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Government Notes: Linn County supervisors pass solar ordinance
Also, Cedar Rapids asks for input on westside library park
The Gazette
Sep. 25, 2023 5:00 am
The Linn County Board of Supervisors last week unanimously adopted tighter restrictions for utility-scale solar installations, settling oftentimes contentious debate over the county regulations that will guide future projects.
The three-member board also approved, 2-1, a score card to be used to assess utility-scale solar project applications, with Democratic Supervisors Kirsten Running-Marquardt and Ben Rogers in favor and Republican Louie Zumbach opposed.
The changes won’t apply to previously approved projects. The supervisors in 2022 approved three controversial utility-grade solar installations — one near Coggon and two related projects near Palo.
The 640-acre site near Coggon is developed by Idaho-based Clenera and the Central Iowa Power Cooperative. NextEra is developing two projects on more than 1,000 acres near the decommissioned Duane Arnold Energy Center nuclear plant near Palo.
Four renewable energy review committees met earlier this year and created statements that guided ordinance changes on four areas: good neighbor practices, battery energy storage systems, life cycle costs, and balancing agriculture and solar.
The supervisors have heard from people who favored and were against aspects of the new ordinance, Planning and Development Director Charlie Nichols said.
“That just reflects the nature of the compromise that we’ve taken with our code,” Nichols said.
The new ordinance calls for setbacks to be at least 50 feet from property lines and 300 feet from dwellings unless waived by the property owner. It also includes screening and noise requirements, and applicants must submit a number of plans such as a decommissioning plan.
Developers seeking rezoning would face notification requirements to inform nearby property owners and tenants of the proposed project.
“There's some other really good things in this ordinance that are going to move renewable energy moving forward, but also balancing concerned citizens and their needs, and making Linn County a good place where you want to live, grow and have your family here,” Running-Marquardt said.
Rogers said the board’s primary charge is to ensure any future solar projects considered follow code.
“Our concerns are not on if our score card or ordinance creates any undue additional challenges, whether they be logistical or financial, to a developer,” Rogers said. “ … We do want Linn County to be economically competitive. I think we can be with the score card.”
Under the score card, developers of a utility-scale solar installation would need 100 points for a project to pass.
Points can be earned by locating much of the site in a lower Corn Suitability Rating Area and using agrivoltaic practices — combining crops and solar — on the site.
“The intent is not that the score card is a poison pill,” Nichols said, and it’s likely supervisors could make changes to the score card in the future based on lessons learned once implemented.
Rogers and Running-Marquardt favored decreasing the points deducted for building a solar installation in higher CSR areas. Rogers said he wanted to make the change to help encourage these projects in Linn County.
“I don’t feel you’ll support the application when it comes before us anyway,” Rogers said to Zumbach. “ … I’m just gathering you may not support future industrial-scale solar, so that’s why I’m not really opposed to changing the score card.”
A component added to the score card since the supervisors’ second consideration was 15 points for sourcing local labor at solar project sites. Nichols said projects are too big to have all labor sourced in Linn County, but the points will serve as a mechanism to encourage use of local labor if it is available.
C.R. seeks ideas on westside library park
The city of Cedar Rapids is seeking input on a future park adjacent to the Westside Library that will be built at Wiley Boulevard and 20th Avenue SW.
A public meeting will be held from 4:30 to6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Ladd Library, 3750 Williams Blvd. SW, for individuals to share their ideas, according to a news release. There will be no formal presentation, though staff members will be on hand to answer questions.
“We are excited about this project that will meet the need for additional green space in this neighborhood and allow joint programming opportunities with the library. This will be a unique park,” Parks and Recreation Director Hashim Taylor said in a statement.
Community members will guide the park’s aesthetic, with people ranking their preferences based on the images and a draft concept plan.
More information about the project is at CityofCR.com/WestsideLibraryPark.
The permanent library will be built as a replacement to the Ladd Library, which is a leased space.
Cedar Rapids’ LightLine Loop project
The city of Cedar Rapids will hold a public meeting to share information about its LightLine Loop project — an area around Czech Village and the New Bohemia District that is being made into a community gathering space.
The meeting will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the City Services Center, 500 15th Ave. SW. For information on the project, visit CityofCR.com/LightLineLoop.
Key pieces of the project come from the Czech Village/New Bohemia Area Action Plan adopted by the City Council in 2019. The project builds upon the loop created by the Alliant Energy LightLine Bridge that connects the two historic neighborhoods as part of the grassroots ConnectCR initiative.
The LightLine Loop project is partially funded by a $3 million grant from the state Destination Iowa program, funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. It will offer amenities such as the Roundhouse and a “woonerf” street that can be used for events and will be friendly to pedestrian and bike traffic.
Lowe Park now has free Wi-Fi
The city of Marion has partnered with ImOn Communications to offer free limited Wi-Fi in some of its higher-traffic parks.
Lowe Park is the first venue to feature this service. It is now operational in the outdoor space between the Arts and Entertainment Center and the amphitheater as well as the larger ball diamonds.
Signs will include instructions for how to connect to the Wi-Fi.
Marion Dog Fashion Show seeks participants
The city of Marion is partnering with the Uptown Marion District for the 2023 Dog Fashion Show sponsored by Apple Creek Canine Resort at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Uptown Artway.
Prizes will be awarded to the winners chosen by a panel of volunteer judges. To sign up, visit https://forms.gle/FZ7n1T2fTt2bmo2x5.y
300 to look at C.R. this week
More than 300 people are expected to attend the Small Market Meetings Conference at the Cedar Rapids Convention Complex later this week.
The conference is for planners who seek locations for small to medium-size conferences. It’s the group’s first visit to Iowa, and they’ll be touring the city landmarks and restaurants, according to the Cedar Rapids Tourism Office.
The gathering “is a great opportunity to introduce planners to Cedar Rapids and show them firsthand the benefits of bringing their meetings and events to our welcoming community,” Julie Stow, associate executive director of the tourism office, said in a news release. “The long-term economic impact of this kind of exposure has the potential to represent millions of dollars.”
Small Market Meetings is a magazine focused on second- and third-tier cities and their venues.
Original Emma Goldman Clinic may become Iowa City landmark
The Iowa City Council on Tuesday voted 6-0 to approve the first reading of an ordinance that would rezone the property at 715 N. Dodge St. – the original location of the Emma Goldman Clinic -- to designate it as an Iowa City Historic Landmark.
The clinic this month is celebrating 50 years of providing health care to women. The not-for-profit independent organization was founded in 1973. It “empowers people of all gender and sexual identities in all life stages through the provision of quality reproductive health care,” according to its website. The clinic provides abortion and gynecology services, as well as education.
The rezoning was recommended by the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission. According to the commission, the property is significant “for its role in our local feminist history and women’s healthcare.” The commission found it met criteria for local landmark designation:
- Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture;
- Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship;
- Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history;
- Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.
The property is currently a contributing property in the Brown Street Historic District of Iowa City. It is zoned Medium Density Single-Family Residential Zone with a Historic District Overlay. According to city documents, in order to designate the single-family owner-occupied house as an Iowa City Historic Landmark, the rezoning process is required.
National Merit semifinalists named
Corridor high schools have announced students who are semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship. They are now eligible to compete for the prestigious scholarships, announced in next spring.
To be named a semifinalists, high school seniors must score in the top 1 percent of students nationwide on the 2022 preliminary SAT or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Semifinalists complete a detailed scholarship application with information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
Semifinalists include:
- Washington High School, Cedar Rapids: Theodore Brock and Ian McGrath.
- Prairie High School, Cedar Rapids: Rithvika Sivaprakash.
- Linn-Mar High School, Marion: Riya Anand, Pranav Chepyala, Tanvi Gopalam, Katrina Ibrahim, Sutra Iyer, Graedyn Morrissey and Melissa Wang.
- City High School, Iowa City: Sebastian Sauder and Althea Downing-Sherer.
- Liberty High School, North Liberty: Warren Faga, Aiden Gillespie, Nicholas Kerns and Leela Strand.
- West High School, Iowa City: Caleb Benson, Benjamin Ciliberto, Ryan Dick, Andrew Dong, Lillian Graham, Florence He-Yu, Kamakshee Kuchhal, Michael Lee, Jessica Li, Sebastian Rutkowski, Robert Stong, Spencer Thomas, Athena Wu and Alex Yao.
- Clear Creek Amana High School: Sarah Barloon.
Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. Gazette reporters Marissa Payne and Grace King contribute.