A privately owned business that makes its home on public property in Adel is hoping to purchase the land the building sits on, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.

Restoration Harmony is an event and interior design business located in Kinnick Feller Park, and the physical building and everything in it is owned by Dave and Angela Schrad. However, the land itself is owned by the City as a part of the park, and is leased for $1 per month. Recently the Schrads have wanted to do some renovations on the building, but have run into roadblocks involving zoning and insurance, among others. In order to remove the issues, the couple has requested purchasing the land the building sits on from the City.

This proposition has come under some scrutiny, including by the Adel Parks Board. The Schrads’ proposal would include a larger portion of Kinnick Feller Park than the Board was willing to part with, so they recommended only selling the land directly underneath the facility. Due to the City’s zoning rules involving setbacks and minimum lot size, though, that scenario wouldn’t accomplish anything for the business. The Schrads presented their dilemma before the City Council, which indicated they are amenable to a compromise.

The initial solution all parties agreed to was for the Schrads to research the exact minimum size of land they would need to purchase in order to make everything fit with zoning, and the business would pay for the survey and appraisal of the property. The Council will then hold a community meeting on October 8th, in hopes of allaying the concerns presented by the Park Board and any other residents. If everything goes as planned, there will be a public hearing later this year regarding the sale of the land.