During heated council meeting, Trilogy questions city support of condo project

By Audrey Posten | Times-Register

At its regular meeting on Dec. 17, the McGregor City Council planned to consider whether to approve a request from the Trilogy Project developers to extend Trilogy’s two-year deadline for completion of the first condo building in their development on the McGregor riverfront. 

However, Trilogy representative Steve McDonald questioned terms of the amended agreement and the city’s professionalism—stalling approval of the agreement as well as discussion on a preliminary utility concept plan for the project.

At a Nov. 10 meeting, the McGregor Planning and Zoning Commission recommended an amendment to the Trilogy Rezoning Agreement with an extension for the project, with the first condo building deadline being extended from late October 2026 to May 31, 2027. The council discussed the recommendation in November, but took no official action.

City administrator Denise Schneider said then that Trilogy had not obtained all the necessary permits to begin work, pushing the start date back. Along with the extension for the first building, she added it was likely Trilogy would need an extension for completion of the public walkway and fishing pier too. The five-year final completion deadline for the second condo building would remain the same, though.

In the process of drafting the agreement, McDonald contested the city’s late inclusion of a term that stated the city would complete construction of the fishing pier and assess costs to the property owner if it was not done in two years.

“I don’t know when you guys decided to slip that in, but it was never brought up to my attention that you would undergo the construction and bill me for it,” he told the council last week. “We can’t sign that agreement with those terms.”

“Are we able to raise the road and send the city a bill since you guys have been dragging your feet and not wanting to do that piece?” McDonald questioned.

According to Schneider, the condition was added by the city attorney. 

McDonald cited poor communication and, at one point, accused the city of unprofessional behavior, specifically referencing interactions with P&Z chair Ruth Crawmer, the wife of mayor Russ Crawmer. 

“Do you guys not want us to do this project?” he asked. “Time and time again, I don’t feel like we’re having a really inviting conversation working with you guys...You guys on the council have to figure out if you want us to move forward with this project or not. But those terms you snuck in there at the end are not going to do it for us.”

Mayor Crawmer apologized for the situation McDonald and the developers were put in, and thanked McDonald for his feedback. 

“I appreciate your honesty and willingness to lay it all out there. You have a lot at stake,” Crawmer said. “As far as your question about the city wanting to pursue this, I think they do. I’ve heard feedback that folks are concerned about deadlines and this word gets thrown out, ‘Are there any teeth involved if things don’t get done?’”

McDonald balked at this, stating, “How can you guys abide teeth when it took me nine months to get my first variance meeting? You guys are the ones dragging your feet. So I’m going to get punished because I’m tip toeing into a project.”

“We want to do this project. I’m getting pushed to start. We have some buyers. I just don’t want to be signing a bad deal here,” he reiterated.

Crawmer questioned where discussion could go from there. His term ends at the end of this year, at which time mayor-elect Anne Kruse will take office. Schneider will also be leaving in early January.

“It would be great to get you guys acquainted and see if we can turn this around in a good direction,” he said.

McGregor Economic Development Director Brandi Crozier agreed.

“If they’re really going to break ground this spring, we don’t have a lot of time to be going back and forth. However, given the transition, I wish we could hit the pause button until Jan. 2 and pick it up,” Crozier said. “I think we need to work with him on it and have some of these discussions. When we send people new stuff, we need to highlight what’s different and what they might not be expecting. And just communication.”

McDonald said he’s willing to work together.

“I want to see this go, but we all need to be on the same page and move together. I can’t be punished to come and build a project in your town. It’s not worth the risk. It’s not worth my time,” he concluded.

In other items on the agenda, the council approved a job posting for a city clerk, after it was announced earlier this month that Schneider is leaving, effective Jan. 5. Additionally, Melissa Atkinson from the city of Garnavillo was approved as an interim independent contractor to fulfill city clerk duties until a replacement is hired. 

The council also approved an ordinance amending the code regarding collection of solid waste, a move that restores curbside pickup to the lower blocks of Main Street and A Street, months after a change to the city’s solid waste and recycling contract with Waste Management eliminated collection for much of the downtown. Dumpsters will still be available downtown for residents and business owners in that area who want to continue to use them.