SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — After a year-long absence, a mobile shower system, operated by Siouxland Community Health Center could be on its way to reopening.

The Health Center showers became available in 2019 but closed last year after no longer meeting city codes. That code required a principal structure onsite of the showers. A building on Health Center property at 924 Pierce Street and adjacent to the clinic was taken down, to allow additional parking. However, that left the showers outside of the city code.

Under a zoning text amendment that was approved on Monday, the shower system will be able to be used again, even without that principal structure.

The council’s 5 to 0 vote to approve the change follows a 5 to 1 vote by City Planning and Zoning to deny Siouxland Community Health Center’s request.

“Well, I understand why Planning and Zoning wasn’t for it because they’re concerned that it could expand the usage but it’s pretty limited on what’s going to be allowed. And I understand their concerns but I just, I just know how they operate from what we’ve observed for the last 25 years or whatever around here and they do a Greta job and I would expect them that to continue,” Sioux City mayor Bob Scott said.

That zoning amendment requires 2 additional votes before it could go into effect.

On another issue, expansion at the Southbridge Industrial Park continues with the council unanimously approving the sale of about 28 acres of land to the Siouxland Initiative.

The sale price would be a little more than $784,000. The land is located adjacent to the city-owned 27 Flags site, currently in the business park. It is also located adjacent to the city-owned rail yard and existing utilities.

“Well, we’ve been able to acquire quite a few acres down there, if you noticed last week we acquired some as well. We got about a hundred and I think fifty new acres of industrial ground. And so we’re just trying to get an industrial base in case some industry wants to locate here we’ll have the ground ready,” Scott said.

The intent is for the city to reimburse TSI for the purchase price and related costs with funds collected through a newly created tax increment financing district in the area.