KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsWoodbury County residents still not on board with Liberty Park

Woodbury County residents still not on board with Liberty Park

Woodbury County leaders heard a lot of push back Monday night from land owners over future development in the region during the standing-room only meeting at Sergeant Bluff City Hall.

The county was hoping to initiate a discussion on creating a master plan.

They came looking for answers from land owners about what they wanted to see in the future, but what they got was a lot of argument.

About 50 people packed the room  to hear an engineering firm hired by the county, McClure Engineering out of Des Moines, present concepts for the Liberty Industrial park.

The firm says right now, Woodbury County's, "not even in the game" for economic development

Before they can even talk about bringing business in, they have to get the landowners behind the project.

If Monday night's meeting is any indication, they have a long way to go.

"I can't get past them talking about plans when they haven't even initially talked to the land owners and the homeowners that this directly involves.  I mean, we should at least be talked to before they're making all these plans and spending all this money.  Where's all this taxpayer money going?  It's not going anywhere," asked Colette Godfriendson, whose home sits on farm land that's been in her family for generations.

Landowners signed up to be on advisory committees for the project, but when asked as a group, a majority said, "leave our land alone."

Rob Marqusee, Woodbury County's Rural Economic Development Director says development will happen with our without the support.  He says without it, the land will be developed slower, as people decide to sell.  With a plan he says the community can control how it grows.

"If the area doesn't want to grow, and create a community plan development, all right you don't like me, fine.  I'm just saying, don't come to me 10 years from now and say "hey, how come you didn't do anything.   I mean this is our opportunity to do something," he added. 

Another point of contention is the location of the I-29 interchange.  Eight-million dollars was set aside by the DOT to make improvements at Port Neal.

However, Sioux City wants to use that money to move the interchange closer to their own industrial development.

Residents in Salix, Sloan, and Sergeant Bluff put pressure on officials not to budge.

"Port Neal was put there for a reason.  It was put there for the plants that are there and the development out at that area," said Caryl Powell of Salix.

The state is looking for direction on the location of the interchange within the next six months.