Princeton City Council

400-acre corporate campus plans 14 lots

Council plans Nov. 8 hearing on new plan

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A new zoning ordinance aimed at drawing a corporate campus to Princeton’s river bluffs will go before the town council Nov. 8.

Engineers for Paul and Marijo Anderson’s corporate development presented drawings to the council Oct. 11 showing the 400 acres of divided into 14 lots with access roads to U.S. 67 and Lost Grove Road.

Marijo Anderson called the drawings “a rough draft,” that buyers ultimately will complete. But she stressed final development will include trails, buffers and other environmentally compatible features.

“What you have is a very early version. It’s just an example the state will use to market this site. But if a buyer or buyers come in and want to make changes we will work with our buyer,” she said.

Council members are considering rezoning the Anderson 400 property specifically for corporate campus development. Anderson said Monday they will not ask for residential uses in the ordinance.

Princeton earlier this year annexed the Andersons’ property into the city for a plan that included making it Iowa’s second, and biggest, environmentally-certified corporate development site.

City attorney Dee Runnels is drafting a zoning ordinance to create a new classification for the corporate campus.

The first zoning ordinance draft required the site be certified by Iowa’s Economic Development Authority.

Runnels said Anderson’s attorneys advised leaving that requirement out of the proposed zoning ordinance.

“He just struck out certification altogether,” from the Princeton rezoning ordinance draft, Runnels told the council.

Anderson confirmed plans to pursue IEDA certification, regardless of the ordinance’s requirements.

The draft will be available for public inspection at the 6 p.m., Nov. 8 public hearing. It will require that prospective buyers integrate commercial uses with the landscape and build to environmentally sustainable standards.

Marijo Anderson told the NSP that state certification is proceeding ahead of schedule and on track to wrap up in spring.

“Everything is moving very efficiently and we are wild about it,” she said.

The Andersons had considered including penthouse condo residential options atop office buildings, something that at least two Princeton council members on Oct. 11 said they oppose. Both Ann Geiger and Amy Simmons said they prefer commercial, not residential development for the property.

On Monday, Marijo Anderson said they’ve dropped the residential option for now.

“This is very early. We haven’t had opportunity to do any education,” of the council and community, she said.

She said prospective buyers may bring residential options for the council to consider by amending the ordinance or granting a variance.

“We can do further investigation and research this,” Marijo Anderson said. “But we decided it was simpler at this point to leave it as we started.”

The Andersons’ engineer, Marti Ahlgren with Shive Hattery, reported progress on the state’s site certification process that has cleared Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and archaeological reviews. She said she’s awaiting an architectural assessment of  existing old buildings.

The drawing shows a new road through the property from U.S. 67 west up the bluff, then north to Lost Grove Road.

Anderson said the project will need easements for road and water utility access from Lost Grove Road.

She also hoped to learn more about trail plans along U.S. 67 that pass through the property on the west side of the highway.

“What the master plan does emphasize is the buffering and such around any of the wetlands and heavily wooded areas. The intent is not to go in an clear the site. Intent is to protect.

Sidewalk deadline set

Princeton’s sidewalks committee added Christina McDonough as the new chairman, named former chairman Brent Herman as sidewalk superintendent and introduced a checklist intended to expedite sidewalk construction that has lingered past previous deadlines.

Council member and sidewalks committee liaison Jami Stutting said Herman will make sure new sidewalks meet city and accessibility standards, but will still require assistance from public works supervisor Josh Genz, who had been overseeing  sidewalk construction.

“I think this looks to the future,” she said. “Say this sidewalk is out of compliance,” due to settling. “What Brent will do will not conflict with what you do,” she said to Genz.

Herman said the council four years ago set a timetable to finish sidewalks on Lost Grove Road by 2016, Third Street by 2017 and Fifth Street by 2018.

Sidewalk committee member Tara Flesch, of 203 N. Sixth St. in Lost Grove Acres, urged the city to speed up sidewalk construction.

“It’s my understanding that the sidewalk superintendent is responsible for overseeing sidewalk projects,” she wrote in a letter to the council. “However no sidewalks have been completed to this date. Currently, the sidewalk committee has $20,000 to spend … and the only new sidewalks I’ve noticed being installed are by new home developments … It’s disheartening to know we have budgeted money available, yet work has not been done.”

At last month’s meeting, council members agreed to a May 1 deadline for Third Street property owners to install their own sidewalks, or be billed by the city for installation.

At this month’s meeting, the council informally agreed to a May 1 deadline for property owner James Cosselman at 231 Lost Grove Road to replace his sidewalk.

Jami Stutting provided a new three-page checklist the council accepted as guidelines to expedite sidewalk construction. The guidelines document dates for bids, and includes annual spring sidewalk assessments by the city’s sidewalk superintendent.

Stutting also updated the council on the trail planned alongside U.S. 67. She said the city will pursue other grants since learning this month it did not qualify for state or federal grants to extend a riverside trail north through the city.

Firehouse expansion

Council members urged Genz to get cost estimates for adding three bays to the Princeton fire station and public works garage.

Volunteer firefighters filled the council chambers and Fire Chief Woomert renewed her plea for the expansion.

“I want you to come down and take a look,” Woomert urged council members.

Council member Geiger said the expansion should be part of next year’s budget plan, but Woomert said it can’t wait.

Council member Kevin Kernan said budget planning will begin next month, anyway.

Public works equipment is stored in two bays attached to a four-bay firehouse. Woomert said tight working conditions present a threat to firefighters as they suit up for calls.

“They put their lives on the line going into burning houses. We don’t want someone run over while putting on their gear,” she said.

The council authorized Genz to contract for more detailed drawings for adding three bays to the north end of the firehouse. Woomert said firefighters would pitch in to finish the inside of the addition.

More delays on website

Two residents renewed their call to update the city website.

Chris Kay and Lori Mahar said the city’s long-outdated website is an embarrassment and problem for a town trying to grow.

“It’s been at least five years I’ve been told they’re working on it,” Kay said after the meeting.

Since 2012, the city hired resident Jim Dirksen to set up a web site. City records show he was paid $185 this year for website services. Earlier this year, the council authorized resident Kevin Stutting to redesign the web site. City records show Stutting has been paid $400 this year.

Last month, council member Jami Stutting, Kevin Stutting’s sister-in-law, said her voluntary effort to update the site was delayed when she couldn’t find a digital version of the town’s lengthy code.

City Clerk Katie Enloe confirmed Kevin Stutting now has the digital code, and Jami Stutting expected the new site to be unveiled soon.

Both Kay and Mahar said they’ve heard that before.

“The site lists contacts who are long gone from city government,” Kay said, referring to lists that still show James Greenhill as fire chief, three years after he resigned. Another page alerts residents to contact city clerk AJ Grunder, who resigned in 2015.

Closed session

Council members met in a closed session under Iowa state law that allows executive sessions, “to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent where its disclosure would be likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the government body in that litigation.”

The council took no action after the closed session and did not disclose the reason for the session.

Mayor seeks team-building

Mayor Roger Woomert urged the council to schedule a “team-building” work session yet this year including staff and council members.

Paul Anderson, Marijo Anderson, Princeton City Council, Anderson 400, Dee Runnels, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Ann Geiger, Amy Simmons, Marti Ahlgren, Shive Hattery, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish & Wildlife, Lost Grove Road, Highway 67, Christina McDonough, Brent Herman, Jami Stutting, Josh Genz, Tara Flesch, James Cosselman, Princeton Fire Department, Karen Woomert, Kevin Kernan, Chris Kay, Lori Mahar, Jim Dirksen, Kevin Stutting, Katie Enloe, James Greenhill, AJ Grunder, Roger Woomert

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