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Council approves Brown’s dealership redevelopment and site plan; Stoolman objects to TIF disparity
Summary
The council approved a development agreement and final site plan for Brown’s (Forza Enterprises) dealership at Tidewater Drive; the agreement passed with one council dissent over TIF parity, and the site plan was approved unanimously.
The West Branch City Council approved a development agreement with Forza Enterprises (Brown’s Dealership) and separately approved the final site plan at its Oct. 6 meeting. Resolution 2025-108 passed on a 4-1 vote (AYES: Sexton, Dean, Horihan, Miller; NAY: Stoolman). The final site plan (Resolution 2025-112) was approved unanimously.
Forrest Brown described plans to consolidate Ford and Chrysler operations at Tidewater Drive and said the West Branch location would grow from about 30 employees to roughly 60 employees at full capacity. Brown highlighted community contributions by the company, noting a recent fundraiser that raised $65,000 for local causes and the planned installation of two Level 3 rapid chargers intended to serve customers and traveling motorists.
Councilmember Jodee Stoolman announced she would vote against the development agreement, thanking the Browns for their community support but citing concerns about the relative amount of TIF offered to different developers. The council nevertheless approved both the development agreement and the site plan, allowing the project to move toward permitting and construction stages.
What’s next: With the development agreement and site plan approved, Brown’s and city staff will proceed with permitting and site preparations. The transcript does not include detailed construction schedules or final incentive calculations.
