Johnson County passes Windham Village plan

Hunter
03/10/23

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted this week to create Windham Village, despite protests from some of the residents there.

The Daily Iowan reports Windham is a small unincorporated area about 15 miles outside of Iowa City. The purpose of making it a village is to allow for growth within the village, with the type of growth dependent on what the residents want to do.

Residents attended Wednesday’s meeting and said they were concerned about the county’s plan to develop the area, believing it unnecessary. The approved proposal allows development but requires approval.  The map of the village is bigger than the one the residents proposed.

State Senator Dawn Driscoll, who attended the meeting, stressed the importance of assuring the rural voices in the county are being heard and that the historic nature of the area be preserved.

County Planning Development and Sustainability Director Josh Busard stressed that residents in Windham who don’t want to develop their land won’t have to.

The proposal was unanimously approved, with V Fixmer-Oraiz absent.