IOWA SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART GETS GREEN LIGHT IN IOWA CITY
Topics: | | Community Impact | | Iowa | Zoning Regulations | | | |
Wal-Mart gets final OK [Iowa City Press-Citizen]
The Iowa City Council cleared the way for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter, approving the company’s proposal at a Tuesday night meeting.
The third consideration to amend an existing zoning agreement passed 6-1, with Councilor Mike Wright dissenting.
The existing agreement stipulates that multiple businesses exist at the site. The council amended it to allow a single business to occupy the site.
During the meeting, Wallace Taylor, attorney for Iowa City Stop Wal-Mart, said the company shouldn’t be allowed to violate the terms of a zoning agreement with the city.
Also see: I.C. Council OKs new Wal-Mart plans [The Gazette (Iowa)] and City Council approves rezoning for Super Wal-Mart [Daily Iowan]
“I’d ask you to rethink your decision,” he said. “You don’t have to follow what the planning department and city attorney have told you.”
Councilor Matt Hayek rejected this view and said zoning laws allow for the amendment to the zoning agreement.
“Tonight we’re engaging in the technical application of existing ordinances,” he said.
Wal-Mart plans to make way for the 190,000-square-foot supercenter by demolishing its store at 1001 Highway 1 W., the abandoned Cub Foods store and an existing Staples on the site.
If everything goes according to plan, the new store should be completed in early 2011, said Robert Downer, local land-use counsel for Wal-Mart.
Taylor said the group will consider filing litigation to stop construction of the store.
In 2005, Wal-Martexpressed an interest to the city of Iowa City to buy a 22-acre site on Ruppert Road for $3 million to build a supercenter.
But Iowa City Stop Wal-Mart filed a lawsuit that claimed city officials followed improper procedure. The lawsuit became lodged in the Iowa Supreme Court, and Wal-Mart dropped its plans.
In late May, Wal-Mart introduced a new proposal to construct a supercenter at the 1001 Highway 1 W. site.
The council also:
• Passed final approval for an ordinance that would allow the use of Segways on sidewalks except in the downtown area. The measure passed 5-2 with Mayor Regenia Bailey and Wright dissenting.
• Honored Olympic medalist Dawn Harper of East St. Louis, Ill. Harper won the gold in the 100-meter hurdles.
“We are absolutely thrilled and honored tonight to present Dawn with the keys to the city,” Bailey said.
Harper’s father, Henri, is the court liaison at City High and her brother, Bryton, is a first-grader at Lucas Elementary.
Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, September 24, 2008
