Planning commission recommends rezoning to allow 16-unit elder apartments and rehab center in Cardinal Heights area

The Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 20 recommended approval of REZ24-0008, a request to amend an approved planned development overlay and convert five single-family lots on Camille Court into a 16-unit elder apartment building with a ground-floor rehab and wellness facility for residents of the overall development.

Rachel Schaffer, associate planner, told the commission the site is about 31.2 acres east of Camp Cardinal Road and north of Gathering Place Lane and was previously rezoned in February 2023 with a preliminary OPD plan and a final plat approved in January 2024. She said the applicant’s amendment would change a small cul-de-sac area from five single-family homes to a 16-unit elder apartment building and that the proposed change cannot be approved administratively, which is why the rezoning was before the commission. “The applicant is proposing to change the approved OPD plan to convert the Camille Court area from 5 single family homes to a 16 unit elder apartment building, with a rehab and wellness facility for residents of the development on the ground floor,” Schaffer said.

Staff said the revised plan would increase the overall unit count for the development from 101 to 105 units and that the proposed density—about 3.9 dwelling units per acre—remains below the RS-8 zone limit. Schaffer said parking for the proposed building is being calculated under the city’s elder-apartment requirements and that those units must be occupied by tenants 55 or older. The applicant asked for a waiver to raise the maximum multifamily building height from 35 to 45 feet to accommodate rooftop open space; staff said the additional height was proposed to provide usable open space on the roof and to address topography.

Schaffer recommended maintaining two previously approved conditions—(1) that the property owner contribute 50% of the cost of improving Camp Cardinal Road to Deer Creek Road and (2) that the owner maintain on-street angled parking, including snow removal—and adding a condition that a replat showing removal of Camille Court be submitted and approved prior to any building permits.

Commissioners questioned whether the shorter, street-facing rehab building could be limited to a lower height to preserve a transition to neighboring single-family homes. Mike Balch and Steve Long, the applicant representatives, confirmed the two-floor memory-care/assisted-living building would contain memory care and assisted-living uses (no independent living) and said underground parking is planned to meet requirements. One commissioner moved approval with staff’s recommendations and an additional condition requiring the shorter, street-facing rehab building to be limited to 35 feet for the first 90 feet from the road; another commissioner seconded. After brief discussion about context and step-backs, the commission approved the motion by a unanimous voice vote, 4-0.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council, which is expected to set a public hearing for Jan. 7, 2025, and to consider the matter in subsequent readings.