[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6611918,"mediaKeyId","2892831-c6c4e43762d66d2ceb4a083a7eb09b78","parentId",2892831,"title","Cedar Falls council approves roundabout, authorizes easements after public safety debate","audioSeconds",309,"startMs",4291000,"endMs",4600000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2892831-c6c4e43762d66d2ceb4a083a7eb09b78&start=4291&end=4600","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2892831-c6c4e43762d66d2ceb4a083a7eb09b78/thumbnail_4291000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6611918/Cedar-Falls/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Cedar-Falls-council-approves-roundabout-authorizes-easements-after-public-safety-debate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6611918-067ed9271d7f9a997c1cd01b5ccc76dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184344&Signature=lb8gH8QPiywFI~48gHa6Ox0K81UyLWLMmB~DlcTADHBU93Yp7IcwqCJp8MhBIj1rBG0bidNNJJdNehwRGnP2k1xUuF5CjK7wYBluBqgm6iUF~CSB7NaPmAaX4A9WCHYB1c3LmF7rSIM5UF7~eJnR0GYh1Jrhy-YeIyElzHzatAtoBpjIeoa9hZ2a0sBMeFLF9BTBQimsul2HlQh7WTczth~MI8a8mG2n-9AHUPC-xJUJ93ADrbqDPks5BOzpaznh8QUJoOK648WylfUEdlfiRRU7CoXYcA1GLmEs49VYh1TqrpQoPnW7Encfatp6aOlr5wOCU3Qy~NfivW2U4-VMCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cedar Falls","date","2025-04-08T02:08:18.623Z","article","Cedar Falls’ City Council voted April 7 to approve the Highway 57/Union Road intersection improvement project — a single‑lane roundabout — and to authorize temporary easements needed for construction and to maintain traffic during the work.

The decision followed a public hearing in which neighbors, farmers and emergency‑services advocates raised concerns about access during construction, whether large agricultural equipment could pass the new geometry and how the project would affect emergency response times.

Public works staff described the scope and the easement needs. “The city of Cedar Falls is planning to rebuild the intersection of Highway 57 and Union Road with a single lane roundabout,” Tom, a city staff member, told the council, and he said the design requires temporary easements from about nine properties so traffic can be maintained during construction.

Several speakers asked about how the final roadway would accommodate wide farm equipment. “A lot of the need for temporary easement ... in the northeast corner is to maintain traffic north south in and out of Cedar Falls,” Tom told the meeting. Council members and staff said the finished travel lanes are expected to remain as wide as today and that the roundabout will be designed to allow agricultural machinery to pass. Nick Koppel, district engineer for the Iowa Department of Transportation, said curbing will be sloped for a 45‑mph design and noted that roundabout edges typically do not use the standard vertical curb so larger vehicles have additional room.

Residents pressed whether closing any leg of the intersection for construction would affect ambulance or other emergency traffic. Staff said the planned construction would keep east‑west traffic on Highway 57 open in both directions and maintain north‑side access so ambulances can still enter and leave the city while the south leg of the intersection would be closed for construction. “All access in and out of Cedar Falls would remain,” a staff member said.

Speakers who live near the intersection urged consideration of nearby traffic patterns and enforcement. “If we're going to put this roundabout in, why don’t we put it immediately after that and set it to 35 miles an hour?” said Todd Draper, citing safety and enforcement needs. The council and DOT agreed to monitor operations after construction and to perform a post‑construction speed study; DOT representatives advised letting traffic “shake out” for a period before adjusting limits.

Several speakers also urged the city to consider whether a single‑lane roundabout was sufficient for future traffic growth. Engineers warned that building an oversized (two‑lane) roundabout prematurely can create safety and operational problems; they recommended designing for current traffic with the potential to expand in the future if warranted.

After the public hearing and discussion with DOT staff and the city’s consultants, the council adopted a resolution approving the public‑improvement project and authorizing acquisition of the temporary easements needed to construct the roundabout. Council members voted by roll call; the clerk announced the motion carried.

The design and construction schedule will be carried out jointly with the Iowa DOT, which retains authority over speed limits on Highway 57. City staff said they will return with further details on construction staging, the easement process and post‑construction monitoring.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cedar Falls City Council Meeting: April 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Cedar Falls’ City Council voted April 7 to approve a single‑lane roundabout at the Highway 57/Union Road intersection and to authorize temporary easements needed for construction.","taxTitle","Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa","taxId",51799,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6611907,"Votes at a glance: Cedar Falls council actions, April 7, 2025",568,2382000,2950000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2892831-c6c4e43762d66d2ceb4a083a7eb09b78&start=2382&end=2950","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2892831-c6c4e43762d66d2ceb4a083a7eb09b78/thumbnail_2382000.jpg","/articles/6611907/Cedar-Falls/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Votes-at-a-glance-Cedar-Falls-council-actions-April-7-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6611907-d02abe4990c911fcb9f76833fae3a4b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184344&Signature=VDgIM~Y2SADehLlOM3DqUiCzWn8P3TqW6k0iAm~Q6nWvFY1h1pQr4K1DLQca8pZNU~v84Y0xjtEuXiLNI5ALJZ1LfKLUNm9XMx9oDnv8INXjLm62F7hHnSRQtYJkbevpcB7eWfhtDNOvwnMjH4QbtHaEtjm801u-r48j1EOSUsfUw-fqqftlXMUvZBXEDsmkIU3dEcG1gc~o4TshDJ-lB0W7r9JMGWMa5Lk2bJHr32u0wr8wLylwBJkWgY2z-I~qlSOUH2hDNPohqPM98Eo3Krqvle~zvRZMvPobO8hDtzLFVUlXY4G89rFUc032sjIecE48rknZpcNoddqQKQbJvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Cedar Falls City Council took these formal actions at its April 7, 2025 meeting. Items listed below were approved by the council during the meeting unless noted otherwise.

Key votes and formal actions

- Third amendment to Central Park cell tower option lease (GTP Acquisition Partners 2 LLC): Council approved a third amendment to the option/lease for the Central Park cell tower. The amendment reduces the annual escalation rate from 4% to 3%, adds two additional five‑year extension options (up to 10 additional years of revenue) and provides a $10,000 signing bonus to the city. City staff described current annual lease income of roughly $40,000 and noted the tradeoff of slightly lower escalation in exchange for longer guaranteed revenue. (Resolution approving and authorizing execution of third amendment.)

- Ordinance amending ward and precinct boundaries: Council approved an ordinance to amend wards and precincts to incorporate recently annexed territory adjacent to the West Viking Road Industrial Park. The item followed a public hearing and staff explanation that the annexation had been approved by the Iowa City Development Board earlier that year.

- Development agreement with Cedar Falls Municipal Utilities (CFU) for South Cedar Falls Urban Renewal Area: Council authorized a development agreement to allow CFU to extend utilities to city‑owned property along Ridgeway and Hudson Road; the agreement enables reimbursement through tax‑increment financing (TIF) for CFU’s utility project.

- Cedar Falls Historic Core Urban Revitalization Plan: Council adopted the city’s Historic Core Urban Revitalization Plan and passed related ordinances. The plan authorizes tax exemptions for qualifying improvements inside the downtown core (10‑year residential exemptions for 10% valuation increases; commercial options for three years at 100% or a 10‑year partial exemption for 15% valuation increase). The plan does not exempt the school tax levy.

- Highway 57 / Union Road intersection improvements (roundabout): Council approved the public improvement project and authorized temporary easements from approximately nine properties to allow construction and maintain traffic flow during staging. The project is being delivered jointly with the Iowa DOT.

- West 20 Third Street reconstruction (Hudson Road to Campus Street): Council approved plans, specifications and an engineer’s estimate for reconstructing West 20th/Third Street; the total estimated construction cost is just over $2.6 million. Staff said the cost will be largely funded by local option sales tax, the street construction fund and special assessments; about half of the cost is expected to be borne via special assessment to the University of Northern Iowa.

- Multiple ordinances and code amendments: Council passed a slate of second‑reading ordinances on topics including campus‑street vacation, police and fire acting‑chief provisions in the municipal code, business‑license rules for mobile merchants, tree and sidewalk regulations, sidewalk café operations, contractor insurance and traffic/mobility device code changes. One traffic‑code change prompted council and public questions about a sentence governing pedestrian and bicycle conduct at red lights; the city attorney said he would re‑review the provision for clarity.

- Appointments: Council approved mayoral appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission (Michael Minky, Jim Olaflin, Lindy Rolfes).

Meeting context and next steps

Several items that require additional follow‑up — including the roundabout’s final design details, post‑construction speed study (DOT decision), the exact terms of any development agreements under the revitalization plan, and easement closings — were assigned to staff. Council scheduled the final budget approval for April 21 and continued outreach on the strategic‑planning draft posted at cedarfalls.com/strategicplan.

Where to find records

Full motions, ordinance texts, maps and staff reports are part of the meeting packet and are available through the City Clerk’s office and the city’s website. Public notices and additional materials referenced during the meeting (for example, revitalization maps and annexation filings) were mailed per state notice rules and are on file with city staff.","Summary of formal decisions taken at the April 7 Cedar Falls City Council meeting, including lease amendment approvals, ordinances, development agreements, and public‑works project authorizations.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6611913,"Cedar Falls adopts historic‑core revitalization plan offering tax exemptions to spur downtown reinvestment",621,2855000,3476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2892831-c6c4e43762d66d2ceb4a083a7eb09b78&start=2855&end=3476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2892831-c6c4e43762d66d2ceb4a083a7eb09b78/thumbnail_2855000.jpg","/articles/6611913/Cedar-Falls/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Cedar-Falls-adopts-historiccore-revitalization-plan-offering-tax-exemptions-to-spur-downtown-reinvestment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6611913-dadab1d3bb3af2427404f7b3ef18385e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184344&Signature=Ga5OniKFObjduO8O2uX60KrpAMJ3XC2IXG14T3Ij0HXOP~dgYnChVimJjNqfF692j5wG6WOXhUaFHWPiSIiXnIKXwvGrWwDKNFz11M-IWrkufKlAg8o5JHbJGadHYR1o7snUhjrL4zcfDB87lurWaqsVDlxec6YoUnVkNKbLAOIRyregCW9KLn3fdu-vu6Brtn7wYd57XLXLGidMT~iI~ctsWnYjO~mQiex-v6hkKIBIe24MKPfWixn~6JSVsHuBj3ujvN65pG4ebd0G1pM3uz0DXzQlMtSkzObjJCMiMPlhkzi08TXjcfUu6~f5wNNKike~EPGtzX3YR4BreBDlPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cedar Falls City Council voted April 7 to adopt the city’s Historic Core Urban Revitalization Plan, a tax‑incentive program intended to encourage investment and redevelopment in the downtown and adjacent historic neighborhoods.

Staff presented the plan and a map that would expand an earlier College Hill revitalization area to cover territory generally bounded by West First Street on the north, Hudson Road on the west, University Avenue on the south and Highway 58 and the Cedar River on the east. The plan would make properties in that area eligible for property‑tax exemptions on value added by an eligible project.

Shane Graham, city planning staff, described the qualifying incentives: residential improvements that increase assessed value by at least 10 percent would be eligible for a 100 percent exemption on the added value for 10 years; commercial projects that increase valuation by at least 15 percent could choose either a three‑year 100 percent exemption or a 10‑year partial exemption. Graham noted that the plan does not exempt the school tax levy, which remains payable to local school districts.

“Many times you have that hollowed‑out effect of continual growth on the outside of town that comes at the expense of the inside of town,” a council member said, and the plan is intended to help direct reinvestment toward the city’s core, not just new developments at the periphery.

Council discussed map boundaries and whether a small cluster of three parcels south of University Avenue should be included; staff said adding parcels would require restarting the statutory notice process and a new round of mailings, which would delay the schedule by roughly a month. Council also received early public inquiries about specific parcels, including the former hospital site and the Sartori property; staff clarified that the revitalization boundary is separate from local historic‑district designations.

During the public hearing, several residents and property‑interest representatives spoke in favor of incentives to encourage rehabilitation; at least one councilmember said earlier hesitancy was overcome by the plan’s focus on reuse and the variety of eligible project options. The council adopted the plan and approved related ordinances on first and second consideration where required; staff said the plan will be used as a tool to negotiate future development agreements and that detailed requests for financial incentives would come back to council for approval.

City staff said it mailed more than 2,000 postcards to meet state notice requirements and has provided materials to interested citizens. The council unanimously approved the resolution adopting the plan and passed an ordinance designating the revitalization plan; a subsequent ordinance to formally adopt the plan also passed.","Council approved a Cedar Falls Historic Core Urban Revitalization Plan that allows property tax exemptions on qualifying residential and commercial projects in a broad downtown area, aiming to encourage rehabilitation and prevent hollowing of the historic center.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cedar Falls council approves roundabout, authorizes easements after public safety debate

Votes at a glance: Cedar Falls council actions, April 7, 2025

Cedar Falls adopts historic‑core revitalization plan offering tax exemptions to spur downtown reinvestment