indication that that this whole area would become RM -12 or multi -family. Hektoen stated that the ID designation doesn't guarantee that the entire area will be multi -family. Freerks didn't think so and wanted to make sure everyone understood that what the Commission must decide tonight is what the density in this area should be. Walz noted that is where the Comprehensive Plan focuses to see what is really contemplated for an area. Typically along arterial streets, specifically at major intersections, there is normally higher density (examples are intersections of Rochester and First Avenues, Court Street and Scott Boulevard). Then as you move away from the intersection the density should step down into lower density and eventually single-family housing. Theobald asked to hear more about the parking and garages. Seabold showed on the concept plan the locations. Theobald asked how many spaces are provided per each unit. Seabold stated per zoning regulations, two bedroom units get two parking spaces and one -bedroom Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 8 of 19 units get one space. As for garage spaces, they are working towards having enough garage spaces to accommodate about half of the required parking spaces. They are hoping a lot of the tenants will be cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts (due to the location) and are not reliant on vehicular transportation. Theobald expressed some doubt about attractive the parking situation will be to people who are older or people who are used to having a garage close to their unit. Martin added that this is Iowa and we do have to deal with winter weather. Jerry Waddilove (Southgate Companies) added that in the townhome style units there are two - car detached garages about 10 feet behind each unit, so several units will have very close garages. Waddilove stated that Southgate Companies has been in business in Iowa City since 1952. They have provided quality homes and workplaces for Iowa City since that time. Real estate development requires being sensitive to market dynamics. While Southgate initially considered duplexes and zero -lot lines for these outlots the local real estate market has experienced change, which has lead them to the concept plan that is presented this evening. Southgate is looking to provide a variety of housing types with The Preserve at Sandhill to provide an opportunity a diversity of socially economic status while allowing residents the opportunity to start and age all in the South District of Iowa City. What they offer at The Preserve at Sandhill meets the Comprehensive Plan and South District Plan that was approved in 2015. As noted on the South District Plan map The Preserve at Sandhill fits within the density noted of approximately 184 to 308 dwelling units. The subdivision is located close to the trails that lead to downtown so their hope is that residents will be able to walk or bike to downtown as well as to restaurants, grocery and retail. The additional density has the potential to make feasible district wide desirable amenities such as mass transit loop, retirement housing, and healthcare facilities. One of the other things that has been mentioned is the housing that is provided in Sandhill Estates, The Preserve at Sandhill is part of the larger Southgate development of Sandhill Estates, which includes a total of approximately 160 acres. Taking a wider lens view Southgate will project to develop this land into approximately 12'/2 mixed - housing multi -family (the project applied for this evening). 22% of that is 25 acres of The Sandhill Prairie part, and 65% of it will be single family detached housing. Southgate is vested in the neighborhood, Southgate paid for and provided a connection to the multi -use trail from McCollister Court cul-de-sac (which wasn't required). Southgate has also begun internal discussions to collaborate with the City and the neighbors to review trail stormwater issues southwest of McCollister Court. Lastly, their Navigate Homes is building and selling up to $325,000 homes in Sandhill Estates Part Three. Southgate would like to be a part of making housing relatively affordable in Iowa City, the smaller homes in The Preserve at Sandhill contribute to this goal. The objective is to target young professionals, empty nesters, bankers, nurses, retired professors, UI personnel as well as PhD and other graduate students. The Preserve at Sandhill is sensitive to the neighborhood by providing a single loaded street closest to the residential neighborhood and providing clustered density as opposed to backing up to the neighbors. There is also approximately 200 to 230 feet distance between buildings with this concept. Their hope is property values would not be impacted, it has been studied quite a bit as people have brought true low-income housing plans in front of the Commission and Council. There is research in Younkers, New York that shows property values did not decline when low- income housing was provided in the community. Glenn Lynn (725 McCollister Court) is the founding homeowner on McCollister Court and is totally against this whole development. He is not naive enough to think this area will not get developed. The good neighbor meetings started about five or six years ago, they discussed development with Southgate, acknowledged they were receptive to duplexes or zero -lot lines to keep the roof line low so they could still see the park. Lynn felt everyone was on board with that Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017— Formal Meeting Page 9 of 19 concept and can't believe this is where they are at today. He is not sure who is driving this concept but it is not what the neighborhood discussed and were on board with. Lynn has numerous concerns. The architect keeps talking about simple and all he sees in this design is cheap. Most of the people in Lynn's neighborhood built custom homes and to see the cement board siding on these proposed buildings painted reeks of cheap. Lynn believes it will have an impact on the property values and it won't be positive. Lynn also is unsure where the market for these units will come from, they are building $350,000 homes on Langenberg Avenue and they sell like hotcakes so the story about cheap and small doesn't make sense. Lynn noted that his home has a walkout basement and no sump pump but has never had an issue with water. He is concerned that a development of this size behind him could impact his home. If his basement floods he will be the first one to the City to say he told you so. Lynn feels the planning approach appears to be backwards. They first build a subdivision with custom homes and then decide to build this type of development next to it, it is backwards. If they were to build the townhomes first, they would not be able to sell the custom home lots. Lynn noted he would like to file a protest and will pick up paperwork for that. Hektoen noted that they can file a protest with the City Council. If 20% or more of the land within 200 feet sign the protest then it will require a super majority at the City Council. It needs to be filed with the City Clerk before the close of the public hearing on the rezoning. Contact the City Clerk's office for details and information on the filing of the protest. Joleah Shaw (785 McCollister Court) is the co-director of Sandhill Estates Homeowners Association with Lynn and reiterated that all the neighbors share the concerns Lynn voiced. They are worried about the apartment complex feel of the proposed neighborhood. They were told originally it would be duplexes and zero -lots to be a buffer between a higher traffic street such as Gilbert Street and their street McCollister Court. Her backyard will face these buildings, right now she can see the lake at Terry Trueblood and soon could be looking at the roofs of apartment buildings. Shaw worries that the drawings are very deceiving. They have presented a park area or open space between the backyards and this complex but the space isn't really that big. Currently she allows her kids to play on the trail/sidewalk but there is no way she will allow that once the new road is built. Shaw also mentioned the parking. Everyone knows with parking in apartment complexes there is always some issue with parking overflow into residential areas. There is a walking path that goes right by her house to McCollister Court and she knows people will park in front of her house on McCollister Court and walk down the hill to the apartment complex. That will bring a lot of traffic to her dead-end cul-de-sac street. Shaw notes that 196 units presented as row or townhouse buildings but in reality a row or townhouse is like the ones on Mormon Trek or Scott Boulevard which are two or three bedroom units and sell for $250,000. That is a totally different buyer versus a $90,000 one -bedroom condo in an apartment looking building. So the look of the row houses or townhomes on Scott Boulevard are much different looking than the apartment style homes that are proposed here. It just simply doesn't fit in with the single family homes that are right next door. Homes on her street are over $300,000 in assessed value and in the backyard they want to put a $90,000 one -bedroom unit. Shaw also asked about the Homeowners Association. They are all Sandhill Estates, so where does this development fit in. How do the apartment building owners or tenant renters fit in with the single-family homeowners. Southgate suggested they break off into a separate homeowners association but then they would have no control over what goes on in their backyards. They have covenants, rules, regulations for fences, backyards, siding on shed, etc. There are even some neighbors that are a little upset about all the rules they have as homeowners. Shaw also mentioned with the 2019 McCollister Boulevard extension, Alexander Elementary is right there in the backyard, and their homes are within the two mile distance so all of the children in the neighborhood would have to walk to school. Adding 196 units will add a lot Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017—Formal Meeting Page 10 of 19 of traffic and make it unsafe for children to walk to school. With regards to stormwater, even though there are areas set up for stormwater she can personally say her backyard is a lake if there is a large downpour. The walking path closer to Gilbert Street also floods where there is a lot of rain. Shaw also noted she would be signing the protest as well. Heidi Zahner (894 McCollister Court) and her husband and three children purchased their home a year ago in August from another community. From the good neighbor meetings she has attended she has learned they have some very passionate neighbors. They have a very diverse neighborhood unlike anywhere else in Iowa City. She is excited about the possibilities for development but she just doesn't think this plan is going to meet the needs of the area. She also thinks that in 20 years if this development is not done right it can really hurt their neighborhood and that side of town. When she was looking to move into Iowa City her husband did not want to move anywhere south of Highway 6. But they discovered this gem of a neighborhood and amazingly found a home in the low $200,000's. That could not be found anywhere else in Iowa City that would give her the diversity and amazing neighborhood that McCollister Court could. Her youngest child goes to Alexander Elementary which is less than two miles away. She is in fourth grade so Zahner does not allow her daughter to walk by herself because of the traffic on Langenberg Avenue. Adding all these additional units to the area could really hurt the neighborhood. Zahner's biggest concern is that her family invested in this neighborhood with the belief that this whole area of town is changing, and becoming rejuvenated. She would like it to be accessible to all income levels, but the "Missing Middle" is supposed to have the single-family homes in it so it is a community. This development feels too huge. Zahner said her husband and her are opposed to this plan and are pleased to hear the Commission raise some of the same concerns as the neighbors have. Robert Domsic (860 McCollister Court) began by stating he is also opposed to this development. When he purchased his house in 2009 the realtor (who is the acting realtor for Southgate in selling the house) told them this land would never be developed. Even not believing that and knowing that the land would someday be developed, he would expect the density of the land reduced much like all the other neighbors discussed before him. Domsic doesn't believe the proposal will be appealing to the masses or the intended populations. When he looks at was is being proposed here he sees 192 additional units going into this area. He also looks at the other development that is happening in the neighborhood, Southgate is also developing phase two and phase three that will increase dramatically the traffic on Langenberg Avenue. Everyone knows the connection through Langenberg Avenue is an infrastructure issue that cannot support additional traffic. Domsic said it is hard to describe to people how bad the situation on that street is, throughout Langenberg Avenue people park on both sides of the street and the street is very narrow. Speed humps had to be installed because people were driving through too quickly. Even when Domsic is just trying to get to his mailbox people pull out in front of him almost causing an accident. Additionally the intersection between McCollister Boulevard and Gilbert Street is also a very unsafe intersection. In the last year he has seen school buses get in accidents there, cars being t -boned in the intersection, and it is not safe. With 192 added units and 300 bedrooms there would be an active population of 500-600 people living in this area. Additionally Southgate has a 200 more single-family home subdivision planned and adding that density to this area without the infrastructure it will be a disaster. Yes there are future intentions to put a stop light there, there are future intentions to extend McCollister Boulevard but there are also potential future delays. Domsic hopes the Commission can see it would not be wise to develop this neighborhood like this without the proper infrastructure in place first. Another issue to think about is the potential school density. If families with children come to this area there could be an issue with capacity at the school. Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017—Formal Meeting Page 11 of 19 Alexander Elementary has a capacity for 500 students and in 2016 they had roughly 406 students enrolled. This level of development may push that way above capacity. Domsic also noted that this area is the habitat for a threatened species, the ornate box turtle which has lived here much longer than any of us have. It would be sad to see the habitat destroyed. Urban development is the biggest threat and losing this area could be instrumental in their distinction. Additionally the developer is requesting easements for the frontages and that is an indication that the square footage of the acreage is not large enough for what their intended proposal is. Domsic urges the Commission to think about why those easements were put in place to begin with along such a busy intersection. If an easement of this level is granted, you would be setting the precedent of what would happen for all of the multi -family housing that will be developed in the surrounding area. In the South District Plan, the area north of McCollister Boulevard by the McCollister Farm is also noted as multi -family, and south of McCollister where the quarry used to be is also noted as multi -family. If the easement is allowed for this development, the easement would have to be allowed for the future developments as well and it would impact the safety of all those areas in the South District Plan. Miklo clarified that the easement Domsic was referring to is the 40 foot setback normally required from an arterial street. Miklo also said the area to the north by McCollister Farm would require rezoning to become multi -family zoning. Kevin Engleberg (172 Hawkeye Court) lives in the Aspire Apartments and just moved to Iowa City as a graduate student. He supports this type of development. When he moved to town as a graduate student he was looking for places to live and knew he didn't want to live downtown with the undergraduates and the higher cost of living and was looking for a place like is described in tonight's concept plan. What he is hearing for others in the room tonight is they don't want any multi -family housing next to where they live. Admittedly Engleberg said he came to the meeting tonight for a class project, not this agenda issue, but now feels like Iowa City community doesn't want graduate students next to them. As far as diversity, what has been said tonight is that everyone wants $250,000 and $300,000 homes next to them, single-family homes, and for someone in graduate school he cannot afford a $250,000 home. With concerns about access to the water, sight lines, etc. this land is not owned by the homeowner's association, the people that own it are the developers and this is what they want to do with the land. Engleberg noted that given his position in life this development would be beneficial for him and for the community. He encourages the Commission to support this project and to see it move forward. The Comprehensive Plan denotes multi -family. Engleberg acknowledged the building design could be changed, the amount of units could change, but it should be a multi- family area. The area is close to downtown, arterial streets, and it perfect for people like him. Richard Arthur (893 McCollister Court) and his home is on the corner of McCollister Court and Covered Wagon where they bought the lot and built a custom home. They were told, like others, that the area in discussion tonight would never be developed. He understands that perhaps he shouldn't have believed what a realtor would tell him, but there was a sign on the corner of South Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard for years that said "live where the bass are jumping". If a sign has been put up that said "live where you can see multi -family housing" his family would not have bought that lot and they wouldn't have built their custom home. Arthur respects the opinion of the last speaker, but students are transient. Arthur and his wife have lived in their home for nine years and hope to live there another 30 but this development changes their neighborhood. He wants to be surrounded by single-family homes, single story zero -lot lines, duplexes, etc. Homes that will blend with the feel of the neighborhood. He really feels he was deceived by Southgate, the neighborhood has been going to meetings with Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 12 of 19 Southgate and repeating for six or seven years to look to developing single family. Southgate has said the market for zero -lot and duplexes won't sell, they said they were bankrupt and if the neighborhood didn't deal with them, they would have to deal with another developer. Arthur reiterated he feels deceived from the moment he bought his lot and built his home. David A. Morales (301 Hawk Ridge Drive) also came to this meeting as part of an assignment for a class at The University of Iowa College of Law and based on what he has heard today he would agree with many of the homeowners today that this multi -complex project is not good for the neighborhood. Not just because there are many issues with the concern of the easements and nearby structures that would be developed, but also because of the nature of what the project would build. It would bring in a majority of empty nesters, graduate students, etc. Morales stated that graduate students are not a quiet bunch, they are busy with all sorts of things going on in their lives, and the lifestyle would not mesh well with the neighboring neighborhoods. It would not only create a nuisance in not only what their activities would produce but also create nuisances on what types of people that would be invited to the property. It would create situations that would be very unsafe for neighboring families and children. Morales strongly suggests that the Council vote against this multi -family complex. Freerks closed the public hearing. Hensch moved to recommend approval of REZ17-00001, to conditionally rezone from Interim Development Multi -family (ID -RM) to Low Density Single-family (RM -12) for 21.79 acres of property located adjacent to the intersection of South Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard, subject to the conditions listed in the Staff Report. Theobald seconded the motion. Hensch noted that this item is just for conditional rezoning it doesn't seem like the time to be in the weeds discussing specific designs. He has lived south of Highway 6 on Pepper Drive since 1993 and understands the south side of Iowa City. His backyard has been a soybean and corn field every year since 1993 but he is fully aware that someday it will be developed. He has been lucky and appreciative it hasn't happened yet, but will not be surprised when it does. Everyone in Iowa City wants to live in a residential neighborhood of only single-family homes, that is understandable, but one of the key focuses of the Commission has always been the "Missing Middle" and the need to have homes for people of varying incomes in nice safe locations and areas that everyone else lives in. There are lots of blue collar people who work hard in Iowa City and deserve to live in Iowa City as well and not have to drive from adjacent counties to be able to work in Iowa City. Hensch supports this concept. Freerks wants to address the issue of single-family. The discussion is not whether this has to be single-family, but what about this piece of property as a whole and does it really do what we want it to do density wise completely. Freerks does not feel like she has enough information to be ready to make a decision in favor of something like this right now. Freerks does not believe this concept is a "Missing Middle" and to state that would be false and would be selling something as a whole is not accurate. Every single unit in the plan is in a multi -family structure, even looking at the area in a larger picture yes there are single-family structures around but in the Comprehensive Plan she doesn't believe it was the intention to have all multi -family in this area. Yes the design details could be worked out later, but what the Comprehensive Plan asks for is "exceptional design quality" and if that does not happen then there needs to be a Comprehensive Plan change. Freerks is also concerned about the traffic, she feels there needs Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 13 of 19 to be a controlled intersection at Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard before this whole area is developed and the City needs to commit to that. Martin stated that when she hears the "Missing Middle" and she is looking at overhead view of the land that is in this concept plan is larger than the single-family neighborhood next to it. Therefore it doesn't appear to have the flow necessary to transition from multi -family to single- family. Martin noted that this is a parcel of land owned by somebody else and they can do with it what they want to do with it. Freerks interjected what the Commission allows them to do with it. Martin agreed, but nevertheless in some format it will be developed. However, how that happens should be very thoughtful. Martin's initial reaction to the concept was "wow — that is a lot in a small space'. It is very dense. In the bigger picture it is not a flow, it is just dense. She cannot support this concept as it stands right now. Freerks also has concerns that in order to make this concept happen there needs to be waivers. She noted that it appears so many times lately that people don't even want to meet the minimum requirements for developing and in this case to have the setback reduced to 25 feet in order to squeeze things in is a concern. Freerks does not feel there should be 12-plexes in this area, it could be reduced to 8-plexes and with a little bit of redesign the density could be brought down a little bit. It could then still be a development for entry level housing. Freerks reiterated her concern is the size and density of this concept so close to the single-family homes. Freerks stated that she does have a 12-plex in her own backyard and she has no issue with it. If there were multiple 12-plexes in her backyard, she would have issues and not want to live by that. It is all about balance. Theobald disagrees. One thing that has always concerned her about the Terry Trueblood area is the City has a beautiful park with a lot of money put into it but there are no affordable neighborhoods around it with access to the park. This development allows opportunities to make that happen. Theobald stated that she also lived in a similar situation, although it was all zero -lot lines, and the zero -lot lines all quickly became rental properties and they had no access to single-family and were completely isolated. She sees this development as having potential, if it is handled correctly, to be able to integrate with the single-family and to provide housing for a diverse group of people and access to the park. She admits she was concerned when she looked at the concept plan, it did remind her of Pheasant Ridge Apartments. Theobald noted that she lives in a cement board house between Pheasant Ridge and the Finkbine Apartments and she gets along just fine. With the right design guidelines followed there is a chance for this development to be very attractive and at this time does not have concerns and will support this. Hensch agrees, and reiterated that this is a conditional rezoning and all the details are not worked out. He feels the developers need to be held accountable during the design phase to make sure they do follow all guidelines but wants to see this move forward. He added that this development will not be built in a year, so when it is complete the streets will be complete as will the controlled intersection. Freerks just doesn't want to rush this and feels the Commission should take two meetings to discuss. Dyer would like to also see some changes and lower density. She is concerned about the traffic and lack of signals or even stop signs at that intersection. She visits Terry Trueblood a lot and coming out of McCollister onto Gilbert Street is frightening at times. She would like to see McCollister Boulevard extended and the signal complete before this development happens and Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 14 of 19 to also see this development go up in phases perhaps. Dyer stated she actually likes the design of the buildings and don't look like every other apartment building in Iowa City and actually do look like farmhouses. Dyer also is not quite ready to approve this item as presented today but is in favor of expanding the number of moderate priced homes in Iowa City there just are not enough. Huge numbers of people who work at The University of Iowa live far away which makes for long commutes and excessive use of cars. Parsons also agrees with the concept but his one concern might be the flow from multi -family to single-family but overall this is a great concept and just needs a little more detail. He is open to deferring and discussing more but is leaning towards approving and moving forward as well. Parsons stated he also thinks the intersection at Gilbert Street and McCollister Boulevard should be improved before any development happens because it is a busy intersection. Parsons asked about the limitation period for this item. Freerks said the applicant could request a deferment. She reminded the commission that a three/three vote would be a denial because it needs four votes for approval, she asked if he wanted to withdraw his motion and allow another meeting to allow more time for the developer to address some of the concerns. Hensch indicated that he would not withdraw his motion. A vote was taken and the motion failed with a 3-3 vote. (Freerks, Martin, Dyer dissenting). Signs rejoined the meeting. CODE AMENDMENT: Discussion of amendments to City Code Sections 14-513-4E, Illumination Requirements, City Code Section 14-5B-8A&B, Signs permitted in Interim Development, Overlay Planned Development, and Residential zones and 14 -5B -8E to increase the size and type of signs for institutional uses and to allow internal illumination in the Planned High Density Multifamily zone; and Sign Standards in the Central Business zones, and the South Downtown, University, Central Crossings, Park, South Gilbert and East Side Mixed Use subdistricts to allow plastic trim cap letters for signs above the fifth story. Ream noted that the application is a long description for some very simple concepts they wish to change in the Code. Most of the requests have been from religious institutions, both existing and new churches, that brought to light some inadequacies in the Sign Code. As explained in the memo a facia sign in most residential zones was limited to four square feet and only one sign was allowed. Most of the churches in Iowa City do not comply with the Sign Code, and not that permits were issued in error, permits were just never issued. However with the construction of some new churches and inquiries on what signage could be done it was apparent to Ream that adjustment needed to be made to the Sign Code. The proposed change is not great, 12 square feet is not a large sign but having a 12 square foot sign on the wall of the church and a monument sign out closer to the roadway seems to be reasonable. The second major change is due to having a couple of institutional uses in a PRM zone, which is technically a residential zone. One example is in a high density area near The University of Iowa and the Northside Marketplace and they were requesting internal illumination for their small monument signs. One church already had their monument sign internally illuminated for 20 years and when they requested to update and get a new sign they were told it could not be internally illuminated because it was in a residential zone. However there was no issue for the Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 15 of 19 20 previous years so the request is to altovy internal illumination in PRM zones for institutional uses only. Ream stated there are only three PRM zones in Iowa City, one over by Carver Hawkeye Arena and there are no institutional uses there. The other area is in the Riverfront Crossing District south of Burlington Street) and currently there are no institutional uses there now and if one is built in the future the area would be rezoned Riverfront Crossings which would allow illuminated signage. So this change ±will really only affect one PRM zone at this time and there are two institutional uses in that zoneI both of which have asked for their monument sign to be internally illuminated. Ream reminded the Commission that there was a major revision to the Sign Code last year for the Downtown Districts based on a consultant group recommending new Downtown District Storefront and Signage Guidelines. Based on the recommendations for the Downtown Zones there was a certain type of channel letter that was prohibited (plastic trim cap channel letters). This recommendation was based on small pedestrian oriented storefronts in the downtown areas. When that change was made Staff ' orgot about two things. One, the Riverfront Crossings Districts, by reference, use the CB Sign requirements. Secondly, not everything that is going on in the Riverfront Crossings Zone is going to be pedestrian oriented storefronts. There are three major hotels being built and the Sheraton Hotel is about to be rebranded. Staff felt that for these large multi -story buildings channel letter signage is appropriate. Staff recommends amending the sign cc • For Residential, ID and OPD zone: OPD and residential zones; 2) Add Institutional Uses; 3) increase the i single family zones to twelve (12) sign for an Institutional Use in PRN • For CB zones and certain Riverfroi signs above the fifth floor in CB zo in the same manner as the CB zor e as follows: 1) allow two (2) signs for Institutional Uses in ID, iasonry wall signs to the type of sign allowed for aximum fascia sign size for Institutional Uses in uare feet; 4) allow internal illumination for one (1) zones. Crossings Zones: Allow plastic trim cap letters for as and those Riverfront Crossings that are regulated s, but only when the building is more than 5 stories. Freerks expressed her concern with the illumination of signs about five stories and would like to know how many places in the area will havb such signage. She is afraid it could become light pollution. Her concern is if the need is for wayfinding, but it's not like it would be hard to navigate throughout downtown Iowa City to get where one needs. It is understandable in a city like Cedar Rapids where one needs to be able to see the signage from the interstate but that is not the case in Iowa City. Hensch agreed and commented that the society is through smart phones and GPS Ream reminded the Commission that at o wall, so on a 14 story building that is 100 there were no 14 story buildings so this is and noted that the City specifically chang( buildings from becoming billboards. So n side wall. Therefore they have reduced g also stated that the plastic trim cap is not saying we cannot use the plastic trim cap fear of light pollution. ople find things such as hotels in modern e the City's sign allowance was 15% of a sign de. Freerks disagreed because at that time starting over and a blank slate. Ream agreed requirement to prevent the sides of those allowance is 1.5 times the width or length of the .he size of the sign that could be done. Ream y way to illuminate a channel letter, so by does not mean it will stop the illumination or Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 16 of 19 Freerks asked if at this time there are any zones and Ream confirmed there is not at Perhaps there could be language that stat( where residential neighborhoods would se buildings will change the character of dowr Freerks opened the public discussion. Doug Brown (Gloria Dei Lutheran Church) consideration. Gloria Dei has been locate 1855 when it was first known as First Engl and was replaced by the existing structure sign on the property facing outwards towai backlit sign. Brown is unsure if it was gran location in Iowa City has been cherished I: community through visits on Sunday morn connecting with people who remember go married, where they celebrated baptism ai years. One of their oldest members, havir from Asia every week on their Facebook L They are committed to open their doors to future. A year ago, in 2016, Gloria Dei re. Iowa City area with a $1 million renovatior HVAC, and sound systems along with upd critically they updated their kitchen facilitie ministry with the goal of providing food an believe and remain committed to their role they hosted a pig roast which raised $3,0C and the other half to local food banks. While churches across the country are ex membership remains steady. As a part of expanded their digital role in reaching out years they have updated their website, es Twitter, YouTube and other channels. Be be challenging at times. Their identity is k around them. It is difficult for anyone to k location. If one is driving downtown on D( or the building sign set back on the prope help them reach out into the community, t look to the property and to engage the cot welcoming. Brown thanked the City Staff appreciate the willingness to review their Freerks thanked Brown for keeping Freerks closed the public discussion. uminated signs above the fifth floor in any of the CB its time. Freerks is concerned about the impact. the signage cannot be on the side of a building it. She feels illumination of signs this high on tanked the Commission for their time and at the corner of Dubuque and Market Streets since h Lutheran Church. In 1961 the building burnt down Sometime after that in the 1990's they installed a s the corner of Market and Dubuque Streets, it is a athered in or what process allowed it. Gloria Dei's past and present members of the Iowa City g and social media. They continue to enjoy g to church here as a child, where they were I confirmation, or attended during their college completed a lifetime of mission work, joins them e broadcast. new and existing members and past and present and (firmed their commitment to remain in the downtown project. The project included updating their electric, ating their classrooms and lounge areas. Most ;. They use this updated kitchen for their culinary community events for the Iowa City area. They and presence in downtown Iowa City. Most recently ] and half the proceeds to benefit world hunger relief iencing a decline in membership, Gloria Dei's eir communications outreach they have also the community as well (smart phones). In the past dished active social media channels with Facebook, I in the downtown area over the years has proven to ig lost in the maze of buildings that are evolving v who they are and what they are by their physical (que Street they might not even notice the building Their focus on providing an updated sign is to r intent is with a new backlit sign to provide a fresh iunity to let them know the doors are open and all their efforts on the church's behalf and sent circumstances. Dei in the downtown community area. The Commission discussed approving par of the recommendations but allowing for more Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 17 of 19 discussion and comment on the allowance of plastic trim cap letters for signs above the fifth floor. Signs moved to recommend amendments to City Code Sections 14-513-4E, Illumination Requirements, City Code Section 14-5B-8A&B, Signs permitted in Interim Development, Overlay Planned Development, and Residential zones. Parsons seconded the motion. Signs explained that his motion is to allow the Staff recommendation for Residential, ID and OPD zones: 1) allow two (2) signs for Institutional Uses in ID, OPD and residential zones; 2) Add masonry wall signs to the type of sign allowed for Institutional Uses; 3) increase the maximum fascia sign size for Institutional Uses in single family zones to twelve (12) square feet; 4) allow internal illumination for one (1) sign for an Institutional Use in PRM zones. Freerks agrees with this and is in favor. Parsons feels that signs are more for advertising and people really use smart phones for navigating. A vote was taken and the motion carried 7-0. Theobald moved to defer a decision on the Staff recommendation for CB zones and certain Riverfront Crossings Zones: Allow plastic trim cap letters for signs above the fifth floor in CB zones and those Riverfront Crossings that are regulated in the same manner as the CB zones, but only when the building is more than 5 stories. Parsons seconded the motion. Ream asked for clarification on what the Commission would like this amendment to be. Freerks noted she feels there needs to be more discussion regarding allowing large lit signs on 15 story buildings. Ream stated that the signs are already allowed, this amendment was just to allow a certain type of channel letter that isn't currently allowed. Freerks noted her concern is not knowing how frequently this type of signage can occur, it sounds like it could be over the whole area if it were redeveloped with five story and taller buildings. Ream said she can inform the Commission where they see these types of signs being requested and it's mainly for hotels and tall large one -tenant buildings (such as the MidWestOne Building). So how many signs would be requested depends on how much of such development would occur in that area. Right now the only controls are the size of 1.5 times the fagade length and the type of channel letter that is allowed. Freerks agreed, but noted that could allow for a 34 foot sign on the hotel so perhaps this is the time to discuss how signage is really used and what is necessary but yet won't be light pollution. Martin asked if there has ever been cases where lit signs had to be shut off by a certain time of night. Ream said it hasn't ever been in the City Ordinances. Signs agreed that would be an interesting concept. Ream noted that a hotel would say that their guests arrive at all times of day/night. Martin added that she does rely on signs to find places, especially at night when it is hard to use her phone. Pat McAllister (Nesper Signs) noted that the issue is allowing trim cap that has nothing to do Planning and Zoning Commission October 19, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 18 of 19 with illumination. Trim cap only defines how the edge of the letter will be done, and with higher elevations one will not be able to see if it is plastic or metal trim cap, the plastic is just easier to form the letters. As far as illumination goes, according to Code there are all types of illumination allowed and that is a different topic for a different time. Signs noted that when looking at the big picture of what downtown is transitioning to with the taller buildings and more urban look he has less of an issue with signs and illumination. The light pollution issue goes with an urban area and living in an urban environment means dealing with urban issued. Freerks understands that point but also wants to make sure it is palpable for the surrounding neighborhoods. There needs to be a balance. Freerks is interested in knowing how communities the size of Iowa City (not Des Moines or Cedar Rapids) address their lighting standards on taller structures. Signs would also like to see a map that would indicated what areas are affected by tall building signage. Miklo stated this issue would be placed on the next agenda for discussion. A vote was taken and motion carried 7-0. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: OCTOBER 5, 2017 Parsons moved to approve the meeting minutes of October 5, 2017. Signs seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION: Theobald asked about the fireworks sales item discussed at the last meeting and questioned the area on the west side that isn't zoned industrial but has a temporary industrial permit (the old Menards) would that be able to be a fireworks sales area. Miklo said it would not. Freerks would like to re -implementing work session meetings prior to major items such as tonight so the Commission has time to ask more questions and get more details before decisions are made. ADJOURNMENT: Signs moved to adjourn. Martin seconded. A vote was taken and motion carried 7-0. PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2017 KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member 3/16 4/6 (W.S.) 4120 4/20 5/4 5118 6/1 (W -S) 617 6/15 7/6 7/20 8/3 8/17 917 9121 10/5 10119 DYER, CAROLYN X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X X X FREERKS, ANN X O/E X X X X X X X X X X O/E X X X X HENSCH, MIKE X X X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X MARTIN, PHOEBE X X O/E O/E X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X PARSONS, MAX X X X X X X X X X X X X X O/E X X X SIGNS, MARK X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X THEOBALD, JODIE X X X X X X X X X X X I O/E I X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member