Committee of the Whole Meeting

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTES City Hall, 220 Clay Street March 17, 2025 The meeting of the Committee of the Whole met at City Hall at 5:00 p.m. on March 17, 2025, with the following Committee persons in attendance: Gil Schultz, Chris Latta, Daryl Kruse, Aaron Hawbaker, Dustin Ganfield, Hannah Crisman, and Kelly Dunn. Absent: None. Staff members from all City Departments, UNI Student Liaison Isaac Mata, and members of the community attended in person. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE: Mayor Laudick called the meeting to order and introduced the first item on the Committee of the Whole agenda, College Hill Zoning Update Project. Mayor Laudick introduced Planning & Community Services Manager Karen Howard, who introduced Codametrics consultant Leslie Oberholtzer. Oberholtzer provided an overview of: the scope of the project; the four phases; the current visioning plan map zones; current zoning and the current College Hill overlay; and current parking standards. Oberholtzer presented the proposed direction for: parking standards and requirements; and code structure including clear, objective standards and visual aids. Oberhauser reviewed the proposed approval procedure including: defining clear, objective standards; administrative site plan process; and ideas for relief and flexibility if needed. Oberhauser stated the next step will be to head into the drafting phase for the proposed code. Mayor opened for Councilmembers, staff, UNI Student Liaison, and consultant discussion, questions, and responses, which included: density of rental properties in Areas 1, 2, 3, & 4; the potential to create a Area “3.5” between 3 and 4 to address density; protecting the Seerley Park neighborhood; use of different mix of building types to address density; regulations for garage placement; encouraging housing development near campus as a catalyst for more businesses and eateries on the Hill; the potential of property owners to work together to aggregate lots but also allowing opportunities for smaller lots to redevelop; various parking options; addressing current difficulty of approval for redevelopment on non-conforming lots and the number of current non-conforming lots; timeline for code revision and approval; encouraging a grocery store on the Hill; the purpose of the plan; and the type of development desired in the College Hill district. Mayor requested a motion recommending City Council to direct staff and the consultant to begin work putting together zoning proposals and parking recommendations. Crisman motioned and Ganfield seconded. Mayor asked for public comment; there being none, Mayor asked for any further Council discussion. Councilmember Kruse asked how long consultant Oberholtzer would be involved; Oberholtzer indicated involvement through project completion. Mayor called for a voice vote on the motion. Aye: Schultz, Latta, Kruse, Hawbaker, Ganfield, Crisman, and Dunn; Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Laudick introduced the second item on the Committee of the Whole Agenda, Major Thoroughfare & Connectivity Standards, and introduced Planning and Community Services Manager Karen Howard. Howard provided an overview of the project including: outreach to the public, including Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, Homebuilders’ Association and CFEDC; problems with and potential solutions to update the Major Thoroughfare Map; the lack of objective standards and vague language in the current code; updating definitions in Chapter 19, Major Thoroughfare Plan (MTP); benefits of an updated MTP document for project budgeting and review and compliance with federal and state standards; benefits of connected streets for vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic, emergency services, City services like refuse collection and snow removal, and development of adjacent land; examples were provided of neighborhoods with a lack of connectivity which creates obstacles to annexation and City expansion, frustration of residents, and barriers to walkability and bike-ability to neighborhood destinations. Howard provided standards from other communities and proposed standards including maximum block length and perimeter block length, requirements for street stubs, flexibility exceptions and conditions, through-block sidewalks as appropriate, and collector street spacing. Additional changes to Chapter 20, Subdivisions, include: updated definitions; standardized street right-of-way widths for local and collector streets; requirements for temporary construction roads as needed; and eliminating vague language related to culs-de-sac and private streets. Howard presented illustrations from the proposed code to show how to measure block length, perimeter length, through-block sidewalks, and street stubbing. Howard noted that the Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the proposed amendments to Chapter 19 and 20 and recommends approval. She advised the next steps will be setting the date of the public hearing at the April 7th Council meeting and holding the public hearing at the April 21st Council meeting. Mayor opened for Councilmembers, staff, and UNI Student Liaison discussion, questions, and responses, which included: cul-de-sac and block length and perimeter and exceptions to proposed changes; through-block sidewalk use and appropriate situations; linear v. curvilinear road construction and square v. non-square blocks, wanting flexibility to create unique developments; review and approval process under proposed updated code would include any exceptions and be included in the staff report for a subdivision review (no separate review required); purpose of proposed code to be objective with clear standards but build flexibility and exceptions in; street and right-of-way width, and one- v. two-sided parking options; review of street width standards did not occur in this project but can be reviewed in the future, and current code requires 31’ street width, however a developer can request a narrower width for review by City Engineer, P&Z, and Council. Councilmembers Dunn, Crisman, and Latta expressed appreciation for clear and objective expectations for developers while allowing flexibility in appropriate situations. Meeting adjourned at 6:39 p.m. Minutes by Katie Terhune, Administrative Supervisor