Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-2-2014 Planning and Zoning CommissionPLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION Thursday, October 2, 2014 - 7:00 PIN Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Iowa City City Hall 410 E. Washington Street AGENDA: A. Call to Order B. Roll Call C. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda D. Rezoning / Development Item Discussion of an application submitted by Iowa City Co -Housing for a rezoning of 9.65-acres of land located at Miller Avenue and Benton Street from Medium Density Single -Family (RS-8) zone and Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone to Planned Development Overlay/Medium Density Single -Family (OPD-8) zone for 7.68-acres and Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone for 1.97-acres, and a preliminary plat of Prairie Hill, a 2-lot residential subdivision with 32 dwelling units. (R EZ 13-00010/SUB 13-00008) E. Consideration of Meeting Minutes: September 18, 2014 F. Planning & Zoning Information G. Adjournment Upcoming Planning & Zoning Commission Meetings Formal: October 16 / November 6 ? November 20 Informal: Scheduled as needed. CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: September 26, 2014 To: Planning and Zoning Commission From: Robert Miklo, Senior Planner Re: REZ13/00010/SUB13-00008 Prairie Hill - Cohousing At the September 18 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the Commission requested more information about the proposed access drive to Benton Street. The attached memorandum from Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner, addresses those questions. The Commission also had questions regarding the effect of the proposed development on Benton Hill Park. The Commission requested information about the proposed tree removal on the portion of the park proposed for trade (lots 3 and 4 of Henry F. Bird's Subdivision). Staff visited the site with Zac Hall, City Forester. The Forester identify one significant oak located in the Benton Street right-of-way to the east of the proposed driveway. The oak is beyond the area where the driveway will be constructed and protection measures will be put in place to assure that it is not damaged during construction. Another oak is located close to the boundary of the park where the trail is proposed to be extended to provide pedestrian access to Prairie Hill. Staff will work with the applicant's engineer to see if the grading plan can be adjusted to help preserve that tree. The Forester found that the majority of trees proposed for removal to accommodate the development are ash and walnut trees. Both are susceptible to diseases. , There are also hackberries and one hickory tree. Some of the hackberries are on the portion of the park that would be retained by the City. Although it is likely that some of the hackberries and the hickory will be removed during construction, the Forster will with work the applicant to protect those trees to minimize damage or loss of trees during the construction of the street. Benton Hill Park currently contains 3.3 acres. If the portion of the park located on lots 3 and 4 is traded for Outlot A, the park will contain 3.5 acres. If the portion of lots 3 and 4 that will be covered by a public access and conservation easement are included, the total area available for public access will be 4.6 acres. In addition to amount of open space the quality of open space is of concern. Neighbors who spoke at the meeting indicated their preference for the wooded character of Benton Hill Park. Even with the tree removal necessary for the proposed development, approximately 2 acres of woodland will be available for public use. The addition of Outlot A will provide opportunities for active uses and park features that will be attractive to young families. This will complement the City's efforts and investments to revitalize the Miller -Orchard Neighborhood. Attachments: 1. Memo from Kent Ralston 2. History of the Proposed Alignment of Prairie Lane (from Cohousing) 3. Correspondence CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORai D1.,M Date: September 26, 2014 To: John Yapp; NDS Coordinator Bob Miklo; Senior Planner From: Kent Ralston; Transportation Planner tat iz— Re: Proposed Co -Housing Access on Benton Street This memo is intended to provide additional detail related to the proposed Co -Housing access onto Benton Street as there were several questions raised at the September 18ih Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. Sight Distance: `Stopping sight distance' is a measurement of the distance it takes for a driver to react and stop their vehicle to avoid a collision. It is a safety -related standard, and the minimum amount of sight distance which should be met for a new access. Measured traffic speeds on Benton Street hill average 34 MPH (85ih percentile speed). Sight distance evaluations are based on the 851h percentile speed of traffic (the speed at which 85% of traffic is traveling or below). Staff measured a total of 430' of sight distance for the proposed access point which meets the recommended minimum sight distance of approximately 290' for 35 MPH on a 10% downhill grade. While concerns with an access point located 'mid -hill' remain, they are lessened by the adequacy of the measured stopping sight distance. Staff previously indicated to the Commission that the slope of the property west of the proposed access will need to be cleared of trees/brush for this to function as an adequate access point. For clarification, this will not require major removal of material, but rather that tall weeds and brush near the street right-of-way would need to be monitored / maintained so not to inhibit sight distance for vehicles exiting from the proposed drive onto Benton Street. This is a typical admonishment for wooded areas adjacent to street right-of-way. Existing Conditions: The following table demonstrates existing traffic and street conditions on Benton Street and on Miller Avenue adjacent to the proposed development. From a transportation planning perspective, an access onto Miller Avenue presents less concern based on grade and vehicle volumes. This position was shared with the development group early in the development process. 85 % Speed Avg. Daily Traffic % Grade I Street width Parkin Benton Street 34 mph 11,000 10% 1 25' o,c,Nbited Miller Avenue 36 mph 843 negligible i 25' ore -side Benton Street Capacity: The mid -block capacity of Benton Street is approximately 15,000 vehicles / day. Further, the average daily traffic (ADT) volumes on Benton Street have actually decreased slightly from an ADT of 11,500 in 2006 to 11,000 in 2010 (iowa DOT). The existing vehicle volumes include Roosevelt School traffic. The additional vehicle trips generated by the proposed development (estimated to be 200 trips per day) will have a negligible impact to Benton Street with respect to overall road capacity. While there were some concerns raised at your last meeting related to the expansion of the Oaknoli Retirement Community and the future development of the old Hartwig Motors site, any September 26, 2014 Page 2 net increase of trips realized will also have minimal impact to the overall capacity of Benton Street. Collisions: Staff reviewed the collision history near the entrance to Roosevelt Elementary School Gust west of the proposed access) as it is also a mid -hill access similar to the proposed access. Staffs review indicated that there were 5 collisions near this location between 2008- 2012; 4 of them due to wet/snow/icy conditions. A collision history of 1 collision per year, on average, is not uncommon for an access on an arterial street. At your last meeting the question of when Roosevelt School closed was discussed. The eiementary school closed after the 2011-2012 academic year so the collision history provided to the Commission includes elementary school traffic. Street Maintenance: Since classified as an. 'arterial' street that serves as part of several transit routes, Benton Street receives priority with respect to snow plowing / salting. While this does not eliminate weather related collisions, it will lessen the number of potential incidents. Previous Development Proposal: At your September 18th meeting there was some question about if the Southgate Development proposal in 1993 was denied or withdrawn. After reviewing the file, the developer withdrew their application. However, in a memo to the Commission dated September 16, 1993, it states that the City's Traffic Engineer reviewed the sight distance at the intersection of the proposed drive and concluded although not ideal; sight distance did meet standards at 25mph. The Co -Housing access proposal is approximately 70' east of the Southgate development proposal (which allows for increased visibility) and meets standards for sight distance at 35 mph. Conclusion: The proposed access to Benton Street in the location shown on the plan is acceptable from a stopping sight distance perspective and meets applicable access standards. History of the Proposed Alignment of Prairie Lane ICCH, LLC The proposed location of Prairie Hill Lane developed from a suggestion by one of our professional consultants and meetings with City staff in 2012 before we purchased the land. After choosing to locate the Prairie Hill community on top of the hill, we recognized two things: 1) access to the top of the hill from Miller Avenue posed some problems, 2) we would have more land than we needed for the development we planned. Our consultant proposed that we ask the City for an easement for a road out to Benton Street along the western property line of the park. In exchange, we would offer the City the low land along Miller Avenue as an addition to the park. This plan would leave the western part of the park undisturbed except for the width of the road. We shared this idea with City staff. The City traffic planner rejected the location we requested in a memo dated 10/18/12. As an alternative he recommended an access point 130 feet further east at the location of the current western park service road. The memo stated: "...staff measured a total of 430' of sight distance at this location ( the service road entrance) which easily meets the recommend sight distance of 287'. While concerns with an access point located `mid -hill' remain, they are mitigated by the adequacy of stopping sight distance." With reassurance that the City staff would support our access onto Benton Street, we proceeded to buy the land and began to develop a site plan. We met with the City staff to get their feedback on our revised proposal. Instead of the City's granting an easement through the park, the staff suggested swapping the two wooded lots (3 and 4 on the site plan) for the low land along Miller Avenue. Prairie Hill would assume responsibility for maintaining and managing the woods. At the same time, the City would gain parkland that is more accessible to the public than the current Benton Hill Park. We agreed to establish a conservation easement on all the land in lots 3 and 4 that we would not need for the road and our development. This would provide assurance that most of the woodland would remain undeveloped and guarantee that the public would continue to have complete access to the woods. From: Raaz, Jerry [mailto:jerry.raaz@pearson.comj Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2014 7:29 PM To: Council; Home email Subject: Prairie Hill Co -housing Project - This correspondence will become a public record. Dear City of Iowa City Council (please share my comments with P & Z) I just recently became aware of the proposed Benton/Miller Ave Prairie Hill Co -housing Project. I walked the site with a site plan in hand just tonight so I could understand first hand the project and its impact to the neighborhood and City. I have to say- this is the finest proposed development to have graced Iowa City in years if not decades. Not only do I fully support this endeavor- I hope the City has the vision and sense to not only allow this to proceed- but do everything in your power to make it go smoothly- the rezoning- YES- the land swap_ YES- the access to Benton- YES. This project is environmentally conscious, makes great use of a difficult site, is striving for energy conservation, is an in -fill project, close to downtown and Riverfront Crossing - this has so many wins in it - almost too good to be true. So show some vision, courage and forward thinking and approve this swiftly. This sort of housing project will put Iowa City 'on the map'- not only for Iowa but our region and our nation. This sort of project is exactly what Iowa City needs- lets hope it triggers many more just like it. signed Jerry Raaz 3610 Glastonbury St Iowa City, IA From: Ruth Baker <rebaccentz@msn.com> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 2:06 PM To: PlanningZoning Public Subject: Iowa City Co -Housing Rezoning Application Thank you for patiently listening to our neighborhood concerns at the September 18 planning and zoning meeting. Five documents relative to these concerns have been provided for Bob Miklo to distribute to each of you. My file copies were not the best, but Bob might be able to make copies from originals in City Planning's records if you have difficulty with the clarity in mine. Arrows have been inserted on the first four documents, indicating remarks from city staff relative to individual thoughts on separate proposals, in 1993 and 1996, both requesting Benton Street access for development on the property that is now Benton Hill Park. As I stated on September 18, I am totally supportive of the housing concept brought forth by the co -housing group and would welcome having them in our neighborhood. I sincerely hope city staff will be instrumental in helping them adjust their plans to come up with a safe access for this development. Documents (A) - 1/27/93 Letter of Transmittal from Doug Boothroy in response to a proposal from Southgate for a 15-unit condominium development with access on Benton Street. (B) - 10/7/93 Second Letter of Transmittal from Doug Boothroy relative to the same proposal. (C) - 10/7/93 Letter of Transmittal from Jim Pumfrey (Iowa City Fire Chief at the time) in response to the same proposal. (D) - 3/18/96 Letter of Transmittal from Karin Franklin and Jeff Davidson in response to a new proposal from Southgate for rezoning approval to allow a development of 7duplexes (14units) with access on Benton Street. (E) - 6112/96 Six -page letter from Bill Buss, outlining reasons to oppose the new request from Southgate. I have not highlighted any portions of Bill's letter because I feel the entire letter is relevant to, and supports, the reasons for our neighborhood concerns. While reading his letter, please keep in mind the following significant changes since 1996 that make it even more imperative for you to carefully consider the consequences to all citizens if access was allowed on the Benton Street hill. 1) there is no longer a school at this location; therefore, traffic is now not ever required to travel at a lower speed (20 mph). 2) the number of housing units currently being proposed is more than twice the number proposed in 1996. 3) Benton Hill Park did not exist in 1996, so was not in danger of being parlayed out. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL PLANNING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO: FROM•t Monica Moen RE: - HIS 3$4of Henry F Bird's addition. W Benton St. WE ARE SENDING YOU: DCopy of Memo/Letter DPlans/Plats D Staff Report [:]Legal Papers 17 PLEASE COMMENT REMARKS: �j TO: � Legal �rP► 5�. XX Public Works XX HIS x�Parks & Recreation A DATE January 27, 1993 THESE ARE TRANSMITTED as checked below: QFor Review and Comment As Requested r ► °° , ,ir For Your Use DFor Approval Y 4. 1993 _ Police XX Fire City Manager Other: XX Water 1.. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL PLANNING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO: Doug Boothroy FROM: Bob Miklo RE: H. Bird Addition - West Benton St. WE ARE SENDING YOU: 71Copy of Memo/Letter X Plans/Plats Q Staff Report I� Legal Papers u DATE October 7, 1993 THESE ARE TRANSMITTED as checked below: X� For Review and Comment As Requested For Your Use DFor Approval PLEASE COMMENT BY: I Joint Staff Meeting - October 12, 1993 REMARKS: Southgate Development would like our comments on this nr000sal Ian for -the prope COPY TO: X Legal X Public Works X HIS X Parks & Recreation of Roosevel Police Fi re City Manager Other: X Water LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL PLANNING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO: Jim Numtrey fKUM: Bob Miklo kE: H. Bird Addition - West Benton st. WE ARE SENDING YOU: Copy of Memo/Letter DPlans/Plats Staff Report `7 Legal Papers u C DATE Uctober 7, 1993 THESE,ARE TRANSMITTED as checked below: XO for Review and Comment As Requested For Your Use For Approval PLEASE COMMENT BY: Joint Staff Meeting - October 12, 1993 REMARKS: Southgate Development would like our comments on this proposal n _Al nlan for the nrnnerty snuth of RonSPvP.It Srhnnl nn W Ron+nn c+nap+ COPY TO: x Legal A Public Works R HIS X Parks & Recreation _ Police X Fire City Manager Other: _ X Water OEPANTME-M ¢ O� PL;ANNMiO AND C01MUNM �EVElOP , LETTER OF TRANSUM *aL DATE Mar. 18, 1996 TO: FROM: Bob Mlkio RE: SUB96-0007 BYRD ADDITION i VW ARE VFIWINR7 YOU:ivARE, Ae�n#.TkESEqR���i1 7 ❑ copy of Memo&~ 4O For;Reviev and Comm:,n3 r+ �M1 x i 1 ❑ Stelf Report ❑ For �Your Use •�,: ❑ legal Papers ❑ For Approval O ❑ PLEASE COMMENT BY: Mar. 21, 1996 REMARKS: 011& Ctze- 4at,-e Gte`SctlS-C.CJ' 5gAf c(/st /:S CTI�. ` ` r J`GV"1 Qt(/� fLF v2u/trti t 5 dca( P L S /i%D o o Ldr�s / 7 ht� �7 -h A `a-Av i i� racy/1 x COPY TO: ©City Attomey'a OHkx ❑Police ®Water Ini Public Waft ® Fire ElOther. KarinAlaff Q HIS ❑ City Manager it Melody, Charlie, Scott Q Parks 3 Recreation Q Environmental Technical Advisory Committee 747 West Benton Street Iowa City, Iowa 52246 June 12, 1996 re: REZ96-0009/SUB96-0007 To the Chair and Members of the Planning & Zoning Commission: In this letter, I will explain my reasons for opposing the request of the Southgate Development Company, Inc., for subdivision and rezoning approval to enable it to develop a proposed fourteen -unit project on its property on West Benton Street; and I will also explain my reasons for supporting a revised proposal which would eliminate my objections and, I believe, be satisfactory to Southgate. 1. The reasons for denying the application for approval of the rgposal in its present form. The fundamental basis for opposing the Southgate proposal in its present form is the adverse effect on traffic safety that would result from the proposed access on West Benton Street for the automobiles that would be owned and operated by the residents of the fourteen proposed units. Virtually every person who learns about this proposed access for entering and exiting traffic in the middle of the West Benton Street hill reacts in the same way: The reaction is not simply that this is not such a good idea, but that this is an incredible idea, a preposterous idea; a you -must -be -joking disbelief. I should modify that: by "virtually every person," I am referring to people who regularly use West Benton Street in some aspect of their lives, which of course includes a lot of people and not just those who happen to live near by. Let me be very clear. The reaction of these people and the basis of my opposition is not simply the 98 additional trips into and out of the proposed development that the City's Transportation Planner has estimated will occur (apparently assuming 1 car per residential unit). West Benton Street is operating at an "existing capacity deficiency," and these additional cars coming and going from the Southgate development would obviously make that worse. But my objection and the look of incredulity of anyone familiar with traffic behavior on West Benton Street is based on what those particular cars will do and what that will mean for the movement and safety of other cars on Benton Street and the human beings inside those cars. What the additional cars will do is turn left from and turn right from and turn left into and turn right into the Southgate entrance/exit, and very often cars will be trying to do all of these things at once. And when they do these things, cars will stop on the hill, and other cars will stop behind them. Or at least that is what the lucky ones will do. The unlucky ones will plow into the car ahead of them or be plowed into by the cars behind them. According to the comments of the City's Transportation Planner when this project was being considered in 1993, the accident rate on this hill is two and a half times the state average, and most of those accidents are rear end collisions. And that was without the added hazard of fourteen -units more of traffic entering and exiting the street in the middle of the hill. More rear end collisions is what will occur, and stopping and waiting and hoping against rear end collisions is what will occur. Just as was the case in 1993, when a similar application was submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission, the record in this case includes a statement that the proposed project satisfies a minimum "sight distance" standard. As can be seen from the 1993 record, this statement is based on tables to be found in an authoritative book on the subject. Properly understood, the statement about minimum sight distance is not objectionable. But I want to stress what the statement means and why it is far less significant than many people regard it to be. First, of all it is not a rule of law; it is a rule of thumb taken from a table in a book -- actually several tables in A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 1990 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This book and these tables are relevant. They provide important information relevant to making a decision about safety. But the tables do not provide an ultimate conclusion about either the desirability or the safety of the access to fourteen -units worth of cars turning into and out of the Southgate property. If one studies the book from which this table -based statement is derived, one will see that there are many variables and qualifications that are relevant in determining the safety and desirability of the location of an intersection. There is the factor of road conditions: The book points out that the table primarily relied upon does not take account of icy conditions. There is the factor of kind of vehicle: The book points out that, when truck usage is involved and "when horizontal sight restrictions occur on downgrades," then "every effort should be made to provide stopping sight distances greater than the minimum" distances shown in the design tables. There is the factor of grade: The book shows a separate table indicating that an additional stopping distance of 70 feet should be added for a speed of 40 mph and a grade of 9% (compared to Benton Street's 10-12%). But one need not go on and on about this. The point is simple and clear: the tables relied upon can be no more than a consideration; we are talking about a multifactored situation, and the tables are calculated to take account of normal average conditions, not the peculiar conditions that characterize the West Benton Street hill and its flow of traffic. The tables relied upon provide some guidance. They do not compel a judgment that, under all of the circumstances, the proposed access is safe. They do not foreclose the contraryjudgment by the Planning & Zoning Commission that, taking into account all relevant factors, the proposed access is not safe. So far, however, I have meant to do no more than stress the need to avoid a simplistic exaggeration of what is intended to be only a tool to aid in judgment. What I want to stress much more strongly is that there are traffic considerations, including traffic safety considerations, that are relevant to the Planning & Zoning Commission's decision that are not adequately captured by the sight distance tables relied upon. One has to know the facts about traffic on the West Benton Street hill, and one has to be able to conceive of the effect of the 98 trips or more every day stopping and turning into the particular point on the hill that is proposed to provide access to the Southgate development. Despite the school zone, cars move fast on the Benton Street hill. At certain times of day, a lot of traffic moves on that hill. At certain times of day, some of those same times, the sun shines directly into your eyes; on the worst days, it does quite literally blind the driver for significant distances as it shines down or up the hill into the driver's eyes. At some times of the year, there is snow or ice on that hill, sometimes both. In short, over the course of a day, a week, a year, there are going to be many occasions when the traffic which is stopped to turn into, or the traffic which, after a long wait, is impatiently turning out of, the proposed development, may cause an accident. These problems will be seriously compounded by traffic turning into and out of Benton Street a short distance to the east from Miller Avenue and traffic turning into and out of Benton Street an even shorter distance to the west from Roosevelt School. Whether the risk of accidents will be further compounded by the presence of young children walking to and from school and occasionally darting across the street is still another question, but the potential consequence to those children when accidents do occur is all too easy to predict. I now want to qualify my statement that these considerations are not adequately captured by the sight distance tables relied upon. In fact, the AASHTO book makes a distinction between two different types of "sight distance": a stopping sight distance on which the tables that -have been relied upon are constructed and a "decision sight distance" that takes into account human limitations under difficult conditions. Here, I believe, a longer quotation from the book is in order: Stopping sight distances are usually sufficient to allow reasonably competent and alert drivers to come to a hurried stop under ordinary circumstances. However, these distances are often inadequate when drivers must make complex or instantaneous decisions, when information is difficult to perceive, or when unexpected or unusual maneuvers are required. The kind of intersection that I have been describing seems an example par excellence of the special circumstances the book contemplates, and intersections are specifically listed by the book as one of the examples of "critical locations" where it is desirable to provide the substantially greater decision sight distances. In fact, a separate table is provided in the AASHTO book for this purpose, and under this table the sight distances recommended for 30 and 40 miles per hour, respectively, are 500-625 feet and 725-825 feet. It is difficult to compare these figures with the actual sight distances to the proposed Southgate entrance since there are no figures in the record for the 1996 proposal. In the record for the 1993 proposal, however, the applicant's reported measurements were 260 feet to a point on the proposed access road 15 feet south of Benton Street and 366 feet to the point of intersection of Benton Street and the proposed access road. Even allowing for the 60-foot movement to the east of the access road in the current proposal, it is difficult to see how the sight distances in the current proposal can meet these decision sight distance standards, as they should for the dangerous intersection proposed. This brings me to a critical point: I have heard over and over that the City may not deny Southgate access to its property on Benton Street. I have also occasionally heard it stated much more cautiously, and correctly, that Southgate may not be denied access unless there is an appropriately good reason for the denial. And we should be very clear that we are not talking about denying access in the abstract; indeed, we are not talking about denying access at all. We 3 are talking about the denial of an application to develop a property in a particular way. In my opinion, it is very clear that the City has very good reasons for such a denial, and they are the safety reasons that I have been discussing. I want to refine this last point in one respect. In this proceeding, Southgate is asking for both a subdivision approval and a rezoning approval. The traffic congestion and safety problems I have been discussing provide a reason for denying the subdivision approval. Iowa City's own zoning laws provide, in addition, a specific legislative basis for denying the proposed zoning change from RS-8 to OSA-8. Under the relevant City ordinances, this change of zoning requires compliance with the OPDH provisions, subsection 14-0-21). Under subsection 2D.8.b.(2) of these provisions, approval of the rezoning is required to be rejected if the proposed "development" would "overburden existing streets." This provision says nothing about sight distance, and I do not think it could be reasonably interpreted to mean sight distance in any narrow sense. The kind of overburden of West Benton Street that would result from this project seems precisely the kind of overburden that the ordinance contemplates. For all of the reasons explained in this first part of my letter, the Planning & Zoning Commission has very strong reasons for denying, and may be required to deny, Southgate's application. As now proposed, therefore, the request for rezoning and subdivision approval should be denied. 2. _the reasons for n ing proval of a revised plan On May 1, 1996, Mace Braverman, as Southgate's representative, met with a number of neighbors with whom Southgate was required to meet to satisfy another provision of the same ordinance which I cited just above. -At that meeting, the neighbors voiced many of the objections that I have raised in this letter. Mr. Braverman understood and sympathized with those objections. Indeed, he stated unequivocally that he would prefer a plan similar to the one proposed but with an access to the south instead of the north. And he stated then and subsequently that he would revise his proposal to reverse the direction of the access if such an access to the south could be made available. The neighbors, for their part, understood the economic reasons for Southgate's desire to develop its land. In a spirit of cooperation, Mr. Braverman gave the neighbors some time to explore the possibility of an alternative access to the south. Following up this opportunity, one or more neighbors have talked with the present owners of the land bordering Southgate's property to the south; with the City's Transportation Planner, Jeff Davidson, and Neighborhood Coordinator, Marcia Klingaman; and with the Director of the City's Planning and Community Development Department, Karin Franklin. At the present time, the owners of the property separating Southgate from a southern access are not interested in considering any proposal for the development of their land in a manner that would be consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan and current (RS-8) residential zoning for that 13 area. I believe, therefore, that the the City should use its powers to provide a street access to the Southgate land from the south. My preference would be that the street would exit into Route 1. I propose this in a spirit of cooperation with Southgate as it would enable Southgate to develop its property without creating the unacceptable problems that would result from a Benton Street exit. I also make this proposal on the strength of its own merits, apart from my desire to be positive and not simply resistant to Southgate's proposal with a Benton Steet access. That is, I would affirmatively support a a reoriented Southgate residential development along the lines proposed (though, at this juncture, not necessarily endorsing every detail of the proposal). Such a project would have the strong advantage of beginning development of long -vacant land in a manner that was consistent with the current zoning and the comprehensive plan. It is also consistent with the existence of an elementary school across the street and with the existing housing in the immediate area. The availability of housing at reasonable cost in Iowa City is an important community concern. The residential neighborhoods on Miller, Hudson, Orchard, Douglas, Giblin, Michael, and on both sides of Benton Street east of Roosevelt School are the kinds of neighborhoods that Iowa City would want to create if they did not exist, and they should be protected. The housing in these neighborhoods is modest and well kept, and many of the residents are long-time residents of Iowa City.' This residential area would be strengthened and the residents supported by residential development on the Southgate site. Assuming that this general area will be developed in a manner that is consistent with Iowa City Comprehensive Plan, streets for the residential area will have to be constructed. It would seem extremely bad planning to permit the sequence of development to dictate whether streets are located in optimum locations. Furthermore, the cost to the City could be partially recouped when the land is eventually developed and possibly it could be partially defrayed by Southgate at this time. In any event, it is not a case of cost or no cost. Having a pattern of streets that best serve the immediate and larger community is a benefit, and the absence of a well planned street pattern is surely a cost. Of course, a disruptive traffic pattern on West Benton Street would entail very real costs -- as outlined in this letter. 3. Conclusion. In conclusion, I ask you to deny the Southgate proposal as presently constituted with access in the middle of the West Benton Street hill. As an alternative, I ask you to indicate your approval of a revised plan providing for access in the opposite direction and, if need be, requiring the City to acquire the property needed to provide that access to the south. In this letter, I represent myself as speaking only for myself and my wife; but I am quite confident that, in most of what this letter says, I also speak for many residents of the neighborhood in which this project is proposed and many others who use Benton Street. Respectfully submitted, William G. Buss Copy to: Karin Franklin, Sarah Holocek, Ruth Baker, Mace Braverman From: Ruth Baker <rebaccentz@msn.com> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2014 5:16 PM To: Plan ningZoningPublic Subject: Prairie Hills Date: September 15, 2014 To: Members of the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission From: Ruth Baker Re: Iowa City Co -housing Rezoning Request As a homeowner on Benton Street, I feel there are pros and cons to this rezoning request that need to be carefully considered. PROS The Prairie Hills development proposed for the land on Miller Street, south of Benton Hill Park, is definitely a concept long overdue for Iowa City. I commend the members of Iowa City Co -housing for their vision and the long hours I'm certain they have invested in planning this development. It sounds like a plan that values friendships, cooperation, and volunteerism where residents are involved in diverse activities while keeping Prairie Hills, progressive, environmentally compliant, and cost efficient. CONS Access to Property — I cannot believe the City is even considering the idea of approving access from Benton Street to the proposed development. In 1993 and 1996 there was discussion of access for proposed development of property on that hill. At that time, it was determined that although the "minimum" site distance requirement for vehicles was met, weather conditions, a 10 to 12 percent slope grade, turning traffic, excessive speeds, and blinding sunsets were not factored into those requirements. I would be extremely interested in knowing what makes those deterrents now acceptable for access to the property when there are even more automobiles traveling on this street today. Although it appears it may be more costly for the property owners to provide an access off Miller Street in order maintain their plan for placement of dwellings, this is definitely the only access that should be approved by the City Planning staff for the safety of all citizens. Transferring Parkland to a Private Developer— The Benton Hill Park FINALLY came to fruition after 25+ years of perseverance and hard work on the part of the Miller -Orchard neighbors and our beloved former Parks and Rec director, Terry Trueblood. In previous meetings with the Co -housing Group and City Planning staff, neighbors have expressed their strong objections to parlaying a portion of our current parkland in exchange for a section of the developer's property that totally lacks appeal in maintaining the type of park we so carefully planned and now have. IN CONCLUSION, I think we need to ask ourselves which park in Iowa City will be the next one to be traded off because a developer wants a different access to their property just so it will meet their "wish list?" I would think this is not the route any of the citizens in this community want to take. From: Mary Knudson <mary_knudson@msn.com> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 4:07 PM To: Plan ningZoningPublic Subject: co -housing Sept. 25, 2014 Dear Planning and Zoning Commissioners, Thank you for the opportunity to talk last week. I object to two parts of the Prairie Co -housing proposal; one being the entrance of a private road on to Benton St. and the other being the transfer of parkland to a private entity. I do not need to restate my position in detail, however, there were a couple of points I think may have been lost in my talk. I will restate them here. During my talk I mentioned a few memos from city officials written during the Braverman propoals. Ruth Baker, a neighbor of mine, had kept these memos from then. Here are a couple of quotes from them, both which highlight the concern about entrance on to the street. 1. From Doug Boothroy to Monica Moen then director of City's planning and community development: "Access to Benton Street is a major concern....... it is not to the community/neighborhood's advantage to approve until alternative access be provided" 2. From Karin Franklin and Jeff Davidson to Bob Miklo on 1 — 29- 93, "The hill (10-12% grade) is a capacity constraint because it causes slower speeds. The access point is, obviously, not optional.... The accident rate on the hill is 2.5 times the state average". These concerns were all raised twenty years ago. If anything, the situation is even worse today. The city's website contains a 2010 report on traffic in the Miller Orchard neighborhood. I suggest that anyone considering this proposal take a good look at that report (hitp://www.ic ogy.org//?id—_1924). Among the highlights: a) The average daily amount of traffic on Benton St. was measured at 11,129, This represents the number of cars passing by in both directions. To put this into perspective, this is a little less than half the traffic on Riverside, and is about 14 times the traffic on Miller. b) While the posted speed limit is 25, 15 percent of the cars on the road were measured at speeds of 33 or higher. This was considered sufficiently alarming so as to trigger recommendations for traffic calming measures and technological changes — not, as is being considered here, ways to increase the traffic. While there are 26 units and 6 apartments, there could be up to 64 cars from this development if each unit has two cars. With regard to the park transfer, I grieve this loss for my neighborhood. We worked so hard to acquire this park and to design it. It is unique and is what we want. We do not want a flat piece of land along Miller Street. It doesn't have the view or the same topography. I believe this transfer serves again as a signal to us, similar to the loss of Roosevelt School, that we do not matter. I want to add that I will bear an externality to the cohousing people living here. Their property will, potentially, surround half my property. However, it is not clear to me who will be living in this development. From what I understand, there is no contract a person has to sign to live there. If the new residents are like the people from this group that I have met, I will be happy. But there is no guarantee future residents will be like them. This has me concerned given the already high rate of transient living we have in the MONA neighborhood. And I am concerned about what this does to the value of my property. I am happy that the co -housing people have thought about my view from my house. They are a pleasant group and I am conflicted in not agreeing with parts of their plan. However, I have to separate them from the plan and I simply can't agree with a private road on to Benton and the transfer of parkland to them. Thank you. Regards, Mary Knudson 725 West Benton St. MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 18 — 6:00 PM —WORK SESSION EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL PRELIMINARY MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Dyer, Charlie Eastham, Ann Freerks, Paula Swygard, Jodie Theobald, John Thomas STAFF PRESENT: John Yapp, Kent Ralston, Ron Knoche, Sarah Walz CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM. Freerks explained that this meeting was to learn about arterial street planning, there would be no public input at this time as this is a work session for the Commission. Yapp explained that this session was requested by the Commission a few weeks ago in context of preparation for the South District Plan neighborhood workshop on October 6 at Grantwood school at 7 p.m. Three staff will speak tonight, Kent Ralston, transportation planner, who will discuss general arterial street planning issues, Ron Knoche, city engineer, who will discuss the Sycamore Street corridor design specifically, and Sara Walz, planning staff, who will discuss neighborhood design and subdivision design issues along arterial street corridors and specifically in the context of the South District design. Ralston gave a very brief overview of arterial streets and how the city plans for arterial streets. Ralston explained that he will give an overview of what arterial streets are and why they are important, Knoche will disucss how arterial streets are designed, and Walz will explain how subdivisions are designed around an arterial street network. Ralston began by stating why arterial streets are important. First they are major transportation corridors, and make up about 25% of the street networks and carry about 75% of the total vehicle miles traveled. They facilitate major through traffic movements for all modes of transportation. Iowa City has done a great job planning arterial streets to fit the needs for all modes of transportation, not just private vehicles, but also transit as well as bikes and pedestrians. Arterial streets provide primary access to neighborhoods, parks, commercial and industrial areas. If planned appropriately they can reduce congestion and emissions, vehicle miles travelled and cut traffic through neighborhoods. The biggest complaint from Iowa City residents is traffic cutting through neighborhoods. Arterial streets also provide primary routes for emergency responders and city services (such as garbage, police and fire). Finally, by being an arterial street by DOT standards it allows streets to be eligible for federal. funding. Ralston stated he did not know exactly haw much road use tax funds Iowa City receives but could state the metropolitan planning organization sees about 2-3 million dollars available each year that lava City can access through grant program for arterial streets. Ralston presented a graph that showed the hierarchy of streets. On the left were arterial streets, the far left are freeways and expressways, in the middle of the chart are collector streets and on the right are the locai streets. What this graph shows is that a freeway essentially has zero access to land but Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 — Work Session Page 2 of 6 provides 100% mobility as they are high speed through corridors. Collector streets provide a nice balance of access to property but are also able to move traffic efficiently and by the time you get down to local streets, the idea is that they move traffic much more slowly and much more safely, and provide access to all properties. Ralston explained that in Iowa City most our arterial streets land in that area between arterial and collector streets, a minor arterial category, which is good for an area our size. This plan gives our areas few access areas to driveways which is good for safety, and again allows for through traffic for vehicles that need to get where they are going, including emergency responders. Ralston showed a depiction of what he felt most our streets should look like, essentially a grid pattern, which is what planning strives to achieve. In the planning world they strive to have an arterial street every mile or so, a little more closely spaced in urban areas. The next image showed a more conventional neighborhood with a cul-de-sac and dead end streets. This plan has very little access to adjacent properties and something they try to avoid in Iowa City planning. Instead Ralston showed a traditional grid neighborhood, with a house, market and school. With the traditional grid plan, the house can access the school and market within a couple blocks walk whereas in a cul-de-sac neighborhood that same access might take a mile or so. So now that the Commission has more information about arterial streets, Ralston discussed how they plan for arterial streets. They do so through long range coordination typically driven by growth and development. At the lowest level in the metropolitan area planning would start with community input, in this case Iowa City, done through comprehensive planning. The South District plan is well on its way and there is a public meeting in the next few weeks and what will come out of that public meeting are issues with the street network. At this time, Ralston is anticipating discussion regarding a lack of east -west connection to Sycamore Street and overall how Sycamore Street is being designed. Ralston explained that from a regional scale, there is more of a long range transportation plan which is a kin to a comprehensive plan but when we talk about it regionally we are not only talking about streets, but transportation network and regional trails network. Lastly Ralston showed a slide of the metropolitan area arterial streets plan which includes Iowa City and it shows that Iowa City does have an arterial street roughly every mile or so. Ralston concluded that Iowa City has a good network of arterial streets. Ralston then introduced Ron Knoche to talk about the design of arterial streets. Knoche stated that the design of arterial streets is a coordinated effort of neighborhood groups and predesign meetings. The discussion is not only about design of streets, but of issues such as drainage and utility backups to get a more comprehensive idea of the problems that need to be solved with the capital project. Additionally during the design phase the will meet with Sit down with the MPOJC (Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County) who with with traffic modes and traffic issues, and also help with coordination of intersections to determine what turn lanes or signals are necessary. The committee will also work with utility companies to accommodate right a ways and work with other government organizations like corporate property fines or municipal issues with Johnson County or City of Coralville. Finally the committee works with the consultants on the design aspects. Knoche explained the design standards used for our streets. He explained that the city's design standards date back to 1993 which are used on our locally funded streets, the, is a state-wide urban design standard used on federally funded streets, however there is not a big difference between the two. The Iowa City standards for arterial streets are 12 ft. lanes, whereas the state-wide urban design has a preferred 12 ft. but allow 11 ft. on arterial streets. Therefore in the next few months Iowa City is Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 — Work Session Page 3 of 6 looking to adopt that state-wide standard for the local streets as well. The complete streets current language is pretty vague but through the Blue Zone project the city will look to upgrading the language for the complete streets standards. The city of Cedar Rapids, also a Blue Zone area, recently updated their standards and Iowa City will review those to see if they are applicable in Iowa City. Next, Knoche showed the Sycamore Street design. Sycamore Street will have 11 It. lanes, and a 5.5 ft. bike lane on each side. On the west side of the road, the side the new school will sit on, there will be an 8 ft. wide side walk, and on the east side will be the 5 ft. sidewalk. Knoche pointed out that they are working on the storm sewers and other issues with the utility companies. So from the curb to 8 ft. sidewalk it's a total of 24 feet on the west, and 14 feet on the east to accommodate utility lines and water mains. This project will start at the south end of Sycamore at the L and work the way north to the point the project ended a few years ago. The design will incorporate at both the L and McCollister Blvd a roundabout. Roundabouts offer a refuge island for pedestrians crossing the streets. The 5 ft. sidewalk will be extended down Lehman Avenue to the trail system at the Sycamore green space. At Moira Ave the sidewalk will go into the McCada subdivision and that will be the intersection where the driveway to the new school will be. Further to the north, at Daniel Place is the 2"d access point into McCada subdivision, that street will extend west into the Lehman Farm property. Knoche showed the area where McCollister Blvd. will come through, the future arterial, and the second roundabout location. Knoche explained that when the Sycamore Street project that was completed a few years ago it was designed with three lanes to include a center turning lane. The engineers looked to continuing that to the south but with the introduction of the roundabouts there did not appear to be a need for the center turn lane. The pavement width is 34 ft., and he showed how they will use a refuge island to allow for a crossing from the east side 8 ft. sidewalk to the west side 8 ft. sidewalk, so the 8 ft. sidewalk will be on the new school side of the street. Knoche also commented on an additional project, the 1st Avenue grade separation project, showing the Iowa Interstate railroad, Mall Drive, and Bradford Drive. The engineers have been struggling to figure out how to maintain traffic and pedestrian access through this corridor as they are building the project. The current plan is to build a temporary pavement to the east of Vt Avenue to allow for the grading of the street and bridge work to happen while maintaining traffic. As they move forward with this project, they are looking at converting part of the street into a three -lane section all the way to highway 6 which will allow for bike lanes. Next Walz presented to the Commission the comprehensive plan land use and transportation goals. Walz stated that complete streets and narrower streets are one of the goals, and arterial streets are wider and accommodate all modes of transportation. In the subdivision regulations it is stated that blocks should be limited in size and laid out in a pattern to ensure the connectivity of streets. Along the collector streets, in the interior neighborhoods the block faces are to be within 300 and 600 ft. but along arterial streets the block faces will be longer, at ieast 600 ft. in length. If the length is greater than 600 ft. there will be mid -block connections via trails or sidewa"Rs that cut between private properties. Walz explained that the subdivision code implements the transportation goals; it codifies the sidewalk width standards, and requires deeper lot depths along arterial streets to account for a greater set back or buffer. in residential areas they strive to avoid triple and double facing lots that have more than one street face, and corner lots are required to have additional standards to meet all required setbacks. Lots with multiple street frontages are to be 125% of the lot required in the zone to increase the depth Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 — Work Session Page 4 of 6 of the lot frontages and double and triple fronting lots where there will be a side or rear building facing or orienting to an arterial street have to provide a minimum 25 ft. landscape buffer area along the arterial street and no solid fences can be in that required buffer area. Walz showed pictures of the Sycamore Street area, showing that the double fronting lots with either a back yard or side yard on Sycamore Street have privacy fences. This is allowed because these developments were created before the current subdivision standards. It does not make for the most welcoming street face. Walz showed a picture of a similar situation on Scott Blvd and 1 sc Ave where privacy fences are used. She showed a newer area on Scott Blvd, an outlet the provided an area between single family homes and townhomes and the developer put in a fence, but it is a unified fence for the whole area. Walz showed an example of a double fronting lot, explaining that it has the additional setbacks and put in landscaping to buffer the backs of the houses from the arterial streets. When looking for other alternatives to double fronting lots planners take into consideration the over aesthetics of the property. Walz showed examples of townhomes on Scott Blvd. which have vehicle access from the rear so no driveways interrupting the aesthetics of the street so it creates a relatively pleasant street front. Walz showed an example of a multi -family area on Mormon Trek, and the use of privacy fencing. Walz explained that current standards require a 50 ft. separation from driveways. And she discussed the need for setback from the street to the sidewalks, and showed examples on Court and Benton Streets where there is not enough set back and that can be problematic in winter, as road plows push snow onto the sidewalks. Walz also mentioned the benefit of street trees in neighborhoods. Eastham expressed some questions on the Sycamore Street design. First he asked for clarification on how the students will cross Sycamore Street to have access to the new school, and how residents will also safely cross Sycamore. Knoche stated that initially all students will be bussed into the new school. Eastham questioned the busing stating he thought the current school board plan is for about 100 current Grantwood students to be redistricted to the new school, Alexander. Knoche stated that the district plan is not completely set yet. However, they are making plans for how all students will get to school, parents driving will have access off Sycamore Street, as will busses. The students walking will have 8 ft. sidewalks as well as the pedestrian refuges for those that need to cross. Knoche stated as new housing developments are created they will review how the collector streets are connected and if there are needs for additional pedestrian areas. New pedestrian refuges can be created in the future if needed, such as ones on Scott Blvd. and 1" Avenue (by the HyVee and trail crossing). Eastham questioned if pedestrians felt the refuges were safe, and Knoche replied that only positive comments have come from folks using the refuge islands. Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 —Work Session Page 5 of 6 Thomas questioned if there were street trees planned. Knoche replied that normally they do not put tree streets in their construction projects mostly due to planting times are not conducive to the construction projects. Additionally a year or two are needed for a freeze/thaw to happen to create the densities that are needed. Thomas stated that clearly Sycamore Street needs street trees, and Knoche agreed that street trees will be added in the future, but not at that time of construction. Thomas questioned the speeds on Sycamore Street. Knoche answered that currently 25 mph is posted, but does not have the most recent traffic counts. The current plan is to make south Sycamore Street also 25 mph. Thomas voiced his concern on speeds due to the Blue Zone report. Blue Zone recommended lane width of 10 ft., as a way to reduce speeds. He asked the city to consider reducing the lane widths to 10 ft. and keeping the bike lanes the current widths. Knoche stated that due to Sycamore Street being an arterial roadway, it would be used by all modes of transportation, buses, delivery trucks, etc. so the road must accommodate for those vehicles. Additionally the roundabout design will decrease the speeds in the corridor. Knoche also stated that they will watch the traffic reports for the area, and if needed in the future, the road stripes can be redesigned to fit future needs. Freerks thanked Knoche and others for their presentations. Eastham asked if the city council will approve the road design. Knoche stated they will do a memo back to the council updating them on what the current design is and they can request a formal presentation if they wish, but the council will have to approve the final design at the public hearings. Eastham moved to adjourn the work session meeting. Swygard seconded PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2013-2014 FORMAL MEETING _ TERM EXPIRES 1116 216 2120 3120 413 4117 5/1 616 6M9 7/17 817 8121 912 DYER, CAROLYN _ 65/ 66 O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X EASTHAM, EASTHAM 05/16 X X X X X X X X X X X X X FREERKS, ANN 05/18 X X X X X X X X O/E X X X X _MARTIN, MARTIN 05/17 X X X X X X X X X X X X X SWYGARD, SWYGARD _ 05/15 X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X THEOBALD, JODIE OS/18 X X X X X X X X X X THOMAS, JOHN 05/15 X X X X O/E X X X X X X-1 X O/E INFORMAL MEETING NAME TERM EXPIRES 1/2 1/13 2/3 2/20 9/18* DYER, CAROLYN 05/16 X X X X X EASTHAM, EASTHAM 05/16 X X X X X FREE RKS, ANN _ 05/18 X X X X X MARTIN, MARTIN_ 05/17 X O/E X X X SWYGARD, SWYGARD 05/15 X X X X X _ THEOBALD, JODIE 05/18 X X X X X THOMAS, JOHN 05/15 X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused — = Not a Member * = Work Session MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 18 — 7:00 PM — FORMAL EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL PRELIMINARY MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Dyer, Charlie Eastham, Ann Freerks, Paula Swygard, Phoebe Martin, Jodie Theobald, John Thomas STAFF PRESENT: Robert Miklo, Sara Hektoen, Kent Ralston OTHERS PRESENT: Anne Duggan (115 Montrose Ave); Annie Tucker (1425 Oaklawn Ave); JP Claussen (2137 Davis); Anna Buss (525 W. Benton St.); William Knabe (1101 Weeber Circle); Mary Knudson (725 W. Benton St.); Ruth Baker (515 W. Benton St.); Rob Otto (733 W. Benton St.); Roxanne Mitten (4092 Winter Eagle Rd.); Mark Signs (1825 Hollywood Blvd.); Cheryl Cruise (905 Bluffwood Dr); Jerry Waddilove (863 Kennedy Pkwy); Alan McVey (1124 Conklin) RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: The Commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of an application submitted by Southgate Development Company for a site plan for 32 multi -family dwelling units on 2.19 acres located in the Low Density Multifamily Residential (RM-12) zone at 1425 Dodge Street (intersection of Dodge Street, Conklin Lane, and Dodge Street Court) subject to review of the design review committee approving additional screening in the southwest corner. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: Anne Duggan, President of Think Bicycles Coalition of Johnson County, would like to extend the groups support of bike lanes on Sycamore Street towards the new school. It's been shown that bike lanes are much safer even for children and sidewalks are much more dangerous. Duggan also stated that the idea of a bike lane to the new school is a way to have a feeling of inclusion to the rest of the city to this new area. Rezoning / Development Item REZ13-00010IS UB13-00008 Discussion of an application submitted by Iowa City Co -Housing for a rezoning of 9.65 acres of land located at Miller Avenue and Benton Street from Medium Density Single -Family (RS-8) zone and Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone to Planned Development Overlay/Medium Density Single -Family (OPD-8) zone for 7.68 acres and Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone for 1.97 acres, and a preliminary plat of Prairie Hill, a 2-lot residential subdivision with 32 dwelling units. Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 2 of 14 Carolyn Dyer recused herself as a conflict of interest as she is on the Co -Housing committee. Dyer left the meeting room. John Thomas also recused himself as he was a consultant on the project. Thomas left the meeting table and joined the audience. Miklo stated that the property is located on the southwest intersection of Benton Street and Miller Avenue. The current zoning of the property is a combination of RS-8 Medium Density Single Family and P-1 which is public and that is because a portion of this property includes the western part of Benton Hill Park. The proposal is to rezone the property to Planned Development Overlay (OPD-8) which would allow the clustering of units not normally allowed on this property such as the duplexes and a common house which is part of this proposal. The western part of Benton Street Park would also be rezoned to the overlay zone however in exchange an area owned by the applicants, the Co - Housing group, would be rezoned from RS-8 or Single Family to public and would be added to Benton Hill Park, essentially a trade of land. Miklo explained that the current zoning allows for single family homes and duplexes on corner lots within this development and he showed an illustration of what a conventional subdivision on this lot might look like and how it would likely involve a street intersecting with Miller Avenue. The 32 lots would be single family lots although it might be possible to make the lots on the corners big enough for duplexes. Therefore Miklo stated that over 30 lots could be built on this property under a conventional development. The applicant's plan, rather than having all the land developed, includes green space and a park. Additionally rather than individual single family homes there would be 25 duplex style units and a common house that would contain 6 owner occupied apartments, as well as other features such as a large kitchen, dining area, meeting rooms, activity rooms, and a mail center that would be available for use of the residents. Miklo explained that the portion of the park that would be traded for Co -Housing would act as a driveway onto Benton Street for this development and a portion of four of the dwelling units. A portion of that area would be set aside as a conservation easement meaning that the existing woodlands on the property would be preserved. It would also have a public access easement over it so that neighborhood residents would have access to it but the area owned by the Co -Housing would not be maintained by the City's Parks and Recreation Department. Miklo showed a more detailed plan of the woodlands and topography of the property. There are some steep and critical slopes on the property. He shared illustrations of the buildings proposed and reminded the commission that with planned developments the city approves the specific designs as where with a conventional development once the subdivision is approved as long as the housing units meet the zoning codes and required setbacks, the owner/developer can build whatever design and are not subject to design review. He continued to explain that the Planned Development project proposed has given the community assurances of the quality and character of the development. The development includes a common house with six owner -occupied apartments as well as some shared facilities and the applicant will go into more details. Miklo also showed illustrations of the duplex style units. There are a variety of designs, it is not a cookie cutter development and wiii result in a very attractive street scape in staff's opinion. As noted in the staff report, because this project is on the hill, the units will primarily be one story units on the backside and two story on the street side. And on the other side of the street t e houses will be two story on the backside and one story on the street side. Units are fairly low in profile, much lower than the 35 feet allowed in the zoning code, with 18-20 feet on the front side and 30 feet on the backside. In situations of rezoning the Commission is asked to consider if the planned development fits in the character of the neighborhood. Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 3 of 14 Miklo also pointed out there are several garages scattered throughout the development and one of the criteria for a planned development is that the garages be an attractive design. The staff feels these garages are unique in design and have character to them that complements the quality of the housing units. Miklo showed some photos of the property, including one of Miller Avenue looking west onto the property. He pointed point out the steep hill and explained the difficulty with patting a driveway in that area and explained that is why the developers have asked the city for an easement across the parts land which would result in much less grading. The Parks and Recreation Director was concerned about having a street splitting the park in two and put on the table the possibility of trading the park spaces so the new park area along Miller Avenue is less steep, which the Parks and Recreation Staff and Commission felt that was more conducive to park design. The next photo showed the area on Benton Street where the driveway for the new development would be located. Miklo stated the transportation planners did look at this very closely and considered the location of the proposed driveway for safety reasons, stopping distance and found that it dces meet city and national standards for sight and stopping distances. Miklo directed the Commission to a memo from Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner, in the staff report that goes into detail regarding the standards. Miklo did mention that several emails were received regarding a previous proposal on this property from 1993 which indicated that the development was denied due to the driveway proposed on Benton Street. He reviewed the record and found that the driveway access to Benton Street was a concern raised by the city engineer at that time and a staff report showed that a curb cut should only be done if there was adequate and safe sight distance. After a series of engineering studies, the Traffic Engineer concluded that the proposed driveway site (which was up higher on the hill than the current proposed driveway) did meet the minimum standards. There were a number of other concerns with that 1993 proposal in terms of its design, density and the planning and zoning commission never voted on it and the proposal was withdrawn by the applicant. Miklo also shared that this is an environmentally sensitive area due to the amount of woodland on the property and amount of sleep slopes. The staff report analyzes those concerns and does recommend approval as a considerable amount of woodland will be conserved and new trees will be planted. The City Forester did note that there are several trees on the property that are prone to disease, and will need to be removed. Also the city would need to approve the landscaping plan in the proposal. Miklo shared one other aspect of this proposal is storm water management. The proposal is to build a storm water basin in the southeast corner of the property. There would also be a berm built along the property to direct water to the basin. Miklo had discussions with the owners of one of the adjacent properties, Culvers, who was concerned about storm water and is now content with the proposed plan. Additionally the city engineer has reviewed the storm water management plans and find it acceptable in concept although there may be details that need to be worked out. Miklo stated in summary staff does find that this proposal is in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and the goals of the Southwest District Plan of the Roosevelt Neighborhood specifically with development that is a housing form that is compatible with the city's plans as well as the neighborhood's plans to develop the neighborhood. The proposal does meet safety standards in regard to access and in terms of the trade, Parks and Recreation Staff and Commission do feel this would be better park land and this area would be preserved and have much of the same function it has today in terms of open space and public access. Planning and Zoning Commission September 18. 2014 - Formal Page 4 of 14 Miklo concluded that Staff is recommending approval of the rezoning subject to the following conditions; the landscaping being approved by the City Forester, the City Engineer approving the storm water management plan, and the applicant installing offsite improvements through Benton Hill Park to provide the primary pedestrian access to the property. Those improvements would include paving part of the path in the park and lighting that path. Freerks asked about a trail that currently comes from the Hawk Ridge Development and asked for clarification on where that trail will be in the new plan. Miklo explained that when Hawk Ridge was developed years ago much of the adjoining property was owned by the same person and as a condition of the Hawk Ridge Development the city required a trail easement across the property. In this plan the proposal is to change the path of the easement to along the southern property line, which will make it less steep. He noted the City has also made improvements in the area by installing sidewalks on Miller and Hudson Avenues and Highway 1. Freerks asked when the trail path would be finalized and Miklo replied that the trail plans are not part of this project; it would be something the City would put in at a later date if it is to be built. Freerks then questioned the clearing of vegetation along Benton Street for visibility from the proposed driveway. Miklo pointed out the area on the picture where clearing would need to happen but explained it would mostly be brush cleared out but the trees should be able to remain. Freerks requested that Miklo explore the details on the clearing to clarify if any trees would be involved and report back to the commission. Freerks also questioned if there were any guarantees that the area that will be owned by the Co - Housing group that was formally parkland would remain park land even if the property changed hands. Miklo confirmed that yes the area will be a conservation easement that will be recorded with the plat and there will be legal documents filed stating requirements for preservation of the land. Hektoen mentioned that with regards to the woodland if trees were to be removed, tree replacement would be done to preserve the area. Martin asked Miklo to clarity where the entrance to the park would be. Miklo explained that it would be something the Parks and Recreation Commission would decide. Martin then asked about the square footage of the park after the swap. Miklo explained that the area of the park that is proposed to be traded with Cohousing is currently 1.8 acres and the area that would be swapped and conveyed to the city is 1.97 acres. Theobald questioned if the traffic at Benton Street and Miller Avenue and Benton Street and Greenwood Drive were considered as part of this project. Miklo asked Kent Ralston to address that as the city's transportation planner. Ralston stated that they did not look at those intersections directly because the access of the driveway meets the requirements of the curb radius being 150 ft. frem another street or driveway on an arterial street and both Miller and Greenwood are outside that distance. Eastham asked Ralston if the lesser width of this private access makes any different to the safety of access onto Benton Street. Ralston stated that the curb cut will meet all requirements and there are no concerns about the width of the driveway given that it's not a thru street. Ralston stated that for emergency access there are some concerns but that has been discussed with the Fire Department. Eastham then asked Ralston his opinion on access to this project off Miller Avenue vs Benton Street Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 5 of 14 Ralston stated that if all things were equal, that the preference would be Miller, however the areas are not equal due to the grading off Miller Avenue. Swygard asked about the emergency vehicle access and the ability to turn around in the property. Miklo pointed out the area on the plan that shows where a large vehicle such as a fire truck could turn around and this area has been viewed by the Fire Department. It does not have a typical cul-de-sac circular turn around but it will work. Swygard then asked about parking on the lane, Ralston answered that if parking is allowed, it will be on one side of the street and have to be approved by the fire department. Miklo confirmed that on the proposed clan there will be signs posted stating no parking on the street, only in the designated parking pods. Freerks then questioned the total number of parking spots and if there was a surplus or if there were plenty of parking for visitors. Miklo stated he thought there were three or four extra spaces, but could verify that to the Commission at a later date. Swygard questioned mail delivery, noting there are mailboxes in the common house, and asked if the post office would deliver to the common house. Miklo explained that the applicants did verify with the post office that they will deliver mail to the common house and there will not be a box somewhere along the street. Eastham questioned if the developer would be required to install the street entirely before construction begins. Miklo answered that they are likely to put it all in at once, and not phase it in. Eastham then questioned the parking for residents and stated it seemed to be removed, or far away, from the residences as well as other unique features of this proposal. Eastham asked for the staff opinion on what would happen if the property gets started, but then units aren't selling and something else has to happen. He asked where would the City be with an approve site plan like the one proposed and not enough buyers to make the plan work economically Hektoen explained that it's a risk that falls on the developer and Miklo expiained that it's not that big of a project, only 32 units, and additionally in the proposal the applicant states they must have commitments for at least half the units in order to receive financing to begin building. Swygard questioned the pedestrian access to the development that is to connect a trail through the existing park and who would be responsible for maintaining the trail. Miklo answered that once the trail is in place Parks and Recreation would maintain the portion that is in the park itself and the Co- ! -lousing group would maintain the portion on their property. Freerks opened public discussion. Annie Tucker, (1425 Oaklawn Avenue) from the board of managers for Iowa City Co -Housing introduced herself and began by stating there are hundreds of co -housing communities around the world, however this would be the first one in Iowa. She explained that what distinguishes co -housing from other developments is that it is the people that will love the,,e that develop the space and make decisions based on common values. She presented slides showcasing co -housing communities. Most communities are attached homes or multi -family although sometimes single family detached. In the proposed Iowa City Co -Housing Community most will be offset duplexes so that every unit has light from four sides and access to all views. She shared examples of co -housing units elsewhere in the United States. Common characteristics are homes are clustered together and face each other, there are pedestrian walkways and often porches and decks face each other. The clustered homes Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 6 of 14 make more space for common green areas, the homes are usually smaller and more energy efficient. Another key feature of Co -Housing is there is a common house, and in that common house there are functions that make it the hub of the community. There will be mailboxes there, laundry facilities, children's playroom, exercise room, workshop, and there will be guest rooms, which make it possible for owners to have smaller homes since guests can stay in the common house. The parking is on the exterior of the area again leaving plenty of area for common green space. Tucker spoke of how the developers in Cc -Housing base their decisions on common values and the Iowa City Co -Housing values are small energy efficient homes, square footage will range from 645 to 1600 sq. ft.; emphasis on alternative transportation, biking, walking and public transportation; there needs to be a balance between community activities and private space, and will use the common spaces for gardens and play areas; committed social and economic diversity, stating they already have multi -generational interest. She spoke on how the site meets the needs, its near services, only a mile and a half from downtown Iowa City, the waikability and bike paths make it a great location for the way those in the Co -Housing group want to live. It's on bus lines, there is sufficient space to build the units as well as have room for gardens and green space. The decision to build the homes on the top area of the property allows units to be south facing, which is great for solar panels also the views are wonderful. Martin asked Tucker about requirements for the building of the houses, for instance are they required to have solar panels or geothermal or be LEER certified in some fashion. Tucker stated that the goal is the units in the duplexes wiil be LEED certified however the common house will not be LEED certified, but will be energy efficient. Tucker stated that they will not need geothermal due to the other energy efficient building materials and insulation. Additionally they are not requiring that owners use solar panel, that is something they can individually decide. Martin asked if this Co -Housing acted like a co-op in that people would need to apply to live there as people move on and new home owners come in. Tucker stated it will not be structured as a cooperative but more like a condo association as everyone will own their unit and a share of the outside space and common house. There is a process for becoming a member of the Co -Housing group. It will involve people learning about the Co -Housing lifestyle and then there is a vote of the current members. Theobald asked if it is structured as a condo who's responsible for garbage pickup and snow removal. Tucker replied that the Co -Housing group is responsible for snow removal. Miklo stated that at the time of final plat approval there would be specific documents filed specifying Co -Housing to maintain the street, to remove the garbage, and to maintain the common open spaces. .DP Claussen (2139 Davis) talked to the Commission about the site plan and the decision to have access cnte Benton Street. He explained that the access off Benton Street better follows the natural contours of the land so there is not as much grading, which will help reduce storm water run-off. He showed some iliustrations of the area before the land swap and after. He pointed out the conservation easement area, maintaining as much of the woods as possible. The Co -Housing goal is to maintain the green area in line with the values of the community. He pointed out that the proposed land s%vap gives the City more acreage and with the conservation easement it will be a net gain of public green space. Claussen discussed visibility on Benton Street and stated it exceeds the visibility needed for city standards. Claussen pointed out as a community they are de-emphasizing cars and encouraging alterative transportation. Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 7 of 14 Claussen spoke about the Co -Housing goal of affordable housing, they value social and economic diversity, and that fits in the City's plan to have more owner occupied affordable housing. All the dwellings will be accessible and they already have 11 people financially invested in this project which shows the project has energy and commitment. Martin questioned Claussen if the green space area owned by the Co -Housing group would be accessible from the park area; he confirmed it would be open space. Martin then questioned what the range of cost would be for the houses in this project. Claussen gave a very general estimate of $200,000 median home price. Anna Buss (525 W. Benton Street), stated that the Cc -Housing group purchased this land knowing the access would be on Miller Avenue, and stated that the cost of developing the land is the developer's cost and redesigning the street off Miller Avenue, while it might be difficult, it is not impossible. She also stated that the smaller width of the interior streets should be a major concern for the fire trucks. Buss shared concern that the exchange of the property would set a bad precedent for future developments and possible lawsuits. Additionally she feeis fiat city wili incur a large expense getting the new green area in shape for park use. Buss questioned the common house and if the guest rooms would have to have rooming house permits with inspections by the City. Buss stated the biggest concern is the access onto Benton Street and stated how dangerous it appears. She shared concerns regarding the steepness of the street and issues in inclement weather. Additional developments elsewhere on Benton Street will add to the congestion, the Rivertront Crossings development, the 96 unit development on the old Hartwig Motors property, and the Kevin O'Brien project. In summary, Buss stated the driveway access on Benton Street is a bad idea. William Knabe (1101 Weeber Circle) asked the commission to separate the concept of Co -Housing and affordable housing from traffic, safety and preservation of the park because in reality he is not opposed to Co -Housing his concern is with Benton Street hill and the obstacles it presents to put a driveway half way down the hill. Knabe stated that in the past, Mace Braverman's application to develop this area was denied due to the entry onto Benton Street being a safety issue. There had also been discussions in the past about widening Benton Street, or adding a bike lane, but it was stopped due to no one wanting to increase the traffic on Benton Street. He stated that just a few months ago the Commission heard a proposal for a housing development on a property south of Roosevelt school and the issue was entry onto Benton Street, and that application was denied. So once again, he implored that the Commission remove the Co -Housing issue and just focus on the traffic issue and make a judgment on the basis of that. He additionally stressed that the Commission make sure it's clear why they would approve such an application when it seems entirely possible that Miller Avenue entrance could be an option. He also raised a concern about the City giving park land to private entities and would like clarification on that. Mary Knudson (725 West Benton Street) shared that half her property line will be adjacent to the Cc - Housing groups land and therefore shared a couple concerns. The first concern is the entrance onto Benton Street. Knudson stated this is not the first time there has been a proposal to put new properties with access onto Benton Street, and all those showed concern from the city. She shared many emails and memos from past city officials stating concern about Benton. Street traffic and grade. There was a traffic study done in 2010 on Benton Street with an average of 11,000 cars on that road which is 14 times the traffic on Miller Avenue. The study also showed the average speed on Benton Street was 33 mph or higher (posted speed limit is 25). She stated that she knows the Co -Housing values limit driving and car access, however the current traffic on Benton Street is already too much, no matter what development may go in that area. While she understands there may be a larger cost Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 8 of 14 for developing the property to have access on Miller Avenue, however the cost to the neighborhood is adding traffic on Benton. Street. Knudson stated her second point is the park. The neighborhood worked for over 20 years to acquire this park. People purchased homes thinking they were living next to a park. The neighborhood is very proud of the park u,'<d especially after the closing of Roosevelt Elementary; the park has became a unifying element to the neighborhood. This needs to be considered if the City wants to grant this land over to a private entity, it has never been done before and opens this idea to other developers and leads to possible litigation. Ruth Baker (515 West Benton Street) stated she had lived on Benton Street for over 30 years. She if asked the commission received an email she sent earlier in the day, and Freerks confirmed the email had been received. Baker stated she is in favor of the concept of Co -Housing however concerned about the safety of cars turning on Benton Street in the middle of the hill, as well as taking a portion of the park away. Baker stated that both in the report for this project and from the 1993 project the engineers quoted a 9% slope grade, when it's actually a 10-12% slope grade. Baker had a memo that was written to the mayor and city council dated January 20, 1999 by Bill Buss, during the time of talks of widening Benton Street. The memo refutes some of the documentation from the transportation area about the site distance for that location. She requested copies of the memo to be distributed to the Commission. The memo points out a number of issues the Commission should be aware. Baker also stated that the park should not be divided because there is a path that goes through the park. Additionally the community planned this park for so long and it was not intended for playground area it was to be a respite area, a wooded area. The features being proposed for the park are not necessarily the features the neighborhood wants for the park. Again Baker stressed that the Co - Housing idea Is terrific, but the property was purchased with the idea of entrance being on Miller Avenue and should stay that way to not risk the safety of the residents. Robert Otto (733 W. Benton St.) shared with the Commission that his mother is the owner of the property west of Mary Knudson, and has lived there for 68 years. Otto states at 7:45 a.m. you cannot back out, you have to wait your turn and dart out onto the street, it is so busy. Additionally in the evening when he tries to turn left into his property the traffic backs up. A bigger concern is winter on Benton Hill. It is common for cars to only get half way up the hill; you need to make a run up the hill, and cannot stop half way up. Otto feels the Co -Housing idea is great, but the access should not be on Benton Hill, Roxanne Mitten (4092 Winter Eagle Rd) stated that she doesn't live on Benton Street but has been observing the Co -Housing group and its plans and is amazed at how progressive this would be for Iowa City and the community. Mitten expressed her support of the development and a'. -so values the data collected by street engineers and knows the traffic issue is very challenging. This would be a community project, something that will raise property values something that matches what is planned in Iowa City in a good way. From an ecological aspect, the change of boundaries is looking at the big picture and city planners are proactive in their plans. Mark Signs (1825 Hollywood Blvd) introduced himself as a licensed realtor in Iowa City and stated he was very interested in housing issues, growth issues, and affordability and diversity of housing. Signs stated that he went to a seminar several years ago on the concept of Co -Housing, and he is very excited as a realtor to see a new type of housing, also a conservation type of development and have not seen that much in this market. He added it's appealing to cluster houses and leave a lot of green space. Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 9 of 14 Signs went on to address a few of the issues, stating there is always passion and interest in new developments, however the reality is this is a prime piece of real estate in Iowa City and it will be developed at some point in some way. The question of whether something will be built there is moot. In regards to the traffic question, the area residents have painted a grizzly picture of that street, and Signs stated he was amazed a school had an entrance on that street if it was as dangerous as depicted. Signs also stated that things like the development down at River Crossing and some of the other developments there is a bigger issue about the traffic on Benton Street and questioned whether 32 houses will be a significant impact to that problem. Even if the development had access on Miller Avenue, the traffic will still go to Benton Street, 32 houses doesn't seem like an impact in the scheme of things. Finally Signs commented about the environmental impact to do a driveway off Miller Avenue stating the developers are trying to minimize the impact on the space and finally the issue of swapping land he believes that has happened in other cases in Iowa City. Baker stated that most parents would use the Greenwood Avenue entrance to the school. They did not use the Benton Street entrance. Knudson added that the school was built in 1930, well before the street was even paved. Also she wrote the city when she saw the proposal of the land swap and asked if it was the first case of such and received a reply that yes, this was the first land swap. Freerks closed the public discussion. Freerks addressed the Commission to entertain a motion, also stating the Commission has 45 days to entertain the proposal so there is time for further review and it could be deferred. Eastham made a motion to defer item REZ13-00010/SUB13-00008 until the first meeting in October. Martin seconded the motion. Freerks called for discussion, to take this opportunity to map out items the Commission might have concerns about or want more information on. Eastham asked for more staff input on access onto Benton Street vs Miller Avenue. Eastham stated that a comment from the Transportation Planner stated their preference would be access onto Miller even though they have agreed to the confirmed access point. However, Eastham would still like to know if access on Miller Avenue is feasible, stating that is his major concern at this point. Martin commented that she understands the traffic study and traffic concerns as she had an accident on that hill a few years back during an ice storm. Simply put, Martin stated she loves the concept, hates the street. Theobald also stated she travels Benton Street frequently and avoids the hill in the winter. She is also greatly concerned about the park and to ensure that the park keeps with the integrity of the Roosevelt ravine, that entire neighborhood, and it appears the proposed new park does not have the same flavor, the topography is too flat. Swygard echoed everyone else's concerns and the neighborhoods concerns that they've expressed tonight. Everyone seems to be in favor of the concept of Co -Housing and the values the Co -Housing Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 10 of 14 group has however access off Benton is a huge concern. She lives in this neighborhood and drives that hill, did use the entrance off Benton Street when her daughter was a student at Roosevelt, it is dangerous for a number of reasons that everyone has sited, as far a sun, slippery in rain, horrible in snow and like others she avoids the hill when possible. The slope of the hill in itself is dangerous. The other piece is about the park and what it represents to the neighborhood. Freerks stated that she is not so concerned with Benton Street, although she knows there are concerns; she states that thousands of people travel there daily and 32 new homes is not a deal breaker. She is concerned however about the park land swap, and needs to look at it further. Like others Freerks very much supports the idea of Co -Housing, but the park is the defining piece for this neighborhood and community, and the style of the park is important. Not worried about a precedent on the swap, they have been made, maybe not for parks, but for other land. Freerks stated she does hope that the Miller Orchard neighborhood and the Co -Housing group can work together. Eastham wanted to make sure he conveyed that his concern about access onto West Benton is increasing the risk to other motorists using Benton, the additional 32 houses is not the issue. A vote was taken and the motion carried 5-0 Site Plan Discussion of an application submitted by Southgate Development Company for approval of a site plan for 32 multi4amily dwelling units on 2.19 acres located in the Low Density Multifamily Residential (RM-12) zone at 1425 Dodge Street (intersection of Dodge Street, Conklin Lane and Dodge Street Court). Miklo stated it is unusual for the Commission to review a site plan and there are only a couple of circumstances where that occurs. One is when a site plan is submitted for staff administrative approval, and enough of the neighbors' sign a petition and those are bumped to this Commission, that happens once every few years. The other instance is the case for this application as it is before the Commission because in the Conditional -Zoning Agreement there was a requirement that the eventual development plan including the building plan and landscaping proposal be reviewed by the Commission. This condition was put into place when this property was rezoned from Community Commercial (CC-2) to Low Density Multifamily Residential (RM-12). At that time there was concern about how the development of this property would be compatible with surrounding neighborhood, and also that it's an entrance way to Iowa City as it will be one of the first developments that will be seen entering Iowa City. Miklo showed an aerial photograph of the site. The proposal is to have a driveway off Dodge Street which would provide access to parking and access to garages in the back of the townhouses, there would also be a parking garage under the apartment building. Miklo showed an Illustration of the townhouses stating some would front on Dodge Street and some would front onto Dodge Street Court. He then showed an illustration of the larger apartment building which would front onto Dodge Street and showed the elevation for the entrance to the garage under the building. Miklo stated staff has reviewed the site plan and it is in compliance with setback and otter conditions, but the engineers and staff are still reviewing the site plan so there might be minor changes that need to be fixed. In terms of zoning it meets the requirements. The question before the Commission is if it is compatible with the neighborhood; in terms of design and character is it an appropriate development. The staff Design Review Committee has approved the application and does feel it meets the objectives talked about in the Comprehensive Plan for this Planing and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 11 of 14 neighborhood and is a development that is compatible with the neighborhood. The plan is that the townhouses will be a transition from the duplexes and single family homes in the area to the larger apartment building. The parking is in the interior of the site so not highly visible from the streets and there is proposal for dense vegetation on the back of the property along Dodge Street Court to restrict the view to the back of the townhomes that front on Dodge Street. Staff is recommending approval of this subject to staff approval for technical compliance. Martin asked if the driveway on Dodge Street was the only access point. Miklo confirmed there was only one access point from Dodge Street, and pointed out the parking spaces throughout the property. He did note that the driveways leading to the garages were not considered designated parking spots for zoning purposes; although they might be used for parking. Freerks commented that there was the maximum number of units on this site with the minimum number of parking spaces. Miklo confirmed it does meet all the minimum requirements. Eastham wanted confirmation on the landscaping. Miklo said the applicant agreed to do S3 standard which is 4-6 feet mix of evergreens and dense shrubbery. Theobald questioned the other side of the road and the landscaping there, Miklo stated it was S2 standard which is 2-4 ft. in height. Thomas asked if there was a sidewalk along Dodge Street. Miklo stated that yes, there was a sidewalk and also there would be a sidewalks added to Conklin Lane and Dodge Street Court. Miklo stated that they had looked at additional access to the property from Dodge Street Court but felt that the residents on Dodge Street Court would not be in favor of that and staff found it acceptable to have all the traffic access on Dodge Street. Thomas asked about the emergency turn around access. Miklo pointed out the emergency access on the plat. Freerks opened public discussion. .Jerry Waddilove, Southgate Development, represented the applicant and said as the staff report has indicated they were granted a conditional zoning in October 2013 and identified several requirements for development in that area. Waddilove stated all those conditions have been met, and shared one item to note, a change as part of the work with staff related to the multifamily building that changed from 12 - 3 bedroom units to 11 - 3 bedroom units and 3 - 2 bedroom units so one less 3 bedroom unit and one more 2 bedroom unit. This aided in making the elevations better with windows, etc. Waddilove addressed a couple of concerns that have been voiced. The density of the site, the number of units proposing, does meet the conditional zoning that has been granted. He also addressed the parking space issues stating the minimum number of parking spaces that is required has been met with the 62 stalls identified on the site. In addition, Waddilove stated they are proposing an increase right of way that was required as part of the site plan on Dodge Street Court and add sidewalks on Conklin Lane and Dodge Street Court. Cheryl Cruise (905 Bluffwood Dr) owns property at 1265 Dodge Street Court and her son Tim Fuhrman owns the other half of the building. Cruise shared photos of Dodge Street Court and also wrote a memo to the Commission stating she does think the density is too much for the area. The Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 12 of 14 neighbors have expressed concern about both density and parking. Cruise stated she was here tonight to highlight parking issues on Dodge Street Court. Dodge Street Court is about 20 feet wide and it's unimproved and originally it was no parking on both sides before the existing housing was built there. Because it's unimproved anyone that does park there gets into the grass and mud. Cruise stated there is also nowhere to turn around except in someone's driveway. Her concern is if nine townhouses were added across the street with sidewalks going to the front doors, It's very likely guests or tenants will park on Dodge Street Court. Cruise spoke with Assistant Fire Chief Roger Jensen and presented the situation to him. He advised her to come to this meeting and relay the statement that the Fire Department would have "great concern" if there was parking on Dodge Street Court as they could not get safety vehicles in the area. Cruise would like the City to change Dodge Street Court back to no parking on both sides. Alan McVey (1124 Conklin Lane) seconded that the proposal is very dense stating that right now in that neighborhood there might be 20 cars turning from Conklin, Lane onto Dodge Street and it is very busy in the mornings. Adding 62 or more cars will be significant. McVey feels the density is too high given the neighborhood, given the streets, and conditions on Dodge Street Court. He also believes lighting can be an issue and definitely also feels the city needs to be sure the drainage does not come onto Dodge Street Court. Freerks asked Miklo to answer the question on lighting for the development. Miklo stated there are standards on residential lighting that cannot be exceeded and is reviewed at the time of the building permit. Freerks asked Waddilove to address the lighting issue. Waddilove stated they have not gone into detail but envision using similar lighting to what they have on Ryan Court where there are townhomes next to single family. They use incandescent lighting. Also Waddilove noted that on Dodge Street, at the point of access to the development, there is a turning lane. Thomas questioned the parking or potential parking on Dodge Street Court. Miklo stated that a resident or property owner on that street can petition the City and they will do a survey of the residents of the neighborhood and based on that the City could prohibit parking Freerks asked how many units were on Dodge Street Court. Miklo stated there were seven along the street and three or four set back further off the street. Swygard asked why Dodge Street Court has remained an unimproved lane. Miklo stated when it was subdivided years ago in the early 90's the city ordinance did not require improvement of adjacent streets at that time. Freerks closed the public discussion Freerks stated that the parking on Dodge Street Court is a side issue and not pertinent to the approval of this application. Hektoen also stated that the issue of density is not on the table, this is not a rezoning issue. Eastham moved to approve the application submitted by Southgate Development Company of a site plan for 32 multi-famffly dwelling units on 2.19 acres located in the Low Density Multifamily Residential (RR1-12) zone at 1425 Dodge Street (Intersection of Dodge Street, Conklin Lane and Dodge Street Court). Martin seconded the motion. Planning and Zoning Commission September 18, 2014 - Formal Page 13 of 14 Martin stated she is excited to see development here, especially with the Hy-Vee redesign. Theobald stated she voted against the rezoning because of concerns about the density but now that it's been rezoned she cannot deny the application based on that reason. Eastham felt it's a good mix of apartment and townhomes and access on Dodge Street is appropriate although is sympathetic to the parking issues on Dodge Street Court and hope that the City will address those. Thomas raised some concerns with the southwest corner, west of the townhouses, on Dodge Street Court. Staff had recommend S-3 landscaping. Given that the driveway runs close to the sidewalk there Thomas would prefer a thicker screening. Miklo stated according to landscaping zoning the next level S-4 would include a masonry wall combined with vegetation landscaping. Thomas feels the current plan does not properly define or screen the area. A denser vegetative screen might be sufficient, does not necessarily need to be a masonry wall but don't feel one row of S-3 screening is enough. Thomas made an amendment to the motion stating the approval of this application is to be subject to review of the design review committee approving additional screening in the southwest corner of the property. Martin seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion was carried 7-0. Dyer questioned car lights shining towards the neighborhood and Miklo stated the screening would be more for the aesthetics. Freerks did share a concern about lighting, but feels there is a plan and precedents in other developments that have addressed this concern. Swygard commented although it's not in the purview of this Commission she would encourage the residents of Dodge Street Court to pursue the parking issues and approach City Council about the capital improvements to Dodge Street Court. A vote was taken and the motion was carried 7-0. Consideration of Meeting Minutes: September 4, 2014 Eastham moved to approve the meeting minutes as amended. Martin seconded, and the motion carried 7-0. PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION Miklo distributed a memo regarding a presentation by Dan Burden, a pedestrian street expert, and encourage the Commission to attend. Miklo also reminded the Commission of the South District workshop on October 6th. He stated they are welcome to attend but the workshop is for the residents and property owners. The Commission is being asked to pa^ticipate but with the idea of not steering the conversations, rather just to learn and listen and provide information. This is the community's opportunity to give us ideas of the plan. ADJOURNMENT: Eastham moved to adjourn Martin seconded, Meeting was adjourned on a 7-0 vote. PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2013-2014 FORMAL MEETING TERM EXPIRES 1116 216 2120 3/20 413 4117 511 1 6/5 6119 7/17 817 8/21 912 9/18 DYER, CAROLYN 05/16 O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X X EASTHAM, EASTHAM 05/16 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X FREERKS, ANN_ 05/18 X X X X X X X X O/E X X X X X MARTIN, MARTIN 05/17 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X SWYGARD, SWYGARD 05/15 X X X O/E X X X X X X X X_ X X TFIEOBALD, JODIE 05/18 X X X X X X X X X X O/E X X THOMAS, JOHN 05/15 X X X X O/E X X X X X X _X X O/E X INFORMAL MEETING NAME _ TERM EXPIRES 112 113 2/3 1 2120 9/18" DYER, CAROLYN 05/16 X X X X X EASTHAM, EASTHAM 05/16 X X X X X FREERKS, ANN 05/18 X X X X X MARTIN, MARTIN 05/17 X O/E X X X SWYGARD, SWYGARD 05/15 X X X X X THEOB_ALD, JODIE� _ 05/18 X X X X X THOMAS, JOHN 1 05115 X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused -- = Not a Member " = Work Session