Council wants planning commission to determine if use is acceptable
Staff writer
Uncertainty as to whether a car towing and recovery business could be located at Marion Industrial Park led Marion City Council to table a request Monday afternoon.
City economic development director Doug Kjellin had asked the council to consider a short-term lease agreement with Auto House of Galva who had purchased lots at the city’s business park for a used car lot and towing business.
Kjellin said the company wanted to begin operations sooner than it will take for a new building to be constructed and considered the city’s shell building to be an acceptable option.
The lease would be $200 per month and the building would be used to store two wreckers and vehicles that are recovered and towed by the company. Those vehicles could include vehicles that had been involved in accidents and/or inoperable.
Kjellin made it clear that all of the operations would be contained inside the building. No signs or other identification would be necessary and no electricity would be needed.
“My interpretation of the zoning regulations is that this would be allowed,” Kjellin said.
He continued that the exterior of the building and property would look no different than it does now.
With that, councilman Gene Winkler made a motion which was seconded by Bill Holdeman to allow the company to lease the building.
Councilman Steven Smith didn’t want the council to “push it through rather than putting it in front of the planning commission first instead of being in the same position as we’re in now” referring to a lawsuit filed against the city regarding a truck parking lot.
City attorney Dan Baldwin reminded the council that the planning commission does not make these type of decisions and suggested having the commission write a letter of opinion.
“I don’t want to see the planning commission serve as a clearing house,” Baldwin said. Instead he wants to see the commission, board of zoning appeals, and council working together.
Mayor Mary Olson said Kjellin should be using the planning and zoning boards but Baldwin disagreed. Smith said he wasn’t comfortable in making a decision without it going in front of the other board.
“Shouldn’t the city show a little aggressiveness here and say we want them here?” councilman Stacey Collett asked. “I don’t see a problem with this.”
The planning commission will meet Tuesday and will be asked to review the council’s request. The council then may call a special meeting the following day to review the outcome and make a decision.
After all was said, the council amended the motion that was on the floor and instead of approving the lease arrangement, the motion allowed Baldwin to draft a lease agreement and a proposal for the planning commission to review. That motion passed 5-0.
Later in the meeting, during the public forum segment, Marion Economic Development Inc. Chairman Todd Heitschmidt expressed his concerns about the council’s inability to make development decisions.
He pointed out that the council appeared to be in favor of the lease arrangement but couldn’t commit without input from the planning commission.
“I’m concerned with the approach of the council when the council has the final say,” Heitschmidt said. “You indicate that you want to say ‘yes,’ but what if the planning commission says ‘no’?”
He continued that he was very concerned with the process and the personalities that are driving the process and causing problems.
“The city may have given up $200 per month rent but are you willing to give up a half-million dollar project because it has to go back and forth before approved by the council?” Heitschmidt asked.
Smith said he agreed with what Heitschmidt said but also knows that Kjellin would tell the council if there was a danger of the city losing a deal.