HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-16 OrdinanceItem Number: 9.a.
CITY OF OF IOWA CITY
�fil COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 16, 2024
Ordinance rezoning property located at 302-316 E. Bloomington Street from Central Business
Service (CB -2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/CB-2) zone. (REZ24-0001)
Staff Recommendation: No recommendation
Attachments: REZ24-0001 - Staff Report Final w Attachments
Late Correspondence. pdf
PZ 2.21.24 minutes.pdf
Ordinance
City Council correspondence - 302-316 E Bloomington St.
STAFF REPORT
To: Planning and Zoning Commission Prepared by: Melanie Comer, Planning
Item: REZ24-0001 302-316 E. Bloomington St. Intern and Madison Conley, Associate
Planner
Date: February 21, 2024
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Applicant:
Owner:
Contact Person:
Requested Action:
Purpose:
Location:
Location Map:
Size:
Existing Land Use and Zoning:
Surrounding Land Use and Zoning:
City of Iowa City Historic Preservation
Commission
410 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319)-356-5230
Gary Skarda
312 N Linn St
Iowa City, IA 52245
garyskarda@yahoo.com
City of Iowa City
410 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319)-356-5230
Rezone from Central Business Service (CB -
2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic District
Overlay (OHD/CB-2) zone.
To designate the property as a Local Historic
Landmark.
302-316 E. Bloomington Street
0.45 acres
Central Business Service (CB -2)
North: Neighborhood Stabilization
Residential (RNS-12) with a
Comprehensive Plan:
District Plan:
Neighborhood Open Space District:
Public Meeting Notification:
File Date:
45 Day Limitation Period:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Historic District Overlay (OHD)
South: Central Business Service (CB -2)
East: Central Business Service (CB -2)
West: Neighborhood Stabilization
Residential (RNS-12)
Mixed Use
Central
C1
Properties within 500' of the subject property
received notification of the Planning and
Zoning Commission public meeting. A
Landmark Designation sign was posted on
the site.
January 17, 2024
March 1. 2024
On October 9, 2023, the City of Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission recommended
moving forward with an application to designate the property at 302-316 E. Bloomington Street,
formally known as the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building, as a Local Historic Landmark. Designation
of a Local Historic Landmark is a rezoning process that requires rezoning the property to apply
the Historic District Overlay (OHD) zone.
After the Historic Preservation Commission stated its intent to move forward with a landmark
designation, staff reached out to the property owner. Staff, along with the Historic Preservation
Commission's Chair, met with the owner of the property to discuss the significance of the
building, the landmarking process, and requirements related to historic review if landmarked.
On February 8, 2024, the Historic Preservation Commission considered the landmark rezoning
and recommended approval by a vote of 8-0. See Attachment 3 for the staff report, which
includes the architectural and historical evaluation of the property as an attachment. The HPC
found that the property is significant for its role in the ethnic and commercial history of Iowa City's
Northside neighborhood and as a well-preserved example of Italianate architecture and
additionally met the following criteria for Local Landmark designation:
• Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture;
• Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship;
• Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our
history; and
• Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or
represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a significant
and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.
At the Historic Preservation Commission's meeting the property owner, Gary Skarda, stated that
he did not support the rezoning. Several members of the public expressed their support of the
rezoning at the meeting. Additional correspondence regarding the rezoning is included in
Attachment 4.
3
ANALYSIS
Current Zoning: The property is currently zoned Central Business Service (CB -2) zone. The
purpose of the CB -2 zone is primarily to serve as a transition between intense land uses in the
Central Business Service district and adjoining areas.
Proposed Zoning: The purpose of the Historic District Overlay Zone is to designate Local
Historic Landmarks and Local Historic Districts. The property is not currently located within a
Local Historic District. In order to designate the property as a Local Historic Landmark, the
rezoning process is required. If designated, any exterior modifications to the building that require a
regulated permit will need to go through the historic review process. In addition, the property is
eligible for special exceptions (Section 14-2B-8 of the zoning code) that would allow the Board
of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements to help support the continued use
of historic buildings. The property will also be eligible for financial incentives such as tax credits
and the Iowa City Historic Preservation Fund.
Planning and Zoning Commission Review: Designation of a Local Historic Landmark is a
rezoning process; and therefore, requires a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning
Commission to the City Council. Per 14-8E-1 E the Commission's role is to review the proposed
designation based on its relation to the Comprehensive Plan, as well as proposed public
improvements and plans for renewal of the area involved.
The IC2030 Plan includes principles, goals, and strategies that are in support of the Local
Landmark Rezoning. The neighborhood design principles of the comprehensive plan include
Preserve Historic Resources and Reinvest in Established Neighborhoods (pg. 20). The intent of
this principle is to ensure the stability and livability of the city's historic neighborhoods to
preserve the culture, history, and identify of Iowa City.
The Land Use section includes a goal to Continue to protect the community's historical,
environmental, and aesthetic assets. Associated with that goal are the strategies to encourage
the protection of natural areas and historic features and to continue support for the Iowa City
Historic Preservation Plan. This section of the plan also notes that historic preservation policies
have helped to save Iowa City's most historic buildings and have preserved the distinctive
architecture of entire neighborhoods (pg. 26).
The Housing section includes a goal to Preserve the integrity of existing neighborhoods and the
historic nature of older neighborhoods. This goal is supported by the strategy that aims to
support the Historic Preservation Commission's efforts to meet its goals (pg. 29).
302-316 E. Bloomington Street is in the Central Planning District. The Central District Plan
encourages preservation of historic homes, resources, and neighborhoods, especially in areas
close to the University. The introduction of the plan notes that the City has also been successful
in protecting historic resources in the Central District through the adoption of historic district and
conservation district overlay zones, and by bestowing historic landmark status on the area's
most significant buildings and properties (pg. 9). The Northside Marketplace is included in this
plan and is defined as the historic commercial neighborhood bounded by Bloomington and
Jefferson Streets and North Gilbert and Dubuque Streets. The subject property is located at the
northern end of this area. Although this area is close to downtown, the plan notes that it
maintains a distinct identity and scale. The plan explains that some redevelopment within the
Northside Marketplace is likely. However, there is a strong desire to maintain the historic
mainstreet character (pg. 15, 16). Many community members also indicated that the historic
character of the Northside Marketplace is one of its greatest assets (pg. 55, 56).
rd
Furthermore, the Northside Marketplace section contains goals and objectives that relate to the
importance of the historic character of the neighborhood. This section includes Goal 1: Preserve
and promote the unique aspects of the Northside Marketplace. The objectives that support this
goal including establishing policies and regulations that will preserve the existing scale and
mainstreet commercial character of the Northside Marketplace and protecting historic buildings
as an integral part of the Northside Marketplace (pg. 57). The designation of the subject
property as a Local Historic Landmark will achieve the objective related to protecting historic
buildings.
The Historic Preservation Plan includes several goals and objectives to achieve its overall
Mission Statement: Iowa City and its citizens seek to identify, protect, and preserve the
community's historic resources in order to enhance the quality of life and economic well-being of
current and future generations (pg. 16).
In the plan, Goal 1: Identify historic resources to Iowa City's Past, is relevant to the designation
of 302-316 E. Bloomington Street as a Local Historical Landmark due to the objectives that the
Historic Preservation Commission is expected to carry out. The first objective is to continue to
research and evaluate historic resources through the systematic and prioritized completion of
neighborhood and thematic -based historical and architectural surveys. The third objective under
this goal calls for the Historic Preservation Commission to set designation priorities for historic
districts and landmarks that emphasize the most important or threatened resources first. The
fifth objective further encourages local landmark designations by the Historic Preservation
Commission by continuing to nominate individual properties and historic districts to the National
Register of Historic Places and when appropriate, pursue local designation as landmarks and
historic districts for National Register properties (pg. 31-33).
The plan also includes a section which discusses the Gilbert -Linn Street Historic District. This
historic district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The locally designated district
is referred to as the Northside Historic District. Although the subject property is not located in
either of these districts, because they are residential districts, this section of the plan discusses
the importance of various properties both in and outside of these districts. Objective 6 for the
Gilbert -Linn Street neighborhood is to Incorporate historic preservation efforts in planning for the
Northside Market Place retail district (intersecting blocks at Market, Linn, Gilbert and
Bloomington streets). Within this objective the importance of the subject property is discussed.
Specifically, this objective discusses promoting the preservation of architectural elements such
as the Slezak Building -National Hall (pg. 83).
CORRESPONDENCE:
Staff has received 43 letters of public correspondence (Attachment 4) from the community in
support of the proposed Local Historic Landmark rezoning. Based on testimony at the Historic
Preservation Commission's public hearing, the property owner does not support the proposed
Local Historic Landmark rezoning.
SUMMARY:
In summary, staff finds that the Local Historic Landmark rezoning of 302-316 E. Bloomington
Street, from Central Business Service (CB -2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic District Overlay
(OHD/CB-2) zone is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan, including
the Central District Plan and the Historic Preservation Plan, encourages pursuing local landmark
designations when appropriate to provide protection for important historic resources. In the case
of 302-316 E. Bloomington Street, the property has been identified as an anchor in the
community with significant cultural and historic values. The history behind this property
highlights the generational success and perseverance of immigrants in Iowa City.
NEXT STEPS:
Upon recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission, the rezoning will be
considered for approval by the City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of REZ24-0001, an application to rezone 302-316 E. Bloomington
Street from Central Business Service (CB -2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic District Overlay
(OHD/CB-2) zone in order to designate it as a Local Historic Landmark.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Location Map
2. Zoning Map
3. Staff Report to the Historic Preservation Commission; January 31, 2024
4. Correspondence
Approved by: _ t� • J+ P— r
Danielle Sitzman, AICP, Development Services Coordinator
Department of Neighborhood and Development Services
ATTACHMENT 1
Location Map
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ATTACHMENT 3
Staff Report to the Historic Preservation
Commission; January 31, 2024
®® t��=Zn Iowa City
Historic Preservation Commission
City Hall, 410 E Waslvngton Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240
Memorandum
Date: January 31, 2024
To: Historic Preservation Commission
From: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner
Re: 302-316 East Bloomington Street, Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building
Background
The Historic Preservation component of the Comprehensive Plan encourages the identification and
preservation of properties and neighborhoods that are significant to Iowa City's architecture and culture.
Towards achieving this goal, the Commission designated the first group of local landmarks in 1996.
This first group included many of the properties that were previously listed in the National Register of
Historic Places. Even while this group of local designations was still in process, the Commission began
a list of properties for their next group of local landmarks, including properties that were eligible for
listing in the National Register. In 2015, as part of the Commission's work plan, they created another list
of properties that were prioritized for local landmark designation because they were not located in local
districts. The Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building, at 302-316 East Bloomington Street, appears on both lists
of significant Iowa City properties.
This building has been owned by the same family since it was built from 1875 to 1880. Even without
designation as a local landmark, the building has been cared for as a preservationist would recommend
with exterior elements being repaired instead of replaced for almost 150 years.
On October 9, 2023, the Commission discussed moving forward an application to designate the
property at 302-316 E. Bloomington Street as a Local Historic Landmark. Designation of the property as
an Iowa City Historic Landmark will require Commission approval of any significant changes to the
exterior of the building. Landmark status will also make the property eligible for special exceptions that
would allow the Board of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements and for State Tax
Credit funding of rehabilitation work. The property would also be eligible for the City's Historic
Preservation Fund to help with exterior repair work.
Since the HPC's October 91" meeting, staff, the Commission Chair, and the property owner met to
discuss the landmark designation. At this meeting staff explained what it means to own a property that
is designated as a Local Historic Landmark. Staff also discussed the process by which the landmark
status is evaluated. After this initial meeting with the property owner, Friends of Historic Preservation
hired local historian, Jennifer Price, to complete the site inventory form that documents the history,
integrity, and significance of the property (see attachment).
The first part of the local landmark designation process is the public hearing before the Commission,
which is scheduled for February 8, 2024.
Analysis
Iowa City
Historic Preservation Commission
City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240
The site inventory form for the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building evaluates the property according to the
National Register criteria as required by the state. For National Register listing, all properties must be
significant and exhibit appropriate historic integrity. These two conditions are equivalent to criteria A
and B of the local landmark process listed below. National Register listings must be significant in at
least one of four applicable criteria which are equivalent with criteria C through F as shown below.
In the review of Local Historic Landmarks, it is the role of the Commission to determine whether the
property meets criterion A and B and also whether it meets at least one of the criteria C, D, E, or F:
a. Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture;
b. Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship;
c. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our
history;
d. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
e. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or
represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a significant
and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction;
f. Has yielded or may likely yield information important in prehistory or history.
As Jennifer Price determined that the building has both the significance and integrity required for
National Register listing, staff finds that the building is significant to Iowa City architecture and culture
and exhibits recognizable integrity (Local Criteria A and B). The Site Inventory Form summarizes the
cultural importance of the building to the Iowa City community because it is "associated with both the
ethnic and commercial history of Iowa City's Northside neighborhood." As Price continues, "the
complex of brick Italianate style commercial buildings at the corner of East Bloomington and North Linn
Streets was a one-stop shopping, dining, lodging, entertainment, and cultural center for the over-
growing Bohemian -American community in Iowa City and northern Johnson County." The National Hall
on the second floor "was home to Iowa City's many Bohemian fraternal and community organizations
that used the hall for their meetings and housed a comprehensive cultural library." Even by 1900 the
building was considered "one of the landmarks of this city."
The building was built and operated by Joseph Slezak for 25 years and then it was run by his son-in-
law Joseph Holub. As originally built, the building consisted of the two-story portion on the corner that
included two stores on the first floor with a saloon and dining hall accessed around the corner from Linn
Street. The second floor was the fraternal hall with dance floor, stage, and a balcony. The three-story
building behind was a boarding house. Along the alley a carriage house had laundry and sleeping
rooms on the upper floors. Adjacent to the carriage house on the east was the stable and feed barn. By
1920, the boarding house was running as a hotel and the stable was converted to a garage. Later,
about 1930, Holub remodeled the hotel and hall into apartments, creating a large storage attic in the
vaulted space above the former National Hall. The former stable/garage became a laundromat in 1958
and Pizza Palace/Pagliai's Pizza moved into the grocery space in 1969. Based on the information in the
Iowa City
Historic Preservation Commission
City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240
Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the building is associated with events that have made a significant
contribution to the broad patterns of our history (Local Criterion C).
As stated in the Site Inventory Form the Slezak/Holub Building is a remarkably well-preserved example
of commercial Italianate architecture. It features a two -bay storefront that was remodeled 55 years ago
for the Pizza Palace (with the tile base likely introduced in the 1930s). Above the sign board that covers
the storefront transom area, there is a mid-level bracketed cornice with dentils below narrow round -
arched windows with brick hoodmolds. The upper portion of these windows was closed with beadboard
at the time of the 1930s remodel. The building is topped by a heavy bracketed cornice and a Baroque
pediment that is similar to architectural details found in 19'" century Central European architecture
familiar to Bohemian immigrants, such as Slezak. The saloon entrance off Linn Street was bricked in at
some point and a single window was also bricked in. The three-story Holub Apartments has a
projecting entrance (likely from the 1930s remodel), more decorative, cast hoodmolds over the windows
and a more elaborate cornice with triglyphs and metopes between brackets. The carriage house is a
simple brick building with synthetic siding on the south wall and mid-century 2 -over -2 horizontal lite
window sashes. The laundromat is a brick building with large gable and sliding stable door evident on
the alley side and large Baroque pediment on the street-fagade. Because of its Baroque pediments,
unique in Iowa City, and the Italianate commercial style, that has not been altered in many years, staff
finds that the building also embodies the distinctive characteristics of its type and is also eligible for
local landmark designation for its architecture (Local Criterion E).
Based on the information provided in the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the property meets criteria
A, B, C, and E and therefore qualifies as a Local Historic Landmark.
Next Steps
Following the recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission, the rezoning application
establishing the Historic District Overlay zone will be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning
Commission. The Planning and Zoning Commission will review the proposal for compliance with the
Comprehensive Plan and make a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council will then hold a
public hearing and consider the recommendations of the Historic Preservation Commission and the
Planning and Zoning Commission before deciding whether to establish the historic overlay zone,
creating the Local Landmark Designation.
Recommended Motion:
Move to approve the designation of 302-316 East Bloomington Street, the Slezak-Holub-Skarda
Building, as a Local Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria A, B,
C, and E.
Attachments: Property Location map
Iowa Site Inventory Form 52-00602 Slezak -Holub-Skarda Building
Letter of support from Marty Boller
Letter of support from Marybeth Slonneger
Iowa City
Historic Preservation Commission
City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240
Property location map for the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building, adjacent local districts, and nearby local
landmarks (stars).
ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL EVALUATION OF
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building
302-316 E. Bloomington Street
Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa
Iowa Site Inventory Form No. 52-00602
r
Prepared for
Friends of Historic Preservation
P.O. Box 2001
Iowa City, IA 52244
Prepared by
Jennifer A. Price, PhD
Price Preservation Research
P.O. Box 5201
Coralville, Iowa 52241-0201
January 2024
Iowa Site Inventory Form State Inventory Number: 52-00602 ❑ New M Supplemental
State Historic Preservation Office 9-Digit SHPO Review & Compliance (R&C) Number:
(July 2014) ❑ Non-extant Year:
Read the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions carefully, to ensure accuracy and completeness before
completing this form. The instructions are available on our website: htto://www.iowahistorv.oro/historic-
preservation/statewide-inventory-and-collections/iowa-site-inventory-form. html
• Property Name
A) Historic name: Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building
B) Other names: Narodni Sin: National Hall: Slezak Hotel: Holub & Son Grocerv: Holub Apartments: Pagliai's Pizza
• Location
A) Street address: 302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts
B) City or town:lowa Ci tv (❑ Vicinity) County:Johnson
C) Legal description:
Rural: Township Name:_ Township No.: Range No.: Section:_ Otr: of Qtr:
Urban: Subdivision: Original Town Plat Block(s): 57 Lot(s): 5 and part of 6
• Classification
A) Property category: check onlyone B) Number of resources (within property):
M Building(s) If eligible property, enter number of., If non-eligible property,
❑ District Contributing Nonc ntributinq enter number of.,
❑ Site 1 Buildings _ _ Buildings
❑ Structure _ Sites _ _ Sites
❑ Object _ Structures _ _ Structures
Ob'ects Ob'ects
1 Total Total
C) For properties listed in the National Register:
National Register status: ❑ Listed ❑ De-listed ❑ NHL ❑ NPS DOE
D) For properties within a historic district:
❑ Property contributes to a National Register or local certified historic district.
❑ Property contributes to a potential historic district, based on professional historic/architectural survey and evaluation.
❑ Property does not contribute to the historic district in which it is located.
Historic district name: Historic district site inventory number:
E) Name of related project report or multiple property study, if applicable:
MPD title Historical Architectural Data Base #
• Function or Use Enter categories (codes and terms) from the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions
A) Historic functions B) Current functions
02E11 COMMERCE/specials store/grocery 02G COMMERCE/restaurant
01 D01 DOMESTIC/transitory housing/hotel 02A08 COMMERCE/business/laundry
03A04 SOCIAL/meeting hall/hall of patriotic organization 011302 DOMESTIC/multiple dwelling/apartment building
• Description Enter categories (codes and terms) from the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions
Al 11 ...6:•.. d.....1 -1---iiia 61- Ql RA -6-1-1-
05B LATE VICTORIAN/Italianate
09F03 OTHER/Commercial/Arcaded Block
Foundation (visible exterior): 04 STONE
Walls (visible exterior): 03 BRICK
Roof: 05 METAL
Other:
C) Narrative description 0 SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED
Site Number: 52-00602 Address: 302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts City:Iowa City County; Johnson
• Statement of Significance
A) Applicable National Register Criteria: Mark your opinion of eligibility after applying relevant National Register criteria
Criterion A: Property is associated with significant events. ® Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion B: Property is associated with the lives of significant persons. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion C: Property has distinctive architectural characteristics. ® Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion D: Property yields significant information in archaeology/history. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
B) Special criteria considerations: Mark any special considerations; leave blank if none
❑ A: Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. ❑ E: A reconstructed building, object, or structure.
❑ B: Removed from its original location. ❑ F: A commemorative property.
❑ C: A birthplace or grave. ❑ G: Property less than 50 years of page or
❑ D: A cemetery achieved significance within the past 50 years.
C) Areas of significance
Enter categories from instructions
02 ARCHITECTURE
05 COMMERCE
D) Period(s) of significance
1875-1969
E) Significant dates F) Significant person
Construction date Complete if Criterion B is marked above
1875 ❑ check if circa or estimated date
Other dates, including renovations
c.1930 (apts): 1938 (storefront): 1969 (store interior)
G) Cultural affiliation H) Architect/Builder
Complete if Criterion D is marked above Architect
Builder/contractor
1) Narrative statement of significance ® SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED
• Bibliography ® See continuation sheets for the list research sources used in preparing this form
Geographic Data Optional UTM references ❑ See continuation sheet for additional UTM or comments
Zone Easting Northing NAD Zone Easting Northing NAD
• Form P
Name and Title: Jennifer A. Price/Consultant Date:January 2024
Organization/firm: Price Preservation Research E-mail:price preservationresearchCa)gmai1.corn
Street address: P.O. Box 5201 Telephone:319.594.9513
City or Town: Coralville State: IA Zip code:52241-0201
• ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION Submit the following items with the completed form
A) For all properties, attach the following, as specified in the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions:
1. Map of property's location within the community.
2. Glossy color 4x6 photos labeled on back with property/building name, address, date taken, view shown, and
unique photo number.
3. Photo key showing each photo number on a map and/or floor plan, using arrows next top each photo
number to indicate the location and directional view of each photograph.
4. Site plan of buildings/structures on site, identifying boundaries, public roads, and building/structure footprints.
B) For State Historic Tax Credit Part 1 Applications, historic districts and farmsteads, and barns:
See lists of special requirements and attachments in the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Use On/v Below This Line
The SHPO has reviewed the Site Inventory and concurs with above survey opinion on National Register eligibility:
❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
❑ This is a locally designated property or part of a locally designated district.
Comments:
SHPO authorized signature: Date:
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION
The Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building is located at the northeast corner of N. Linn Street and E. Bloomington Street
on the north side of Iowa City, seat of Johnson County in eastern Iowa. The property is bordered on the west and
north sides by the southern boundary lines of the Gilbert -Linn Street Historic District, a National Register -listed
residential historic district containing a large neighborhood of late nineteenth and early twentieth century houses.
Although it is outside the boundaries of the Gilbert -Linn Street Historic District, the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building is
visually part of the district both architecturally and historically and is a familiar landmark in the overall Northside
neighborhood of Iowa City. Along the west side of the property, N. Linn Street retains its original brick paving. Across
Bloomington Street to the south is a large, paved lot that provides overflow parking for Pagliai's Pizza — the
commercial tenant in the main level store unit since 1969 — and other nearby businesses, including Hamburg Inn
No. 2 just south of the parking lot. The surroundings to the southeast, south, and southwest feature a mix of late -
nineteenth to mid -twentieth-century commercial buildings, historic residential buildings repurposed for commercial
use, and a modern condominium building at the southwest corner of N. Linn and E. Bloomington streets.
The subject property is a complex of four adjoining brick buildings built from 1875 to the 1880s that together form
an L -shape around a central courtyard and parking lot with access to E. Bloomington Street. The entire Slezak
Block complex is comprised of the main two-story brick block (40 by 80 feet) built on the northeast corner of N. Linn
and E. Bloomington streets; a three-story brick Italianate style hotel addition (38 by 42 feet) built adjoining the rear
of the main building with entrance on N. Linn Street; a two-story hotel addition (22 by 72 feet) adjoined to rear of
the hotel addition and extending east along the north property line that originally held a carriage house, laundry,
and sleeping rooms; and the laundromat (34 by 80 feet) — originally the stables and later a garage — built adjoining
the east end of the carriage house and extending south to face E. Bloomington Street.
The main building, 302 E. Bloomington Street, was built by Joseph Slezak in 1875 in the commercial Italianate
style. The building has brick exterior walls, a front gabled roof clad in metal with three ventilators spaced evenly
along the ridgeline. The front -gabled roof is hidden on the south side fagade by "a wooden pediment with Baroque
curves. Below this is a heavy, projecting, wooden cornice with single, widely -spaced windows with three sashes,
the upper section of which is boarded up. Around the semi -circular window tops the raised brick molding forms a
rectangular panel. At the top of the first story is a less extended cornice' (Alexander 1970). The storefront was
remodeled in 1938, creating a single central recessed tiled entry with wood and glass entry door, black tiled
bulkheads, and plate glass windows. In 1969, the store interior was remodeled to house the pizza parlor that is still
located there nearly 55 years later. "The second -story cornice extends along the east and west sides with upper -
story windows repeating those of the south fagade. On the west side was a second entrance, leading to apartments,
using cast iron elements and large glass windows. This has been bricked up and the present entrance is to the
north" (Alexander 1970).
The three-story northern addition (308-312 N. Linn Street) was built as a hotel and is five bays wide with a central
entrance. It is also built of brick with a front -gabled roof. "The fagade is topped by a high cornice with a version of
triglyph and metope ornament, and single, widely spaced brackets. All openings are topped by very plastic pressed
tin arches with delicate inset floral ornament of an Eastlake character, the kind of tool used in the 1880s. The cornice
continues around the building. Windows on the sides and back are topped by a segmental arch with a separate
molding formed by protruding brick" (Alexander 1970).
The adjoining two-story rear addition (former carriage house) has a flat roof and an entrance on the narrow west
side, with the addresses 310-314 N. Linn Street. The segmental arch windows have newer 1/1 double hung sash
windows. The south fagade, clad in vinyl siding, overlooks the small courtyard and parking lot. A central entry door
and overhead garage door near the east endwall are features of the fagade.
The easternmost addition (316 E. Bloomington Street) is also built of brick with a front -gabled roof hidden by a
curved Baroque pediment that complements the one on the main building. "The curving features of the Baroque
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
pediment is executed in brick (rather than wood like the main building) and outlined in wood" (Alexander 1970). It
served originally as a barn with stables for the horses of hotel guests. The building was converted by 1920 to a
heated garage. In 1953, it housed a linen service, and in 1958, it was remodeled into a coin-operated laundromat.
The brick fagade and the brick portion of the Baroque pediment appear to have been stuccoed and painted white.
The recessed central entrance is flanked by two square fixed store windows. This storefront configuration (and
perhaps the stucco as well) likely dates to 1958, when it was remodeled into the coin-operated laundromat that it
remains today.
Statement of Integrity
In 1996, consultants Molly Myers Naumann and Brian Schultes — in their Survey and Evaluation of the Dubuque/Linn
Corridor, Iowa City, Iowa — determined the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building one of 10 sites that "appear to be
individually significant" and likely "eligible for the NRHP and/or local landmark designation' (Naumann and Schultes
1996:10). Although the fifth -generation owner chose not to pursue National Register listing or local landmark status
at the time of the survey, he has continued to maintain the historic building complex to a high degree. The building,
therefore, remains deserving of local landmark designation and meets the seven aspects of integrity (location,
setting, design, workmanship, materials, feeling, and
association) that make it individually eligible for the National
Register of Historic Places.
The Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building complex is in its original
location at the northeast corner of E. Bloomington and N. Linn
Streets. Although the immediate surroundings to the east
south and southwest have changed in the past 50 years (see
Site Plan in Additional Documentation), the Slezak-Holub-
Skarda Building is a landmark that anchors the south
boundaries of the Gilbert -Linn Street Historic District, a well-
preserved National Register -listed residential district of houses
dating to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (see
Site Plan in Additional Documentation).
View looking north at the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building, home
of Pagliai's Pizza since 1969. Photo by Price Preservation Research,
December 2023
The original footprint and design of this Italianate style building
complex is intact, and the workmanship and materials of the
original builders is visible on all sides. Extant original character -defining features — including the face brick,
fenestration pattern, hood molds, brackets and cornices, and Baroque pediments — have been preserved throughout
periods of remodeling and repurposing.
The Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building conveys a feeling of time and place of a late -nineteenth-century Italianate
commercial block — even with its modern commercial tenants — that the building's original owners and customers
would instantly recognize. The building is now thoroughly associated with Pagliai's Pizza, which has been located
here since 1969, and yet the entire complex has been remarkably preserved so that its modern uses do not
overwhelm the building's character -defining features or its historic association with the Gilbert -Linn Street Historic
District and Northside neighborhood of Iowa City.
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building is locally significant and individually eligible for listing in the National Register of
Historic Places under Criteria A and C. Under Criterion A, the building is a landmark associated with both the ethnic
and commercial history of Iowa City's northside neighborhood. Begun by Joseph Slezak in 1875 and completed in
the 1880s, the complex of brick Italianate style commercial buildings at the corner of E. Bloomington and N. Linn
streets was a one-stop shopping, dining, lodging, entertainment, and cultural center for the ever-growing Bohemian -
American community in Iowa City and northern Johnson County. Even the curved Baroque pediment recalled the
Central European architecture that would have been familiar to Slezak and his fellow immigrants. His second -floor
hall, known as Narodni Sin, or National Hall, was home to Iowa City's many Bohemian fraternal and community
organizations that used the hall for their meetings, and housed a comprehensive cultural library. The hall also
included a dance floor, a stage, and balcony, and was the venue for numerous dances, parties, sporting events,
and staged entertainments over its four decades of existence. Slezak himself operated his commercial and cultural
complex (hotel, hall, saloon, and grocery/dry goods store) for 25 years, specifically serving Solon, Swisher,
Shueyville, and rural Johnson County farmers, who came to town for market day or to visit the nearby hospitals. By
1900, just before Joseph Slezak turned over the businesses of the grocery, hall, and hotel to his son-in-law, Joseph
F. Holub, the Slezak Block with its popular National Hall was already considered, as the Iowa City Daily Republican
stated, "one of the landmarks of this city." Holub took over the property in 1909, continuing the hall, rooming house,
and grocery store into the late 1920s and early 1930s. Holub remodeled the hall and rooming house into modern
apartments around 1930, essentially creating the commercial property that it remains today. The additions of the
laundromat in the former stable/garage in 1958 and Pagliai's Pizza in the former grocery store in 1969 have added
more recent layers to the historical significance of this beloved 149 -year-old property that has passed through five
generations of the same family and continues to be a landmark in Iowa City.
Under Criterion C, the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building is a remarkably well-preserved example of commercial
Italianate architecture. As Molly Myers Naumann wrote in her Survey and Evaluation of the Dubuque/Linn Street
Corridor in 1996: "This two story brick commercial building from 1875 (with three story addition...) is individually
eligible as a fine example of Italianate commercial design. It features tall slender round arched windows on the
second floor with simple brick hoodmolds, while on the first floor the windows are segmental arched with brick
hoods. The three story addition has more elaborate cast hoodmolds. A bracketed wooden cornice surrounds both
sections. Relatively few alterations have been made over the years, but these include: bricking in an entrance on
the secondary (west) facade and putting in two small modern windows, bricking in a doorway on the west elevation,
installation of smaller windows at the second floor level, creating a new brick foyer or vestibule entry to the rear
wing, and new plate glass windows and entry door on the storefront." Although changes to the building over the
past nine decades "sound extensive," according to Naumann, the building's overall integrity remains very high.
Moreover, each of its remodels (c.1930, 1936, 1958, and 1969) are now over 50 years of age and thus part of the
historic fabric. These changes are unobtrusive and do not diminish the building's overall architectural integrity or its
original character -defining features, which include the unique curved Baroque pediment, the complementary
pediment on the former stable/laundromat, arched fenestration, hood molds, and bracketed cornices. The entire
building complex remains individually eligible for the National Register and would be a contributing resource, as
Naumann wrote in 1996, "in any historic district that includes Linn Street."
The preliminary period of significance for the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building is 1875 to at least 1969, from the year
the main building was completed and put into service to the year the store unit remodel was completed and Pagliai's
"Pizza Palace" opened for business.
History of the Siezak-Holub-Skarda Building, 1875-1975
By 1850, new residents to Iowa City included many immigrants from Bohemia (the area of Central Europe known
today as the Czech Republic). They mainly settled in Cedar Rapids and Linn County, Johnson County north of Iowa
City, and in the eastern part of Iowa City's Northside neighborhood, which came to be known as Goosetown
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
(Naumann 1996;E-6). "Arriving in Linn County, Iowa, around 1855, Johann (John/Jan) and Anna Sichrova
Slezak came from P"rivrat, Bohemia, a village in the Usti Nad Orlici District in the Pardubice Region of today's Czech
Republic" (Boller 2023). By 1870, the Slezaks were living in Monroe Township in Johnson County and in 1872 —
fours year before his death — Johann (John) Slezak purchased Lots 5 & 6 in Block 57 of the Original Plat of Iowa
City. This property, located at the corner of N. Linn and E. Bloomington streets, had been home to the State "Blind
Asylum," which was in 1872 "an old stone building" built in 1853 that had been sitting unused since that institution
was moved to Vinton in 1862. In March 1874, the Slezaks deeded the property to their oldest son Joseph ("Joe")
(1847-1912) (Iowa Anti Monopolist, March 27, 1874). Two months later, Joe Slezak had moved into the "old Blind
Asylum" and opened a grocery store and National Hall, or "Narodni Sin' in Czech (Iowa State Press, May 19, 1875;
History of Johnson County Iowa 1883;75-76).
3,�, . 57
The complete Slezak building complex as shown on the 1888
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Iowa City. Source: Library of
Congress website
When the old Blind Asylum was badly damaged by fire a year
later in May 1875, Joe Slezak tore it down and began
construction of his own building to house his grocery and
National Hall. The result was an Italianate style two-story
brick block with an unusual Baroque pediment (Iowa Anti
Monopolist, May 1, 1874; Iowa State Press, May 19, 1875).
When it opened in November 1875, the main building
featured two store units, a dining room, and saloon on the
main floor, while the second floor served as a large meeting
and dance hall and likely hotel rooms in the rear. Upstairs,
the National Hall, or Narodni Sin, included a dance floor, a
stage, and balcony, and would be the venue for numerous
meetings, dances, parties, sporting events, and staged
entertainments over the next four decades.
BLOOM I N
Slezak's Hotel, or "Farmer's Home," was officially opened on
November 1, 1875, and his National Hall (or "Narodni Sin')
was opened on November 15, 1875. Slezak advertised both grand openings in the local Bohemian language
newspaper, Slovan Americky (Slovan Americky, October 28, 1875; Boller 2023; Jacobsen [19811:12). Slezak
sought especially to cater to farmers living in rural Johnson County, who regularly traveled by horse and wagon into
Iowa City on market days to trade their farm products and purchase goods on Iowa Avenue, the city's main
marketplace and just blocks from Slezak Hall. Because these trips to town often included an overnight stay,
entrepreneurs like Joe Slezak "opened farmers hotels,' offering inexpensive overnight boarding that also included
a hearty meal and a stable where farmers could safely park their horses & wagons' (Boller 2023).
After the grand openings, Iowa City's other newspapers praised Slezak and his new brick block:
The "National," the new Bohemian hotel built on the site formerly occupied by the old Blind Asylum, was
completed last week. The splendid hall on the second story was dedicated on Monday night by a grand ball,
participated in by over 400 persons. The structure cost $8,000, and is the property of [Joseph] Slezack [sic]
(Iowa City Republican, November 17, 1875).
Mr. Slezack [sic] has built, on the site of the old Blind Asylum, a most creditable brick structure, in which is the
finest and best proportioned public hall in town. This new building will be the home of the Ochotnik and other
Bohemian societies and there will be their library, one of the largest selections of Sclavic [sic] literature in the
United States (Iowa City Daily Press, November 29, 1875).
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Slezak opened his grocery/general store and saloon at the same time, but no advertisements have been found yet
announcing those features.
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dlhuio rychj . • fidupY obalYhn. 9�y.i, t hojne nt.eierk.
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The first advertisements for Josef "Joe" Slezak's new building appeared in the local Bohemian language newspaper,
Slovan Americky. On the left, Slezak gives details of the grand opening of his new "Farmers' Home" with dining room
and stables on November 1, 1875, and on the right of the grand opening of The National Hall (Narodni Sin) with a
dance ball on November 15, 1875. The "Farmer's Home" was located in the original building, and the stables were
nearby. The extant brick hotel, carriage house, and stables were complete by 1888.
Source: Sloven Americky, October 28, 1875
Slezak added more buildings until the entire Slezak complex was complete by 1888 (see 1888 Sanborn Map). To
his main brick block on the northeast corner of N. Linn and E. Bloomington streets, he added a three-story brick
Italianate style hotel addition (38 by 42 feet) on the north side with entrance on N. Linn Street; an adjoining hotel
addition (22 by 72 feet) to the north and extending east that originally housed a carriage house, laundry, and
sleeping rooms; and a large barn with stables (34 by 80 feet) adjoined to the east end of the carriage house and
extending and facing south. Altogether, the buildings formed an L -shape.
Slezak intended his corner building complex to be a one-stop shopping, dining, lodging, entertainment, and cultural
center for the Bohemian -American community in Iowa City and Johnson County environs. Even the building's
curved Baroque pediment recalled the Central European architecture that would have been familiar to Slezak and
his fellow immigrants. From 1875 to the 1910s, "Slezak's National Hotel and Hall" was home to the following
Bohemian fraternal and community organizations using the hall for their meetings: Trasti (c. 1892), Zastit (1901-
15), Slovanska Lipa (1892), Forum Palacky (1904-9), and Iowa City Lodge #180 of ZCBJ (1914)" (Boller 2023;
Jacobsen 1981). Slezak operated his commercial and cultural complex (hotel, restaurant, hall, saloon, and
grocery/dry goods) for 25 years, specifically serving Solon, Swisher, and Shueyville and northern Johnson County
farmers, many of them Bohemian immigrants, who came to town for market day or to visit the nearby hospitals and
needed overnight accommodations (Jacobsen 1981; Boller 2023).
In 1886, a notice in the Iowa State Press told readers Joe Slezak had turned over operation of the grocery/dry
goods store "to his former clerk, Joseph F. Holub, who will continue the business at the old stand, National Hall
building." Eva Slezak, Joe's wife, continued to be in charge of "the boarding house as heretofore," while Slezak
continued as proprietor of the National Hall. Holub (1867-1934) eventually married the Slezaks' daughter, Anna
(1872-1963), in 1892 and apparently left the Slezak store to work elsewhere until 1901 (Iowa State Press,
September 29, 1886; Boller 2023). City directories show the grocery was run by Joe's son, Frank Slezak, in 1899,
and again by Joe Slezak in 1901. A saloon operated by Joseph Slezak was listed in 1878, by Frank Slezak in 1899,
and again by Joseph Slezak in 1901 (Jacobsen 1981).
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
By 1892, Joseph Slezak was praised by the Iowa City Weekly Republican as "Prominent among the Bohemians,
"a natural leader among men," and "a man of indomitable energy."
Commencing in a small way he has built up in Iowa City an extensive property occupying the site of the old
blind asylum, his National Hall, a place of public meetings and social gatherings. Beneath it are two
commodious store rooms devoted to groceries, dry goods and general merchandise. In the same building he
conducts a well appointed hotel. Mr. Slezak has in every way deserved his success (Iowa City Weekly
Republican, December 20th, 1892).
In 1901, Joseph F. Holub took over the grocery store, and "all the other business ventures centered in the Slezak
block:"
Joseph Holub ... will succeed his father-in-law, Joseph Slezak, as proprietor of the National hall, the
Farmers' home, the grocery store and all the other business ventures centered in the Slezak block.
Mr. Slezak, as a hard-working, popular pioneer, has built up a great business there, and his son-in-
law certainly starts an independent commercial career with a fine outlook for prosperity and fortune. As to Mr.
Holub himself, everybody knows him. His connection with Gramling's, Denecke & Yetter's and Yetter's has
made him acquainted with thousands of householders in Johnson county [sic]. He is a diligent, courteous and
always good natured salesman, and as "his own boss" will doubtless do exceedingly well (Daily Iowa State
Press, September 25, 1901).
In 1909, Slezak sold the entire property to Holub:
An important transfer of property has taken place through the purchase from J.J. Slezak of the
property owned by the former at the corner of Linn and Bloomington streets. Mr. Holub has for some time
been in active charge of the business conducted there, and is therefore familiar with the proposition which he
has undertaken.
The building on the site is one of the land marks [sic] of Iowa City and well built many years ago. It
was a structure of fine construction and is therefore well preserved. The upper story is devoted to Dancehall
and hotel purposes while on the ground floor are the grocery and saloon and the restaurant. No announcement
of the consideration is made but the property is one generally valued at about $40,000. Mr. Holub will have
the wish of his many friends for success in his continued business activities in his own property (Iowa City
Press -Citizen, September 6, 1909).
In 1919, Joseph Holub brought his son, William, into the business with him, styling themselves Holub and Son until
1933, when the name changed to Holub's Grocery (Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 24, 1933; Iowa City Press -
Citizen, March 31, 1934; Iowa City Press -Citizen, May 16, 1935). Joseph Holub also continued the National Hall,
which became known as Holub's Hall, until c.1926-1928, when he embarked on his long -held plans to remodel the
hall and rooming house into modern apartments (Iowa City Press -Citizen, November 26, 1924). Eventually the
carriage house would be remodeled into apartments, as well. He had already converted the barn and stables into
a heated garage by 1920 (see 1920 Sanborn map). In 1953, the former stable/garage became the home of the
Iowa City Home Linen Service (Iowa City Press- Citizen, July 23, 1953). In 1958, the building was remodeled into a
coin-operated laundromat that continues today (Iowa City Press -Citizen, September 3 and 4, 1958).
In 1936, I.C. Nichols and his Self Serve Grocery replaced Holub's Grocery (Iowa City Press -Citizen, April 16, 1938).
In 1938, William J. Holub (1892-1975), the third generation property owner, remodeled the storefront, likely creating
the single central recessed entrance that is mostly extant (Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 25, 1938). The same
year, Nichols remodeled the grocery store interior (Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 25, 1938). In 1953, Raymond
Tweedy purchased the business and opened Tweedy's Self Serve Grocery Store (Iowa City Press Citizen,
December 30, 1953). In 1960, Val and Marilyn (Holub) Skarda, the fourth generation of the Slezak/Holub family
took over. The couple moved into William Holub's former home in the building, and Val Skarda became, as his
obituary in 2019 stated, "the patriarch of the Holub Apartments, an Iowa City landmark" (Iowa City Press -Citizen,
June 6, 1960; Iowa City Press -Citizen, May 15, 2019).
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Tweedy's went out of business in 1968 (Iowa City Press -Citizen, November 29, 1969). One year later, Val Skarda
remodeled the store unit into a "pizza house," and Armond Pagliai moved his Pizza Palace from 127 S. Clinton
Street to 302 E. Bloomington. Around 1975, the name changed to Pagliai's Pizza, and it has been located there
ever since.
Gift Certificates or
Ngliu'r T-shirts available
$5.00
By 1981, as this advertisement shows, Pagliai's Pizza had become the
familiar face of the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building. Today, the restaurant is
part of Its historic significance. source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, December 5, 1981
- Already considered a landmark by 1900, the history of the Slezak-Holub-Skarda
Building was periodically the subject of the recurring feature, "A Fact A Day About
FT, 77-11 Iowa City" in the Press -Citizen. Its "Narodni Sin' was an especially popular topic,
�.� used as a way to talk about Iowa City's Bohemian cultural past or the "old Blind
Asylum," or to reminisce generally about Iowa City's Northside neighborhood and
the "good old days." During his first year writing for the Press -Citizen, Iowa City
historian Irving Weber made Slezak Hall a focus of his recurring series, "How's
Paghai's Pizza Your Building 10," in which he implored his readers to "Look Up!" at the upper
E. Bloomington stories of the city's historic buildings. The popular history of the building appeared
302
Ph ooming3 again in Weber's book, Historical Stories About Iowa City – Volume
Mcnd+,S+turd+r, a v.m.-t +•n,• 1 (1976). Weber revisited the subject again in 1981 and in 1990 to discuss historic
metal roofs (Iowa City Press -Citizen, March 15, 1973; Iowa City Press -Citizen,
April 18, 1981; Iowa City Press -Citizen, October 20, 1990). These remembrances
of the building's history have bolstered its significance as a beloved Iowa City landmark. The additions of the Holub
apartments in the former National Hall in c.1930, the Laundromat in the former stables/garage in 1958, and Pagliai's
Pizza (an the Iowa City institution) in the former grocery store in 1969 have added more recent layers to the historical
significance of this 149 -year-old property. The building has passed through the ownership of five generations of the
same family and continues to be individually eligible for the National Register and a landmark in the Northside
Neighborhood of Iowa City.
MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Ad for Basket Ball and Dance, Iowa City Press -Citizen, January 20, 1925.
Ad for Home Linen Service, Iowa City Press -Citizen, July 23, 1953.
Ad for Holub's Grocery, Iowa City Press -Citizen, May 16, 1935.
Ad for Iowa City Home Linen Service, Iowa City Press -Citizen, July 23, 1953.
Ad for Going out of business sale for Tweedy's Self Serve Grocery, Iowa City Press Citizen, November 29, 1968.
Ad for New Location -Store No. 2 Self Serve Stores, Iowa City Press -Citizen, April 16, 1936.
Ad for Newly Remodeled Self Serve Store, Iowa City Press -Citizen, March 31, 1938.
Ad for Pagliai's Pizza, Iowa City Press -Citizen, December 5, 1981.
"A Fact A Day About Iowa City: `Narodni Sin,"' Iowa City Press -Citizen, September 24, 1947.
Alexander, Robert. 302 & 316 East Bloomington & 308-314 N. Linn." Historic American Building Survey Inventory,
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1970. On file at State Historic Preservation Office,
Des Moines, Iowa.
Aurner, Clarence Ray. Leading Events in Johnson County Iowa History. Vol. 2. Cedar Rapids, IA: Western
Historical Press, 1913.
Baxter, Elaine. Northside Neighborhood Preservation Study., Historic Structures Inventory. Report prepared by the
Department of Community Development, City of Iowa City, and Institute of Urban & Regional Research,
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1977.
"Big Property Was Sold, Jos. Holub Buys Slezak Hall, Also Gets the Hotel, Grocery and Saloon Business," Iowa
City Press -Citizen, September 6, 1909.
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Boller, Marty. "Saving Iowa City's Slezak National Hall," Our Iowa Heritage, 2023. Accessed at
https://ouriowaheritage.com/siezak-national-hall/- 12/2023.
"City Issues 33 Permits for Building," Iowa City Press -Citizen, July 10, 1969.
"Fire Causes Much Damage," Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 9, 1940.
"Give Surprise Party for William Holubs," Iowa City Press -Citizen, June 6, 1960.
Grand opening ads for Self Serve Laundromat, Iowa City Press -Citizen, September 3 and 4, 1958.
Help -Wanted Ad for Pizza Palace, Iowa City Press- Citizen, August 21, 1969.
History of Johnson County, Iowa. Iowa City, IA: [?], 1883.
Iowa City Daily Press, January 18, 1876.
Iowa City Daily Press, November 29, 1875.
Iowa City Daily Republican, December 4th, 1900.
Iowa City Republican, November 17, 1875.
Jacobson, James E. North Side Neighborhood Preservation Study. Prepared for Division of Historic Preservation,
Iowa City, Iowa, [1981?].
"Joe Holub Climbs," Daily Iowa State Press, September 25, 1901.
"National Hall (Slezak Hall)," Iowa Site Inventory Form No. 52-00602. On file at State Historic Preservation Office,
Des Moines, Iowa.
Naumann, Molly Myers, and Brian Schultes. Surveyand Evaluation of the Dubuque/Linn Corridor, Iowa City,
Iowa. Prepared for the City of Iowa City, the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, and the Iowa
City Planning and Community Development Department, Iowa City, Iowa, 1996.
Naumann, Molly Myers. Architectural & Historical Resources of the Dubuque/Linn Street Corridor, Iowa City,
Iowa, 1839-c. 1940. Multiple Property Document, National Register of Historic Places, National Park
Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 1996.
"New Store Front to Be Erected by Holub," Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 25, 1938.
"Placemat Features Historic Homes, Businesses Here," Iowa City Press -Citizen, December 23, 1971.
"Planning New Apartments," Iowa City Press -Citizen, November 26, 1924.
"Raymond Tweedy Buys Self Serve Grocery from Ralph Westcott, Iowa City Press Citizen, December 30, 1953.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Iowa City, Iowa, 1883, 1888, 1892, 1899, 1906, 1920, 1926. Obtained from
Library of Congress website at https://www.loc.ciov/collections/sanborn-
maps/?a=Iowa+City.+Johnson+County— 12/2023.
Svendsen, Marlys A. Gilbert -Linn Street Historic District National Register Nomination. National Register of
Historic Places, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 2004.
Weber, Irving E., "How's Your Building IO," Iowa City Press -Citizen, March 15, 1973.
"'Narodni Sin' Remembered," Iowa City Press -Citizen, April 18, 1981.
"To Top It Off: Metal Roofs," Iowa City Press -Citizen, October 20, 1990.
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION
Latitude: 41.664918 Longitude: -91.531348
Location of Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building in Iowa City
Base Map: Johnson County GIS12023 Imagery
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Site Plan
Base Map: Johnson County GIS12023 Imagery
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
FAIRCHILD ST ■
F
VI
W
to
7 F
O' vt K
m m
� r J
O �
C7
DAVENPORT 5T
Location of Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building (star) abutting the south boundary lines of the
National Register -listed Gilbert -Linn Street Historic District
Source: Marlys A. Svendsen, Gilbert -Linn Street Historic District National Register Nomination, 2004
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
CURRENT PHOTOGRAPHS (Photos by Price Preservation Research, December 12, 2023)
General view looking northwest
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Facade, looking north
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Looking east at Holub Apartments
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Looking southeast
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION
t
The L ational,l.'' the nian� Bohemian
hot;i built Ot+ tht. site formerly ofrou-
Oud by the old Blind '5 Asylum, Nyus
e6inpleted lti t wi ek.' The splondid
liall'on the5drond story Nytf-;dedicated
'
on hlondii}>"ni ght' fiy' a g"rita it ball,
participated iii=by over 400 'ii'ersonS.
The structure cost„$8,000, _and ;s the
Mr. Slezzck has built, on the site of
the old Blind Asylum, a moat credita-
ble brick structure. in which Is the
finest and best proportioned public halt
in town This new building will be
the home of the Ochotnik and other
Bohemian societies and there will be
their library. one of the largest selec-
tions of Sclaric literature in the united
property of ,Toliu Slozack. 8httim
_
Praise fo the grand opening of Slezak's "new Bohemian hotel” and "splendid hall," 1875
Sources: (left) Iowa City Republican, November 17,1875; (right) Iowa City Daily Press, November 29, 1875
NATIONAL HILL If
Corner Linn and Bloomington Ste.,
IOWA CITY, IOWA.
One
apd alltlW, rittingeeomplete
VIRI
111 IJ 110111E Is
GOOD STAIMISO, GOOD BOiRDISO ASD
LODGING!
JOSEPH SLEZAH, Iowa City, Iowa. � Joseph Slezak.
Fablbd—
Ads for Joseph Slezak's National Hall with "One flight of Stairs, large Audience Room, ample Stage and Scenery,"
and Slezak's "Farmer's Home," 1876, offering "good stabling" and "good boarding and lodging." Sources: (left) Iowa
State Press, March 2, 1876 and (right) Iowa City Daily Press, April 12, 1876
Our Bohemian fellow -citizens gave a
theatrical entertainment and bull at
Slezak's new hall, last night for the
beuefit of the Ilcrzegovinian rebels.
3 fine crowd was out and the sunt
raised gill be of value to the stiff ering
Christians of the Danubc.
Bohemian theatrical entertainment at Slezak's new hall, "for the benefit of the Herzegovinian rebels,"
1876. Source: Iowa City Daily Press, January 18, 1876
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Car1.1.' hf7.
O'
v �
Z
I
`Orizi�y if'i
'--
wgle
c�Ty wy��R•
I
SMAtc n�rorvvr t�
5
3TENERY �iV HNc[.
�1
NE,4T' STEFMB SrOI�ES
!
�
G o.
The Slezak property as shown on the 1892 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Iowa City. Note the saloon is
gone, replaced by a new dining room and parlor.
Source: Library of Congress website
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
a
N 57
irk � c
ji
e "
c
Oal&ry
� f1d/ 22's'•
q � •I c�Lpl
X �y I be
zln? .?I.a
9
The Slezak property as shown on the 1899 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Iowa City. Carriage house and
livery are still in use. Note the two dining rooms and saloon in the east store unit.
Source: Library of Congress website
Joe Slezak, who for many years hae
conducted a grocery and saloon busi-
nesa at the corner of Bloomington and
Linn streets, fa going to dispose of all
his property interests on account of his
ill health. For a number of years the
National hall, which occupies the sec-
ond floor of the Slezak building, has
been one of the landmarks of thla city,
Joe Slezak was thinking of selling the Slezak Hall property in 1900, but instead he put his son-in-law
Joseph Holub in charge of the businesses the following year. Note the Slezak building is referred to as
"one of the landmarks of this city." Source: Iowa City Daily Republican, December 4th, 1900
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
l
c57
if /2 Ap O
2 � X
t yrs.
l Z
� f ��te/fries � 6
t o Is. `
0 *yw e -- ctvv Vo O
o+ ZStoreAi ,,/ I -favi 1/0
o,«vu,sr. awr I x i --1
p I N O sS 1
A 11 ;-
tkil 4
ht 30Z 304 3/8
a
fl ,_
The Slezak-Holub property as shown on the 1906 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Iowa City. Joseph Holub
had been proprietor since 1901. source: Library of Congress website
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
)oe Holub'; Climbs.
i PoDalar Young Salesmru Goes
I into Badness f,r Himself.
I Joseph Holub bac severed his comms.
- lion with Vetter's, the big atone, and
f has gone into business for himself.
' He will succeed his fatherAti-low, Jo -
I seph Slezak, u proprietor of the Nation -
I al hall, the Farmers' home, the grocery
store and all the other business ventures
centered in the Shmik block.
Mr. Slezak, as a hard-working, popular
pioneer, has built up a great business
there, and his son-in-law certainly starts
. an independent commercial career with a
fine outlook for prosperity and fortune.
As to Lvr. Holub himself, everybody
knows him. His connection with Grem-
lrog's, Denecke S Vetter,s and Vetter's
hu'made him acquainted with thou-
sands of householders in Johnson county.
He is a diligent, courteous and always
good natured salesman, and as "his own
boss" will doubtless do exceedingly
well.;
In Mr. Holub's stead, at letter's.
comes Arthur Birelosr' an eeperieaeed
carpet salesman, from the emporium of
Orchard & Wilhelm, at Omoba. He is a
thorough master of every detail of thel
carpet business, and letter's are to be
congratulated on securing his services.
Carpet buyers in of lows City, in turn,
will not fail to appreciate the presence in
the big store of such a capable judge of
carpets.
DIT. and Mrs. Bigelow will occupy the
Miller cottage on Iowa avenue. They
will be cordially welcomed to Iowa City.
To Mr. and Mrs. Holub, in their new
field, friends wish the best of "luck."
In 1901, Joseph Holub, son-in-law to .
located in the Slezak Block. In 1909, he K
generally valued at $40,000 ant
Sources: (left) Daily Iowa State Press, S
BIG PROPIRTY WAS SOLD
JOS. IIOLU13 BUYS SLFZAK HALL.
Also GeN the Hotel, Grocery and
Saloon Bu%Jnc�ti
An Important tianster cf prop-
erty has taken place through tht
pllrchabe from J J Slezak by Jos
Holub of the propelt� owned b� tine
former at the corner of Linn and
Bloomington streets 11r Holub has,
for some time been in active charge
of the bubiness conducted there an,!
is therefore familiar with th propo-
,ttion which he has undertaken.
The building on tb(% %ite is ens
of the land marks of Iowa Clty and
while built man) Seals ago it was a
structure of fine const(uctwn and j --
therefore well prebei t ed The upper
,tory rs deloted to dance hall and
hotel purposes while on the ground
floor ale the grocery and saloon and
the restaurant No announ(enient
of the consideration it- made but the
property is one generally valued at
about $10,000. Air Holub will ha -,e
the wish of his many friends for
,,ucce%� in his continued bubiness ac-
tinrtle4 in his own propert)
Joe Slezak, took over the proprietorship of all the businesses
iurchased the property from father-in-law, which at the time was
I still considered "one of the land marks of Iowa City."
eptember 25,1901; (right) Iowa City Press -Citizen, September 6, 1909
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
THE HOLUB HOTEL A -D STORE
Looking northeast at Slezak-Holub Building, 1913, with signage on the pediment reading: J.F. Holub /
Narodni Sin / National Hall. Holub had purchased the property in 1909. J.F. Holub Grocery was in the
storefront and the Holub Hotel was at the rear. The popular National Hall (or Narodni Sin) was above the
grocery store, and came to be known as Holub's Hall. source: Aurner 1913:690
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
L 13LJ
' C17 Q /96 c HD
4 1 -'�: I -
FeU R7
IEL
Ms
S
:I I L°'
RJ, 7�0
01
I
b
ii
I
The Slezak/Holub property as shown on the 1920 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Iowa City. Note the livery
stable has been remodeled into a heated 12 -car garage, but the carriage house remains, reflecting the
transition from horse-drawn to motor transportation just after of World War I.
Source: Library of Congress website
1
i
:
1/
t-
-
' yl
�dZ JV//
S
:I I L°'
RJ, 7�0
01
I
b
ii
I
The Slezak/Holub property as shown on the 1920 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Iowa City. Note the livery
stable has been remodeled into a heated 12 -car garage, but the carriage house remains, reflecting the
transition from horse-drawn to motor transportation just after of World War I.
Source: Library of Congress website
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
original double storefront configuration and the tall upper -story 414 double -hung sash round -arch
windows. Source: Kent Photograph Collection, V3-45, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
N
1* 1
3 it
Ai Ih?
O. . I L.. •
WR L; sr
H9L L ,�O
i7 rr
16 ; 16
2
57
a 6R RAGE
CapIT 17cws,
NO HEAT If
J I LI6Ms1ac 1
2 OI 1h
0
302 Bloomington Street as shown on the 1926 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Iowa City. Note the hotel is
now a "rooming house," soon to be apartments, and the carriage house (marked D for "dwelling") has
been remodeled into an extension of the rooming house. source: Library of Congress website
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
PAUNNIN,G NEW
+ +'MATMENTS
Joseph Holub Males Plans;
For Building at Corner Of
Linn and Bloomington
Long In the distance, but defi-
nitely anticipated, is a fine apart
meat house of modern type, to Oc-
cupy part of the Intersection of
Bloomington and Linn streets.
This would be built by Mr. Toe
eph Holub, who holds a lease with
zeeral Years to run, on the block.
This wa3 founded and built includ-
ing the grocery store, the rooming
quarters, and the oldtlme Naso6
,ni Sin ("National Hall") by the
late Joseph Slezak, Mr. Holub's
father-in-law.
It is Mr. Holub's idea to convert
the hall, itself, Into the main por
tion of the modern apartments he
plana to erect. Hfl hopes to do
this, at large expense to himself.
but to his ultimate good, and to
the Immediate benefit of the com-
munity, after the construction, In
a few Sears.
is
e
i l
In 1924, Joseph Holub made public his plans to convert the old National Hall and rooming house into
modern apartments. The plans were realized before 1930. source: Iowa city Press -citizen, November 26,1924
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Basket Ball and Dance
Williamsburg
vs.
Iowa National Guard
BOLUB'S HALL ON LINN STREET
Thursday, Jan. 22nd ,
Admission 75c 7:45 O'Clock
One of the last events that took place in Holub's Hall was a basketball game and dance between
Williamsburg and the Iowa National Guard in January 1925.
Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, January 20, 1925
Holub's Grocery
Dial 5612 302 E. Bloomington
"SHREDDED WHEAT"
The King of Cereals
"RITZ"
The King of Crackers
Featuring Both With ;
"STRAWBERRIES"
Call Holub's for
FRESH FRUITS
�SMPEOOE� -_
VEGETABLES
° COLD MEATS
� rrvtivhv �
One of the last ads for Holub's Grocery, 1935. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, May 16, 1935
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
PACE ELi7VEN
NEW LOCATION—STORE NO.2
We wish to announce that Store No. 2 has been moved to 302
East Bloomington Street, formerly HOLUB'S GROCERY. FREE
SOUVENIR TO EVERYONE MAKING A PURCHASE AT STOKE
NO. 2 SATURDAY.
In 1936, after Holub's Grocery closed for good, the Self Serve Grocery, owned by I.C. Nichols, opened a
second store location at 302 E. Bloomington Street.
Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, April 16, 1936
New Store Front to
Be Erected by Holub
City Inspector Harold J. Monk
Xaid today that William 13olub has
received a permit for installing a
new store front for the building at
302 Fast Bloomington street. Coat
of the improvement. It was said,
will amount to several thousand
dollars.
In 1938, William Holub, son of Joseph Holub and third -generation owner of the building, remodeled the
storefront. This remodel is likely the extant storefront today, complete with tiled bulkheads, central
recessed tiled entry, and wood and glass entry door with sidelights and transom.
Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 25, 1938
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
dila
.41
Combined With the Opening of Our Newly Remodeled No. 2 $lore at $02 Fast Bloomington Street!
CrrwAly SMele.Gquae�li�lYenfeaeh,AggFH1t.mplyf[v, nanxd Hnq Dur awnte weyxebAewxingu
1se,eM1u.dMeanyp. wywlanffawe rlnJIaenueeM
.lqdaT.
mNnrsr
. dbMw.h[eIiwnnw. IMIeW e1•0Mwhb•e,
Idcn en alwap
M, ,ane I. •II lAm sEYF ar RYf SiORF$.
Prices fiend In All 3 Sell Serve Stores --- Friday aodSaturday Only! No
JELL-O u 4° Parking
Salmon. 2 25c I�r.
Y. WWaNW•en Els e•ne,Y.Y ygNA`Y ave.nAe.+•�
•e..mWNn3.Mr MTVW WerlW gab niJn nn{p.
sK. Yrr•r WR•, n mJ TM e{. •nLly M. nn• dw�N Wk
me! mM nw. n..iW %wl YtlA W � W _•b•
In 1938, Self Serve Stores completed an interior remodel of their No. 2 store at 302 East Bloomington
Street. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, March 31, 1938
FIRE CAUSES
MUCH DAMAGE
Smoke, Water Damage
Estimated at SUN
To Buildings
Fire which brake oat In a bp -
"IUM ala" e,.Vd by T. J. Oet-
amr end located M Of HOW
a a trnent building at 30a North
r Gm Atmel. cauvad damage sero
r mated Eetwem 33.w.rd $1,000
6 nn MIMIu um OdAy.
It M behaved. Fire Chief J. J.
r Clack dtatal, that oily raga=auaa
r Zaq fim which eterled anout Oda
o'clock n.noley night
Flmmlrn inpeeded to the call,
and, because a the great .meant
0 reeks end Imatwn of the m•m,
t the glia rhirr ordeml Inc accord
ahtn,'orf duty at the lime, to ra
t pert el the Beene.
t Most of the dnnage uas wuAed
f by atholte and water and was not
arty eaonfired lU Inn ane -roam Im-
1 dleum star, but elm to Or epa[I.
f ment budding and an ndj..nt
.pacer, atom
FiremeU mmnWM at the a
far nearly Iwo noun. the flre chW
said.
This story about a fire in the Holub Apartments reveals a linoleum store located in the building at 304 N.
Linn Street. This was probably located in the space behind the grocery store originally occupied by the
saloon and dining room. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 9, 1940
wr�M�.m,.
Matches
17c
r pia J W _v
r.:
Peaches
2
33`
Y. WWaNW•en Els e•ne,Y.Y ygNA`Y ave.nAe.+•�
•e..mWNn3.Mr MTVW WerlW gab niJn nn{p.
sK. Yrr•r WR•, n mJ TM e{. •nLly M. nn• dw�N Wk
me! mM nw. n..iW %wl YtlA W � W _•b•
In 1938, Self Serve Stores completed an interior remodel of their No. 2 store at 302 East Bloomington
Street. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, March 31, 1938
FIRE CAUSES
MUCH DAMAGE
Smoke, Water Damage
Estimated at SUN
To Buildings
Fire which brake oat In a bp -
"IUM ala" e,.Vd by T. J. Oet-
amr end located M Of HOW
a a trnent building at 30a North
r Gm Atmel. cauvad damage sero
r mated Eetwem 33.w.rd $1,000
6 nn MIMIu um OdAy.
It M behaved. Fire Chief J. J.
r Clack dtatal, that oily raga=auaa
r Zaq fim which eterled anout Oda
o'clock n.noley night
Flmmlrn inpeeded to the call,
and, because a the great .meant
0 reeks end Imatwn of the m•m,
t the glia rhirr ordeml Inc accord
ahtn,'orf duty at the lime, to ra
t pert el the Beene.
t Most of the dnnage uas wuAed
f by atholte and water and was not
arty eaonfired lU Inn ane -roam Im-
1 dleum star, but elm to Or epa[I.
f ment budding and an ndj..nt
.pacer, atom
FiremeU mmnWM at the a
far nearly Iwo noun. the flre chW
said.
This story about a fire in the Holub Apartments reveals a linoleum store located in the building at 304 N.
Linn Street. This was probably located in the space behind the grocery store originally occupied by the
saloon and dining room. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, February 9, 1940
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
A Fad A Day About Iowa City
`Narodni Sin'
One hundred yearn ago, to far off Bohemia, on February
19, 1847, the second of Mr. and Mix. John Slezak's 10 children
was born. The parenta christened him Joseph, and after 1870
r when the family became residents of Johnson county, the
child, then approaching his 21st year, was known as "Joe" to
many hundreds of Iowa City and Johnson county people.
1 Joacph S]eaek was the owmer of
t the big structure at the Interseo-
tion of Unn and Bloomington
street., long known Tile Its Bohem-
i len title, "Narodni Sin", and like-
, wine, Its English aspic, "National
Hall". It llkewlse bare at times,
i the patronymic of Its owner, being
styled the "Slezak Hall" and "Sle-
aak Hotel", Interchangeably. The
aldllme "lows School for the Deaf"
—as Ila modem successor la known
—wan located on the corner tract
l occupied by the Sleaak property.
The Insntutlon In queation bore
a lens euphonious, nr, at least, less
euphemistic name in than long.
_ gone days. It was than called the
s "Deaf and Ihsmb Asylum,"
Subsequently, the state elected
c Council Bluffs as the site of the ir-
r sitution, sad there it hu been ever
since. The Council Bluffs school
was dealrnyed by fire In 1002• and
f a fireproof building rose from the
t ashes, it Cares for Soo pupae,
- Iowa City'* "psylura", of course,
t
had far fewer students.
t The school waa founded hero in
esplred. It Is a question whether
congress will put tacit alien Can -
trots• Alia it fa s question whether
11 would be wine for the govern-
ment to raise prices again, lust to
get the farmers to market food
supplies now held on farms.
The valeta of the publicity cam-
paign N 1948 was to explain the
aherteges to the piibllc. psycho-
logically, It helped make people
satisfied with the smaller supplies
of meet and cereals available. But
this appeal to the great heart of
file American people wasn't the
only thing which brought out the
extra food that prevented the war-
torn world from atarving.
Practical food met, who have
been all through this battle of food
production. price control, returning
and postwar relief, am in general
agreement that voluntary food ra.
tioning wouldn't do any more now,
1955, the very year that the elder
Slezeks and their family arrived
In America, alter a long, hard jour-
ney acro"the Atlantic. The fun-
ily located in Lan county, when'
Joseph was about eight years of
age. John 8leaak, a farmer In his
European hlrthland, farmed in
Linn county for years before be
removed to Johnson county, where
be passed away at 84.
Joseph Sleaak wed Was Eva Ti.
also a Relive of Bohemia, The
ceremony was performed In 1970,
end later that year, the couple re-
moved to Iowa City.
Even as the parents of the young
Town CBlan gave him nine h ath-
cre and staters, Be, too. the son
and daughter-in-law followed the
prof ile standard of their elders,
aria, following the acrlpturat in.
Junctlon to "bring forth after their
own kind' - became the parents of,
An even da,wn sone and daughtcra
One of the best-known weal
Anna, who became the wife or Jo-
seph Holub, who, for years after)
Lar. Slezak died, conducted the big
block, which has housed a "ferm-
en' home", dance hall, meeting
place for literary, dramatic, and
other organizations, madem flats,
and a grocery store.
Tragedy invaded the Joseph She -
ask home years ago, when one
sen, William, tvu fatally shot in
a Gruel accident.
In old Lucas trnonship and else-
where, Joseph Slerak accumulated
valuable properties, as the years
brough him prosperity and wealth.
In the fraternal world, he was
Identfit ed with the Odd Fellows, the
A.O.U.W., and with two big Ba-
hemlan - American brotherhoods,
Ne Slovanaka Lipa and C.&RS.
In politics, be was a leadnig
member of, and worker In, the
Democratic party. In that organ-
ization, be was a Third ward pow.
er for many years. -,J, E- R.
1
A history of Joseph Slezak and his famous hall was the subject of the popular column "A Fact A Day
About Iowa City" In the Press -Citizen In 1947. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, September 24, 1947
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Raymond Tweedy Buys
'self Serve Grocery ----
From Ralph Westcol - -
Raymond Tweedy has purchas.
ed the Self Serve grocery, 302
&A Bloomington street, from
Ralph weetcottr it is kulaunced
Mr. Tweedy has been associated
with the Self serve grocery for
the last three years. He said today
that after January 1 the store
frould be Operated Oa a crib and
carry basis but that delivery serv-
ice will be continued.
Mr. Westeott has been in the
grocery business for the last 30
yeah in Iowa City. He purchased
the Self Serve grocery 11 years
SELF SERVE GROCERY' oaA-IlP.M°
IS GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!
WE ARE CLOSING OUR DOORS FOR GOOD
ON DECEMBER 4. DISCOUNTS UP TO
20%O OFF
THIS INCLUDES:
LINEN
2—Detkvre meat orales
1—Ik..A In Cooler, 5'+6'x21<'
1—Toledo Tendtrlur, mode10250-0-001
�
4onzlCseN lkElnhr
2—Meat Hlotica
l� Dn,.rr Rik C l mt
1—M..toonkr, 10'.A',..Ith Nllld°»a
i—A.W1 ae,k
/_-olow M..t mmr
1—enr,° Khs Adding ld o lm
2-10' all Nat dinpl.y sun»
1-10<n. ft 0p tap feeeree—.Ildin°door
2—T.F. M»eM1ine.
1-18 f . Tyler OY"ery CAIl It WdWl
w. tL fn r, a-..1
I-11 It gnan plods, a,tAnr
ME9CEr.E.A`IkOVa: All .?ar, of ahehin 9.,o1111tera MM, MCkN rte.
ago from I. Nichols. Mr. West- SELF SERVE GROCERY
Cott said today
his ay that future �
plane are indefinite at this time. IX,NNrA1 or VILMOMNOWN A EANN NT. 1'110YF: 9MF 1111
Raymond Tweedy purchased the Self Serve Grocery in 1953, styling the business Tweedy's Self Serve
Grocery. He operated it until he went out of business in 1968. Sources: (left) Iowa City Press Citizen, December 30,
1953 and (right) Iowa City Press Citizen, November 29, 1968
Whatrs NEW
lE Ym UNBi OLM
HOME
LINEN
SERVICE
e Ml9 TI W08
L • WA9n CW'99
e'.i..m, u a p� �n
e [[IL9Gl IO»EL¢
q.
ss
j e TAHtI. W'L
4i�'sm Y ,nn�r
Orr S.MuN
CLEAN
-1 CONVENIENT
I°e l°rroe'nl'eea
I RELIABLE
DIAL nu
- ECONOMICAL
a IOWA CITY NOME LINEN
eL n,SERVICE
Ad for the Iowa City Home Linen Service in the remodeled former horse stablelauto garage at
316 E. Bloomington Street, 1953. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, July 23, 1953
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
®� ... To Attend the Big`
GRAND OPENING
Of Iowa City's First
eax.oP<uelh seer serve
LAUNDROMAT
I m Fen Ileewh9,en
THURSDAY and FRIDAY
"'
,el.r
IN. Pin v
! _ Iv. IeMwn4n en
your e.nrulle. yrvabm
\ACONTRACTORS
ViggoGENE106.
Grand opening ads for "Iowa City's First Coin -Operated Self Serve Laundromat," 316 East Bloomington,
1958. The claim of being "the first" may or may not be true. Sources: (above) Iowa City Press -Citizen, September 3,
1958; (below) Iowa City Press -Citizen, September 4, 1958
NOW OPEN!
Iowa City's Fin[ Coin-Operolel
LAUNDROMAT
it EEw 4�sdrl�lloasc „.2t
Ir.t 1 a
ler Awgwh—
Yr 1101
uk" N Walk
ai Ma"! tft
GRAND OPENING
CONTINUES TNRU TOMORROW!
Bat Au Yews ww am FREE!
Bring year levndry helwern 11. M. and 9 P.M. Gel allp
laundry Parr in Ixl Ihun an per—al a. ehege.
LOOK AT THESE EVERY DRY LOM PRICES!
WASH 20c DRY�IOc
m�SELFSERVE u�
LAUNDROMAT -
i,, c Mann.... sf.
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Commercial alterations ur
additions (3 permits)—Protein
Blenders Inc., llighway 2188
South, $1,0284, Meyers Barbar'
{
Shop, complete remodeling, 23,
South Dubuque Street, X20,000:
V. F. Skarda, remodel store into
pizza house, 30? Fast Blooming.
tan Street, $10,000.
In July 1969, Val Skarda, fourth-generation owner, received a permit to remodel the grocery store at 302
East Bloomington Street into a "pizza house," at a cost of $10,000. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, July 10, 1969
%T%
PIZZA MAKERS
DELIVERY MEN
Apply in person.
PIZZA PALACE
302 E. Bloomington
One of the first help -wanted ads for the new "Pizza Palace" location, 302 E. Bloomington, 1969.
Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, August 21, 1969
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
Slezak Hotel (Pizza Palau) (1872.1873)
302 East Bloomington St.
Tall upper windows mark the large Czech
social hall, now apartments. The curving
harnnue neAiment recalls Slezak's
146,
Illustration of Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building right after the 1969 store remodel was completed and Pizza
Palace moved in, and before the restaurant changed its name to Pagliai's Pizza around 1975. By 1973, the
signboard covering up the store transom lights was installed. The black tiled bulkheads and the central
recessed entry with wood entrance doors and tiled entry, likely from the 1938 storefront remodel, are
extant, but an outer glass entry door with sidelights and transom was added by 1981, creating an entry
vestibule. Note also the N. Linn Street side entrance doors (probably providing entry to the original
saloon, dining room) were still there; these have since been bricked in and converted to two small
windows. Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, December 23, 1971
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
How's Your
Building 90 ,
n. IRq}li N. Nriela, as„R Ixe, „aa, ..
- mmnb' IM m
eRimus reme ulun li�ewa meals. w^ rr �+
i ieAn v PRmee Sn�4 a xueeY, ,
nW��lfi i d,n .rm,� nwaee m
Il rNiu;�ra�a,
Iiluw aAxT ev< o Cn: M sine. aaelRlllle Iro-
ftl1aY[- . MW, ding rNtl. aea
N;ne Kell MST WW maM
in iprtmenli
UUE5 II. oxmwy of Ik enlMal
I CWlm liii by lw Skuk.'eee'le io lM lml I ytQlitbn'
'. LMMt
;eL mnkyaf 1 ft, daIrn d am VemWildua mIT6egalayyi
z ate.
ampLw a�. Adildd
toaele Imn pxaea.
i m[el, a elmnf ram. pmWrp
atem_ aaea Me .nm mlmnp
e weon aw a maev. Mn I
>. ranaa fT larm vee,', aa” .
paw% eoee:olaa ta;m vase,
IN wa s via. aaanrr..m xvs fennel q' Ilemn I
66amae,;a . em mmtd "ewi'
asu:mtere. tM MYI1Ym NquP
n. Re 9anlr, upxp xif aal�',f[d M J xM flpl ]Iref
nnn1. 1M. dna NvuW plTilY In ]w'a `H IixkmlllaM lwx'
ems. moven. ane xepana. va
. I 'i"' aum. W
� mwaa m�a..i;,a�eaxeiNlwaiynn we'.
xiw Lu iae a.re mm v
rcll xa,a aarramq a"m� rmr p.Ma na „lee aam
`.:hatl .IlrcludM Iva91n're<un<im�4 mmeWaB ar
.�Im poems ei nNnz nrylml a mmi.
::itl la IH LaIrt�N Hafpltll. I!. Hidbi„�I }lafll§p1: }yam �l
rMeM1 a11Ea1 li dlxl unlll',1%I [n IH0. Iln 0ixe Mp'
IQfI ns IL[eIM Mwren !e[L expoan e:ttL ee IM'i Pry sell
n SL ntl imra .lawce. xl .I Ur lo.:e \'almal GIIaN 1>k.
Ilnn FRn. IY;mry :IdrtsM1, eaWeie. IMr.
A. }Rani emMg at tEd ewn, mabrl T,e nau na ai8aalssx
diin
heeu ahi Syme W lee !YJ W I'i eM1at x Ibo bwn
rmm frt TLmlh Maf Ya IYM1i�RI IINe�{� IMT.
nu &saxaml:aaili xYM mm aR,en Ceirta ea CIO 6Mg:
My li mnla iN IoeINeG a.11 Fae N'asMoktoi Alsel.
lrte hn
9 IlM1K ldN axfdln8lo lw.i ' A\M [:R:
aly l00n CYeu—Rldeaner ._.0
Rmwm or nitmRi a r+llep„tel a i nmm
— dra amnln¢ mnn z. r.r a.
In 1973, not long after the Pizza Palace (later Pagliai's Pizza) opened at 302 E. Bloomington Street, Iowa
City historian Irving Weber called attention to the history of the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building during his
first year as a columnist for the Iowa City Press -Citizen. Note the Pizza Palace sign affixed to the upper
story facade before the familiar "Pagliai's Pizza” sign replaced it. source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, March 15, 1973
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
View lookir
during the
Northside Neighborhood survey. Source: Jacobsen 1981
mot .1 �1, I W �
►--
_. afire
k
View of the Bloomington Street Laundromat, taken in 1981 during the Northside Neighborhood survey.
Source: Jacobsen 1981
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
1...!_111": F M1'en
View of the now familiar Pagliai's Pizza in the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building, 1981, from an Irving Weber
column. Note the signboard and neon lettering and extant original bracketed cornice covering the store
transom, as well as the exterior glass entry door and sidelights. The Bloomington Street Laundromat is
visible in the background at lower right, looking very much as it does today.
Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, April 18, 1981
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
With corrected spelling
'Narodni Sin' remembered
wwe..
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fLYY Y..i Ih
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• brby lex Cl1YR xme w •NL
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Lqw Nur yrpxlrgwgr
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IK. n. mx adr.4 rPLrr,.e
WDM Iyu�YN N iMIM Me pv.
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'yenMl tiw' m�nn�i.�
•. Y4W IhLL" n vp yie �Id
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puuuL.FlfedeLu4'. aT ��. �"—
Awrtv 4m.
Iwo-x.rWr ' •wuW ..11
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Mw Nen earM 44� i].tiv. • ti. (A1 pnmr rd A !m a u yv rvrm sNwp Pn a
•IIeMr YlmW'WI.N�Pr. [TY Y4�Y `"'n•da�x.•na Isri wRw WT-. i1M1
nY.he bL J.JN.IiW 1xyaN. Irn llryoNn'mxWi. .luLi. IMr xrr LyYnr EsN x.p
�^^Wr�M .mrl Me +d Nr� d14�Mw.,m �r•'PMNd. yep Nw lM iMk"ub lM
c.aP w'd'�Nw N� w�4.. naa. =d.eMwx�aa wWi vu Ynr�n�l .M lgl.m. uwn
Lr .p Me. [pr.p 6elwuw W syn tLdW sryy. Hr ad In laA LM n Ue xmr YeiYrJ
Mx f4u'. pe�.q� Mr rtl � .Me M' SrPel =rMhw, xr- .m q Lwe PIY Vw w Ler
ie. J a
AhfaN[=gnwq• .� Wrdrr IWxell M xn YTer rhY rmrc] u M.r
ve�L�nfrmm PNw. lh IArcn%Pelle. Iyv lnw L:rnioa x,ol. nwr
vmy VWewn tM�W)Ru4 rue.xW uwp �A�Frxnr lNY Yrs
rvgMmu nmol �e lwVvm �pN=I vimrian ew Wewlru mm, unerp wry Yr
�wV dM r :W r Mn. wl °•rvlw. Noa W Jr
Imre— rmnuna LYL ux Lex a ap Y. rwrrnr
uHeNw i �� ebi. M ew[eaa pen a lu�. & Mw Y,we „ems%Merlmr.
W. M Hn. rsu i IAevlr xu e.e nn a 4nlnrM wyn len
aw�nr nx wlxr rwxme�M mr
—1. rxwwwWxr Mv.. nrr wrm4 w.r.mlrw xw
e.iY aHyl. m. eM w. nn. nrnau. mnluwewrx.wiwnaww.
�YLy aw+Yxm rremrr m ..N rwrmx.x eww I.WenmWr. b. rums
IIW ox 1m W6r PMIi. Me. LMe eYl. Ie 'Gxswnry' m'ntl �TwM b Ye iW nurcN reNh d
Y the Y4 PYuly fprevdei wYeY d Mnn
OLLr a Oe Prow' a HN W ePeRrwY LwIdE'8
RwelnaP We GrlYelr6 etp WIPm+4
rvA.m�url u. v4�w.i obr..•M
e1 WY pryYd41 lN.xr.p [w'gMwm,a=y� wxarr. a.Y
pTxnhe
lWry lDtLvn wIYE EY IOea pry'LJW14r'E.
"NWtlW
I/n YRE6 [n 1M pmN[rL etlrvr.mtM GJIdLy Su."v.. ue.J lv In
ILe eluh MldW prll al Sin"Nt
LLtmYLfdei WPng11e'ie Plw ac�� r1 �p �lAr yp plY gyeyp.
I�ao mltmyl h.0 mW b Ilq xrnxd
Ina w ppe.a Wx.
Slezak Hall and the Narodni Sin was a beloved
piece of Iowa City history that Irving Weber returned to in
1981 and again In 1990.
Source: Iowa City Press -Citizen, April 18, 1981
Iowa Site Inventory Form
State Historic Preservation Office
Continuation Sheet
Site Number: 52-00602
Related District Number:
Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Johnson
Name of Property County
302-316 E. Bloomington and N. Linn Sts Iowa City
Address City
The Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building had been the location of Pagliai's Pizza for 20 years when this photo
was taken for Irving Weber's story about Iowa City's historic metal roofs. Photo by Rodney White for
Irving Weber's column, October 20, 1990. Source: Weber Collection, Iowa City Photograph Collection, State Historical
Society of Iowa, Iowa City
Jessica Bristow
From:
Marty Boller <mjbhawkeye@gmail.com>
Sent:
Saturday, October 14, 2023 1:18 PM
To:
Jessica Bristow; Marty Boller
Subject:
followup on Slezak Hall recommendations
Follow Up Flag:
Follow up
Flag Status:
Flagged
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
FYI - I wanted to share my webpage in support of the committee's decision to recommend "Landmark" status. THANKS!
https://ouriowaheritage.com/siezak-nationa1-hali/
please keep me posted on how the process is moving forward. THANKS! mb
Marty Boller - MJBHawkeye
Check out our websites:
www.ouriowaheritage.com/
www. iohnsonco untyremembrancepark. org/
1
Jessica Bristow
From: Marybeth Slonneger <mbslonn@mchsi.com>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2023 9:38 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: National Hall
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I'm writing in support of designating the National Hall as a local Landmark. It's distinctive baroque -style parapet has
made it a familiar, eye-catching building on the Northside.
Years ago, when I was researching material for my book, Small But Ours, I talked with the late Marge Hayek, wife
of William Hayek, and she showed me dance souvenirs from dances held at the Hall and spoke of the pleasure
people took in meeting there for dances and other events. It was a genuine social meeting place for the Bohemian
community.
And it's just fun to look at and a very contributing building to our visual landscape.
Marybeth Slonneger
ATTACHMENT 4
Correspondence
Jessica Bristow
From:
mbslonn@mchsi.com
Sent:
Saturday, February 3, 2024 1:49 PM
To:
Jessica Bristow
Subject:
Fwd: A CALL TO ACTION — SAVE THE SLEZAK!
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Hi Jessica,
At the behest of Friends of Historic Preservation last October, I wrote to Mayor Teague and, I think, Council encouraging
all to
protect Holub Hall; Mayor Teague sent back a very nice reply.
Am not sure you follow Marty Boller's Our Iowa Heritage blog, but thought you might be interested in his call for
attendance at
the meeting. Will look forward to seeing you.
Marybeth
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Our Iowa Heritage" <comment-reply@wordpress.com>
To: "mbslonn" <mbslonn@mchsi.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 3, 20241:06:32 PM
Subject: A CALL TO ACTION — SAVE THE SLEZAK!
Post: A CALL TO ACTION – SAVE THE SLEZAK!
URL: http://ouriowaheritage.com/2024/02/03/a-call-to-action-save-the-slezak/
Posted : February 3, 2024 at 7:05 pm
Author: Our Iowa Heritage
Categories: Did You Know?
Thursday, February 8th - 5:30 pm - Speak Up to Protect this 1870s Iowa City Icon!
https:Hbol le rfam i ly.fi les.word press.com/2024/02/iowacityicon. i pg
Saving Iowa City's Slezak National Hall - 302-316 Bloomington Street- Iowa City. As was reported earlier, the iconic
building that houses Pagliai's Pizza is for sale. The property is advertised as "PERFECT FOR REDEVELOPMENT." Can you
imagine a new structure occupying this block?
The first official step to protect this building is a PUBLIC HEARING on Thursday, February 8 by the Historic Preservation
Commission. The hearing starts at:
5:30 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall - 410 E Washington Street - Iowa City
The commission will vote whether to designate 302-316 Bloomington Street in Iowa City as a local historic landmark.
Read more about this historic building here.( https://ouriowaheritage.com/slezak-national-hall/ ) The commission
needs to hear from you:
Speak up! The hearing is open to the public and the commission wants to hear from Iowa Citians. If you care about the
building, step up and say so. Comments should be brief.
Show up! We need many people sitting in the audience. Just your presence shows you care. Hope to see you at 5:30 PM!
Put it in writing! Send your message to the Historic Preservation Commission in care of Jessica Bristow at
jbristow@iowa-city.org ( mailto:jbristow@iowa-city.org) . Plan to send it no later than Thursday, February 8 at noon to
have your message reach the commissioners.
Review the Commission Packet for February 8 to Learn More:(Pagliai's building description starts on page
3):https://www.iowa-city.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=2190301&dbid=0&repo=CitvoflowaCity (
https://salvagebarn.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=lee5435ef6548681345b8ec77&id=56ec48e420&e=df6aa85cle )
Thank you for adding momentum and showing you care about protecting this neighborhood anchor and important piece
of Iowa City history.
PLEASE PASS THE WORD! Let's SAVE THE SLEZAK!
Add a comment to this post: http://ouriowaheritage.com/2024/02/03/a-call-to-action-save-the-slezak/#respond
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Jessica Bristow
From: Richard Hakes <hakes@southslope.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 3, 2024 1:50 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Please designate Pagliai building as historic....
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Ms. Bristow,
Count me among those who would hate to see another IC historic site lost — The Pagliai's Pizza building.
Richard Hakes
North Liberty
Sent from Mail for Windows
Jessica Bristow
From: Frank Gersh <fsgersh@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 3, 2024 1:54 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Pagliai building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** As a long time resident (50 years) of Iowa City, former member of the Historic Preservation Commission
and someone who lives in a historic district, I would urge you and the other Commissioners to vote in favor of making
the building that houses Pagliai's Pizza a local historic landmark.
Sincerely yours,
Frank Gersh
1041 Woodlawn Ave, Iowa City, IA 52245
Jessica Bristow
From: Lisa Lisa <Ird5353@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 3, 2024 4:14 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Paglias building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
We must preserve the paglias building! Also I'll be mad if anything comes between me and my Paglias pizza lol. We have
already lost so much of what made Iowa City Iowa City. Soon all we will have is sterile buildings and less affordable
housing because of rich people's greed
Jessica Bristow
From: Amy Woodward <amywoodward8@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 3, 2024 6:05 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302 East Bloomington
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Please designate 302 East Bloomington Street a local historic landmark.
I care about the building and its importance to the community. Let's preserve this wonderful treasure for Iowa City.
Thank you!
Jessica Bristow
From:
Pamela <iowahawk3@aol.com>
Sent:
Saturday, February 3, 2024 11:16 PM
To:
Jessica Bristow
Subject:
302 a bloomington
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello.
Please designate this building as a local historic landmark. This building, as well as Pagliai's, are icons to the downtown
area. We don't need another parking lot or high rise. Some things are better left alone. Newer is not always better!
Thank you from a long-time Iowa City resident,
Pamela Miller-DeKeyser
Sent from AOL on Android
Jessica Bristow
From: Kathy Volz <kathy.volz@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 7:51 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Re: 302 E. Burlington St.
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
To whom it may concern:
If in fact this building is sold and there is a chance it could be demolished, it must be named a historical landmark.
Period.
Please preserve the beautiful and historic architecture in Iowa City.
Kathy Buxton Volz
Sent from Gmail Mobile
Jessica Bristow
From: gmlauer@gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 3:37 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302 E Bloomington / Paglia's buildng.
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Jessica Bristow,
I am writing to you and your capacity of historic preservation planner for the city of Iowa city regarding the status of 302
East Bloomington St. in Iowa city also referred to at times as the Paglia's building.
Please accept these comments for the record as the historic reservation commission meets to consider the status of this
nearly 150 -year-old Iowa city landmark.
The Iowa city northside neighborhood is a gem in the landscape of our community with many older buildings, and
establish businesses creating a zone, unlike any other in the city. As such it Serves as an economic anchor, as well as a
social anchor in many many ways from the weekly musical events in the areas between oasis and brick, the venerable
hamburg inn, nearby, Johns grocery and other classic Iowa city landmarks.
Certainly the business business that's located at 302 East Burlington has its own iconic history. However, businesses do
come and go and buildings can remain with support.
I urge the placement of 302 E. Burlington on the landmark registry, and for consideration for a degree of preservation
status. I would also be hopeful that the buildings owners might access some degree of city supports for the upkeep
maintenance and or rehabilitation of the structure whether it be through city budget, funding, or through grant funding,
supported and guided by your offices.
Thank you for receiving these comments and forwarding them to the historic preservation commission.
I am a lifelong resident of this community and would be deeply saddened to see this building, raised for new
construction.
Sincerely,
Geoffery Lauer
1601 Center Ave.
Iowa city, IA 52240
Jessica Bristow
From:
Devin Redmond <devinredmond@hotmail.com>
Sent:
Sunday, February 4, 2024 7:11 PM
To:
Jessica Bristow
Subject:
Pagliais bldg
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello, as a 20+ year home owner in the northside neighborhood, I hope the Pagliais building will be registered as a
historical landmark. I do not want to lose this building in our community.
Thank you.
Devin Redmond
Sent from a mobile phone : please excuse brevity/typos.
Jessica Bristow
From: Diana H. <cwcrrr@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 8:41 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Pagliai building complex
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I support the effort to make the Pagliai building complex a historic landmark. Iowa City, and particularly the older
neighborhoods in town, has losttoo many historic buildings. Saving such buildings will help keep the character of the
neighborhood as much as possible.
Thank you.
Diana Harris
523 Brown Street
IC
Jessica Bristow
From: Peter Speltz <peterspeltz@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 9:21 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Save Pagliai's Pizza — officially known as the Slezak
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hi Jessica. Please designate the beautiful Slezak building historic. If any house or building on the north side is , this one
should be. I would buy it if I could. We are out of town for the hearing February 8. Please know you have our support
and let is know if we can do anything to help preserve this building.
Thank you,
Peter and Ida 615-585-2715
Jessica Bristow
From: Peter Speltz <peterspeltz@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 9:23 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Re: Save Pagliai's Pizza — officially known as the Slezak
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
One more thing, we live at 317 Fairchild St.
Save Pagliai's!
Peter
> On Feb 4, 2024, at 8:21 PM, Peter Speltz <peterspeltz@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Jessica. Please designate the beautiful Slezak building historic. If any house or building on the north side is , this
one should be. I would buy it if I could. We are out of town for the hearing February 8. Please know you have our
support and let is know if we can do anything to help preserve this building.
> Thank you,
> Peter and Ida 615-585-2715
1
Jessica Bristow
From: Farrin, Laurel A <laurel-farrin@uiowa.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 7:41 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Slezak-Holub-Skarda building
!:
ftfxS#4.
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Historic Preservation Commission,
I support the Friends of Historic Preservation to designate the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building as a
local historic landmark. I have lived on the Northside for over 25 years and have come to cherish,
with the rest of the Iowa City community, the charm, calm and welcoming nature of the historic
buildings on the North Side. I remember being new to Iowa City and walking home from work on
cold, snowy winter evenings and seeing the warm red brick and lights of Pagliai's Pizza. Seeing the
pizza makers in their white paper hats throwing dough in those front windows helped me feel at
home in a new place. We are all sorry to loose Pagliai's but we must preserve the building. There
have already been enough new commercial developments in the location. Please vote to support
the preservation of this beautiful building and neighborhood. I would be present at the meeting for
this vote but am unfortunately working, so please except my letter of support.
Sincerely,
Laurel Farrin
Professor, painting/drawing
School of Art and Art History
University of Iowa
laurel-farrin@uiowa.edu
Jessica Bristow
From: Susan Shullaw <smshullaw@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 9:33 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Pagliai Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Jessica, I am writing to urge you and the Historic Preservation Commission, when you meet on
Feb. 8, to designate the Pagliai's building complex on Bloomington Street as a local historic
landmark.
While I concur with many of my neighbors and friends that these structures should be
preserved due to their historic architecture, I also want to make a more personal appeal. By
preserving the Pagliai's building, you also will be preserving many decades of deeply held
family memories. It's been the site of countess birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, first
dates, alumni reunions — and plenty of ordinary but treasured pizza nights with parents,
grandparents, and kids. Allowing this building to be demolished won't destroy the memories,
of course. But it will destroy the opportunity to relive and renew those memories in the same
cherished spot, year after year.
The Pagliai's building is already a landmark in thousands of hearts in Iowa City and beyond. On
Thursday, I hope you will vote to give the building the official historic landmark status it
deserves.
Thank you.
Susan Shullaw
718 N Johnson St
Iowa City
I
Jessica Bristow
From: Timothy Daly <timothy.locnar@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 11:17 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302 East Bloomington Street
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello,
As an Iowa City resident, I am in favor of preserving this building as a part of the heritage of Iowa City.
Thank you,
Timothy Daly
Jessica Bristow
From: Karl Schulz <kamaschulz@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 11:22 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Save the Slezak Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello,
I am a former Iowa City resident who grew up in Iowa City and am very familiar with the Slezak building. I hope that you
give this building the proper protected historic status that it deserves. It is an icon of the northside, and of Iowa City in
general.
Thank you,
Karl Schulz
Jessica Bristow
From: Bonnie Hays <bonnie.bradley11@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 11:58 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: The Slovac Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Myself and 50 of my friends on Facebook are definitely for the historical designation of this building. It would be foolish
to tear it down.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bonnie Hays
607 Pepper Drive
Iowa City, IA 42240
Mr. Harley M Hays
607 Pepper Drive
Iowa City, IA 52240
1
Jessica Bristow
From: Amy Weismann <alwiowa@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 1:03 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Designate 302 E Bloomington a local historic landmark
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I write today as a long time resident of Iowa city to urge the Historic Preservation Commission to designate 302 East
Bloomington Street a local historic landmark! This building is an integral part of our city and an iconic part of the
historic Northside.
Thank you,
Amy Weismann
112 S. Lowell St.
Iowa City, IA 52245
Jessica Bristow
From: Willow Yoruk <willowyoruk@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 7:55 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302 East Bloomington Street
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Historic Preservation Commission in care of Jessica Bristow:
Please designate 302 East Bloomington Street as a local historic landmark.
This building has a long running history with many memories to many people and is a landmark
in Iowa city. The unique architecture and beauty of the brick building should remain intact.
Willow Yoruk
Jessica Bristow
From: Becky Smith <rebeccaliedersmith@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 9:07 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Pagliai Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I heartily support designating the Pagliai's complex at 302-316 Bloomington Street as a local historic
landmark. Pagliai's is an iconic Iowa City pizza restaurant, known and loved throughout the state. The
building itself is historic and significant: Tennessee Williams actually lived in an apartment above Pagliai's
when he was in Iowa City. I strongly believe the building should be preserved and not allowed to be
redeveloped. Thank you.
Becky Smith
431 North Van Buren Street
Iowa City, IA 562245
319-594-2947
Jessica Bristow
From: Richard Blazek <rbzeke.2448@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 10:27 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Saving the Pagliai's building
Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files; Keepers.pdf
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.
Jessica,
I have lived on the north side for over 40 years when I started attending the University. I was attracted to its historic
architecture and cultural amenities and proximity to the downtown and the University. I feel that preservingthat history
and character should be a priority for the North Side. "Development" rarely implies that history will be preserved and
protected; very often it means that history will be erased and replaced.
I sincerely hope that the City Council will approve a historic designation to preserve the Pagliai Building and not succumb
to "development." As a friend of mine once said, "Money talks and big money swears!" Let's hope there's no swearing
when all this is settled.
I've attached an essay entitled "Keepers," that has always inspired me to respect and preserve what's most meaningful.
Americans find it all too easy to throw things away, sometimes very thoughtlessly.
Sincerely,
Richard Blazek
Thoughts about "Keepers"
My grandmother even ironed Christmas ribbons they were rayon then. I grew
up in the Forties and Fifties with a practical parent.
My grandmother, God love her, who ironed Christmas wrapping paper and
reused it and who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it.
She was the original recylce queen, before they had a name for it. And for my
mother, it was the time for fixing things—a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, a
screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.
It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re -fixing,
reheating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence.
Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more. But then my
Mother died. and I sat in my kitchen that Sunday afternoon reading her old
handmade cookbook in a binder. I was struck with the pain of feeling all alone,
learning that sometimes there isn't any "more."
Sometimes what we car about most gets all used up and goes away ...
never to return. So ... while we have it ... It's best we love it ... and care for it
...And fix it when it's broken ... and heal it when it's sick. This is true ... For
marriage ... And old cars ... And children with bad report cards .. And dogs
with bad hips ... And aging parents ... And grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some
things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away Or A classmate we grew up
with. There are just some things that make life important. Like people we know
who are special ...
And so, we keep them close!
Jessica Bristow
From: Toni Potter <trpotter760@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 1:21 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: I have heard from classmates that the building at 302 E Bloomington Street may be bought, sold and
possible taken down. This building is apart of our story of Iowa City. Built before any of us where
born or thought about. My father was a former busines...
A
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attachments. **
town history. My history goes back to the mid 50's when my father, Raymond Tweedy, bought the grocery business
from Ralph Westcott. I was young but so proud of dad. I love to go there after school and hang out till my mother ,who
worked there also, went home in the late afternoon. I got to see and meet students from all over the world as they
came into the store. My dad worked long hours there. He was open seven days a week, He delivered to frat houses
and sororities. Let some run up bills, times could be tough for some. When Chistmas came Dad always sold Christmas
trees. The pretty ones went fast ... we got the last one so you can imagine what it looked like! By the mid 60's I was old
enough to work at the store. Then in the early 70's Dad sold the business and relocated to Daytona Beach." Semi
retiring." Please save this building so we can show our children and their children and so on, our past. Show them what
and who we were and how we lived so they can be who they are and know why. We can't keep vanishing the past
because that's what holds us together as a people. Otherwise we are like Iowa fall leaves blowing in the wind scattered
everywhere.
Jessica Bristow
From: Toni Potter <trpotter760@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 2:04 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Save 302 E. Bloomington
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I have been told that 302 East Bloomington may be sold and at worst be vanished from this location. This old building is
part of our history and my past. It was built before any of us were born or even thought about. My father was a former
business owner of this property, Raymond Tweedy. He purchased the business from Ralph Westcott back in the mid
50's. I was so proud of Dad. I loved to go there after school and hang out till my mother, who worked there also, went
home in the late afternoon. I met students from all over the world as they came into the store to shop. My Dad
worked long hours there. He was open seven days a week. He delivered to frat houses and sororities. He let some run
up tabs, times could be tough for some. When Christmas came Dad always sold trees. The pretty ones went fast ..... we
got the last one! You can imagine what it looked like! By the mid 60' 1 was old enough to work there. Dad sold in the
early 70's and retired to Florida. Please save this building so we can show our children and their children who and what
we were. If we keep getting rid of our History what is going to keep us together? We will be like Iowa fall leaves
scattering in the wind with nothing to hold us together... this is US! This building,the Hamburg Inn, the Old Capitol
Building, the Congregational Church.
1
Jessica Bristow
From: dennis kowalski <mayflyd@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 4:11 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: paglias
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Please help save the Paglias building, as it has architectural character and historic significance.
Thank you,
Dennis Kowalski
1932 Hafor Dr
Iowa City IA 52246
I
Jessica Bristow
From: kbefeler <kbefeler@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 6:44 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Save 302 East Bloomington Street
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Jessica,
Please pass along our wishes to save 302 East Bloomington Street and to designate it as a local historic landmark.
This iconic building represents the beauty and history of Iowa City. It absolutely needs to remain here just as it is.
Kasey & Dennis Befeler
Jessica Bristow
From: Blake <iowa.blake@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 8:25 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302 East Bloomington
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hi Jessica,
Please consider designating this building as a historic landmark.
-Blake Hendrickson
20 years as an Iowa City resident
Jessica Bristow
From: Risa Dotson Eicke <risamde@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:55 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302-316 Bloomington
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I support designating 302-316 Bloomington as a local historic landmark.
Thank you,
Risa Dotson Eicke
Iowa City
Jessica Bristow
From: Nathan Morton <nathan.e.morton@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:38 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: In Support of Historic Preservation
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello,
I am writing in support of historic preservation/landmarking of downtown Iowa City buildings, generally and in support
of landmarking 302-316 Bloomington, specifically. I can't imagine more over -priced apartment buildings with empty
ground level retail space will make Iowa City any more interesting or friendlier to economic growth.
thank you,
Nathan Morton
Iowa City, Iowa
Jessica Bristow
From: Helen Burford <hsburford@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 3:17 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302-16 East Bloomington St., Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
It would be unimaginable if the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building was not recognized as a landmark in
Iowa City. In fact, as the site analysis details, all four of the structures on the site are part of the
"historic fabric" of this community center. For the life of these structures, all three families have
preserved and adapted the buildings keeping them a vibrant part of Iowa City history.
We need to follow in the footsteps of these families and support the rezoning application to establish an
Historic District Overlay zone for them, and make them a local Historic Landmark
Thank you,
Helen Burford
Jessica Bristow
From: Rebecca Conard <rebeccaconard@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 4:18 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Slezak Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Ms. Bristow:
I fully support designating the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building as a Local Historic Landmark. Jennifer Price's architectural
and historical evaluation presents a well -researched and reasoned analysis of the building's historic significance at the
local level.
Rebecca Conard, Consulting Historian
522 Larch Lane
Iowa City 52245
Jessica Bristow
From: Susan Bryant <leaderservices@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 5:47 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Please save Pagliai's
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Dear Jessica,
It may not look like much, but the old Pagliai's building is an icon for thousands of students and residents from all over
Iowa City. We are already losing many historic buildings around the core of downtown. Please help save the character of
our old neighborhoods.
Thank you,
Sue Bryant
831 Clark Street
Iowa City IA
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Jessica Bristow
From: Carol&Bob Wally Wise <cbwwise@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 9:05 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Historical Landmark 302 E Bloomington
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Ms, Bristow,
I petition "The Historical Preservation Commission" to designate the building at 302 East
Bloomington a Historical Landmark.
The building sits within the Dubuque Linn Corridor as described in the March 28'h 2000 National
registry of Historical Places while it physically sits within the block and next to properties in the
"the Original Plot of Iowa City".
The building at 302 E Bloomington was constructed in 1878 and is the only building left in the area
with its architectural design. Since it's construction, 302 E Bloomington served as a Hotel & Grocery
store. No other building within the "Original Plot of Iowa City Area" has the same architectural
features depicting that Era. 302 is as unique in design and architecture as the brewmaster Conrad
Graf's home across the Street (constructed 6 years earlier in 1872), the Union Brewery Building on
Linn and Market & John's Grocery on Market and Gilbert.
Pagliai's Pizza has occupied 302 E Bloomington since 1957. Thus, both the building and the business
are viewed by Generations of Students, Alumni, Professional's & families (both local & visiting) as an
Iowa City Landmark.
302 East Bloomington is also believed to be connected to Iowa City History as part of the system of
tunnels which were connected to the 3 Breweries in the Original Iowa City Plot. Sitting in the NE
corner of Linn & Bloomington it may very well be connected to and a part of "The Iowa City Beer
Riots of 1884 & A tale of the Iowa City Beer Mafia" depicted in S.C. Sherman's Book BEER MONEY
published March 26'h, 2013. These tunnels are still under investigation and are believed to exist
under the property at 302 E. Bloomington adding to the building's Historical connection to Iowa City.
Without the designation of Historical Landmark 302 E Bloomington is left open to demolition which
would be a grave historical mistake to the Iowa City area & "The Original Plot of Iowa City".
It would be a shame to see 302 E Bloomington go the way of other historical buildings in Iowa City
becoming yet another piece of lost history. The Historic City Hall & original Fire Station sat till 1965
when urban renewal arrived at the corner of Linn & Washington Streets. Now rather than a Pristine
Building of History depicting a piece of the cities by gone years we have a Vacant lot.
I polled 7 of my peers, only 1 knew of the "Original Plot of Iowa City". I only found out about The OPIC
because of this meeting. How many others have no clue of its existence?
I
Please, strongly conclude and designate the building at 302 E Bloomington as the Historical
Landmark it is.
Respectfully,
Robert M Wise
3059 Oakridge Road NE
North Liberty, Iowa
320-293-0417
P.S. I hope to be able to attend the 5:30 pm meeting at City Hall Iowa City 2/8/24
K
Jessica Bristow
From:
Kay Irelan <kirelan52@gmail.com>
Sent:
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 9:10 PM
To:
Jessica Bristow
Subject: Preserving Slezak Hall
A
"This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
When I first came to Iowa City as a UI student in the 1970s, Pagliai's Pizza was a popular restaurant that I
frequented. When I lived on the north side of Iowa City, I often walked by the building that houses Pagliai's and
appreciated its architectural integrity. It felt to me like an important anchor in an historic neighborhood. I learned
that in the 19th century, it had been a grocery store and tavern, with a meeting hall on the second floor for the
Bohemian community on the north side of Iowa City. I learned that later in that century, a hotel was added in the
back, where farmers would stay when they came to town to sell their products. The presence of that lovely brick
building encouraged me to imagine what life in Iowa City was like in an earlier time. I think it's important to
preserve this building, because it's a symbol of our community's heritage. If our town didn't preserve any of our
historic buildings, would future generations be as aware of our history? I strongly support designating this building
as a local historic landmark.
Sincerely,
Kay Irelan
Jessica Bristow
From: Alison Guernsey <alisonguernsey@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:27 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Cc: alisonguernsey@gmail.com
Subject: Historic Designation for 302-316 Bloomington
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Ms. Bristow —
I'm writing to express my sincere hope that the Commission will designate as local historic sites the buildings at 302-316
Bloomington. Over the past 15 years, I have seen Iowa City change in ways that appear to value commerce over culture
and modernity over memory. Each, of course, has its place, but the importance that these buildings have in helping tell
both Iowa City's immigrant and literary history make them uniquely important to preserve.
Sincerely,
Alison K. Guernsey
Iowa City, Iowa
Jessica Bristow
From: B.E. Dearborn Huston <bedearborn@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:03 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Pagliai's Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello!
I'm a Northside resident writing in support of designating the Pagliai's building as a historical landmark. What a loss it
would be if put into the wrong hands! I cherish these older buildings that remind us of who lived here before us. Caring
for their beautiful places is caring for the dream they had for our city.
Thank you for your time.
-Brooke Dearborn Huston
429 N Governor St
Jessica Bristow
From: Nathaniel Gavronsky <nathaniel.gavronsky@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:43 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302 East Bloomington Street
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Jessica Bristow,
Can you imagine losing this iconic Iowa City building? Iowa City had for 150 years a very classic and original north end
mom and pop comercial and food vibe. From 1970 to 2016 the city had hundreds of iconic Iowa City locations all over
town. The park where Farmer Markets let you know summer was in the air on Gilbert and Washington, and
establishments (Dubuque and Burlingtin) that were seen as part of the city itself are now almost all gone.
Has any of these changes improved the lives of the people in this great city? No. We took down the only true
independant book store (the book shelf) for more over priced apartments. Every single change has made our excentric
town into just another corporate blank face. There are enough newer buildings (built in last 25 years) that can be
redeveloped. Riverside Drive, South Gilbert along the Bowery, are all lost to redevelopment.
In 1869 the City of Boston lost John Hancock's house to a developer (who never actualy developed anything) Nashville
TN lost President Polk's house (and had to relocate his and his wifes graves in the process) in the name of progress.
Again nothing was actually developed and it laid vancant for decades until the land was put to use. The actual taven
where Reigley NC was founded stood until 1969 now its a parking lot for a Marriott. Noone wanted it demolished, but
busy lives prevented people from being made aware to save it. That Hotel was not the reason for it to be knocked down.
A developer had big plans.
Iowa city need not repeat the follies of other cities. Iowa city needs to stop trying to reinvent itself. Who and what Iowa
City is with its historical locations is fine how it is. Go build some overpriced luxury apartment in Coralville, North Liberty,
or University Hights.
Oh and by the way I dont have any idea of who or what is threatning to tear down this building, but how close am I
about a developer?
Its time to take Iowa Ave from Clinton to Van Buren up to Brown street (plus other areas of Gas light district) and
dedicate the whole area.
Nathaniel Gavronsky
3196210364
636 South Dodge
#8
Iowa City, IA
52542
Jessica Bristow
From: Mary and Tom Curtis <maryallenehcurtis@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 8:10 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302-316 Bloomington Street
A
"This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
What a wonderful building; if it could speak it would
tell you all the wonderful people and events that have
taken place here. Maybe a first date with the woman
or man you ended up spending the rest of your life with.
Please save it, let it remain unmolested; grant it every
possible consideration so other fond memories can take
place.
Do your duty, Commioniers, vote to save this wonderful building.
Tom Curtis
University of Iowa
Class of 1966
And longtime resident of Iowa City
Jessica Bristow
From: Ceil Miller-Bouchet <ceilmillerbouchet@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 8:39 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: yes for Paglia's building as a local historic landmark
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello Jessica,
Please let's designate 302 East Bloomington Street --a place that has such wonderful memories for all of us (through
many generations) here in Iowa City-- as a historic landmark.
Thanks,
Ceil
Ceil Miller Bouchet
Linkedln
ceilmil lerbouchet.com
Jessica Bristow
From: Jackie Biger <jackiemhbiger@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 9:00 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: Saving the Sezlak-Holub-Skarda Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I am writing to state my support in adding the Sezlak-Holub-Skarda building to historic preservation. It is shocking to me
it isn't already listed as a protected property! This, alongside the Laundromat, are such important pieces of Iowa City's
history and a perfect example of how build environment impacts how a neighborhood feels.
I hope the Preservation is passed this evening.
Best,
Jackie Biger
519 N. Johnson st.
Jessica Bristow
From: Tim Weitzel <tweitzel.email@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 9:53 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302 East Bloomington Street local landmark consideration
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Jessica,
This letter is in support of the designation of 302 East Bloomington Street as a local landmark.
Tim
I recommend that 302 East Bloomington Street, known variously as Sleazak Hall, Hollub Hall and Apartments, and
Pagliais' Pizza be made a local landmark. It has been recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The building is not included in a historic district. The building is significant for its associations with the Czech community
in Iowa City and for Architecture. It retains a high degree of historic integrity on the exterior and is fairly unique in its
design relative to other buildings from the same time period. The building holds a place in the Northside Neighborhood
as a tangible link to the period of European Immigration to Iowa City in the late 19th century and featured prominently
in the lives of the members of the northside Czech community. The building clearly meets the criteria to be considered
for a local landmark. It is fortunate that the current owner has maintained the building with a high degree of fidelity to
the original design and materials. Only a local historic designation and historic preservation overlay zoning would require
review of any future modifications or demolition of the building.
Sincerely,
Tim Weitzel, MA
Historic Preservation Consultant
Jessica Bristow
From:
goodphilla@aol.com
Sent:
Thursday, February 8, 2024 10:24 AM
To:
Jessica Bristow
Subject:
Protect Slezak Hall
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello,
I plan on attending the Historic Preservation Commission meeting today at 5:30 to support its
proposal to give Slezak Hall local historic landmark status. It's a beautiful building that's been a
landmark in the Northside neighborhood for almost a century and a half. It anchors that
neighborhood on its northern side, and to tear it down would diminish the beauty and historic
character of the whole block. Its architectural style perfectly matches the strip of buildings on the east
side of Linn St. in particular. In addition, its past use as a gathering place for the Czech community in
Iowa City makes it an important monument to the diverse ethnic history of our city. The fact that for
the past 67 years it's housed one of Iowa City's most popular and iconic restaurants, Pagliai's,
ensures that Slezak Hall is important not simply for its age but because it continues to serve as a vital
part of the business and cultural life of Iowa City. It must be preserved. I enthusiastically support
designating it a local historic landmark.
Thank you,
Phil Beck
613 E. College St.
I
Jessica Bristow
From: Dawn Frary <kittycatbandit@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 10:35 AM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: 302-316 Bloomington St.
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Ms. Bristow,
I am writing to voice my strong belief that 302-316 Bloomington St. in Iowa City, aka the Pagliai's
building, be designated as a historic landmark.
As Iowa City continues to lose icons like The Mill, it also loses its personality and the essence that
has drawn folks to this city for decades. Pagliai's is an institution in this city and to lose yet another
important part of Iowa City history is, in my opinion, something we cannot afford to do as
development and (wasteful! unattractive!) new construction begins to dominate our cityscape.
Please consider designating this building as a historic landmark. It deserves this status and warrants
protection from yet another greedy landlord developer. It is part of the spirit of this city, more than a
restaurant or even a physical structure, but an archetype, a legend, a part of our culture.
Sincerely,
Dawn Frary
Iowa City resident
Dawn Frary
she / her / hers
dawnfrarv.coln
1
Jessica Bristow
From:
Jacqueline Briggs <jackiebriggs@earthlink.net>
Sent:
Thursday, February 8, 2024 11:46 AM
To:
Jessica Bristow
Cc:
Eric
Subject:
Encourage pursuing Landmark for Slezak Buidling
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
This letter is to encourage the pursuit of landmark designation for the Slezak(Pagliai's) Building in Iowa City.
As it is one of the historic cornerstones of the Northside neighborhood, its landmark status is integral to maintaining the
integrity and
character that is so rooted to Iowa City's history. It is one the few buildings still standing that makes a direct link to both
the agricultural history of this Iowa City as well as its deep Bohemian pioneers. There are many
people who are eager to see this local building continue to anchor the neighborhood and town.
Landmark the Slezak Building.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Briggs
328 Brown Street
Iowa City, IA 52245
Jessica Bristow
From: Sharon DeGraw <sharondegraw@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 12:29 PM
To: Jessica Bristow
Subject: re: local landmark designation for Slezak building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Historic Preservation Commissioners,
Please go forward in pursing a local landmark designation for the Slezak Hall building at the corner of East Bloomington
and North Linn Streets. It is an important step in protecting a building that has been a business and cultural anchor to the
Northside Neighborhood for149 years. The families that have owned the building, including the current Skarda family,
have been particularly careful stewards of the three-story brick building. In the early 2000s, I was a Holub Apartment
resident for four years — it was a wonderful building to live in. At the time, many of the building's residents had an
affiliation with the University of Iowa's writing programs. I enjoyed meeting and collaborating with Writers' Workshop
faculty member Cole Swensen on book projects, and meeting visiting faculty member Joy Harjo who lived in the building
one summer. There were also numerous graduate students enrolled in the same writing program. Since it was a popular
place for writers to live, the building was a small cultural hub acting as an aid in the formation of life-long friendships.
There are few apartment buildings in Iowa City as large and with historic character similar to this one. I hope it can receive
the historic protection it deserves.
Sincerely,
Sharon DeGraw
519 Brown Street
Iowa City
Jessica Bristow
From: Daniel Kinney <danieljustin.kinney@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 2:48 PM
To: Jessica Bristow, jsellergren@gmail.com
Subject: Permission to read this letter at 2/8/24 special meeting to designate 312 North Linn as an historic
landmark
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to urge the Iowa City Historic Preservation Committee to move to designate the Holub building at 312 North
Linn Street in Iowa City as a protected Historic Landmark. As a lifelong resident of the historic neighborhoods of Iowa
City, I and many others in the community stand in support of the effort to save this building from demolition for
irreparable modification.
Regretfully, I am unable to attend the public meeting this evening.
Sincerely,
Daniel Kinney
Teacher, Tate High School
530 Ronalds Street
Iowa City, IA 52245
Anne Russett
From: Rachel Garms <rgarms@hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2024 4:26 PM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Slezak building
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** I am writing to you in support of designating the slezak building as a historic landmark. I think it's
important to preserve some of the last few remaining historical buildings left in Iowa city.
Thank you,
Rachel Garms
Johnson county resident
Sent from my iPhone
Anne Russett
From: Brian Johannesen <bjjohannesen@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2024 1:01 PM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: The Slezak Building as a Local Historic Landmark
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello!
I am writing with enthusiastic support for naming the Slezak Building a Local Historic Landmark!
As someone who works downtown and spends a lot of time on the north side, I know that changes are coming
to Iowa City - with the most significant changes slated for downtown with the old US Bank parking lot about to
be developed and with the demolishing of The Mill. The north side has retained its charm and keeping these
beautiful, historic buildings in tact will be crucial to ensuring our town remains charming and fully rooted in its
history. Let Coralville have the glass steel and concrete monstrosities, let's keep Iowa City the town we all
know and love.
Thanks!
Brian
Brian Johannesen
(630)698-0538
brianlohannesen.com
Anne Russett
From: goodphilla@aol.com
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2024 7:19 PM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Slezak Building Needs to Become a Local Historic Landmark
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello,
I strongly support the proposal to give Slezak Hall local historic landmark status. It's a beautiful
building that's been a landmark in the Northside neighborhood for almost a century and a half. It
anchors that neighborhood on its northern side, and to tear it down would diminish the beauty and
historic character of the whole block. Its architectural style matches very well the strip of buildings on
Linn St., the east side of the street in particular.
In addition, its past use as a gathering place for the Bohemian and Czech community in Iowa City
makes it an important monument to the diverse ethnic history of our city. As someone with Czech
heritage in his family, that means a lot to me.
The fact that for the past 60 or more years it's housed one of Iowa City's most popular and iconic
restaurants, Pagliai's, ensures that Slezak Hall is important not simply for its age or architecture but
because it continues to serve as a vital part of the business and cultural life of Iowa City. It must be
preserved. I enthusiastically support designating it a local historic landmark.
Thank you,
Phil Beck
613 E. College St.
I
From:
Kevin Boyd
To:
Anne Russett
Subject:
For P&Z - Please landmark Slezak Hall
Date:
Tuesday, February 20, 2024 10:43:18 AM
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening
any links or attachments. **
Anne, please share with the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission,
I want to encourage you to preserve the Slezak Hall. While many recent residents think of it as
the Pagliai's building, generations of Iowa Citians before it had their own memories and
stories attached to the building. These heritage buildings connect us with our past. By
preserving it, it connect us with our future too.
This building deserves to be a local landmark
While generations of Iowa Citians have their own connections to the building, here's one of
mine. My family story is closely tied with the building. My grandfather Paul Boyd was hired
as the manager for the newly opened Self -Serve Grocery in 1938. He, my grandmother Mary,
and their young children lived in the duplex across the street at 228 E Bloomington. I'm
sharing these photos with you, now nearly 90 years old, that tell one of thousands of stories of
the building.
Photo 1: Promotional photo from 1938 in front of the Self -Serve Grocery with Paul H Boyd,
manager, where you can see the square black tiles that are still on the front of the building.
Photo 3: One of family photos from a post -baptism gathering in 1937 behind 228 E
Bloomington where you can see part of the Slezak building in the background.
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Thank you,
Kevin Boyd
Sixth Generation Iowa Citian
622 N Van Buren St., Iowa City
Anne Russett
From: Marty Boller <mjbhawkeye@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 12:58 PM
To: Anne Russett; Marty Boller
Subject: Saving Slezak Hall - 302-316 Bloomington Street
A
"This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
TO: Iowa City Planning & Zoning Commission
c/o Anne Russett
Just a quick note to offer my support of your positive decision to designate 302-316 Bloomington Street in Iowa City
(Slezak Hall and the adjoining buildings) as a local historic landmark.
I appreciate the work you, the P&Z commission, must do in determining what's best for our community. From the very
beginning (1839), Iowa City has been masterfully planned by those who thoughtfully considered each decision before
action was taken. It's my hope that this tradition will continue with you as you make this major decision on Wed.
February 21.
Sadly, over the years, we have lost a good number of the iconic buildings that were once the pride and joy of past
generations. Slezak Hall and the adjoining buildings have such a rich history & heritage here in Iowa City, and, in my
view, it would be an unspeakable loss if these buildings were ever torn down, remodeled, and/or replaced with newer
facilities.
I invite you to review my short report of the historic value of Slezak (National) Hall.
https:Houriowaheritage.com/slezak-national-ha II/
And, I encourage you in your vote to recommend that this property be designated as a historic landmark for Iowa City.
As I see it, future generations will always be thankful to you for your positive decision to SAVE THE SLEZAK.
Sincerely,
Marty Boller - MJBHawkeye
Check out our websites:
www.ouriowaheritage.com/
www.iohnsonco untyrem em brancep ark. ora/
0
Anne Russett
From: leigh lentz <leighlentz@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 9:55 AM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building Landmark Status
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commissioners,
Please designate the Pagliafs building, more formally known as the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building, as a Local Historic Landmark.
Like many residents of Iowa City I moved here as a young student to attend the University of Iowa. As my college friends and I
explored our new city back in 1988 we were charmed by many of the local attractions which made the town so unique: the old
fashioned soda fountain at Pearson's, the perfume bottles in the windows of Mott's Drugstore, the Ferris wheel and merry-go-round at
City Park, the breath -takingly beautiful Victorian interior of BushnelPs Turtle, the quaint popcorn wagon on the ped mall, the all -you -
can -eat spaghetti as you listened to a band at the Mill, the cozy interior of Great Midwestern Ice Cream (which boasted the "best ice
cream in the country"), the fortune-telling witch at Things & Things, and especially the sight of the white -capped and white-shirted
young men making pizza in the window beneath the warm, orange glow of the Pagliai's Pizza sign. Of the list of things just
mentioned, Pagliai's Pizza is the only one still remaining. Please ensure it does not get relegated to the list of "used to be's." The
building is already a historic landmark in the eyes of many Iowa Citians; please give it the official designation you have the power to
grant.
Sincerely,
Leigh Lentz,
Iowa City Resident
Anne Russett
From: Louis Tassinary <Itassinary@mac.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 11:23 AM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Landmark designation for the Slezak Building
Importance: High
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
2/21/24
Re: Planning and Zoning Commission
Meeting Date - Public Comment -Agenda Item #6
Dear Planning and Zoning Commissioners Michael Hensch, Susan Craig, Maria Padron, Scott Quelhorst, Maggie Elliot, Chad Wade & Billie
Townsend
It has been documented repeatedly that renovated historic buildings serve valuable functions in the community. As clearly shown by the many
letters to the City, and the staff report from the Historic Preservation Commission, the Slezak building is a tangible symbol of the enduring
contribution of Iowa City's first immigrants.
What has not been emphasized, however, is that historic properties offer unique opportunities to contribute significantly to the City's
sustainability goals by preserving the energy already embodied in the existing building and eliminating the expenditure of additional energy for
new construction. Reliable sources estimate that even a new green energy efficient building that uses a large percentage of recycled materials
would take over 50 years to recover the energy lost in demolishing a comparable existing building.
The adaptive reuse of iconic older buildings simultaneously honors heritage, reduces the need for new construction with its concomitant
consumption of dwindling material and limited financial resources, and creates the opportunity for creative architectural design and the support
of local craftsmanship.
It is forthese reasons that I urge the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously agree with the recommendations of the Historic
Preservation Commission to recommend that the City Council grant the Slezak building landmark status.
Sincerely,
Louis G. Tassinary JD PhD
1645 Teg Drive
Iowa City, IA 52246
Ph: 979.220.4755 1 Ita ss i n a ry(a) ma c. co m
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 4 of 14
time one drives by it's gone. Entler stated yes usually they have a pile that's somewhat localized,
they recycle that material, and then they move on to the next project.
Hensch closed the public hearing.
Elliott moved to recommend approval of CREZ24-0002, an application for a County
conditional use permit for a temporary asphalt and concrete recycling use.
Craig seconded the motion.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
CASE NO. REZ24-0001
Location: 302-316 E. Bloomington St
An application initiated by the Historic Preservation Commission for a rezoning of approximately
0.45 acres of land from Central Business Service (CB -2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic District
Overlay (OHD/CB-2) zone to designate the property as an Iowa City Historic Landmark.
Conley began the staff report showing an aerial map of the property for the proposed rezoning.
The property is located north of East Bloomington Street and to the east of North Linn Street.
She next shared the zoning map which shows to the west there's the RNS-12 zone, to the east is
CB -2 and to the south is CB -2 as well.
For some background for the property in question, Conley stated on the date October 9, 2023,
the Historic Preservation Commission recommended moving forward with the local landmark
designation. Then on October 30, 2023, a letter was sent to the property owner that explained
the Historic Preservation Commission's interest in landmarking the property as well as requested
a meeting. On December 4, 2023, staff and the Historic Preservation Commission Chair met
with the property owner and then on February 8, 2024, the Historic Preservation Commission
recommended approval of the local landmark designation. The Historic Preservation
Commission found that this property is significant for its role in the ethnic and commercial history
of Iowa City's Northside Neighborhood. They found that the building is a well-preserved example
of Italianate architecture and found that the property met the following local landmark criteria. (A)
it is significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture. (B) it
possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. (C) it is associated
with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of Iowa City history.
And lastly, (E) it embodies the distinctive characteristics of a tight period or method of
construction or represents the work of a master or possesses high artistic values or represents a
significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.
Currently the property is zoned CB -2 and the purpose of this zone is to serve as a transition
between intense land uses in the Central Business Service District and adjoining areas. The
proposed zoning is to the OHD/CB-2 zone and the purpose of the OHD zone is to designate
local historic landmarks and historic districts. The OHD zone requires exterior building
modifications, ones that require regulated permit, to go through the historic review process, and it
supports the continued use of historic buildings through regulatory and financial incentives.
These incentives include special exception eligibility in which it would allow the Board of
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 5 of 14
Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements. Additionally, the property would be
eligible for the Iowa City Historic Preservation Fund and additional tax credits.
Conley next showed some photos of the 302-316 East Bloomington Street property.
Conley then reviewed the rezoning criteria and how the proposed development fits in with the
policy vision of the City. The landmark designation is a zoning overlay and therefore requires
recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission to the City Council. It's the
Commission's role to review the proposed designation based on its relation to the
Comprehensive Plan and the proposed public improvements and plans for the renewal of the
area involved. In this case, they would need to analyze the IC 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the
Central District Plan and the Historic Preservation Plan, which are all relevant to the proposed
rezoning. To start the IC 2030 Plan includes principal goals and strategies that are in support of
the local landmark rezoning. There's a neighborhood design principle which states to preserve
historic resources and reinvest in established neighborhoods. The intent of this principle is to
ensure the stability and livability of the City's historic neighborhoods to preserve culture, history
and the identity of the City. The land use section of the Plan includes the following "will continue
to protect our community's historical, environmental, and aesthetic assets" and the strategy that
supports this goal includes "developing strategies to encourage the protection of natural areas
and historic features and support the enhancement of areas to continue support for the Iowa City
Historic Preservation Plan". The plan also mentions how Historic Preservation policies have
helped to save Iowa City's most historic buildings and have preserved the distinctive architecture
of entire neighborhoods. The housing section of the Plan includes the following goal "preserve
the integrity of existing neighborhoods and the historic nature of older neighborhoods". Included
as a strategy is "aim to support the Historic Preservation Commission's efforts to meet its goals".
Conley next reviewed the Central District Plan which includes goals and objectives that are also
in support of the local landmark rezoning and emphasize the historic character of the
neighborhood. The Central District Plan notes that the City has been successful in protecting
historic resources in the Central District through the adoption of historic district and conservation
district overlay zones and by bestowing historic landmark status on the area's most significant
buildings and properties. The Plan also states that although some redevelopment of the area is
likely there's a strong desire to maintain the historic main street character and the property that
helps maintain the distinct identity and scale of the area. Additionally, many community members
indicated that the historic character of the Northside Marketplace is one of its greatest assets.
The Central District Plan includes the goal "preserve and promote the unique aspects of the
Northside Marketplace" and that is followed by the supporting objectives. First, established
policies and regulations that will preserve the existing scale and main street commercial
character of the Northside Marketplace and second, protect historic buildings as an integral part
of the Northside Marketplace. Overall, the designation of the property as a local historic landmark
will achieve the objective related to protecting historic buildings.
Lastly, the Historic Preservation Plan contains a mission statement that states "Iowa City and its
citizens seek to identify, protect and preserve the community's historic resources in order to
enhance the quality of life and economic well-being of current and future generations". This Plan
includes the following goal "identify historic resources to Iowa City's past" and this goal is here to
help promote the mission statement. This goal is supported through the following objectives,
continuing to research and evaluate historic resources through the systematic and prioritize
completion of neighborhood and thematic based historical and architectural surveys, have the
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 6 of 14
Historic Preservation Commission set designation priorities for historic districts, have landmarks
that emphasize the most important or threatened resources first, and encourage the local
landmark designations by the Historic Preservation Commission by continuing to nominate
individual properties in historic districts to the National Register of Historic Places, and when
appropriate pursue local designation as landmarks in historic districts for the National Register
properties. The Historic Preservation Plan also includes the Gilbert/Linn Street Historic District
and this section is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The locally designated
District is referred to as the Northside Historic District and although the subject property is not
located in either of these districts since they are residential, this section of the Plan discusses the
importance of various properties both in and outside of these Districts. The Gilbert/Linn Street
Historic District includes the following objective, to incorporate historic preservation efforts in
planning for the Northside Marketplace retail district, which is intersecting blocks at Market, Linn,
Gilbert and Bloomington Streets. The importance of the subject property is discussed within this
objective because it's specifically discussed as promoting the preservation of architectural
elements such as this Slezak Building National Hall.
Staff has also received correspondence which has been forwarded to the Commission and hard
copies have been provided at the meeting. Staff received 43 letters in support of the proposed
rezoning which was included in the agenda packet and seven additional pieces of
correspondence were received in support of the rezoning after packet publication. Conley noted
the property only owner, Gary Skarda, stated he did not support the proposed rezoning at the
Historic Preservation Commission meeting.
Staff recommends approval of REZ24- 0001, an application to rezone 302-316 East Bloomington
Street from Central Business Service (CB -2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic District Overlay
(OHD/CB-2) zone in order to designate it as a Local Historic Landmark.
Next steps, since the landmark designation was voted unanimously by the Historic Preservation
Commission, upon P&Z recommendation City Council will set the date of the public hearing for
the property for 302-316 East Bloomington Street.
Hensch asked if for a rezoning it's not necessary for the property owner to consent to the
rezoning. Conley confirmed that was correct.
Quellhorst asked if staff took into account that property owner's objections to rezoning at all and
the cost that might be imposed by the imposition of that historic overlay. Russett replied their
role was to review the rezoning in the context of the policies in the Comprehensive Plan. There
are specific criteria in the zoning code that speak to the criteria that are supposed to be
considered as part of this rezoning and cost is not part of the consideration. Quellhorst asked if it
is considered anywhere in the process and Russett stated City Council could consider it.
Craig asked generally speaking with this designation what can and can't the property owner do
to this property. Russett replied the biggest thing is that the property could not be demolished.
The other things that would be regulated by the historic review process are any exterior
modifications that require a building permit or mechanical permit, so things like changing the
roofing or siding or any masonry work, windows, doors, and those types of things, anything on
the exterior would be regulated.
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 7 of 14
Elliott asked why the owner did not want to agree with this and Russett replied they can't speak
for the owner.
Hekteon noted if the owner files a petition at the City Council level that would trigger a
supermajority vote for the City Council and that's how the owners voice is factored in.
Elliott asked if it was just the Pagliai's building or also the laundromat. Russett replied it is all of
the buildings on the property which includes the laundromat and the original structure at the
southwest corner of the property and the additions.
Wade noted looking at Des Moines code, it looks like the Des Moines code has a trigger that if
somebody searches for a demolition permit it automatically looks at the age of the building and
goes through a Historic Preservation Commission type process and does Iowa City have a
similar process in place. Russett replied Iowa City does not, if it's within a local historic district,
local conservation district or a local landmark district, then the demolition needs to go through the
historic review process but if it's outside of those areas it is just reviewed by the building
inspection staff.
Padron asked if something new could be built in that area of the parking lot. Russett replied she
supposes that's a possibility. They had a recent landmark designation within the Ped Mall on
East College Street where the historic structures were landmarked and there was a new building
that was built behind it that was approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. So new
structures are something that would be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission.
Padron just wants to be clear that none of these buildings would be able to be demolished
without going through the Historic Preservation Commission and then if they build something
new that would also have to go through historic review. Russett confirmed that was correct.
Wade asked what's the line in the sand as far as the age of the building. For example, the front
of the building was remodeled in the 1960s so it wouldn't fit to the original model of the building
and if they're going to redo windows or something what age or part of the building is the deciding
factor. Russett replied that's more of a historic review question, but they would have to just
review any proposals on a case-by-case basis and any changes to the exterior would have to be
reviewed to the guidelines. It could potentially be approved by staff, but for more major
alterations they have to go to the Historic Preservation Commission.
Hensch opened the public hearing.
Jordan Sellergren (Chair, Historic Preservation Commission) stated the Historic Preservation
Commission's role is to determine whether the property meets the criteria for designation and
they did find that the Slezak/Holub/Skarda building represents the broad patterns of the history in
Iowa City. It tells the story of the immigrants who helped build the City, as well as clearly meeting
historic architectural criteria. The Commission voted unanimously in favor of the designation.
Planning and Zoning staff, as they just heard, did recommend that the landmark rezoning of 302
- 316 East Bloomington is consistent with Iowa City's Comprehensive Plan, which includes the
Central District Plan and the Historic Preservation Plan, and encourages pursuing local landmark
designations when appropriate to provide protection for important historic resources. The Central
District Plan specifically calls out this property as an important historic building that should be
preserved. The building size and uses are consistent with the main street character that is the
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 8 of 14
vision of the Comprehensive Plan for North Linn and Bloomington Streets. Additionally, the City's
climate policies encourage sustainable practices also support the retention of the valuable
resources of the building, rather than sending them to the landfill. Iowa City Zoning Code states
that the Planning and Zoning Commission's role is to determine whether a local landmark
designation meets the Comprehensive Plan and in this case it very much does. So once this
Commission votes, it becomes City Council's role to consider the politics and weigh the
recommendations of the Commission's as well as the property owner's concerns. Sellergren
thanked the Commission for hearing the remarks tonight.
Wade noted listening to the Historic Preservation Commission meeting it sounds like they have
somebody that goes in the building or takes a look at the building so as part of that do they also
evaluate the mechanicals and all the details of the building in the interior. Sellergren stated they
are primarily focused on exterior updates.
Ginalie Swaim (Friends of Historic Preservation) stated they strongly support the designation of
this important building. As they have all heard the Comprehensive Plan speaks to the historic
character of the Northside Marketplace and this is one of the key buildings in this marketplace.
Swaim wanted to share how this sprawling building speaks to more aspects of the local history
than any other single building in Iowa City. It holds a one story of American immigration, in this
case Bohemian immigrants, today they probably would have been known as Czechs, but they
could substitute other ethnic groups with similar trajectories in their move to America and
engagement with American society. In the 1850s Bohemians were starting to arrive in Iowa
having fled Europe because of revolutions and economic depressions. By the 1870s Bohemians
had put down roots in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City and in the farming villages and on the farms
in-between. The Slezak's building connects with immigrants history as first the building
reinforced an ethnic identity. Bohumil Shimek, whose name they will recognize because of his
role in Iowa City history, and himself of Bohemian ethnicity, knew of "the dangers that confronted
a stranger in a strange land" and Joseph Slezak's hotel quickly became "the recognized
headquarters of this nationality", ethnic social and aid societies for Bohemians met there and
these ethnic aid societies were a phenomenon of American culture during the great immigration
periods. Because of this being a stranger in a strange land, they would offer newcomers
assistance. If someone became ill or died that aid society would step in and try to be helpful,
basically, on how to navigate the new culture, but also how to keep their native culture alive. For
example, the Slezak National Hall at one time had a benefit, a play and a dance, to benefit the
Herzegovinian rebels, which was a Serb uprising against the Ottoman Empire. So even though
people were living in Iowa City, putting their roots down, beginning businesses, having jobs, they
still had a yearning to support their fellow people back in the old country. Second, the Slezak
Building, like some parts of Iowa City, long resonated with the Bohemian language. In the 1880s
there were four newspapers to choose from and one was in Bohemian. Just east of the Slezak
Building was the residents of Goosetown which was largely a Bohemian neighborhood and
spoke their native language for three generations. In 1912 when Joseph Slezak died the grave
marker at Old St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery was carved all in Bohemian language and on the
top of the building sign, the Bohemian words Narodni sin appeared and below that was
translated to National Hall. In 1981 local historian Irving Weber wrote about this building and
when he wrote about it using the words Narodni sin apparently he made a spelling error because
readers contacted him. So even in 1981 there is still a resonance for the Bohemian language in
this community and even today the Czech and Bohemian ethnicity is still loud and strong in this
community. Another reason this building was part of the social fabric is the upstairs hall was the
site for plays and parties and dances in this "spacious and elegant hall in which to trip the light
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 9 of 14
fantastic toe". Perhaps the eight -member union band played there, each musician was Bohemian
and well into the 20th century a group called the Jolly Club played their routine there. This club
comprised of German and Bohemian families far from the immigrant experience but still hanging
on to their ethnic roots. Fifth, the building was part of local commerce there was a reason Joseph
Slezak advertised it as "the popular farmers stopping place". Farmers coming into town stayed
overnight at the hotel and stabled their horses in the attached livery. The building housed several
endeavors, including the National Hall, the farmers hotel, the grocery store, and "all the other
business ventures centered there". The proprietor had "a fine outlook for prosperity and fortune,
well a part of the local commerce". And finally, the Slezak building's long history shows
transitions into mainstream American society, from a livery stable for horses to a garage for
automobiles, from hotel rooms for Bohemian farmers, to apartments for college students and
downtown workers. More signs of this transition are that the hall was once the site of ethnic
meetings also hosted in 1925 a dance and basketball game between Williamsburg and the
National Guard. Then in the 1930s its grocery stores advertising the all-American product of Jello
and the garage becomes a current coin operated laundromat and in the late 1960s the building
reaches perhaps the epitome of American society as the Pizza Palace that also sold T shirts.
Many other businesses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries met Iowa City's needs and
wants, there were dozens in that period of saloons, groceries, hotels, stables, social halls, even
other ethnic social halls, and other buildings symbolizing commercial success. What's unique
and significant about this sprawling building is this one building served all of those needs. So
landmarking this one building honors and preserves one story of American immigration in Iowa
City.
Deanna Thomann (Member, Historic Preservation Commission) represents the Northside
Neighborhood on the Historic Preservation Commission but tonight is speaking as a citizen from
the northside. Several meetings ago she introduced herself to this Planning and Zoning
Commission but to remind them she and her sister live at 208 Fairchild Street in a house that
once belonged to her great great grandparents and then to her great grandparents. Her great
great grandmother's parents, the Louis's, immigrated to Iowa City from Germany and her great
great grandfather CK Lake ran a lumberyard on this very site where the City offices are today. So
in experiencing the northside and the downtown she often tries to see places through her
ancestors eyes, and sometimes it takes a lot of imagination, but there is no imagining with this
Slezak/Holub/Skarda building. Construction on that monumental complex started just one year
before her ancestor's house on Fairchild Street was built. The Slezak/Holub/Skarda building was
part of her ancestor's everyday experience, either on foot or by horse. Great, great grandpa
would have passed the building on his way to work at the lumberyard and maybe on his way
home from work he occasionally stopped in the building saloon for a beer. That's something she
likes to imagine. Thomann does know that her Aunt Linda would stay at the house on 208
Fairchild Street and attend summer bible camp and she remembers shopping with grandma at
Tweedie's grocery store, she said it was a really big grocery store for that time. Today Pagliai's is
in that space and she eats at Pagliai's and many of her out of town relatives traveled to eat at
Pagliai's too. These relatives, though they live on farms, when she sees them at family reunions
they ask about her house in town and they ask where it is again, when she answers on Fairchild
Street they don't know what that means or where that is but if she says it's just a couple blocks
from Pagliai's they all know where that is. They acknowledge that's the best restaurant in Iowa
City. So in some ways this building is still bringing farmers to it like it was with the farmer's hotel
back in the day. This Slezak/Holub/Skarda building is a landmark to her and her family, it was a
landmark to her ancestors and it's part of the community's history and cultural heritage. Thomann
asks that the Commission take the next steps to make this Slezak/Holub/Skarda building a
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 10 of 14
formal landmark.
Kevin Boyd noted he sent an email because there were some visuals he wanted to share but he
also wishes to speak. Boyd stated local landmarks are designed to preserve buildings, physical
structures, that help tell the unique history. They help connect us both with the past by honoring
what the civic ancestors built, the city they created, but it also connects them to the future and
says they value this history and they want future Iowa Citians to be able to experience this
heritage site. Boyd shared some family photos of this building with the Commission in advance.
His grandfather, Paul Boyd, came to Iowa City when he was just 18, immediately after he
graduated from high school in the early part of the Depression. His parents and siblings had
already moved here because the family farm had been taken from the bank due to the
Depression. Paul got a part time job at Mercy Hospital as an elevator operator hand cranking it
and that is where he met Boyd's grandmother, a nursing student from West Liberty. By 1938 they
had gotten married and adopted an orphan nephew and had their first child together. They
rented half of the duplex across the street at 228 Bloomington Street. A few years ago Boyd
acquired an old disorganized family photo album with nearly 90 year old photos and news
clippings of his great grandfather becoming the manager of the newly remodeled self -serve
grocery store in Slezak Hall where they took the two commercial units and put them into one
pristine and organized one. To Boyd that was an important moment in his grandparents history, it
was a moment their economic fortunes began to turn. Paul was hired to manage the newly
remodeled self -serve grocery store in the Slezak Building. A generation later in the 1970s after a
pizza date, Boyd's parents accidentally unplugged the change machine in the laundromat and it
triggered an alarm and the police arrived. This story was told by his parents nearly every time
they were waiting to pick up Pagliai's, which was a lot growing up. When Boyd's partner Kelly
first came to visit Iowa City, a city he'd heard Boyd rave about for months, they went to Pagliai's
and he was as impressed with the building as he was with the pizza. Boyd shares these personal
stories because generations of Iowa Citians have their own. Some that have been forgotten to
others that can be remembered. The stories of this building, from the parties upstairs, Narodni
sin, the meeting spot for first generation immigrants, the corner grocery store being the first self -
serve then Tweedie's, police getting called to a laundromat after a pizza date, preserving this
building honors those stories and the shared history and it celebrates the history of the
community. This building is a heritage building. The rezoning aligns with the Comprehensive
Plan, and it deserves local landmarking and Boyd encourages them to pass it as it honors both
the past and it honors the future.
Tomas Agran lives in the Northside Neighborhood and served as its Historic Preservation
Commission representative for seven years. So he can speak from that perspective but now with
extra candor since he's not on the Commission anymore, including that controversially he
doesn't like Pagliai's Pizza. Agran noted there's a property that recently came on the market, an
amazing development opportunity for a cool $5 million and being well more than 50 years old the
building is definitely about qualifying vintage for historic designation, but it would be controversial
and political to try to do that, especially if the owner bulked. He isn't talking about the Pagliai's
building he is referring to City Electric building on Prentiss Street. He does agree it is a
development opportunity and also agrees it's probably not ultimately a strong case for historic
designation. But they aren't talking about that building, or speculating on Tracy Barkalow's
intentions, they aren't talking about landmarking a property as a stretch of the imagination.
They're talking about a core property in Iowa City's past, present and future inextricable from the
story of Iowa City and the north end as they've heard tonight. Iowa City's always lamenting the
loss of so much historic building inventory during those urban renewal days of yore, but as far as
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 11 of 14
he can tell, since moving here in 2009, urban renewal is alive and well as developers and
accountants pencil Iowa City's history, texture and unique flavor out of existence in favor of
cheap builds, and balance sheets. When they leave the meeting tonight, he urges them to look
east at the memorable and evocative three over one across from the co-op. Or choose to avert
their gaze looking west where a giant hole in the ground stands as a monument to one Iowa City
family's bank account. Or maybe they parked just to the north where the historic U Church was
leveraged and now sits abandoned and overwhelmed to line the silky pockets of another private
developer. Don't forget the increasingly dilapidated historic 410 North Clinton held hostage for
development handouts from the City to try to tear down and over build the neighboring
properties, or the charming piles of civil war era bricks they woke up to on Christmas morning
after a spirited visit from a bulldozer on South Dubuque Street, and inevitability they should not
forget tacitly and patiently awaits the vast majority of the still unprotected downtown. When a
property owner disagrees with the historic designation of a building, it feels like a fraught process
and it feels political, and it is awkward but as fate would have it anticipation at these exact
circumstances had the City come up with systems and protocols. The City has a Comprehensive
Plan, they have standards that historic properties must meet and have a process of community
representatives at three levels, Planning & Zoning being one of them, who makes sure that those
guiding documents and standards are applied apolitically so that when the community's history
comes under threat, there is an established and agreed way as a democratic community to
protect those irreplaceable and to further prevent our historic assets being emotionally leveraged
against us for private gain. Agran noted it's not difficult to imagine this property being used as a
sacrificial pawn in the development game for all the neighboring losses around it. This
Commission is tasked with putting process over politics and as a result have a very simple non -
emotional decision in front of them tonight and he trusts they will fulfill their duties and do what's
right for Iowa City that belongs not to one but to all of us.
Bob Wise noted what's interesting about this that nobody has pointed out is if they go back and
dig through the maps from around the 1870s the two lots that the building sits on was not part of
the original plot of Iowa City. The original Iowa City plot was going from Franklin Street down to
Jefferson and going from Linn to maybe past Van Buren. All that is left in the 18 and a half block
area of the original site of Iowa City area is the Slezak building, the Union Brewery building and
John's grocery. An example is the Pearson Drugstore corner, Pearson's Drug was really great, it
had a drive-thru, but watching the old building that was taken down from there and looking at the
structure which had been put in that place if the same thing happens to this, then the original plot
of Iowa City, the original town, shrinks, and shrinks, and eventually will disappear and they lose
a tremendous amount of history with that. He has watched it happen in other communities
where he's lived. Iowa City used to have a beautiful fire station that he went to in first grade that
sat on Linn Street and Washington that was torn down in 1965 to make room for this City Hall
building and the fire station that now sits here. That was a beautiful building that was lost to
urban renewal along with many others. Wise encourages the Commission to strongly consider
making this historic landmark for Iowa City and the preservation of the original part of Iowa City,
as it was established back in the 1870s. The Graph house was built in 1872 and the Slezak
building, Pagliai's building, was built about six years later. This was the dance hall in the hotel
and there was a restaurant that was in that building. There were obviously rooms which are
maybe now part of the 16 apartments upstairs. At the back of the small building where there's an
archway, that was probably a hayloft to take care of what was the carriage house and what was
the livery. A livery may have been where the horses were kept to draw the beer wagons to run
around the town and deliver beer, even the fire department had their own horses back in that
period of time.
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 12 of 14
Sharon DeGraw stated she lives in the Northside Neighborhood and is on the steering committee
for the Northside Neighborhood Association. She looked at the packet and the task looks pretty
straightforward. The IC 2030 Comprehensive Plan includes the goal to preserve historic
resources and invest in the established neighborhoods. She thinks that's how they're supposed
to be thinking about this and the land use section includes a goal to protect the community's
historical environment and aesthetic assets. Therefore, the Planning and Zoning commissioners
would be answering the question of is this building suitable according to those goals and she
hopes they think yes. DeGraw noticed that it's one of the oldest buildings, from 1875, it's
relatively tall, three stories, for that point in time and it also had an incredible number of functions
which they've heard about, a hotel, a saloon, dance hall, grocery store, a meeting hall for the
Czech and Bohemian immigrant community, and a stable which she thinks is incredible that the
the Bloomington laundry mat was once a stable and it's still standing. So after contemplating this
DeGraw hopes that the Commission will agree that it's the right time to vote in favor of a historic
preservation overlay for that parcel.
Missy Moreton stated she is representing as a person who lives in the Northside Neighborhood.
As a disclosure she was on the Iowa City Friends of Historic Preservation Board for probably 10
years but it's been a while. Her personal thoughts on this is she has lived in the Northside
Neighborhood since 1996. Personally, she loves the aesthetic of the close -in historic area and
the way the Pagliai's building serves as a transition between the residential and business areas,
she really feels that it contributes to the quality of life in the neighborhood. She appreciates the
owner's position, from what she's read the owner was not just a good landlord, but a great
steward of the property. This proposal brings to mind two buildings that were eventually
preserved by the new owners after the public brought to the attention their historic significance.
First, the Carnegie Library, which had served as the Iowa City Public Library, and the Tate Arms,
which was the first rooming house built for black students owned by black landlords. Moreton
realizes that there are buyers that can purchase this location and don't have the same feelings
about history and architecture and community that she does so she would like to be more
proactive about taking an inventory of the remaining buildings that fit the local landmark
designation and acting on them before they are up for sale. She hopes that it's not too late for
this building.
Hensch closed the public hearing.
Craig moved to recommend approval of REZ24- 0001, an application to rezone 302-316 E.
Bloomington Street from Central Business Service (CB -2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic
District Overlay OHD/CB-2) zone in order to designate it as a Local Historic Landmark.
Quellhorst seconded the motion.
Craig noted she was very pleased that the Historic Preservation Commission was willing to do
the work and bring this forward, she had concerns when the property went up for sale. She has
lived in Iowa City close to 50 years and always had a very special feeling about this particular
piece of property and it felt like old Iowa City and the more she's learned about the history of it is
100% why these things were put in the Comprehensive Plan and she is 100% behind it.
Quellhorst stated he agrees with that, he thinks this is a wonderful building with a rich history and
meets the criteria for a landmark designation. He appreciates that cost isn't one of the rezoning
considerations but does think it's important and would recommend that City Council consider the
Planning and Zoning Commission
February 21, 2024
Page 13 of 14
costs that the application could impose on the property owner in making its decision
Hensch noted their first obligation is does it meet the criteria and consistently with the
Comprehensive Plan and he thinks it clearly does. Also on an emotional level when he also saw
it was for sale his very first thought was please don't tear that building down. It's just pretty
dramatic standing there, the three-story building for that age and it's been so well kept. Kudos to
the owners of that building, it is a rare gem that they cannot let go away so he supports this.
Elliott supports this and thinks it's clear that it meets that criteria. She does have concerns about
the owner not wanting to landmark the property but that's not for them to decide.
Townsend just want to say she wasn't born and raised in Iowa but everyone that she's talked to
that came to school here or that has been here always talks about Pagliai's. This is the first time
she's heard about the history of that area so in her opinion it is something that should be
preserved.
Wade stated this one is a little bit more challenging for him, there is a lot of history with the
Pagliai's building, or the Slezak/Holub/Skarda building but this is the first time that he's been
through the experience without an owner's consent. He's looking at this rezoning similar to an
involuntary annex so this one's a little bit problematic from not getting the owner's buy -in to get
the overlay or historic landmark nomination. Wade noted regardless of his decision, he knows
he's in the minority, but this one, just from a private ownership standpoint they need the buy -in.
Wade agreed he would love to see the building maintained or continued on, it's been in the
family for 125 years but now they're looking at making a change without the family consent.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 6-1 (Wade dissenting).
CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: FEBRUARY 7,2024:
Padron moved to approve the meeting minutes from February 7, 2024. Craig seconded the
motion, a vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
»_1011011101 [1_101 1 Dite] 011101"101176M iv, F111 I ML
None.
ADJOURNMENT:
Townsend moved to adjourn, Quellhorst seconded and the motion passed 7-0.
q, (a,
Prepared by: Madison Conley, Associate Planner; 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240; (REZ24-0001)
Ordinance No.
Ordinance rezoning property located at 302-316 E. Bloomington Street
from Central Business Service (CB -2) zone to CB -2 with a Historic District
Overlay (OHD/CB-2) zone. (REZ24-0001)
Whereas, the City of Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission requested a rezoning of
property located at 302-316 E. Bloomington Street from Central Business Service (CB -2) zone to
CB -2 with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/CB-2) zone to designate the property as an Iowa City,
Historic Landmark; and
Whereas, this structure was originally constructed in 1875 and is significant for its role in the
ethnic and commercial history of Iowa City's Northside neighborhood and as a well-preserved
example of Italianate architecture; and
Whereas, the Comprehensive Plan encourages the preservation of historic buildings through
a Neighborhood Design Principle that aims to preserve historic resources and reinvest in
established neighborhoods; through a Land Use - goal that aims to continue and protect the
community's historical, environmental, and aesthetic assets with a strategy to encourage
protection of natural areas and historic features; and through a Housing goal that aims to preserve
the integrity of existing neighborhoods and the historic nature of older neighborhoods with a
strategy that supports the Historic Preservation Commission's efforts to meet its goals; and
Whereas, the Central District Plan encourages preservation of historic homes, resources and
neighborhoods, especially in areas close to the University by bestowing historic landmark status
on the area's most significant buildings and properties; and
Whereas, the Central District Plan identifies the Northside Marketplace as a historic
commercial neighborhood where there is a strong communal desire to maintain the historic
mainstreet character and includes a goal that aims to preserve and promote the unique aspects
of the Northside Marketplace; and
Whereas, Goal 1 of the Historic Preservation component of the Comprehensive Plan calls
for identification of resources significant to Iowa City's past with the objective of designating
individual buildings as landmarks; and
Whereas, the Historic Preservation Plan includes a section on the Gilbert -Linn Street
Historic District, which discusses the importance of various buildings including the Slezak
Building -National Hall; and
Whereas the Historic Preservation Commission has reviewed the proposed Historic Landmark
designation, has found that it meets the criteria for landmark designation in its significance to Iowa
City history, integrity of location and design, association with events that have a significant
contribution to the broad patterns of history, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type,
period, or method of construction; and
Whereas, the Planning and Zoning Commission has reviewed the proposed Historic
Landmark designation rezoning and has found that it is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan
goals of preserving historic resources.
Ordinance No.
Page 2
Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa:
Section I. Historic. Landmark. Approval. Property -described below is hereby reclassified to
Central Business Service with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/CB-2) zone:
Lot 5 and the West 50 feet of Lot 6 all in Block 57 in Iowa City, Iowa, according to the
recorded plat thereof.
Section II. Zoning Map. The building official is hereby authorized and directed to change the
zoning map of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, to conform to this amendment upon the final passage,
approval and publication of this ordinance by law.
Section III. Certification And Recording. Upon passage and approval of the Ordinance, the
City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to certify a copy of this ordinance and to record the
same, at the office of the County Recorder of Johnson County, Iowa, at the owner's expense, all
as provided by law.
Section IV. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of
this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section V. Severability. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to
be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
Section VI. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approval
and publication, as provided by law.
Passed and approved this day of , 2024.
Mayor
Approved by:
zx___'
City Clerk City Attor y's Office
(Sara Hektoen — 03/27/2024)
Ordinance No.
Page 3
It was moved by _ and seconded by_ that
the Ordinance as read be adopted, and upon roll call there were:
AYES: NAYS: ABSENT:
First Consideration 04/16/2024
Vote for passage
Second Consideration _
Vote for passage:
Date published
Alter
Bergus
Dunn
Harmsen
Moe
Salih
Teague
AYES: Alter, Bergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Salih, Teague
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
Kellie Grace
From: Daniel Kinney<daniel.justin.kinney@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 2:56 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Designation of Pagliai's building as an historic building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Mazahir Salih and other Council Members,
Our family met you at the Northside Neighborhood Picnic in September. We appreciated that you came to our
neighborhood and asked what city -related issues we were concerned about. One of our neighbors said they were
concerned about the tearing down of historic buildings and their replacement with new more expensive
buildings. You said that you liked historic neighborhoods and buildings — that they were important parts of Iowa
City and that the City Council should support them. We liked your answer and took one of your signs to display in
our front yard, a prominent and visible corner lot.
Now just six months later the issue of destruction of an important Northside historic building is on the City Council
agenda. The Pagliai's building at 302 Bloomington Street has been an anchor in our neighborhood since 1875. It is
not only a beautiful building, it is a symbol of how important immigrants have been in building Iowa City.
We trust that you will agree that the City Council should use its zoning laws to protect this historic building from
demolition.
Thank you for serving on the Iowa City Council. We are glad that we met you at the Northside Picnic and that you
took the time to ask us what issues are important to us.
Sincerely,
Daniel Kinney & Puja Birla
530 Ronalds Street
Iowa City, IA 52245
Kellie Grace
From:
Rebecca Clouse <rebecca55clouse@icloud.com>
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 3:24 PM
To:
*City Council
Subject:
Slezac building
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links
or attachments. ** Add my voice to thousands asserting Save This Building! We live in the 800 block of Linn
St. The block of Linn between Market and Bloomington has already been `renovated' by new constructions
favoring apartments. The Slezac building already has apartments —would you make it vulnerable to those
kinds of apartments that favor undergraduate transients rather than young faculty, for instance? Please don't!
Rebecca Clouse
Sent from my Wad
Kellie Grace
From: Schaub, Katherine A <katie-Schaub@uiowa.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 3:34 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliai's
I
RESK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
City Council,
Please save The Pagliai's Building, this is a local landmark that should remain a part of our local history!
Katie Schaub
Senior Assistant Director,
Outreach & Recruitment
Office of Admissions
The University of Iowa
100 Pomerantz Center, C110
Iowa City, IA 52242
319.335.1240
.edu
Kellie Grace
From: Nyren <docnyren@aol.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 3:35 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliai's Pizza building
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
To Iowa City Council Members,
As a long-time resident of Iowa City, I have come to deeply appreciate the history and diversity of our
city. Preserving and protecting landmark buildings is vital to carrying on our shared story to the next
generation. This building represents both an architectural history but also a generational history of the
many patrons who have enjoyed a night out at Pagliai's. Please do everything you can to protect the
unique architecture and integrity of this historic landmark.
Judy Nyren
Citizen Historian for Lucas Farms Neighborhood.
1219 Ginter Ave.
319-351-6913
Kellie Grace
From: Diane Spielbauer <diane.spielbauer@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 4:38 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliai's building
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Greetings council members! I am writing to encourage you to grant 320 E Bloomington St historic
landmark status. The building is essential to preserving the character of the northside neighborhood. The building also
has important historical significance to our community, having served as a meeting place for the Iowa City community
over the decades.
Thank you,
Diane Spielbauer
Kellie Grace
From: Robert Jury <bob@robertjury.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 4:42 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Save the Pagliai's building!
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Dear Council,
Do the right thing here. Stand up and protect our iconic local structures.
Pagliai's Pizza Building is an historic Iowa City landmark. Please recognize it as such!
Respectfully,
Bob & Yvette Jury
2016 Rochester Court
Iowa City
Sent from my Whone
Kellie Grace
From:
Kristy Hartsgrove Mooers <kristy_hartsgrove@yahoo.com>
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 7:35 PM
To:
*City Council
Subject:
Save the slezak
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links
or attachments. ** Hi there!
Thank you for all your hard work, I appreciate everyone on the council. I wanted to chime in about saving the
Slezak building, which I absolutely agree should be a priority to honor the integrity of the north side. The
building has historical importance and also physical heft! It's not just an old house that was cut up into
apartments (though I confess I'm partial to saving those as well). It has been a neighborhood gathering place
for generations. I think the city is justified in doing whatever needs to be done to keep it in one piece.
Thank you for listening,
Kristy Hartsgrove Mooers
3051 Wayne Ave unit 11
Sent from my iPhone
Kellie Grace
From:
ben lewis <benjamind@gmail.com>
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 7:41 PM
To:
*City Council
Subject:
Please vote to save Slezak Hall
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links
or attachments. **
Council,
Please vote to support historic preservation designation for Slezak Hall! Historic buildings are crucial to the
future of Iowa City.
Look at any successful city: Chicago, Boston, even Cedar Rapids. They have chosen to preserve some of their
buildings.
If we don't save buildings like Slezak Hall, Iowa City will be unrecognizable and lose even more of its character
- the very thing that helps attract the culture and talent that we all treasure in our community.
Please look to years down the road and help to save what's left of historic Iowa City!
Ben Lewis
Sent via portable telephone
Kellie Grace
From: Susan Mellecker <susan.mellecker@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:09 PM
To: *City Council; Jessica Bristow
Cc: Kevin Boyd
Subject: Slezak building follow up comments
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello,
Thank you for your work on the council. I just want to follow up on my comments that I made virtually during the council
meeting last night.
I wasn't very clear on this point but in no way do I want to see the Slezak building or Bloomington Street laundromat
torn down. I love both of these buildings and have for my entire life. I grew up in the north end when many large,
historic houses were bulldozed so the Clark family could build their mansard roofed apartment buildings. I believe this
was the reason the HPC was formed. I believe in preserving history while also balancing the needs of property owners.
One speaker last night pointed out that changes are made to zoning laws all the time that affect property values, but
they are not usually targeted at one individual owner and this is what is bothering me about this.
The point I could have made better is, if the City wants to preserve its history and property owners do not want their
properties designated as historic because of challenges for a future sale, why doesn't the City offer monetary incentives
to owners to allow this designation beyond just small HPC funding for the exterior and tax incentives that are paid after
work is completed on the interior? Mazahir Salih was asking this same question. Why doesn't the City purchase this and
perhaps other buildings and work with the HPC to find a new owner who will preserve the historic integrity of the
building? The Englert is an example where citizens came together to convince the City to purchase the building, then
formed a non profit organization and raised funds to renovate it. Thank goodness it was saved - it is a community gem.
Couldn't the Slezak building also be saved in the same manner and perhaps returned to a community building (or not),
while also fairly compensating the current owner? If the option existed for the City to purchase highly desirable historic
buildings and the City offered an owner fair market value for a property and they turned it down, by all means designate
it as historic and let the chips fall where they may. But, forcing landmark designation on an owner with no other
incentives from the City doesn't feel right. I understand that it's a quagmire on where you draw the line on what to
purchase and what not to purchase, but that's what the HPC can help with.
It's my understanding that the apartments in the Slezak have not been maintained for years and are in bad shape. The
same is true for some of the "historic" buildings in downtown Iowa City such as the former home of Clinton Street Social
Club, who's kitchen floor was bowing down towards the space below that housed Shorts Burgers. Have any of you seen
these inside of these buildings? Everyone wants to save these buildings but no one wants to actually pay for them to be
updated. If or when the historic designation is added to the Slezak, the citizens who have been fighting for this will walk
away with their "victory", while the current owner is still left with no money for upgrades and more restrictions on the
sale. Again, I don't want it torn down either but that is the harsh truth in this matter. No one will try and help this owner.
As a lifelong Iowa Citian, I never thought I would say this, but I personally love the aesthetic that the Moen buildings
added to downtown Iowa City. And although I hated to see Pearson's Drug store (my first job) go, I also love the
aesthetic of the Webster building against the backdrop of George's and the original buildings on Linn St. I think old and
new can coexist in a beautiful way. On the flip side, what was done around the former Unitarian Universal Society
church on Iowa Avenue is a travesty. This poor building now sits unused and surrounded by very ugly apartment
buildings, on land that the City should have always known they needed for its own use but alas, the church was "saved"
only to sit empty. It was also very sad to see small business owners being displaced in the cottages on S. Dubuque
Street, only to be replaced by yet more generic apartment buildings. Another epic fail all the way around because of, at
least from my perspective, inconsistent historic preservation goals and funding.
I understand that historic preservation is tricky but if the City has a goal to save historic buildings, why not put the
money where the mouth is and start purchasing or investing in these buildings and their owners before they are on the
chopping block? It seems like there is always a 13th hour "save" or "fail" that puts everyone in a bind and pits historic
preservation against owner rights. It's been happening for 40 years and this is why I finally decided to speak up about it. I
have to ask - would another "historic" building that is owned by a resource strapped individual, that didn't house a
popular restaurant and wasn't surrounded by an affluent neighborhood with a lot of resources still be saved? I think it's
a valid question.
I've copied Kevin Boyd and Jessica Bristow to this email. I know Kevin is no longer on the HPC but I'm hoping someone
can forward this to current HPC members, since their contact information is not published. I do support and appreciate
their efforts.
Thanks for your consideration.
Sue
Kellie Grace
From: Yvonne Addis <yeaddis123@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, April 5, 2024 1:19 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliaia's Pizza Building
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system.. Please take extra care opening any links
or attachments. **
Sent from my iPhone
We have lost so many important buildings. As a person who grew up in IC, by all means, I hope you will
preserve the Pagliai's building as a local historic landmark. Thank you.
Yvonne Addis
Mason City, Iowa
Kellie Grace
From: Roxanne Erdahl <rmerdahl@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 6, 2024 11:25 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Support for Designation of Pagliai's Building as an Historical Landmark
Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files; Preserve the Paglias Building .docx
R SK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.
April 3, 2024
Subject: Support for Designation of Pagliai's Building as an Historical Landmark
Dear Iowa City Council Members,
I write to you today as a member of the Iowa City community, deeply invested in
preserving the historical essence that makes our town unique and cherished. I
appreciate that last night's council meeting allowed for an honest and heartfelt
discussion regarding the preservation of our community's rich heritage. I wanted to
follow up my brief remarks with a deeper explanation of my concern over the outcome
of this decision.
As a longstanding business owner in the heart of Downtown Iowa City, with family ties
dating back to 1929, our connection to this community runs deep. From the
establishment of my own business, Buc's Gift Shop, (1974 to 1997), the memories that
were made during those years remain a cherished part of our town's collective
consciousness. It's continuing to amaze me, the enduring nostalgia and fond
recollections shared with me by residents, decades after my store's closure, highlighting
the significant role that small businesses like mine have played in shaping the very
identity of our city. Much like other university towns such as Evanston, Boulder, and
Madison, recognizing the delicate balance between honoring our historical roots and
propelling towards a dynamic future is paramount. I am encouraged by the council's
commitment to preserving our heritage while embracing progress.
The Skarda building, known by many as the Pagliai's Building, stands as a testament to
the enduring spirit of Iowa City's Northside area. It is not merely a structure of bricks
and mortar, but a repository of cherished memories and shared experiences for
countless individuals who have passed through its doors. I understand first-hand the
delicate balance between honoring the wishes of property owners and preserving the
historical essence and spirit of our community. With that said, I believe that 302 E.
Bloomington's historical and architectural significance cannot be overstated, and its
1
preservation is paramount in maintaining the character and heart of our beloved
community.
In advocating for the designation of the Pagliai's Building as a historical landmark, I am
reminded of the dedicated service of my late husband, Clemens Erdahl, whose tenure on
the Iowa City Council was marked by a steadfast commitment to safeguarding our
town's heritage. His legacy reminds us of our responsibility to honor the past as we
forge ahead into the future.
I urge each member of the council to carefully consider the implications of any decisions
that may impact the historical integrity of our town. By voting in favor of the petition to
designate the Pagliai's Building as a historical landmark, you will not only honor the
legacy of those who came before us but also ensure that future generations have the
opportunity to appreciate and learn from Iowa City's rich and deep history.
Thank you for your dedication to serving our community and for your thoughtful
deliberation on this matter. I am confident in your commitment to upholding the values,
vision and heart that define Iowa City, both now and for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Myers Erdahl
107 Cayman St.
Iowa City
rmerdahl@gmail.com
319-530-4016
F1
April 3, 2024
Subject: Support for Designation of Pagliai's Building as an Historical Landmark
Dear Iowa City Council Members,
I write to you today as a member of the Iowa City community, deeply invested in
preserving the historical essence that makes our town unique and cherished. I appreciate
that last night's council meeting allowed for an honest and heartfelt discussion regarding
the preservation of our community's rich heritage.
As a longstanding business owner in the heart of Downtown Iowa City, with family ties
dating back to 1929, our connection to this community runs deep. From the
establishment of my own business, Buc's Gift Shop, (1974 to 1997), the memories that
were made during those years remain a cherished part of our town's collective
consciousness. It's continuing to amaze me, the enduring nostalgia and fond
recollections shared with me by residents, decades after my store's closure, highlighting
the significant role that small businesses like mine have played in shaping the very
identity of our beloved city. Much like other university towns such as Evanston, Boulder,
and Madison, recognizing the delicate balance between honoring our historical roots and
propelling towards a dynamic future is paramount. I am encouraged by the council's
commitment to preserving our heritage while embracing progress.
The Skarda building, known by many as the Pagliai's Building, stands as a testament to the
enduring spirit of Iowa City's Northside area. It is not merely though, a structure of bricks
and mortar but a repository of cherished memories and shared experiences for countless
individuals who have passed through its doors. I understand first-hand the delicate
balance between honoring the wishes of property owners and preserving the historical
essence and spirit of our community. With that said, I believe that 302 E. Bloomington's
historical and architectural significance cannot be overstated, and its preservation is
paramount in maintaining the character and heart of our beloved community.
In advocating for the designation of the Pagliai's Building as a historical landmark, I am
reminded of the dedicated service of my late husband, Clemens Erdahl, whose tenure on
the Iowa City Council was marked by a steadfast commitment to safeguarding our town's
heritage. His legacy reminds us of our responsibility to honor the past as we forge ahead
into the future.
I urge each member of the council to carefully consider the implications of any decisions
that may impact the historical integrity of our town. By voting in favor of the petition to
designate the Pagliai's Building as a historical landmark, you will not only honor the legacy
of those who came before us but also ensure that future generations have the opportunity
to appreciate and learn from Iowa City's rich and deep history.
Thank you for your dedication to serving our community and for your thoughtful
deliberation on this matter. I am confident in your commitment to upholding the values
and vision that define Iowa City, both now and for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Myers Erdahl
107 Cayman St.
Iowa City
rmerdahl@gmail.com
319-530-4016
Kellie Grace
From: Colleen <colleen.marie.schmittCsa gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 7, 2024 1:12 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliai's building - YES to historic designation
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello Iowa City Council members,
My neighbor described a recent city council meeting on the topic of the historic preservation status of the Pagliai's Pizza
building. I truly don't understand why the council hasn't voted to approve it as a historic landmark designation. This is a
win-win, with mutual benefit to the owner, who will still make a reasonable profit from the sale, and for Iowa City,
which will preserve the historic charm of the Linn St. neighborhood and maintain Iowa City's unique character.
My understanding is that this issue has been revisited time and again, over many years, and that the council failed to
recognize that at the last meeting. The community has clearly advocated for historic preservation status. Please hear
US.
Best,
Colleen Schmitt
2532 Catskill Ct.
Iowa City, IA
Kellie Grace
From:
Niki Neems <niki@rsvp-asap.com>
Sent:
Monday, April 8, 2024 12:58 PM
To:
*City Council
Cc:
Jordan Sellergren
Subject:
I am writing in support of giving landmark designation to the properties 302-316
Bloomington.
R SK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Councilors,
I am writing in support of giving landmark designation to the properties at 302-316 Bloomington Street,
Iowa City, Iowa.
I have owned a retail business in Downtown Iowa City for 24 years, with almost 20 of those years being
just down the street from said property in the Northside Neighborhood. I am on the sates floor of my shop
daily interacting with customers and neighbors. As such, I regularly engage in conversation about the
character of the neighborhood. Patrons of my shop often tell me that preservation of this neighborhood
motivates their spending habits—it encourages them to shop the Northside Neighborhood as often as
possible. In return for this loyal patronage, I think it fair that we business owners fight to maintain the
neighborhood integrity that our customers value.
Iowa City is luckier than many cities, there is a HERE here. Historic buildings meld with new construction
to offer an array of shopping, dining, service, schools and living opportunites and choices . We have
found a balance between student -life and community -life by creating and maintaining a one -of -a -kind
space everyone can enjoy and feel comfortable within. Preserving and protecting iconic buildings tike the
302-316 Bloomington properties plays an enormous role in this neighborhood spirit.
Please vote to keep the Northside thriving by designating the property at 302-316 Bloomington a
Landmark property.
Niki Neems, owner
r.s.v.p.
140 North Linn Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52245
319.337.4400
www.rsvp-asap.com
@rsvpicia
www.responsehandwritingproiect.com
Kellie Grace
From: Jordan Sellergren <jsellergren@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 8, 2024 2:54 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Letter from Angela Harrington re: 302-316 Bloomington
Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files; HighlanderHotel.pdf
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.
Dear Councilors,
Please find a letter from Angela Harrington (Hotel Grinnell, the Highlander Hotel) regarding her use of tax incentives
attached.
Jordan Sellergren, shelher
Art Director, Little Village Magazine
Chat7, Iowa C [IV Historic Preservation Commission
I&
T H E
HIGHLANDER
H O T E L
Dear City Council
I have been following the news about the proposal to designate 302-316 Bloomington Street
as a Historic Landmark. As the developer and owner of the Hotel Grinnell and the Highlander
Hotel, I am compelled to write to you about the great eco -conscious and economic value that
historic designation can bring to a property and a community.
Here in Iowa City local Historic Landmark designation opened the door to allow us to use Iowa
State Tax Incentives to complete an extensive rehabilitation of the Highlander Inn. First opened
in 1967, the Highlander was once Iowa City's premier hotel and supper club. Over the last
several decades it fell into serious disrepair. With investors, considerable sweat equity and a
tax credit friendly lender we have returned the Highlander to a city asset rather than the
community liability it had become. Without the historic designation and the accompanying
financial incentives, we would not have been able to accomplish the renovation.
Historic preservation is also an important part of a city sustainability plan. There are simply not
enough holes in the earth to put old buildings. Historic buildings need to be treated as now -
natural -to -us resources. The National Park Service in fact is the steward of the historic tax
credit program at the federal level. In fact, the NPS website states, "... "the greenest building
is the one that's already built," (which) succinctly expresses the relationship between
preservation and sustainability. The repair and retrofitting of existing and historic buildings is
...the ultimate recycling project, and focusing on historic buildings has added benefits for the
larger community.
From a business perspective historic designation makes sense not only from a financial
perspective but as sustainability one as well. I do understand that historic preservation
becomes tough when the land's vertical value is exponentially higher than the historic building
itself even as renovated, hopefully a creative owner/developer will feel compelled by the
building's history as I did the Highlander and find a way to make it work.
Sincerely, ' 4
&ng
r-
Aela Harrington, Owner/Operator
The Highlander Hotel & Hotel Grinnell
Kellie Grace
From: Tim Weitzel <tweitzel.email@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:30 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Sleazak Hall Rezoning
RISK
*' This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
The Paglia's building is a tangible link to that time period and the culture of the immigrant community of Iowa City. Iowa
City's north side neighborhood was once home to German, Bohemian, and Czechoslovakian immigrants, as I stated in
the report I authored, "Intensive Historical and Architectural History Survey and Evaluation of 225 N Gilbert Street and
229 N Gilbert Street." Census records indicate first generation Czech and Slovak people lived across the entire north
side, with several key buildings anchoring their community including the Sleazak Hall, later Holub Hall and apartments,
which is today's Paglia's building.
The building is also an anchor of the north side neighborhood's sense of place, contributing to an attractive mix of
important historic buildings and new buildings.
Designation of the building as a historic landmark does not remove the current use of the building, nor does it prevent
modifications or other uses of the building. In fact, if it became necessary, say for safety, the building could be
demolished after review. However, without the designation, there is no protection, no review.
The owner has taken very good care of the building and if the landmark designation is passed, he will continue to enjoy
the level of income he has had in the past and the tax base, such as there is for commercial properties, will remain the
same. The building previously housed a grocery, tavern, and residential space. Today it is a pizza restaurant and
apartments. Any use allowed in its current commercial zoning would still be allowed under the Historic Preservation
Overlay.
Tim Weitzel
Historic Preservation Consultant
Kellie Grace
From: Keeley, David L <david-keeley@uiowa.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:36 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Please preserve Pagliais building
R SK
*• This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Iowa City has seen enormous new construction, and that is fine to an extent. As a native Iowa Citian I admire the mix of
preserved and new. But even historical structures can be modernized, while keeping unique architecture intact for the
public to appreciate.
With Hamburg Inn reborn, character intact, this neighborhood needs more preservation of a building with stories to tell.
Please preserve this unique building. It is important to me.
David Keeley
313 College Ct.
Iowa City
Get Outlook for Android
Kellie Grace
From: Thomas Heineman <thomas.e.heineman@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:55 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Regarding the Landmark Designation of 302-316 Bloomingon
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Iowa City Council,
As Iowa City residents and property owners on the Northside, we are writing in support of rezoning Bloomington to a
historical designation. While we do respect the rights of property owners to determine the commercial use of their
properties, it is the purpose of historical preservation to step in at times where destruction of a treasured property
should be superseded by the public enjoyment of said property. We have lost too many historical treasures to
redevelopment (think Penn Station to Madison Square Garden in NYC). Funds are available to assist in renovating the
property so that it can function as a historical building which is also viable as a commercial enterprise. We cannot
rebuild properties from Iowa City's storeid past and must preserve the few that remain.
Sincerely,
Thomas Heineman and Adelaide Subtil
Kellie Grace
From: James Wetzel <jwwetzel@icloud.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:59 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliai's Landmark
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links
or attachments. ** To whom it might concern: I don't think the Pagliai's building meets the threshold of
historic landmark designation.
That part of Iowa City could use some revitalization, and there's generally a need for modern and comfortable
commercial and residential growth.
I would prefer the council focus more on making sure new developments have character than to keep old
structures around. The last thing we need is old buildings that were never designed to stand this long
collapsing and falling apart, and having to spend our resources on maintaining an old building.
While it may have sentimental value to some, that, in my opinion, doesn't rise to the level of historic landmark
designation.
My two cents -
James Wetzel
78 Phyllis PI
Kellie Grace
From: Kevin Boyd <kevinmboyd@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 11:55 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Historic Preservation Incentives Follow-up
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
City Council,
Last week, during the local landmark discussion around Slezak Hall/Pagliai's Building, the idea of the City
pursuing more incentives for local landmarks came up. The Iowa City Downtown District (IDCC) and the
Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) have explored these ideas. If the Council is inclined to pursue that,
there's already a framework from which to start.
In 2021, the TCDD Board and the Historic Preservation Commission each requested the City Council to direct
staff to explore a jointly agreed-upon framework and other ideas to create an environment where heritage
buildings can be preserved while achieving other City objectives.
The framework included additional support around the tax credits, property tax relief, and ideas to make these
buildings more accessible and sustainable while recognizing preserving existing buildings alone is good for
climate change.
Background
In 2017, the City hired AKAY Consulting to survey downtown buildings and assess their potential for
preservation. AKAY Consulting made several recommendations to the Council in October 2018. The direction
from the Council was for more conversation and partnership between the HPC and the ICDD and to develop
ideas for the Council to pursue.
Nancy Bird, then the ICDD Executive Director, and I, then the Chair of the HPC, took that direction to heart.
TCDD helped set up several meetings with the owners and stewards of historic buildings. I met with a couple
dozen property owners of historic buildings. ICCD invited me to serve on its Board for a year. Through these
ongoing conversations, we learned much from each other and worked on creative ideas for historic commercial
buildings.
Our work slowed a bit during the 2020 pandemic. Still, in 2021, we put together a summary of that work by
presenting a framework of local incentives for commercially zoned local landmarks (not just downtown), and
both entities (IDCC and HPC) asked the City Council to direct staff to explore these and other options.
Ultimately, city staff and the Council declined to move forward at that time. But if this Council is inclined to
pursue these, the groundwork has been laid.
Always happy to chat if there are more questions.
Thank you,
Kevin Boyd
319-400-2051 (mobile)
Kellie Grace
From: Paula Brandt <paulaobrandt@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 3:03 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: 302-316 E. Bloomington St.
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links
or attachments. ** Dear Councilors:
I was at the Council meeting Tuesday, April 2nd, and was impressed with the presentations and comments
supporting historic landmark designation for 302-316 E. Bloomington St. After hearing the presentations and
public comments, it seemed like an easy vote for the Council to make, based on the facts and ignoring
irrelevant side issues that are not part of the process. Clearly, the Historic Preservation Commission and City
staff had done their homework and made a strong case for why these structures are important to Iowa City
immigrant history and the historic nature of the Northside Market area. Who wouldn't want to see the
buildings sold to buyers who would appreciate the buildings and might avail themselves to sizable federal and
state tax incentives and assistance with their restoration?
The City Council is responsible for what is in the best interest of the City and its residents. I urge you to grant
Landmark Status to 302-316 E. Bloomington St.
Paula O. Brandt
85o Foster Rd.
Iowa City 52245-1500
(cell) 319-63i-8454
Kellie Grace
From: Charlotte Fairlie <charlottefairlie5@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 5:03 PM
To: Bruce Teague; Megan Alter; Shawn Harmsen; Laura Bergus; Andrew Dunn; Joshua Moe;
Mazahir Salih; *City Council
Subject: Slezak-Holub-Skarda building
r
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Councilors,
I am writing to express my support for granting historic landmark status to the Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building
for historical, architectural, and environmental reasons.
The building's triple -Czech name alone testifies to its historical significance. The Czech/Bohemian cultural and
economic contribution to Iowa City runs deep and merits preservation in our collective memory. Since its
history is so central to the Czech community, the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building constitutes a concrete
commemoration. Losing it would show a disrespect for the City's history, its cultural heritage, and for the
Czech community in particular.
Secondly, we have lost far too many historic buildings to developers and the soulless structures they replace
them with. The Slezak-Holub-Skarda building, of Italianate style, is interesting and attractive architecturally,
adding much needed aesthetic character to that intersection. It acts as an effective transition between the
business and residential areas of the North Side. If it were to be demolished and replaced with yet another
office/apartment structure, it would be detrimental to its neighbors on the 300 block of Linn.
Thirdly, renovating and repurposing old buildings is more sustainable environmentally than tearing down, disposing of
rubble, and building new. According to a February 2023 article in Scientific American, cement and concrete generate as
much as 9% of human CO2 emissions. According to the City's website, in "August 2019, the Council declared a
Climate Crisis and approved new emissions goals in accordance with those set by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCQ." If we are to achieve those goals, the climate
consequences of demolition and building new should be a primary consideration.
I am unable to attend the council meeting on the 16th, but I did attend the Planning and Zoning meeting when this was
under discussion. The only dissenting vote was not because the member thought the building should not be
preserved but because he was uncomfortable that the property owner does not support landmarking. This troubled me
because members should be guided by the established policies and procedures, not their own discomfort.
For want of a better phrase, this is "a no brainer." The Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building is of historic and cultural
significance in one of our historic neighborhoods. It is a building that is loved by many for the memories it holds. If we do
not protect this building, then what will we protect? What kind of precedent would we be setting?
With thanks for your work,
Charlotte Fairlie
844 South Summit Street
Kellie Grace
From: Soph N <sophia.neems@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 9:33 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Urge You to Maintain Pagliai's Building
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Iowa City Council Members,
I write today to strongly urge you, as members of the Iowa City Council, to protect the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building
(also known as the Pagliai's building). It is an important part of the Northside neighborhood and a valuable landmark in
the Iowa City landscape. Here are a few ways that the building became important to me as a member of the Iowa City
community.
I grew up walking from Horace Mann Elementary School to RSVP after school to wait for my mom and RSVP owner, Niki
Neems, to finish up work and drive us home. In the 6th grade, 1'd walk each day with my dear friend Olive. She was short
for her grade and I was tall, but, she was the one who'd decided to play the saxophone in the school band. Needless to
say, she had a hard time lugging it the mile or so from Horace Mann to the shop. I'd save her from trudging the whole
way with the instrument balanced on her head (the only way she could manage to carry it) by carrying it for her. While
the dimensions weren't an issue for me, it was still heavy. By the time we made it to the comforting red bricks of the
Pagliai's building, the savory smell of pizza wafting through the air, I knew we had almost made it to RSVP. This was the
first time that the beautiful, historic Pagliai's building became a landmark for me.
In high school, I worked summers as a counselor at the Country Camp, an imagination based farm camp. The Hillel
House, was the pick/up drop off locations so parents didn't have to drive the campers out to the farm each day. After
camp, I'd walk from the Hillel House to my RSVP and again, wait for my mom to finish up and take us home. One
summer, my mom's friend (and well known poet) Cole Swensen needed help packing up her books as she prepared to
move from her apartment above Pagliai's. My mom volunteered my help. For a few afternoons, I made a pit stop
between Hillel and RSVP at Cole's apartment. We'd pack books and talk about things that seemed very grown up to my
13 year old self - literature, her apartment in Paris, and her life as an artist. The experience of being an impressionable
young woman, spending time with Cole in her beautiful, classy apartment, transformed the historic Pagliai's building
from a landmark into a meaningful place.
Fast forward 10 years. I had been living and working in DC when the pandemic hit. The thought of spending another
$1000 in rent to live in a windowless basement apartment next to an alley filled with rats was too much... I decided to
move home to Iowa City. My dad was awaiting a kidney transplant and so our family was very COVID-conscious. The
days ran together with little variation to separate a Monday from a Thursday from a Saturday. Except, then came
Sunday... Pagliai's pizza night. We could go to Pagliai's because their generous staff would deliver the pizza right to our
car window, whether it was 70 degrees out or 20 below. This kindness made it possible for us to eat out. As such, I spent
many a Sunday night during sitting in the drive -up parking spot outside of Pagliai's, admiring the uniqueness of this
historic building and reveling in the joy it brought my family during the pandemic by way of Sunday night pizza.
These are just three small ways that the Pagliai's building has contributed to my sense of place as a member of the Iowa
City community. It would be a tragedy if this building were to be torn down and replaced with a new, meaningless,
nondescript, condo building, devoid of the memory and meaning that the Pagliai's building represents for me and for so
many others. Again, I urge you, as members of the Iowa City Council, to protect this historic building and maintain the
unique sense of place it contributes to making Iowa City our town.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Sophie Neems
319.325.9594
Kellie Grace
From: Candida Pagan <candida.pagan@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 10:33 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: landmark designation for Slezak-Holub-Skarda bldg
R SK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Dear Councilmembers,
I am writing in support of landmark designation for the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building. This building is an important piece
of architectural and social history for Iowa City. It is an emblematic northside boundary marker and would be
heartbreaking to put at risk in light of other increasingly commonplace condo developments that do not reflect the
longstanding character of Iowa City. Please designate this property as a historical landmark.
Sincerely,
Candida Pagan
Kellie Grace
From: Thomas Agran <thomasagran@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 10:48 PM
To: *City Council; Laura Bergus
Subject: Slezak-Holub-Skarda Landmarking Comments
R SK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Council,
3 minutes is not much, and when I spoke last week, I had to speak fast. I'm including my comments, as revised for a
recently published Letter to the Editor so that you might read them again at a more thoughtful pace. Also, not all
members of Council were present.
I would like to make one addition based on discussion at the last meeting. It seems the personal queasiness at the crux
of this (and other similar Landmarking efforts over the years) is this fixation with how much the property owner might be
able to sell the property for. Let's set aside the fact that this building presents immense public value and rippling
dividends across the neighborhood business district and downtown in general — let's just look at the wishful thinking sale
price.
If you do landmark the building, it does not prevent the owner from selling the property for a handsome sum to a new
owner, one that would then benefit from all kinds of financial incentives and support. It stands a wonderful chance of
being reinvested in or reimagined to further increase the value. Landmarked, it will probably sell over market given its
well nestled spot in the hearts of Iowa Citians young and old.
If you don't landmark it because you feel the property owner somehow deserves an opportunity for a hopeful maximum
windfall more than we deserve public process to be honored, there stands a very good chance that the property will sell
to a developer; but perhaps for barely more than if we had landmarked the property. In that case, it's a lose -lose. The
property owner doesn't even attain the speculative development value, and the developertears down the building and
we lose it. Yikes. There's no mulligan, that's it.
This property as a lottery ticket is speculative, but its historic value is not. It easily meets and exceeds the guidelines.
What's also not speculative is what will replace it — something flimsy, forgettable, and built in a moment to enrich an out
of state developer's bank account, not the community we live in. I urge you not to take a short sighted and naive risk as
I've watched many of your predecessors do. You have seen and continue to see the community and neighboring
businesses make their feelings on this loud and clear. This is abundantly uncontroversial. Your staff, P&Z, and HPC are
unanimous. Listen to them. Act on (y)our Comprehensive Plan which has long urged landmarking of this property
(among many others). Act on process.
Thank you,
Thomas Agran, Iowa City
Op-ed t Letter to the Editor
On April 2nd, the Iowa City City Council deferred a vote on landmarking the lovingly maintained Slezak-Holub-
Skarda building, or more affectionately known as the Pagliai's building. Good. This gives a little more time for
Iowa Citians to imagine a giant hole in the ground, and rehearse their opines for another soul crushing 4 story
condo.
I served on Iowa City's Historic Preservation Commission for 7 years, and I live around the corner from this
building. We aren't talking about landmarking a property as a stretch of the imagination. We're talking about a
core, cherished property in Iowa City's past, present, and future — inextricable from the story of Iowa City and
the historic north end.
We lament the loss of so many historic buildings during Urban Renewal, but as far as I can tell since moving
here in '09, Urban Renewal — alive and well — as developers and accountants pencil Iowa City's history,
texture, and unique flavor out of existence in favor of cheap structures, built for balance sheets.
Just gander at the decisions that ensconce our City Hall. Look east and you'll find a distinctly... forgettable... 3 -
over -1 across from New Pioneer, the architectural soup du jour of Iowa City and, well, everywhere. Or look
west, where a giant hole in the ground stands monument to both a developer's bank account and a defeatist
shrug from the City. Or north, where the historic Unitarian Universalist church was leveraged and now sits
abandoned, having served its role lining private pockets. Don't forget the increasingly dilapidated historic 410
N. Clinton, wrongly rejected landmarking by Council in 2019 and held hostage for development handouts in an
attempt to demolish and overbuild the neighboring properties. Or the charming piles of antebellum bricks we all
woke up to Christmas of 2015 after a jolly visit from a bulldozer on South Dubuque. Episodes to be proud of!
Council rules every week on zoning and code that impacts what we can and can't do with property — this is
nothing unusual. And sure, I've sat up there. I get it. When a property owner disagrees with the historic
designation of a building, it's awkward. But as fate would have it, in anticipation of these exact circumstances,
Iowa City came up with systems and protocols. We have a comprehensive plan, succinct standards historic
properties must meet, and a process of community representatives at three levels who ensure those guiding
documents and standards aren't applied capriciously. So that when our community's history comes under
threat, we have an established and agreed way to prevent our few remaining historic assets being emotionally
leveraged for private gain. We made the rules, and the rules say we don't have to play that game.
Landmarking passed the HPC unanimously, and the one dissenting vote on Planning & Zoning wasn't because
it didn't overwhelmingly meet criteria, but because they felt personally squeamish about the dissent of the
owner — which is not supposed to play a role in the analysis or recommendation. Accordingly, we should
consider the P&Z vote also unanimous.
This property is a bellwether. If we can't use the established process to save a slam dunk property over the
objection of the property owner, how will we ever save downtown where dissenting owners pepper every
block? Rulings on individual properties do not set precedent, but boy if I was a developer, I'd be watching this
Council's decision closely. Council is tasked with putting process over personal. A dissenting property owner
does not constitute some kind of teflon veto.
A supermajority vote in the affirmative sends the message that this building, and our downtown, is not for sale.
And to the Council members themselves: showing yourself to be a Council that values preservation in lock step
gives mandate to the HPC and P&Z to begin protecting downtown in earnest before it's too late. For those that
vote no, I do hope you'll show up at the demolition for one last hot slice and a photo -op with the wrecking ball!
I urge the Iowa City City Council to do what is right for the community, honor our agreed upon rules and
processes, and tell everyone that this City Council, that you, have the chutzpah to stand up to developers and
development, and that you value community character and fair, civil process above speculative private gain
and tax base.
I don't want to live in a museum, but if you reading this also weary of a City built in the image of tax base and
"luxury student housing," the hesitation on protecting this building should really sound alarm. Old and
new, all buildings require maintenance. I urge you to write to your Council — and turn out on April 16th — to
show our community values a City worth maintaining.
Thomas Agran, Iowa City
www.thomasagran.com
Kellie Grace
From: Jenny Gringer <jenny.gringer@gmaiLcom>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 9:39 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building (please landmark)
R SK
* * This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Dear City Council Members,
I'm writing to urge you to vote to landmark the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building! It's hard to think B of many more iconic
properties in the Iowa City area than Pagliai's Pizza. Growing up in Iowa City in the late 60s and early 70s it was pretty
much the only pizza in town until the chains arrived.
So beloved is that space/ business that all relatives returning for visits stop in to get pizza, every time. Always.
It is a deeply beloved and iconic space that is unique to the Iowa City landscape.
Please, PLEASE preserve it for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Jenny Gringer Richards
Kellie Grace
From: Emily Meyer <newleafhistoric@gmaiLcom>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 11:17 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Slezak Hall Tax Credit potential
Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files; New Leaf Consulting City Council letter Slezak
Hall.pdf
1
RiSH
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.
Hello,
I'm writing in support of landmark status for Slezak Hall. Please see the attached letter laying out tax credit potential for
the building once it has this designation.
Thankyou!
Emily
Emily Meyer, LEED AP
New Leaf Redevelopment Consulting * New Leaf Historic Properties
1757 D Ave NE I Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
cell: (319) 431-3080
newleafhistoric.com
QO NEW LEAF
REDEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
April 11, 2024
Iowa City City Council
410 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, IA52240
Re: Slezak Hall (302 E Bloomington St) Local Landmark Status and Tax Credit Potential
Dear City Council:
I am writing in support of a local landmark designation for 302 E Bloomington St, and to
provide background on the financial incentives that this designation would make available. New
Leaf Redevelopment Consulting works to secure tax credits and other incentives for
construction projects, focusing on existing and historic buildings. For more than twenty years, I
have worked on project teams, identifying and applying for incentives to transform buildings.
An introduction to my company and past projects is attached.
Slezak Hall is very similar to many past projects that I have been part of It has historic value,
but without landmark status is not currently eligible for historic preservation incentives. Local
landmark status would make it eligible for state historic tax credits worth 25% of qualified costs
expended in rehabilitation. This includes work in exterior repair, replacement of finishes,
upgrading building systems, and any other future work that meets the historic standards for
rehabilitating buildings. The federal historic tax credit returns an additional 20% of qualified
project costs.
These powerful incentives have helped rehab and maintain dozens of buildings throughout
eastern Iowa. Many of these past projects involve buildings with lesser historic significance than
Slezak Hall. Alocal landmark designation is a key step toward formal recognition of this
significance, opening the door to funding sources aimed at historic buildings. This
well-preserved historic structure is a significant piece of Iowa City history and a unique
example of Czech immigrant architecture. It's also the site of fond memories for so many Iowa
Citians. For my father, these memories are of working at Pagliai's Pizza. For me, they arc of
family dinners in a neighborhood restaurant we could walk to from my grandparents' house. I
urge you to vote for landmark status to bolster Slezak Hail's economic value and create a secure
future for it as a cornerstone of the Northside Market Place commercial district.
Sincerely,
Emily Meyer
1757 DAve NE, Cedar Rapids, LA 52402 newlcathistoric.com
319 131.3080 new Ieaf iistor ic@gmailsom
i?1' EW LEAF
A full service consulting and development firm specializing in historic
rehabilitation, infill, and redevelopment of existing buildings
EMILY MEYER. LEED AP
Emily is a real estate developer who promotes sustainability and
community redevelopment through historic preservation and infill. She
was a key player in major flood recovery projects Following the 2008
disaster that destroyed 10 square miles of the core of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
A passionate advocate for community heritage and economic health, she
leverages her knowledge of rea I estate finance to envision, plan, fund, and
execute building rehabilitations.
Formerly Director of Development for Ryan Companies, she continues to
shepherd buildings through the redevelopment process by assembling
funding, consulting on design, and assisting with tax credit syndication.
She has directed the tax credit process for projects totaling more than
$250 million, securing more than $80 million in incentives for clients,
Emily has advocated for preservation of landmarks as Vice -Chair of the
Historic Preservation Commission and a founding member of the
nonprofit Save Cedar Rapids Heritage. She is past president of the Mound
View neighborhood association, where she helped establish a walking
tour of Grant Wood sites and coordinated a historic district along B
Avenue NE,
Past hoard affiliations include the Affordable Housing Network, the
Community Development Innovation Council for the Cedar Rapids Metro
Economic Alliance, the Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa Great Places, the
Replacement Housing Task Force, and the Historic Tax Credit
Stakeholders Group.
New Leaf Redevelopment Consulting will evaluate your project to find the
best mix of incentives and maximize equity. We handle all aspects of the
funding process, from application through compliance and monetization.
Our relationships with approving agencies, accounting and legal experts,
and tax credit investors allow you to get the most out of these these
programs, which include:
- State g Federal Historic Tax Credit - Facade Improvement programs
Brownfield/GrayBeldincentives- Taxexemptionsandrefunds
- Workforce Housing tax credits - Federal, State, and Local grants
newteathistoric.com
newlealhistoricCn gmail.com
319-431-3080
W NEW LEAF
REDEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
5 Turner Alley (Grant Wood Studio) - Cedar Rapids
American Commercial& Savings Bank (Wells Fargo
Residential) - Davenport
BC&N Railway Building - Cedar Rapids
The Bittner House (Willow House) - Cedar Rapids
The Calder Cottages - Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids Central Fire Station & The Nash
Flodin Warehouse (Station on 1st)
Cedar Rapids Federal Building (City Hall)
2013 Excellence in Adaptive Reuse — Large
(Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission)
2013 Public Works Project of the Year — Historic
Restoration/Preservation
(American Public Works Association)
2012 Public Works Project of the Year — Historic
Restoration/Preservation
(American Public Works Association — Iowa)
Cedar Rapids Pump Company Warehouse & Foundry
The Clemans House - Cedar Rapids
PROJECTS
Cue College Eby Fieldhouse - Cedar Rapids
Commonwealth Senior Apartments -Cedar Rapids
C.S.P.S. Hall - Cedar Rapids
2012 Preservation at its Best— Adaptive Reuse
(Preservation Iowa)
2012 Best Development— Leadership Category
(1000 Friends of Iowa)
2011 Project Excellence Award
(Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission)
Dollar Fresh Grocery- Monticello
The Dows Building - Cedar Rapids
Fawcett & Nalbert Buildings (Orchestra Iowa) -
Cedar Rapids
Friedl and Sons Bakery Building- Waterloo
Fritz Food Market (Limn Bridge Brewing Company)
- Cedar Rapids
Grant School (Kingston Landing) - Cedar Rapids
The Greene-Franchere House (Maplewood) - Cedar
Rapids
2014 Best Residential historic Paint Color Scheme
(Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission)
Gutschmidt Workforce Housing - Cedar Rapids
The Hunting House - Cedar Rapids
Highway Commission Building (Little GEM Learning
Center)- Cedar Rapids
newleafhistoric.com
n ew I ea lh i s to ri c@ gma i l.co m
319-431-3080
Q0 NEW LEAF
RE'DIEV Lt s.: S
PROJECTS
Bose Company Number A - Cedar Rapids
2013 Excellence in Adaptive Reuse — Smal I
(Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission)
Harper McIntire Warehouse- Cedar Rapids
The Hershey Building - Muscatine
The hotel Manning - Keosauqua
Hunt Cluh Housing I-IV - Tiffin
The Kuhn House (Frankie House) - Cedar Rapids
2016 Preservation at its Rest — Community Effort
(Preservation Iowa)
Kingston Corner - Cedar Rapids
Kingston Quarters - Cedar Rapids
The I.unak House (Poppy House) - Cedar Rapids
The Novotny House (Little House Artifacts) - Cedar
Rapids
Oskaloosa Post Office
The Paramount Theatre - Cedar Rapids
2013 Historic Rehabilitation Award — Major
Community Impact
(Novogradac journal or Tax Credits)
2013 Public Works Project of the Year — Historic
Restoration/Preservation
(American Public Works Association — low a)
2013 Project Excellence Award
(Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission)
Prairie Rapids Square - th'aterluo
Riverfrunt Nlixed-Use - Dyersville
River Place Nlixed Use. Il - Cedar Falls
River Place State Street Residences It - Cedar Falls
RKO Iowa Theater (Theater Cedar Rapids)
2012 William 1. Wagncr Award — Outstanding
Preservation Project in the state of Iowa
(Department of Cultural Allairs)
'Che Perkins House - Cedar Rapids
The Shepard (louse - Inwo Cit'
Smulekoft's Furniture Store - Cedar Rapids
Union Savings Bank &'I Must (Union Arcade
Apartments-) - Davenport
Merit Award — Commercial Multi -Family & Historic
Renovation under $25 million
(Design -Build Institute of America/MidAmerica)
The Warner Building (The Sled Shed) - Cedar
Rapids
The Wench -Cook Beals Building (Cornerstone
Place) - Cedar Rapids
WORK I' K I Cue College Greene Hall- Cedar Rapids 0 Clark-Heanev House -Cedar Rapids * 3. ayetle Hotel . Clinton
Ifenderson House. Marion * Howcll House - Cedar Kapids * Iowa Mutual Lofts- Dcwitt * North Ridge Ilousing-
i }`i J� Chia ritnn+P;ud House -Cedar Rapids 41,Rose Cultaee1511-as-fednr Rapldst Smith-C.a rroll Housr,-Cedar Rapids
newlea 0t istori c. c o ni
n ewl eafhistoric@gmail.en m
319-431-3080
Kellie Grace
From: Mary and Tom Curtis <maryallenehcurtis@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 11:26 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: 302 E Bloomington Street -Historic Buildings
R 5K
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Council Members
Vote YES, you'll sleep better at night.
And, thank you for your service on the IC Council.
Best wishes,
Tom Curtis
Kellie Grace
From: christopher.c.richards@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 12:05 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building landmark vote
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hi. I heard you will be voting as to whether this building deserves to be an Iowa City landmark. We have few
buildings like this left. We will never have more. Please vote yes.
Thanks,
Chris Richards
Kellie Grace
From: Lynne Nugent <lynne.s.nugent@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 12:09 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliai's building
A
* * This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Council members,
I wanted to add my voice in support of saving the Pagliai's building. Our history is our charm, and our charm and
uniqueness translates to people choosing to live, study, and visit here, which translates to money (not to mention a
vibrant community). Saving historic buildings is an investment that benefits the whole town.
Sincerely,
Lynne Nugent
Kellie Grace
From: Jeff Gringer <gringerjeff@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 2:11 PM
To: *City Council
Subject: Please Landmark the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Hello,
My sister recently informed me that the IC Council is considering a measure to landmark the subject building. I would
strongly support such a measure. Iowa City is rapidly losing it's character to inconsidering development. I stayed in an
apartment one summer there in a sub -let, and the building has such wonderful character. You should preserve it and
prevent it from being torn down to provide residents and visitors to Iowa City to get a sense of what was there before.
Thanks for your consideration,
Jeff Gringer
+,®INA19City Council Supplemental Meeting Packet
CITY OF IOWA CITY April 16, 2024
Information submitted between distribution of packet on Thursday and 4:00pm on Monday.
Late Handout(s):
9.a. ezoning - 302-316 E Bloomington Street - Local Historic Landmark: See
correspondence from the following: Bobby Outterson-Murphy, Barbara
McKenna, Risa Dotson Eicke.
9.b. Rezoning - 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road - See
correspondence from the following: Laura Routh.
10.g. Sheridan Avenue Traffic Calming - See correspondence from the following: R
Hooper, Jason Agne, Dave Cusick.
10.h. Traffic Calming on Lindemann Drive - See correspondence from the following:
Fred Klauke, Jana Klauke.
April 16, 2024 City of Iowa City
Item Number: 9.a.
CITY OF OF IOWA CITY
�fil COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 16, 2024
Rezoning - 302-316 E Bloomington Street - Local Historic Landmark: See correspondence
from the following: Bobby Outterson-Murphy, Barbara McKenna, Risa Dotson Eicke.
Attachments: correspondence
Kellie Grace
From: Bobby Outterson <bobbyomurphy@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 5:13 PM Late Handouts Distributed
To: *City Council
Subject: In opposition to a landmark designation 4 —15
15 _aA_
(Date)
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear City Council,
I am reaching out to express my opposition to the possible designation of the Pagliai building as a historic landmark. I
live and work in a historic home in Iowa City (older, in fact, than the Pagliai building), and have no personal connection
to that building. However, as a community member who loves this city, I am concerned about setting the precedent of
making such a designation against the building owner's wishes without adequate cause for its preservation benefiting
the community and future generations. For instance, buildings that connect us to the founding of the city, significant
figures, or historic events (good examples around town include Old Brick Church, Plum Grove, Old Capital Museum,
etc.). Such designations create a heavy financial and logistical burden for owners and renters who wish to repair or
renovate a building for its best possible use. Sometimes this can mean that buildings slowly fall into disrepair and
eventually lose value for their owners and the community. In order for our city to thrive, we must discern how to
balance the benefits of selectively preserving artifacts of the past with the needs of the present (for instance, our
current need for more housing in Iowa City).
Thank you for your consideration in making a careful choice to ensure that Iowa City continues to grow and adapt to
meet the needs of an ever-changing community.
Sincerely,
Bobby Outterson-Murphy
i+� o
Kellie Grace
From: B McKenna <b_mckenna_ic@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 6:08 PM Late Handouts Distributed
To: *City Council
Subject: Preservation of the Pagliai's building
{Date}
RISK
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Council Members,
I have lived in Iowa City for over 35 years.
I have seen our community become a sea of indistinguishable buildings.
We keep loosing our character. I want to be proud of the place where I have chosen to live.
I want us to,keep our treasures that remain. We lost the Dubuque business, the Mill, Uptown Bills and
so many single family homes. Like an endangered species, we can't bring back things that are lost.
Please consider what we may be loosing.
Thank you for your consideration.
Barbara McKenna
Kellie Grace
From: Risa Dotson Eicke <risamde@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2024 9:52 AM Late Handouts Distributed
To: *City Council
Subject: Save Pagliai Building
(Date)
R SH
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
I'm asking you to vote to save the Bloomington Street building-- historic buildings like this are what make Iowa City so
interesting to both residents and visitors.
Thank you,
Risa Dotson Eicke
� r
City Council Supplemental Meeting Packet
CITY OF IOWA CITY April 16, 2024
Information submitted between distribution of the Supplemental Meeting Packet 1 on Monday
and 3:00 pm on Tuesday.
Late Hand-out(s)
9.a. Rezoning - 302-316 E Bloomington Street - Local Historic Landmark: See
correspondence from the following: Greg Kovaciny, Joseph Ziegler, Ben Lewis
9.b. Rezoning - 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road - See
correspondence from the following: Anne Marie Kraus, Ben Lewis
10.d. FY24 Budget Amendment Public Hearing & (10.e) FY25 Budget Public
Hearing: See correspondence from the following: Ninoska Campos, Monty
Montero-Elliott
10.h.
Traffic Calming on Lindemann Drive: See correspondence from : Mary Gaffey
April 16, 2024 City of Iowa City
Item Number: 9.a.
CITY OF OF IOWA CITY
�fil COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 16, 2024
Rezoning - 302-316 E Bloomington Street - Local Historic Landmark: See correspondence
from the following: Greg Kovaciny, Joseph Ziegler, Ben Lewis
Attachments: correspondence
Kellie Grace
From: Greg Kovaciny <greg.kovaciny@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2024 6:06 PM Late Handouts Distributed
To: *City Council
Subject: Pagliai Building Must be Saved --Thank You1
A
(Date)
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attachments. **
Dear Council Members,
The beautiful and historic "Pagliai Building" must be saved! It is a landmark that has so much history in its face and
walls. It is one of the architectural cornerstones of our town and should not be under the threat of a wrecking
ball. What a sad day that would be.
Please vote to save and preserve this building --it deserves a Historic Designation.
Yours truly,
Gregory Kovaciny, Iowa City
1
Kellie Grace
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Joseph Ziegler ejosephziegler185@gmail.com>
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 10:34 AM Late Handouts Distributee
*City Council
Pagliai bldg.
4 - I t4 - -)--+
(Date)
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Please vote to save the Pagliai building on Bloomington Street. It is too beautiful and an Iowa City icon
to be allowed to be torn down.
Thankyou,
Joe Ziegler
Iowa City
Kellie Grace
From:
Sent:
To:
Ben Lewis <benjamind@gmail.com>
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 12:02 PM
*City Council
Late Handouts Distributed
Subject: Please vote to protect the Pagliai's building
I
(Date)
RIS!(
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attachments. **
Dear Council,
I've lived in Iowa City for almost 30 years. During that time, I've seen the landscape change dramatically. I'm not against
change. I'm not against tall buildings.
I am, however, a proponent of protecting things that define the character of Iowa City. The Pagliai's building, or Slezak
Hall, is one of those things. Like the Old Capitol, the courthouse, the Mill (RIP), or the beautiful church that was
destroyed in the 2007 tornado.
If we don't protect historic buildings like this one, Iowa City risks losing its character and, in turn, one of the main draws
for the creative, interesting people that make it a unique place to live.
Take a look at Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Boston, or even Cedar Rapids. They have protected historic buildings and
are thriving communities that have learned how to combine modern, high density buildings with older, charming,
historic places.
We can't continue to build new buildings up against one another *without* also protecting historic landmarks
that contribute so much to the character and community that makes Iowa City special.
Please vote in favor of the historic landmark status for the Pagliai's building. You have an incredible opportunity to make
a difference with this vote.
Ben Lewis
Item Number: 9.b.
CITY OF OF IOWA CITY
�fil COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 16, 2024
Ordinance rezoning approximately 6.25 acres of land located at 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower
Muscatine Road from Neighborhood Public Zone (P-1) zone to General Industrial (1-1) zone.
(REZ23-0010) (Pass & Adopt)
Attachments: REZ23-0010 Staff Report with Attachments
P&Z Correspondence as of 01. 17.2024
PZ 1.17.24 minutes
Ordinance
STAFF REPORT
To: Planning and Zoning Commission
Item: REZ23-0010
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Applicant/Owner:
Other:
Contact Person:
Requested Action:
Purpose:
Location:
Prepared by: Melanie Comer,
Planning Intern
Date: January 17, 2024
Troy McQuillen
Kirkwood Community College
Troy. mcguillen(aDkirkwood.edu
Joe Townsend
Procter & Gamble
4760 Rapid Creek Rd NE
Iowa City, IA 52240
Townsend. ir(aD pg. com
Nick Hatz
Shive-Hattery
222 3'' Ave SW Unit 300
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
nhatz@shive-hattery.com
Travis Wright
Shive-Hattery
222 3'' Ave SW Unit 300
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
twright@shive-hattery.com
Rezoning of 1810, 1816, and 1828
Lower Muscatine Road from
Neighborhood Public (P-1) to
General Industrial (1-1).
Request to rezone the subject
properties for industrial use. The site
is currently for sale and Procter &
Gamble anticipates closing on the
property in February 2024.
Northeast of Lower Muscatine Road
and Northwest of Mall drive.
2
Location Map:
Size:
Existing Land Use and Zoning:
Surrounding Land Use and Zoning:
Comprehensive Plan:
District Plan:
Neighborhood Open Space District:
Public Meeting Notification:
File Date:
6.8 Acres
Vacant educational facilities in a
Public Zone (P-1).
North: RS -5, Low -Density Single -
Family Residential Zone
RS -8 Medium -Density
Single -Family
1-1 General Industrial Zone
South: RS -5 Low -Density Single -
Family Residential Zone
CC -2 Community
Commercial Zone
West: RS -5 Low -Density Single -
Family Residential Zone
1-1 General Industrial Zone
East: 1-1 General Industrial Zone
RS -5 Low -Density Single -
Family Zone
Public/Semi-Public
Southeast District Plan, Public
Institutional
SE2
Properties within 500' of the subject
property received notification of the
Planning and Zoning Commission
public meeting. A rezoning sign was
posted on the site on December 18,
2023.
December 8. 2023
45 Day Limitation Period: January 22, 2024
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The owner, Kirkwood Community College, has requested a rezoning of approximately 6.8 acres
from Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone to General Industrial (1-1) zone located at 1810, 1816, and
1828 Lower Muscatine Road. The property currently contains vacant educational buildings formerly
occupied by Kirkwood Community College. The subject properties are currently for sale. The party
interested in the purchase of these parcels is Procter & Gamble, a company which currently owns
land to the east of the proposed rezoning. Based on correspondence from Proctor & Gamble, they
anticipate closing on the site in February 2024.
In 2002, the City initiated a rezoning for the property located at 1828 Lower Muscatine Road.
Kirkwood Community College purchased this parcel in 2002 to extend the Community College.
This rezoning changed the zoning designation from Community Commercial (CC -2) to P-1 to
reflect the change in ownership to a public entity and bring the property into compliance with the
Zoning Ordinance. This property has remained P-1 since the 2002 rezoning. If the property will
no longer be owned by Kirkwood, or another public entity, a rezoning will be needed.
ANALYSIS:
Current Zoning:
The properties are currently zoned Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone, which is intended for uses such
as schools, parks, fire and police stations, and other civic uses. The purpose of public zones is to
provide reference to public ownership and use of land, or to use the land for infrastructure services
that need to be located in or near the area where the service is provided.
Proposed Zoning:
The request is to rezone the subject properties from P-1 to General Industrial (1-1) zone. The
purpose of the 1-1 zone is to provide the opportunity for the development of most types of industrial
firms. Since this zone is regulated to protect adjacent developments, the land uses allowed are
not heavy or intense in operation. Table 1 outlines the uses allowed in the 1-1 zone.
Table 1: Uses Allowed in 1-1 Zone
Use Cate ones:
Building trade (e.g. contractor shops)
P
Industrial service (e.g. machine shops, towing yards, repair of machinery)
P
Technical/light manufacturing (e.g. manufacturing of electronic components, optical
instruments, lenses
P
General manufacturing (e.g. includes manufacturing of most chemical and food products,
but excludes heavy manufacturing uses like meatpacking, sawmills, papermills)
PR
Heavy manufacturing Limited to concrete batch plants only)
S
Self-service storage
P
Warehouse and freight movement (e.g. warehouses for retail stores, wholesale distribution
centers railroad switching yards, storage lots for fleets
P
Waste related Limited to recycling rocessin facilities
PR
Wholesale sales
P
Basic utilityPR
General community service (e.g. neighborhood centers, museums
S
Utility -scale round -mounted solar energy systems
PR
Helicopter landing facilities
S
Communication transmission facility
PR
Consumer firework sales
PR
P = Permitted
PR = Provisional
S = Special exception
El
The 1-1 zone has a maximum height limit of 45'. The minimum front yard setback is 20', while the
side and rear have a minimum 0' setback unless it abuts a residential zone. Although the rear
property line is near residential uses, the property does not abut a residential zone. Therefore,
the rear setback would be 0'.
In terms of screening, development in the 1-1 zone is subject to the industrial and research zone
site development standards. Parking and loading areas must be located behind buildings or
screened from view to at least the S3 standard when an industrial use abuts or is across a street
or railroad right of way from a residential zone. Additionally, outdoor storage is allowed provided
it is concealed from public view to the extend possible. If it is not feasible to conceal the storage
areas behind buildings, the storage areas must be set back at least twenty feet (20') from any
public right of way, including public trails and open space, and screened from view to at least the
S3 standard. S3 screening requires enough shrubs and small evergreens to form a continuous
screen or hedge at least 5'-6' in height. Screening materials must be at least three feet (3') high
when planted. At least one-half of the shrubs must be evergreen varieties.
Rezoning Review Criteria:
Staff uses the following two criteria in the review of rezoning:
1. Consistency with the comprehensive plan;
2. Compatibility with the existing neighborhood character.
Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan:
The Future Land Use Map of the IC2030 Comprehensive Plan identifies the subject properties as
suitable for Public/Semi-Public uses. The plan also includes an Economic Development goal that
states Iowa City should "Increase and diversify the property tax base by encouraging the retention
and expansion of existing businesses...". By allowing for this land to be rezoned to 1-1, the already
existing company Procter & Gamble would be able to expand upon purchasing this space, adding
more facilities directly adjacent to their already existing buildings.
Similarly, the Future Land Use Map of the Southeast District Plan identifies these properties as
suitable for Public Institutional uses. The plan, adopted in 2011, includes a discussion of planning
for the expansion of Kirkwood Community College as it continues to grow. It specifically includes
an objective to "plan for the future growth of Kirkwood Community College to support and enhance
this commercial area". Circumstances have changed since the adoption of this plan.
This plan identifies the need to preserve and expand industrial uses on page 37, stating, "The
Southeast District is an ideal place to expand Iowa City's industrial base" due to its ideal
landscape of level and well -drained land with proximity to adequate services and utilities. The
plan also includes a goal to "preserve and expand the industrial tax base" and objectives to
"protect designated industrial areas from incompatible uses, such as residential dwellings and
retail and consumer services that would interfere with industrial operation". Expansion of existing
industry such as Procter & Gamble aligns with the goals of the Southeast District Plan.
The plan also includes a goal "minimize conflicts between industrial areas and nearby
developments" and an objective to "develop a better buffer between the residential areas located
north of the Iowa Interstate Railroad and industrial uses to the south. For example, trees both
fast-growing and slow-growing species, planted on both sides of the railroad could create a visual
screen and sound buffer." Approximately 187 feet of the subject property abuts the Iowa Interstate
Railroad.
Compatibility with Existing Neighborhood Character:
The area surrounding the subject properties to the northwest and southeast is zoned as 1-1 and
has existing light industrial uses of MidAmerican and Procter & Gamble. To the north is the Iowa
Interstate Railroad, separating the subject properties from a Low -Density Single -Family Residential
(RS -5) zone. Land to the south is also zoned RS -5, which is separated from the subject properties
by a major thoroughfare. The Iowa City Market Place area is also across Lower Muscatine Rd and
is zoned CC -2.
The 1-1 zone is intended for light industrial uses. Technical/light manufacturing is permitted in the
1-1 zone. Heavy industrial uses are allowed through a special exception process. One of the
special exception criteria is that heavy manufacturing uses in the 1-1 zone are limited to concrete
batch/mix plants only. Additionally, the concrete plant would need to be located at least 500' from
any residentially zoned property.
The 1-1 zone would allow for the expansion of Procter & Gamble's operations adjacent to their
current facility. Since Kirkwood no longer is operating at this site, this rezoning would make the
proposed use consistent both adjacent properties. The subject properties are separated from
existing residential areas by both a major thoroughfare and the Iowa Interstate Railroad,
surrounding by industrial uses to the north and south.
Access and Street Design:
Access to the subject properties is provided via Lower Muscatine Road through an already
established intersection at Lower Muscatine Rd and Sycamore St. Access to 1828 Lower
Muscatine Rd is provided through an existing drive across from Deforest Ave.
NEXT STEPS:
Upon recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission, the City Council will hold a
public hearing on the proposed rezoning ordinance.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of REZ23-0010, a proposal to rezone approximately 6.8 acres of
property located at 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road from Neighborhood Public (P-1)
zone to General Industrial (1-1) zone.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Location Map
2. Zoning Map
3. Applicant Statement
4. Rezoning Exhibit
Approved by:
itzman, AICP, Development Services Coordinator
Department of Neighborhood and Development Services
ATTACHMENT 1
Location Map
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An application submitted by the owner,
Kirkwood Community College, to rezone
approximately 6.8 acres of land on Lower
Muscatine Avenue from Neighborhood
Public (P-1] to General Industrial (1-1).
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
ATTACHMENT 2
Zoning Map
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ATTACHMENT 3
Applicant Statement
SHIVEFIATTCRY
ARCHITECTURE + E N G I NEERI NG
December 6, 2023
City of Iowa City Neighborhood & Development Services & Planning & Zoning Commission
Phone 1319-356-5000
RE: Proposed Rezoning Applicant Statement
To Whom It May Concern,
On behalf of Kirkwood Community College and Procter & Gamble (P&G) a rezoning request is
respectfully submitted as shown in the provided Rezoning Exhibit.
The rezoning is warranted as the parcels under review are currently owned by a public non-profit
organization, Kirkwood Community College, and will be purchased by a private industrial owner, Procter
& Gamble (P&G). Under the current zoning of Public (P1) in the City of Iowa City zoning code, the uses
described are intended for public ownership. Proctor and Gamble (P&G) is a private owner whose
intended uses best align with the Industrial zoning (11).
The proposed 11 zoning would be consistent with the existing zoning of directly adjacent parcels,
MidAmerican to the northwest and P&G to the southeast. The parcels southwest face is adjacent to
Lower Muscatine Road right of way, giving a buffer between the parcels and the residential
neighborhood across the street. The northeast face of the parcel abuts railroad right of way and gives a
buffer from the residential neighborhood across the train tracks. The City of Iowa City future land use
map designates a Public/Semi-Public use to this area, which is reflective of current uses and ownership;
however, City Staff generally showed support for the purchase and rezoning during the pre -application
meeting given the location and intended use by P&G.
Public infrastructure appears adequate or can be reasonably upgraded in the area based on existing
uses, development and utility mapping.
SHIVE-HATTERY, INC.
Charles "Nick" Hatz II, PE
Principal, Civil Engineer
Copy:
Troy McQuillen, Kirkwood Community College
Joe Townsend, Proctor & Gamble
Sarah Naberhaus, Shive-Hattery
Wade Wamre, Shive-Hattery
Travis Wright, Shive-Hattery
Project 2112307450
800.7960313 1 shive-hattery.com ■
ATTACHMENT 4
Rezoning Exhibit
LEGEND
REZONING EXHIBIT
FROM NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC
(P-1) TO GENERAL INDUSTRIAL (11)
IOWA CITY, IOWA
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Anne Russett
From: Anne Marie Kraus <annemariekraus@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2024 5:15 PM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: To the Zoning Commission: Re -Zoning for toxic chemicals in SE Iowa City threatens
health
SfC.
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Planning and Zoning Commission:
The proposed rezoning of the Kirkwood Community College Campus (on Muscatine Avenue) from P-1 to 1-1 (General
Industrial) for the benefit of Procter and Gamble is deleterious, opening the door to significant endangerment of the
health of Iowa City, General Industrial zoning allows the manufacture of chemical products. Procter and Gamble has
already polluted the air with its toxic fumes in their current and past facilities, and now they could have full freedom to
spew additional airborne chemicals to neighborhoods directly adjacent and across the street. The Kirkwood property is
nestled in an area surrounded by residential neighborhoods and four schools within a mile. Airborne volatile organic
compounds and irritants from the manufacture of items such as scented laundry products have been studied and
reported to cause significant harm to the health of humans, as well as damage to the environment.
The rezoning agenda contains a quote from the IC2030 Comprehensive Plan: "The Southeast District is an ideal place to
expand Iowa City's industrial base." Why the southeast side? Because that's where the powers -that -be place nearly all
the buildings that are not wanted in other parts of town. Why not re -zone an area where all the homes cost upwards of
$500,000? The southeast side is filled with neighborhoods of modest means as well as struggling incomes. It's easy for
the Council to turn their backs on us because we don't have the power and Influence that other areas of town can wield.
As a person who is sensitive to chemicals, living a few blocks away, I would no longer be safe to live in my home or work
in my yard. Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council may want to dismiss my illness as a
one-off outlier to be ignored. But these airborne chemicals are damaging to everyone, even if they don't immediately
feel the effects. Everyone will suffer adverse health consequences, in addition to enduring the constant strong odors. As
citizens of Iowa City, we have the right to be safe in our homes and on our sidewalks, and the Iowa City Council has the
duty to protect our health and safety.
I strongly urge the Zoning Commission and the City Council to oppose this unwise and detrimental plan.
Anne Marie Kraus
Southeast Iowa City
1716 Gleason Ave
Iowa City, IA 52240 319-621-2569
Anne Russett
From: Glenda Buenger <buengerg@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2024 11:50 AM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: REZ23-0010, rezoning former Kirkwood campus on Lower Muscatine
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments, **
Dear Ms. Russett,
Will you please forward my concerns to the P and Z Commission members before this Wednesday's meeting?
Thank you,
Glenda Buenger
Dear Planning and Zoning Commission Member,
I am writing to oppose rezoning of the former Kirkwood Community College campus on Lower Muscatine Road to 1-1,
General Industrial, because of air pollution. The discussion in the 1.17.2024 agenda packet seems to include no
consideration of Industrial pollution and its effects on human health and quality of life.
This location is too close to residential neighborhoods and elementary schools for industrial use. I have a friend with
respiratory issues who lives in the Hollywood neighborhood off Hwy. 6. She says that current P & G air pollution plumes
for two miles. It invades her neighborhood and makes her sick. Allowing P & G closer into town means more Iowa City
residents are affected by its pollution. Where do you live? Would you like P & G's air pollution to invade your yard,
spoiling your time outside? Invade your home as your house's HVAC systems exchange air with the outside? Invade your
lungs, your children's lungs? I know I wouldn't.
Let's please not rezone to allow the polluter P & G to move into town, spoiling Iowa City for an increased number of
residents. Surely a better solution can be found, one that preserves quality of life in our community. Let's please
champion Southeast Iowa City residents rather than sticking them with a polluter.
Sincerely,
Glenda Buenger
316 S. Lucas St.
Iowa City
Anne Russett
From: Anne Marie Kraus <annemariekraus@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2024 7:38 PM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Harm to property values and livability of neighborhoods
:_RISK `;
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Planning and Zoning Commission:
I ask you to consider a few more points regarding the proposed rezoning of the Kirkwood Community College Campus
(on Lower Muscatine) from P-1 to 1-1 (General Industrial) for the benefit of Procter and Gamble.
I ask that you consider the effect that this rezoning will have on property values in the east and southeast areas of Iowa
City. While east side residents are already well-acquainted with the noxious fumes from the P&G plant on far east
Highway 6, the neighborhoods within two miles of the Kirkwood property would be overwhelmed by the increased
intensity of the toxic fumes at such a close range. I am already considering moving from my home of forty years because
such proximity to the chemicals would be devastating to my health. Other residents will want to move because the
intense smells are intolerable. No one will want to move to any of the nearby neighborhoods. People will find it hard to
sell their homes, even at a loss. Think about the property values.
Please consider: If you know that many residents complain of the fumes regularly, and some residents get sick from the
fumes, would you really still make the decision to let P&G defile the livability of our great little city? Would you choose
corporate profits over the health and safety of our citizens? Are a few health -endangering jobs more important than the
thousands of people who live in our sweet modest neighborhoods?
I strongly urge you to oppose the rezoning of the Kirkwood property to General Industrial. It is ultimately detrimental to
public health, livability of residential neighborhoods, property values, and the environment.
Anne Marie Kraus
1716 Gleason Ave
Iowa City 319-621-2569
Anne Russett
From: Susan Craig <skjeldcraig@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2024 9:54 PM
To: Anne Russett; Sara Greenwood Hektoen
Subject: Fwd: Rezoning is detrimental to health, environment, and property values
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Sent to me this afternoon. I told her I could not have a private conversation or correspondence about
zoning matters. She mentions she sent this to Council. I wonder if someone should advise her to send it to
Commissioners as well.
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Anne Marie Kraus <annemariekraus@gmail.com>
Date: January 15, 2024 at 7:13:10 PM CST
To: skjeldcraig@gmail.com
Subject: Rezoning is detrimental to health, environment, and property values
Dear Susan Craig:
I hope you don't mind that I am writing to you individually at this email address. I got your address
because I am a member of the Old Capitol Quilt Guild. And I saw that you are on the City Planning and
Zoning Commission. And I also want to approach you because I was also a librarian in the Iowa City
Schools for 26 years, and I admired your work and leadership and the ICPL. I wrote the Planning and
Zoning Commission at the general staff address, but now I have additional points I'd like to make about
this issue.
I am writing to you about the proposed rezoning of the Kirkwood Community College Campus (on Lower
Muscatine) from P-1 to 1-1 (General Industrial) for the benefit of Procter and Gamble. This zoning will
allow the manufacture of chemicals. I would like to bring your attention to one negative effect of this
zoning, in addition to the Issues of toxic chemical release, environmental damage, and significant
damage to public health. I would ask that you consider the effect that this rezoning will have on
property values in the east and southeast areas of Iowa City. While east side residents are already well-
acquainted with the noxious fumes from the P&G plant on far east Highway 6, the neighborhoods within
two miles of the Kirkwood property would be overwhelmed by the increased intensity of the toxic fumes
at such a close range. I am already considering moving from my home of forty years because such
proximity to the chemicals would be devastating to my health. Other residents will want to move
because the intense smells are intolerable. No one will want to move to any of the nearby
neighborhoods. People will find it hard to sell their homes, even at a loss. Think about the property
values.
I would also like to reiterate this point from the letter I sent to the City Council as a whole: The rezoning
agenda contains a quote from the IC2030 Comprehensive Plan: "The Southeast District is an ideal place
to expand Iowa City's industrial base." Why the southeast side? Because that's where the powers -that -
be place nearly all the buildings that are not wanted in other parts of town. Why not rezone an area
where all the homes cost upwards of $500,000? The southeast side is filled with neighborhoods of
modest means as well as struggling incomes. It's easy for the Council to turn their backs on us because
we don't have the power and influence that other areas of town can wield.
I ask you to consider: If you know that many residents complain of the fumes regularly, and some
residents get sick from the fumes, would you really still make the decision to let P&G defile the livability
of our great little city? Would you choose corporate profits over the health and safety of our citizens?
Are a few health -endangering jobs more important than the thousands of people who live in our sweet
modest neighborhoods?
I strongly urge you to oppose the rezoning of the Kirkwood property to General Industrial. It is ultimately
detrimental to public health, livability of residential neighborhoods, property values, and the
environment.
Thank you for listening.
Anne Marie Kraus
1716 Gleason Ave, Iowa City 319-621-2569
Anne Russett
From:
Ruth Manna <ruth.manna@gmail.com>
Sent:
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 9:11 AM
To:
Anne Russett
Subject:
Re: Please
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Thank you for getting in touch with me Anne, I am more than concerned about the possible placement of Procter &
Gamble at the site of where the College now stands. It is unconscionable that a factory that will be spewing. Toxic
chemicals will be placed in a neighborhood area where two neighborhood schools now exist people with lung problems
Will no doubt get sicker or die, and others who are now healthy will certainly be affected by the constant fumes coming
out of the factory. I ask all members of the Planning And zoning committee to consider whether they would like Procter
& Gamble factory in their neighborhood and have their children breeze in the toxic fumes every dayl'm sure there are
other facilities and corporations that are eco -friendly that could be considered for that site. Pleadingly, Ruth Manna, as
citizen of Iowa City who is within the 2 mile radius of this possible disaster. Thank you for sharing this with the other
Planning And zoning members.
On Tue, Jan 16, 2024 at 8:34 AM Anne Russett <ARussett(cDiowa-city.org> wrote:
Hi, Ruth —You can send any correspondence meant for the Planning and Zoning Commission to me. I will pass it along
to them.
Thanks, Anne
From: Ruth Manna <ruth.manna(cDgmaII.com>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2024 10:14 AM
To: Anne Russett <ARussett(cDiowa-citv.org>
Subject: Please
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Please give me contact numbers or emails for the members of the Planning And zoning committee.
Thank you very much, Ruth Manna.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and
others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or
taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
Anne Russett
From: Hillary Schofield <hbschofield@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 2:35 PM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Proctor and Gamble rezoning
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
To Anne Russett and the entire Planning and Zoning Committee,
I am writing to urge you to deny Proctor and Gamble's request to change the zoning of the former Kirkwood campus
from residential to industrial. The Eastside is already inundated with fumes from P&G's extant operations. There are
undoubtedly negative effects from exposure to such chemicals, and many Eastside residents report having headaches
and our physical reactions when the scents waft through their neighborhood. Since I cannot cite any research studies on
the harmful physical effects, I will focus on the scents themselves: they are obnoxious, unpleasant and absolutely
infringe upon quality of life. Please, please consider those who live closest to this potential facility and if you would like
to be one of them.
Sincerely,
Hillary Schofield
720 S 7th Ave Iowa City, IA 52240
Anne Russett
From: ben lewis <benjamind@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 6:29 AM
To: PlanningZoningPublic
Cc: *City Council
Subject: Rezoning the Kirkwood Campus
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Dear Planning and Zoning Commission,
I have lived on Grant Street since 2004, almost 20 years. Over the past several years, I have noticed strong chemical
odors, caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) coming from industrial operations a few blocks south of here. From
what I understand, these are eminating from the industrial area just south of here. I have contacted city and state officials
(DNR) about this more than once. Staff have been sympathetic but have not been able to do anything about it.
We should not add more industrial sites in Iowa City near lower income neighborhoods, where so many already exist. It is
also unwise to condense all the industrial sites so close together, compounding issues of noise and pollution.
Surely there are other options for P&G. It has only been a few months since the campus closed. I hope you can find the
patience to do the right thing and reject the rezoning request in this instance.
Ben Lewis
Anne Russett
From: Cheryl Ridgeway <cherylann.ridgeway@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 9:26 AM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Rezoning request - Kirkwood Community College Area
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. ** Dear members of the board,
I ask that you think carefully about the re -zoning request by Proctor and Gamble (P&G) for the Kirkwood Community land
on Muscatine Avenue from P-1 to 1-1 (General Industrial manufacturing of chemicals). My concern and the concern of
many others is that the deeply established residential areas and the nearby schools would be exposed to increased air
pollution from the chemical manufacturing processes of P&G should the re -zoning be approved. As I've heard from those
currently living on the SE side, P&G fumes are already a health concern and expanding to the Muscatine Avenue location
will exacerbate this situation for many. Please seriously consider the health and wellbeing of our Iowa City residents,
young and old, who will be affected. Please also take into account Iowa City's Climate Action Plan and at the very least,
require P&G to mitigate their sources of air pollution before operating from this site.
Thank you,
Cheryl Ridgeway
Iowa City resident
Sent from my iPad
Anne Russett
From: Jessica Duling <dulingjessica@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 1:05 PM
To: Anne Russett
Subject: Rezoning of the Kirkwood Campus
A
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
To whom it may concern,
I am a resident of Iowa City and someone this rezoning will be directly impacted by. I am deeply concerned by the
rezoning of the Kirkwood Campus to Proctor and Gamble and the detrimental effects on the community.
Some of the pillars that Iowa City stands on is education and climate action but this decision will show that those pillars
are only protected if you attend the University of Iowa and if you live in wealthier neighborhoods. This makes me angry
and deeply ashamed of my city.
I have been proud to live here all my life. I think there are a great number of things we get right. For example mixed use
zoning to help foster walkable cities. To think it's being considered to trade an quality affordable education within
walking distance to residents for a polluting factory who has a long history of knowingly sourcing from suppliers that are
complicit in destroying forests and indigenous communities makes Iowa City's climate action plan completely
hypocritical.
I hope the committee listens to the cries of the community and advocates for all of its residents, not just the ones with
the biggest wallets.
Thank you,
Jess
January 17, 2024 Re: REZ23-0010 Rezoning Request for Lower Muscatine Road
oppose the rezoning the site of the old Kirkwood Community College (KCC) on Lower
Muscatine, from Residential to General Industrial because our neighborhoods are already
experiencing unhealthy emissions from industrial zones that are too close to our homes,
schools, and playgrounds.
My name is Tracy Daby. I have lived on H street for 25 years. My house is directly behind
Kirkwood Community College, about a block from the railroad tracks. For years I frequently
walked through and around these neighborhoods. The last two summers I noticed a
disturbing increase in offensive, toxic air coming from P&G. Last summer, just before and
after the worst of the air pollution, I spent some time searching for the source of the acetone
smell that was making me and my family ill (headaches, breathing difficulties). It was strongest
when walking west on Mall Dr. past the side of the old Oral-B plant. My degree is in biology,
and I have worked as a Research Assistant in a molecular biology/genetics research lab, so I
am familiar with many toxic chemicals and their identifying properties. I have been looking into
this matter more deeply since receiving the Senior Planner's letter last Wednesday, Jan 10.
The letter was dated Jan. 4, 2024.
Today I present findings from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that support and
coincide with my personal experience of factory specific toxic emission releases and air
pollution. The links & link pathways to these findings are on the back of each handout diagram.
1. Map of Air Pollution (ICIS-AIR) & Toxic Releases to Air (TRI) directly from our two P&G
facilities. (See Diagram 1.)
2. "UNHEALTHY LEVELS" of pollution recorded by the EPA AQS in Iowa City, June and July of
2024. (See Diagram 2.)
1 hope the planning and zoning will reject the idea of converting this residentially zoned land into
more industrial. I do not believe that rezoning for more industrial facilities is in line with current
City Climate Action & Outreach. Nor does it align with Neighborhood and Development
Services' mission statement: "We work to create community and find solutions that promote
healthy neighborhoods and a vibrant business community." We must hold you to this promise
to promote "healthy neighborhoods".
In lieu of a preferred, complete refusal of this industrial zoning request, I would ask that the
Commission consider deferring so that we can absorb and research this pollution information.
Mail delays due to severe winter weather have unfairly hindered the community response to this
issue. Case in point: my next-door neighbor only received their letter yesterday, Jan. 16.
In the few days we have had to digest this rezoning request, and with very limited letter
distribution, we have found much opposition to this rezoning within our community. Please view
our online petition at hftr)s://www.thepetitionsite.com/; search: Iowa City. Note the many
supporting comments from our community.
Thank you for allowing us a chance to comment on this rezoning proposal.
Tracy Daby
1911 H St
Iowa City IA 52240
Please view our Community Petition:
"At 6:0o pm on Jan. 17 the IC Planning & Zoning
Commission is holding a public meeting to discuss
rezoning the old Kirkwood Community College plot
from residential to industrial.
Please add your name to this petition if you oppose P&G
expanding their industrial operations WITHIN OUR CITY.
The current P&G facilities have been polluting our air
with chemicals that produce hideous smells throughout
year. The smell of Head & Shoulders shampoo is most
Car62 PETITIONS
IOWA CITY, IA
SE Iowa City
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No- To P&G Expansion In IC
Residential Areas.
noticeable, however, the past few years (since Oral-B was taken over) we have noticed the alarming
odors of nail polish remover, acetone, which is very distinct.
The EPA has reported "unhealthy" levels of small particulate in the air in June and July of 2024. (See
Outdoor Air Quality Data EPA My Environment/MyAir/MoreAir/Air Data Trends and then "for more
information" link below the Visual Trends graphic/ trends/"all AQI pollutants" from 2019 to 2024.)
These "unhealthy" levels coincide with the strong ketone/acetone odors that forced many of us in SE
Iowa City to retreat indoors, close windows, and even turn on our AC. The concentration level varied
for several months this summer but the highest concentration in last June caused headaches and
shortness of breath for my family (and likely others).
Both P&G facilities in SE Iowa City have a record of pollution right here in town. See (Internet) EPA
My Environment/MyAir/MoreAir/Air Facilities: Enlarge Map/zoom in to SE IC/Air Pollution ([CIS -AIR)
(69)...& Toxic Releases to Air (TRI) (13).
Please join me.
Our Neighborhood and Development Services Department says, "We work to create community and
find solutions that promote healthy neighborhoods and a vibrant business community."
We must hold them to their promise to promote "healthy neighborhoods".
The air we breathe must be guarded and protected."
Go to the online petition https://www.thepetitionsite.com/629/894/365/no-more-factories-in-town/
to see numerous comments and signatures from Iowa City residents.
Diagram 1.
Map of
Air Pollution (ICIS-AIR)
Toxic Releases to Air (TRI)
at P&G Facilities
As Reported by the Environmental Protection Agency
52240, Iowa City, Iowa
select a new Location:
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Internet website & link pathways for this map on back.
Internet location & link pathways for Diagram 1.
*Toxic Releases to Air (TRI)
Description: The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a publicly available EPA database that
contains information on toxic chemical releases and waste management activities reported
annually by certain industries as well as federal facilities. The database also contains links
to compliance and enforcement information. Source: EPA Envirofacts Data Source
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annually by certain industries as well as federal facilities. The database also contains links
to compliance and enforcement information. Source: EPA Envirofacts Data Source
Diagram 2.
1u
Daily AQI Values, 2019 to 2024, Iowa City, IA
Source: U.S. EPA Air Data Generated: January 16, 2024
Daily AQI Values, 2019 to 2024
Iowa City, IA
FEB MAR APR
MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
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Internet website & link pathways for this dataset on back.
Internet location & link pathways for Diagram 2.
* * * * * * * * * * *.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/air-data-multiyear-tile-plot
Outdoor Air Quality Data
Air Data - Multiyear Tile Plot
Plot daily AQI values fora as location and time period- Each "tile"
represents one day of the year and is calor -coded based on the highest
daily AQI value at the selected menrtor - or among all monitors in the
geographic area if "All Sites (Highest Daily AQI)" is selected.
1. Pollutant All AQI Pollutants
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Anne Russett
From: Desiree Dahl <desireeadahl@hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 4:44 PM
To: Anne Russett; *City Council
Subject: Letter of Opposition to Rezoning of Kirkwood Community College
A
"This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
To members of City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission,
I am writing as a resident of the South District of Iowa City to express opposition to the rezoning of the
Kirkwood Community College campus from P-1 to 1-1.
Increasing manufacturing in the South District does not align with our community's climate action plan, nor
our city's commitment to equity.
The operations of manufacturing facilities such as Procter & Gamble's contribute to air pollution in our
neighborhood. Many South District residents experience financial hardship and may be unable to access
necessary healthcare services to mitigate the effects of the pollution they are exposed to.
A manufacturing facility such as this also has many impacts that extend beyond our local community. Procter
& Gamble's products use plastic packaging that will remain in landfills for hundreds of years. P&G also relies
on unsustainable sourcing methods for palm oil and wood pulp that are causing significant harm to critical
forests, endangered species, and Indigenous communities. The expansion of this corporation's influence in our
community poses a danger to residents, local habitats, and the climate.
I urge members of the Zoning Commission and City Council to oppose this plan.
Sincerely,
Desiree Dahl
in response to Item: REZ23-0010 on the January 17, 2024 Planning and Zoning Commission Agenda
MINUTES FINAL
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
JANUARY 17, 2024-6:OOPM—FORMAL MEETING
EM MA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Susan Craig, Maggie Elliott, Mike Hensch, Maria Padron, Scott
Quellhorst, Billie Townsend, Chad Wade
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Melanie Comer, Sara Hektoen, Anne Russett
OTHERS PRESENT: Wade Warme, Joe Townsend, Austin Korns, Anne Marie Kraus,
Tracy Daby, Mary Helen Kennerly, Dan Schweer, Jane Driscoll,
Jesse Ewald
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL:
By a vote of 7-0 the Commission recommends approval of REZ23-0010, a proposal to rezone
approximately 6.8 acres of property located at 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road
from Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone to General Industrial (1-1) zone.
CALL TO ORDER:
Hensch called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
REZONING ITEMS:
CASE NO. REZ23-0010
Location: 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road
An application for a rezoning of approximately 6.1 acres of property from Neighborhood Public
(P-1) to General Industrial (1-1).
Comer began the staff report showing the location map for the subject properties noting these
properties are bordered on the west by Lower Muscatine Road and to the south by Mall Drive.
The subject properties are currently zoned Neighborhood Public and are surrounded by General
Industrial uses to the north and the south. To the north the industrial use is owned by Mid -
American and to the south the industrial use is owned by Procter & Gamble. To the east and
west are primarily low to medium density single family zones, and further to the south are
commercial uses.
For some background context, in 2002 Iowa City initiated a rezoning for the property located at
1828 Lower Muscatine Road to the Neighborhood Public zone for Kirkwood Community College
to expand their campus. However, circumstances have changed and Kirkwood no longer
operates within this facility, putting it up for sale. Procter & Gamble intends to close on this site
this year, pending the approval of this rezoning which would allow for an extension of the existing
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 2 of 15
Procter & Gamble facility to the south. These properties are currently zoned Neighborhood
Public (P-1) which is intended to provide reference to public ownership and use of land. Some
examples of uses allowed within the zone are parks, schools, police and fire stations and other
civic buildings. Since this is a public zone if these properties are purchased by private entity, the
area must be rezoned to comply with the intended use.
Comer stated the proposed zoning of these properties as General Industrial (1-1) which was
created to provide the opportunity for the development of most types of industrial firms and
industrial and research zone site development standards apply in the zone. The maximum
allowable height is 45 feet, and the minimum setbacks are 20 feet from the front facade and zero
feet from the rear and sides. Some examples of uses allowed in the zone are building trade,
which could be contractor shops, industrial service could be machine shops, towing yards,
machinery repairs shops, technical/light manufacturing could be firms manufacturing electrical
components, optical instruments or lenses. General manufacturing is provisional in the zone and
could be manufacturing of chemicals or food products but excludes any heavy manufacturing
uses like meatpacking or sawmills or paper mills. Heavy manufacturing uses are only allowed by
special exception, which are limited to concrete batch plants in this site. Warehouse and freight
moving examples could be wholesale distribution centers, railroad switching yards, warehouses
used by retail stores or vehicle fleet storage. Waste related uses are limited to recycling process
facilities, and some general community service uses could be libraries, museums or
neighborhood centers.
In reviewing rezoning the City uses two criteria. One is consistency with the Comprehensive Plan
and the second is compatibility with the existing neighborhood. Comer first reviewed this
requests consistency with the IC 2030 Comprehensive Plan and showed the Future Land Use
Map and the rezoning area. The Future Land Use Map in this area is set to be used for
public/semipublic use. However, there exists goals and policies that would support the rezoning
of this area to General Industrial. In the Economic Development section of the IC 2030 Plan
there's a goal to increase and diversify the property tax base by encouraging the retention and
expansion of existing businesses. By rezoning this area to industrial Procter & Gamble would be
able to expand their existing facility to the east. Similar to the IC 2030 Comprehensive Plan the
Southeast District Plan Future Land Use Map shows this area as Public Institutional, and there's
an objective in the Plan to enhance this as commercial development opportunity for Kirkwood
Community College. Again, circumstances have changed since this Plan's adoption in 2011 and
as Kirkwood no longer operates within this facility a different zoning designation would be more
compatible with adjacent uses. Within the Industrial and Employment Areas section of the
Southeast District Plan it expresses this District as an ideal place to expand Iowa City's industrial
base due to its ideal landscape of level and well drained land. One goal within this Plan is to
preserve and expand the industrial tax base. An objective to accomplish this goal is to protect
designated industrial areas from incompatible uses such as residential dwellings and retail and
consumer services that would be incompatible with the existing industrial uses to the north and
south. A second goal within this Plan is to minimize conflicts between industrial areas by
developing a better buffer between the residential areas to the north of the Iowa Interstate
Railroad and industrial uses to the south.
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 3 of 15
Next, regarding compatibility with the existing neighborhood Comer stated to the east and west
are primarily low to medium density single family homes. However, these zones are separated
from the existing industrial uses and proposal site by a major thoroughfare to the west, Lower
Muscatine Road, and a railroad to the east. As mentioned before land to the north and south of
the site is zoned General Industrial, so rezoning the site to General Industrial would allow Proctor
& Gamble to expand the existing facility to the south, making the proposed use consistent with
both adjacent properties to the north and south.
At this site there are two current entrances for access and street design. The first entrance is to
the north at the intersection of Sycamore Street and Lower Muscatine Road, and to the south
there is an entrance to the property at 1828 Lower Muscatine Road into the existing parking lot.
As for correspondence, staff has received 11 emails thus far and most of the correspondence is
raising concerns about this proposed rezoning related to issues such as air quality and pollution,
noise pollution and unpleasant scents. All correspondence was provided to the Commissioners.
Staff recommends approval of REZ23-0010, a proposal to rezone approximately 6.8 acres of
property located at 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road from Neighborhood Public (P-1)
zone to General Industrial (1-1) zone.
Upon recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission, a public hearing will be
scheduled for consideration by City Council. The anticipated timeline would be Council would
consider setting a public hearing on February 6 for February 20 when Council hold the public
hearing and first consideration.
Hensch asked for clarification as he noticed that in the agenda it is listed as 6.1 acres versus 6.8
acres in the attachments and in the presentation. Russett stated that was a typo, it is 6.8 acres.
Elliott asked how long ago this area was originally commercial because a lot of times commercial
is on the outside or away from the residential so likely originally this was zoned commercial a
long time ago. Russett replied most of the area has been zoned industrial since the 1960s, the
subject property was zoned CC -2 prior to 2002 when it was rezoned a Neighborhood Public.
Hensch opened the public hearing.
Wade Warme (Shive-Hattery) is representing Procter & Gamble and Joe Townsend is here
representing Proctor & Gamble.
Hensch asked if it was correct that as of right now there are no plans for the property. Warme
confirmed it is just to acquire it since it's adjacent to the existing property.
Joe Townsend (Site Engineering Leader, Procter & Gamble) stated they're just looking to
purchase the property with the potential to do a further expansion of the oral care operation
within Iowa City. They don't currently have existing plans on what they want to do with that
property, but they'd like to have the opportunity to potentially expand. Procter & Gamble has
been a member of the community since 1956. During that time, they strive to be a good,
responsible neighbor in the community. Procter & Gamble's current oral care operation in that
area produces manual toothbrushes and power toothbrushes. They continue to strive to be a
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 4 of 15
good steward of the environment and the community, they have initiatives at facilities that are
zero manufacturing waste to landfill and are also in process of achieving zero greenhouse gas
emissions from their plants. Furthermore, they maintain their air operating permits and
stormwater permits. Most recently, they've had some audits from the DNR as well as inspections
in 2018 and 2021 in which they've had zero notice of findings or zero violations that have been
identified. They intend to continue to strive to meet those initiatives and be a good steward within
the community.
Hensch asked if currently there's no plans for that property and they just want to control the
property. Townsend confirmed that is correct. Hensch noted they've received multiple
correspondence and it sounds like some people have gotten the idea that there's chemicals
going to be produced there, is there any basis for that or do they know where that data is from.
Townsend replied there's no chemicals that would be produced there. If they were to expand the
oral care operation and be primarily making oral care toothbrushes or power toothbrushes that is
not a chemical manufacturing process, it's an injection molding process.
Hensch asked for confirmation that they are in compliance with DNR, EPA, air release wastes
regulations, etc. and there's been no findings. Townsend confirmed their most recent audits in
2018 and 2021 produced no concerns. They also do internal audits and compliance audits to
make sure that they adhere to and maintain all the legal requirements that they have for Procter
& Gamble as well as the community.
Wade asked if the operation out in the old Menards location is the same process of oral care
manufacturing. Townsend stated for the most part it's the same, the Menards facility on the
opposite side of town is a power oral care toothbrush manufacturing facility. It's a very similar
process where they're injection molding parts to assemble components to make toothbrushes.
Austin Korns (Senior Director of Economic Development, Greater Iowa City Inc.) which is the
economic development organization for the Iowa City area. The Greater Iowa City Inc. is fully
supportive of the proposed rezoning of the former Iowa City Kirkwood campus to make way for
the purchase and additional space for Procter & Gamble. Procter & Gamble is a cornerstone of
the local economy and provides a significant employment base for individuals across the entire
region. While the departure of Kirkwood is a loss for the area, Procter & Gamble's potential
acquisition provides a great opportunity for the entire community and make sense for the location
situated directly adjacent to the current Procter & Gamble facility and between two other
industrial sites. A purchase like this one represents the type of business retention effort needed
to ensure Procter & Gamble can continue their work for years to come. Procter & Gamble is not
only an economic driver for the region, but an incredible community development partner. The
Greater Iowa City Inc. are eager to continue working with Procter & Gamble and residents of the
surrounding community to maximize how this development could benefit the area and bolster the
community.
Anne Marie Kraus stated she lives on the southeast side of Iowa City and is asking that they do
not approve the rezoning of the Kirkwood property. She just heard that there are no current plans
to produce chemical products the way they do out on East Highway 6, but once the facility is
rezoned for General Industrial that doesn't exclude opening the door to the manufacture of
chemical products. Even if they're producing plastic products, like toothbrushes or whatever, all
of those things emit strong, noxious, dangerous odors. The essential question is are they willing
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 5 of 15
to trade citizen's property values for Procter & Gamble's profits. On the east side and the
southeast side of Iowa City they are already experienced with the noxious odors from the Procter
& Gamble plant out on Highway 6, the fumes reach a two-mile range as residents have told her.
Now Procter & Gamble could be emitting more intensely concentrated odors at close range and
the site is surrounded on all sides by neighborhoods. When the southeast side gets a reputation
for bad odors, who will want to buy a home in the area. Kraus asked that they consider that if
they approve this plan, the property values in the area could plummet and with lower property
values the City will have a reduced tax base, hence less income for the City. Further, are they
willing to trade citizen's health for Procter & Gamble's corporate profits. Even if they claim that
the odors emanating for the chemical manufacturing are not toxic there are studies such as
scientific articles in SpringerLink listing toxic or carcinogenic substances contained in scented
items such as laundry products. The CDC says that environmental odors make asthma worse.
Even if they refute all those studies, chemical sensitivity is a real medical diagnosis. The
chemical fumes from the Procter & Gamble plant out on Highway 6 give her migraines, nausea,
dizziness, and sometimes worse. Even if they dismiss chemical sensitivity as irrelevant, the
noxious fumes will devastate the livability of these sweet modest neighborhoods. The CDC
recommends that people stay indoors to avoid health damage from environmental odors or leave
the area. What kind of options are those for those residential victims of chemicals in the air.
Kraus also wants to know why that the IC 2030 Comprehensive Plan says that the Southeast
District is an ideal place to expand Iowa City's industrial base. Why always the southeast side,
because that's where the powers place nearly all the buildings that are not wanted in other parts
of town. Why don't they rezone an area where the homes cost upwards of $500,000, it's always
their neighborhood, the southeast side which is filled with neighborhoods of modest means and
struggling incomes. It's easy for the City to turn their backs on southeast side because they don't
have the power and influence that other areas of town can wield. Kraus will trust that the
Commissioners value the concept of the quality of life. It's something that they are fortunate to
have in Iowa City, so please don't endanger their property values, their health and their quality of
life by rezoning to General Industrial.
Tracy Daby (1911 H Street) has lived on H Street, which is right behind Kirkwood Community
College, for going on 25 years and has a background in science and healthcare, she worked in a
genetic research lab so she understands the smell of chemicals and how to identify them and the
toxicity that goes along with it. She is here because her family and she had trouble breathing the
air last year. Everybody in southeast Iowa City can confirm that there's this pervasive smell of
hog farms and Head & Shoulders. Last year, they had a lot of wildfires burning from Canada but
the last two years have been particularly bad because they've had strong odors of acetone in the
air, very concentrated, to the point where they open up their back door and couldn't breathe. So
she had to close up the house and stay inside. She is a gardener so that's a big deal for her.
She closed all the windows and the door and turned on the AC in June. She didn't need to for the
temperature but the acetone odor was definitely toxic. She's kicking himself for not reporting it to
the EPA at the time but was feeling like it wouldn't do any good and she didn't know there was a
way to report it. She thought she had to only report it to the State level and she knows that the
State regulators are having difficulty keeping up with everything, especially with the new findings
on toxic emissions. Daby stated acetone is what they normally think of as nail polish remover, it's
extremely toxic, if even breathed or inhaled for one hour. The period of time last summer when
she experienced the worst of it was like June and July, like maybe mid-June to mid-July. She
had headaches, her family had headaches, they had breathing difficulties, and irritability and
fatigue also, which she just found out today, after doing some more research on the CDC, are
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 6 of 15
common side effects. One hour of inhalation can cause this ill health in people, that's just one
hour, they were experiencing it for several weeks. It kind of up ebbed and flowed in severity.
Daby acknowledged she has not seen any data to prove that it came specifically from that Oral B
plant, however she did do her own walking around the neighborhood to try to isolate it, because
it was so bad, and on the lesser days when she couldn't be outside, she found that it was much
worse when she was walking up Mall Drive, as she passed the Ace Hardware there she could
smell it coming out from that Oral B parking lot or stacks. Daby hopes the Commission has had a
chance to read the findings that she submitted. She wanted them to know when she got the
letter, which was just a week ago, she hadn't had much time to do this she wanted to know if
there was any correlation between what's been recorded by the EPA and what she experienced.
She did find two studies, two published research papers. They're kind of hard to navigate on the
EPA website so on the back of each diagram one and two she put the links and how to follow the
links to get to where she found this information so that the Commissioners can find it themselves,
What they say is both Procter & Gamble facilities on the southeast side have been cited as
having air pollution and air toxic releases. They can go to the website and look up all the details
but she just wanted to say that there is proof that there is pollution coming from those places.
The second thing she found that was even more important which is the diagram 2, daily air
quality values from 2019 to 2024. She printed them out. The areas in green are good air quality
index, areas in yellow are moderate for air quality and orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups
like children, or elderly or disabled and red is unhealthy.
Mary Helen Kennerly (1017 4'" Avenue) which is just around the corner from Ms. Daby. She
shares with Ms. Kraus a lot of concerns about what happens when they leave residential zoning
and go to industrial, she doesn't see them coming back from that and she thinks they should
treat that with a lot of caution. Kennerly thinks it's really telling in terms of the caution that should
be treated with Procter & Gamble's representatives or the applicants representatives. Their first
line of defense is they don't intend to do anything with the property and promise they just want to
acquire it and just have it. But of course, the reality of that new zoning regulation, whether it's
them or someone else down the road, is that anything could happen. Anything could happen and
they have to sort of trust the regulatory agencies and they're sort of decreasing strength in the
state that nothing bad will happen to this community, to the community that this guy lives in, and
a lot of the rest of them live in. So she just wants to convey how cautious she thinks they should
be going forward and considering a change like this. It's a really big one.
Dan Schweer (1140 Spruce Street) is not going to try to add to any of that but since they won't
say what they want to do, at a minimum they want some kind of conditional rezoning so that they
are not manufacturing in that space directly across the street, close to a residential
neighborhood. Now there is a barrier, if they let them rezone and without restriction manufacture,
then they're that much closer across the street. Much closer to the residences and that is his
concern. Going back to the fairness, they started in 1956, that was preexisting before a lot of us
were there. He didn't complain when he grew up, the trains were there first and they can't
complain about that in his book. All he is asking is if they're going to approve it, make it
conditional. They can have a parking lot there if they want but manufacturing that's too close to
residential.
Jane Driscoll (1409 Spruce Street) has lived in that neighborhood about a block and a half from
where the Kirkwood currently is, the property in question, for about 45 years of her life and she
would echo the need for conditional zoning if this moves forward. There's noise pollution, light
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 7 of 15
pollution, there is excess traffic that needs to be looked at. The bus route is right there and has
bus stops. If they have the risk of future semi traffic or other large vehicles arriving, coming to
and from, in addition to extra employee traffic, that all needs to be looked at and considered in a
conditional zoning that goes back to the app to protect the interests of the public, but also protect
the safety of the public.
Jesse Ewald (1031 Ginter Avenue) lives quite close to this rezoning and would like to echo the
concerns and say that she also with the information that they have been given don't support
moving forward with this rezoning. She is incredibly concerned that they don't have specific plans
they can give. She is also very interested to know what the definition of provisional use for
manufacturing and how that would play out if they do in the future have plans for any sort of
chemical storage or manufacturing that would look something like what happens at their other
facility. She mentioned the other facility, because like others that live in the neighborhood, she is
often very aware of what smells like a synthetic fragrance that emanates from that location.
She'd also like to remind everyone that just because the EPA or other regulatory agencies that
are meant to protect us don't classify something as being particularly hazardous those bodies
are oftentimes trying to catch up with the science and they move very slowly. She has a PhD in
environmental engineering so both her field work and her research and her expertise has
demonstrated time and time again, with a great list of chemicals that they are often not at the
forefront of where the science is. So that fragrance specifically really causes concern for her.
Like she said, she lives quite close to the facility like everyone else here and is really interested
in staying in her home, she'd like to raise her family there. Therefore, it's just incredibly important
that at the very least they have all of the specific information about what might occur at this
facility. Even more than that, they should have the opportunity to really determine what goes on
very close to their homes where all of them would like to remain and raise their families.
Tracy Daby (1911 H Street) wanted to add in lieu of deciding against rezoning this, if they're
unable to do that tonight, she would ask that they have deferment and hold off on making the
decision so they have time to absorb more of the scientific data. She only had a week to look at
things and she found those two pretty strong articles. Also her next door neighbor didn't get their
letter of announcement until last night so a lot of people are still unaware that this is going on.
The last thing is that with how they think it meets the criteria for rezoning, she would just ask
them to remember that the criteria they're talking about is only physical proximity and what
everybody here so far has been talking about is what's in the air and air moves and so the
proximity to consider and the mailing that needs to go out needs to be a much wider circle. Daby
has a friend she met today downtown said he could smell the acetone last summer and he lives
over by City High. Lastly, on the website for Neighborhood Development the mission statement
is "we work to create community and find solutions that promote healthy neighborhoods and a
vibrant business community." Daby would ask that they remember the first part, please don't
sacrifice healthy neighborhoods for business.
Hensch closed the public hearing.
Craig moved to recommend approval of REZ23-0010, a proposal to rezone approximately
6.8 acres of property located at 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road from
Neighborhood Public (P-1) zone to General Industrial (1-1) zone.
Quellhorst seconded the motion.
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 8 of 15
Craig asked about the history of the air quality and what is the City's role in air quality. Russett
stated the City really has no role, they don't regulate environmental pollutants like air pollution,
it's all done at the state and federal level.
Craig stated when she first saw this application in her packet she thought well that makes sense.
Here's this fairly small piece of property and what could be the use between an electrical
substation and a manufacturing plant. What else is going to go there if they don't do something
that's compatible with those two things. So she thought it was a very good application and was
highly supportive of it. As the comments have come in it does raise some concern but the
concerns she's hearing are based on air quality, which she doesn't see as really material to what
the issue is before them tonight and for that reason she is supporting this application.
Quellhorst totally agrees with that. He empathizes with a lot of the concerns that have been
raised here today and thinks they're serious and significant and deserve attention, but he also
thinks that he is not an environmental engineer and has concerns about himself, or this
Commission, trying to make very complex scientific decisions that they're not really qualified to
make. Ultimately, the question before them is a pretty simple one, which is whether this particular
slice property is suited for an industrial use and like Commissioner Craig said he thinks that it is,
particularly given the surrounding character of the area with Mid -American on one side and
Procter & Gamble on the other. So for that reason, he would support the rezoning.
Hensch asked for a definition of what a provision single use is. Russett stated a provisional use
is a use that's allowed in the zone but requires compliance with additional specific use criteria.
For general manufacturing the criteria in the General Industrial zone is related to milling grains.
So, if the proposed use deals with milling grain, then there's additional standards that need to be
met, but only for that specific type of manufacturing.
Hensch asked if it is correct to believe that there have been no site plans submitted with this
application and there's no project associated for them to even discuss. Russett confirmed that
was correct. Hensch noted to both sides of the subject property, those are currently zoned
industrial. Russett confirmed that was correct. Hensch asked has any government entity come
forward and said they would like to do something with the current P-1 zoning. Not that Russett is
aware of.
Padron stated she supports this application and would like to point out that the chart, diagram
two that was presented, the days that are shown in red coincide with the days that they had the
smoke from the fires so there's no way to link this data to Proctor & Gamble. They have to be
careful with what is presented, sometimes it is curated to match a certain narrative.
Townsend is in agreement with this proposal. Mainly because Proctor & Gamble is there already
and the electric companies right there too so it's mostly industrial in that area, and even the mall
is right across the street. It's not totally a residential area.
Elliott stated first she looks at the two criteria that they are to make their decision on and is going
to support it based on the criteria that they make their decision on. She appreciates the
neighbors concern and feels for them, but doesn't think it's their role, it's beyond their role
tonight.
Planning and Zoning Commission
January 17, 2024
Page 9 of 15
Wade doesn't want to repeat a lot of things that have already been said. The one question he
does have is regarding the setback. It has a 20 -foot setback but 45 -foot building height
restrictions. Russett confirmed that is correct. Wade stated the 20 -foot setback is a concern, it
feels a little heavy on the neighborhood and is little bit inconsistent with the rest of the Oral B
location. Wade stated his perspective is he does have a little concern with what they've
expressed about the air quality and such but more about the zoning specific setback because
Kirkwood feels pretty heavy on the street and it's like a 20 -foot setback there and if they faced an
industrial building that follows that same setback it would feel pretty heavy even though it has a
major thoroughfare through there. But there is no site plan presented so they have nothing to
discuss as far as potential development at that. Perhaps looking at the setback requirements for
industrial zoning can be looked at in the future.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
Russett gave a brief and introductory presentation on the Comprehensive Plan update. She
noted this is the very beginning stages of the update to the Comprehensive Plan and will give
some background on why staff is working on an update, a high-level overview of what a
Comprehensive Plan is and discuss how it differs from zoning and subdivision regulations, and
how the Comprehensive Plan is used in the land development process. And finally, she will
share some of the outcomes that staff would like to achieve as part of the Comprehensive Plan
update.
Russett stated one of the reasons staff is moving forward with an update to the Comprehensive
Plan is that it's an action identified in the City Council Strategic Plan. Within the impact area
related to neighborhoods and housing there is a strategy to update the Comprehensive Plan to
encourage compact neighborhoods and diverse housing types and land uses. There's also a
specific action item to move forward with a Comprehensive Plan update between FY24 and
FY28 and that action item notes that form -based principles, missing middle housing types,
minimum density requirements and streamlined approval processes should all be evaluated as
part of this effort.
Moving on to what is the Comprehensive Plan and Iowa City's Comprehensive Plan is the
guiding document for growth and development within the City. It's non -regulatory but does help
to inform decisions related to the built environment that this Commission looks at basically every
single meeting. A Comprehensive Plan includes various components, it often includes vision
statements, goals and policies related to multiple different policy topics, such as land use,
economic development, and environment. It often includes a land use policy map, and an
implementation section which lays out programs and projects that should be implemented to help
achieve the vision of the Comprehensive Plan. The City's Comprehensive Plan is known as IC
2030 and it was adopted in 2013. It includes seven different elements and each element includes
different goals and strategies for that particular policy area. The Plan also formalized the district
planning framework which breaks the City into 10 different planning districts. The goal was to
then adopt for each of these areas more specific Plans that would provide more specific policy
direction for these different geographies. Russett showed the Future Land Use Map which is the
map this Commission sees at every rezoning discussion. It identifies the general intended land
�''�►trrr®�aT4 City Council Supplemental Meeting Packet
CITY OF 1OVVA CITY April 16, 2024
Information submitted between distribution of packet on Thursday and 4:00pm on Monday.
Late Handout(s):
9.a. Rezoning - 302-316 E Bloomington Street - Local Historic Landmark: See
correspondence from the following: Bobby Cutterson-Murphy, Barbara
09.b.
McKenna, Risa Dotson Eicke.
Rezoning - 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road - See
correspondence from the following: Laura Routh.
10.g. Sheridan Avenue Traffic Calming - See correspondence from the following: R
Hooper, Jason Agne, Dave Cusick.
10.h. Traffic Calming on Lindemann Drive - See correspondence from the following:
Fred Klauke, Jana Klauke.
April 16, 2024 City of Iowa City
Item Number: 9.b.
CITY OF OF IOWA CITY
�fil COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 16, 2024
Rezoning - 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road - See correspondence from the
following: Laura Routh.
Attachments: correspondence
-4q.6
Kellie Grace
From: Laura Routh <lauridi@hotmail.com> Late Handouts Distributed
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2024 11:29 AM
To: *City Council
Subject: Rezoning of Kirkwood Property for P&G Lt _— aq.
(Date)
f
RESIt
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Date: April 14, 2024
To: Members of The Iowa City Council
From: Laura Routh, 828 Dearborn Street, Iowa City
RE: Rezoning of 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road to accommodate
Procter & Gamble's expansion
The rezoning of Lower Muscatine Road was rigged from the very beginning.
City officials (City manager Fruin, and City staff) began meeting with Procter and
Gamble (P&G) about their purchase of, and subsequent expansion onto, the Kirkwood
property nearly 6 months before the matter was even presented to the Planning and
Zoning Commission, or the City Council.
In reviewing City documents discovered through a freedom of information act (FOIA)
request this past week, it becomes evident that not only was P&G basically promised
rezoningjl I, in one document, the City also offers P&G possible waivers to planning
and code requirements for stormwater, etc.
Most alarmingly, the City shared rezoning plans with Greater Iowa City, Inc. (a.k.a. the
Chamber of Commerce) and even went so far as to solicit assistance from them,
offering an "advocacy" opportunity at the Council chambers when there was pushback
from neighbors.
Clearly, the rezoning was assumed by City officials to be a foregone conclusion. The
residents affected by it never even had a chance to change the outcome. The fix was
in from the very beginning.
1 am disgusted with the City Manager's office. 1 am also very disappointed in
members of both the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the City Council, for
their passive acceptance of this obviously rigged process.
1
It seems clear to me that both industry and Greater Iowa City Inc. is being given
entirely too much access to the City Manager's office, and the Neighborhood
Development staff. Greater Iowa City Inc. should not be allowed to simultaneously
advocate for a business seeking expansion, and also be invited to sit at the table to
negotiate the details on behalf of taxpayers.
While economic development is a matter of concern to many in our community, it
should not take precedence over transparency and fairness at City Hall. When
decisions regarding industrial expansion and rezoning are being made, ALL
stakeholders should be present, and none should dominate.
There was not a shred of objectivity or neutrality demonstrated by the City
Manager or staff in regard to this process. It's very disheartening to see such undue
influence and backroom dealing occurring at City Hall. What happened to the
processes that are supposed to exist to protect the interests of residents and ordinary
taxpayers?
It is beyond frustrating to realize that my property tax dollars are being used to
subsidize Greater Iowa City Inc., an entity that clearly receives preferential treatment at
City Hall, while actively lobbying the City to harm my neighborhood, and lower my
property values.
The residents of Iowa City affected by this rezoning are literally begging you,
members of the City Council, to reject this rezoning until there can be further
consideration of both the process and the impacts.
The process thus far has been neither fair nor transparent. If you vote to approve the
rezoning, the resulting industrial development will be seen as suspect, in perpetuity.
Thank you for your consideration of my concerns.
[11 Rezoning Pre -Application Meeting held 11/7/2023; minutes; Item c)i)(3) , states "a report will have a
recommendation of approval when it goes to P&Z".
2
�..:. P
w�r���� City Council Supplemental Meeting Packet
�—
CITY OF IOWA CITY April 16, 2024
Information submitted between distribution of the Supplemental Meeting Packet 1 on Monday
and 3:00 pm on Tuesday.
Late Handout(s)
9.a. Rezoning - 302-316 E Bloomington Street - Local Historic Landmark: See
DD correspondence from the following: Greg Kovaciny, Joseph Ziegler, Ben Lewis
t 9.b. Rezoning - 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road - See
correspondence from the following: Anne Marie Kraus, Ben Lewis
10.d. FY24 Budget Amendment Public Hearing & (10.e) FY25 Budget Public
Hearing: See correspondence from the following: Ninoska Campos, Monty
Montero-Elliott
10.h.
Traffic Calming on Lindemann Drive: See correspondence from : Mary Gaffey
April 16, 2024 City of Iowa City
Item Number: 9.b.
CITY OF OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 16, 2024
Rezoning - 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road - See correspondence from the
following: Anne Marie Kraus, Ben Lewis
Attachments: correspondence
r � �
Kellie Grace
From: Anne Marie Kraus <annemariekraus@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2024 11:29 PM Late Handouts Distributed
To: *City Council
Subject: Rezoning for P&G is an abdication of responsibility for our safety
t4-1(,-,)-4
(Date)
RISK
* This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
To the City Council Members:
As you face the third and final vote on rezoning in favor of a Procter & Gamble facility dangerously close to hundreds of
homes, it is time to take stock. It has been obvious from the beginning that the Council was not truly interested in public
input, but rather simply going through the motions to follow the policies and procedures. There were many meetings
prior to the votes, all behind closed doors, where the real powers lie. There is no power or recourse for vulnerable
citizens who plead for common-sense safety and survival. All the research that was presented by citizens at the
microphone and in emails fell on deaf ears. All the justifications to pause the process until data could be collected were
ignored. As I spoke at the microphone on April 2, I tried to look into the eyes of the councilors. Of the very few who
bothered to look at me, their eyes were bored and glazed -over, and it suddenly hit me that this deal was sealed long ago
among those who wield the real power.
I was personally invited by Joe Townsend to visit and tour the Oral-B facility, so that he could answer any questions I
may have. However, when I took him up on it, he suddenly started backpedaling, stacking up all sorts of prerequisites.
He needed the protection of a City Council member being present, apparently afraid of a 71 -year old woman. He said
there would have to be pre -meetings, and that I could not be allowed to see inside the facility. He set up this elaborate
smokescreen because he knew he had the deal in the bag so there was no need to appear friendly anymore.
I would like to thank and commend Councilor Mazahir Salih, the only councilor who takes herjob to heart by truly
listening to the concerns of ordinary citizens. She is the only one who does not ingratiate herself to the power mongers
and the backroom deal brokers. She is the only one who can see that a plastics factory in our neighborhood poses true
threats to the health of the citizens and the environment.
There have been two rezoning issues affecting the north side of the city. One had its final vote on January 16, 2024, and
the other started on April 2, 2024. The Council has shown great deference and concern for the people of the north side.
The Council voted in favor of the north side residents, against outsize development, on January 16. Then, on April 2, the
Council paused the hearing and left it open, in deference to the north -siders' concerns for historic preservation. While
the cause of the north side residents is important and worthwhile, it is not an issue of devastating harm to the health of
the people and environment, as is true of the southeast -siders' victimization. It is not lost on me that you treat the north
side with much more care and concern than the southeast side. The north side has more prominent people speaking on
their behalf, while the southeast side has plain working folks who are scrambling to defend what is left of their
neighborhood. It seems that since you have nothing to gain by listening to the southeast side, you can just toss our
concerns on the trash heap of lost causes.
As our state government has become ever more limiting and cruel to the most vulnerable citizens, I have always said to
myself, "Well, at least we live in Iowa City where important values and issues can still survive; where issues like the
environment, safety, human rights, and integrity still matter." What I have learned in these past few months is that I was
naive and just plain wrong. I foolishly thought that Iowa City City Councilors had the intelligence and compassion to take
the research presented to them and realize there are real risks and dangers to consider. Instead, I learned that Iowa City
government is every bit as corrupt and cold-hearted as our state government. I learned that the City is beholden to
corporate interests regardless of who gets hurt. I learned that a "public hearing" is a travesty. I learned that you have
your hands eagerly extended to collect tax dollars from P&G, at the expense of the suffering of the unfortunate
residents nearby.
When the property values of the southeast side decline, so will your tax dollars. But you are too short-sighted to see
this, and you probably won't be on the Council anymore by then, so you apparently don't care.
I will not be at the April 16 meeting because my granddaughter has a performance at that time. I am sending this letter
instead.
You have the power and duty to protect your citizens first and foremost. What a shame upon our city that you have
abdicated that responsibility.
Anne Marie Kraus
Iowa City
711
Kellie Grace
From: ben lewis <benjamind@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 2:48 PM Late Handouts Distributed
To: *City Council
Subject: Fumes in southeast IC
(Date)
Rlsx
** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or
attachments. **
Just passing this along, this continues to be a problem in Longfellow and other neighborhoods. Please see screenshot
attached.
Link to post:
https:/Iwww.facebook.com/share/p/kSFWfVFtlxXXeo29/?
2:451 .,i ^ C
spaLongfellow Neighborhood ...
Association (Iowa City)
Susan Chambers • 2h • E
Acetone odor coming in
right now with the southeast
wind.
View Insights 203 Post Reach
cb Like Q Comment 60 copy
16 TV` Lisa Martincik and 8 others
All comments
Susan Chambers
Wish I could bring the entire city
government here at this moment to
breathe this foul air!
�Q2h Like Reply 3 16
Lauri Di
Susan Chambery call the City
Manager and invite him over!
1m Like Reply
,;* ( Write a reply...
Rules
2 Write a comment... •- aF 0
Doc TO: 032261780004 Type: GEN
Kind: ORDINANCE
Recorded: 04/25/2024 at 03:17:34 PM
Fee Amt: $22.00 Pape 1 of 4
Johnson County Iowa
Kim Painter County Recorder
F'e, &,
STATE OF IOWA )
) SS
JOHNSON COUNTY }
1
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C/Ety of�
"'4ICON
I, Kellie K. Grace, City Clerk of Iowa City, Iowa, do hereby certify that the Ordinance attached hereto
is a true and correct copy of Ordinance No. 24-4922 which was passed by the City Council of Iowa
City, Iowa, at a regular meeting held on the 16th day of April 2024 is a true and correct copy, all as the
same appears of record in my office.
Dated at Iowa City, Iowa, this alolx day of April 2024.
Kettle K. Grace
City Clerk
- , \ord
410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET* IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 • (319) 356-5000 • FAX (319) 356-5009
G,�
Prepared by: Melanie Comer, Planning Intern, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240; (REZ23-0010)
Ordinance No. 24-4922
Ordinance rezoning approximately 6.25 acres of land located at 1810,
1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road from Neighborhood Public (P-1)
zone to General Industrial (1-1) zone (REZ23-0010).
Whereas, the owner, Oral-B Laboratories, has requested a rezoning of property located at
1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Road from Neighborhood Public Zone (P-1) to General
Industrial (1-1); and
Whereas, the Comprehensive Plan indicates that expansion of existing industries within Iowa
City is beneficial in increasing the property tax base and encouraging the retention of businesses
within the City; and
Whereas, the Southeast District Plan identifies this district as being the ideal place to expand
the City's industrial base; and
Whereas, while land near the subject property is zoned residential, the Iowa Interstate
Railroad and the Lower Muscatine Road right-of-way provide a degree of separation from the
residential land uses and land that directly abuts the subject property is already zoned 1-1 and
therefore would not alter the existing character of the neighborhood; and
Whereas, the Planning and Zoning Commission has reviewed the proposed rezoning and has
recommended approval.
Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa:
Section I Approval. Property described below is hereby classified General Industrial (1-1);
Parcel 1
Commencing at a point in the Center of the Lower Muscatine Road in Johnson County, Iowa,
which point is South 43 degrees 17 minutes East, 132.5 feet from the West Line of Lot 5, of
Ohl's Subdivision in Sections 14 and 23, Township 79 North, Range 6 West of the Fifth Principal
Meridian, as recorded in Plat Book 1, Page 121, in the Recorder's Office in Johnson County,
Iowa; thence South 43 degrees 17 minutes East, 97 feet; thence North 47 degrees 5 minutes
East, 273 feet; thence South 43 degrees 17 minutes East, 80 feet; thence North 47 degrees 5
minutes East, 744 feet to the West line of the right of way of the C.R.I. & P R.R. Co.; thence
Northwesterly along said right of way 187.5 feet; thence South 47 degrees 5 minutes West, 953
feet to the place of beginning, Except for that land conveyed to the City of Iowa City, Iowa, in
Book 4885, Page 683 in Plat Records of Johnson County, Iowa.
Parcel 2
Auditor's Parcel No. 96059, according to plat thereof recorded in Book 37, Page 16, Plat of
Records of Johnson County, Iowa, Except for that land conveyed to the City of Iowa City, Iowa,
in Book 4885, Page 683 in Plat Records of Johnson County, Iowa.
Parcel 3
Auditor's Parcel No. 2011123, according to Plat of Survey recorded in Book 57, Page 158, Plat
of Records of Johnson County, Iowa.
Ordinance No. 24-492,Z
Page 2'
Parcel 4
Auditor's Parcel No. 96060, according to the plat thereof recorded in Book 37, Page 16, Plat
Records of Johnson County, Iowa, Except for that land conveyed to the City of Iowa City, Iowa,
in Book 4885, Page 683 in Plat Records of Johnson County, Iowa.
Parcel 5
Auditor's Parcel No. 96099, according to the plat thereof recorded in Book 37, Page 88, Plat
Records of Johnson County, Iowa, Except for that land conveyed to the City of Iowa City, Iowa,
in Book 4885, Page 683 in Plat Records of Johnson County, Iowa.
Parcel 6
Commencing at the intersection of the East line of the Northeast Quarter of the Southwest
Quarter of Section 14, Township 79 North, Range 6 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, and the
centerline of the Lower Muscatine Road, which point is 101 feet North of the Southeast corner
of said Quarter; thence South 43 degrees 19 minutes East, along the said centerline 440.5 feet
to the point of beginning; thence North 47 degrees 05 minutes East, 201.5 feet; thence North 43
degrees 19 minutes West, 100 feet; thence South 47 degrees 05 minutes West, 201.5 feet;
thence South 43 degrees 19 minutes East, 100 feet to the point of beginning, Except for that
land conveyed to the City of Iowa City, Iowa, in Book 4885, Page 683 in Plat Records of
Johnson County, Iowa.
Parcel 7
Auditor's Parcel No. 96100, according to the plat thereof recorded in Book 37, Page 87, Plat
Records of Johnson County, Iowa, Except for that land conveyed to the City of Iowa City, Iowa,
in Book 4885, Page 683 in Plat Records of Johnson County, Iowa.
Section ll. Zoning Map. The building official is hereby authorized and directed to change the
zoning map of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, to conform to this amendment upon the final passage,
approval and publication of the ordinance as approved by law.
Section III. Certification And Recording. Upon passage and approval of the Ordinance, the
City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to certify a copy of this ordinance, and record the
same in the Office of the County Recorder, Johnson County, Iowa, at the Owner's expense, upon
the final passage, approval and publication of this ordinance, as provided by law.
Section IV. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of
this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section V. Severability. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to
be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
Section VI. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approval
and publication asg5fovided by law.
' c .
Passed and approved this 16 t-1, day of and i 2024.
Approved by /
G .
City Attornea Office
(Sara Hektoen — 03107/2024)
Ordinance No. 24-4922
Page 3
It was moved by Harmsen and seconded by Al t,
the Ordinance as read be adopted, and upon roll call there were:
AYES: NAYS: ABSENT:
x Alter
x Bergus
X Dunn
x Harmsen
x Moe
x Salih
x Teague
that
First Consideration 03/19/2024
Voteforpassage: AYE5: Alter, Fergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Salih, Teague
NAYS: None ABSENT: None
Second Consideration 04/02/2024
Voteforpassage: AYES: Alter, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Teague
NAYS: Salih ABSENT: Bergus
Date published 04/25/2024
Item Number: 10.c.
Executive Summary:
Following a public hearing, staff asks that Council consider amending Title 3, Chapter 4 of the
City Code.
Title 3, Chapter 4 amendments include a 3% increase in water users charges, a 4% increase
in wastewater user charges, an increase in residential solid waste collection fees for curbside
recycling fees by $1.00 per dwelling unit per month, an increase in the tipping fee charged at
the landfill by $2.50 per ton, an increase in the hourly parking ramp fee by $1.00 per hour in
the Court Street Transportation Center, Tower Place, Capital Street and Dubuque Street
parking ramps, an increase in the hourly parking ramp fee by $1.25 per hour in the Chauncey
Swan and Harrison Street ramps with the first hour free, an increase in the hourly parking
meters from between $0.75 to $1.50 depending on the location and an increase in the fines
for parking violations by varying amounts per violation in fiscal year 2025.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 16, 2024
Ordinance Amending Title 3,
Entitled "Finances, Taxation And Fees," Chapter 4, Entitled
"Schedule Of Fees, Rates, Charges, Bonds, Fines, And Penalties".
Prepared By:
Nicole Davies, Finance Director
Reviewed By:
Geoff Fruin, City Manager
Fiscal Impact:
Water rate adjustments for FY2025 amounting to an
increase of approximately $320,000 per year in revenues
for the Water fund. Wastewater rate adjustments for
FY2025 amounting to an increase of approximately
$628,000 per year in revenues for the Wastewater fund.
Solid Waste Disposal rate adjustments for FY2025
amounting to an increase of approximately $190,000 per
year in revenues for the Refuse fund. Tipping fee rate
adjustments for FY2025 amount to an increase of
approximately $750,000 per year in revenues for the
Landfill fund. Parking rate and fine adjustments for FY2025
amounting to an increase of approximately $3,000,000 per
year in revenues for the Parking fund, $160,000 per year in
revenues for the Transit fund and $150,000 per year in
revenues for the General fund.
Staff Recommendation:
Approval
Commission Recommendations: N/A
Attachments: Notice of Public
Hearing.docx
Ordinance
Executive Summary:
Following a public hearing, staff asks that Council consider amending Title 3, Chapter 4 of the
City Code.
Title 3, Chapter 4 amendments include a 3% increase in water users charges, a 4% increase
in wastewater user charges, an increase in residential solid waste collection fees for curbside
recycling fees by $1.00 per dwelling unit per month, an increase in the tipping fee charged at
the landfill by $2.50 per ton, an increase in the hourly parking ramp fee by $1.00 per hour in
the Court Street Transportation Center, Tower Place, Capital Street and Dubuque Street
parking ramps, an increase in the hourly parking ramp fee by $1.25 per hour in the Chauncey
Swan and Harrison Street ramps with the first hour free, an increase in the hourly parking
meters from between $0.75 to $1.50 depending on the location and an increase in the fines
for parking violations by varying amounts per violation in fiscal year 2025.
Background /Analysis:
Title 3, Chapter 4 of the City Code is the "Schedule of Fees. Rates, Charges, Bonds. Fines
and Penalties"
Potable Water Use and Service Rate Adjustments
In the revised fiscal year 2024, the Water fund has a projected ending fund balance of
$14,109,124. With the rate adjustments the projected ending fund balance for fiscal year
2025 would be $14,234,372, a slight 0.9% increase. The City's five-year capital improvement
program projects water funding for capital projects over the next five years to be between
$1,770,000 and $3,100,000 each year for a total of $12,000,000. This figure does not include
the cost of repairing emergency water main breaks. Without a rate increase, the fund balance
would decline.
The Water fund is an enterprise or a business -type fund that is expected to be self -funding.
The primary solution is to review water rates and charges to ensure that the fund is
generating sufficient revenue to cover both its operating and capital expenses. By
implementing a user rate increase of 3% in fiscal year 2025 the anticipated decline in the
water fund's cash balance is greatly reduced. This solution also provides for a much healthier
and sustainable fund over time versus financing the necessary capital improvements through
revenue bonds or other debt.
All fees and charges, within the Water rates, are proposed to be increased 3% in fiscal year
2025, with a few small exceptions. The fee for the direct purchase of water is proposed to
remain at $0.50 per 100 gallons, the deposit for residential tenant accounts is proposed to
remain at $120.00, and the reconnection of discontinued service is proposed to remain at
$45.00. With these changes the minimum monthly charge for households with a 5/8 or 5/8 x
3/4 meter size increases from $8.52 to $8.78 in fiscal year 2025.
The proposed fee increases are expected to generate enough revenue to be able to help
offset the increases in operational costs and in funding for the capital improvement program
and ensuring that the Water fund remains a self -funding enterprise. The expected increase in
revenues is approximately $320,000 each year.
Wastewater Treatment Works User Charges Rate Adjustments
In the revised fiscal year 2024, the Wastewater fund had an ending unassigned fund balance
of $13,456,836. With a rate adjustment the projected ending fund balance for fiscal year 2025
would be $12,867,336, a 4.4% decrease. The City's five-year capital improvement program
projects wastewater funding for capital projects over the next five years to be between
$926,000 and $4,972,000 each year for a total of $12,822,000. Additionally, two revenue
bonds totaling $33,000,000 are planned in fiscal year 2024 for two major capital projects.
The Wastewater fund is an enterprise or a business -type fund that is expected to be self -
funding. The primary solution is to review wastewater rates and charges to ensure that the
fund is generating sufficient revenue to cover both its operating and capital expenses. By
implementing a user rate increase of 2% in fiscal year 2024 the anticipated decline in the
wastewater fund's cash balance is greatly reduced. This solution also provides for a much
healthier and sustainable fund over time versus financing the necessary capital
improvements through additional revenue bonds or other debt.
All fees and charges, within the Wastewater rates, are proposed to be increased 5% in fiscal
year 2025, with one exception. The fee for a deposit for a residential tenant account is
proposed to remain at $120.00. With these changes the minimum monthly charge for
households for up to 100 cubic fee of water used increases from $8.31 to $8.73 in fiscal year
2025.
The proposed fee increases are expected to generate enough revenue to be able to help
offset the increases in funding for the capital improvement program and revenue bond debt
and ensuring that the Wastewater fund remains a self -funding enterprise. The expected
increase in revenues is approximately $628,000 each year.
Solid Waste Disposal Rate Adjustments
In the revised fiscal year 2024, the Refuse Collection fund had an ending unassigned fund
balance of $2,018,613. The estimated fund balance for fiscal year 2025 with the rate
adjustments is $2,186,413, which is an increase of 8.3%. The City's curbside program has
seen consistent increases in trash, recycling and organics usage over the past three years,
while fuel, equipment, and labor costs have increased for all three services. Without the
$1.00 per dwelling unit per month increase for curbside recycling, the fund balance would
continue to decline.
In the revised fiscal year 2024, the Landfill fund had an ending unassigned fund balance of
$2,547,958. The estimated ending fund balance for fiscal year 2024 with the rate adjustments
is $2,739,708, a 7.5% increase. The City's five-year capital improvement program projects
landfill funding for capital projects over the next five years to be between $0 and $4,910,750
each year for a total of $6,322,500. The increase to the tipping fee of $2.50 per ton is needed
to help offset the capital projects costs and is more comparable to what other area landfills
are charging.
The Refuse Collection and Landfill funds are enterprise or business -type funds that are
expected to be self -funding. The primary solution is to review user rates to ensure that the
fund is generating sufficient revenue to cover both operating and capital expenses. By
implementing the solid waste rate increases mentioned previously in fiscal year 2025, the
anticipated declines in the funds' cash balances are greatly reduced. This solution also
provides for much healthier and sustainable funds over time versus financing the necessary
capital improvements through revenue bonds or other debt.
The proposed fee increases are expected to generate enough revenue to support the
increase in operational costs and capital projects and ensures that the Refuse Collection and
Landfill funds remain a self -funding enterprise. The expected increase in revenues for the
Refuse Collection and Landfill funds are approximately $190,000 and $750,000 a year,
respectively.
Parking Rate Adjustments
In the revised fiscal year 2024, the Parking fund had an ending unassigned fund balance of
$1,476,139, which is 22% of revenues and transfers in. We want this number to be at least
50% of revenues and transfers in. The projected ending fund balance for fiscal year 2025 is
estimated to be $3,482,780, a 136% increase, but still only 33% of revenues and transfers in.
With a rate increase, we can start building our unassigned fund balance, implement
enhanced cleaning for our ramps and downtown and help subsidize fare free for Transit.
The Parking fund is an enterprise or a business -type fund that is expected to be self -funding.
The primary solution is to review parking rates to ensure that the fund is generating sufficient
revenue to cover both its operating and capital expenses. By implementing increases for
hourly parking in the ramps, hourly parking meters and for parking violations, the parking
fund's cash balance is anticipated to increase. This solution also provides for a much
healthier and sustainable fund over time versus financing the necessary capital
improvements through revenue bonds or other debt.
With this increase in the hourly parking in the ramps, the hourly fee increases from either
$0.75 or $1.00 to $2.00 an hour, the hourly fee for parking meters increases from $0.75 to
$1.50, $1.00 to $1.50 or $1.50 to $3.00, depending on location, the fines for parking
violations are increasing varying amounts per violation in fiscal year 2025.
The proposed fee increases are expected to generate enough revenue to support the
increased costs in operations, funding for the capital improvement program and helps to
ensure the Parking fund remains a self -funding enterprise. The expected increase in
revenues is approximately $3,000,000 a year. The hourly ramp increase is also expected to
increase Transit fund revenues by $160,000 for the Court Street Transportation Center ramp.
The increase in parking fine violations is also expected to increase General fund revenues by
$150,000.
Notice of Public Hearing
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will
be held at which the Council will consider:
Ordinance amending Title 3, Entitled
"Finances, Taxation and Fees," Chapter 4,
entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates, Charges,
Bonds, Fines and Penalties," of the City Code
to increase water system, wastewater
system, solid waste disposal, and parking
charges and fees.
Copies of the proposed ordinance are on file
for public examination in the office of the City
Clerk, City Hall, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa
City, Iowa. Copies are available by telephoning
the City Clerk at 319/356-5043 or emailing
kellie-fruehling(cDiowa-city.org.
The public hearing will be held at 6:00 p.m. on
April 16, 2024, in the Emma J. Harvat Hall, City
Hall, Iowa City. Persons wishing to make their
views known for Council consideration are
encouraged to participate.
Kellie K. Fruehling, City Clerk
10, C—
Prepared by: Nicole Davies, Finance Director, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240; 319-356-5085
Ordinance No.
Ordinance Amending Title 3, Entitled "Finances, Taxation And Fees,"
Chapter 4, Entitled ".Schedule Of Fees, Rates, Charges, Bonds, Fines, And
Penalties"
Whereas, pursuant to Chapter 384, Code of Iowa (2023), the City of Iowa City is authorized to
establish and provide for the collection of rates to pay for the City's utility systems, including the
City's water supply and treatment system, wastewater treatment system, solid waste disposal
services at the municipal landfill, and parking system; and
Whereas, the City's financial policies dictate that the Water fund shall be self-supporting; and
Whereas, the City's current water rate structure does not provide sufficient revenue to fund the
necessary operations; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council intends to provide a water rate and fee structure that makes
the City's water utilities self-sustaining; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to increase water user charges by 3% on July 1,
2024 to recover the City's cost of providing services; and
Whereas, the City's financial policies dictate that the Wastewater fund shall be self-supporting;
and
Whereas, the City's ,current wastewater rate structure does not provide sufficient revenue to fund
the necessary operations; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council intends to provide a wastewater rate and fee structure that
makes.the City's wastewater utilities self-sustaining; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to increase wastewater user charges by 5% on,
July 1, 2024 to recover the City's cost of providing services; and
Whereas, the City's financial policies dictate that the Refuse and Landfill funds shall be self-
supporting; and
Whereas, the City's current solid waste disposal rate structure does not provide sufficient revenue
to fund the necessary operations; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council intends to provide a solid waste disposal rate and fee
structure that makes the City's refuse and landfill utilities self-sustaining; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to increase curbside recycling by $1.00 per
dwelling unit, per month and to increase the landfill tipping fee by $2.50 per ton on July 1, 2024, to
adequately finance the municipal solid waste operational costs; and
Whereas, the City's financial policies dictate that the Parking fund shall be self-supporting; and
Whereas, the City's current parking rate structure does not provide sufficient revenue to fund the
necessary operations; and
Ordinance No.
Page 2
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council intends to provide a parking rate and fee structure that
makes the City's Parking utilities self-sustaining; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to increase the hourly parking ramp fee by $1.00
per hour in the Court Street Transportation Center, Tower Place, Capital Street and Dubuque
Street parking ramps, the hourly parking ramp fee by $1.25 per hour in the Chauncey Swan and
Harrison Street ramps with the first hour free, the hourly parking meters from between $0.75 to
$1.50 depending on the location and the fines for parking violations by varying amounts per
violation on July 1, 2024 to recover the City's cost of providing services.
Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa:
Section I. Amendment.
Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees,
Rates, Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 3, entitled "Potable Water Use and
Service," of the Iowa City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and
replacing it as follows:
3-4-3: Potable Water Use and Service:
Description Of Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty
Amount Of Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty
Water service charges (see section 16-3A-4 of this Code):
Meter Size
Charge
(Inches)
For first 100 cubic feet or less of water used, based on
5/8, 5/8 x 3/4
$ 8.78
meter size
3/4
9.59
1
11.29
11/2
22.51
2
30.27
3
55.95
4
97.57
6
196.34
There will be no minimum monthly charge for a single purpose water meter for the months of November to March if
no water is used.
User charges for water in excess of 100 cubic feet per
Monthly
Charge Per 100 Cubic Feet
month:
Usage
(Cubic Feet)
Dual purpose meters
101 -3,000
$4.09
Over 3,000
2.94
Single purpose meters
Over 100
4.09
Other charges and discounts:
Charge
Low income discount
60 percent of minimum monthly water charge
Temporary water use (see subsection 16-3A-4 B of this
Code):
During construction for the first 90 days from the date
Charge Per Month
of the connection to the. water main for a new water
service or a maximum of 90 days for reconstruction:
Single- and two-family residences
$ 20.52
Multi -family residences
20.52
Commercial structures
34.19
Ordinance No.
Page 3
2. Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 4, entitled "Wastewater Treatment Works User
Charges," of the Iowa City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as
After 90 days for any structure, until the water meter is
136.72
installed
Charge
Direct purchase of water fee, per 100 gallons or fraction
$ 0.50
thereof (see subsection 16-3A-4 C of this Code)
Deposit and delinquency fee for combined City water
and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
accounts (see section 16-3A-5 of this Code):
Residential owner account
0.00
Residential tenant account
120.00
Commercial account
An amount equal to an
average 2 month billing for
commercial service for City water and/or sanitary sewer
service, or $120.00, whichever is greater
10 percent delinquency charge on current billed portion of the outstanding amount on combined water and/or
sanitary sewer and/or solid waste account that is not paid
within 22 days of billing date. Can be waived once every
12 months
Delinquency deposit fee for combined water and/or
An amount equal to an average 2 month billing for the
sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection accounts (see
delinquent account. Can be waived if the account holder
section 16-3A-5 of this Code)
enrolls in SurePay
To connect water main extensions, per acre
Charge
$539.42
Service Fees
During Normal
After Normal
Working Hours
Working Hours'
Reconnection of discontinued service
$45
$94.48
Posting fee for shutting off water in collection procedure
$0
Not done after normal
working hours
Frozen. water meters
$40.13, plus cost of meter
$94.48, plus cost of
meter
Shut off water service at curb and check for exterior leaks
No charge
$94.48, plus hourly
overtime rate beyond 2
hours
Broken or damaged hydrant
Repair cost
$94.48, plus repair cost
Location of City owned water main for other utilities
No charge
No charge
Location of City owned water main for private enterprise
No charge
$94.48, plus hourly
overtime rate beyond 2
hours
Check water meter for accuracy at consumer's request
$90.94
Not done after normal
working hours
Annual fire hydrant fee for inspection -and operation of fire
107.47
Not done after normal
hydrants which are privately owned or owned by other
working hours
government agencies
After hours callout fee for any water work done outside of
Not applicable
$94:48, plus hourly
normal working hours
overtime rate beyond 2
hours
2. Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 4, entitled "Wastewater Treatment Works User
Charges," of the Iowa City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as
Ordinance No.
Page 4
follows:
3-4-4: Wastewater Treatment Works User Charges:
Sanitary Sewer Service Charges; Description Of
Amount Of Fee, Charge, Bond,
City Code
Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty
Fine Or Penalty
Chapter, Article Or
Section Reference
Minimum monthly charge (includes the first 100 cubic
$8.73
16-3A-4
feet of water used)
Monthly charge for each additional 100 cubic feet of
4.27
16-3A-4
water used
Low income discount
60 percent of monthly minimum
16-3A-4
charge
Monthly surcharge:
BOD (per pound) 300 or less MPL'
Included in charge for 100 cubic feet
16-3A-4
of water used
BOD (per pound) from 301 MPL to 2,000 MPL'
$ 0.305
16-3A-4
BOD (per pound) greater than 2,000 MPL'
0.456
16-3A-4
Suspended solids (SS) (per pound)
0.244
16-3A-4
Monthly minimum, unmetered user
35.73
16-3A-4
Manufactured housing park, monthly minimum per lot
35.73
16-3A-4
Holding tank waste - plus landfill fees
0.035 per gallon
16-3A-4
Holding tank waste hauler - annual permit
971.40 per year
16-3A-4
Deposit and delinquency fee for combined City water
16-3A-5, 16-3A-7
and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
accounts:
Residential owner account, per combined residential
0.00
service for City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or
solid waste collection service
Residential tenant. account, per combined residential
120.00
service for City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or
solid waste collection service
10 percent delinquency charge on current billed
10.0 percent current billed portion.
portion of the outstanding amount on combined
Can be waived once every 12
water and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste
months
account that is not paid within 22 days of billing date
Delinquency deposit fee for combined City water and/or
An amount equal to an average 2-
16-3A-5
sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection accounts
month billing for the delinquent
account. Can be waived if the
account holder enrolls in SurePay
3. Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 5, entitled "Solid Waste Disposal," of the Iowa City
Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as follows:
3-4-5: Solid Waste Disposal:
Description Of Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty Charge
Yard waste collection fees:
Per dwelling unit, per month $3.50
Ordinance No.
Page 5
Low income discount
75 percent of monthly charge
Untreated wood waste
Free
Additional yard waste carts over 1, per month
$3.50
Collection of large items fees:
Appliance collection, per item collected
$20.00
Bulky solid waste
$20.00 per stop and 1 item; $10.00 per
additional items
Tire collection
$3.75 per tire; $7.50 tire and rim
Residential solid waste collection fees:
Curbside household refuse:
Per dwelling unit, per month
$14.00
Low income discount
75 percent of monthly charge
Per sticker for each additional bag beyond each unit's monthly
allotment
$ 2.50 each
Additional refuse carts over 1, per month
$14.00 each
Per 2 rooming units, per month (in addition to the dwelling unit
fees)
15.90
Electronic waste
TVs or monitors $21.50 per item
Curbside recycling:
Per dwelling unit, per month
$8.50
Low income discount
75 percent of monthly charge
Iowa City community compost
$20.00 per ton, $2.00 minimum
Wood chip mulch
No charge
Deposit and delinquency fee combined for City water and/or sanitary
sewer and/or solid waste collection accounts:
Residential owner account, per combined residential service for
City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
service
$ 0.00
Residential tenant account, per combined residential service for
City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
service
120.00
5 percent delinquency charge on current billed portion of the
outstanding amount on combined water and/or sanitary sewer
and/or solid waste account that is not paid within 22 days of billing
date
5 percent current billed portion. Can be
waived once every 12 months
Delinquency deposit for combined water and/or sanitary sewer and/or
solid waste collection service
An amount equal to an average 2 -month
billing for the delinquent account. Can be
waived if the account holder enrolls in
SurePay
Special wastes disposal fees:
Disposal of special wastes (except for asbestos containing material
and contaminated soils)
2 times the landfill use fees in this section
Minimum fee
2 times the landfill use fee for 1 ton
Asbestos containing material (ACM):
Nonfriable ACM, from Iowa City premises subject to a
Property Tax and City owned property
$100.00/ton
Nonfriable ACM, from other locations
105.00/ton
Ordinance No.
Page 6
Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 6, entitled "Stormwater Utility Fee," of the Iowa
City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as follows:
3-4-8: Parking:
Description Of Fee, Charge, Fine Or Penalty
Amount Of Fee, Charge, Fine Or
Friable ACM, from Iowa City premises subject to a Property
Tax and City owned property
100.00/cubic yard
Parking ramp fees:
Friable ACM, from other locations
105.00/cubic yard
First hour = Free
Minimum fee for any regulated ACM
100.00
Contaminated soil:
50.00/ton
Monthly all day permits with advance payment (Court Street
Minimum fee for contaminated soil
150.00
Disposal of large items fees (see also Collection of large items fees
above):
Appliance disposal fees:
Commercial per item disposed
1.00/cubic foot
Residential per item disposed
$12.50 (at landfill scale house)
Tire disposal fee:
Per pound
$ 0.15
Subject to minimum fee
3.00
Untreated wood waste and yard waste:
24.00/ton
Minimum
2.00
Landfill use fees:
Arriving at the landfill with an unsecured or uncovered load:
First instance in trailing 12 months
Warning
Second or subsequent instances in trailing 12 months
$50.00
Electronic waste
$3.00 per item; TVs or monitors $15.00 per
item
Solid waste from Iowa City premises subject to a Property Tax and
City owned property:
Total landfill fee per ton (includes State fee per ton)
$47.50
All other solid waste:
Total landfill fee per ton (includes State fee per ton)
$52.50
Minimum fee in lieu of tonnage fees (600 pounds or less):
Solid waste from Iowa City premises subject to a Property Tax
and City owned property
$14.00
All other solid waste
$15:00
Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 6, entitled "Stormwater Utility Fee," of the Iowa
City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as follows:
3-4-8: Parking:
Description Of Fee, Charge, Fine Or Penalty
Amount Of Fee, Charge, Fine Or
Penalty
Parking ramp fees:
Hourly parker (Court Street Transportation Center, Tower Place,
First hour = Free
Capital Street, Chauncey Swan, Harrison Street and Dubuque
Hours 2+ _ $2.00 per hour
Street parking ramps), per hour
Monthly all day permits with advance payment (Court Street
90.00
Transportation Center, Chauncey Swan, Harrison Street, Tower
Ordinance No.
Page 7
Place, Capital Street, and Dubuque Street parking ramps), per
month
Annual all day permits with advance payment (Court Street
Transportation Center, Chauncey Swan, Harrison Street, Tower
Place, Capital Street, and Dubuque Street parking ramps), per
year
1,026.00
Reissue of monthly, quarterly or annual permit, each reissue
25.00
City employee monthly all day permits, per month
Half price
City council monthly all day permits, per month
No charge
Lost ticket fee
$ 30.00
Surface lot fees:
Monthly all day.permits, per month
70.00
Monthly all day permits (annual advance payment), per year
798.00
Monthly off hours permits (after 5:00 P.M., Monday through
Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday), per month; all city surface
lots
63.00
Parking meter fees (except as otherwise marked):
Central business district on street meter, per hour
3.00
Central business district lot meter, per hour
3.00
100 - 300 blocks of East Jefferson Street, per hour
3.00
100 - 200 block of North Clinton Street, per hour
1.50
10 block of West Court Street, per hour
1.50
10 - 300 block of East Court Street, per hour
1.50
300 block of South Linn Street, per hour
1.50
300 block of South Dubuque Street, per hour
1.50
300 block of South Clinton Street, per hour
1.50
100 - 300 blocks of East Market Street, per hour
1.50
100 - 200 block of North Linn Street; per hour
1.50
400 block of Iowa Avenue, per hour
1.50
Market Street and Schuman parking lots, per hour
1.50
Peripheral lot meter (outside central business. district), per hour
1.50
Peripheral on street meter (outside central business district), per
hour
1.50
Fee for contractor reservation of space, per day
25.00
Moped/scooter/motorcycle permit (annual permit):
January 1, 2015 — December 31, 2023
90.00
January 1, 2024 -
95.00
Fines for parking violations:
Overtime parking
15.00
Commercial loading zone; each period runs from July 1 until
June 30 of subsequent year.:
First citation each period
25.00
Second+ citation each period
40.00
Ordinance No.
Page 8
Section II. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this
Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section III. Severability. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to be
invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
Section IV. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect on July 1, 2024.
Passed and approved this day of , 20
Mayor
Attest:
City Clerk
Approved by
G .
City Attorney' Office — 04/10/2024
Expired meter; each period runs from July 1 until June 30 of the
subsequent year:
First citation each period
Warning
Second citation each period
$ 10.00
Third citation each period
15.00
Fourth citation each period
20.00
Fifth citation each period
30.00
Sixth+ citation each period
40.00
Prohibited zone
25.00
Illegal parking; handicapped parking space
$200.00, or as specified in Iowa Code
section 321.236(1)(b), as amended, for
violations of Iowa Code section
321 L.4(2)
Library patron only parking
$20.00
Library outside book drop off only
20.00
Parking in passenger loading zone
25.00
Parking where prohibited or restricted during a snow emergency
50.00
Parking in front of fire hydrant
50.00
Parking in fire lane
40.00
All other illegal parking violations
25.00
Increases:
30 days after issue, all parking violations, if not already paid
or appealed, shall increase in amount by $10.00, or as
allowed by Iowa Code section 321.236(1)(b), as amended
Original ticket amount plus $10.00
Section II. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this
Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section III. Severability. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to be
invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
Section IV. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect on July 1, 2024.
Passed and approved this day of , 20
Mayor
Attest:
City Clerk
Approved by
G .
City Attorney' Office — 04/10/2024
Ordinance No.
Page 9
It was moved by and seconded by
the Ordinance as read be adopted, and upon roll call there were:
AYES: NAYS: ABSENT:
Alter
Bergus
Dunn
Harmsen
Moe
Salih
Teague
that
First Consideration 04/16/2024
Vote for passage: AYES: Alter, Bergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Salih, Teague
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
Second Consideration _
Vote for passage:
Date published