Zoning Txt Amend reduce frontagPlanning Services Department
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
(563) 5894210 office
(563) 5894221 fax
planning@cityofdubuque.org
February 11, 2002
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
City of Dubuque
City Hall - 50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque IA 52001
RE: Text Amendment
Applicant: City of Dubuque
Description: Amend R-1 Single-Family District to reduce lot frontage and lot area
requirements.
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:
The City of Dubuque Zoning Advisory Commission has reviewed the above-cited
request. The application, staff report and related materials are attached for your
review.
Discussion
Assistant Planner Guy Hemenway spoke in favor of the request, indicating the
proposed text amendment would encourage the creation of affordable single-family
homes by reducing the lot size required in R-1 single-family districts.
The Zoning Advisory Commission discussed the request, noting that this was one
recommendation of the Affordable Housing Task Force. The Commission noted a
5,000 square foot lot may not be feasible because of topography, but where applied
can also reduce the cost of infrastructure extension.
Recommendation
By a vote of 7-0, the Zoning Advisory Commission recommends that the City Council
approve the request.
A simple majority vote is needed for the City Council to approve the request.
Respectfully submitted,
Eugerte Bird, Jr., Chairperson
Zoning Advisory Commission
Attachments
ORDINANCE NO. 8-02
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING APPENDIX A (THE ZONING ORDINANCE) OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING SECITON 3-1 .I(F)
BULK REGULATIONS FOR THE R-1 SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO
REDUCE LOT FRONTAGE AND LOT AREA REQUIREMENTS FOR SINGLE-FAMILY
RESIDENTIAL LOTS.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1. Appendix A of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Dubuque Code of
Ordinances is hereby amended by amending the bulk regulations for single-family lots
as follows:
(F) Bulk Regulations:
R-1 DISTRICT BULK
REGULATIONS
Permitted Uses
Lot area in Lot
square feet frontage
x l,O00 in feet
Coverage Front yard Rear Yard Building
as % of setbacks Side Yard Setback in Height
lot area Min. Max Setback. Depth ~ in feet
Sinqle-family residential 6 5 ~ 50 40 20 50 6
20 30
Church (see section 20 100
40 20 20 20 30
2-5.10 of this ordinance
Cond~onalUses
Nursery school/daycara 6 60
40 20 6 20 30
Section 2. The foregoing amendment has heretofore been reviewed by ~he
Zoning Advisory Commission of the City of Dubuque, Iowa.
Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication, as
provided by law.
Passed, approved and adopted this 18th day of February, 2002.
Attest:
Ann E. Michalski, Mayor Pro-Tem
Jeeanne F. Schneider, City Clerk
City of Dubuque
Planning Services Department
Dubuque iA 52001-4864
Phone: 319-589-4210
Fax: 319-589-4149
PLANNING APPLICATION FORM
a Variance n Rezoning
n Conditional Use Permit [] Planned District
r~ Appeal [] Preliminary Plat
[] Special Exception [] Minor Final Plat
r~ Limited Setback Waiver ,~,T.~xt Amendment
[3 Simple Site Plan
[3 Minor Site Plan
[3 Major Site Plan
[] Major Final Plat
[] Simple Subdivision
[] Annexation
[] Temporary Use Permit
[] Certificate of Appropriateness
[] Certificate of Economic Hardship
[] Other.
PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY IN INK
Property Owner(s): /'"_A-~'.y
Address: ,-~:> v.,/ I ~:~",,.~..~=,--~
Fax Number.
Applicant/Agent:
Address: City: State:
Fax Number. Mobile/Cellular Number:.
Existing zoning: ~ Proposed zoning:. Historic district:
Legal description (Sidwell Parcel ID number or lot number/block number/subdivision):
Phone: ..~'B ~ "/"~Z../~
City:~ State: LZ~ Zip: ~'~,~c~ 1
Mobile/Cellular Number,
Phone:
__ Zip:
Landmark:
Total propeAy (tot) area (square feet or acres):
Number of lots:
Describe proposal and reason necessary (attach a letter of explanation, if needed): ~ 'I~-.~L~LI ~
CERTIFICATION: t/we, the undersigned, do hereby certify that:
becomes public record;
2. Fees are not refundable and payment does not guarantee approval; and
3. All additional required written ,and graphic materials are attached.
Property Owner(s): /~ / //,~
yApp/icent/^gent:
The information submitted herein is true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and upon submittal
Date:
Date:
FOR OFFICE USE ON. LY - APPLICATION SUBMI~'TAE CHECKLIST
Fee: ~ Received by: &? Date:/._.//~O.~ ~"Z-~ Docket:
[] Property ownership list [] Site/sketch plan [] Floor plan [] Plat [] Conceptual development plan
[3 Improvement plans [3 Design review project description [3 Photo o Other.
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
January 17,2002
TO:
Zoning Advisory Commission
FROM: Guy Hemenway, Assistant Planner
SUBJECT: Reducing the Required Lot Size in R-1 Single-Family Residential Districts
INTRODUCTION
The City of Dubuque formed the Affordable Housing Task Force to research and
recommend ways to help create new single-family housing that is "affordable" to
moderate-income households. The Task Force provided recommendations to the City
Council in December 2001. One of the Task Force's recommendations is to reduce the
lot size requirements in R-1 Single-Family Residential zoning districts. To reduce the
cost of development, the Task Force recommended that the current minimums of 60
feet of lot frontage and 6,000 square feet of lot area be reduced to 50 feet of lot
frontage and 5,000 square feet of lot area.
BACKGROUND
Historically, relatively smaller residential lots have been platted in Dubuque's downtown,
north end, and hill areas. Many of the lots in the downtown and north end areas
generally have between 25 and 50 feet of frontage and between 2,100 and 5,000
square feet of lot area. Many of the residential lots in Dubuque's hill neighborhoods
also are substandard, with less than 60 feet of frontage or 6,000 square feet of lot area.
There are also many standard and large lots on the hill, many of which accommodate
large older homes or apartment buildings. The most recent residential development on
the city's west and south sides consists of primarily standard and large lots. Many of
these lots have up to 85 feet of frontage and 10,200 square feet of lot area.
About 46% of the city's approximately 16,000 lots in R-1 zones are non-conforming,
having less than 60 feet of frontage and/or 6,000 square feet of lot area. Many of these
lots have 50 feet of frontage. These lots are primarily located in the city's downtown and
north end areas, with some in the hill area. There are very few substandard building
lots on the city's west and south sides.
Reduced Lot Size
Page 2
DISCUSSION
In an effort to make new single-family owner-occupied housing more affordable, the
Affordable Housing Task Force recommended a reduction in the required lot size from
60 feet of lot frontage and 6,000 square feet of lot area, to 50 feet of lot frontage and
5,000 square feet of lot area. Reducing lot frontage and area would require less linear
feet of streets and utilities, consume less land and, therefore, reduce the development
cost of each lot. It would also serve to encourage more compact and dense
development, which makes provision of City services more cost effective.
This text amendment would make many existing substandard lots conforming. These
are lots that currently have between 50 and 59 feet of frontage and between 5,000 and
5,999 square feet of area. Those residential lots in R-1 zones in the downtown north
end, and hill areas that have less than 50 feet of frontage and/or 5,000 square feet of
area still would remain legally non-conforming. This text amendment would not impact
existing lots that meet the current minimum requirements.
By way of comparison, single-family lots in the R-2 Two-Family Residential Districts and
the R-3 Moderate Density Multi-Family Residential Districts are required to have only 50
feet of frontage and 5,000 square feet of area. Extending this reduced lot size as the
standard for the R-1 Single-Family Residential Districts is appropriate and consistent,
and decreases the number of non-conforming lots in Dubuque's older neighborhoods.
It also provides another tool to encourage development of affordable housing.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Zoning Advisory Commission review and approve the text
amendment to reduce the minimum lot size requirements in the R-1 Single-Family
Residential Districts from 60 feet of lot frontage and 6,000 square feet of lot area, to 50
feet of lot frontage and 5,000 square feet of lot area.
GH/mkr
Attachments
cc David Harris, Housing and Community Development Director