Two weeks after the Marshalltown City Council approved the first reading of a controversial new ordinance that will allow pad parking in yards (but not pads made of gravel), an amended second reading does allow gravel to be approved by a narrow margin of 4 to 3.

Once Public Works Director Heather Thomas shared a brief overview of the council’s past discussions and actions, she opened the floor for questions and comments. Scott McLain stepped forward and urged the council to reconsider its position on gravel as a permitted surface, pointing out the cost difference between installing gravel ($300 to do it yourself, $750 to contract out the labor), asphalt ($1,500 for materials , $5,000 to $7,000 to install professionally), concrete ($1,300 to $1,500 for material, $4,000 to $5,000 to install), and concrete pavers ($1,600 for pavers, $7,000 to $11,000 to install).

“(If there are) concerns about the rock reaching the street or other areas, it is not supposed to be connected to a driveway. “It’s supposed to be in a yard,” McLain said. “So, I don’t think rock coming out onto the street is the biggest problem with parking decks. I understand the driveway, I understand the old one (on the driveways), I understand all of that and I’m okay with it, but I think the parking decks, we’re shortchanging our people a little bit. “We are costing them a lot of money that they may not have, and they are going to do it anyway.”

Dan Oswald agreed with McLain, adding that the county had just put in “a ton of gravel” that could end up in the same basin. Lonnie Hogeland talked about junk cars and said that a junk car shouldn’t be considered okay just because it’s parked on “a beautiful piece of concrete.”

First Ward Councilman Mike Ladehoff reiterated his position that gravel pads should be allowed for the sake of affordability.

“If you’re like a lot of people, you might buy a $1,500 boat. Now you can’t put it in the backyard because you need a $3,000 pad to put it on, so you put it in the driveway and park on the street,” Ladehoff said. “And we want more cars to park on the street because they can’t afford the parking pad? I would love for everyone to be able to afford a $4,000 parking deck or that kind of thing. I think that would be great, but most of the time, if you buy a camper or something, a lot of people don’t buy new things. And then to go around and double the cost to have a place to park it, I think gravel is a pretty good option for people who still want to be able to put it in their backyard where it should be.”

Fourth District Councilwoman Melisa Fonseca also felt gravel should be allowed and made a motion to amend the ordinance as such. After it was supported, Second District Councilman Mark Mitchell commented that professionals should be hired to come and pack the gravel to ensure it is installed correctly.

“You can’t just put limestone in and call it good,” Mitchell said.

Overall, Councilman Gary Thompson didn’t believe anyone in the city had a solid count of how many parking lots and gravel driveways had been protected, and he noted concerns about the rock washing away and ending up in the storm sewer system.

“Like I said before the first time, I just want something that I know is going to be enforced,” he said.

Thompson had tried unsuccessfully to amend the ordinance at the previous meeting and said he still supported the change. Fonseca felt that city staff would do a great job guiding homeowners through the process of installing a gravel pad, and during public comments, Hogeland again touted the importance of “curb appeal” in beautifying the community.

Dave Grieve suggested rail tie edges and vegetation around platforms to keep gravel in place, and Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO John Hall, though he clarified that he had no dog in the fight. , warned of a “slippery slope” for new commercial developers who have requested the ability to place gravel in their no-maneuver areas, which has drawn pushback from city officials in the past.

The motion to amend ultimately passed 4-3 with Fonseca, Ladehoff, Thompson and Greg Nichols in favor and Mitchell, Barry Kell and Jeff Schneider against. A subsequent vote to approve the amended ordinance passed 5-2 with Mitchell and Kell opposed.

City Clerk Alicia Hunter confirmed that the change to the general ordinance is minor enough that only one more reading needs to be approved for it to go into effect.

——

Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 extension. 255 or

[email protected].