Council continues rezoning hearing for 5702 Grand Ave., directs staff to draft conditions including 8-unit limit

Des Moines City Council members voted unanimously on Jan. 27 to continue the public hearing on a rezoning request for 5702 Grand Ave., and directed the city manager, legal staff and development services to prepare legislation and conditions for approval. The action followed an extended public hearing in which neighbors, planners and the applicant debated tree removal, neighborhood character, stormwater and parking.

The applicant, Adam Seeran of Faithful Moments LLC, told the council he reduced the proposed project from an original 15 units to nine units presented at the Plan and Zoning Commission and then to an eight-unit design after additional neighborhood meetings and design changes. “We lowered the density down to 9 units,” Seeran said, and later, “after more consideration and thought, I’ve reduced the project down to 8 units.”

The council’s continuation instructs staff to return Feb. 10 with recommended conditions and legislation. Cody Christiansen, director of Development Services, told the council that staff’s likely approach would be to rezone the property with use limitations consistent with N3C zoning and to allow up to eight units, with the design to be approved by the Planning and Urban Design Administrator. “The proposal…is to rezone, but limit the uses to what’s allowed in the N3C zoning, with the exception of…up to 8 units,” Christiansen said.

Why it matters: The parcel sits on Grand Avenue, a four‑lane corridor designated in Plan DSM for selected corridor density. Neighbors argued the parcel is a stable single‑family area that should not be spot‑rezoned, while supporters and the applicant argued the infill would provide housing stock and clean up a blighted building. The council’s action keeps the public hearing open while staff and the applicant work to reconcile design, stormwater and tree mitigation details.

Key details and council direction - Unit cap: Council members asked that any return include a firm cap of eight dwelling units (applicant proposed that reduction during the hearing). - Design and uses: Staff indicated recommended conditions would restrict uses to those allowed in N3C zoning and require buildings to meet code/design approvals by the Planning and Urban Design Administrator. - Stormwater: Council requested a staff briefing on how the project’s stormwater detention meets city code and serves the neighborhood; public works staff previously said compliance with the stormwater ordinance is expected to improve drainage overall. - Trees and mitigation: The applicant presented an arborist report identifying 11 oak trees onsite, with five to be removed and six retained; staff said tree mitigation rules require planting 39 replacement trees based on caliper requirements for the trees proposed for removal. - Parking and buffering: Councilmembers asked that the revised plan include additional guest parking and buffer/green space shown in the applicant’s most recent drawings. - Next hearing: Feb. 10, 2025 (public hearing remains open). Staff will prepare specific ordinance language and conditions for council consideration.

Public comment highlights - Neighbors and resident groups: More than a dozen neighbors and neighborhood organizations spoke in opposition, citing character and scale, tree canopy loss, grading and fill (one speaker called the proposed grading a “12-foot hill” above natural grade), increased traffic and parking on narrow neighborhood streets, and potential for conversion to short‑term rentals under NX2-type zoning. Speakers referenced Plan DSM and the 2019 zoning update as reasons to preserve single‑family character. - Petition and turnout: Speakers said the neighborhood circulated a petition with roughly 650–655 signatures opposing rezoning; the Westwood Neighborhood Association reported a vote of about 70 residents at a meeting opposed to the change. - Support for infill: Other residents and one council member said the parcel’s corridor location and proximity to transit make it a reasonable site for additional housing and that reduced unit counts and design changes represented meaningful compromise.

What remains unresolved - Specific ordinance language and the exact list of conditions (beyond the eight‑unit cap) will be drafted by staff and the city attorney and returned to council on Feb. 10 for final consideration. The public hearing remains open.

Ending: The council’s Jan. 27 vote kept the hearing open and set a path for staff to formalize the conditions the council discussed, including an eight‑unit cap, stormwater engineering details, parking provisions and tree mitigation. Final action will occur at a subsequent meeting after the conditions and revised plans are submitted and publicly posted.