Linn County begins pondering possibilities for purchased land

CEDAR RAPIDS - Linn County officials plan to explore a few different options for 179 acres of land purchased last year.

Some early possibilities include a working farm component with housing, conservation development or a mix of residential and commercial uses.

Les Beck, Linn County director of planning and development, said during a Monday work session that all options remain on the table. One hope is the effort helps the county repurpose some of the land - located south of Gardner Golf Course - purchased by the county last November.

'We don't want to propose something that will fail,” Beck said. 'We want to make sure, as best we can, that we'll be successful.”

The plot of land was purchased - along with 306 acres north of the golf course for a total $7.2 million - from the Sutherland Dows Family Trust. The land was purchased with local-option sales tax funds, general obligation bonds based on the establishment of an urban renewal area, budget reserves and future sale of some of the parcels.

The northern tract of land is planned largely for conservation efforts, with hopes of adding to the nearly 700-acre Squaw Creek Park, creating water protection areas along the Squaw Creek corridor and allowing for the connection of the Sac & Fox and Grant Wood trail systems.

Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson said the southern plot could help pay off the total 485-acre purchase when the county sells land to chosen developers.

'That is also where we plan to make up the bulk of the eventual recouping of money to pay back some of the portion of the $7.2 million that we put out to buy the land in the first place,” he said Monday. 'I think this is going to go a long way toward that.”

Beck said the first phase for the 179 acres entails issuing a request for proposals for project ideas.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on allocating $45,000 to phase 1 of the project during a meeting set for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Jean Oxley Public Service Center, 935 Second St. SW, Cedar Rapids.

Three possibilities identified by the county are:

' An agri-community concept with a working farm component, housing and possibly a commercial, food enterprise center.

' A conservation development with sensitive environmental lands protection, housing and a possible commercial element.

' A market-based concept, with different types and densities of development to maximize the county's return on investment.

All proposals - which are subject to work sessions with the Board of Supervisors - are expected to incorporate possible trail extensions and protections and enhancements along Squaw Creek.

Phase 1 is expected to be completed by the end of January 2018. Funding has not been allocated for the project's second phase, which would entail full master planning of a chosen proposal.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com