The Ames City Council delayed the proposal of digital billboards in Ames and approved the relocation of Fire Station 2.
The council unanimously decided to delay zoning standard changes for digital billboards to get expert advice on how the council should proceed with brightness standards.
The proposed billboard would be by Highway 30 off of Billy Sunday Road. The current zoning proposal is for an allowance of 250 nits, a unit used to measure an illuminated billboard’s brightness.
A traditional non-digital billboard is typically 100-125 nits of illumination. The brightness standard is the same as the ordinance for illuminated billboards in Des Moines.
Ward 3 Rep. Gloria Betcher expressed concerns that the proposed area in Ames is dimmer than Des Moines, with the same 250 nits allowance, which is “brighter than Highway 30,” and that the allowance should be lowered.
“I’m just concerned that using that standard, which seems to be appropriate for a more lighted area, is maybe brighter than what we would want for a less lighted area like Highway 30 at the sports complex,” Betcher said.
Two members of the Ames community and the Lights Out Ames group came to speak against the allowance of illuminated billboards in the name of local wildlife, specifically birds, and how light pollution can affect our community.
The council will continue the public hearing for the digital billboard zoning at the next city council meeting.
Ames Fire Station 2, which is located at 132 Welch Ave., causes congestion when getting to emergencies, and the station is looking to reduce response times. The city and Iowa State have identified an area of land for the new station off State Avenue.
The council unanimously awarded the contract to Brown Reynolds Watford (BRW) Architects of College Station, Texas, a maximum of $78,800 to construct a new fire station.
According to Ames Fire Chief Richard Higgins, BRW and the station aligned with all design philosophies.
“When staff are back in the headquarters, not only do they have quick access to the apparatus, they help decrease response times for emergencies, but also have the ability to decompress after calls,” Higgins said.
BRW has built over 380 fire stations in the United States.
The Ames Home Builders Association came to the council to discuss driveway regulations. Currently, driveway regulations are as follows: at the sidewalk, one-car garages can be 12 feet wide, two-car garages can be 20 feet wide, and three-car garages can be 24 feet wide.
“We’ve realized that the one-size-fits-all approach and the three-department oversight leads our builder members and residents frustrated and has resulted in some undesirable driveway situations,” Jake Hanson, president of the Ames Home Builders Association, said. “We believe that both builders and staff can implement a standard that would be both simpler and safer and functional.”
They are looking to add 4 feet of allowance to driveway widths with the ability to flare driveways at the end.
The city council also heard the monthly update on the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center construction process. The construction is set to be done in January 2026, with facilities opening to the public around March 2026.
The council heard and approved the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Adjusted Budget and the Fiscal Year 2025/26 Budget.
