The Pella City Council approved multiple items on their agenda related to a new development at Bos Landen at their meeting this week.
The council amended the current Southwest Urban Renewal Plan, by expanding the allowable infrastructure cost from $950,000 to $2,100,000 after Harvest Investments Vintage Cooperative expanded plans to include single family housing on some of the lots near where they are building a 41-unit housing cooperative for adults over the age of 55.
Following that resolution, another public hearing was held to discuss a zoning change from agricultural to a planned unit development for the 30 acres of land located south of the intersection at Bos Landen Drive and Utrecht Laan. Prior to business beginning, numerous residents in the Bos Landen neighborhood near the proposed site shared concerns about traffic and the location of the single family homes in the plan.
Councilmember Tony Bokhoven was concerned about traffic flow as well, asking why the plan did not include more than one outlet for the new street that will be built for the development. City Administrator Mike Nardini and Public Works Director Denny Buyert emphasized a traffic study was done for the proposed site, and the engineer’s plan fell within their parameters to recommend the project. Bokhoven was the only councilmember to vote in opposition to the zoning ordinance, which will have two more readings, but he did say he supports the overall project, but his concerns with the impact on Bos Landen Drive weighed on his vote.
A public hearing date is set for September 4th for the city to enter into a formal development agreement with Harvest Investments for the $13.5 million project, which could generate $275,000 in property taxes annually.