Tagged: Keokuk

Keokuk has started talking about developing its own multi-sport complex.

The discussions began with a request to upgrade Rees Park.  Mayor Tom Marion says the idea is to prepare the park for softball games or practices.

“We will put the fencing back up and we will disc the infield,” says Marion.  “We will also bring some clay sand and put it on the infield and fix the bleachers.”

The city council reached a consensus to proceed with the project, which could cost several thousand dollars.

Afterwards, the discussion shifted to Fort Madison’s proposed sports complex.  Aldermen discussed whether several soccer fields could be added to Keokuk’s Joyce Park, which already has a couple of baseball/softball diamonds.

Keokuk is ready to do something about the former Flowers by Daryl building at 707 Main Street.

Code Enforcement Officer Kathie Mahoney says a majority of the building’s exterior is in good shape, but she says the rear portion of the structure is basically gone.

The city has received one bid of just under $8,700 to repair the building.

Mayor Tom Marion says Keokuk does not want to see another vacant Main Street lot.

“It’s in the middle of the block,” says Marion, “so if you take it down, you are affecting property owners on each side.  It is also, ‘what do you put in the middle of the block,’ as we have lost enough buildings and got enough lots that it is not pretty.”

The Keokuk Board of Adjustment has signed off on a couple of small changes to the design plans for several garages that will be built behind the former Eagles building.

The property is being re-developed for commercial and residential use.  There will be four high-end, upper-story apartments, which require the construction of the garages.

The board had to reconfirm its support because the project required a construction variance and any change must return to the panel.  The garages will be slightly larger and their footprint will shift a couple of feet closer to a nearby alley.

Time is of the essence when it comes to a multi-million dollar project at the Keokuk Municipal Airport.

The city council has awarded the contract for resurfacing the airport’s 5500 ft. runway to Shipley Contracting out of Burlington.

The company’s bid of just under $3.8 million came in roughly $1-million below original estimates.  The city received three bids but did not consider one of them.

The federal government was on track to cover 95% of the cost of the project with the city coming up with the remaining 5%.  The breakdown would have been just over $4-million vs. about $225,000.

Keokuk could have a buyer for three pieces of prime, Main Street real estate.

The city shut down the Keokuk Saddle Club in 2004 to allow for the construction of the Hampton Inn along Main Street.

That project resulted in four additional, unsold lots.  They have sat vacant since the hotel was completed, except for a large For Sale sign.

Mayor Tom Marion says the organization, Goodwill Industries, has approached the city through a local realtor about purchasing three of the lots.

Marion says the city has been offered $260,000 for the lots, which total 3.81 acres.

District Court Judge Cynthia Danielson has scheduled Adam Pitman’s murder trial for Tuesday, July 10 at the south Lee County Courthouse in Keokuk.

The trial, which is expected to last about two weeks, was originally scheduled for later this month.

Pitman is accused of killing his mother, Rosa Pitman, 46, of Keokuk on August 30, 2011.  Officers found her body in her home after Adam Pitman allegedly confessed to the crime during a traffic stop in Fort Madison.

Judge Danielson has yet to rule on a motion to suppress certain statements made by Adam Pitman during and after the traffic stop.

Pitman’s lawyers must also identify their official defense strategy and expert witnesses.  Court records indicate one so far, a doctor from California.

The Keokuk Re-Engagement Center could be up and running within a few weeks.  It will be located on Southeastern Community College’s local campus.

The goal of the center is to combine education and job training.

The Region 16 Workforce Investment Board has been directly involved in the development of the center. 

Chairperson Janet Fife-LaFrenz says it will allow individuals who are seeking a GED to also gain certification in one of 15 specialized fields.  They include carpentry and auto repair.

“We have jobs out there,” says Fife-LaFrenz, “and we need individuals who are trained to fit those jobs.  You get someone back into the workforce.  It is just a ‘win-win’ for everyone involved.”

Keokuk could make it easier for downtown properties to be developed.

Fire Chief Gabe Rose says city code requires sprinkler systems be added to a downtown building if it is renovated for mixed use. 

Mixed use generally refers to commercial/retail business on the first floor and residential units on the upper level.

Rose is proposing a change that would provide an exemption to the sprinkler system requirement for certain buildings.

He says other safety features would have to be in place, such as specific walls and ceilings and an interconnected alarm system.  That would warn residents if a fire/emergency breaks out in the commercial property.

The exempted buildings would also have to meet height requirements and unit totals.

District Court Judge John Wright has ruled that Lexington Square will be able to intervene in a lawsuit involving the Keokuk Board of Adjustment.

The Board of Adjustment is being sued by 17 individual neighbors of the nursing home over the panel’s decision to allow Lexington Square to expand its facility.

Lexington Square wanted to enter the lawsuit because of the impact the final ruling would have on its operations.  The nursing home is looking to add more private rooms without increasing its bed count.

Wright noted in his ruling that the plaintiffs in the case had no objections to the nursing home being granted intervener status in the lawsuit.