The Jefferson city council at its regular meeting Tuesday evening approved the plat of survey for the site of the new Hy-Vee grocery store on W. Washington St.
On the east side of the plat is a quarter-acre parcel. The small piece will be handled as a parcel by itself, with its own access to the street and its own utilities. City administrator Mike Palmer said the smaller parcel is being sold separately. That is the location that some knowledgeable people have said will be the new location for McFarland Clinic Jefferson, although no official announcement has been made by either McFarland Clinic or Hy-Vee.
The council was also alerted that the planning and zoning commission will recommend approval of an ordinance adding planned unit developments, or PUDs, to current zoning rules.
As the city plans for new jobs and an influx of residents looking for rental housing, a need for multi-family rentals has been determined. Greene County Development Corporation’s housing committee and the Jefferson housing committee have talked with a developer who is very interested in building multi-family units that go beyond the scope of what is now included in the city’s zoning ordinance. That development could provide as many as 48 new rental units.
Zoning officer Tom Heater has done considerable research on PUDs and provided the planning and zoning commission with a sample ordinance. According to Heater’s information, a PUD is a negotiated contract between a private developer and a governmental agency. It differs from traditional zoning in that rather than the developer working within set guidelines, the developer and the city together determine guidelines for the best development of the property under consideration.
The question will be on a future city council agenda.
