Commission recommends rezoning near Sunset Road for Iowa Pacific Processors with added height review and limits

The Des Moines City Plan and Zoning Commission on April 17 recommended rezoning multiple parcels near 2606 Sunset Road from EX (mixed use) to I‑1 (industrial) to allow Iowa Pacific Processors to expand its meat‑processing operation and build adjacent cold storage. The commission modified staff’s initial height recommendation and added a review requirement for any requested deviation.

Planning staff explained the proposal and the site's context: the parcels abut Des Moines Waterworks Park, lie within a tree buffer close to an existing regional trail, and include an existing processing building and gravel parking. Swayoshi Chakraborty, planning staff, told commissioners the applicant’s prior site plan had proposed an 18‑foot below‑grade component and a 75‑foot building height; the site’s Superfund designation and environmental constraints now preclude below‑grade storage, so the applicant requested a taller above‑grade…