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CC needs government flexibility

Despite City Hall’s efforts and past state cooperation, a viable business is still shuttered by government

Charles City Tori's CAL_8146
The widely destructive floodwaters of 2008 crept up to Tori’s but did not get inside. Government regulations are doing what the flood could not –– keeping the business shuttered. File photo

By the Press Editorial Board

There is a building behind the Press. It’s green and ringed by the kind of stone that is so prevalent beneath our farm fields — the kind of stone actually that is responsible for a prosperous crushed rock industry in our region.

This building also has a porch that looks out over the Cedar River. You can sit there and watch the eagles swoop down for lunch every once in awhile. The Fourth of July fireworks are launched nearby each year. It seems like just the place for kayakers to settle in for a break during the annual Whitewater Challenge weekend or the Iowa Games.

Yep, it seems like a pretty nice location for a restaurant or maybe a brew pub. It had been open as a tavern for years as Tori’s until the death of one of its owners.

But yes, there is a problem. A small corner is in the Cedar River flood-way and with governmental regulations being what they are, doing something with this building that is already there and ready for a new business is difficult. One example is that it makes the cost of flood insurance at the moment is prohibitive.

It’s maddening.

The owner is trying to sell it and we know there are people who want it. We also can see how a quality restaurant on the river can help our local economy, pull visitors into town. In Decorah, its brew pubs are getting national press for their beers. People go there from all over the Midwest.

It also is a way for the private sector to help improve our quality of life here.

If somebody wants to go into there —  in a floodplain or a flood-way — that should between them and their lender and their insurance agent. We’d very much like to see government be helpful in furthering that entrepreneurship rather than hindering it. We seem to see that in Cedar Rapids as it rebuilds in some areas that were underwater in 2008.

By the way, in 2008, there was no water in the Tori’s building.

We, however, applaud professionals in City Hall for trying to help with the state and federal roadblocks.

Charles City Administrator Steve Diers explains the situation like this: “Part of the structure is located in the flood-way, perhaps just barely with one corner which could perhaps be remedied with some building alteration. The flood plain appears to be the biggest issue and flood elevation levels for determining where the flood plain is have changed in recent years making it more restrictive.

“While it appears to not be moving forward there is activity going on with it between the Realtor, surveyors, city, DNR and FEMA to hopefully get the property out of the floodplain in some fashion.”

Helping to put those efforts in motion, Diers dug through years of council documents to find meeting minutes indicating the Iowa DNR gave permission to put fill in the flood-way to build the building in the mid-1990s. Former City Engineer Dan Barrett reported to the council that he had received permission from the DNR.

The DNR is searching for its  documentation regarding the permission so it can be presented to FEMA, which could change key designations for the building

As the city waits, other retail business issues linger. But, we are encouraged by city’s action across departments and agencies for Tori’s. It is the active assistance in finding possible solutions that can help solve other  retail problems such as the boarded up storefronts on Main Street.

These buildings are on the tax rolls, but not at the potential value they should.

The good news is there are projects that are underway to improve our community, such as the middle school, McQuillen Place, and firing up the chicken processing plant that are building critical mass for our community to move forward. We need to keep that momentum building so we instead see rising school enrollment and unshuttering of buildings.

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