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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-03-2015 Planning and Zoning CommissionIowa City Planning : Zoning Commission Formal Meeting Thursday, December 3, 2015 7:00 PM Iowa City Public Library - Meeting Room A 123 S. Linn Street IN`IRJEt cpp c� r c J M W Department of Neighborhood r�." and ""'®'®� Development Services CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION Thursday, December 3, 2015 - 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Meeting Room A Iowa City Public Library 123 South Linn Street AGENDA: A. Call to Order B. Roll Call C. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda D. Rezoning Item Discussion of an application submitted by Allen Homes, Inc. for a rezoning from Public (P-1) zone to Central Business Support (CB-5) zone for approximately .98 acres of property located south of Iowa Avenue between Gilbert Street and Van Buren Street. (REZ15-00022) B. Code Amendment Item Discussion of amendments to Title 14, Zoning Code, to allow residential uses on the ground level floor in CB-2 and CB-5 Zones located south of Jefferson Street and west of Van Buren Street, provided certain form -based zoning standards are met to ensure a high quality living environment. F. Consideration of Meeting Minutes: November 19, 2015 G. Planning & Zoning Information H. Adjournment Upcoming Planning & Zoning Commission Meetings Formal: December 17 / January 7 / January 21 Informal: Scheduled as needed. To: Planning and Zoning Commission Item: REZ15-00022 Iowa Avenue, Gilbert and Van Buren Streets GENERAL INFORMATION: Applicant: STAFF REPORT Prepared by: Bob Miklo Date: December 3, 2015 Allen Homes, Inc. P.O. Box 3474 Iowa City, IA 52244 (319) 530-8238 allenhomesinc@gmail.com Contact: Ron Amelon 1917 S Gilbert St. Iowa City, IA 52240 (319)351-8282 r.amelon@mmsconsultants.net Requested Action: Purpose: Location: Size: Existing Land Use and Zoning: Surrounding Land Use and Zoning. File Date: 45 Day Limitation Period: BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Rezoning from P-1 to CB-5 Development of mixed -use project including townhouses, apartments, parking ramp, commercial space and fire station addition. South side of Iowa Avenue between Gilbert and Van Buren Streets. 98 acre Parking Lot (Fire/Police and City Hall parking) P-1 North: Mixed use — CB-5 East: Mixed use - CB-5 South: City Hall - P-1 West: Former Unitarian Church and commercial and parking - CB-5 and CB-10 November 12, 2015 December 27. 2015 The applicant is requesting approval of a rezoning from the Public (P-1) zone to Central Business Support (CB-5) zone, consistent with the Comprehensive Plan for the area, and to allow the transfer of portions of the property for private development in conjunction with redevelopment of a portion of the Unitarian Universalist Church property, which is currently zoned CB-5. This property is governed by the IC2030 Comprehensive Plan, as well as the Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan. The applicant has submitted a concept plan that illustrates development of this property would include residential townhouses along Iowa Avenue and Van Buren Street, a parking structure in the center of the block with three floors of apartments above and a mixed -use building with 6,000 square feet of office space, and space for the Iowa City Fire Station. The concept plan also shows redevelopment of that portion of the Church site recently demolished and the Unitarian Church being preserved. ANALYSIS: Current and proposed zoning: This property is currently zoned Public (P-1) to reflect the City's ownership and use of the property for parking serving the City Hall. The purpose of the Public Zones is to provide reference to public ownership and use of land. The Public zones serve a notice function to those owning or buying land in proximity to publicly owned land. The purpose of the Central Business Support Zone (CB-5) is to allow for the orderly expansion of the Central Business District in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan; to serve as a transition between the intense land uses located in the Central Business District and adjoining areas; and to enhance the pedestrian orientation of the central area of the city. This zone is intended to accommodate mixed land uses, but at a lower intensity than permitted in the CB-10 District. The mixture of land uses permitted in this zone requires special consideration of building and site design. To control traffic and provide for the most efficient use of land and parking facilities, special consideration of the amount and location of parking areas is also required. To encourage developments that contain features providing a public benefit, a bonus in floor area ratio or dwelling unit density may be granted. Both the Comprehensive Plan and Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan support preservation of historic buildings. The regulatory incentive to support preservation of historic buildings in the CB-5 Zone is a Floor to Area (FAR) Bonus at a ratio of 3:1 (the Floor Area of a proposed building may increase by 3 SF for every 1 SF of a historic property which is preserved). Based on the applicant's concept plan, the Unitarian Church property would be preserved, and the FAR bonus provision would be used on the structure proposed to be developed. Therefore, staff recommends as a condition the Unitarian Church property be designated as historic landmark prior to a building permit being issued. The proposed concept plan showing residential uses on the ground floor is currently not allowed in the CB-5 zone. Commercial uses are required for the ground floor. Staff, however, supports an amendment to the zoning code to allow residential uses on the ground floor in certain situations like this and an amendment to the zoning code to apply design standards similar to those in the Riverfront Crossings form -based code. Comprehensive Plan: This property is included in the Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan, which contains policies and goals intended to guide development. In the `Strategic Infili' section of the Downtown District Section, the Plan states: In order to reinforce the existing fabric that currently exists in Downtown Iowa City, new development should be mixed -use and pedestrian -oriented in nature. In addition, it should follow a list of very basic rules that are consistent with the existing character of downtown. The following guidelines were developed Following a thorough analysis of the patterns and framework that make downtown special. These include: chew development should be located on sites that do not contain historic buildings. •Active uses, such as ground floor retail (and not blank walls) should front onto the street frontages and the City Plaza. *Upper floors should contain office, commercial, and residential uses. *Buildings should be built to the property line. •Corner locations should be reserved for taller buildings, creating a block structure with taller buildings on the comers and lower scale historic buildings between them. •The taller buildings on the comers should have a lower base consistent with [any] adjacent historic buildings to make them `feel' contextual with the rest of downtown, while also limiting the perceived height of towers. .Parking should be located both on -street and behind storefronts in parking structures The proposed CB-5 zone and the development concept plan are generally consistent with these polices. in addition to these policies, the Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan contains land use and height maps. The land use map shows this area as appropriate for mixed use development. The proposed combination of public, office and residential uses is consistent with the plan map. The proposed 4 story townhouses and mid -block 6 story building are also consistent with the building height map which is intended to encourage taller buildings be located mid -block away from Iowa Avenue. The general Comprehensive Plan as well as the Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan contain policies which encourage the preservation and reuse of historic buildings. Tools to help implement these policies, including the transfer of development rights and bonus square footage for adaptive reuse, and the reduction of parking requirements, are contained in the zoning code. By preserving the Unitarian Church as a historic landmark, the proposed development allowed by this rezoning would meet the historic preservation goals of the Comprehensive Plan. Floodplain: Most of this property is located within the 500-year floodplain of Ralston Creek. The Floodplain regulations require that habitable space be elevated at least 1 foot above the Floodplain. The concept plan illustrates compliance with this requirement. Other Considerations: Because the City owns the property, development may not proceed unless the City reaches an agreement with the developer regarding transfer of property and air rights for the residential uses, construction and operation of the parking facility, construction of the fire station addition, use of Tax Increment Financing or other public funds if any, conditions regarding affordable housing and final design. This agreement does not require Commission review, but will require City Council approval. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of REZ15-00022, an application to rezone .98 acres of land located south of Iowa Avenue between Gilbert and Van Buren Streets from P-1 to CB-5 subject to the general conformance with massing and scale shown on the concept plan and the Unitarian Church Building located at 10 S. Gilbert Street being rezoned as an Iowa City Historic Landmark prior to issuance of a building permit for the property currently being rezoned. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Location Map 2. Concept Plan �% } Approved by: John Yapp, Development Services Coordinator, Department of Neighborhood and Development Services Mtp:ttwww.icgov.org/$ite/CMSv2/File/plannirg/urban/Zoning Map.pdf httplhvww.iegov.orWsitelCMSv2lFile/planningturbanfZoning Map.pdf SITE PLAN 10M AVE UUSIC Allen Development: Neumann TT u m i ■ N �Y �w ►4 1 t •, Y■ Ifs I� 1� I lie F � _ Y_ ir• a • lYa , , ✓ 71 lMr. . t yL FLOOR 1 (TOWNHOME �n n 1) UUSIC Allen Development: Neumann Monson Architects 5 FLOOR 1 (TOWNHOME 2) UUSIC Allen Development: Neumann Monson Architects 6 FLOOR 2 (TOWNHOME 3) C a OFMW 6719 SF U TOWMW► B roMWOWR f TMWMOWB 1 TOTM78 1 T Mi"Mo ON SF NO SF FLATIS PASF UUSIC Allen Development: Neumann Monson Architects 7 FLOOR 3 (TOWNHOME 4) Neumann Monson Architects FLOOR 4 UUSIC Allen Development: Neumann Monson Architects 9 •• , "R B+9 SF 3-SR M."i MMMMMM O I� I� I I� 1 s� i >� I� SF UUSIC Allen Development: Neumann Monson Architects 10 MR ss�sr ! � I �1 � I � I 004 s9 I 903F ! ea Bsr LAWIC Allen Development: Neumann Monson Architects r r CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: November 25, 2015 To: Planning and Zoning Commission From: Karen Howard, Associate Planner Re: Zoning Code amendments to allow residential building types in certain CB-5 Areas Background: When updating the Comprehensive Plan for areas east of Gilbert Street in the downtown area, the Commission discussed allowing residential building types on lots with Central Business zoning rather than strictly requiring ground floor commercial in every building. In other words, allowing the market to determine where commercial space would be most successful and allowing appropriately scaled residential buildings to be mixed in with small retail storefronts as the area transitions to the lower -scale residential neighborhoods to the east. This is similar to the flexibility built into the form -based zoning code for the Riverfront Crossings District. Discussion of Solutions: With this discussion in mind, staff is exploring development of a new form -based zoning district for the areas currently zoned CB-2 and CB-5 located south of Jefferson Street between Van Buren and Johnson Streets. This area was added to the Central Planning District as a part of the Comprehensive Planning effort recently completed. Staff is currently drafting language for this new district, which will be submitted to the Commission for review in December or early January. The area between Gilbert Street and Van Buren Streets was added to the Downtown District and is largely civic uses with some opportunities for public -private partnerships to encourage development on vacant lots and underutilized surface parking areas that will achieve public goals, which could include preservation of a historic church, construction of public parking facilities, creation of affordable housing, and encouraging commercial and recreational uses that will serve a growing residential population in and near downtown Iowa City. Since the Unitarian church has decided to relocate and sell their property at the corner of Gilbert and Iowa Avenue and the City has received an application for a rezoning of the church property and the City's surface parking area north of City Hall, changes to the zoning code will be necessary to allow the mix of building types (liner building, civic building, mixed -use building) that are contemplated in conjunction with preservation of the historic church. Thinking beyond this site to other future opportunities for redevelopment in this area, such as the surface parking area east of the City's Recreation Center, staff believes that adoption of form -based zoning standards would provide the most flexibility for these complicated urban infill sites while ensuring high quality, appropriately -scaled buildings is the best approach to take. In reviewing the form -based zoning districts in Riverfront Crossings, the standards that apply in the South Gilbert Subdistrict seem uniquely suited and appropriately scaled to achieve the goals identified for CB-5 Zoned areas between Gilbert and Van Buren Streets. The attached zoning code amendments will allow residential building types on properties zoned CB-5 in areas south of Jefferson Street between Gilbert and Van Buren Streets, provided that the standards that apply in the South Gilbert Subdistrict of Riverfront Crossings are met. The South Gilbert District has a maximum 6-story building height, with a required 10-foot fagade stepback above the 4t' story, and building and parking placement standards similar to what is allowed in the CB-5 Zone. However, it also allows a number of residential building types not allow in the CB-5 Zone, including multi -dwelling buildings, liner buildings, and townhouses. Frontage standards appropriate to the building type would apply as well as the building design November 25, 2015 Page 2 standards, open space requirements, and building materials standards. Similar to the Riverfront Crossings District, to ensure that different building types will fit and function well in this urban context, Design Review will be required. Recommendation: Staff recommends amending Title 14, Zoning, as indicated on the following page. Underlined text is new language proposed and the strike -through notation indicates language to be deleted. Approved by: 1 John Yapp, Development Services Coordinator Department of Neighborhood and Development Services Amend 14-4B-4A-7a. Location (of Multi -Family uses in commercial zones), as follows: a. Location: The proposed dwellings must be located above the street level floor of a building, except as provided in subsections A7e. and A7f. Add a paragraph 14-4B-4A-7f, as follows: f. In CB-5 Zones located south of Jefferson Street and west of Van Buren Street residential uses are allowed on the around level floor of buildings provided the following conditions are met: (a) Apartment Building: (b) Multi -Dwelling Building (c) Liner Building; (d) Townhouse Zone.