A used car firm -- which gained reluctant approval to relocate to a highly visible site in downtown Bettendorf -- has moved to the new location without completing any of the landscaping which was part of the development's site plan.
Premier Picks Auto Sales was forced to leave its location in the 1400 block of State Street because of the new Interstate 74 Bridge and related downtown street improvements.
The city Planning and Zoning Commission recommended against rezoning of the vacant site at 2540 State Street (convergence of State and Grant Streets near 26th Street) for the used car lot.
The city council, however, at the urging of the city's economic development staff, approved the rezoning and a site landscaping plan calling for 14 ornamental trees, 19 shrubs, perennial flowers, raised planters, seat walls with accent columns and irrigated turf grass. The plan also included concrete and asphalt paving of the entire used car lot.
The old gas station building on the site has been renovated and part of the site has been overlaid with new asphalt. However, no other landscaping has been done, and even the old unused lights of the gas station remain in place.
