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Plan and Zoning Commission approves rezoning of 220 acres along East Army Post Road
Summary
The Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission on Sept. 5 approved a city‑initiated rezoning of roughly 220 acres in the Southeast Industrial Urban Renewal Area to I‑1 industrial, with staff‑recommended prohibitions on nine specified uses. Residents urged broader limits on warehouses, data centers and animal operations; commissioners discussed incentives and infrastructure concerns.
The Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission voted Sept. 5 to approve a city‑initiated request to rezone about 220 acres on the south side of East Army Post Road, just west of the bypass, from agricultural/PUD to an I‑1 Industrial District.
Bert Dross, planning staff for the City of Des Moines, told commissioners the rezoning follows a recent amendment to the city’s comprehensive land use plan that designated the area as industrial. "The area that is being proposed for rezoning to industrial is already designated as industrial on the city's comprehensive land use plan," Dross said, and staff recommended approval "subject to prohibition of these nine uses" considered least desirable in I‑1.
Why it matters: Staff said rezoning the site would make it shovel‑ready for development and help attract large‑scale industrial projects that could extend water and sewer utilities to nearby residents. Dross said the I‑1 district generally allows warehousing, light manufacturing and outdoor storage in accordance with screening and setback requirements.
Public concerns and exchange: Carol Maher, a downtown Des Moines resident who spoke during public comment, said the exclusions on the staff list (which include "adult entertainment, liquor store, tobacco") do not capture all potentially harmful modern uses. "We should really consider new economy uses that I think would be as adverse or worse…such as Amazon type warehouses that have 24/7 semi trucks moving in and out," Maher said, warning that heavy truck traffic increases air pollution, road wear and subsidized costs. She also urged excluding large data centers that "suck lots and lots of electricity off the grid" and concentrated animal feeding operations because of odor, waste and runoff concerns.
Staff and commissioners responded that some concerns fall outside zoning. A city staff member noted that many animal‑control and confinement rules "are not actually in zoning; it's in a different chapter of the city code," and that large confined operations are unlikely within city limits. Commissioners instead debated whether zoning or economic‑development incentives (such as TIF) are the right place to shape the kinds of businesses that locate in the area. One commissioner said the commission should demand clearer return‑on‑investment metrics for urban renewal incentives, citing past projects where community benefit was uncertain.
Outcome and next steps: After discussion, the commission moved and approved staff's recommendation. The rezoning was approved with the staff‑recommended prohibitions; commissioners and staff noted that final incentive decisions and any design/incentive conditions would be matters for City Council and, where applicable, the urban design review board. Dross noted future steps could include preliminary plats and site plan reviews that would return to the commission for design alternatives if required.
Votes at a glance: The commission approved the consent agenda and subsequently approved the city‑initiated rezoning (Item 3) by voice vote; the chair announced "Motion passes." Specific roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.
The commission received a brief preview of upcoming code amendments and adjourned.
