Board approves 50% parking reduction for Evans Scholars renovation at 729 N. Dubuque St.; neighbors voice parking and noise concerns

The Iowa City Board of Adjustment on July 9 approved a special exception to reduce on‑site parking at 729 North Dubuque Street from 34 spaces to 17, allowing the Evans Scholars Foundation to renovate a 1923 fraternity house and operate a fraternal group living use with up to 46 rooming units.

Anne Russett of Neighborhood and Development Services told the board the property, known historically as the Phi Delta Theta house, is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and is sited along the Iowa River. Russett said the building was vacant and that, under current multifamily parking rules, accommodating 46 rooming units would require 34 on‑site spaces. The applicant requested a 50% reduction to preserve the building’s historic riverfront character and avoid significant grading or construction behind the house that would affect the riverbank and sensitive areas.

John Beasley, representing Evans Scholars Foundation, described the nonprofit’s mission and track record. Beasley said Evans Scholars is a national nonprofit that “provide[s] scholarships, tuition, room and board to young individuals who otherwise might not have the opportunity to attend college,” and he noted the program’s multi‑decade history and graduation outcomes. Mike VanderMeer, the foundation’s facilities lead, said most Evans Scholars do not bring cars and that assigned parking would be limited to a small number of vehicles; he said the foundation would require assigned parking and could arrange off‑site paid parking if required.

Civil engineer Mike Welch told the board the site is steeply sloped — roughly 672 feet at the east portion and 644 feet at the river edge — and that engineers could not find feasible space to add the additional parking without substantially altering the site. Welch also said aerial photos and on‑the‑ground conditions show the current lot configuration is the practical maximum for parking on the parcel.

Neighbors and other members of the public spoke in opposition, citing existing neighborhood parking congestion, deliveries that block Dubuque Street, and late‑night noise tied to nearby student housing. Josie Singerman and Robin Christiansen described chronic parking and disturbance problems in the Northside neighborhood and urged the board to require the applicant to provide the full code‑required parking. Kim Miller, a nearby resident, said additional occupants would exacerbate deliveries and noise impacts for residents and local businesses.

Evans representatives said the foundation operates substance‑free houses with graduate resident advisers and a staffed help desk, and that the group enforces internal rules; VanderMeer said, “Only certain students are permitted to park a vehicle on our site,” and that excess car demand has been handled at other chapters by renting spaces off site.

After discussion the board voted to approve the 50% reduction (application EXC25‑0004). The motion to approve was moved and seconded (mover/second not specified in the public record). Vote recorded: Baker — yes; Carlson — abstain; Russo/Swaggart — yes; Tallman — yes. The motion carried with three votes in favor and one abstention.

Why it matters: The approval lets a national scholarship nonprofit reuse a long‑standing fraternity house for student scholarship housing while avoiding riverbank‑adjacent construction that staff said would damage the site’s historic and stream‑corridor attributes. Neighbors remain concerned about parking spillover, delivery vehicles on Dubuque Street, and late‑night noise.

Details and next steps: Staff recommended approval with findings that the site’s historic status and steep grade make the additional parking infeasible without substantially altering the property. The property owner and Evans Scholars reported the purchase agreement is conditioned on the parking reduction. If the board’s findings are filed, the decision is appealable to a court of record within 30 days.