(Spirit Lake)—A request to rezone some property at 1412 Hill Avenue from residential to commercial that’s been a contentious issue at prior meetings was back on the table at Tuesday’s Spirit Lake city council meeting.
Margie Lynch wants to start up a flower shop in a vacant Victorian house on the property. The issue in the past has drawn opposition from a couple of council members concerned over parking and other issues.
A motion Tuesday to adopt a resolution approving the rezoning passed on a three-to-two vote with councilmen Kevin Bice and Jerry Harbst voting no. Following that vote, the council’s newest member, John Chappas, who was recently appointed to fill a vacancy on the council, expressed a willingness to expedite the rezoning…(click here for comment.)
“I don’t like doing this normally but I would like to make a motion to waive the first two readings as this is the fourth time this has been to the city council and I think she deserves to get going with her business.”
Chappas’ motion failed to get the four-fifths super majority vote that’s required to waive the 2nd and 3rd readings, with Bice and Harbst again voting no. It means the proposed ordinance to proceed with the rezoning will need to go through the complete process of two more readings before being considered for final adoption.
In other business, the council took no action on where to relocate city offices while the new city hall is under construction. City Administrator Mark Stevens told the council one possible option, the building that formally housed the Spirit Lake Schools Administrative Offices, has been pretty much ruled out…(click here for comment.) “Initially we were pretty solid on going to the old school building but because of environmental issues there we’re very concerned about locating in that space as well as additional cost we would have to make it functional and operational for us.”
Stevens added they are still looking at two other possible options, including the former Sound and Speed building just north of the existing city hall on Highways 9 & 71, and one other possibility he just learned of. He said he needed more time to look into the matter.
