Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting

Cedar Falls Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting December 4, 2024 Cedar Falls, Iowa MINUTES The Cedar Falls Planning and Zoning Commission met in regular session on December 4, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The following Commission members were present: Alberhasky, Grybovych, Hartley, Johnson, Moser, Stalnaker and Watkins. Henderson was unable to login to the meeting due to CFU outage. Sorensen was absent. Karen Howard, Planning and Community Services Manager, and Chris Sevy, Planner II were also present. 1.) Chair Hartley noted the Minutes from the November 20, 2024 regular meeting are presented. Grybovych made a motion to approve the Minutes as presented. Johnson seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with 7 ayes (Alberhasky, Grybovych, Hartley, Johnson, Moser, Stalnaker and Watkins), and 0 nays. 2.) The first item of business was a rezoning request for 13.28 acres located at the southeast corner of Greenhill Road and Cedar Heights Drive (4616 Cedar Heights Drive) from R-2- Residence District to MU-Mixed Use Residence District (RZ24-004). The second item of business, the MU District Site Plan for Cedar West Apartments (SP24-017) was presented at the same time since the site plan for the development is considered the master plan required with the rezoning to MU Mixed Use. Chair Hartley introduced the item and Mr. Sevy presented the staff report for both the rezoning and site plan cases. He explained that the applicant is seeking to rezone the property in order to build an apartment complex where there is currently a church. He discussed the criteria for evaluating a rezoning request: consistency with the Future Land Use Map, all utilities being readily available to the site, and access to public streets (Cedar Heights Drive and Greenhill Road via Sager Avenue). The proposed properties would include five 39-unit apartment buildings with many amenities, including a pickleball court, dog run, a clubhouse with a fitness center, and a playground. Mr. Sevy discussed the landscaping plans, noting all requirements are met. He displayed renderings of the proposed dwellings and discussed the materials to be used, as well as the clubhouse and amenities. Staff recommended that the Commission discuss the proposed rezoning and set a public hearing for December 18 to consider rezoning the southeast corner of Cedar Heights Drive and Greenhill Road from R-2 Residence District to MU Mixed Use District. Staff would also recommend the Commission discuss the proposed site plan and gather public comments, then continue the discussion to the December 18th meeting. It was noted that the site plan cannot be approved prior to the approval of the associated rezoning. Steve Kuepers, Kuepers Construction, spoke briefly about the project and made himself available for questions from the Commission and the public. Hartley stated that he liked the layout and the fact that the parking lot and garages were hidden. Stalnaker added that the amenities were nice. Moser asked about traffic in that area, and how far the roundabout is from the project. Mr. Sevy stated that City engineering staff reviewed the traffic study and do not have a concern with the entrance on Cedar Heights Drive. He noted that the traffic study indicated that some improvements to the intersection of Sager Avenue with Greenhill Road will be necessary to account for the additional traffic. Ms. Howard noted that the entrance planned off Cedar Heights is around 450 feet from the roundabout which was determined to be adequate. 1  Hartley made a motion to set a public hearing for December 18, 2024. Moser seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with 7 ayes (Alberhasky, Grybovych, Hartley, Johnson, Moser, Stalnaker and Watkins), and 0 nays. 3.) As there were no further comments, Alberhasky made a motion to adjourn. Stalnaker seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with 7 ayes (Alberhasky, Grybovych, Hartley, Johnson, Moser, Stalnaker and Watkins), and 0 nays. The meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Karen Howard Joanne Goodrich Community Services Manager Administrative Assistant 2