Minutes_Zoning Advisory Commission 11 1 17City of Dubuque
Copyrighted
November 20, 2017
Consent Items # 1.
ITEM TITLE: Minutes and Reports Submitted
SUMMARY: Cable TV Commission of 11/1; City Council Proceedings
of 11/6, 11/13; Human Rights Commission of
10/9; Investment Oversight Advisory Commission of 10/25;
Library Board of Trustees of 9/27, and Council Update
#164 of 10/19; Resilient Community Advisory Commission
of 7/6, 7/25, 8/3, 9/7, 10/5; Zoning Advisory Commission of
11/1/17.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Cable TV Commission Minutes of 11/1/17
City Council Proceedings of 11/6/17
City Council Proceedings of 11/13/17
Human Rights Commission Minutes of 10/9/17
Investment Oversight Advisory Commission Minutes
10/25/17
Library Board of Trustees Minues of 9/27/17
Library Board of Trustees Council Update #164 of
10/19/17
RCAC Minutes of 7/6/17
RCAC Minutes of 7/25/17
RCAC Minutes of 8/3/17
RCAC Minutes of 9/7/17
RCAC Minutes of 10/5/17
Zoning Advisory Commission Minutes of 11/1/17
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Supporting
Supporting
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Supporting
Documentation
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Dubuque
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MINUTES
CITY OF DUBUQUE ZONING ADVISORY COMMISSION
REGULAR SESSION
6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
City Council Chamber, Historic Federal Building
Commissioners Present: Chairperson Tom Henschel; Commission Members Pat
Norton, Rich Russell, Laura Roussell, Steve Baumhover, Martha Christ, Tom Henschel
and Michael Belmont; Staff Members Kyle Kritz, Guy Hemenway and David Johnson.
Commissioners Excused: None.
Commissioners Unexcused: None.
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Henschel at 6:00 p.m.
AFFIDAVIT OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying
the meeting was being held in compliance with the Iowa Open Meetings Law.
MINUTES: Motion by Belmont, seconded by Christ, to approve the minutes of the
October 4, 2017 Zoning Advisory Commission meeting as submitted. Motion carried by
the following vote: Aye — Baumhover, Roussell, Christ, Norton, Russell, Belmont and
Henschel; Nay — None.
ACTION ITEMS/PLAT OF SURVEY: Application of Julian Nemmers for approval of the
Plat of Survey Lot L & Lot M Cedar Ridge Farm Place No. 15.
Staff Member Kritz noted that City staff was acting as the applicant. He said that the
Cedar Ridge Farm Place detention basin is being ceded to the City for public
maintenance purposes as Lot M. He said that the City will seek reimbursement from
the property owners for ongoing maintenance costs. He said that the plat also included
Lot L that is in the floodplain of Catfish Creek and includes railroad tracks. He said no
maintenance will be required on Lot L. He said that both Lots L and M have no
frontage. He recommended that the Commission approve the plat subject to waiving
the lot frontage for Lots L and M.
Commissioners discussed the request and felt it was appropriate.
Motion by Christ, seconded by Norton, to approve the Plat of Survey of Lot L and Lot M
Cedar Ridge Farm Place No. 15 subject to waiving the lot frontage requirement for Lots
Zoning Advisory Commission Minutes Page 2
November 1, 2017
L and M. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye — Christ, Belmont, Norton, Russell,
Baumhover, RousselI and Henschel; Nay - None.
PUBLIC HEARINGS/REZONING: Application of Brandon Merrick to rezone property
located in the 3900 block of Inwood Avenue from R-1 Single -Family Residential to R-2
Two -Family Residential zoning district.
Commissioner Norton recused himself.
Brandon Merrick, 8110 Southern Hills Circle, reviewed his request, noting that he would
like to construct duplexes on two vacant lots that he owns along Inwood Avenue. He
said that he is building a single-family home on a third lot.
Randy Leib, 889 Salem Street, said that he is opposed to the request because the
streets are narrow and the additional traffic will create an unsafe situation. He said that
he does not feel that multi -family development fits well into the neighborhood. He
recommended that the neighborhood remain single-family residential.
Robert Vandermeulen, 3940 Oneida Avenue, said that he has lived in the area for 30
years. He said that the streets initially were gravel and there is no curb, gutter or
sidewalks. He said that, if approved, the proposal would increase traffic in the area. He
said that as the area is currently all single-family and that he is opposed to the rezoning.
Robert McMullen, 3998 Inwood Avenue, said that he agrees with the neighbors
opposed to the rezoning. He said that the streets are too narrow and that there are no
curbs or sidewalks. He said he felt the area should remain single-family residential.
Jacob Leib, 3987 Inwood Avenue, expressed traffic safety concerns noting the sharp
curve at the south end of Inwood Street. He said that the street is narrow and the
visibility is poor at this location.
Oakley Bandy, 3941 Inwood, said that he was not necessarily opposed to duplexes, but
that he was concerned with the narrow substandard nature of the streets. He said that
the streets do not accommodate on -street parking as there is no shoulder. He said that
duplexes at this location would generate demand for on -street parking and increase
traffic the neighborhood.
Josh Feldman, 3915 Inwood, expressed concerns with storm water management on the
site. He said that the additional impermeable area will generate storm water that may
damage their property. He said the additional traffic and density also will be a problem.
Ron Kuhl, 3994 Oneida Avenue, said that he is opposed to the request. He said that
his family has lived in the area for years, and that the neighborhood is a nice, single-
family neighborhood with attractive landscaping and gardens. He said that the City of
Zoning Advisory Commission Minutes Page 3
November 1, 2017
Dubuque is an All-American City and that he felt theirs is an All-American neighborhood
that should remain single-family.
John Gartmann, 3976 Inwood Avenue, said that he has lived in the area for quite some
time. He said that the streets are narrow and traffic safety is an issue. He said that he
is opposed to the rezoning to R-2.
Kelly Hingtgen, 3416 Foothill Drive, said that she felt that the property should be kept
single-family because it is a single-family oriented neighborhood. She expressed
concerns with the additional storm water runoff the duplexes will generate.
Brandon Merrick addressed the runoff issue, noting that he could build five single-family
houses on the five lots, and that the impermeable area would be very similar to that of
duplexes. He said that traffic will not be appreciably different with duplexes versus
single-family homes.
Staff Member Hemenway reviewed the request. He distributed aerial photos of the
neighborhood. He noted the location of the subject property and discussed the
surrounding land use and zoning. He said that the current R-1 district regulations would
permit four single-family homes to be built on the two subject parcels. He said that the
existing streets are substandard and that there is approximately 20 feet of pavement
and no curb, gutter, sidewalks or shoulders. He discussed the number of units that
could be built on both R-1 and R-2 lots noting that if fully developed as R-2, the net gain
would be two units.
Staff Member Hemenway stated that the parking standards in both R-1 and R-2 districts
require two paved off-street spaces per unit. He said that bulk standards such as
setbacks, building height and lot coverage are the same in both districts. He said that
city water is available along Inwood Street and that hydrants and sanitary sewers are
located at the north and south ends of the block. He said that the site is sloped, and
that storm water runs from the north end of the property to the south onto the platted
but unimproved Toledo Street, where it empties into a storm sewer.
Commissioners asked staff to clarify setback requirements for both zoning districts.
Commissioner Belmont asked about the trigger for street improvements. Staff Member
Kritz noted that there is no trigger, but that the property owners in the neighborhood
could request city streets to be improved, noting that street improvements would be
assessable.
Commissioner Belmont asked the applicant to explain the parking proposed for the
duplexes. Mr. Merrick noted that each duplex would have a two -car garage with
driveway space.
Zoning Advisory Commission Minutes Page 4
November 1, 2017
Commissioner Baumhover asked about on -street parking. Staff Member Hemenway
noted that on -street parking would be difficult because there are no shoulders and the
grassy parkway area would either be muddy or icy during inclement weather.
Commissioner Baumhover discussed the potential impact duplexes may have on the
existing street system.
Commissioner Belmont said he believed that placing R-2 zoning in the middle of an R-1
neighborhood is somewhat out of character.
Staff Member Hemenway discussed spot zoning noting that the term is somewhat
subjective.
Chairperson Henschel said he agreed with many of the concerns that the neighbors
expressed.
Commissioner Russell said he did not object to the mixture of R-1 and R-2 zoning.
Commissioner Christ noted that the Commission has approved several similar requests
for R-2 adjacent to R-1 in the past.
Commissioner RousselI noted that the request was not for a Targe multi -family
development, but just two to three duplexes. She said many of the issues that were
raised cannot be addressed by the Commission.
Motion by Russell, seconded by Baumhover, to approve the request to rezone property
located in the 3900 block of Inwood Avenue from R-1 Single -Family Residential district
to R-2 Two -Family Residential district. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye —
Christ, Russell, Baumhover, RousselI and Henschel; Nay — Belmont; Abstain - Norton.
ITEMS FROM PUBLIC: None.
ITEMS FROM COMMISSION: None.
ITEMS FROM STAFF:
Imagine Dubuque — Land Use: Staff Member David Johnson provided an overview of
the 2017 Comprehensive Plan, entitled Imagine Dubuque 2037: A Call to Action, with
additional information about the Land Use Chapter and the 2037 Future Land Use Map.
He discussed how the Comprehensive Plan can be a tool used by the Zoning Advisory
Commission in their deliberation regarding individual rezoning requests.
Commissioners discussed the Imagine Dubuque process and thanked Dave and other
City staff for their efforts.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Russell, seconded by Christ, to adjourn the November
1,2017 Zoning Advisory Commission meeting. Motion carried by the following vote:
Zoning Advisory Commission Minutes Page 5
November 1, 2017
Aye — Christ, Belmont, Norton, Russell, Baumhover, Roussell and Henschel; Nay -
None.
The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kyle L. Kritz, Associate Planner Adopted