(KIWA Staff Photo)Orange City, Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — Orange City is moving closer to making 23 additional development lots available on property that once housed the city’s airport.
The City Council reviewed restrictive covenants for the Industrie Centrum West Second Addition during its August 17th meeting and set a September 8th public hearing on the proposed disposal of the city-owned property.
The second addition continues redevelopment already underway at the site. City Administrator Matt Van Schouwen said the planning process separates the long-term layout from the city’s immediate construction schedule.
Four lots in the first addition are currently ready for sale. Van Schouwen expects several more lots to become available after the city completes the approval process.
Smaller Industrial and Mixed-Use Development
The property’s base zoning is industrial. Van Schouwen said Orange City’s existing development patterns helped shape the market the city hopes the subdivision will serve.
A mixed-use overlay would also permit residential development, ranging from single-family homes to denser multifamily housing. Van Schouwen offered one example of how a buyer could combine the two uses.
The city previously used a mixed-use overlay on one commercial property that already contained a residence. Officials expanded the concept after receiving inquiries about combining homes with commercial or industrial uses.
Anyone building a residence in the new subdivision would face an additional disclosure requirement.
Lot Pricing and Interested Buyers
The proposed covenants establish different prices based on each parcel’s location and access.
Lot 28 would be priced at $40,000 per acre because it does not have street access and would need to be combined with another purchased lot.
Lot 29 carries a proposed price of $1. Van Schouwen explained the unusual figure.
The hangar was previously used to store the company’s corporate airplane and is now used for storage.
Other Council Business
The council also accepted the completed St. Paul Avenue sidewalk project and approved its final payment and closeout documents.
The approximately half-mile trail runs along the east side of St. Paul Avenue between the Highway 10 roundabout and Second Street Southeast. The project was substantially completed last summer, but remaining punch-list items delayed its formal acceptance.
The final cost was $318,261, approximately 4% below the original bid. The trail provides pedestrians and bicyclists an alternative to traveling on the heavily used, rural-style roadway.
The council also approved the hiring of Seth De Jong as Orange City’s new parks supervisor. De Jong grew up in Orange City, graduated from Northwest Iowa Community College’s carpentry program, and spent the past nine years working for a local homebuilder.
He will work under the city’s parks and recreation director, helping oversee park maintenance, mowing, tree trimming, equipment, seasonal parks, and employees.
