In a controversial move, Scott County supervisors have given the initial approval to rezone 460 acres of farmland near the town of Parkview from agriculture to ag preservation. The agricultural preservation designation will prevent development on the property. Supervisors says it’s prime farmland and they want to preserve it, but some of the people who own the land, including 25-year farmer Tom Diericks, are not pleased. Diericks says “None of the landowners requested the change and, like one of the supervisors mentioned, nobody likes being told that there’s going to be changes forced upon them.” Parkview is just a few miles north of Davenport. Supervisors say they want to stop urban sprawl and preserve what they consider prime farmland, but Diericks says it’s anything but prime. Diericks says the land is very fragile and prone to erosion, calling the supervisors’ definitions and actions “flawed.” A second reading and vote on the issue are planned for next week — May fifth.
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