Polk City divided, moving forward on development near Saylorville Campgrounds

POLK CITY, Iowa — This development is called “Allure” and it’s got just that.

Positioned between two of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa, right on highway 415. Also alluring is the fact that it’s flanked by the Cherry Glen and Prairie Flower campgrounds at Saylorville Lake — public, natural spaces that are rare in the metro.

That’s part of what has area residents upset.

“We just don’t think that apartments, commercial developments, are really consistent with the way land should be used in special places like this,” says Jon Rosmann, who lives nearby.

Monday night, the Polk City City Council took public comment on a plan to rezone the area to allow this commercial and high-density residential development to be built. It would feature 330 apartments, nine commercial units, 81 single-family homes, and at least one row of townhomes.

The development speaks to several needs in Polk City. It needs more businesses to help pay city taxes and lower the burden on homeowners who currently make up around 90% of Polk City’s property tax base.

What’s more, city officials say residents are constantly asking for more services.

“They don’t necessarily want to drive to Grimes or Ankeny every time they need something,” City Manager Chelsea Huisman told the Des Moines Business Record, “Also, commercial development pays higher taxes, and that reduces the burden on our residential homeowners.”

City leaders say those businesses want and need employees — not only to operate, but even to agree to come to Polk City in the first place.

“We have 81 businesses in town that have storefronts or commercial space that employ more than one person,” said Polk City Chamber Director Stacey Allen. “The majority of those employees are not living in Polk City and it’s because housing is very, very expensive here.”

Allen told the council Monday that more than half of the homes currently for sale in Polk City are priced at $500,000 and up.

Residents were also there in support of the project — with somewhat muted enthusiasm.

“If we think this property isn’t going to get developed at some point, we’re kidding ourselves,” said Larry Sandquist of Polk City. “This property has to get developed. We need the economic development in this town, and we need the opportunity for folks.”

The rezoning was approved by a 5-1 vote. It now moves on to the county level.

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