PLATS OF SURVEY TO CREATE PARCELS FOR CITY ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR FUTURE WATER WELLS AND FOR STORY COUNTY CONSERVATION ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR OPEN SPACE
The City of Ames Water and Pollution Control Department (WPC) has been working to acquire property for new water wells south of the City within Story County. The City has also coordinated the acquisition of land with Story County Conservation. The land acquisition requires a Plat of Survey to divide the existing parcels into the configurations desired for acquisition. The Plat of Survey is subject to Ames City Council approval since it is within the City's subdivision regulations that apply within two miles of the City's boundary. The proposed plat of survey is a boundary line adjustment between the five existing parcels to create four new parcels (see Attachment A- Location Map and Attachment B-Plat of Survey).
The subject properties are within a Natural Area designation of the City within the Urban Reserve designation. Adjusting the boundaries of existing parcels in a manner that does not create new developable area is consistent with the policies of the City for areas that are already part of the Urban Reserve in Ames Plan 2040.
The intent by the current owner is to sell the new parcels to the City of Ames and Story County conservation. As a boundary line adjustment, no infrastructure improvements are required. Therefore, no requests for waivers of subdivision standards and accompanying covenants are required to approve these rural Plats of Survey.
The Plat of Survey will create Parcel M (3.42 acres), Parcel N (76.84 acres), Parcel E (34.52 acres) and Parcel D (5.11 acres). Parcels D and M will be owned by the City of Ames for future water wells and and a water transmission main. Parcels E and N will be owned by Story County Conservation.
Approval of this plat of survey will allow the applicant, the City of Ames, to prepare the official plat of survey and submit it to the Planning and Housing Director for review. The Director will sign the plat of survey confirming that it fully conforms to all conditions of approval. The prepared plat of survey may then be signed by the surveyor, who will submit it for recording in the Office of the Story County Recorder. WPC will complete these steps as part of the land purchase process.
- Approve the proposed plat of survey.
- Decline to approve the plat of survey.
- Refer this item back to staff for more information.
The proposed parcel configurations and proposed use as City wells and County open space are consistent with the Ames Plan 2040 policies for rural divisions. With approval of the Plat of Survey, the WPC Staff can continue with the plans to acquire the property. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council approve Alternative No. 1.
City Council may recall this land was part of the discussion on September 23 in relation to a proposed adjacent rural subdivision for CTI to support a concrete facility and potentially a future mining operation. WPC staff has since corresponded with Story County noting the City's concerns about any future mining use on the adjacent land impacting the planned water wells. However, no mining permit application has yet been filed with the County for there to be a formal review and response. The property purchase and the issue of extraction on the adjacent property are separate from this plat of survey approval and will be brought before the City Council at a future meeting.