City Notes: Site certification is a team effort

By Tim Fox, Executive Director, Charles City Area Development Corp.

As The Avenue of the Saints Development Park was credentialed within the Iowa Certified Sites Program on Nov. 13, 2019, at the risk of omission I wish to thank those contributing to this success.

The process for certification took nearly 18 months. A certified site is shovel-ready as companies look to build on locations quickly and relatively risk free.

Foremost I wish to thank the Charles City Council for its foresight in allowing Charles City Area Development Corp. [CCADC] to acquire the site. This is a very progressive measure and one which confirms the notion that Charles City is serious about being economically competitive.

My staff, Project Facilitator Cathy McGregor and Executive Assistant Christy Laube, performed much of the mapping and background research and document organization.

The city of Charles City staff was also invaluable in providing data. City Administrator Steve Diers, Clerk Trudy O’Donnell, City Engineer John Fallis and GIS Coordinator Jake Johnson yielded information upon utility locations and capacities, zoning ordinances, easements and various mapping requirements.

The CCADC Property Search Committee assisted as well. Craig Anderson, Dean Andrews, Frank Blaine, Jim Erb, Chris Garden, Dick Herbrechtsmeyer, Kurt Herbrechtsmeyer, Connie Parson and Lyle Schlader provided consistent oversight and direction.

Floyd County Recorder Deb Roberts and her staff gave us exemplary service in researching documents. Thanks to Community Development Director Mark Wicks and North Iowa Air Service for aerial photography.

To achieve certification we were compelled to engage a litany of professional service agencies.

These include:

• Bear Creek Archeology, Cresco, Derek V. Lee, Phase I Cultural Resources Survey.

• Iowa Title & Realty Co., Charles City, Brad Sloter, abstracting.

• Johnson Land Surveying, Blue Grass/Charles City, Jason Page, Plat of Survey.

• Terracon, Cedar Falls, Dave Cleary, REM, Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, Geotechnical Services, Wetland Delineation Report, Threatened and Endangered Species Study.

• WHKS, Mason City, Scott Sweet, P.E., Site Concept Plan.

• Charles City Press, Charles City, Christopher Hall, photography assistance.

• MidAmerican Energy Company, Katie Lord and Greg Theis, utility mapping.

Many thanks are owed to Lindsey Cannon and Sarah White of Quest Site Solutions of Greenville, South Carolina, and Amy Kuhlers of Iowa Economic Development Authority for their patience and guidance throughout this exacting process. Quest Site Solutions is the firm hired by Iowa Economic Development Authority to administer the Iowa Site Certification Program.

Finally, thanks to the CCADC Board of Directors for allowing me the time and freedom to work unencumbered upon this project. This achievement is a win for Charles City and I hope you will share my pride in this accomplishment.