City Council to Meet on March 22, 2022

Included in each City Council information packet is a memo from the City Administrator offering a summary and context of items appearing on the agenda. We will begin publishing these memos here in our news feed to make them more accessible. You can sign up to be notified of news items, agendas and more by email.

This meeting will be held in person and may be accessed live by the public in person or on the internet. 

This meeting may be accessed live by the public in person or on the internet at at northlibertyiowa.org/live, on Facebook at facebook.com/northliberty or on YouTube at youtube.com/ northliberty. Meetings are rebroadcast on cable and available on-demand on northlibertyiowa.org/meetings.

Meeting Note

Tuesday’s meeting will be held in person as well as live streamed at Watch Meetings Live.

Consent Agenda

The following items are on the consent agenda and included in the packet:

• City Council Minutes (03/08/22)
• Claims
• Pay Application #5 and Project Acceptance, Ranshaw House Project, Wolfe Contracting, Inc., $32,767.53
• Change Order 3, SW Growth Area Water & Sanitary Sewer Extensions, Boomerang Corporation, ($200,965.79)
• Pay Application 13 and Project Acceptance, SW Growth Area Water & Sanitary Sewer Extensions, Boomerang Corporation, $107,107.06

Inclusive Economic Development Plan in Johnson County

Asmita Poudel with Astig Planning will be at Tuesday’s meeting to talk about an inclusive economic development plan that is being worked on in collaboration with ICAD, the Business Partnership and Green State Credit Union. Included in the packet is the slide deck that will be presented Tuesday.

Matnic Rezoning

Matnic, LLC – located at the northeast corner of North Front Street and Jaro Way – is requesting a rezoning from RS-3 Single-Unit Residence District to RM-21 Multi-Unit Residence District. The applicant has indicated that the rezoning is to facilitate redevelopment of the property with two 12-unit multi-family buildings and a detached garage. There is RM-21 zoning to the north and west and RM-8 to the east and south. The RM-8 was recently approved by the City Council for the property to the east and south. The RM-8 zoned development contains 20 units on 4.10 acres. The applicant is part owner of this development and is not able to combine this and subject property due to the ownership structure. However, when analyzed from a density perspective, the density of the two developments would be 44 units on 5.58 acres or 7.89 units to the acre. There have been some concerns expressed of the demolition of the existing residence. This property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Even if it were, the property owner would be entitled under Federal and City regulations to demolish the building. Staff has received one objection from the property owner located at 110 Jefferson Lane. The property owner expressed that he would like for the property to developed with single-unit residences. A good neighbor meeting was held on February 10, 2022. Two people attended the meeting and had general questions about the proposed development. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the request at 3/1/2022 meeting. Staff recommends approval as well.

Scanlon & Penn Township Annexation

Scanlon Family, LLC and Penn Township Annexation – located at the southeast corner of North Liberty Road and Oak Lane NE – is seeking voluntary annexation of 23.3 acres of property. Staff has been working with the Scanlon Family on a concept for development, which will include vehicular access to the Alt Wein Cemetery. City water service is immediately available and sanitary sewer service is being designed to be extended to the east side of North Liberty Road. All other typical city services will be provided upon annexation, including street maintenance (already managed by the City), police, fire, refuse pickup, building inspections and enforcement, and others. Notably, Oak Lane NE will remain a private, county roadway. Due to topography, up to three lots will have Oak Lane NE as its primary access. Staff is requiring that these three lots share in the maintenance costs of the roadway. All required notifications have been made and no objections to the annexation have been received. Staff is recommending approval of the annexation.

Alliant Electric Service Agreement

Staff has been working with Alliant Energy to explore ways to reduce energy costs at the new police station. While it was anticipated that electric costs would be higher in the much larger facility, the monthly electric costs average $5,800. The proposed agreement with Alliant would modify our General Service tariff to the Large General Service tariff, saving approximately $20k annually. If approved, the agreement and billing will be retroactive, effective from October 2021. Staff recommends approval of the agreement.

Community Center Roof Replacement Project

The agenda includes a public hearing for the plans and specification for the community center roof replacement project, followed by a resolution approving the plans and specifications. Staff recommends approval of the resolution. Bids for this project are due by April 7 and a recommendation for award of a contract is anticipated to be on the April 26 Council agenda.

The Preserve, Part 1 Escrow Agreement

Watts Group Development has requested a release from the sidewalk and erosion control requirements of the Developer’s Agreement for Lot 1 of the Preserve Part 1, to allow condominium units on that lot to be sold free of title objections. They have placed money in escrow with the City to ensure that the sidewalk and sod will be timely installed. Staff recommends approval of the agreement.

SW Growth Utilities Project

During the Southwest Growth Area Utility Project, a City contractor damaged a fence on property owned by Jim and Beverly Seelman. Staff has negotiated an agreement with the Seelmans for the replacement of the fence. The balance of the settlement payment is being set off from the final payment to the City’s contractor. Staff recommends approval of the agreement.

Commercial Drive Extension

Staff has reached an agreement with the William Simmons Estate in the amount of $157,800 to secure the purchase of the necessary real estate for the Commercial Drive Extension Project, which will extend Commercial Drive to West Zeller Street. If approved, the previously scheduled condemnation hearing will be canceled. Staff recommends approval of the purchase.

Solomon Holdings, LLC, Easement Acquisitions and Rezoning, Second Reading

The agenda includes permanent easements for storm sewer, drainage and underground utilities, and an acquisition, all necessary for the North Jones Boulevard extension project. Staff recommends approval of the easements and acquisition.

Solomon Holdings, LLC is requesting a zoning map amendment to two residential districts and one commercial district on 71.48 acres, situated north of Penn Street, south of 240^th Street, and west of future North Jones Boulevard.

The rezoning will allow development of a variety of housing types and unspecified commercial uses:

• The RS-9 Single-Unit Dwelling District was created in 2017 to allow smaller lots. 50’ wide lots would be toward the north end of the property and 60’ wide lots would be more toward the interior. If approved, this would be the first RS-9 zoned subdivision in the City.
• The RM-21 Multiple-Unit Dwelling District portion would facilitate a higher-end apartment development with amenities such as a clubhouse with a pool, walking trails and a pier. The concept plan depicts 420 units in nine buildings, so this would be a large development that would take several years to build out. Staff is requiring a traffic study to analyze the traffic distribution and to ensure there are no traffic safety concerns.
• The W. Penn Street frontage would contain four C-2-A zoned lots. There would be a public street between the commercial and multi-family development, which would allow access for both developments.

Construction of the roadway, multi-use trail and utilities is anticipated to begin in the spring. The applicant is working on the design of the preliminary subdivision plat for the overall development and preliminary site plan for the multi-family development. Recently approved Zoning Code amendments regarding submission requirements for preliminary site plans has facilitated an “entire property approach” to the design because fully engineered construction plans are not required at this stage of the process.

From a land use perspective, it is staff’s opinion that this is an ideal location for a high-intensity development as the only residentially-zoned properties are to the north, across 240^th Street. Considering there is a need for park space in the northwest portion of the City, staff has begun a dialogue with the property owner regarding the acquisition of park space east of future N. Jones Blvd. Approximately 15 people attended the January 27, 2022 good neighbor meeting. Neighbors in attendance had general questions regarding the style of development. One attendee expressed concern over conflict points with the multi-use trail and the accesses into the development. Staff notes that no lot would have direct access to N. Jones Boulevard.

Staff and the Planning Commission are recommending approval subject to the preliminary plat and preliminary site plan being approved at the third and final reading of the rezoning. Again, the plan submittal requirements are lessened, and this would help ensure the development is consistent with what has been presented. It is anticipated that the Planning Commission would consider the preliminary plat and preliminary site plan at the April 5, 2022 meeting.

Nicotine Product Free Places Ordinance, Second Reading

Johnson County Public Health recommended an amendment of the Smoke-free Air Act to the Park Board on January 6.  The Park Board has in turn recommended the Council adopt an amendment to the City Code designating City parks and trails as tobacco and nicotine-free places.