Sapphire Lake project topic of county board of supervisor’s meeting

​       It was standing room only in the Poweshiek County Supervisor Board room on Monday, Aug. 28 as area residents came to hear a presentation from Terry Lutz, chairman of McClure Engineering Company, on the proposed Sapphire Lake project south of Grinnell. The gathering, which spilled into the hallway outside the board room, expressed concern and support for the lake project. The public/private lake project needs local and state support to get off the ground. The board did not make any decisions, review a proposal or take a vote on the lake project. The meeting was informational only.

By J.O. Parker
 
       It was standing room only in the Poweshiek County Supervisor’s Board room on Monday, Aug. 28. The crowd spilled into the hallway as area residents came to ask questions, express concerns and give reasons why Sapphire Lake should or shouldn’t become a reality.
      Terry Lutz, chairman of McClure Engineering Co. in Des Moines, was on hand to give an informational presentation to the packed board room about the proposed Sapphire Lake project south of Grinnell.
        Lutz noted that over the last 20-30 years, population in Poweshiek County has declined. His presentation noted the following:
        Montezuma has witnessed an 11.5 percent decline.
        Brooklyn has only seen a slight decline at .46 percent.
        Grinnell has seen an 7.85 percent increase, but overall, the county population has declined 2.54 percent.
       He presented the Sapphire Lake project as a way to turn those numbers in a positive direction.
      “It’s more than just a lake,” said Lutz. “It’s more of an economic development project that happens to have a lake.”
      He said that 1.3 million people live within a 60-mile radius of the proposed lake.
      “It’s is pretty strong evidence for a strong tourism base,” said Lutz.
     Lutz noted that the lake would be a public/private venture that will include approximately 380 acres of clean water and 150 acres of public space. According to the project website, sapphirelakeiowa.com, once completed the lake will have nearly 1,000 acres of fully accessible public parks, camping and trails. A proposed marina, boat launch ramp, boat fueling station and beach area are also part of the planned project.
As noted on the sapphirelakeiow.com website, the lake proposes a residential community comprised of on and off lakefront homes, which will add a significant increase in property value to Poweshiek County over time.
      Lutz noted that the project is slated to receive a $10 million grant from the state.
      “Without the public sector, we will not be able to get this project off the ground,” he said.
     Lutz and his team are looking for an additional $22 million in public support to get the project rolling and build the dam.
     “We are trying to put together a $32 million package,” Lutz said. “Without the local support, the state will not support the project.”
      There was no discussion at the meeting on how that funding would be accomplished.
      Lutz noted that he would like to get the public/private financing in order by the end of 2023. It was noted that in that timeframe, his firm would obtain options to purchase the land.
      On-going engineering and environmental designs/permitting would be completed by the second quarter of 2024 as would a timeframe to acquire the land. Construction of the dam would get underway in quarter three of 2024 with completion by the end of quarter three 2026. Housing development is slated to get underway in quarter one of 2025.
      One person in the board room expressed concerns about emergency services. Others shared concerns about infostructure, questioning who would take care of the roads and provide services such as sewer and water.
      “Who is going to be responsible for maintaining the roads and services and take care of the lake,” asked Col. Dan Bunnell of Grinnell.
       Lutz noted that the City of Grinnell and Poweshiek County would maintain the lake.
      He added that there are 21 landowners who will be impacted by the lake project. One gentleman spoke up, saying that he was looking at the lake map and discovered that it would go right through his house. He also said no one had spoken to him about the project.
      Lutz apologized and said he would visit with him after the meeting.
     “We have to have willing (land) sellers,” noted Lutz. “We are not condemning land.” 
     When asked, Lutz said it would take at least two years and possibly five years to fill the lake. He said at the dam, it would be 50-feet deep, and that the lake itself would have an average depth of 25-feet.
    Residents with Grinnell ties, Fran Conn, Dave Vander Linden and Angela Harrington, owner of Hotel Grinnell, all expressed their support of the project.
    “People need to be educated,” said Conn. “This is a great project and a way to stop the exit of the population in the county.”
      Poweshiek County Supervisor Jason Roudabush noted that this meeting was informational only. The board did not make any decisions, review a proposal or take a vote on the project. No timeline on when that would happen was given.
      For more information on the lake project, visit sapphirelakeiowa.com.
     To contact the Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors, visit poweshiekcounty.org.

     Terry Lutz, chairman of McClure Engineering Co. in Des Moines, gives an informational presentation to the packed Poweshiek County Supervisor board room on Monday, Aug. 28 about the proposed Sapphire Lake project south of Grinnell.