Some Hills residents eye commercial, housing growth in the small town's future

Jesi Cole and her husband came to Hills three years ago to build their first home.

“The small town feel is what we tend to gravitate toward,” the 31-year-old said.

Cole and countless others in the Hills community said they enjoy the slow pace, friendly neighbors, and a close proximity to amenities provided just 10 miles north in Iowa City. Many said they see room for a little growth in their community.

Hills Mayor Tim Kemp admits the city and its 703 residents (according to the 2010 census) faced difficulties when chemical perchlorate was found in some residential wells. Though the situation limited growth as residents and businesses worried about water safety, Kemp said constructing a public water system is underway and on track for completion by 2015 and they're hoping to bring more people into the existing community and draw in more business.

Chad Sands, Housing and Community Development Director at the East Central Iowa Council of Governments put together a comprehensive plan for the community. Sands said one of the key long-term goals is commercial and residential growth.

The Hills community will have a chance to weigh-in on the 2013 comprehensive plan at a public hearing on Wednesday.

The main area for residential growth is roughly 80 plots of land in the city's northwest corner and commercial expansion along the road near Highway 218 and Main St., which houses only a dozen businesses.

Nancy Lackender, owner of the quilting store Inspirations, said her Main Street location is “ a great place to be” and she couldn't imagine locating anywhere else.

The city is slightly limited in where it can grow because of the surrounding floodplains and Kemp said plans to expand are modest, at best.

“We have some more growth areas we can use but...we're not looking to become North Liberty,” Kemp said. “We don't want to become a huge town; people came to Hills because they like the small town atmosphere.”

That's what drew 25-year-old Dan Zwick to Hills. Zwick, co-owner of Old 218 Tap and a volunteer fire fighter said the slow-paced lifestyle and minimal traffic was appealing.

“You see someone -- your neighbor outside -- and you can just go up and talk to them,” the California native said. “Back home that wasn't something you could really do.

Cole, who has a 3-year-old son, said she and many of the young newlyweds in her neighborhood like the proximity they have to the school, just across the street.

“I hope it stays open,” she said, looking over at the school building from her driveway. “We're so close.”

The fate of the Hills Elementary school is uncertain as the Iowa City School district decides between two plans to address growing enrollment. One plan would rebuild the elementary school and the other would close it.

It's frustrating Kemp and other residents who fear closing it would stymie growth as young families look elsewhere for communities with closer schools.

Mark Stutsman, chief operations officer at Stutsman, said the school provides more than just classrooms, with open gym and a community summer reading program. The 50-year-old's two sons attended the elementary school.

“The school is another reason for the community to come together and it wouldn't be the same without it,” Stutsman said.