11 26 07 City Council ProceedingsCITY OF DUBUQUE
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 5:30 p.m. on November 26,
2007, in the Historic Federal Building
Present: Mayor Buol, City Council Members Braig, Cline, Connors, Jones, Lynch,
Michalski, City Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Lindahl
Mayor Buol read the call and stated this is a special session called for the purpose of
discussing the Comprehensive Bluffland Plan.
Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens introduced Keith Marvin, JEO Consulting
Group, who is assisting the City with updating the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances.
She stated the purpose of the work session was to review the final report of the
Bluffland Advisory Committee (BAC) and to receive City Council direction on the next
phase of the process. Carstens reviewed the process used by the BAC, which included
citizen surveys, brainstorming sessions, public input sessions, comments from the
Zoning Advisory Commission and consultation with the City Attorney's Office. Results
of the survey indicated that (a) the top issues were (i) scenic views of the bluff; (ii)
historic character, and (ii) scenic views from the bluff and (b) the top features were (i)
natural and scenic and (ii) a defining element of Dubuque. The Priority A (most
prominent) bluffs were identified as those bluffs along the Mississippi River, U.S. 20
west from Locust Street to Grandview Avenue, U.S. 52 North, and Catfish Creek /
Middle Fork within the City limits from the Mississippi River to south of U.S. 20. Priority
B (less prominent) bluffs were those along Couler Valley from 26th Street to the City
limits, Peru Road from 32"d Street to Kennedy Court, 32~d Street from Peru Road to
John F. Kennedy Road and Kaufmann Avenue from Central Avenue to Carter Road.
Jeff Stiles, Vice Chair of the Zoning Advisory Commission, reported that the
Commission had reviewed the Comprehensive Bluff Plan and the recommendations
from the Bluffland Advisory Committee at their November meeting. The Commission
felt that the report was "overkill" and questioned the fact that the Spiegel development
that spurred the study would not be impacted at all. He stated the Commission also
discussed the fact that current ordinances addressed the majority of issues regarding
bluffland development.
There was no representative from the Bluffland Advisory Committee to address the
Council.
The City Council discussed various aspects of the report and questioned whether a
bluffland policy was needed versus an ordinance or if ordinances currently in place
should be refined to address the concerns and issues identified in the report.
After discussion, concurrence was reached by the City Council to direct Assistant
City Attorney Tim O'Brien, in consultation with the Bluffland Advisory Committee and
Zoning Advisory Commission, those issues/concerns not currently covered by an
existing ordinance, those items covered by multiple ordinances, and a list of decision
points for Council consideration.
Upon motion the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
/s/Jeanne F. Schneider, CMC
City Clerk
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