News : Benton Development Group Quarterly Update

The Benton Development Group's quarterly meeting was held recently in Van Horne with a representative from the board of supervisors and the communities of Atkins, Blairstown, Garrison, Shellsburg, and Urbana.

In the Director's Report, Kate Robertson shared information about several grant applications BDG is currently assisting with to improve housing and address damage caused by natural disasters. Robertson said there had been a recent increase in RFP's from developers looking for new sites, and highlighted the need for more complete information about real estate and facilities available in the county.

Updates from around the county:

Urbana reported possible expansion of a convenience store and a church's interest in land for construction of a new facility.

Shellsburg has a new 48-lot subdivision under construction. Sewer and water work is near completion to be followed by curb and gutter. Work continues on the nature trail with 125 hours of donated time spent clearing trees and spreading gravel on the walkway.

Garrison is exploring options for improving accessibility for the Mercantile. Attendance is robust at concerts held there and the old sidewalks can create challenges for the public.

Blairstown continues investigating construction of a new fire and EMS facility. The community also has a new car wash business open for customers.

Atkins has a new interim City Administrator who was formerly a deputy city manager for the City of Cedar Rapids. Mayor Visser also reported on an upcoming Iowa League of Municipalities meeting on April 6th focusing on economic development.

The next meeting of BDG will be held at the Van Horne Community Building on May 29th at 6:30. All communities and the public are encouraged to attend.