Recently, we have been working through the process of deliberating the rezoning of a portion of farm ground from a commercial zone to an industrial zone between Floyd and Lewis Boulevard near Leeds. Knife River, an asphalt/concrete manufacturing company that handles multiple multi-million-dollar regional projects, was looking to expand. They felt this piece of land was centrally located, had great rail access, and was adjacent to Highway 75 and Outer Drive, connecting them to any job they may need to fulfill. When this first came before the City Council, I thought there would be a lot of public input from the Leeds community. However, it wasn’t until after notifying residents and the first two readings had passed at City Council meetings that the power of social media created a massive effort by Leeds community members to stop the third and final reading from passing. I’m not sure the last time I received so many citizen emails about a decision we would be making.  More than 50 people came to the public meeting held by Knife River at North Middle School to discuss the project. There were numerous posts on Facebook, and I heard that petitions were circulating. 

What struck me about this whole exercise in democracy was not the tone of the emails (most were very respectful) or some of the baseless claims I saw on social media but just the difficult nature of progress in our community.

Since my permanent move to Sioux City in 2012 (I also attended Morningside University from 2005 to 2009), our population has stagnated. And honestly, it hasn’t changed much in decades. In recent years, I have been encouraged by the growth in youth athletics, quality-of-life amenities, and tourism-related efforts. However, Iowa has also seen its fair share of declining populations and large employers laying off workers. 

When Knife River proposed expanding its existing facility, I was hopeful that we would be able to accommodate their project. Was this the ideal location? Probably not. However, Knife River has been a good corporate citizen in Sioux City and has offered to make multiple adjustments to its site plan to address citizen concerns. Ultimately, these concessions were not enough to sway the City Council and appease the residents of Leeds.

A word of caution: I often hear complaints in our community that we don’t have this or that, but when opportunities for change and growth present themselves, we must embrace them. The location, industry, company, or restaurant might not be exactly what we dream of, but if we aren’t a cheerleader for them, will those dream opportunities see us as a community ready for them?

By Alex Watters