Cedar Falls - Hudson land spat on Monday council agenda

Jan 25, 2010 — Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier

Jon Ericson

Jan. 24, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- CEDAR FALLS -- The City Council Monday will formalize its desire to annex land along U.S. Highway 20 currently in the Hudson city limits.

The state of Iowa's City Development Board had previously had a meeting and discussed the severance request, but asked for more information, including a statement from Cedar Falls indicating its willingness to annex the land. The council will consider approving such a statement Monday.

The city of Hudson opposes the severance and instead has been developing plans to bring the needed infrastructure to the property.

Some property owners in that area, near the intersection of Hudson Road and the highway, have petioned the City Development Board to sever their properties from the city of Hudson and be annexed into Cedar Falls. The board will meet in February to consider the request.

Two of the key property owners would like to have their land developed as commercial or industrial property, but feel Hudson cannot provide the necessary infrastructure, such as water and sewer service. The Cedar Falls City Council expects it could run infrastructure to the property and fund it by using Tax Increment Financing revenue from the existing industrial park.

The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. at City Hall, Second and Clay streets.

In other business, the council will conduct a public hearing and vote on approving an extended lease for the Ice House Museum.

The city leases the land where the museum is located to the Cedar Falls Historical Society. The historical society has applied for a state I-Jobs grant to make improvements after it sustained damage in the 2008 flood.

As part of that grant, the state Department of Economic Development asks that the applicant have at least a 20-year lease. The current lease has about six years remaining and the proposal is to extend the lease to a 25-year term.

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