Black Hawk County approves rezoning to allow private landing strip at 6410 North Butler Road

The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors voted on May 26, 2026, to adopt Ordinance 77.307, rezoning 12.86 acres at 6410 North Butler Road from Agricultural to Agricultural Limited to permit a private grass landing strip proposed by applicant Nathan Ike. The measure passed after a public hearing and the board attached a condition requiring that any additional buildings in the agricultural‑limited area return to the Planning & Zoning Commission for site‑plan review.

The ordinance matters because it changes the zoning for a swath of rural land and includes an explicit restriction aimed at preventing development of dedicated aircraft facilities without further oversight. Planning staff Joseph Gallman told the board the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval unanimously and reported that nearby property owners raised questions about drainage and culvert placement under the proposed runway.

At the hearing, applicant Nathan Ike described the operation he envisions: a privately owned, grass runway roughly 2,800 feet long intended for a low‑power, two‑seat RV‑8A style aircraft, which he said is “a 180 horsepower” plane and produces noise comparable to farm equipment on takeoff. Ike told supervisors he expects limited use — “an average of two times per month” — and emphasized voluntary noise‑abatement practices and siting the runway to avoid wetlands and minimize disturbance to neighbors and wildlife.

Several nearby residents urged the board to reject the rezoning. David Ackerson, who said he lives directly east of the proposed runway, said he and his wife had recorded an overflight and found the aircraft “pretty loud,” and cited concerns about waterfowl, nesting sandhill cranes and potential impacts to a longtime privately stewarded wetland area. The applicant’s wife, Shelby Eich, countered that the family plans to keep portions of the property enrolled in conservation programs and said they would house their plane in existing Morton buildings rather than construct new hangars.

Supervisors discussed options for limiting future development and echoed Planning staff that the board could attach conditions to the rezoning. Joseph Gallman said the board could require a site‑plan review or specifically prohibit dedicated aircraft hangars in the runway safety area; the applicant indicated he would support a restriction against new hangars tied to the rezoned parcel.

After debate, the board moved to suspend rules for ordinance consideration and then voted to adopt Ordinance 77.307 with the added condition that any additional buildings for aviation use must return to Planning & Zoning for site‑plan approval. The motion carried with a recorded dissenting vote.

The ordinance takes effect according to county procedure; because the action included a condition tying future building to Planning & Zoning review, any proposal for a hangar or other aviation‑specific structure will require additional approvals.

Timeline: The public hearing reopened after a continuation; Planning staff summarized the request; the applicant testified; neighbors raised objections; staff and supervisors discussed conditions; the board voted to adopt the ordinance with the site‑plan condition.

What’s next: The rezoning is now part of the county zoning code as subsection 307 (Ordinance 77.307). If the property owner later seeks to build a hangar or construct new aviation‑related buildings in the ag‑limited area, that proposal must come back to Planning & Zoning for review as required by the condition the board attached.