The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

OTTUMWA, IOWA -- The Ottumwa City Council convened Tuesday evening to discuss a range of topics; but two main issues focused on re-zoning.

The first zoning issue concerned a property located in the 1800 block of West Second Street. The owners of the property wanted to change the zoning from single family residential and retail business to light manufacturing.

City Planner Dave Shafer met with residents about the property prior to the meeting.  Shafer, along with the planning and zoning commission agreed that the property should not be changed; being that the residents living around the property did not want to see a manufacturing facility in their neighborhood.  Homeowners gathered signatures and presented signatures to Shafer and the board and after hearing both sides regarding the issue, they recommended denying the petition.

Shafer spoke to the council saying, “The recommendation to deny was based upon the permit uses in the M-1 district or manufacturing district. It would not be complimentary to the adjacent land use in the residential and retail, and it would also not be harmonious with the adjacent districts.”

After Shafer spoke, the council agreed and voted no to the re-zoning. 

The second major zoning issue came toward the end of the meeting when the council agreed that ten acres of property along Highway 34 and Wildwood Drive could be used for commercial use.

The major question is what commercial retailer is going to move into the property? At this time no one knows, but rumors are swirling that it could be a Kohl’s Department Store or a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store.  Only time will tell; but in the long-term, this means more jobs could be coming to Ottumwa very soon.