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Resident urges independent review of UCD zoning, warns of TIF risk
Summary
During public comment, Arty Stoner urged an independent zoning review, alleged a developer contract default on the UCD/Lion Development deal, and criticized the city’s transparency around a rushed $20 million TIF and a late partner departure; council did not respond on the record at the meeting.
At the start of public comment on Jan. 13, North Liberty resident Arty Stoner used his time to press the council for more transparency and independent review related to the UCD (Lion Development) project.
Stoner introduced himself: "I'm Arty Stoner. I live on Stewart Street here in North Liberty," and described his repeated requests at prior meetings for an independent zoning review to verify the validity of CUC3 zoning for the area. He alleged the developer’s contract had been in default prior to council action and faulted city staff for not disclosing the default. "I found it concerning that the city hadn't made this default public given their duty to transparency," Stoner said.
Stoner said the council had less than a day to conduct due diligence before approving a roughly $20 million TIF that required the city to take out a loan, and warned that if the developer defaults the financial responsibility could fall on citizens. He also noted that a key partner in the development left the project hours before a vote and that an additional $2.9 million had been awarded afterward, suggesting, in his view, special treatment.
Council did not provide an on‑the‑record response during the public comment period; staff and council later moved on to other agenda items. The concerns raised by the resident are on the record and may be followed up in future council correspondence or agenda items if the council or staff choose to respond.
