Princeton City Council

Princeton eyes 400-acre expansion: Community Center meeting March 8 to cover annexation, rezoning and budget

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Princeton City Council moves to the Boll’s Community Center March 8 for three public hearings addressing big changes in the riverfront community.

First up is rezoning newly annexed land north of town for the long-sought Dollar General.

Next on the agenda is annexing more than 400 acres south of town for Paul and Marijo Anderson’s dream of attracting a corporate campus to their river bluff property.

And the council will discuss next year’s spending plan, including a newly announced $546,000 federal grant and loan for a well.

The busy agenda is expected to attract more residents than the city hall can handle, prompting the move to the community center for the 6:30 p.m., March 8 meeting.

Dollar General zoning

Last month, the council unanimously agreed to annex about 33 acres on the town’s north side. Newly annexed land automatically is zoned for residential development. But three of those new Princeton acres will require commercial zoning for Dollar General, which city building inspector Tim Ruser said is itching to get started.

City attorney Greg Jaeger advised council members to hold off until the March 8 public rezoning hearing, despite overwhelming support among council members and the public for the store.

“I understand that historically, the council really wants Dollar General in city limits and sent cards and letters cajoling them to come. I can see all the ducks are in a row. But you should not prejudge the matter before you take public input,” he said.

Princeton’s Zoning Commission advised a C-2, commercial and light industrial zoning for the store site.

Ruser said Dollar General plans a 7,500-square-foot store, just a bit smaller than Eldridge’s 9,146-square-foot store. The company plans a 6-foot privacy fence behind the property.

Ruser said the company also agreed to help pay for a water line extension, and to install a junction the council has long sought to one day extend a water line beneath U.S. 67 to reach the River Drive water line and create a loop, which can improve water service for most customers. Ruser said the loop will make future extensions easier for development to the north and west.

Brian Carter, whose family owns and farms the adjacent property said he has concerns about spreading commercial development farther north. He also opposes residential development on the remaining annexed acres.

“We don’t want to be the bad guys, but this spreads commercial zoning beyond areas that we’d intended for it,” said Carter, a former Princeton council member.

Carter said he’s not against Dollar General, but would prefer it be located in existing commercial areas.

Anderson property annexation

Marijo Anderson said annexing her family’s 400 acres into Princeton is the best strategy for developing a corporate campus, their dream for the rolling hills where her husband grew up just north of the Princeton town limit.

The couple is working with Iowa Economic Development Authority to certify the property as a sustainable, environmentally friendly site for a major corporation.

“The state certification process is very descriptive about what it takes to be a green business park,” Marijo Anderson told The NSP.

Iowa Economic Development Authority certification manager Amy Kuhler said the Andersons have one of two Iowa sites seeking this type of certification.

Once completed, the state will help market the property for “everything from advanced manufacturing or even a biosciences facility,” Kuhler said in an interview with The NSP. Authority marketing manager Kanan Kappelman envisions a corporate headquarters.

That’s the Andersons’ preference. Scott County Supervisors rezoned the land from Agriculture Preservation, which allows only farming, to Agriculture General, the first step toward development. The couple had pursued further rezoning, but dropped it last month in favor of annexing into Princeton.

Princeton ordinance says all annexed land enters the city zoned for residential development, so the council at some point will have to rezone it for commercial development. Actual development will require water and sewer service that would stretch Princeton’s capacity. That’s among the reasons the council sought the USDA grant and loan package to help pay for a second municipal well.

USDA provides $546,000 for well

Residents on March 8 also will be asked for feedback on a proposed 2018-19 city budget that will include the $546,000 grant and loan package announced Feb. 8 by council member Ann Geiger

Geiger said the USDA Rural Development program has agreed to grant the city $159,000 and loan it $387,000 for a new well. The loan agreement proposes a 2.75-percent interest rate and $16,076 annual repayment over 40 years.

Princeton public works foreman Josh Genz noted that the federal aid will likely fall short of actual well costs, meaning the council will have to plan to cover the difference.

In November 2016, the council received an engineering report that estimated $650,000 to add a critical second well to the city’s water utility. That was part of $4.7 million in water and sewer system improvements suggested by the Shive Hattery study.

Council members discussed several projects during budget work sessions this month and last.

Budget discussions included increasing city attorney spending from $8,000 this year to $15,000 next. City attorney Greg Jaeger has been present at every council meeting, and the city expects more legal needs as the Anderson project and others go forward.

Council members on Feb. 8 also discussed seeking bids for 17 acres of city-owned farmland that had been rented out for $100. Carter, the former council member, said his family has farmed the marginal land for years, mostly to control weeds that might spread to their own property. He said he has no problem with the city seeking bids.

Karen Woomert said the fire station and public works shed also need to be expanded. The city expects delivery on a new fire truck this year, and will have to get rid of an existing truck to make room in the station.

Geiger said she would like to see funding to expand city hall for more record keeping.

Employee raises

The council will also discuss employee pay raises. Karen Woomert last week proposed 3-percent cost of living raises for all city employees, effective next fiscal year, and modest merit raises, which she said hadn’t been offered in at least two years.

She also proposed 50-cent raises that would bring clerk Katie Enloe to $20.16 per hour, public works foreman Josh Genz to $21.13, and deputy clerk Patty Morgan to $13.97. Karen Woomert proposed a 25-cent per hour raise for public works assistant Ty Carstens, bringing his hourly pay to $17.01.

Woomert said all rates remained lower than comparables she reviewed from similarly sized towns.

“This will get them a little closer to the averages of other cities our size,” she said.

Council members Ann Geiger and Jami Stutting asked for more time to review the proposal that was added to the agenda the day of the meeting.

“I’m flying blind here. Can we have a chance to look at this some more? And if we agree, then we can make the raises retroactive,” Geiger said. The council will discuss raises at the next meeting.

Princeton City Council, Boll's Community Center, Dollar General, Paul Anderson, Marijo Anderson, Tim Ruser, Greg Jaeger, Princeton Zoning Commission, Brian Carter, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Amy Kuhler, Kanan Kappelman, Scott County Board of Supervisors, US Department of Agriculture, Ann Geiger, Princeton Public Works, Josh Genz, Karen Woomert, Princeton Fire Department, Katie Enloe, Patty Morgan, Ty Carstens, Jami Stutting

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