Cedar Rapids commission blocks townhouse project

CEDAR RAPIDS — The City Planning Commission on Thursday blocked plans for a high-density housing development after resistance voiced by neighbors in the southwest quadrant.

Triple Crown Estates, a development proposed by Robson Homes Inc., called for 129 townhouse-style units on an 18-acre parcel south of the Williams Boulevard SW/U.S. Route 151 and U.S. Route 30 intersection. But neighbors argued it was too dense to fit in with that rural area.

'It may meet the standard for density, but it is a lot more dense than what is out there,' said John Zlatohlavek, who lives on Julie Lane, near the effected area.

The commission agreed with those worries and voted unanimously against the project.

'That is my concern, it would overburden that community — not even the density, but more the lack of good access and accessibility to the site,' said Richard Pankey of the planning commission.

Joe Mailander, a city development services manager, said the 8.8 homes per acre fits the density allowances for the area. Staff had recommended the project be approved.

'The density is not that unusual for that area,' Mailander said.

But more than a dozen neighbors spoke against the plan at Thursday's meeting, and others wrote protest letters. Nearby streets, such as Julie Lane and Tarpy Drive, are dead-end Linn County roads ill-equipped for much higher volumes, and they have only one access point, which is via Beverly Road SW, they said.

The development was proposed as a horseshoe that would connect West Post Road SW with another access point at Tarpy Drive.

The project was slated to go for approval to city council in June, with development and occupancy occurring in 2017. It would be phased in over four to five years, with a full build-out by 2021.

Vehicle projections provided by Anderson Bogert Engineering estimated an extra 896 vehicles per day from the development, including 768 on West Post and 224 on Tarpy by 2020.

The project would have taken down part of Robson Homes President Joe Robson's horse farm. Robson didn't speak at the meeting and had little comment afterward other than to say his company now would decide how to move forward.

Todd Happel, of Anderson Bogert and who represented Robson at the meeting, tried to ally concerns by pointing out a stub road would be built, with hopes to eventually connect it to Williams Boulevard. But he noted that would require approval from the city and the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Happel said the density was necessary to make the project financially viable as the developer would need to invest an extra $400,000 to support utilities and infrastructure in the area.