New Sharon Looks To Build On Good Things

New Sharon Mayor Dustin Hite says there are many exciting things happening for the community. The renovation of this building on the northeast side of the main intersection is just one of those things says Hite.

New Sharon, Iowa – The towns annual Spring Festival helps to bring together the community for a weekend of social fun. It also brings others from out of town to the community that has its eye on the future.

Back in 2015, New Sharon got some national attention when ‘Business Insider’ named the community the most affordable small town in Iowa.

The community has approximately 1300 residents which got the recognition due to the low cost of housing, and housing that takes up less than 30 percent of your income is considered to be affordable.

With the extra income available to them, the town is experiencing a trend many small towns in Iowa haven’t for a long time. Growth.

New Sharon Mayor Dustin Hite, who says that in the past year, there have been many great things going on in many different aspects.

Hite was excited about what the future holds with the addition of gigabit internet from Mahaska Communication Group for the New Sharon Community. “I think for a town of 1300 to have gigabit internet available to all of its residents and businesses is something that’s just amazing and unheard of.”

“From a quality of life standpoint, from a business standpoint, having broadband internet access is huge. We are well ahead of our peers in the state as far as that goes,” added Hite.

Also exciting for the city is a housing boom of sorts. Hite believes that this year four new homes are being built. Last year was five new homes.

To go with those new homes, redevelopment in the downtown has begun.

A new ice cream business, Sadie Jane’s, revitalized the former location of Vic’s Ice Cream. Muchness opened up in the downtown, which sells household decorations and repurposed items.

Muchness joins the destination shopping that has sprung up. Along with D&K Collectibles and Crow Row, they are all part of the expanding and revitalized downtown.

Also recently opening is Papa’s Pizza and Nana’s Cookies, which is in the long-time favorite location of County Inn Pizza.

“We’ve got a very vibrant grocery store that was recently taken on by new owners, and they are doing a lot of good things,” said Hite.

Most visible at this moment is the revitalization of the building on the northeast corner of the main intersection in New Sharon.

The building is being redone by two partners who look to bring updated apartments to the downtown, while also making the business locations once again available.

“Many of these things occurred through help from the City of New Sharon, with grants and loans through a fund that we have from the old one-cent sales tax.

The Capri Theater has been a draw for years since the community took the then-shuttered facility under its wing. Movie fans can now catch many of the latest releases for $3 a ticket. “You can take the whole family there, get popcorn and pop and still less than twenty bucks,” said Hite.

“The entire theater is operated, and run and owned by a non-profit that is essentially staffed with volunteers,” explained Hite of the Capri Theater.

The City of New Sharon has provided grant money to the theater, which has helped the facility stay up-to-date with the latest technology, and now it’s possible to watch a 3D movie in the historic Capri Theater. “That’s a huge thing for our town. That’s one of the things we are known for. It’s one of the things that attracts folks from outside of town,” said Hite.

Hite said that New Sharon hasn’t escaped the grasp of the Iowa DNR and being forced to make improvements to their sewer system. “At the same time, we were looking at our water system, and saying, it’s old and outdated and so we need to make improvements to it.”

Those sewer improvement costs will ring up to the tune of approximately two million dollars. “But it’s bringing our sewer up into the 21st Century. We’re adding some homes onto our sewer system at the same time, and of course, the goal of all of that is to have cleaner water.”

Last year, the citizens approved a measure to have Mahaska Rural Water take over the management of their water system. “They are taking it, and making the necessary improvements.”

The plan according to Hite is to have soft water within the City when those improvements are completed.

“For the quality of life, for the cost of citizens living there, its one of those things, especially the transfer to (Mahaska) Rural Water, that will certainly benefit the town in the long run,” added Hite.

Another positive sign of growth for New Sharon is its expanded fire station. “We now have things we didn’t have 10 years ago,” Hite said. “We provide HAZMAT services we didn’t provide. We have a rescue boat that has seen more than its fair share of workouts this spring and summer.”

Also expanded is the New Sharon Police Department. “We now have, in addition to a full-time officer, we have a part-time officer and a reserve officer.”

“All of those things, I think, go to the quality of life in New Sharon,” said Hite.