Council approves 180-unit Cedar Cross Road planned development after traffic, amenities review

The Dubuque City Council on Feb. 17 voted 7-0 to rezone an 11-acre parcel on Cedar Cross Road from C-3 general commercial to a planned unit development with a PR planned-residential designation, clearing the way for a proposed 180-unit apartment complex by Callahan Construction.

Planning services director Wally Wernemont told the council the applicant’s concept calls for six buildings totaling about 180 apartments, a clubhouse, pickleball courts, a detention basin and internal circulation. Utilities are available at the site, he said, and the project will be reviewed by the city’s development review team for traffic, parking, lighting, stormwater and landscaping requirements.

The developer presented the plan at the meeting and said the project would be built in three phases, with each phase roughly a year apart. “Lot 1, Lot 2, Lot 3 — hopefully we are looking at one year for each phase,” the developer said, adding that off-site turn-lane work and other access improvements would be completed during the first phase.

Wernemont said the applicant provided a traffic study showing the need for turn lanes and other access improvements; city engineering has reviewed that analysis. He also said the development will exceed the municipal parking minimum of 1.5 spaces per unit and will include some enclosed garage parking on the first floor of buildings. Building heights were described as mostly three stories with a 50-foot maximum under the proposed regulations.

Council members asked about lighting, transit access and how the phasing would affect traffic. Wernemont said the unified development code requires photometric plans that limit light spillover and that planning staff is coordinating with the transit department about existing routes and potential bus stops. He said sidewalks will be required to connect the development to the wider Cedar Cross Road sidewalk network and that the project is about a half-mile from a large commercial center that includes a grocery store and big-box retailers.

Joey (Joel) Callahan of Callahan Construction said the project’s parking, access and stormwater elements will be delivered as part of phase one. Councilmember Farber pressed for clarification on timing for intersection and turn-lane construction; Wernemont and the developer said off-site improvements tied to the first phase would be in place before the first residents move in.

The council waived the usual three readings and adopted the ordinance at final consideration by a 7-0 vote. Written input from two neighbors, Bob and Karen Knepper, was filed with the clerk and noted in the record.

Nut graf: The rezoning advances a relatively large suburban infill multifamily project that city staff says meets comprehensive-plan goals for housing variety, proximity to jobs and added neighborhood amenities. Council approval moves the proposal to the site-plan and development-review stage, where details including traffic lanes, stormwater detention, lighting and transit connections must be resolved before building permits are issued.

Background and next steps: The council’s approval allows the applicant to proceed to the city’s development-review team for site-plan approvals, detailed engineering, and the required permits. The developer and planning staff said they expect the work to be phased; the city’s engineering review will determine final roadway modifications and the timing of any required public improvements.

Ending: The council vote was unanimous. The ordinance changing the zoning was adopted on final reading and the project will return to staff for design-level review and permitting.