Commission approves design exception for 3850 Dixon warehouse facades

The Des Moines Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 4 approved a type 2 design alternative for a proposed 30,000‑square‑foot warehouse at 3850 Dixon Street that lets the applicant use predominantly metal wall panels on street‑facing and side facades instead of the higher percentage of brick, stone or concrete staff had recommended. The commission’s vote followed staff presentations, a rebuttal from the applicant’s designer and a wide-ranging commissioner discussion about durability and neighborhood context.

The matter mattered because the zoning code requires “major materials” such as brick, stone or concrete to make up a minimum percentage of street‑facing facades; staff said the applicant’s original submittal proposed about 80% metal on the primary façade and therefore failed to meet the code’s material standards. Jillian Summer, planning staff, said the…