PAGE 6 Music on Main: The AM and FM Players rock the night in a “Two Stoplight Town”
SOLONECONOMIST.COM
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026 • $1.50
Solon CSAs grow community through cooperation
Council maintains stance on Saddleback Estates conversion, commends LRS’s recent improvements, and looks forward to international cycling event
Through their work dedicated to growing quality products for their subscribers, these farmers have built connections at multiple tiers
John Charlson Solon Economist
Grace Escritt Solon Economist
news@soloneconomist.com
news@soloneconomist.com
Councilors heard from the developers, as well as concerned residents of Saddleback Estates during the August 5 Solon City Council meeting. Confusion on the part of potential buyers of the development’s condominium style planned area development lots has prevented the four-year old development from making the growth it had hoped for. “What I guess I underestimated is that Iowans, specifically smaller town Iowans, they want to own their own land,” said Tracy Overton, who bought a house with his wife in the Saddleback Estate on April 4, 2025. After deciding to move, Overton put the home back up for sale for the same price he had bought it, but potential buyers are turning down the property for the subdivision’s classification as a condo regime, and not a deeded family lot. “It feels like a single family home, even though they don’t own it like a single family home,” said one of the developer’s representatives. Brian Bell was another resident of the Saddleback Estate present at the meeting, as well as a representative of Axiom Consultants. “Since then in 2022, eight houses have been built and are being lived in right now, certainly a lot less than what was hoped for,” said Bell, who adds that the development began as an R1 zoning, but in order to solve the problem of ownership, pitched the idea of changing to an R3 zoning, which allows for multi-family units like low rise apartments or townhouses. “So with that plat would be a necessity to have a variance for most of the lots, if not all of them, within this subdivision.” Potentially, a rezone from R1 to R3 could help minimize the number of variances on setbacks, lot frontage, and a minimum lot size. CITY COUNCIL | 2
INSIDE
Every summer growing up, Kate Edwards found herself in the same place: sitting on the old tire swing at her grandparents’ farm, gently being pushed by the subtle breeze. Each time, she would gaze out at the rolling fields hoping that one day, she would have a farm to call her own. Now, Edwards is welcomed home every day by the big red barn representing the career and life she built for herself. “I dreamed this as a little girl, and here I am,” she said. “I’m living that dream and that reality.” Edwards, known by the community as “Farmer Kate,” is the owner and operator of Wild Woods Farm and CSA. This abbreviation stands for
“community supported agriculture,” which is a type of farming business model in which subscribers purchase a membership with a farm — therefore financially supporting it— and in turn receive a share of its seasonal harvest. Wild Woods is one of four
CSAs with a Solon address. Aside from managing her farm crew and helping to harvest the vegetables she grows, Edwards’ main job is to connect the community to land that feeds it. “One of the things that I want to do is to help people make a connection to agriculture,”
she said. “I’m connecting my consumers to the land, I’m connecting my farm workers to the land, and I’m also connected with other people in the community.” For 12 weeks during the sumCSA | 12
Honoring Susie for 20 years John Charlson Solon Economist
news@soloneconomist.com
The Solon city council took time during last Wednesday’s meeting to recognize City Clerk, Susie Siddell, whose work has served the city of Solon for 20 years now. “Words are hard to come by other than a very sincere thank you for everything you do,” said Mayor Dan O’Neil. “I really like my job, I like working with people in council,” said Siddell.
Photos by John Charlson | Solon Economist
Left: Mayor Dan O’Neil presents City Clerk Susie Siddell with a clock in recognition of her 20 years of service to the City of Solon during the City Council’s regular meeting Wednesday, August 5. Above: City Clerk Susie Siddell poses with a cake baked in her honor recognizing her 20 years of service to the City of Solon.
Solon Public Library News - 3 | Opinions - 4 & 5
| Public Notices - 10 |
11
SOLON
EC N MIST Focused on community.