Ames council approves rezoning for 113 North Dakota over neighborhood objections about trees and runoff

Ames City Council on Tuesday approved rezoning, a major site development plan and preliminary plat for 113 North Dakota Avenue, allowing a 16‑unit townhome project after the applicant reduced an earlier proposal from 20 units.

The proposal drew sustained public comment from residents of the adjacent West Bend neighborhood, who said the development would remove old‑growth oak trees that form a wooded ravine behind their homes and could increase stormwater runoff onto Munn Woods and Clear Creek. Dozens of residents attended the hearing; several described wildlife, longstanding canopy and the neighborhood’s visual character as reasons to oppose the plan.

The council’s approval follows changes the applicant made after a Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation to deny the project. Planning staff and the applicant removed the four northernmost units, increasing open space by roughly a quarter‑acre and preserving an additional 12 trees, the planner said. Staff also reported the smallest street setback on the plan would be roughly 6 to 7 feet at the…