Neighbors: More homes would stress infrastructure in College Farms

CEDAR RAPIDS — Neighbors in a newer residential area on the outskirts of southeast Cedar Rapids are resisting a developer's plan to build more homes claiming the infrastructure doesn't support what's built, which contradicts engineering studies showing it does.

Residents in the College Farms Development off Highway 30 have complained of low water pressure as the subdivision next to farmland grew to 94 homes. The local homeowner's association diverted thousands of dollars to pay for upkeep on what they say is an overstressed sanitary sewer lift station. This money was diverted away from recreational amenities such as a playground or trail.

'If the lift station can't handle 100 houses, how can it handle more?' said Jeff Decker, when approached at his home on Windmill Drive SW. 'When they are talking about building more houses — time out.'

City staff are recommending Cedar Rapids City Council rezones an adjacent parcel to the west from agricultural land use to single family residential, which would pave the way for additional homes in College Farms, when the council meets today.

'I don't know there are any outstanding issues, everything has been addressed,' developer Al Frey said.

His development plan calls for 33 additional lots with the first 25 as part of phase one construction. City officials will place a condition that building permits only be granted for the first 14 homes, which would max out the capacity of the existing lift station at 108 homes.

After 14 homes, the lift station would need to be upgraded, said Joe Mailander, Cedar Rapids development services manager. The city is working with the homeowner's association to upgrade the lift station and take it under city control by summer 2017, which is around the time the 14 homes would be finished, he said.

Mailander reiterated the lift station has capacity for 14 additional homes, and said the water pressure meets minimum standards for homes and fire safety requirements.

'Water pressure at all of the homes existing today meet those minimum standards,' Mailander said. 'There's a difference between our expectations as a homeowner of what the pressure is and what the fire protection and minimum standard is.'

While some homeowners are skeptical of expansion, others favor more homes because it could help build demand to add another access road or an egress lane onto Highway 30. As is, motorists exit College Farms by merging from a residential street directly onto Highway 30, which carries traffic traveling at 60 mph or more.

'We think the more houses we have, the better for us,' said Lesley Vossenkemper, who will soon have a teenage driver.

Vossenkemper noted her family installed a booster pump and haven't had issues with water pressure. She said she's been pleased working with Frey.

Frey had brought this rezoning request to the city in 2014 after Cedar Rapids annexed the land into the city. However, the city put the brakes on redevelopment as residents raised similar concerns.

Officials began working on a cost-sharing agreement to take over privately owned and operated sanitary sewer lift stations. College Farms rated highest priority of seven neighborhoods that would fall into this plan.