By Tamara Browning
Index correspondent
A Muscatine property owner is another step closer to having her residential property zoned R-2 Residential District from its existing C-1 Commercial District classification.
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 5 approved an ordinance on first reading to rezone approximately .23 acres in Montpelier Township from C-1 Commercial District to R-2 Residential District. The Muscatine County Zoning Commission approved on July 12 at a public hearing the request of Regina Noll to have her property at 3889 Hwy 22 in Muscatine rezoned.
“Through the process of selling her property, the applicant learned that it was zoned C-1 Commercial District, despite the land use having been residential for over 75 years,” the “Zoning Commission Development Report” said.
Eric Furnas, Planning, Zoning and Environmental administrator, said during the public hearing regarding Noll’s request on Aug. 5 at the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors’ meeting that the lot has been used for residential purposes for decades.
“The commercial zoning was discovered when the owner listed the property for sale and was not even aware that years and years ago kind of around the intersection of Zachary and 22 there’d been laid out some commercial district,” Furnas said at the hearing. “The majority of that district … has been used residentially since that time, so these are considered nonconforming uses.”
The existing dwelling on Noll’s property is considered a nonconforming land use, and as such lenders may not provide financing “for a property that cannot automatically be reconstructed in the event of a fire or other disaster,” the “Zoning Commission Development Report” said.
A nonconforming “residential structure may or may not be able to be rebuilt in the event of a fire or severe natural disaster, which gives lenders a lot of heartburn,” Furnas said. “There’s not enough commercial development demand or really space in there to be a viable commercial lot.”
Master agreement, service orders
The board approved an updated master agreement with Horizon Architecture for service orders. Three service orders that will begin in fall 2024 with “substantial completion” in spring 2025 also were approved.
The “Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Owner and Architect for Services” presented by Michael Nolan of Horizon Architecture will apply to all service orders to which Muscatine County and the architect agree. A service order and the master agreement form a service agreement.
Supervisors approved three Horizon service orders Aug. 5:
Maintenance and repairs to the Muscatine County Administration Building, $15,000;
Maintenance and repairs on the Muscatine County Community Services Building, $34,500;
Muscatine County Jail and Deputy’s Quarters maintenance project, $15,000.
The board also:
Accepted a proposal from Accurate Controls Inc. for the base bid of $78,200 to add 40 card readers to the Muscatine County Jail. The readers would be added to the existing system.
Accepted an estimate of $45,959.89 from Eastern Iowa Electric LLC for work in preparation for the installation of the card readers.
Approved a resolution suspending the collection of taxes of Robert Vanacker who owns property in Fruitland.
The suspension includes collection of “special assessments, rates or charges, interest, fees and costs for the current year and those unpaid from prior years,” the resolution said. “As long as the petitioner is authorized by DHS no interest accrues during suspension but payments can be made.”