South DSM News

The Indianola city council recently held a public hearing to vote on a zoning amendment for the zoning of Deer Run Plat 6 area.

During the Jan. 3 Indianola city council meeting, the council opened a public hearing regarding an amendment for the zoning of the Deer Run Plat 6 area, a residential neighborhood in the community. in 2002, the Deer Run Plat 6 area was zoned as a planned residential district, with an amendment in 2004 that allowed seven townhomes and another amendment in 2015 with the recording of the final plot to have lots 1-3 be single-family residences.

The proposed new amendment would allow for both single-family detached homes and single-family attached homes. The city’s comprehensive plan shows this area as a low to medium-density residential area, meaning no more than 15 units per acre. The changes proposed with the amendment would still meet this requirement.

The city had received a letter of opposition from the homeowner’s association in the area claiming that the developer had made an agreement with the association that everything would remain single-family units. However, a resident came to the meeting and said that they spoke on the phone with all of the neighbors in the area and the vast majority were in favor of the amendment.

Indianola Community Development Director Charlie Dissell was present at the meeting to go over the legality of the amendment. 

"Covenants is technically a private agreement between a homeowners association and the property owners that live out there that the city does not get involved in. So we did take that, I did take a look at it," Indianola Community Development Director Charlie Dissell said at the meeting. "We never had a legal review done on it. It was a little confusing to me reading that letter and going back. I didn't read through all the covenants that were recorded just because we didn't have those handy. I don't know the legality of that letter by any means, but at the same time, we did talk to legal before we took this, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the indication there was it's a private agreement. If there're any issues with that between the property owners and the developer, that would be handled in a private manner or not through the city."

After discussion, the council voted in favor of adopting the amendment.