Rezoning plan for Big Cedar Mega Site moving ahead

A rezoning proposal that will make the Big Cedar Mega Site more attractive to potential large-scale industrial developers is one step closer to approval. At its Aug. 8 meeting, the Cedar Rapids City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to rezone the Big Cedar Mega Site from light industrial to general industrial. A public hearing on the rezoning was held July 25, but the council voted to defer action on the ordinance to a future meeting, citing neighboring property owners’ concerns with notification procedures. Matthew Langley, floodplain administrator with the city’s Development Services department, said the city attorney’s office confirmed that all notifications, including appropriate signage and notices, were conducted properly. He also noted that the area has long been considered a prime location for industrial development, matches existing development patterns to the east, and is in accordance with the city’s zoning plans and long-term comprehensive plan. Council member Scott Olson said he felt the rezoning is essential for the Big Cedar site to remain a viable development candidate in a highly-competitive arena, and noted new city development standards, including landscaping and setback requirements, could be applied to the area with a zoning change. “When you go through (this area) and across the street, what’s there now didn't have to meet any standards,” he said. “They've been there for years, and they're just plain ugly. So one side is ugly, and we don't want the other side to become ugly.” Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said she felt the city should support expanding development opportunities in the rapidly-expanding industrial sections of southwest Cedar Rapids. “I've been really appreciative of the partnership with Alliant, certainly with Big Cedar, and their diligence in following through with our work with Angelou Economics and identifying the industries that align with our vision for Cedar Rapids, specifically for food sciences and manufacturing,” she said. “We heard from the (Alliant) representative that they are committed to that, so I'm really encouraged by that partnership, and I want to do everything we can to help them be successful in that growing area.” The proposal would rezone two parcels comprising the 890-acre Big Cedar Mega Site, Iowa’s first certified Mega Site, which lies within the larger, 1,391-acre Big Cedar Industrial Center, established in 2016 and generally bordered by Edgewood Road SW, 76th Avenue SW, Fairfax Road and the Union Pacific Railroad. The 890-acre portion of Big Cedar proposed for rezoning was certified in October 2018 as Iowa’s first Mega Site, a designation for major industrial development sites indicating that major utility services are already in place and basic land surveys have been completed. Heather Dee, manager of real estate and right of way for Alliant Energy, said the Big Cedar Industrial Center is owned by two of Alliant’s subsidiaries, Iowa Land and Building and AE Growth and Development, both of which operate separately from Alliant’s rate payer divisions. Under the rezoning proposal, unanimously recommended for approval July 6 by the Cedar Rapids Planning Commission, the two parcels comprising the Mega Site – one currently zoned for agricultural use, the other for light industrial – would both be rezoned as general industrial, a designation more suitable for the large-scale operations being pursued for the site. To date, no developers have emerged with plans to locate within the Big Cedar Industrial Center.