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Commission approves Summit Town Homes but denies waiver to underground utilities
Summary
The Des Moines Planning & Zoning Commission approved five of six requested design alternatives for the 32–34‑unit Summit Town Homes at 16 Indianola Road, but denied the applicant’s request to waive the requirement to underground utilities after staff cited a Mid‑American Energy estimate of $75,000–$100,000.
The Des Moines Planning & Zoning Commission on June 18 approved a site plan for Summit Town Homes at 16 Indianola Road while denying the applicant’s request to waive the city’s underground‑utility requirement.
Planning staff presented the 32–34‑unit townhouse project and its six design‑alternative requests, recommending denial of only the undergrounding waiver and approval of the remaining five alternatives. Staff said a Mid‑American Energy estimate placed the cost to underground utilities at about $75,000–$100,000, and noted the full project cost is roughly $8 million; staff concluded the undergrounding expense was reasonable relative to the overall project cost and urged the commission to keep the requirement.
The applicant, Adam Sirin, owner of Premier Construction, asked the commission for relief from the undergrounding requirement, saying topography and site constraints have driven substantial foundation and excavation costs and “$100,000 is real money” for the project. Sirin said the project team explored incentives and tax abatement to reduce costs but that undergrounding remained an acute expense.
Resident Carol Maher, speaking in favor of housing generally, urged the commission to require underground utilities for safety and resiliency and also raised pedestrian‑safety questions about the number of curb cuts and guest bike parking. Commissioners asked detailed questions about whether nearby developments had buried utilities, whether the Mid‑American quote covered transformers and secondary lines, and whether sidewalk and driveway designs could be revised. Staff clarified the Mid‑American estimate covered the on‑site undergrounding work and that an overhead feed to St. Anthony’s would remain across Indianola Road.
Commissioner Sher moved to adopt staff recommendations (deny the undergrounding waiver; approve the five other design alternatives). Commissioners expressed support for the applicant’s work on a challenging hillside site but ultimately sided with staff on the undergrounding requirement. The motion passed by voice vote with the remote commissioner voting in favor.
The commission’s decision on this site plan stands per commission procedure; the outcome reflects the commission’s careful weighing of project feasibility against the city’s undergrounding policy.
