Mason council approves 710 N. Cedar as site for new public works facility

Mason City Council on March 17 approved a resolution selecting 710 North Cedar Street as the site for the city’s new Department of Public Works facility and authorized other actions needed to move the project forward.

City Manager Deborah Stewart and staff told council the city closed on the Cedar Street property the previous Friday after an abbreviated due-diligence period to determine whether the former retail/John Deere dealership building could be adapted for long-term public works use. Stewart said the wastewater treatment plant project drove the timetable: the existing DPW building will be demolished this fall while the treatment plant is under construction.

Consultant Kyle McMillan of Hobbs and Black and Public Works Director Kirk Crawford described the concept plan and constraints. They said the existing building is a concrete masonry (CMU) structure with steel roof framing and 16-foot clearance to the bottom of the joists in the main maintenance bay; that clearance and existing roof piping limit lift height for vehicle maintenance and require an addition on the west side for a taller maintenance bay. Site easements run along the Kearns Road and Cedar Street frontages and shaped portions of the yard, prompting a layout that preserves a front area for future expansion and places the salt barn where it avoids overhead-easement conflicts. Staff also identified the need for a retaining wall to hold roughly 60 feet of usable area behind the building because the lot slopes away by about 15–18 feet.

Council members pressed staff about operational details. Crawford said one maintenance bay would remain a full drive-through so fire trucks and other tall apparatus can be lifted for service. On collision protection for existing interior columns, the design team said they planned to use steel bollards — described by the architects as steel tubes filled with concrete, buried several feet and standing roughly 4–6 feet above the floor.

Stewart said the city had continued the budget and bonding steps without being site-specific so the project timeline stayed on track while site evaluation continued. She also said staff has started required regulatory review and expects the necessary state approvals before bidding. Stewart noted the city is evaluating financing options, including how existing water/sewer fund debt payments that fall off in future years could affect the project’s debt service, but she said that will be presented as part of the broader capital/budget analysis.

After discussion, the council moved and seconded resolution 2025-18 to select 710 North Cedar Street and approved it by a 7–0 vote.

The council packet includes the conceptual site plan, a first-floor layout, and a probable-cost update; staff said the full presentation and updated cost information will be added to the final packet for public review. Council direction at the meeting emphasized preserving room for future expansion and returning with regulatory approvals and final drawings before going to bid.