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Commission backs rezoning of ACT campus parcels to mixed use, staff warns platting and street upgrades required
Summary
The commission unanimously recommended rezoning roughly 48.6 acres owned by ACT to a Mixed Use zone (REZ24-009), allowing potential adaptive reuse of vacant office buildings and a theoretical maximum of 778 dwelling units; staff conditioned approval on platting, street improvements or escrow, and required upgrades before occupancy.
The Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 20 recommended approval of REZ24-009, rezoning about 48.6 acres near 500 ACT Drive from Office Research Park and Interim Development Research Park to Mixed Use. Anne Russett, planning staff, said the site includes two largely vacant office buildings, private streets and multiple unplatted parcels and that the mixed-use zone would allow a mix of residential and nonresidential uses — including the adaptive reuse of existing office buildings into senior housing while retaining some ACT office space.
Russett told the commission the acreage could support up to 778 dwelling units at maximum build-out under mixed-use rules but emphasized the number is an upper-limit calculation. “Based on the acreage of the subject property, it would allow a maximum of 778 dwelling units,” she said. Staff recommended approval subject to four conditions designed to protect public infrastructure: (1) the property must complete the subdivision process (preliminary and final plat) before issuing building permits for new construction or additions; (2) prior to issuance of building permits the owner must either improve private streets to city standards or escrow 110% of the estimated cost of those improvements; (3) necessary street improvements must be completed before issuance of any certificate of occupancy; and (4) at the time of planning the private streets would become public right-of-way and be maintained by the city.
Commissioners pressed staff on timing and triggers for platting, the existing private-street network, the potential for a future traffic signal at ACT Circle and whether sanitary and storm systems could accommodate reuse or new construction. Applicant representative Nick Katz (Shive Hattery) said he had discussed the private streets with the city engineer and that they are currently in “very good shape” based on historic plan sets, though sidewalks are missing and further punch-list work and sanitary-flow studies are underway. Katz said existing detention basins and feasible stormwater management approaches exist and that planned sanitary improvements such as lift-station upgrades are being evaluated.
Commissioners voiced general support for infill and reuse; a motion to recommend the rezoning with the staff conditions passed unanimously, 4-0. Russett said the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council and that a council public hearing is likely to be scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025.
What’s next: any future construction or conversion of the ACT buildings will require the subdivision and permitting steps spelled out in the conditions, further site-level stormwater and sanitary studies, and subsequent review at subdivision and plan-review stages.
