Council affirms board of adjustment action allowing seasonal retreat use in Western Hills after neighborhood debate

The Sioux City Council voted to acknowledge on Monday a Board of Adjustment decision that granted a one‑year conditional use to allow leadership retreats and a bed‑and‑breakfast–style operation at a privately owned property in the Western Hills neighborhood near West 30th and Amanda Street.

Neighbors urged the council to remand the decision back to the Board of Adjustment, saying mailed notices were vague and that the proposed use — described by the applicant as seasonal retreats with yoga, small groups and quiet activities — would increase traffic, dust on gravel roads and overnight occupancy. The board’s action was upheld by council vote with three members in favor, two opposed and one abstention, according to the meeting record.

The applicant, Debbie LaCroix, told the council the proposed operation would be seasonal (she said the retreats would primarily run March through October), would host small groups, and that she was open to meeting neighbors and holding an open house. “These retreats are big in other cities,” LaCroix said. “It’s offering a peaceful space for wellness, growth, and connection.”

Resident John Fitch, who lives in the neighborhood, told the council he and many neighbors received a single line in the mailed notice and did not have the full application details. “We weren’t given the right information. We were told it was gonna be a bed and breakfast, and it’s not,” Fitch said, criticizing the process used by the Board of Adjustment and the level of review of issues such as traffic and parking. Fitch said petitioners representing about 55 nearby homes had signed a petition asking the council to send the matter back so planning staff could answer specific neighborhood concerns.

Jake Natwick, the attorney representing the applicant, said the application was processed under the municipal code category “bed and breakfast home,” and that the application met the code criteria for that category. “It does actually meet the requirements for the bed and breakfast home,” Natwick said, noting application materials were part of the public record and available to those who requested them.

Other neighbors raised concerns about narrow gravel roads, lack of sidewalks, and dust from additional vehicle traffic. “There are people out walking on a gravel road and the traffic just makes it miserable,” said Janice Newsome, who lives at the corner of West 30th and Amanda. Louis Engel, another resident, described locations on his property where larger vehicles can barely pass.

Cheryl Hansen, the property’s prior owner, and others spoke in favor of the proposed use, saying it would bring modest economic benefit and attract a low‑impact demographic. Supporters and the applicant offered to hold a neighborhood open house and consider measures such as directing guest traffic to a single ingress route and limiting events to daylight or defined hours.

Mayor Robert E. Scott reminded the meeting that the City Council’s authority in such cases is limited: the council may remand the matter to the Board of Adjustment for further review but cannot directly reverse the board’s quasi‑judicial decision. “This council can only remand back; we can’t reverse the decision,” Scott said during the discussion.

Action and vote: The council voted to acknowledge the Board of Adjustment’s action taken Sept. 23, which allowed the conditional use for one year. Meeting minutes record the outcome as “passes 3 to 2,” with one member recorded as voting “no” and Councilmember Moore recorded as abstaining. The meeting record does not list full named roll‑call votes for each member on this specific motion.

What’s next: The Board of Adjustment’s conditional approval included a one‑year review period. Neighbors and the applicant discussed holding an open house and monitoring the operation; the council urged the applicant to meet with neighbors during the coming year.