Johnson County Supervisors approve second reading to rezone Newport Road

IOWA CITY - The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has approved the second of three readings to rezone roughly 14.3 acres of Newport Road property from agricultural to residential.

The board Thursday voted 4-1, with Supervisor Mike Carberry opposed, to approve Jeff and Judith Stevens' application for rezoning at 2620 Newport Road, near chip seal road's intersection with Highway 1. Early conceptual plans detail up to a four-lot subdivision on the site.

The third and final vote on the rezoning will take place at the board's April 23 meeting.

The Johnson County Planning and Zoning Commission's 4-1 vote to deny the application last month, with several members noting a lack of updated traffic data on the road. County staff recommended approval of the rezoning, stating that the request meets the requirements for the county Land Use Plan and North Corridor Development Area.

A handful of residents have spoken out against the rezoning, citing traffic, urban sprawl, and lost farmland as concerns.