Cedar Falls council approves downtown event center, CDBG plan, land-use changes and infrastructure projects; adopts septic-to-sewer policy

Cedar Falls City Council on Monday approved a package of development, housing and infrastructure items, including a private development agreement for 315 Main Street, the city—iscal year 2026 Community Development Block Grant/HOME annual action plan and multiple public-works contracts, and adopted a residential septic-to-sanitary-sewer conversion policy.

The approvals came after public comment and staff presentations that touched on downtown parking, neighborhood density, sidewalk replacement assessments and the fiscal details of several projects.

The development agreement approved with Lawn City LLC covers the former Scratch Cupcakery building at 315 Main Street. Shane Graham, a city staff presenter, told the council the project would "invest approximately $1,000,000 into the 5,500 square foot space" and create an event and banquet center with an estimated occupancy of 175. Under the standard downtown development agreement the council authorized a 10% rebate on the increase in assessed valuation created by the project. Council members raised questions about parking impacts downtown but voted to approve the agreement.

The council also adopted the city—Y26 annual action plan for the CDBG/HOME consortium, a federal funding plan the city submits to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Melissa Denning, Community Services Supervisor, said Cedar Falls llocation for the coming year is $278,127. Denning said proposed projects include sanitary sewer lining, ADA restroom upgrades at Seerly Park, street-tree plantings, owner-occupied and tenant rehabilitation and support for local human-service agencies.

Planners presented and the council approved a future land use map amendment for the Green Hill Village area that changes a roughly 5.22-acre site from medium-density residential to low-density residential to facilitate a detached single-family development of about 16 dwellings…