Iola City Council members said thanks, but no thanks, to a development group seeking to convert an old nursing home into an apartment complex for elderly, disabled and handicapped tenants.
Members voted Monday, 6-0, to uphold a recommendation from the city?s planning board to reject the rezoning application sought by 12by2020, LLC, based out of Sikeston, Mo.
On hand for Monday?s Council meeting was Eric Carter, one of the investors with 12by2020, as well as roughly 50 residents who live near the facility that has been vacant since the nursing home and residential care facility closed its doors in December 2015.
Because the structure ? which consists of three wings, one for the old nursing home; the second for the residential care facility; and third a series of assisted living apartments ? is zoned as a single-family property, converting it to apartments only requires the property be rezoned as a multi-family unit.
Planning Board members voted 3-2 last week to deny the developers? request, citing ambiguity in their planning.
While only two of the 50 or so neighbors in attendance spoke at Monday?s meeting ? Scott Crenshaw and Bob Droessler ? it was apparent the rest of the audience was opposed to seeing the developers? plans proceed as well. A handful noted they had sent emails to Council members to say as much.
Council members weren?t much more receptive.
Councilwoman Nancy Ford, who lives a few blocks from the structure, peppered Carter with a series of questions regarding his plans.
He acknowledged he has never built or developed an apartment complex similar to this one, and that the development group was formed within days of filing the rezoning application.
?It just seems like it?s a little bit spur of the moment,? Ford said.
Iola already has sufficient housing available for 12by2020?s target demographic, Ford added, noting the Iola Housing Authority counts 31 such vacancies among its housing stock.
That led to a testy exchange in which Carter insinuated some of those vacancies should be rated as substandard housing.
?Can you give us an example? Councilwoman Kim Peterson asked.
?I?m not going to do that,? Carter responded, adding his goal was not to disparage other properties, but to encourage the city to allow his group to invest in what is quickly becoming a dilapidated building.
He pointed to several roof leaks, trees growing up next to the building, which could cause foundation problems down the road.
