(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake city council voted four-to-one Tuesday evening to deny a request to rezone several lots in the Sunland Addition southeast of the hospital from single family residential to multi-family residential. The council took the action after hearing concern from several property owners in that area.
One man who addressed the council said he was promised by a realtor that there would be no multi-family units built in the immediate vicinity of his house. He added that any additional multi-family development in that area would fly in the face of the city’s long term comprehensive land use plan. He says the plan discourages multi-family units being concentrated in one area. Multi-family units already exist in an area adjacent to the Sunland Development.
The motion to deny the rezoning request followed one by councilman Steve Balm to refer the issue back to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which had recommended approval of the rezoning. That motion died for lack of a second. Councilman Jerry Harbst then made a motion to deny the request, which was seconded by councilman Kevin Bice. It passed on a four-to-one vote, with Balm voting no.
The issue may not be dead just yet though. The developer indicated he may appeal, saying he wants information on how that process works.
