(Okoboji)– Efforts to add a conservation district to zoning classifications in the city of Okoboji are dead in the water. A third reading and final adoption to amend the city’s zoning ordinance to that affect died for lack of a second at Tuesday evening’s Okoboji City Council meeting. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval of the change.
Council member Julie Andres again expressed concern over the possible long term financial impacts it could have on the city’s property tax base if a considerable amount of land in the city would eventually be placed into a conservation district…
“I think the city just cannot ignore that changing a property from any kind of zoning to conservation zoning could change its value. Could change. And by definition in the market approach the value would change. Just by definition it would. In the income approach you could be changing a piece of property to something that produces income to one that doesn’t. And regardless, the potential cost is real to the city’s budget and eventually to our resident’s pocketbooks.”
Councilman Walter Mendenhall argued that a procedure would be in place that would allow any land put into a conservation district to be taken back out…
“Well while there may be a hoop or two to jump through if you decide you don’t want to keep it in conservation zoned, you can go to the Board of Adjustment for your desire to have it changed. That’s different than putting it in conservation and donating it to the county or city or something like that. You do that for tax purposes. That’s not what we’re doing here and that’s not in the zoning option. You still have an option to go laterally to something else with the Board of Adjustment if they have a reason for it. So I think there’s a lot of flexibility.”
A motion by Mendenhall to add the classification died after it failed to get a second.
