[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6429525,"mediaKeyId","5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7","parentId",5900765,"title","Cedar Falls City Council approves amendment clarifying land use permit requirements","audioSeconds",2260,"startMs",806000,"endMs",3066000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7&start=806&end=3066","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7/thumbnail_806000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6429525/Cedar-Falls/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Cedar-Falls-City-Council-approves-amendment-clarifying-land-use-permit-requirements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429525-f3ae9aef71df18b523c9db1c3b41f0d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159160&Signature=A7y1yOmE80JSWjVVrolDjolO44S43~KC0iY5YJYNB2aklGN1AJNRfxMFwfiyd4hSAPoQG94crrg0sp3Wc1L3VDGrHqj-XMT8JczMvzpiz~rHvu3hRVF4LxKd9nN7dC6WrYteG9y8c7zWqVBxgdjH6qbRdprgrF5fjceiUNPcyrJERNZ0O2~zJ7qf5exapnbp03yDgFw~5b5LMcHa7b5uMYiDGgGPAx2yDmtEMK-yRE8Rw91xsuC47YL2QxeJHrP3ZCfzXxU04hGskshEIdn5ruoVx6hP2hdT7wfltFCtoJSgnXyR4pfpTI4P7QiLCn1CgJhsIhYqWgEIVrvbNAZqRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cedar Falls","date","2025-10-07T01:32:19Z","article","The Cedar Falls City Council on Oct. 6 passed an ordinance to clarify the city’s land use permit requirement in Chapter 26 of the zoning code, a change staff said aligns written rules with current practice.

City planning staff presented the amendment, saying the zoning ordinance previously treated the land use permit inconsistently: some development activities explicitly required a permit while others only implied it. The text change adds a clear statement that a land use permit must be obtained and the appropriate fee paid before certain activities, lists those activities, specifies the application process and establishes an appeal path if an applicant believes staff misapplied standards.

The item drew extended council discussion and public comment. Resident Craig Fairbanks asked whether routine work such as repaving an existing driveway or placing a temporary storage container would now require a land use permit; staff responded that the intent is to require a permit where the code includes standards for an activity (for example, driveways and temporary storage are regulated elsewhere in the code) and that many routine cases are handled quickly at the planning counter. Staff said the typical land use permit fee is $45 and that most simple permits are issued on the spot, though more complex matters can take longer to resolve.

Public commenter Kim Jordan raised broader fiscal and traffic concerns related to local projects, and the council discussed how the permit interacts with nonconforming features such as older “bump-out” driveways. Staff and council said the amendment does not change substantive standards for setbacks, easements or legal nonconforming status (those remain set in other code sections); the ordinance clarifies the process the city uses to check compliance with those standards and to work through exceptions when appropriate.

Councilors also questioned whether the change effectively formalizes past practice and whether some property owners who previously repaired features without city review would now need to obtain permits. Staff said the rules for driveway widths, setbacks and nonconforming conditions already exist elsewhere in the municipal code and that the amendment’s purpose is to make the requirement and the process explicit and consistent.

After debate—and a successful motion to end debate—the council moved to a roll call and approved the ordinance on its first consideration.

The ordinance directs staff to publish the clarified land use permit language in Chapter 26 and to continue administering permits under the clarified process. Council members said they expect staff to continue informal, quick reviews for straightforward cases while using the formal permit process for matters that require review of code conformance or potential exceptions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cedar Falls City Council Meeting: October 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City Council adopted an ordinance clarifying when a land use permit is required in the zoning code, standardizing application procedures and an appeal process after staff and council debate over driveway, temporary storage and nonconforming-use concerns.","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},6429520,"Votes at a glance: Cedar Falls council approves several code updates, appointments and routine items",5370,5376000,5834,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7&start=5376&end=5","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7/thumbnail_5376000.jpg","/articles/6429520/Cedar-Falls/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Votes-at-a-glance-Cedar-Falls-council-approves-several-code-updates-appointments-and-routine-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429520-7b533d76058e54fdf9d74e46ceaadb98/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159160&Signature=hZFitgxpR8wNLWbTmA7L2n7Ss72-EnDSeXrDoTl5tC0eV1y30SJ6pCCvBnPSmf2zNud0HkiJKG2x7pUME~mXjgYikLAIgrA7jvIuoWFOug6vab~HJdn-kK2AFbK5sdXuOshAL-1ptti0g3ij8~E-YlIW2t7hzA7PEEQJhyogC6EPNIZ4BDWmDzqg94O1sU24rMtmCBKDR-gf0s2IQbYp9LH4ICOa0bmZd7mY6q8D3VPeZjqP6ET4d7seykeJkUs4ziWzrhb0U-Th51de-gN1S-rAjGHauEuRUgAxi4RHejiZyaYYFEooIvFjjq4Cb02PS-lCz~VH39O6NZbyq3lBWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its Oct. 6 meeting the Cedar Falls City Council approved several ordinances, resolutions and routine items by roll call or consent. Key items acted on with little or no extended debate included:

- Ordinance No. 3,123: Amending Chapter 17 (Nuisances) relative to nuisance definitions and abatement responsibility — passed on third and final consideration.

- Ordinance No. 3,124: Amending Chapter 17 (Traffic regulations) and Chapter 23 (Definitions) relating to operation of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) on streets — passed on third and final consideration.

- Continuance: The council continued the public hearing on proposed National Electrical Code amendments in Chapter 7 (Buildings and Building Regulations) to Oct. 20, 2025.

- Consent calendar: Items 9 through 13 were approved by a single voice vote (items listed in the meeting packet; no individual items were pulled for separate discussion).

- Resolution calendar: Resolutions 14 through 50 (excluding item 15) were approved by roll-call vote as a package; item 15, the appointment of the University of Northern Iowa student liaison, was approved separately.

- Appointment: The council appointed Didi Benton as the University of Northern Iowa student liaison to the council; Benton introduced herself at the meeting and said she is a junior at UNI and a lifelong Cedar Falls resident.

Councilors used a combination of voice votes, roll-call votes and unanimous consent for routine business; several ordinance items not on the primary debate agenda were approved without extended discussion.","On Oct. 6 the council approved a package of ordinances and resolutions, including nuisance and UTV code updates, continuation of code hearings, consent calendar items and the appointment of a UNI student liaison.",{"_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},6429522,"Council lowers parking minimum for studios and one-bedrooms to one space per unit",1504,3867000,5371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7&start=3867&end=5371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7/thumbnail_3867000.jpg","/articles/6429522/Cedar-Falls/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Council-lowers-parking-minimum-for-studios-and-one-bedrooms-to-one-space-per-unit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429522-f52418cbe6b958b241bb36abf4db9c2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159160&Signature=SaothosNBdQbsClT~iHdUO1VTGhavCPrn7N8QWwFBSXNITAfwYWc9btGcVostoeqe5N2Z4VyR90E3xRxRIJCs3UZv5h2gDZDOalXTysCHWLW1dpw3PXOxRzdfM0Gd1KfECsitN24BGl4lDiQ0mNb8a4DlWrueRwbWd0NWuA33SpLybLZwfBgOByADtj0r8r~YwfkBfjC79blLIlWSMi~6uc8E1qUtTA-3VXE36Y2Hup0PtapuZ1ypi6dNxJ9HUKzOSDP26oKO1II5Kyohn9MMBxQoujS7u22~eWZ~SKRiUqhr2NaapbFxjfzlr0wpRE4pHmCi-CZw-lSlMJfwRd8Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cedar Falls City Council voted Oct. 6 to amend Chapter 26 of the zoning code to reduce off-street parking minimums for studio and one-bedroom apartments in multiunit buildings to one parking space per unit.

Planning staff presented background showing Cedar Falls’ current requirement produces among the highest parking-per-unit requirements in comparable Iowa cities. Under the current standard, studios and one-bedroom units are treated on a per-bedroom basis that produces about 2.2 parking spaces per unit for studios and one-bedroom units. Staff supplied a comparison across Iowa cities and said many communities require one space per studio unit; Urbandale and Waukee were cited as recent local examples with lower requirements.

Staff also showed how the change would affect an approved development: the 195-unit Cedar West Apartments (a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units) currently calculates to 428 required parking spaces under the old standard; the proposed change would reduce that requirement to 353 spaces for that development, saving roughly 18,000 square feet of pavement compared with the existing requirement. Staff emphasized that developers often build more parking than the ordinance minimum and that the amendment aims to reduce unnecessary building costs and promote affordable units.

Councilors asked technical questions about definitions (the code does not specify a studio square-foot cap; a one-bedroom is distinguished by a separate room with a door), visitor parking and whether employee-parking requirements elsewhere in the code were preserved or relocated; staff said some language was reorganized and one employee-parking requirement was removed as part of the cleanup.

Some councilors proposed exploring a square-footage-based standard (for example, different requirements for studios under a size threshold), and a councilor asked staff to take further study to Planning & Zoning if the council preferred a different approach. After discussion, the council approved the ordinance changing the parking minimum to one space per studio/one-bedroom unit and made other wording cleanups; Planning & Zoning had recommended approval 7–0.","The council amended Chapter 26 to change parking requirements for studio and one-bedroom units from roughly 2+ spaces per unit to a standard of one space per studio/one-bedroom (with visitor parking rules retained), to help reduce development costs and encourage affordability.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6429523,"Council adopts changes to allow accessory dwelling units consistent with new state law",882,3044000,3926000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7&start=3044&end=3926","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900765-ea4d42848b1344d2f6aa74dff13641a7/thumbnail_3044000.jpg","/articles/6429523/Cedar-Falls/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Council-adopts-changes-to-allow-accessory-dwelling-units-consistent-with-new-state-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429523-660e56175c3d1b59454010c3426dfec1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159160&Signature=nFmCMKbMCnhqwBGZxOP3F9mswK3zxqQupIeeQYjgQFsJdYSGY8fD2SUA4uPcFXk0J9IYlAsWqcOHox1tYBarsEDwrmFMPDz6oVMzEVSqNytTWCRhK1fj2K9vjM713A~HUmvbgE-W3ieZn~MjPZB6azTcNq322bI6qolxxImFY8BU0FT~EyJ2Rl0fJGJ4II4a~Rb5Q7Ik-IMvhx-Y3yQHmUPcBCJmmkeMqOIZc0CQfsV7ig-yAWy1o~WpP8Cs~r5iV1LNeTVpKw4aq0HfUBMoDrLliUFsr4SaJNQhCuafiDHbnmWsKDWrpp4jDOGNMYDpuicHP1n~HbwyxztVhzaJ3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cedar Falls City Council voted Oct. 6 to amend Chapter 26 of the zoning code to update local rules governing accessory dwelling units so they comply with Iowa Senate File 592, the state law signed earlier in 2025.

Planning staff told the council the state law requires jurisdictions to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit on any lot with a single-family residence and limits local restrictions: local governments may not set maximum ADU size below 1,000 square feet, may not impose height, setback or minimum-lot-size limits stricter than those that apply to the principal dwelling, may not require design materials to match the principal dwelling, may not require additional parking beyond what is required for the principal dwelling, and may not impose owner-occupancy requirements.

To mirror those requirements, staff proposed several changes: removing the owner-occupancy requirement, allowing up to two bedrooms in an ADU (a council-requested change), clarifying that ADU height cannot exceed the principal structure’s allowable height under the underlying zoning district, deleting design-and-material-matching standards, and modifying basement-egress-window rules (staff proposed changing the requirement to one egress window per bedroom). Staff also moved to eliminate an eight-foot separation standard for detached accessory structures because the building code already governs fire- and spacing-related issues.

The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the draft and recommended approval by a 7–0 vote. Public comments at the hearing were limited: Craig Fairbanks expressed support for the changes and said allowing two bedrooms is useful, while Kim Jordan raised concerns about stormwater, insurance and consistency with covenants in newer subdivisions. Staff responded that standard stormwater and detention requirements apply when new construction reaches thresholds that trigger them and that homeowners associations (HOAs) can still enforce covenants independently of zoning; the city does not enforce private covenants.

Councilors discussed the state law’s limits and acknowledged the directive to bring local ordinance language into conformance; several council members said their votes reflected a desire to comply with state requirements rather than endorsement of every policy detail. After discussion, the council approved the ordinance on first consideration with a roll call vote and accepted planning staff’s recommended language.","Council approved zoning changes to align local accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules with Iowa Senate File 592, removing owner-occupancy and some design limits while clarifying size, height and other provisions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cedar Falls City Council approves amendment clarifying land use permit requirements

Votes at a glance: Cedar Falls council approves several code updates, appointments and routine items

Council lowers parking minimum for studios and one-bedrooms to one space per unit

Council adopts changes to allow accessory dwelling units consistent with new state law