The Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission recommended approval Tuesday of a rezoning and preliminary plat that would convert about 24.27 acres at the former Orange Elementary School site to a planned residential district and clear the way for a 70‑lot subdivision.

The commission voted 4–2 to recommend rezoning R‑1 (one‑ and two‑family residence district) to R1RP (planned residence) and to accept the preliminary plat for Highland Meadows, a proposal presented by Midwest Development Company and design consultants Hall and Hall Engineers.

Staff and the applicant said the project conforms to the city’s future land‑use map and is intended as infill on a former school site with existing utilities at the site boundary. “The request would not appear to have a negative impact on the surrounding area as it would qualify as infill development by going on a site with existing infrastructure in place on the borders,” City planner Joseph Gallman told the commission. Lauren Hoffman of Hall and Hall, the project planner, said, “New traffic generated by this development expected to be minimal,” and provided an engineer estimate of 49 peak AM trips and 66 PM peak trips.

Why this matters: The item drew the meeting’s largest public turnout and sustained debate. Residents pressed officials on tree removal, the loss of a large neighborhood green space created around the old school, the adequacy of water pressure and sewer capacity, and how neighbors were notified. Developers and staff said the plat preserves perimeter trees where possible, includes stormwater basins and easements already negotiated with downstream property owners, and will add sidewalks along West Orange Road and Kimball Avenue.

Key facts and conditions
- Proposed zoning change: approximately 24.27 acres from R‑1 to R1RP (planned residence district). The applicant is Midwest Development Company; Hall and Hall Engineers prepared the plans.
- Proposed build: 70 single‑family lots, average lot size 10,815 sq ft (about 0.25 acre). Lot sizes range from 6,950 sq ft (0.16 acre) to 19,186 sq ft (0.44 acre); 53 of the 70 lots (75%) are larger than 9,000 sq ft. Minimum lot width at setback shown as 55 feet.
- Tracts: developer will dedicate Tract A (4.24 acres) for streets/right‑of‑way; Tracts B and C (2.53 acres total) will be private detention/open space; Tracts D (0.02 acres) and E (0.08 acres) are planned to be deeded to adjacent property owners at 155 West Orange Road and 6114 Kimball Avenue respectively.
- Utilities and infrastructure: 8‑inch sanitary lines and 12‑inch water mains exist in West Orange Road and Kimball Avenue; overhead electric lines along the west side of Kimball. Two stormwater detention basins are shown on the plat; staff says easements to downstream neighbors were negotiated over nearly a year.
- Sidewalks and rights‑of‑way: street right‑of‑way shown as 60 feet; sidewalks on internal streets and on the bordering portions of West Orange Road and Kimball Avenue are planned at 4 feet wide.
- School impacts: City staff said the Waterloo school district, a member of the technical review committee, reported no concerns about student capacity at Orange Elementary. City planning also said the proposed development is permitted under the city’s zoning formulas and is well under the maximum dwelling density allowed by the ordinance for the site.
- Conditions recommended by staff: property limited to single‑family homes; final site plan must meet all applicable city codes and standards (parking, landscaping, drainage, grading, etc.).

Public concerns and developer responses
Residents and neighborhood speakers said the former school grounds have functioned as a large, accessible green space used for organized soccer and informal recreation and that the proposed lots and house spacing do not match the existing neighborhood’s larger lots. Several speakers likewise raised water‑pressure and storm‑sewer concerns for lower properties on Kimball Avenue. In response, the applicant’s representative said the development has been phased and will include two detention basins and that a booster pump or pressure system is under design by Waterloo Waterworks with potential construction to be completed in 2026.

Developer and neighborhood interaction
Hall and Hall reported a neighborhood meeting on July 23 with several neighborhood requests addressed in the preliminary plat: the northeast detention basin was shifted away from Orange Road to preserve a row of mature evergreens; additional curbing was added to protect an existing cemetery access; and pollinator plantings are planned near stormwater areas. Developer representatives confirmed they had obtained phase‑1/phase‑2 environmental testing and transmission to IDNR with no contaminants above regulatory levels identified.

Decision and next steps
The commission’s recommendation now moves to the City Council, which will take the final action. Commissioners and staff reminded residents that the commission’s vote is advisory and that additional technical approvals (final plat, utility construction permits, final site plan) are required before lots may be recorded or houses built.

Quotes
“New traffic generated by this development expected to be minimal,” Lauren Hoffman of Hall and Hall said about projected trip generation. “We have been in conversation with the Waterloo Waterworks. They have a firm under design to go ahead and add infrastructure out there for increased water pressure,” Community Planning Director Noel Anderson said when asked about water service.

Ending
The commission’s favorable recommendation was 4–2. Staff asked neighbors who want more direct project notices to provide contact information to the planning office; the next formal step is a City Council public hearing and vote on the rezoning and preliminary plat.