The Ames City Council voted to rezone roughly 21 acres at 3220 Cameron School Road on Aug. 26, approving a plan that would allow about 6.79 acres of commercial General Services (CGS) zoning and 14.23 acres of FSRM residential zoning separated by a future street extension. The developer, Friedrich Land Development Company, and Dover Companies, which plans a Cedarhurst assisted-living and memory-care community, presented the proposal.

The rezoning clears the way for a convenience store and small commercial uses at the site’s north end and a senior-living community and townhome-style residential development to the south. The master plan submitted to the council includes requirements for building orientation, driveway access, landscaping buffers and a density cap tied to existing sanitary sewer capacity.

City planning staff said the parcel was included in the city’s Ames 2040 growth plan and that sewer capacity limits—carried over from earlier annexation approvals for the Bluffs at Dankbar Farms—already cap the site’s unit and commercial allocations. Planning staff and the applicant said the rezoning does not require new sewer capacity; any intensification beyond the established cap would need additional infrastructure and separate approvals.

Patrick Anton of Dover Companies and Kurt Friedrich of Friedrich Companies described the proposed senior community as an 87-unit assisted-living and memory-care facility, Cedarhurst of Ames, and said they expect to seek building permits and aim to break ground in 2026 with construction completing in 2027. The developer estimated roughly $31 million in total project cost, about 50 ongoing jobs and an 18–24 month construction period.

The city’s fire chief told council that assisted-living and memory-care occupancies account for near 10% of the department’s total call volume and about 20% of medical calls. The department projects a decline in its 85/5 response-performance measure as the city grows and said construction of a fourth fire station in the northern part of Ames would mitigate response-time impacts. Council members asked staff to continue discussions with the applicant about possible locations for a north-area fire station, and the applicant said it is exploring offering land in a separate nearby development for that purpose.

Council approved the rezoning after public hearing and a roll-call vote. Several councilors praised the project as meeting an identified local need for senior housing and noted the “churn” effect—where new senior housing makes existing housing stock available for other households.

The rezoning approval does not eliminate further reviews: the assisted-living use will require a special-use permit and site-specific review by the Zoning Board of Adjustment, where details such as internal traffic circulation, final orientation and site-level mitigation measures will be considered.

If the developer proceeds on the current timeline, the company said residents’ move-in and full operations are likely in 2028–2029 after permitting, construction and staffing.