Cardinal Ridge development plans to go before council

The Newton City Council will look at a potential plat and infrastructure work for the new Cardinal Ridge Subdivision at its meeting on Monday. Cardinal Ridge is an upcoming subdivision, previously known as Cardinal Hills, to be built on 4.25 acres of land west of the former Newton Country Club that was purchased by the city in March.

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the approval of the plat which is a proposed 13 lot, plus two out lots, residential subdivision. The project would allow for a high quality townhome development. Certain details were recommended to be addressed in the final preliminary plat document including the change in the name of the subdivision from Cardinal Hills to Cardinal Ridge, lot layouts are adjusted so a lot meets the minimum zoning equipment for lot size and the final plat will not be approved before a permanent road access is constructed.

Also before the council is a public hearing and resolution approving the contract for the roadway and utility construction for the subdivision. Plans were prepared and put out to bid to construct a roadway and public utilities with Halbrook Excavating, of Ankeny, submitting the low bid of $711,031.

Bolton & Menk, Inc., the city’s engineering firm, prepared plans and specifications consisting of a 26-foot wide concrete roadway running east-west, directly west of the former Newton Country Club buildings. In addition to the road work, the site would be graded for home sites, and public utilities such as water mains, sanitary sewer lines and storm sewers would be constructed.

The work will be paid for using bond funds from the Newton Housing Initiative that were specifically designated for the provision of infrastructure. It is hoped the city will recoup the majority of the costs through lot sales and connection fees.

The council will also look at a resolution to approve engineering services agreement with Braun Intertec to provide an environmental investigation for the Midtown Building, which the city acquired earlier this month.

The city purchased the building with the intent to stabilize the property and facilitate its full rehabilitation. The city found a step in that process for necessary renovation projects is to investigate the existence and extent of potentially hazardous building materials.

It is proposed for Braun to inspect and test hazardous materials, such as asbestos and lead paint, at a price of $10,950. The work will be paid for using North Central Tax Increment Finance District.

Through the investigation, the additional information can provide more certainty for a future developer completing the renovation of the building.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com