Iowa DNR fines developer of Tiffin’s Park Place for stormwater runoff

A Johnson County developer has agreed to pay a $4,000 penalty for stormwater violations during construction of Park Place, a 450-acre multiuse development that includes PinSeekers, in Tiffin.

Ders Development LLC agreed to pay the fine within 30 days and stop illegal discharges to the Spencer Creek watershed, according to the enforcement order released Thursday.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources did a routine inspection of the site, south of Forevergreen Road and west of Interstate 380, on July 24. The inspector found erosion in several places and inadequate protections against erosion and sediment migration, the order states.

“Evidence of a discharge of sediment-laden stormwater was observed to have flowed south from the end of the Pin-Seekers facility into the adjacent field,” the DNR reported.

The DNR sent Ders a notice of violation July 31.

The agency said half the fine, $2,000, was assessed because that was the estimated economic benefit Ders “obtained through avoiding the cost of installing and maintaining adequate stormwater erosion and sediment control measures throughout the construction site.”

The Park Place development will include housing, entertainment, restaurants and shopping. PinSeekers, a year-round hybrid-golf and gaming facility, opened last month.

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