The Sioux Center City Council continues to take action to promote housing that meets a variety of needs. Expanding housing options in Sioux Center was identified during the council’s strategic planning session last spring as one of 10 key ongoing priorities for the community. This week the council has taken action on two options for new housing, adding to others approved earlier this year.
At this past week’s city council meeting, the council approved the plat of Windsong Addition in southeast Sioux Center, which will add 30 new single-family residential lots on 17 acres. This development will have access from 16th and 20th Street South and will include the extension of 7th Ave SE to meet 20th Street South. Plans call for a curve in the new segment of 7th Avenue SE to calm traffic and create a neighborhood feel.
This approval comes just months after the council approved the plat of the Highland Hills addition at the eastern edge of Sioux Center, which will offer 65 total lots located on 55 acres. Earthwork and infrastructure work is underway for the Highland Hills addition, with plans to make about 30 available in fall of this year. This addition, accessed from County Road B-40, extends Sunrise Trail to the north with a gentle curve and adds Highland Hills road to the east. It will offer half-acre to one-acre lots.
“As a community, we want to make sure there are different types of residential options available to meet different needs. We want to have residential lots available in a variety of locations near different amenities,” said Sioux Center Development Director Dennis Dokter. “We work with local developers through the platting and annexation process as needed to make lots available.”
Multifamily housing continues to be a central focus as well. The council approved resolutions this past week supporting two local applications to the Iowa Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program, a state incentive program promoting development of housing units. These local applications include the construction of a 19-unit building and 5 twin homes at the Woodbridge development area and the relocation of the Colonnade Apartment Complexes out of a commercial development area by Vision Builders, preserving 13 local residential units. Council support for these applications includes a local match of $1,000 per unit. The council has supported 5+ applications for this program in the past.
“We see this as an opportunity to spur multifamily and residential development in the community, and this allows us to leverage dollars from this state program to promote local growth,” said City Manager Scott Wynja.