Minutes_Zoning Board of Adjustment 12 19 19 Copyrighted
January 6, 2020
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 1.
ITEM TITLE: Minutes and Reports Submitted
SUMMARY: City Council Proceedings of 12/16/19; Civil Service
Commission of 12/19/19; Housing Commission of
11/26/19, 12/17/19; Library Board of Trustees of 11/21/19
and Council Update No. 193 of 12/19/19; TransitAdvisory
Board of 11/14/19; Zoning Board of Adjustment of
12/19/19; Proof of publication for City Council Proceedings
of 12/2/19; Proof of publication for List of Claims and
Summary of Revenues for Month Ending 11/30/19.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
City Council Proceedings of 12/16/19 Supporting Documentation
Civil Service Commission Minutes of 12/19/19 Supporting Documentation
Housing Commission Minutes of 11/26/19 Supporting Documentation
Housing Commission Minutes of 12/17/19 Supporting Documentation
Library Board of Trustees Minutes of 11/21/19 Supporting Documentation
Library Board of Trustees Council Update No. 193 of Supporting Documentation
12/19/19
TransitAdvisory Board Minutes of 11/14/19 Supporting Documentation
Zoning Board of Adjustrnent Minutes of 12/19/19 Supporting Documentation
Proof of Publication for City Council Proceedings of Supporting Documentation
12/2/19
Proof of Publication for List of Claims/Summary of Supporting Documentation
Revenues ME 11/30/19
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MINUTES
CITY OF DUBUQUE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
REGULAR SESSION
5:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
City Council Chamber, Historic Federal Building
Board Members Present: Chairperson Jonathan McCoy, Board Members Keith
Ahlvin, Bethany Golombeski, and Gwen Kosel; Staff Members Guy Hemenway and
Travis Schrobilgen.
Board Members Excused: Jeff Cremer.
Board Members Unexcused: None.
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson McCoy at 5:05 p.m.
AFFIDAVIT OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying the
meeting was being held in compliance with the lowa Open Meetings Law.
MINUTES: Motion by Ahlvin, seconded by Kosel, to approve the minutes of the
November 21 , 2019 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting as submitted. Motion carried
by the following vote: Aye — Ahlvin, Golombeski, Kosel and McCoy; Nay — None.
DOCKET: 57-19 Special Exception
Applicant: Wulfekuhle Electric LLC
Address: 3390 WindsorAvenue
Proposal: To install a 160,000 sq. ft. solar array in an R-1 Single-Family
Residential zoning district.
Brianna Wulfekuhle, 108 Franklin St. Delhi, lowa, said that she represented Wulfekuhle
Electric and was speaking on behalf of the Franciscan Sisters. She discussed the
proposal noting the arrays location and the site topography. She said that the array would
not be visible from most of the surrounding residential properties because it was mostly
located below the surrounding grade.
Sister Marie Segrand, 3390 Windsor Avenue, spoke on behalf of the Sisters of St.
Francis. She noted the other environmental and educational initiatives that the Sisters
have taken regarding sustainability. She said that the installation will be used to educate
the public regarding the importance of solar energy.
Staff Member Hemenway detailed the staff report noting that standard residential
subdivisions are usually zoned R-1 but that churches, schools and cemeteries are also
Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes
December 19, 2019
Page 2
allowed in the R-1 district. He said that the subject property is a relatively large 63 acre
campus with congregate housing and parking. He noted that churches can be up to 75
feet in height and that they are required to provide off-street parking. He said that the
standards that govern residential development do not work well for large church and
school campuses.
Staff Member Hemenway discussed the topography of the proposed array site noting that
the residential neighborhood to the north sits higher in elevation. He said that the solar
panels would not exceed 10 feet in height and would be located in the swale below the
grade of the surrounding property. He discussed the surrounding land use noting that the
congregate housing for the Sisters on the west side of the campus would screen the array
from properties located along Windsor Avenue. He said that the residential development
to the north is approximately 500 feet away, that there was a cemetery on the east side
and that the Shalom Center and Hills and Dales are located on the south side of the lot.
He said that the array at the proposed height and location would be barely visible from
any of the adjacent properties. He said that people within 200 feet were notified and that
he had received little input.
Chairperson McCoy asked in which direction the panels would be oriented. The
applicant said that the panels would be stair stepped and oriented to the south.
Chairperson McCoy asked if the applicant would consider screening to the northwest
side of the property between the residential neighborhood and the array and to the
south between Hills and Dales and the Shalom Center. The applicants noted the panels
would absorb sunlight and would not create reflect glare toward the adjacent properties.
The Board discussed the proposal noting that they had concerns regarding the lack of
screening to the south and northeast.
Paul Hayes, 9133 Amelia Drive, said that because of an intervening hill, the Amelia
Drive residential neighborhood would not be able to see the array.
Board Members discussed the potential for evergreen vegetation on the south side of
the array to screen both the Shalom Center and Hills and Dales facilities.
Motion by McCoy, seconded by Ahlvin, to approve the Special Exception request for the
solar array with the condition that an evergreen vegetative buffer be placed on the south
side of the subject property as per Exhibit A. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye —
Ahlvin, Golombeski, Kosel and McCoy; Nay — None.
DOCKET: 58-19 Conditional Use Permit
Applicant: Christine Benton
Address: 1660 South Grandview Avenue
Proposal: To open a home-based dog grooming business as a conditional
use in an R-1 Single-Family Residential zoning district.
Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes
December 19, 2019
Page 3
Board Member Kosel noted a potential conflict and stepped away from the table.
Christine Benton 1660 South Grandview Avenue said that she would like to operate a
dog grooming business in her house.
There was no public input.
Staff Member Schrobilgen noted the lot area and location and said that the staff had
recommended four conditions regarding the dog grooming business that would serve to
mitigate any potential negative impacts on the neighborhood. He recommended that the
Board require that the applicant groom no more than two dogs on the property at any
one time, that dogs not be allowed to run outside unattended, that the property be kept
free of animal waste and that dogs not be boarded or kenneled overnight.
Board Members discussed the request and said that given the recommended conditions
they felt comfortable that the dog grooming business would not be disruptive.
Motion by Golombeski, seconded by Ahlvin, to approve Docket 58-19 Conditional Use
Permit to allow a dog grooming business in an R1 Single Family Residential District with
the conditions that: 1) the applicant groom no more than two dogs on the property at
any one time, 2) the dogs not be allowed to run outside unattended, 3) the property be
kept free of animal waste, and 4) the dogs not be boarded or kenneled overnight.
Motion carried by the following vote: Aye — Ahlvin, Golombeski and McCoy; Nay —
None; Abstain - Kosel.
ITEMS FROM STAFF: None.
ITEMS FROM BOARD: None.
ITEMS FROM PUBLIC: None.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion by McCoy, seconded by Golombeski, to adjourn the December
19, 2019 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye
— Ahlvin, Golombeski, Kosel and McCoy; Nay — None
The meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Guy Hemenway, Assistant Planner Adopted