Linn supervisors approve land buy near future Highway 100 route

Linn County supervisors signed off on a plan this morning to acquire about 70 acres of property along the planned route of a new Highway 100 west of Cedar Rapids.

Under the agreement, the county will maintain the land in its undeveloped state, a key part of the state Department of  Transportation's plan to offset the loss of habitat to the long-delayed new road.

“This has been the paramount issue that stopped the whole project,” Supervisor Jim Houser said before supervisors voted to approve a memorandum of understanding with IDOT.

The county won't take over the property until the project is complete – still years away – but going on the record in support of the state's mitigation plan allows IDOT to continue planning and acquiring property for the pr0ject.