A new four-story, age-restricted housing development is on its way to a northeast Cedar Rapids neighborhood. Red Door Properties of Solon plans to build the 114-unit development on a 4.2-acre property stretching from 2956, 3004, 3010 and 3016 Center Point Road NE to 3007 Oakland Road NE. The Cedar Rapids City Council on Oct. 25 […]
A new four-story, age-restricted housing development is on its way to a northeast Cedar Rapids neighborhood.
Red Door Properties of Solon plans to build
the 114-unit development on a 4.2-acre property stretching from 2956, 3004, 3010 and 3016 Center Point Road NE to 3007 Oakland Road NE.
The Cedar Rapids City Council on Oct. 25 approved a resolution amending the city’s future land use map, along with the first reading of a proposal to rezone the area from Suburban Residential Medium Flex District to Traditional Residential High Density District to accommodate the development, which will be taller and larger than most other buildings in the largely residential area.
In a public hearing for the age-restricted housing development, Cedar Rapids zoning administrator Seth Gunnerson said developers had originally planned a three-story structure on the site with approximately 100 units, but “market forces” dictated the addition of a fourth story to make the project economically feasible.
No objections were raised to the proposal in a Sept. 21 virtual neighborhood meeting, Mr. Gunnerson said.
City Council member Scott Olson, the only council member who voted against the rezoning proposal, said he was concerned about the size of the building. He also asked if the virtual neighborhood meeting was accessible to the majority of the neighborhood’s residents.
“I know we looked at this before, but the scale of this building surprised me,” he said. “Just my thoughts. It just seems large.”
Council member Dale Todd expressed similar concerns, particularly around stormwater detention to prevent excess runoff to the nearby McLoud Run, the state’s only urban trout stream.
“When you look at it with the context of the other two large (apartment) buildings that are there now, it puts a lot of stress on McLoud Run, especially when there’s a (weather) event,” Mr. Todd said.
The development’s unit density, of about 26 units per acre, will slightly exceed the rezoning proposal’s permitted density, so the plan will need to be approved for a Major Design Exemption by the Board of Adjustment at its Nov. 14 meeting.
The council will consider the second and potential third readings of the rezoning proposal at upcoming meetings.
Also Oct. 25, the council:
- Approved the first reading of an ordinance to rezone a building formerly owned by Alliant Energy at 1017 12th Ave. SW. Linn County has purchased the building and intends to use it for storage and as a temporary overflow shelter for the homeless during winter months. The rezoning was approved despite objections from several neighborhood residents, who cited concerns with safety and potential impacts on property values.
- Approved the first reading of a rezoning request for property at 2424 18th St. SW. Developer OFB LLC plans to build six four-plex units on the site, for a total of 24 residential units.
