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Marquette agrees to zoning change for railroad property

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By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times

At its July 10 meeting, the Marquette Council approved the final readings and passage of ordinance 402, which would change the zoning district classification for a portion of railroad property in the community from A1 - limited agricultural to C1 - highway commercial.

The property is located south of the railroad tracks and north of Bloody Run, in the Canadian Pacific rail yard. CP hopes to construct a new building there next year, which would be utilized by its engineering services employees.

“We’re building this building for the people who maintain the infrastructure of the railroad,” explained Tim Carlson, senior project manager for Canadian Pacific. 

No building is located there now, but one is needed, he said, to accommodate more staff and allow them to work more efficiently.

“We just do not have room for the staff,” Carlson said. “The engineering staff, the engineering services, is a critical part of our company. It’s essential to not only have a training room so they can have ongoing training, but just so we can support the operations of the railroad.”

The council first considered ordinance 402 in March, but has held off on its final approval.

“We’ve just been kicking this thing down the road, not really accomplishing anything,” said mayor Steve Weipert.

Councilwoman Cindy Halvorson said she was looking for a guarantee that “down the road, you won’t switch up, that it becomes a depot and there’s more congestion.”

“There are no guarantees,” said Carlson, “but this building out in the yard will have no impact on train movement. Not the amount of trains or the length of trains. It’s for engineering services employees.”

“It’s specifically designed for that department,” added train master Tim Bivens. 

That design, paired with the location, would not be suitable for other uses, he noted.

Bivens said he hopes the building, as well as the one currently being built downtown to serve the train masters and assigned train engine and yard personnel, will be something the city and its visitors can be proud of. By constructing the new building in the rail yard, the large trucks people now often see near downtown Marquette will move to that area.

“I think Marquette is a great town, a beautiful place,” he commented. “I want to have a positive impact here. We want people to see our building, along with the rest of the city, and be proud to come here and live here.” 

Weipert asked what would happen if the council opted not to change the zoning classification.

“We’re federally regulated,” Carlson responded. “If you want my opinion, we’ll be building out there anyway.”

By going through the process, CP is trying to be a good neighbor, he said.

Weipert said he felt the railroad was doing all it could to be a good neighbor in this regard, as well as in dealing with crossing blockages and noise complaints.

Carlson said part of that is because Marquette now has two train masters, rather than a single one who floated to different locations.

“We’re doing all we can to avoid stoppages. That’s a concern of mine,” Bivens said. “These trains are long. We do have issues occasionally. I try to be strategic with how we do our moves, how we switch.”

If people have concerns, they can contact city hall, which will, in turn, contact Bivens.

Depot Museum expansion

At the meeting, the council also approved the proposed plans and specifications for phase three of the Depot Museum expansion project. Martin Gardner Architecture estimates the cost of the project at $254,000.

City clerk Bonnie Basemann said bids for the project will come in next month. If one is accepted, the building’s exterior could be completed in November, while interior work would finish up in March.

Bench evacuation route

The council discussed the recently-opened bench evacuation route, noting several things that could be done to improve route access and durability.

In order to assure the route entrance at the end of Walnut Street is not blocked, members suggested installing “no parking” signs in the area, then having police issue tickets to violators.

Next month, they also hope to consider an ordinance prohibiting recreational ATV and UTV use on the route, and fining violators $500.

“It’s gonna have to be steep, or they’re gonna go,” said councilwoman Pam Brodie-Fitzgerald

Bridge

Basemann noted a piece of concrete fell from the underside of the Marquette-Joliet Bridge early last week, landing on the hood of a truck in the city parking lot. The Crawford County Highway Department, which is in charge of bridge maintenance, had been contacted to check on the issue.

Proposal to log city property

The council considered a proposal from Todd Jones, with Jones Logging, to harvest $90,000 worth of timber in the bench evacuation area.

“The timber is healthy and looks good. It could just use a haircut,” explained Jones, who said he would complete the work in the winter, when the ground is frozen, to minimize damage. 

He estimated it had been 30 years since the area was logged.

The council tabled the proposal until next month, so members can check out the marked trees and further review the plan.

Park shelter

Basemann and Weipert broached the idea of allowing people to once again use the kitchen of the downtown city park shelter, as long as they paid a larger security deposit to cover possible damages.

The council agreed to limit public rentals of the kitchen last June, with Brodie-Fitzgerald citing damage to and theft of items and equipment, most of which was purchased by the Marquette Legion or Action Club. Her concerns are still valid today, she told the council.

However, as taxpayers, some residents have complained, Weipert noted.

Although kitchen facilities can be rented at both the community center and Wetlands Centre, Basemann said there have been situations where those locations were booked and someone wanted use of a kitchen.

“We’ve gotten into a spot where we could be renting other facilities,” she said. 

City attorney Dan Key said it would be up to the council to overturn its previous decision and put new guidelines in place, a motion no one made.

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