Keokuk, IA – The Keokuk city council has rejected Atmos Energy's plan to build a new office building along the Highway 61 bypass. The utility company had asked the city to rezone about 5.5 acres of land from residential to light industrial. The council voted unanimously against the rezoning. Potential neighbors spoke both in favor of and against the project. Keokuk's Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended the city reject the proposal. Company representatives told the city Atmos would try to keep the nearly $2,000,000 facility in Keokuk, but could not promise anything.
In other action, the city council approved the final two readings of an ordinance banning the parking of large storage containers in residential neighborhoods. Owners will have about 6 weeks to remove the trailers before they are in violation of the new law. After that, the trailers will only be allowed for specific purposes, such as construction or moving.
Keokuk Rejects Utility Company Expansion
