The Carroll City Council voted unanimously this week to move forward with platting and infrastructure design work for a proposed housing development on the Carroll Municipal Golf Course’s western edge. Earlier this summer, an ad-hoc housing committee presented a plan to create nine lots along West Street. City officials reached out to JEO Consulting to prepare cost estimates for the next stage of development. JEO Project Manager Noah Dryden says that work will come in two phases.
The estimated cost for the platting phase is $39,700. Dryden says the design phase gets deeper into the nuts and bolts of the final development.
The fees associated with the design phase are estimated at $77,250, bringing the total for the JEO professional services agreement to $116,950. With solid design costs now available, Mayor Mark Beardmore says he is concerned this project will become an expensive one.
Originally, the council was expecting to spend around $800,000 on this development, but Beardmore says it is likely to easily exceed $1.1 million, bringing the average price per lot to nearly $130,000. At-Large Councilman LaVern Dirkx says creating new housing is a priority, and the city can wait to recoup its investment.
City Manager Aaron Kooiker points out that this work will also open up the potential for additional developments to the northwest once completed. After a lengthy discussion, the council voted 6-0 to proceed with the JEO contract for nearly $117,000. Funding for this work has yet to be allocated, but city officials anticipate it will likely come from Local Option Sales Tax or American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
