The Perry Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend to the Perry City Council the combination of several lots owned by McKee Auto Center Inc. into one parcel in order to facilitate the motor home dealership’s expansion.
Perry Community and Economic Development Director Mike Fastenau said the recreational-vehicle dealership is the largest business of its kind in Iowa, and combining the lots “allows them to build and keeps them in the community.” He urged the commission to recommend action.
“They have clients from all over the country that actually come in to pick up motor homes as well as to to get them serviced,” Fastenau said. “They’ve been constrained by their service bays, principally as to the amount of work they can do, so the purchase of the right of way that they did here a coupe of months ago and the consolidating of these parcels will allow them to build across the three lots and put up additional service bays.”
The Perry City Council in September approved vacating the southern end of Third Street, south of South Street, and selling it to McKee Auto Center Inc. for $3,500 plus closing costs.
The Perry City Hall judged that the tag end of Third Street was unused by the public, and “its continued maintenance at public expense is no longer justified.” Selling the parcel to the RV dealership “would provide an economic development opportunity for further expansion of McKee Motors,” according to the city administration.
At Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning meeting, Fastenau said the owners of the dealership “are looking to do considerably more in the next couple of years,” including “doing something on that lot south of 141. So this really kind of completes their campus on the north side and allows them to have basically service inside and be able to serve more RV vehicles at a time.”
He said the business is also “looking at a campground in another part of the community or in the area.”
The Perry City Council will take up the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation at its Dec. 21 meeting, which will be held virtually via Zoom.
