Iowa City Today

The North Liberty City Council was presented with a preliminary plat for a new subdivision development, as well as the drainage plan for the surrounding area, during the March 14 council meeting.

The subdivision, called the North Ridge plan, is scheduled be made up of 37 single family plots and will surround the old Alt Cemetery, which has not had a burial in over 100 years, council member Brian Wayson explained. There are two drainage courses throughout the property the developers will have to work around, and a variance was made to allow development in the residential neighborhood, as the developer had worked with the neighboring Fjords North Subdivision association to come up with an agreement and understanding.

The plan earned unanimous approval and recommendation from the planning commission. The council commended the applicant for working so closely and well with the Fjords North Subdivision and the Scanlon family, which lives and owns property in the area. The attorney for the Scanlon family addressed the council, explaining some of the particulars of the agreement, including some minor improvements and ensured access to the cemetery. He also explained that much of the utility work and infrastructure put in for the new homes would benefit the entire area and future developments.

"There were various issues concerning the use of the roadway, the drainage of surface water and any number of items," City Attorney Grant Lientz said during the meeting, "the objections that were raised by the fjords through their attorneys and through their attorney and staff reached out to Scanlon, through their attorney," suggesting the two sides reach an agreement. "We want them to get along with their neighbors and for everybody to be happy. And so, they reached an agreement, an arm's length agreement that satisfies everyone's concerns from drainage to street maintenance to any number of other factors," Lientz added.

The council discussed how roads would flow into the cemetery and where lines would be drawn. Some portions of the cemetery have never been divided into burial plots and still belong to the cemetery board. Those areas will remain with the cemetery, although community members and councilmembers agreed that the unused portions could be used as parks with many mature trees and ponds used for water management. After discussion, the council approved the plan.