Iowa City church continues to fight Chauncey building

IOWA CITY - The local congregation that has been fighting plans to build the 15-story Chauncey building across the street from its church has now appealed a judge's dismissal of their most recent lawsuit.

Trinity Episcopal Church filed Tuesday a notice of appeal of the October dismissal of the church's lawsuit against the city over the Iowa City Council's June rezoning to allow the Chauncey, according to a Wednesday news release from the church.

'Trinity continues to seek a resolution that will work for all sides, and will exhaust all alternatives to continuing with the appeal. The parish is heartened by recent expressions by Chauncey proponents of willingness to meet. Trinity looks forward to reaching an amicable resolution that works for all,” vestry member Melissa Murphy said in the release.

Trinity argued in its suit rezoning to make way for the building downtown was contrary to the city's comprehensive land use plan and the city had wrongly rejected the church's objection to the rezoning request.

Last month 6th Judicial District Court Judge Paul Miller dismissed Trinity's petition, ruling the court 'finds nothing” in the plan to prevent such zoning in the area. Since the city also must later sign off on design plans for the project, it 'can ensure that its transition goals are met regarding the flow from the central business district to the residential areas.”

The Chauncey discussion has been a hotbed of debate over close to three years, with opponents questioning the project's size and location, while supporters applaud the building's progressive design and economic impact.

Officials with Trinity are some of the most vocal opponents and filed a formal objection to the tower in April.

Another group, the Iowa Coalition Against the Shadow, filed a petition in 2013 against the council's denial of the group's request to rezone the Chauncey site to allow structures no taller than 75 feet. Miller sided with the city in his April ruling and the matter was dismissed.