Hickory Hill development narrowly passes second consideration

IOWA CITY — A controversial Iowa City housing development near Hickory Hill Park advanced Tuesday for the second time — but now by just a one-vote margin on the Iowa City Council.

Mayor Bruce Teague and council members Laura Bergus, Susan Mims and Janice Weiner voted for the proposal to rezone the tract. Council members Mazahir Salih, Pauline Taylor and John Thomas voted against it. The proposal needs to pass a third time before the rezoning takes effect.

The project — Hickory Hill Trail Estates — is a proposed rezoning of 48.75 acres northeast of Hickory Hill Park to low-density single-family housing. Led by Joe Clark and Nelson Development, the project initially was shot down by the planning and zoning commission, which cited conflicts with the comprehensive plan and Northeast District plan. Dozens of residents wrote in opposition to the project.

The plan took three different iterations before the commission endorsed the most recent proposal. The third and latest plan reduces the number of residential lots and makes a portion of the street single-loaded, removes plans for a condo complex, adds a buffer zone between the development and the park and turns 14 acres over to the city to be added to the park.

Some residents and council members were concerned Tuesday about the amount of buffer between the development and the 185-acre park, which many cited as a tranquil retreat that a busy neighborhood would disrupt.

Another concern was the degree of inconsistency between the development and the city’s planning documents.

At a previous meeting, the council approved the first consideration of the development 6-1, with Thomas being the sole vote against. But some council members noted they approved only reluctantly, saying they couldn’t vote against it if it aligned with the city code and plans.

This time, Taylor said that after looking at comments from the public, she found legitimate discrepancies.

“It seems that the individuals who wrote in had some sound arguments in regard to those plans,” Taylor said.

The Northeast District plan, last updated in 2007, proposes two streets with separate cul-de-sacs off Scott Boulevard and First Street, while this proposal suggests a through- street connecting the two.

The Northeast District plan also instructs the city to hold a buffer between developments and sensitive areas, which was a key point informing the council’s decision. Mims said the 14-acre space being added to the park will provide at least a 100-foot buffer and screening.

Council members in favor wanted to direct the city staff to plant trees to block the view of the development from people in the park.

“I think with 100 feet we can get quite a bit of screening to protect that view from these properties and from these houses,” Mims said during the meeting.

Thomas said he does not expect the developers’ plans to change between now and the third consideration of the proposal, but there’s still room for changes to the council’s directions.

“It's an ongoing negotiation, and that negotiation continues,” he said. “It may continue even after the approval process.”

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