Voters turned out in record numbers Tuesday in University Heights, delivering a resounding pro-development message.
With
60 percent of registered voters casting a ballot, residents ousted the
three City Council members who have stood in opposition of a developer’s
plans to construct the mixed-use project along Melrose Avenue called
One University Place.
Incumbents Rosanne Hopson, Jan Leff and
Brennan McGrath — who have fought the proposed commercial and
condominium project that has been at the center of bitter debate the
past five years — each lost their seats. They will be replaced by
Virginia Miller,Zadok Nampala and Silvia Quezada, a trio of first-time
challengers who ran on pro-development platforms.
“I’m really
looking forward to working together with the rest of the group and
finally having a green light for the development going forward, the way
people in University Heights want to see it,” said Nampala, a
30-year-old master’s student in social work at the University of Iowa.
Pro-development
incumbents Mike Haverkamp and Jim Lane retained their council posts
with the top two showings, garnering 63 percent and 60 percent,
unofficially.
In total, 559 of University Heights’ 927 registered
voters cast a ballot, or 60.3 percent. It was by far the highest
percentage of any city in Johnson County, and set a new city record for
turnout, surpassing the previous high mark of 534 voters in 2011.
Although
past elections amid the One University Place debate have been decided
by razor-thin margins and resulted in councils with clashing development
philosophies, the coalition of pro-development candidates ran away with
the race this time around.
Still, rather than touting victory,
Haverkamp and others stressed moving on from the contentious and
sometimes ugly debates of the past few years and bringing people back
together.
“The thing to always remember is we’re a small town
where we know everybody, so I think what’s important is to remember the
entire community functioning together is the only way we’re going to
move forward,” said Haverkamp, a 53-year-old teacher. “I think the
responsibility the citizens of our community have entrusted us with is
something I take very seriously, and I’ll make sure I’m responsible to
everyone in the community.”
Lane, a 68-year-old investment
consultant, said the pro-development camp presented “a positive vision”
that resonated with voters. However, he said much of the heavy lifting
lies ahead, particularity the looming question of how much financial
support the city will contribute to One University Place.
“Quite
frankly, the work is just beginning,” Lane said. “We have to figure out
the right development, especially the financing. I don’t want to see the
community get financially strapped.”
Quezada, a 39-year-old
attorney, said that even though Tuesday’s five victors campaigned as a
“loose coalition,” they each will bring distinct approaches to the
council in how they’d like to see the development take shape.
“I
think the voters are ready for smart, intelligent growth in our
community, and I’m ready to do the people’s business and protect our
best interest going forward and setting us up for a bright and
fulfilling future in University Heights,” Quezada said.
Miller
said that with St. Andrew Presbyterian Church set to finalize the sale
of the property to the developer and relocate in the coming years, she’s
eager to help University Heights “start trying to move forward.”
“We
now have a pretty firm time line of when the church is moving out that
we can work around, so there are not as many unknowns as there were in
the past,” said Miller, a 31-year-old stay-at-home mother.
Mayor Louise From, who ran uncontested, will serve a fifth term as mayor after collecting 90 percent of the votes.
