WB Council Backs Apartment Complex Developer in Principle

The West Burlington City Council gave its nearly-unanimous…but only symbolic…support last(Weds) night to a proposed apartment complex just north of Huston Street on property owned by the Mall.

 

Matt Higdon is also part of the re-development of the old Ft. Madison Junior High into living space…and he and business partner Todd Schneider are seeking a $3,000,000 federal grant for the West Burlington project, just as they did in Ft. Madison.   Higdon says the apartments will be “higher-end,” as he put it…but half of them will also be set aside for those with low-to-moderate incomes.

 

Several council members and City Administrator Dan Gifford pointed out that Higdon’s proposal may be a little too dense to meet West Burlington’s zoning requirements.  That’ll be up to the Board of Adjustment to determine.

 

The Council voted 4-1 to write a letter of support for the project, which does not seek any money from the City. Councilman Rick Raleigh is against the idea, saying that most apartment complexes are allowed to deteriorate and he favors condos instead.