(Spirit Lake)– A proposal to rezone some properties on North Hill Avenue near the Gingham Inn from Highway Commercial to Light Industrial drew opposition at a public hearing on the matter at Tuesday’s Spirit Lake city council meeting. Wayne Schutte said he’s concerned the zoning wouldn’t be compatible with the surrounding area. He’s concerned over the possibility industrial operations locating in the area and truck traffic that would be associated with it. The council took no action on the matter. They directed city staff to meet with Rick Bierstedt, who requested the change, to see if just one parcel of land could be rezoned. The matter will come back before the Planning and Zoning Commission and city council at a later date.
The city’s architectural standards came under scrutiny again. Jason Rossow wants to put up a building next to the fire station on Peoria Avenue and requested he not be required to abide by all of the standards. Bill Huse, a contractor, told the council he feels the standards are too strict for that area, and that it wouldn’t be feasible to meet the standards, based on the cost of the lots. City officials counter by saying lot owners were notified of the standards when they purchased the lots. They add it wouldn’t be fair to relax the standards when others have already been required to abide by them. The council then voted three-to-two requiring Rossow to follow the standards spelled out in plans for the proposed building. Council members Kevin Bice and Jerry Harbst voted no.
In other business, the council approved the appointments of Blaine Andera, Steve Kelly, Rod James, Tim Mitchell and Mark Bergquist to the newly established Park and Recreation Committee; adopted a resolution to issue 2.5 million dollars in general obligation bonds to cover the city’s costs of the drainage district 22 project; and they denied a recommendation from the Howard R. Green engineering firm requesting the city reduce it’s retainage in the water treatment plant improvements from five to 1.59 percent. The council denied the request saying the city would lose leverage in making sure the project was completed satisfactorily.
