IOWA CITY

The dust is rising just north of Frytown.

And there might be more to come.

A preliminary plat for a proposed 15-lot subdivision located in the northeast part of Frytown was approved by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors at its May 9 formal session, but not without rumblings aired by nearby residents.

The issue is heavy dust thrown into the air that is caused by the gravel roads.

The Terrace Acres Part Five subdivision, which will likely consist of 11 buildable lots and 4 outlots on property owned by Stan Stutzman, will include roads with chip-seal surfaces, per Johnson County code. But the subdivision’s connector road is Walnut  Road SW, which is a private gravel road that serves several other residences.

A resident group led by Charles Connerly spoke to the Board about dust issues, often created by construction vehicles involved in building new homes.

Because Walnut Road is private and maintained by property owners who belong to a homeowners association, the county does not have jurisdiction.

“If it (Walnut) is not paved, then it will be a burden on the community,” Connerly said.

Walnut Road was created more than 20 years ago, long before tighter restrictions that are now enforced by Johnson County requirements. The result is a gravel road serving as the primary access point for a subdivision that will have chip-seal roads.

“Hopefully, this is rare,” Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz said, “but I certainly don’t want to have it be something that we have to one-off or address every time. Moving forward, if it’s the only access we have to a new subdivision, I think logically you would want some form of dust control required, at least through the construction phase.”

“We’re always looking to refine the ordinance,” said Josh Busard, Johnson County PDS Director. “This is something that we’ll sit down and take a look at, but I guess for today we do not have any mechanism to require the upgrade of Walnut Road.”

Construction is expected to be a year off since the final plat has not yet been presented and approved.

Hen House Rezoning

The Board approved a rezoning application by Farmers Hen House in Frytown, from heavy industrial to light industrial.

The rezoning was requested to take care of non-conforming issues that arose due to its heavy industrial zoning in the 1970s, which does not allow agricultural product processing.

“I appreciate the fact that Farmers Hen House has been such a good corporate citizen here in Johnson County,” Supervisor Chair Rod Sullivan said. “Great to have them there and glad they’re gonna keep rolling.”

Board Actions

The Board approved preliminary and final plats for South Liberty Farms, a one-lot, 4.48-acre farmstead split.

The Board approved a proposal of $426,768 from Pigott Inc. for the purchase of new furniture for the Administration, and Health & Human Services building remodel projects.

Next meeting: The Board’s next formal session is at 9 a.m. May 16.