Government Notes: Cedar Rapids City Council looks to rezone land for proposed casino development

Cedar Rapids officials have initiated the process to rezone property earmarked for a future casino development on the city’s northwest side.

Council members last week gave initial approval to rezone 15 acres of land along F Avenue NW to traditional mixed use center with a planned unit development overlay.

Second and third readings are required for the change to take effect, so the issue will again come before the council in April for final consideration.

The rezoning is one step of many required for the construction of the planned $275 million Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center.

As proposed, the facility would include 700 slot machines, 22 table games and several entertainment venues.

Casino operator Peninsula Pacific officials have stated their intent to open the facility by late 2026, although the facility’s license is currently being challenged in court.

Barring any judicial intervention, however, developers are moving ahead with their plans for the Linn County gaming facility.

Cedar Rapids Zoning Administrator Seth Gunnerson said staff are recommending the planned unit development (PUD) overlay to create a customized zone district that can take into account all aspects of the multiuse development.

The PUD also gives the city more say in the project’s design, Gunnerson said, because developers must seek council approval for their final site plan.

As such, city officials can make more specific requests in terms of landscaping, parking and the remediation of light pollution.

“The planning development overlay takes into consideration the unique nature of the development and a focus on building within the community,” Gunnerson said. “We’ve worked with the developer on a site plan that promotes connections to downtown and will allow for future development in that neighborhood.”

Interviews begin today for Linn County supervisor seat

The Linn County Committee of County Officers will meet today to interview finalists for a soon-to-be-vacated seat on the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

The committee last week selected four finalists to interview for the seat, which will be vacated Tuesday by outgoing District 2 Supervisor Ben Rogers.

The four finalists were selected from a batch of 17 applicants to seek appointment, and the selected applicant will serve out the remainder of Rogers’ term, which ends in 2026.

The Committee of County Officers — made up of Auditor Todd Taylor, Recorder Carolyn Siebrecht and Treasurer Brent Oleson, all Democrats — reviewed all application materials and selected these four finalists:

The committee will interview candidates at 1:30 p.m. today at the Jean Oxley Public Service Center. The public can attend either in person or online by watching a live recording on the county website.

The committee will meet again publicly at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and continue interviews, if needed, and make the final appointment.

After the appointment is made, there will be a 14-day period when a petition — bearing 4,125 signatures of eligible electors — could be submitted to force a special election. In that case, the appointee would serve on an interim basis until that election is held.

Further, the process could be disrupted by a change in state law that would require board of supervisors vacancies in counties with more than 125,000 residents to be filled via special election if more than 70 days remain in the term.

That legislation has been passed by both chambers in the Iowa Legislature, and the bill is headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk for approval. If she signs the bill before the Linn County committee makes its appointment, a special election would be required.

The three-person Board of Supervisors is responsible for overseeing county government operations.

Rogers, a Democrat, has been on the board for 16 years but is leaving to take a position with UnityPoint Health—St. Luke’s Foundation. The other two members of the board are Democrat Kirsten Running-Marquardt and Republican Brandy Z. Meisheid.

Local contractor seeks city incentives for headquarters development

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Roofing contractor D.C. Taylor Co. intends to invest $6 million into the construction of a new Cedar Rapids headquarters.

The Cedar Rapids City Council last week authorized financial incentives toward the construction of a new D.C. Taylor facility at 12th Street and 29th Avenue SW.

The resolution further authorized the negotiation of a development agreement with the company and the creation of a surrounding urban renewal area.

D.C. Taylor is a Cedar Rapids-based roofing contractor with nationwide operations. The company currently leases its headquarters space, at 500 Stickle Dr. NE, from the city.

City officials decided against renewing that lease, opting instead to use the building for storage of flood control equipment.

Council documents state the city incentives are meant to ensure D.C. Taylor Co. maintains its Cedar Rapids presence through the construction of a new, $6 million headquarters.

The standard incentive provides a 10-year, 50 percent rebate of increased taxes generated by the project.

Based on the investment and estimated post-development value, the project is expected to generate $1.1 million in total taxes over a 10-year period, of which $460,000 would be rebated back to the company.

The new location will include 9,460 square feet of office space and nearly 24,000 square feet of warehouse space. By continuing its Cedar Rapids operations, approximately 75 jobs will be retained.

Tree vouchers available for Cedar Rapids residents

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Nonprofit Trees Forever is once again working with local nurseries to help Cedar Rapids residents bolster the city’s tree canopy.

Eligible participants can qualify for a $100 or $250 voucher toward the purchase of a tree on the tree species list specified in the ReLeaf plan.

The plan, a partnership between the city and Trees Forever, to replenish the tree canopy on public land and provide resources to guide replanting on private property.

Vouchers will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

To receive a voucher, residents need to fill out the registration form at treesforever.org/voucher-program/ and attend an hourlong informational session.

Trees Forever will host several informational sessions about the program. Remaining sessions include:

For eligibility information and additional details, visit the Trees Forever website.

Iowa City’s Capitol Street parking ramp to begin repairs April 1

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Work on downtown Iowa City’s Capitol Street Parking Ramp will begin next week. The work will impact the availability of public parking.

The work was originally scheduled to begin April 1, but was pushed back to April 9.

Repairs will include the east entrance on South Clinton Street, which means vehicles will have to enter the ramp from South Capitol Street to the west.

Portions of several decks in the ramp will be inaccessible, and permit holders may need to use different areas within the ramp. City staff are coordinating with the University of Iowa and parking permit holders to minimize disruptions.

The work on the parking ramp is part of a long-term project to ensure safety and structural integrity, and likely will last into the summer, according to a news release from the city. Factors such as weather conditions, the availability of materials, and unforeseen structural challenges can impact the timeline.

Healthy Lawn Program available to some Johnson County residents

Homeowners in unincorporated Johnson County and some of the county’s smaller towns who would like to have healthier lawns without the use of chemicals are invited to apply for the Healthy Lawn Program.

The program’s goal is to restore soil quality on new or existing lawns. The restoration process involves aeration, which removes small plugs of earth from the lawn, then applies clean compost to add organic matter to the soil. Good quality soil absorbs more water, reducing the need for watering, fertilizers and pesticides, with less runoff and fewer pollutants going into streams.

Residents of unincorporated Johnson County, as well as Hills, Lone Tree, Oxford, Shueyville, Solon, Swisher, Tiffin, University Heights and parts of West Branch, are eligible to apply. The program allows residents to apply to have 50 percent of costs for soil restoration to be reimbursed, up to $2,000.

Homeowners who wish to participate must be preapproved by the program coordinators and use a contractor from a preapproved list.

Interested homeowners can learn more and apply for the program by visiting johnsoncountyiowa.gov/soil-quality-restoration.

Approval for program participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. An informational video also is available at https://tinyurl.com/SHPjc.

Stop along 10-West Iowa City temporarily out of service

Beginning tomorrow, stop 8207 on Hawkins Drive at Hawkeye Wave Way along the Iowa City Transit route will temporarily be out of service to allow for construction on the street corner.

The city is directing passengers to use the bus stop at the University Hospitals main entrance, located at Hawkins Drive at Evashevski Drive. Service to stop 8207 is expected to resume sometime this summer.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. The Gazette’s Megan Woolard and Grace Nieland contributed.