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Commission recommends rezoning two Cedar Cross Road lots from R1 to R4 despite neighborstraffic, drainage concerns
Summary
The Zoning Advisory Commission voted to rezone 405 and 575 Cedar Cross Road from single-family (R1) to multi-family (R4). Residents testified about traffic, runoff and lack of sidewalks; staff said development would still require site-plan review and possible traffic and stormwater mitigation.
The Zoning Advisory Commission voted to recommend rezoning two adjacent parcels at 405 and 575 Cedar Cross Road from R1 (single-family) to R4 (multi-family). The motion passed on a roll-call vote and the recommendation will go to City Council on March 17 for final action.
Julie Merfeld, who identified herself as representing Merfeld Properties, told commissioners the applicants are seeking rezoning for marketing purposes and said they do not intend to develop the properties themselves. “We are purely rezoning it for marketing purposes. We have no intention ourselves of developing it,” Merfeld said.
Multiple neighborhood residents spoke in opposition during the public hearing, citing traffic, stormwater runoff and insufficient pedestrian infrastructure. Jessica Kemp said long-standing concerns raised in earlier hearings had not been addressed: “We now have had this raised for the third time in less than 2 years with all of our major concerns that were presented previously, none of which have been addressed or modified,” Kemp said. Other speakers, including Ellen Jillin and Adam and Caitlin Kaiser, described frequent congestion on Cedar Cross Road and limited sidewalk connectivity; several cited the nearby 180-unit project and tournament traffic at the Dubuque Sports Complex as compounding factors.
Associate Planner Sheena Moon provided staff clarifications. Moon said a traffic study mentioned by residents was conducted for the separate 180-unit development down the road and led to a recommendation for a left-turn lane into that project; she added that traffic counts cited in discussion included a peak figure of roughly 12,000 trips and an average annual daily count near 9,80010,000 on that corridor. Moon also explained development controls that would apply if the parcels are developed: R4 permits multifamily buildings up to 12 units per building without additional approvals, but the number of units on a given lot is constrained by bulk regulations, parking and other site requirements. She told the commission that, under current lot sizes, the smaller parcel (405) would allow up to seven dwelling units and the larger parcel (575) up to 12 units without a conditional-use permit; any development of three or more units would require site-plan review and stormwater analysis.
Commissioners debated those constraints and neighborhood concerns before voting. The commissionrecorded votes were: Christ (Aye); Freustat (Aye); Norman (Nay); Russell (Aye); Mulligan (Aye). The motion passed and will be forwarded to City Council on March 17.
Staff noted that rezoning alone does not authorize construction: any future multifamily development would require site-plan review, applicable engineering approvals (including stormwater control), and any traffic mitigation identified by city engineers or the development-review process.
