March 28, 2024

Council to reconsider Country Club donation

The Newton City Council will have a second chance to accept the donation of the former Newton Country Club building on Monday.

A resolution will go before the council once again to accept the donation of the building and adjacent property, along with a new resolution to acquire the right-of-way from the Talsma Trust, including the former pro shop.

At the previous council meeting on April 3, council voted 3-1 to accept the donation which did not receive the four vote threshold, causing the vote to fail. The property will once again go before the council, this time with an added resolution to remove the current day care property located to the west of the clubhouse.

Last year, the city purchased 4.25 acres west of the former country club building that will become a townhome development, Cardinal Ridge. In order for the home sites to have access to the public road network, an additional connection is needed.

The city is seeking to acquire the right-of-way at 1200 S. Sixth Ave. W. in order to have access to the public road network. The area includes the dedication of approximately one acre of land that will become a sixty-foot wide public right-of-way.

The city has also sought an agreement with the Talsmas, who own the property, to acquire the former pro shop and current Gingerbread House Day Care Center. The agreement would be to have the building vacant by the end of July and demolished by mid-September. The city would provide grant funding for this demolition or incorporate it into the project that would demolish the clubhouse of the former Country Club.

Also on the agenda for Cardinal Ridge is a change order for Halbrook Excavating, the contractor selected to construct the public infrastructure associated with the subdivision. The original contract included paving the road with water and sewer lines to serve it.

In order to accelerate the project, the city proposes eliminating the paving work but extending the branding work to prepare the full roadway from West 12th Street. through the subdivision. The change would reduce the price by $34,875. The pavement process will be bid separately at a later date.

The city is also looking to develop an engineering services agreement with Bolton & Menk to provide construction administration services the construction of the roadway for Cardinal Ridge. The contract would be for $66,000 and would be paid for using Newton Housing Initiative bonded infrastructure funds.

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