×

Theiss farm housing to be subject of City Council attention again

The new homes proposed for the former Theiss farm in Fort Dodge will again be the center of attention for the City Council when it meets Monday.

All of the public discussion so far has been about plans for the property on the east side of Williams Drive. But the Theiss farm extends to the west side of Williams Drive also. Plans for that area will be publicly discussed for the first time on Monday.

The council will have to restart the process of rezoning some of the property on the east side of Williams Drive because of a mistake in advertising required for public hearings.

The Theiss farm was purchased last year by the city government and the Fort Dodge Betterment Foundation specifically to create a site for new homes.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S.

During that meeting, the elected officials will consider approving an agreement with Northwest Iowa Building Co. LLC, of Ankeny. Under the terms of that agreement, the company would buy 39 acres west of Williams Drive at a cost of $13,500 per acre.

The company would then build 74 single family homes, 20 duplexes and 60 rowhomes arranged in 10 buildings of six units.

A separate agreement to be considered Monday would see Windstone Circle LLC, of Fort Dodge, buy 3.75 acres on the east side of Williams Drive for $15,000 per acre. The company proposes to build 22 duplexes there, with the work to be done by the end of next year.

Northwest Iowa Building Co. LLC would also be a party to that agreement. It would purchase 37 lots along a new section of 24th Avenue North now being built at a cost of $185,000. Single family homes would be built on those lots.

The company would purchase an additional 8.7 acres for $13,500 per acre. On those acres, nine homes would be built facing Williams Drive and two homes would be built facing 21st Avenue North.

The company would also agree to build a 55-unit apartment complex and 20 duplexes.

However, the process of getting proper zoning for duplexes and apartments there will be restarted Monday.

During its Sept. 18 meeting, the council held public hearings on both zoning changes and gave approval on first reading to both of them.

It was subsequently discovered that those hearings weren’t properly advertised. So the council will start over by scheduling hearings on both for Oct. 9. The first readings of both zoning changes will also be considered at that time.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today