The Ames City Council voted unanimously on housing development and zoning standards amendments which involved a significant discussion revolving around the conservation subdivision ordinance, particularly its application in the Ada Hayden Watershed area Tuesday.
“This is the kind of meeting where, as a council, we’re asked to balance various interests in the community,” Ward 2 Rep. Tim Gartin said. “We get one shot at this to get it right.”
The Ames Economic Development Commission was concerned about preserving the water quality in Ada Hayden Watershed and asked the City Council to reconsider specific requirements outlined in the conservation ordinance.
These include buffering around stormwater areas or wetlands, concentrating on safeguarding jurisdictional wetlands and removing the requirement to create usable open space to focus solely on protecting natural areas.
The Iowa Legislature recently proposed restrictions on local ordinances related to topsoil and stormwater regulations at construction sites. It prohibits counties and cities from enforcing more restrictive laws than state regulations, and the bill could limit the city’s ability to regulate stormwater. The council members suggested hiring a consultant to look at the impacts of legislation on stormwater runoff and conservation ordinances.
The council voted 6-0 to hire a consultant and approve staff recommendations on wetlands conservation efforts, specifically for Ada Hayden.
Ames city staff also recommended exploring options for flexibility in zoning and development standards. The presented options suggested a 20% relief from standards to address minor obstacles, updating commercial zoning standards to align with Ames Plan 2040 goals and conducting a broader zoning ordinance update.
“Because of the level of detail in the zoning ordinance, there are times when projects feel boxed in, and it might be a small change or deviation they’re looking for, some flexibility to do a project that’s considered 99% compliant,” said Kelly Diekmann, Ames director of planning and housing. “Unfortunately, the way zoning law is written, it’s 100% compliance, or the answer is no.”
The council unanimously approved the 20% flexibility allowance and the zoning ordinance update.
Additional Measures
City Council members voted in favor of approving the agreement to sell Lot 27 at the low-income housing project Baker Subdivision to Townhomes at Creekside, LLLP and voted to authorize Mayor John Haila to sign a letter supporting Polk County’s grant application seeking $49,999,999 from the U.S. EPA for implementing carbon reduction strategies in low-income residential housing.
The City Council also received an update on parks and recreation project timelines. The update included information on 52 parks and recreation department projects, covering various categories such as parks system improvements, facility upgrades, splash pad installations and playground equipment upgrades. Notably, the reallocation of $75,000 in Ames/ISU Ice Arena capital improvement plan funding from implementing a women’s locker room to replacing the radiant heating.
