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Council advances rezoning and master plan for West Ames church campus; asks for finalized traffic study before final approval
Summary
The council held a public hearing and approved the master plan and rezoning for an ~18.6-acre site in West Ames proposed for a church campus and open space, while directing staff to require a finalized traffic impact analysis for a phased-access plan before final zoning agreement approval.
City staff and the applicant presented a master-plan rezoning application Feb. 25 for two outlots in West Ames (Sunset Ridge Twelfth Addition) totaling about 18.6 acres. The applicant proposes a church campus phased over time with roughly 3.5 acres of open space (stormwater and habitat preservation) and the remainder developed for church facilities. Staff recommended approval of the rezoning and master plan.
The master plan shows three potential vehicle access points: a primary frontage-road connection on the site's east edge, and two Lincoln Way access points (one at the corner frontage and one mid-block) plus a possible Durant Street connection. City traffic and public-works reviewers said the traffic-impact analysis used the fully built-out site assumptions and recommended the two Lincoln Way access points to reduce internal cut-through on residential streets; staff noted that phasing could change the traffic distribution and asked for a refined traffic study if the first phase will open with fewer access points.
Neighbors and nearby property owners were allowed to speak; one resident requested additional environmental review and preservation of wooded and grassland habitat, and the applicant said wetlands were mapped and that the retained open-space area corresponds to wetlands and stormwater detention. The applicant's engineer described phasing plans and said the first phase would focus development in the southwest quadrant with an initial western Lincoln Way entrance and a Durant connection; future phases would build the east-side parking and frontage-road connection.
After hearing staff and public comment, the council advanced the rezoning and master plan on a motion but added an explicit instruction: staff and the applicant must supply a finalized traffic-impact analysis addressing a single-entrance first phase (if proposed) or otherwise demonstrate adequate mitigation before final (third-reading) approval of the zoning agreement.
Ending: Council approved first-reading action to move the rezoning forward with the condition that the refined traffic analysis be provided prior to final approval; staff will continue review of site-plan details and any required special-use application for the religious institution use.
