The Jefferson City Council recently approved reclassifying lots in the Greene County Development Corporation east business park, south of Highway 30 on Gallup Road.

Some of the lots were zoned as light industrial, but the Council voted to reclassify them as highway commercial. Mayor Pro Tem Harry Ahrenholtz says they wanted to make the change due to some of the lots being developed and the fact that the lots are accessible from a frontage road. “It’s kind of a technicality but what it does is recognizes that we have development there, and there is development going on right now. So we wanted to get ahead of the game there and make sure that we got the right kind of zoning to take care of future development there.”

GCDC Executive Director Ken Paxton says Dr. Mark Peters of Jefferson Veterinary Clinic has purchased one of the lots to expand his business, along with a local funeral home purchasing another lot for an expansion project. He’s hoping that with the first couple of projects popping up, that may set the stage to fill up the rest of the business park.

“Like anything else, if you see somebody else doing it, it’s easier to attract somebody new. Just getting those first facilities out there and getting those up and operating, makes it look like there’s more activity and more things going on, and it also makes it more attractive to additional people moving in.”

Paxton adds that if any business is interested in the other available lots in the east business park, to call him at 386-8255, email at ken@greenecountyiowa.com or stop by Jefferson City Hall.