At the most recent Adel City Council meeting, there were several items on the agenda relating to the Southbridge Planned Urban Development (PUD).

The area is south of 302nd Place, which was included in the recent voluntary annex by the City. It’s owned and being developed by Robert Cramer of Cramer and Associates. The first topic discussed was the potential creation of a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Urban Renewal District for Southbridge. City Administrator Anthony Brown said they had two options for encouraging development, with one being the TIF area. The other was the tax abatement program, though that didn’t seem feasible since Adel is phasing it out in the coming years. Additionally, creating a TIF district would potentially put money back into the City, while abatement wouldn’t. The Council approved moving forward with the TIF plan, though it’s not yet official. There will first be a public hearing, which is scheduled for August 14th.

The Council then considered a rezoning ordinance for Southbridge, which would change it from agricultural to PUD. The Planning and Zoning Committee recommended the change, and the Council approved the first reading of the ordinance. However, per the advice of City Attorney Kristine Stone, they did not waive the rules for the second and third readings, as it will be important to first have a decision on the TIF district. As a result, an item to approve the preliminary plat for Southbridge was tabled, as the PUD isn’t yet in effect.