Meeting No. 08-05
March 27, 2008
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
A meeting of the City of Bondurant
Planning & Zoning Commission was held in the Community Room at the
Bondurant City Center on March 27, 2008, at 7:00 p.m.
Present: Commission Chair John Bein
Commission Member
Roland Mark
Commission Member
Deborah Baker
Commission Member
Roy McCleary
City Council
Member Michele Bailey
City Administrator
Mark J. Arentsen
Finance Director
Lori Dunham
Absent: Commission
Member Judi Mendenhall
Commission Member
Marvin Skinner
Commission Member
David Higgins
Notice of the meeting was posted at
the Bondurant City Center, Casey’s General Stores, Legacy Bank and the
Bondurant Post Office on March 21, 2008.
All proceedings hereafter shown were taken while the convened meeting
was open to the public.
Commission Chair Bein called the meeting
to order at 7:03 p.m. Roll call was
taken and a quorum was declared. Motion
made by Commission Member Mark, seconded by Commission Member McCleary, to
approve the agenda. Roll call: Ayes: 4. Nays: 0. Motion carried.
Motion made by Commission Member McCleary,
seconded by Commission Member Mark, to approve the Planning and Zoning
Commission Minutes of February 28, 2008.
Roll call: Ayes: 4. Nays: 0. Motion carried.
Mr. Gene
Gabus, representing Mallard Creek Development, and Mr. David Bentz, Bishop
Engineering, 3501 104th Street, Des Moines, Iowa, presented a revised Concept
Plan for Mallard Creek Plat 1, Bondurant, Polk County,
Iowa. The plat, located on the west side
of Mallard Pointe development, was revised to show 50’ lot sizes instead of 40’
lot sizes, which was presented at the February 28th Planning &
Zoning Commission meeting. The developer
is requesting approval to start with 50 to 100 lots. The depth of the lots would be 110’. The homes built on the lots would be 40’ wide
leaving 5’ on each side of the home with 25’ on the front and
back. The valuation of the homes would be around $149,000.
The revised plat
has more green
space and a little more trail shown. The
streets would remain at 31’ and 26’ wide.
Retention basins remain in the northeast and southwest section of the
plat.
Commission
Member Baker questioned why the side lot remained at 5’. She thought that was not favored at the
February 28th Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. Ms. Baker is not in favor of the presented
895 sq. ft. home design, which is just too small. City Administrator Arentsen noted that the
minimum square footage requirement in Planning & Zoning Resolution No.
PZ-08-07 was incorrect. It should state
a minimum of 1,045 sq. ft., instead of 1,500 sq. ft.
Public
comment from Mr. Todd Omundson, 8852 Northeast Morgan Drive, rural Bondurant, thought
it was unfair to the Mallard Pointe residents that are adjacent to Mallard
Creek to have 50’ lots with cheaper homes next to them. Mr. Bentz stated that the size of the lot
does not determine the value of the home.
You can have a 30’ wide lot with a $250,000 home on it.
Public
comment from Ms. Heather Daniels, 1104 14th Street, Southeast, Bondurant, suggested
that changing the Mallard Creek development to a Planned Unit Development
pretty much opened the door to the developer on what they could do. Wolf Creek has been great for Bondurant but
has killed the resale value of all of the existing homes on the market. Bondurant used to have a really good resale
market. Also, the size of the lot does
determine the value of the home. She is
also concerned with the number of lots in the plat and the strain on the sewer
system and the school system. Mr. Bentz agreed, the size of the lot does determine the value of the home
in some places. But like in Clive, the
Council can put a minimum valuation at $200,000 for homes on lot size 30’ x
100’. That is one way to get around
that.
Public
comment from Mr. Brad Pfaltzgraff, 110 Fifth Street, Northeast, Bondurant, noted
that he was disappointed in the lot size next to Mallard Pointe. He thought that Mallard Creek had the
potential of continuing Mallard Pointe type housing. He was disappointed that the City would consider
another lower-end price housing development, making it harder to attract higher
end home building in the future. None of
the green space is located in the first phase.
Mr. Bentz said that the southwest corner of green space could be
developed in phase one and dedicated to the City. Also, the average price of home being sold
has declined. A Des Moines Register
article recently said the average new home valuation was around $160,000 and is
now down at around $145,000. We also
have development approved that we could put twin townhomes on with 80’ lots, 2
units on each lot. He would rather see
this type of development go up than the Triton homes, which are about the same
in price. This is a concept plan only.
City Administrator
Arentsen commented that Mr. Gabus is looking for approval of only 100
lots. The rest of the plat is designed
at 65’ lots. In order for the balance of
the plat to be changed, the developer would have to come back and ask for
approval to change another section. The
City is not approving the concept plan for the whole area, just the 100 lots. The homes required are stick built homes,
1,045 sq. ft. with a two car attached garage and full basement. Mr. Arentsen thinks that is a reasonable
minimum standard for a development.
Mr. Bentz
commented that Mr. Gabus has strict covenants that he does enforce. He is not going to let crazy stuff go on with
people not taking care of their property.
He does not allow campers or boats in the driveways, fence restrictions,
etc. He recognized that the size of the
lot was at issue. In Urbandale, there is
a development that has 45’ lots next to 80’ lots. The valuations of the homes are not
dramatically different. It has been
functioning for 40 years. They can coincide
next to each other.
Commission
Member Baker agreed with that but when you start out with a cheaper home, you
tend to attract those that don’t have the resources or wherewithal to maintain
the property the way we hope they would.
In looking to the future, there is a place for the smaller homes. She thought that 100 lots was
too aggressive. Mr. Bentz said that the
developer would do the dirt work for 100 homes and the utilities and streets
for the first 50.
Public
comment from Mr. Josh Bryant, 502 Mallard Pointe Drive, Northwest, Bondurant,
recommended that the Commission follow the Comprehensive Plan that says that
the City needs to look at higher end housing for the future.
Public
comment from Council Member Michele Bailey, 129 Patterson Street, Southeast,
Bondurant, noted that you cannot compare this plan to Meadow Brook South. Most of the homes in Meadow Brook do not have
basements. There is a huge need for
homes this size. She doesn’t necessarily
think that it means that people will not take care of their houses. If the home is kept up well, there is not a resale
problem.
Motion made
by Commission Member McCleary, seconded by None, to
approve Resolution No. PZ-08-07, a resolution acknowledging receipt of a Revised
Mallard Creek Development Concept Plan, with 50’ lots and a minimum size home
of 1,045 square feet, and Expressing Support for Platting
a portion of the Concept Plan. Motion
failed for lack of a second to the motion.
Public
comment from Randy Meyers, 709 Brick Street, Southeast, Bondurant, questioned
what an individual could do with a 50’ lot.
There is no option for a third stall driveway. Commission Chair Bein said that it was a moot
point, discussion was over, motion has died.
Commission
Member McCleary suggested that the Commission
needs to reconsider what happened tonight and the way we handled the
motion. He would like to see the full
Commission address this. He stated that
there are three strong members that are absent. He would like to make the
motion that we reconsider this resolution when we have all seven members
present. City Administrator Arentsen
said that the Commission Members not present may request to have the issue
revisited. He would check with City
Attorney Brick.
Motion made by Commission Member
McCleary, seconded by Commission Member Mark, to reconsider the revised Mallard
Creek Concept Plan when we have all Commission members present. Roll call:
Baker-Yes, Bein-No, McCleary-Yes, Mark-Yes.
The following items were discussed as
part of Commission Members’ comments:
·
Commission
Member Baker – The Commission needs to stand by rules established.
·
Commission
Member Mark – Wanted update on old Union 76 station debris. Questioned the grandfather clause requested
by Glenn Stoll and allowing horses. The
Commission should have something in writing granting permission for future
occupants of the property the option to have horses. That should eliminate problems in the future.
·
Commission
Member McCleary – The Commission needs to draw a line in the sand as far as
policy so we know what we believe.
The following items were discussed as part of
City Administrator Arentsen’s comments:
·
No
Comment.
The following items were discussed as
part of Commission Chair Bein comments:
·
The
Commission needs to be very careful when we back pedal and change the rules and
regulations, which we spent a lot of time putting together. There were valid arguments on both sides and
I want to see the community grow also. The
economy is tough right now but it is very difficult to go back on the rule
changing. He felt that this is over with
now. Mr. Gabus can come back with a
different proposal and the Commission will consider it.
Motion made by Commission Member McCleary,
seconded by Commission Member Mark, to adjourn the meeting. Roll call:
Ayes: 4. Nays: 0. Motion carried.
Commission Chair Bein declared the meeting adjourned at 8:32 p.m.
____________________________
John Bein
Chair
ATTEST:
______________________________
Lori Dunham
Finance
Director