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Council prioritizes environmental testing, notes Friends of the Library purchase in Sixth Street sub area discussion
Summary
Council members urged phase 2 environmental testing for the Sixth Street sub area before committing to locating the new library or housing there; staff said Friends of the Library is pursuing a corner property adjacent to the site and that the county may have completed phase 2 testing already.
Indianola — During the study session the City Council emphasized the need for additional environmental testing in the Sixth Street sub area before finalizing plans for a new library, housing or other redevelopment.
Council members said the city has only limited, time-limited phase 1 results on the site and that phase 1 reports expire after 180 days. Several members urged staff to obtain phase 2 testing to clarify remediation needs and potential costs before the council commits to placing the library or new housing on the site.
Jackie, a city staff member, told the council she had located an email indicating the county had done phase 2 testing and said she would obtain and share those reports. Councilmembers repeatedly said that unknown remediation costs — including asbestos removal in older buildings — could make redevelopment financially infeasible and that the council should know reclamation numbers before making land-use decisions.
Friends of the Library: Councilmembers also discussed that the Friends of the Library has been working to buy a corner property adjacent to the Sixth Street sub area and that the organization is preparing to fundraise for a library site. Jackie said the corner lot currently has a residential structure that has been occupied by one family for more than a century.
Developer role and RFPs: Several council members proposed the city issue a request for proposals (RFP) to allow private developers to take on development risk, including remediation, in exchange for incentives such as proximity to the bike trail and a new civic library. Others said developers may be reluctant to take on contamination risk without incentives.
Why it matters: Phase 2 testing clarifies soil contamination and remediation scope; those results will affect whether the city or a private developer can economically build a library and housing in the sub area. Council members said the Sixth Street sub area plan is central to downtown revitalization and tax-base growth but that the scale of contamination could change feasibility.
Next steps: Council asked staff to obtain any county phase 2 reports and, if needed, to commission phase 1/2 testing to produce current environmental data. Council members also asked staff to explore using developer-led RFPs to transfer remediation risk where appropriate and to coordinate with Friends of the Library on the adjacent parcel purchase and fundraising plans.
Ending: Council agreed on the need for clearer environmental data before making decisions that would shape the sub area’s redevelopment and its potential to increase commercial tax base near downtown.
