New rules regarding future development of the Campustown area will be presented Wednesday at the Ames Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.

City planner Jeff Benson will give a demonstration of the proposed new rules for the University Impacted Area. The plan is only in the draft stage, he said.

“There has not been much meaningful public input because there has not been a plan to react to,” Benson said.

Neighborhood groups and city planners have been concerned with parking, historic preservation and compatibility between new and old structures.

The current rules allow for a 100-foot tall high-rise directly across the street from single family homes.

The rules presented Wednesday will reflect the needs expressed by the University Impacted Area Advisory Committee, which includes developers, designers and ISU students.

“We’re looking for improvements we can make to create the ideal Campustown,” said Leigh Thiedeman, senior in English. She is on the advisory committee.

She said Stomping Grounds, 303 Welch Ave., is a great example of what Campustown could be like.

Benson said he hopes the presentation will elicit responses from more community members and students.

Plans are in the works to offer students an opportunity to comment on the plan by using the city’s Web site.

“We don’t expect students to attend all these meetings,” Benson said.

Russ McCullough, a developer with Ev Cochrane and Associates who is also on the advisory committee, said most of the discussions have been about how Campustown could look in the future.

He said one of the possible rule changes is allowing only three-story buildings instead of nine-story buildings. He is also concerned about the financial implications of changing building rules.

“These changes don’t just affect developers; someone might have a house for 20 years knowing a developer may want to buy it in a group … there is a great potential loss for the homeowner,” McCullough said.

He said the first presentation is primarily to stir up public interest in the plan.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 515 Clark Ave.