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Mr. Answer Person is asked about Menards and other Decorah properties

Posted: Sun, Aug 19, 2018 4:51 PM

(Ryan e-mails Mr. Answer Person: "Why can Bruening Rock Products  continue to fill in two large ponds that are located in a floodplain and no one seems to care?  Every time there is a significant flood these two ponds take on massive amounts of river water to help control flooding.  But when Menards wants to build and add 150 jobs to Decorah, the city has a melt down.  It seems like Decorah isn't concerned about the flooding--they are more concerned about the big box stores moving in to town."):

Mr. Answer Person says: "So you're saying that Bruening is somehow responsible for Menards not being allowed to build in the floodplain?  Let me give you a brief answer: 'no!'

OK, here's a longer answer.  The Iowa DNR has issued fill permits for the two ponds you mention dating all the way back to the 1980s, when the property was owned by Carlson's.  So Bruening, due to having purchased the property, also has permission to fill the two ponds.

But the bigger picture is that a permit issued more than 30 years ago isn't a reason to continue giving permits for other properties.  Each property is discussed on its own merits.  Another question I've heard asked is "Why was the Menards application denied when Gundersen Clinic/Walmart/the Dog Park/Wellington Place/most of Freeport/etc. was allowed to build?  Again, each property is discussed on its own merits.  Several of the other properties mentioned aren't even in the floodplain district of the city's zoning map.

There is one issue that will probably be tackled in the future by city officials, however.  The floodplain district map that was created is not interfaced with the Beacon software map of individual properties.  That makes the job of the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Decorah City Council more difficult, but there seems to be an agreement that this discrepancy needs to be corrected.

In the meantime, just because a floodplain fill permit was issued over 30 years ago doesn't mean the Planning & Zoning Commission has to approve all future floodplain fill applications."