Bill attempts to stop urban sprawl

Office buildings, parking lots, housing developments and strip malls aregobbling up more and more Iowa farmland, but a bill which cleared the IowaHouse yesterday could stem that tide. If the bill becomes law, it would beillegal to condemn so-called “Century Farms” which have been in a family for100 years or more for urban development. In addition, the bill givesfarmers more rights when cities or developers try to snap up their ag-land. Senator Hubert Houser, a republican from Carson.Another bill under consideration in the Senate would force cities to developlong-term land-use plans.