Council approves Wild Horse Ridge master plan amendment and preliminary plat after debate over park size

The City of Cedar Falls approved an amended development procedures agreement and a preliminary plat for Wild Horse Ridge additions Nov. 17 after councilors and residents debated parkland size, connectivity and long‑term neighborhood amenities.

Council discussion highlighted that new subdivision connectivity and parkland requirements are being applied to recent developments. One councilor acknowledged community concerns that the park provided in the proposed master plan could be smaller than some existing neighborhood parks and noted the ordinance change is intended to ensure future developments include park space. Jeremy Swanson (904 Cherrywood Drive) urged the council to require green space that adequately serves neighborhoods and cited parks in the city that are larger (Orchard Hill Park, Pfeiffer, Place To Play Park). “Green space is a commodity that once it's gone, we're not getting it back,” Swanson said.

Developer representative Larry Kuzmin, speaking on behalf of Midwest Development, said the developer voluntarily provided roughly twice the amount required under the not‑yet‑codified parkland ordinance and suggested options for addressing deficits (city purchase of land or other remedies). The developer and a councilor referenced slightly different acreage figures for the proposed park: a developer figure of about 2.5 acres and a staff comment that the park was approximately 2.25 acres.

Council ultimately approved the amended development procedures agreement and the contingent preliminary plat (the preliminary plat approval was contingent on the prior action). Council recorded unanimous aye votes via roll call.

Next steps: the developer projected full build‑out by about 2033–2034 for the tenth addition; council and staff discussed options for acquisitions or partnerships if additional parkland is sought in future phases.