JoCo Supes OK Newport rezoning despite ‘sprawl’ worries

Despite a vote of denial from the county's Planning and Zoning Commission, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors have approved the first reading of rezoning to allow residential development on the often controversial Newport Road.

After close to two hours of board discussion and public comment, the board Thursday voted 3-1, with Supervisor Mike Carberry opposed and Supervisor Terrence Neuzil absent, to approve a rezoning request for 2620 Newport Rd. made by landowners Jeff and Judith Stevens.

'I was given discretion, that's my job, I don't like this proposal,' Carberry said. 'I'm drawing a line in the sand, I don't want this, I think this is sprawl.'

However, Supervisors Janelle Rettig and Rod Sullivan questioned Carberry's consistency on past rezoning votes.

'From my perspective the people of Johnson County expect their Board of Supervisors to create good rules, to constantly be revising our rules, but then treat applicants fairly and consistently based on that,' Rettig said.

The rezoning would change 14.3 acres of land near the chip seal road's intersection with Highway 1 from agricultural to residential. Early conceptual plans detail up to a four-lot subdivision.

A handful of area residents — many who fought prior development plans on Newport Road — spoke against the rezoning, citing traffic, urban sprawl, and lost farmland as concerns.

'I think what I've been wanting to say all along is I really hope that the board will take the long view when it comes to Newport road,' area resident Laurie Tulchin said. 'There's no subdivisions out there.'

Another neighbor, Sharon Dooley, reflected on her experience in 2013, when she sought rezoning for a 70-lot subdivision at 2915 Newport Rd. Her request ultimately was approved by the board, but development has not taken place.

'I sympathize with (Judith Stevens) because I know how neighbors can turn on you,' Dooley said. 'They don't want anything out there. ... They just complain about everything, it's just a mean group of people.'

The rezoning requires two more readings to pass.

The board's vote goes against the Planning and Zoning Commission's 4-1 vote to deny the application last month. County staff recommended approval of the rezoning, stating that the request meets the requirements for the county Land Use Plan and North Corridor Development Area.

All members of the commission, except for chair Terry Dahms, who voted in favor of rezoning, cited a lack of traffic count information on the road and raised concern that residential development would add congestion.

County assistant planner Josh Busard noted that official traffic counts would not apply until the subdivision platting process.

That said, preliminary traffic counts by the Iowa Department of Transportation for the stretch of Newport Road between its intersections with Prairie du Chien and Sugar Bottom roads — compiled July 29-31 last year — place the road's annual average daily traffic at 994 to 1,047 vehicles. Newport Road's traffic count in 2010 was 1,030 AADT around 1,000 vehicles.

Busard said the general rule for planning and zoning matters is eight additional vehicle trips per new lot, meaning the conceptual plans for the Newport Road development would add roughly 32 daily vehicle trips on the road.

If traffic exceeds the 2,000 AADT average daily traffic threshold, established in the county's road performance standards ordinance, development cannot take place until the road is added to the county's five-year road improvement plan.