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Ames, Gilbert, Boone County, and Story County develop urban fringe plan
The Draft of the Ames Urban Fringe Plan is now available to download by
clicking here.
Iowa law delegates authority to county governments to regulate land
uses outside city boundaries. The Code of Iowa also enables cities to
exercise control over subdivision of land outside, but within two miles
of, these corporate boundaries. Generally, communities plan for the
future of the lands located within their incorporated limits, extending
only limited distances beyond these established boundaries. With many
overlapping jurisdictions governing land uses and subdivision approval
in such areas, clear and consistent plans and standards need to be
developed in order to successfully manage growth and development.
Beginning in 2000, the cities of Ames and Gilbert, working
cooperatively with Boone County and Story County, began to review the
regulations and policies within two miles of the official boundary of
the City of Ames. This area - commonly referred to as the "Ames Urban
Fringe" - is located mostly within western Story County and partially
within the eastern part of Boone County, overlapping areas within two
miles of the city boundaries of Gilbert and Kelley.
At the direction of the Boards of Supervisors for Boone and Story
County and the City Councils of Gilbert and Ames, planning staffs
prepared the Draft Ames Urban Fringe Plan. This Draft Plan is intended
to serve as the blueprint for cooperation among the various governmental
entities, providing a road map to an agreed future. Cooperation will
help each entity manage its resources more efficiently and effectively.
Coordination will provide more guidance to private property owners
regarding applicable plans and policies.
Copies of the Draft Urban Fringe Plan prepared by the City of Ames,
City of Gilbert, Boone County and Story County is available on-line
(please note that this is a large document that may take some time to
download) or may be reviewed in person at any of the following
locations:
Ames City Hall (Planning and Housing Department), Ames Public
Library, Boone County Courthouse (Planning and Development Department),
Gilbert City Hall, Story County Administration Building (Planning and
Zoning Department), and the Boone Public Library
Written comments may be delivered, by September 30,
2004, to the following address: Story County Planning and Zoning Fringe
Area Comments, 900 6th Street Nevada, Iowa 50201 OR
planningandzoning@storycounty.com.
Dr. Tammy Kersting of the Companion Animal Clinic
seeking to relocate
Plans are going forward to allow Dr. Tammy Kersting of the Companion
Animal Clinic to build a new clinic the northeast part of town. The area
is designated to be residential in the comprehensive plan that was
approved in December 2003.
Council Hearings
The council held a hearing at its meeting on September 20 to hear public input
on the proposed change, and is required to hold two more hearings. It
has scheduled the second hearing for 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 30,
and the third one to be held at a regular council meeting at 7:00 pm on
Monday, October 4. Although the city is supposed to hold three
public hearings on changes in the code, the council could waive the
third hearing. So it is important for concerned citizens
to show up and speak out at the September 30 meeting.
Also, after each hearing, the council is required to hold a vote on
the proposed change to the code. If a majority of the council says "no"
during any one of the votes, the proposal is dead in the water.
Iowa
Code regarding hearings To Find Out More about the
Meeting
We did not attend the meeting. Persons who are interested in knowing
more about the hearing could contact the mayor, council members, clerk,
or visitors who were at the meeting. Interested persons can also go to
city hall and ask to listen to the audio cassette recording of the
meeting to hear the content and nuances of the discussion. Skirting
the Core Issue
One of our big concerns is that we have heard of no conversation by the
council about the core issue regarding the proposed site for the new
clinic. That issue has to do with the wisdom (or lack thereof) of
putting a commercial enterprise next to currently existing residences
and smack dab in the middle of an area that the comprehensive plan
designates to be residential. Instead, the main consideration by the
council has been, "How can we help Tammy?" And that has been followed by
a focus on getting the rules changed so she can build in the residential
area rather than the council starting the discussion at the ground level
and exploring the core issue.
Click here
for commentary that Gazette editor, Helen Gunderson, wrote before the matter was discussed at the
August 18 planning and zoning meeting and the commission approved a
change in the zoning rules.
Click
here for a report on the meeting.
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