The Ames City Council will be joining the Ames Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday for a public forum to vote on previously-deliberated zoning agreements. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers.

Last February, property owners requested a voluntary pre-annexation agreement for land located between Cedar Lane and University Boulevard. The agreement would allow for reduced connection charges to water and sewer services. Typically, a connection fee of $20 per linear foot of property frontage is charged. Currently, most of the homeowners in the south annexation area are under a contract with Xenia Rural Water.

According to city documents, if approved, the agreement will include the following:

• Connection fees to water lines based upon an 80-foot lot frontage with deferral of remaining costs.

• Requirements of property owners to secure any Xenia service territory rights prior to connecting to city water.

• Connection fees to sanitary sewer lines based upon an 80-foot lot frontage with deferral of remaining costs.

• Property owners would provide to the city any needed temporary or permanent easements related to road, water and sewer improvements. The city would bear costs related to surveying, construction and restoration.

Last February was also the month that the ISU Research Park purchased the 2.57 acres of the Riley Farm parcel.

Requesting rezoning from their current “Planned Industrial Zone” to a “Research and Innovation Zone,” the applicant states, “We are requesting rezoning in order to continue to create a research innovation zone for the Research Park area.”

The Planning and Zoning Commission meets regularly at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.