SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa - Housing in Sergeant Bluff continued to expand last year with the addition of one new development and the expansion of another.
Mayor Dale Petersen said a 55-acre area known as Settler's Point Subdivision was annexed by the city last year. The housing development is located east of Port Neal Road and south of Warrior Road. "The first half of that has been developed," said Petersen.
That first phase of the Settler's Point development is 48 lots and when complete the entire subdivision will have 126 lots. The development is a project of Eastview Inc.
At first it looked like the city wouldn't annex the property. Kevin Kuchel of Kingsley, Iowa, representing Eastview Inc., had asked for the annexation but at its Jan. 14 meeting the City Council voted unanimously against it. Petersen said the council's main concern involved utilities.
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"We don't service that area as far as electricity is concerned. That area belongs to MidAmerican Energy," Petersen said. "The reason it was an issue is because historically the electric utility has offset the tax asking for the city and there's no way we can equitably tax one area of town more than another area."
The council reversed that decision during the Jan. 28 meeting, voting 3-2 for annexation.
Along with the Settler's Point addition, the second phase of the Meadow Brook development began last year, said Mark Johnson, combination inspector for Sergeant Bluff. The Meadow Brook additions are on the east side of Sergeant Bluff just south off First Street.
"We've already broken ground in Meadow Brook II for five homes," Johnson said. He said the development has a Sioux City connection. "The sand they're dredging out of the marina in Sioux City is being used as a backfill for water and sewer lines."
The fourth phase of the Prairie View development was completed last year.
"As of May 1 there were about five or six lots left but those have now been filled up," Johnson said.
The city issued 98 building permits in 2003, 47 of those were for new homes while the rest were remodeling projects and commercial permits.
City Administrator Lane Danielzuk said the boom in new housing in Sergeant Bluff has benefited the city in a number of ways.
"Having new residential areas come into town spurs some of the other things we have going on," Danielzuk said. "It's created activity in the TIF district and a lot of other activities including restaurants and other commercial growth. Everything builds on everything else."
He said the city experienced more than $11 million in construction costs last year.
Johnson said the future looks bright for more growth in Sergeant Bluff.
"There are a handful of unnamed developers planning for future development here in both residential and commercial areas," Johnson said.
