By Marion Yoshino, Des Moines Economic Development Manager

A tremendous community-wide effort came to fruition on June 30th when the Des Moines City Council voted to enact zoning changes in the downtown "Marina District," that removed recognized hindrances to growth while creating flexibility and incentives to encourage healthy expansion and investment in the business district.

A draft proposal based upon ideas from many groups, stakeholder meetings, staff and individuals had included a hotly debated option to increase building heights from the current 35-foot maximum to a possible 65 or 75 feet in specified areas. In the final version, buildings on a portion of 7th Avenue South can rise to 45 feet, between S. 222nd St and S. 226th St. In addition three buildings can rise to 55 feet (approximately five stories), if the builder provides public benefit features such as public art, a rooftop garden, or other civic, design or streetscape contributions beyond the developer improvements that are required.

"I want to thank the City Council," said Mayor Bob Sheckler, "for the last year and a half they have worked extremely hard - the most effort I have seen in my 16 years, bar none." The Council sought input from many sources. In addition to regular meetings, two open houses and a public hearing were held to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the changes, and a citizen stakeholder group was formed to solicit input from the various neighborhoods in Des Moines. Impact on views was thoroughly reviewed using panoramic photographs and topography studies, to determine how much the slope of the downtown would compensate for changes in building height.

The ordinance includes considerations that balance building height, bulk, and scale, and requires modulation and setbacks to protect view corridors. "The strong intention of the Council is to preserve and enhance the charm, character and uniqueness of our downtown - restaurants, waterfront, Marina, historic Beach Park and splendid mountain views," said Councilmember Carmen Scott. "To actively improve and market these assets in order to capture a larger share of the traveler and tourist dollars being spent nearby or in other well-known waterfront communities, and to revitalize the downtown so that it becomes more convenient to do our shopping close to home."

One unique change was provisions included to allow more "head-in angle parking" on Marine View Dr., Des Moines' main thoroughfare, which will greatly expand available street parking. "I am proud of the careful attention that the City Council and staff has paid to citizen input. This has been a thoughtful process and many interests have been considered and incorporated in the final result," said City Manager Tony Piasecki.

In recent years the City has made a series of changes to encourage development, such as streamlining the City's sign code to create a simpler and user-friendly format, and expanding the types of signs allowed in the commercial zones. A 10% discount on permits for buildings over 25,000 square feet, and a 20% discount on buildings over 50,000 square feet, is now in place to attract large scale construction. In addition environmental impact analyses have been completed to expedite projects.

New design guidelines have replaced confusing and outdated policies with clear concise parameters for the Marina District. Development agreements are now being used as a mechanism for the City and developers to address phasing, vesting, and possible uncertainty of cost and improvements in the development review process.

The City has developed check lists and standardized drawings to assist permit applicants, and encourages free pre-application meetings for any project. Every day between 9 and 11am, Building, Planning and Public Works Department staff are available for unscheduled walk-in consultations or permit submissions, and will schedule meetings at any other time, including after hours and on weekends if necessary, to accommodate applicants. Next day inspections are offered within a 30-minute appointment window.

The many recent improvements demonstrate the Council's vision for the Marina District, as summarized in "Purpose of the Zone" section of the new ordinance "to provide a downtown that reflects its waterfront location, and ensure development that is consistent with the goals, policies, and implementation strategies of the City."