City Council to Meet on March 8, 2022

Included in each City Council information packet is a memo from the City Administrator offering a summary and context of items appearing on the agenda. We will begin publishing these memos here in our news feed to make them more accessible. You can sign up to be notified of news items, agendas and more by email.

This meeting will be held in person and may be accessed live by the public in person or on the internet. 

This meeting may be accessed live by the public in person or on the internet at at northlibertyiowa.org/live, on Facebook at facebook.com/northliberty or on YouTube at youtube.com/ northliberty. Meetings are rebroadcast on cable and available on-demand on northlibertyiowa.org/meetings.

Meeting Note

Tuesday’s meeting will be held in person as well as live streamed at Watch Meetings Live.

Consent Agenda

The following items are on the consent agenda and included in the packet:

• City Council Minutes (02/22/2022)
• Claims
• Liquor License Renewals
  • Quail Creek Golf Course
  • Blue Bird Café

Stiltner Site Plan Amendment

This industrial site plan proposes a 9,000 square foot standalone building at 340 Herky St. The metal building will match the existing Stiltner Electric building and will contain the required amount of masonry. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the site plan at its February 1, 2022 meeting. A storm water maintenance agreement is also required by City Code. Staff also recommends approval of both the site plan and the agreement.

FY23 Budget

The agenda includes a second and final public hearing and resolution approving the FY23   budget and the Capital Improvements Plan. The proposed budget has a tax rate of $11.32. Full details of the FY23 budget can be found in the final budget documents (the budget model and CIP), which are included in the packet. Staff recommends approval of the resolution and FY23 budget.

Solomon Holdings, LLC Rezoning

Solomon Holdings, LLC is requesting a zoning map amendment to two residential districts and one commercial district on 71.48 acres, situated north of Penn Street, south of 240^th Street, and west of future North Jones Boulevard.

The rezoning will allow development of a variety of housing types and unspecified commercial uses:

• The RS-9 Single-Unit Dwelling District was created in 2017 to allow smaller lots. 50’ wide lots would be toward the north end of the property and 60’ wide lots would be more toward the interior. If approved, this would be the first RS-9 zoned subdivision in the City.
• The RM-21 Multiple-Unit Dwelling District portion would facilitate a higher-end apartment development with amenities such a clubhouse with a pool, walking trails and a pier. The concept plan depicts 420 units in nine buildings, so this would be a large development that would take several years to build out. Staff is requiring a traffic study to analyze the traffic distribution and to ensure there are no traffic safety concerns.
• The W. Penn Street frontage would contain four C-2-A zoned lots. There would be a public street between the commercial and multi-family development, which would allow access for both developments.

Construction of the roadway, multi-use trail and utilities is anticipated to begin in the spring. The applicant is working on the design of the preliminary subdivision plat for the overall development and preliminary site plan for the multi-family development. Recently approved Zoning Code amendments regarding submission requirements for preliminary site plans has facilitated an “entire property approach” to the design because fully engineered construction plans are not required at this stage of the process.

From a land use perspective, it is staff’s opinion that this is an ideal location for a high-intensity development as the only residentially-zoned properties are to the north, across 240^th Street. Considering there is a need for park space in the northwest portion of the City, staff has begun a dialogue with the property owner regarding the acquisition of park space east of future N. Jones Blvd. Approximately 15 people attended the January 27, 2022 good neighbor meeting. Neighbors in attendance had general questions regarding the style of development. One attendee expressed concern over conflict points with the multi-use trail and the accesses into the development. Staff notes that no lot would have direct access to N. Jones Boulevard.

Staff and the Planning Commission are recommending approval subject to the preliminary plat and preliminary site plan being approved at the third and final reading of the rezoning. Again, the plan submittal requirements are lessened and this would help ensure the development is consistent with what has been presented. It is anticipated that the Planning Commission would consider the preliminary plat and preliminary site plan at the April 5, 2022 meeting.

Smoke Free Places Ordinance Amendment

Johnson County Public Health recommended an amendment of the Smoke-free Air Act to the Park Board on January 6.  The Park Board has in turn recommended the Council adopt an amendment to the City Code designating City parks and trails as tobacco and nicotine-free places. Council is asked to consider a first reading of the amendment.

Vintage Estates PAD Amendment

Vintage Estates of North Liberty is requesting an amendment to a previously approved RS-4 PAD Single-Unit Residence Planned Area Development – west side of S. Jones Boulevard west of the western terminus of Cory Court – to reduce the rear yard setback from 30’ to 25’ adjacent to the north and west property lines. The applicant indicated that the request is to allow a couple of the units to have slightly larger units and/or patios. The rest of the development would remain as previously approved. Considering the style of the development (age-restricted, no individual lots) a rear yard setback reduction would not be a significant impact.  A good neighbor meeting was held on January 24, 2022.  A few residents attended to better understand the purpose of the request. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the request at its February 1 meeting. Staff recommends approval as well.

The applicant has request that the third and final reading be waived so construction of the units may begin a little earlier. Staff has no objection to this request and there is very little change to the overall development.