SOLON — Attendees at Solon Senior Dining received “the inside scoop” on what’s happening in Solon last Wednesday (August 30) as City Administrator Cami Rasmussen gave her monthly update. Rasmussen, who has been with the city for 25 years, nine as the Administrator, routinely presents the state of the city at Senior Dining the last Wednesday of the month.
Watermain project continues amid other infrastructure work
The major watermain replacement project along Chabal St. continues. A push was made to complete the segment in front of Lakeview Elementary prior to the start of the new school year, and now the work is progressing up Chabal and will run along Elm St.
While Chabal and Elm St. residents contend with the watermain project, residents along Third and Fourth streets (between Iowa and Dubuque St.) are in the midst of a curb and gutter project. Rasmussen noted the city does such work every year with $100,000 committed by the City Council annually to put in curbs and gutters in the original part of Solon in an effort to better manage storm water by channeling it into the storm drains.
“And it dresses up the properties and the streets, and it looks nice. It’s good for our town to see those older areas get refreshed, and we’ve spent over $1 million upgrading the curb and gutter in original Solon.” She added the work will continue and noted, “the money doesn’t go as far anymore. It used to be we could do three linear blocks, now we’re doing two linear blocks. It’s just a sign of the times, the money just doesn’t go as far as it used to.” The City Council approved the project at their April 5 meeting with Kluesner Construction submitting the lowest bid.
Another project, which will have an impact on the appearance of Solon is also underway. Unfortunately, it will be a necessary, but negative impact as the City takes down ash trees in the city’s right of way afflicted by the Emerald Ash Borer. The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive species that feeds on ash trees and is very destructive to them, killing the trees by disrupting the flow of water and nutrients the tree needs in order to feed their larvae. Nearly all 99 counties in Iowa have been impacted by the Emerald Ash Borer with the first discovery made in 2010. As of January, only three Iowa counties were considered free of the metallic green menace.
“It’s a problem all over Iowa, cities are dealing with it, some more proactive than others; but we are at the point where we’re trying to get those trees down because they’re on their last leg of life right now.”
City acquires N. Dubuque St. property and trailer park
The city has purchased the house at 111 N. Dubuque St. (behind Ellison Insurance and across from the Palmer House Stable). Rasmussen said the Council approved the purchase of the property, which was being used as a rental property for $175,000.
“The City has an overall plan to improve the entire north side of that block (behind the Main St. businesses) and decided since the property was for sale the Council decided to purchase it.” For now, the house will remain a rental property with a property management company overseeing the rental until the overall plan for the block is finalized.
The City has also purchased the land occupied by the trailer park. Residents were given notice last year that the owner intended to sell the land and Rasmussen said she worked with the trailer owners to relocate. “They’ve all relocated, the City has purchased those trailers, and now we’re purchasing the land (closing date was set for Friday, Sept. 1). She said she expects the remaining trailers to be removed yet this fall.
“The City is laying the foundation for expansion of Main St. (businesses) to happen on that block.”
Earlier this year a recommendation for downtown economic development suggested repurposing the land occupied by the trailer park with a mixed-use plaza with commercial occupancies on the ground floor and residential units on the upper floors.
Big Grove Brewery’s
10th anniversary
Big Grove celebrated ten years in Solon Sunday, Sept. 3.
“It all got its start right here,” Rasmussen said. “I remember when the Swift family came into the old City Hall and said, ‘We have an idea for a brewery,’ and it’s hard to believe that they opened their doors ten years ago. What a success it’s been because they’ve now spread out across the state and it’s pretty amazing. I’m pretty proud that they got their start here and that we were able to help them get that start here.” She added Big Grove, in addition to their own success, is also a big part of the success of downtown Solon. “They came in at a time where we were just finishing the Main St. improvements.” Big Grove (on the west) and El Sol Mexican Restaurant (on the east) became anchors in a way with new businesses occupying the spaces in-between. “It’s been a good thing for our community, and I know I feel a great sense of pride when I drive down Main St. because it’s very pretty, and its just a thriving and vibrant Main Street. A lot of cities in Iowa strive for that and we’ve done a good job of just being able to keep a lot of activity on our Main Street and attract businesses. We don’t have empty storefronts like so many other communities. It’s something to be proud of.”
New waste water treatment plant still needed, still several years away
The City continues to have discussions regarding the new wastewater treatment facility and is looking at land in the vicinity of the Oakland Cemetery (west of Solon along Hwy. 382/County Road F-12) and north of the Solon Recreation and Nature Area).
“We are in the process of working with the property owner,” she said, “we need about 11 acres.” The City also continues to work with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR), who oversees such facilities. Currently the DNR is analyzing reams of data pertaining to the City’s usage of the current facility and look toward the city’s future growth. “They then tell us what size of a facility we are going to need to accommodate our projected growth. So, we’re waiting for that information to come back, then our City Engineer (Dave Schechinger, with the engineering firm Veenstra & Kimm) will draw up plans. We’ll then take that design and put it out to contractors to tell us how much they think it’ll cost to build a plant that size. So, we’re still in the preliminary stage but our general timeline is to have a new sewer plant in five years.”
Planning and Zoning (P&Z) recent actions
The Solon P&Z Commission (Dave Ranard, Cathy Noska, Denny Hansen, Julia Lange, Rob Mesch, Kristina Bevans, and Steve Knight) recently approved a 40-acre residential development north of Solon on Hwy. 1. The land is owned by Gene Greazel, who is working with the Watts Group.
“It’s not completely through the annexation process,” said Rasmussen. “It goes to P&Z and then there is a notification period that has to happen, and then it goes to the City Council. So, we’re in that in-between area where we’ll be working on notifying the County and the neighbors in the area of this (requested) annexation.”
P&Z also has approved site plans for an addition to Pet Health Center of Solon (200 Prairie Rose Ln.) and for the Solon Community School District’s expansion of the Solon Intermediate School, a project approved by voters in a bond referendum earlier this year. The City Council will take up consideration of the site plans for final approval this month.
Upcoming meetings
P&Z meets the last Tuesday of each month at 6:15 p.m. at Solon City Hall, 101 N. Iowa Street.
The City Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Agendas for both P&Z and Council are available at www.solon-iowa.com.