NW Iowa News

A quick turn-around on plans for the proposed redevelopment of the Bethel Church property in Sheldon earned support from the city council.

“I think it shows that a good measure of faith on your behalf of having so quickly moved to have the capital outlay to have an entire new set of plans drawn up and shows that we're encouraged by that,” Council Members Wayne Barahona said at the board’s last meeting.

“That despite the very jaw-dropping numbers that you might have gotten, that you're still willing to try and move forward on the best footing possible,” he said. “And (I) just want you to know that we appreciate that and we appreciate the continued relationship. We can keep this moving forward.”

The church, which stood at 611 Seventh Ave., was nearly completely destroyed by a fire in 2016 and was demolished in the spring of 2021. 

The congregation will start construction on a new church this year on a property across the street. In the past few months, developers have been working on ideas for the now empty lot, and a housing development, originally with 14 housing units, was proposed. The plan has undergone many iterations since then, with some people concerned about the density of that housing and how it would fit on the site, and so they brought an updated plan to the council.

Adam Timmerman, one of the developers, discussed the new plan for 12 housing units on the plot at the council's Jan. 17 meeting. It would feature three buildings, each with four units. This update is designed to alleviate some of the concerns that the neighbors have. Most of the questions about the project centered on the road that had been drawn in the middle of the plot. The road was costly and was not favored by city officials, and it has since been eliminated from the plans.  

Many members of the Bethel congregation attended the meeting to show their support as well. They have been talking with the developers and approve of their plan and past work. They have said that this will not only provide housing that the city desperately needs, but it also will revitalize the center of town. 

Although there are still many more public hearings, zoning meetings, permit processes, and bidding to go through, the council was in favor of the developers proceeding with this new plan and gave their approval for them to continue. The developers hope to start construction in the spring of 2023 with units being available as soon as four months later, although more likely it will be around the end of the calendar year.