Davenport staff recommend approval of Palmer campus land‑use amendments, rezonings and right‑of‑way vacations

Planning staff presented a package of Palmer institutional campus amendments and two right‑of‑way vacations at Davenport’s March 3 management update, and reported that the city’s Plan & Zone commission forwarded the proposals to council with a recommendation of approval.

The most consequential elements are a major land‑use amendment that would allow a new main campus entrance off Brady, a new academic building called the Palmer Forum, parking and circulation changes, additional student housing sites and the formal addition of six properties Palmer acquired since its 2021 update. Laura, the city presenter, said the amendment is treated as a major amendment under the institutional campus (IC) rules because it reaches trigger points in the IC district approval process.

Why it matters: the amendments change official campus boundaries and zoning for parcels near Brady, Perry and Persing and include two requests to vacate public right of way (Palmer Drive and a portion of East 10th Street) that support a redesigned entrance, roundabout and consolidated parking to replace spaces that will be removed by the Palmer Forum.

Details and conditions Laura described the Palmer Drive vacation as a 317‑foot segment from Brady to Perry plus roughly 60 feet of alley; staff said the Palmer Drive area totals about 12,689 square feet and an adjacent alley about 1,200 square feet. The East 10th Street request and north–south alley vacations total about 15,225 square feet (about 0.35 acres); 10th Street was described as a narrow 16‑foot pavement that is in poor condition.

Plan & Zone’s findings, as summarized by staff, concluded that the proposals are generally consistent with the future land‑use map and appropriate for the institutional and residential character of the area. Conditional requirements recommended by staff include recorded permanent utility easements and permanent ingress/egress easements to preserve functional circulation and emergency‑vehicle connectivity between Brady and Perry Street. Staff also proposed salvaging historic bricks uncovered during construction for city use.

Council questions and public outreach Alderman Joe asked staff for data on nonconforming C3 uses, and staff said that information may not be available by the next council meeting. Council members asked whether the amendment expands Palmer’s footprint; staff replied the filing mainly formalizes properties Palmer acquired since 2021 and that, aside from a vacant lot slated for green space, structures will remain and “there’s no demolition.”

Staff described standard outreach for institutional campuses (500‑foot notifications and a Quad City Times notice), said a neighborhood meeting was held on Jan. 27 and that Plan & Zone hosted a separate meeting for recognized neighborhood organizations on Dec. 9. Staff reported one public comment in opposition to the Palmer Drive vacation but said the petitioner had addressed concerns in follow‑up (staff noted written opposition had not been submitted to the file at the time of the briefing).

Next steps Staff told council that Chancellor Makiori and members of Palmer’s design team will attend tomorrow’s council meeting to answer questions. Conveyance terms for vacated right of way (including whether the city would seek payment) would be decided by council if vacation and conveyance move forward; staff said the petitioner was asked to submit a written conveyance request for processing.

The management update packet included slides listing the six parcels proposed for rezoning and renderings of the Brady entrance and roundabout; staff noted two of the parcels are on the National Register of Historic Places and that Palmer has invested in their rehabilitation.