Iowa City council denies amendment to comprehensive plan

IOWA CITY - Three city blocks will not be added to the Iowa City downtown district, after failing to reach the needed supermajority vote to pass.

The Iowa City Council on Monday voted 5-2, with councilors Jim Throgmorton and Kingsley Botchway voting in the negative, to add the three blocks along Gilbert Street bounded roughly by Iowa Avenue and Burlington Street - blocks largely owned by the city - into the Downtown District and Riverfront Crossings District master plan.

However, as a supermajority approval was needed, the resolution failed to pass. A supermajority was needed after the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 to deny the resolution.

Without the plan, the city will have to approach future developments in that area on a project-by-project basis.

'If we don't have this supported by 6 of 7 people this evening, we'll have to take that up in piecemeal fashion, which I'm not sure is desirable from a planning perspective,” Mayor Matt Hayek said.

Several members of the council expressed support of the resolution, which they said would have added to the tax base, reduced potential urban sprawl into nearby neighborhoods, and would have provided a game plan for future development on the three blocks.

However, Throgmorton and Kingsley raised concerns with the Planning and Zoning Commission's vote of denial and expressed a desire to have more discussion on the issue with possible revision.

'Getting a 1 to 5 vote coming from the commission carries weight to me,” Throgmorton said.

Area residents, business owners and representatives from local organization spoke out both in favor and against the resolution, with supporters touting the planning involved and emphasis on mixed-use development while detractors expressing concern for the proposed height allowed and potential to open the door for future tax increment financing on behalf of the city.

The move ultimately would have made the three blocks acceptable for multiuse development and civic uses, with future buildings allowed to go as tall as 7-15 stories on corner lots, with buildings limited to 2-4 stories along the Iowa Avenue. The new height allowances would also have paved the way for work to begin on The Chauncey high-rise building proposed for the corner of College and Gilbert streets.

Density bonuses would have been available for historic preservation - currently only the Unitarian Universalist Society church at 10 S. Gilbert St. had been identified as eligible for historic designation in the amendment.