Mason City council approves first reading of zoning change for potential retail location at 12th and Pierce

MASON CITY — The City Council in Mason City this week approved the first reading of a zoning change for a potential box retail development in the northwestern part of town.

Indianhead Farms Incorporated is asking for the zoning change of their property at 1300 12th Northwest from Restricted Industry to Multi-Use. Indianhead Farms proposes selling the property for the development of a medium box commercial building with accessory parking and onsite storm water detention for the possible construction of a Dollar General store.

The land is across the street from a Casey’s convenience store that is currently in a Multi-Use zone. Some on the council expressed concern about the potential for increased traffic and the need to create a full intersection at 12th and North Pierce.

City Administrator Aaron Burnett says the intersection is a priority, with the public hearing on the rezoning being delayed to now from October while city officials reviewed potential improvements. “Obviously with the development in this area and an already poorly performing intersection would be further challenged by putting even more traffic through that area. Engineering has been working with WHKS on a plan for that area, and I think we’ll be able to make it safer just generally, and then also accommodate the increased traffic flow.”

Improvements to the intersection are planned to be placed into the city’s capital improvement plan, with design taking place in the upcoming fiscal year and construction during Fiscal Year 2027. City engineer Mark Rahm says his department is in the very early stages of studying potential options for improvements to that intersection.   “Because it is a T-intersection, it’s not so conducive to having a signalized intersection, so we are looking at the idea of a roundabout there. With the traffic flow through that area, we think that is a good option to keep traffic moving and to incorporate into that leg that will service the development that is proposed to go on that northwest quadrant of the intersection.”

The council approved the rezoning change on first reading. Two more readings of the change must be held before it goes into effect.