Linn County planning commission recommends approval of Centerpoint fringe area plan

Linn County’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 17 voted to recommend the Centerpoint Fringe Area Plan and agreement to the Board of Supervisors after a staff presentation and no public comment. Taffer Gross, senior planner with the East Central Iowa Council of Governments, told commissioners the document is a ‘‘final draft’’ that outlines coordinated planning within roughly two miles of the city boundary and maps future land-use categories intended to protect agricultural areas and direct urban-style development closer to the city.

The plan sets out two primary fringe-area designations—an updated non-metro urban reserve and a rural preserve intended to preserve agricultural operations—and includes goals drawn from the county comprehensive plan, including measures ‘‘to encourage the long-term viability of agriculture’’ and to ‘‘coordinate standards and review processes with municipalities,’’ Gross said. He also described a public-engagement process that included an open house and follow-up summaries intended to ensure local input is reflected in the draft.

Commissioners asked whether the document was finalized and where it could be viewed. Gross said the plan is a final draft and that a project web page has been set up with the materials. The commission’s action was framed as a recommendation; the Chair noted that final approval rests with the Board of Supervisors once conditions are completed and bound copies are filed with Planning and Development.

The motion to recommend approval received a second and passed on a roll-call vote. No members of the public spoke during the formal public-comment period for the item. The plan and agreement will next be considered by the Board of Supervisors per the county’s standard process for final plats and planning agreements.