Linn County Planning Commission Deadlocks With No Recommendation: Alliant Plant Rezoning Goes to the Board of Supervisors Tonight
Linn County's Planning and Zoning Commission wrapped up its Monday evening meeting without reaching a recommendation on Alliant Energy's application to rezone farmland in western Linn County to build a new power plant: a motion to recommend denial of the application ended in a tie vote, so the commission could neither recommend approval nor denial. Commissioner Joe Sperfslage attended via Zoom but did not respond when his name was called for the vote, and staff then tried to reach him by phone without success.
The application will go directly to the Linn County Board of Supervisors tonight for a decision, without a planning commission recommendation. Alliant met with the commission for about four hours on Monday to present its "Morgan Valley Energy Center" plans — the company's second meeting with the commission on the proposal.
One public speaker called the plant under the current plan a "monster." At the first meeting a month ago, commissioners raised questions about water use, noise levels and environmental impact; some were answered Monday evening, but the commission raised a new round of questions, including the actual necessity of the plant. Alliant representative Ben Rogers said Monday that the vote should not be about whether the project is supported, but whether the application complies with the standards Linn County sets for such facilities and whether the evidence supports approval.
The proposed site is currently farmland in western Linn County. The supervisors' decision tonight will determine whether the plant project can move to the next stage, as the public and environmental groups continue to watch its water use and ecological impact.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：林恩县县治 Cedar Rapids 天际线（2022年）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons / Photo: The Cedar Rapids skyline, Linn County seat (2022). Source: Wikimedia Commons
