Iowa City Council gives final approval for senior living facility near Hickory Hill Park

IOWA CITY — The Iowa City Council unanimously gave final approval Tuesday to a proposal for a senior living facility near Hickory Hill Park that also dedicates nearly 40 acres of land for park expansion.

The approved proposal for rezoning the 48.75-acre plot northeast of the park is scaled back from previous plans and devotes nearly three times more land to the city park. The previous three iterations faced opposition from residents.

Council members praised the fourth and final iteration as a win for the community and example of collaboration between residents and developers.

“I always appreciate when I see the developer and the residents come together,” Mayor Pro Tem Mazahir Salih said.

Salih and council member Janice Weiner both called the proposal a “big win for the community.”

Council member John Thomas, who did not support the previous plan when it was before the council over the summer, said in November the new plan achieved “designing with nature.” The revised proposal, he said, is a “huge win for Iowa City” in the long term.

Hickory Trail Estates, a senior living facility, will be built on 8.85 acres at the southeast corner of the plot. The facility is to have 120 continuing care retirement units with 134 beds. The development is expected to be fully occupied by 2025.

Unlike the other proposals, single-family housing is not included in this one. Council member Susan Mims voted in favor but said it was unfortunate to lose the possibility of adding to the city’s housing stock.

Council member Laura Bergus expressed a similar concern during the council’s first consideration of the proposal in late November.

The remaining nearly 40 acres will be given to the city for public open space and expansion of Hickory Hill Park, increasing the park’s size by about 21 percent, according to the city.

The Friends of Hickory Hill have voiced their support for the senior living facility and park expansion.

Casey Kohrt of Friends of Hickory Hill said the group commends the developer for being “community and environmentally minded with their decision on the development and on deciding to give the land to the citizens of Iowa City.”

Kohrt added that the council chose “the right project for this special piece of land.”

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