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Bremer County supervisors approve rezoning for Hallbach subdivision after heated public comment
Summary
The Bremer County Board of Supervisors approved third reading of Ordinance 25-07 to rezone a parcel from A-1 to A-2 for Mark and Wendy Hallbach after extended public comment raising water, sinkhole and conservation concerns; board members said DNR permits and subdivision review steps will address runoff and drainage.
The Bremer County Board of Supervisors approved third and final reading of Ordinance 25-07 on a unanimous vote after residents urged the board to reject rezoning of land owned by Mark and Wendy Hallbach.
Supporters of denying the change — including long-time planning-and-zoning members and nearby landowners — told supervisors the parcel has agricultural value, is prone to sinkholes and could pose groundwater contamination risks if developed. "There's lots of illness," said Kathy Folkerts, citing past problems with shared wells and individual septic systems in nearby developments. She urged the board to "think about the big picture."
Supervisor Corey, who moved approval, said the process still requires the Hallbachs to submit a preliminary plat and comply with state stormwater rules. "The next step would be the major subdivision process," planning staff Lindsey said, adding that the DNR will review stormwater permit requirements once more than an acre is disturbed. Corey said county-level review will focus on mitigation measures and that benefits from residential growth "more than outweighs" county costs in his view.
Several residents recounted prior planning-and-zoning work that designated land for future housing and disputed the county's longstanding priority to retain farmland. Bruce Gipple described converting 40 acres to a conservation area and told supervisors that building houses on the parcel would eliminate habitat and conservation gains.
Board members asked planning staff to ensure runoff and septic-system issues are addressed during the major-subdivision review, and staff said stormwater retention or detention requirements and DNR permitting will apply when disturbance thresholds are met. The board voted to approve the ordinance on a motion by Supervisor Corey; the motion carried unanimously.
The ordinance's approval allows the Hallbachs to proceed to the next formal planning steps — preliminary and final plat review — and subjects the project to DNR stormwater permit rules and county subdivision standards. Residents who spoke said they may continue to press concerns during those subsequent processes.
