The Ames City Council will decide on the process for zoning the site of the proposed mall Tuesday.

The discussions will involve land use matters at the site of the proposed regional shopping mall and “power center” strip mall. The council will also make a zoning decision about a 53-acre site recently sold by Iowa State to a private developer.

City planning and zoning staff will review upcoming steps in the development of the Interstate 35 and 13th Street interchange and present options to the council for the zoning of that land.

James “Bucky” Wolford, a developer from Tennessee, owns the land and is currently in the process of applying for city annexation, said Eric Jensen, city planner. Wolford plans to build a regional mall and a large-scale strip mall at the site.

Annexation is the first step in bringing a new mall to Ames, with rezoning and subdivision of the site, building plan approval and issuing a building permit to follow. City staff has already begun the second step and will present three zoning options to the council. The options provide different levels of city and public influence on how the land is developed and what regulations a developer must follow, Jensen said.

“Staff will propose to create a gateway overlay district at I-35 and 13th Street incorporating public design regulation and review,” Jensen said.

Designating the interchange as a “gateway overlay district” could establish building regulations at the site different from other retail areas in the city and allow for public input on those regulations, Jensen said.

If the council opts to follow the staff proposal, committees will be established to give input on how the site should be developed. Representatives from Iowa State, local property development firms and neighborhood groups such as Ames Smart Growth will be invited, Jensen said.

Staff’s proposal has merit, said Councilman Steve Goodhue.

“I think it’s a good balance of community input with control by staff and Planning and Zoning and the council,” Goodhue said.

If the Ames City Council does approve the gateway overlay district and the rest of the process goes smoothly, the site could be ready for construction in late summer or early fall of this year, Jensen said.

The council will also decide how to zone an area in south Ames recently purchased from the ISU Foundation by Hunziker Land Development, a branch of Hunziker and Associates. The city’s Land Use Policy Plan map currently labels the site “University-Affiliated,” since it was owned by the university when the map was made.

The developer wants the area zoned for high-density residential development, such as apartments. Planning and Zoning has recommended the council change the zoning to low-density, single-family housing development, according to council documents.

Similar zoning issues could arise if more university-owned land becomes available for private ownership.

Also planned for the meeting is a vote to approve the budget for the coming fiscal year.

“The budget process has been challenging because of cuts at the state level and the rollback of residential values, but I think city staff has done a good job with it,” Goodhue said.

The council meeting is taking place this week rather than next because Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco and five of the six council members will be traveling to Washington, D.C., for the Congressional City Conference at the end of the week.

The conference, organized by the National League of Cities organization, will give the Ames delegation a chance to meet with government officials from cities across the country and to lobby Ames’ interests to national leaders. The mayor and council will leave Thursday and return next Tuesday, Tedesco said.

The Ames City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 515 Clark St.