Chris Murray, president and CEO of Denny Elwell Co., has withdrawn a request to rezone a 42-acre property in Ankeny to an Estate Residential District from an Agricultural District.

On June 29, the Polk County Board of Supervisors was scheduled to consider a resolution that would have allowed additional homes to be constructed on the property’s western 20 acres, which are owned by Denny Elwell Family LC.

Dennis (Sean) and Manda Elwell own an adjacent 20-acre parcel on the eastern portion of the property, which includes their residence at 1514 N.E. 118th Ave.

“One statement made is that they wanted to build another house on the west parcel and our current zoning would not allow that,” said Brett VandeLune, a Polk County land use planning manager.

VandeLune said that on May 24, the Polk County Zoning Commission recommended that the supervisors deny the rezoning petition as the county’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan calls for the property to remain as an agricultural use.

The agricultural designation, VanderLune said, allows for only one home per 35 acres.

“It wasn’t in line with the comprehensive plan, so we decided to pull it off the agenda,” Murray said, noting that the Elwell family had no immediate plans to construct more homes on the site. “We were preparing for a future project,” he said.

Murray withdrew the rezoning request in a letter dated June 28.

“I respectfully ask that the request for consideration to rezone the properties owned by Denny Elwell Family LC and Sean and Manda Elwell, located at 118th Street and Highway 69, be removed from the agenda,” he wrote. “We will continue to work toward remediation with county staff.”

Murray said Denny Elwell Co. is in the land business, and though the company hasn’t been actively marketing the property in question, it would entertain the right offer.

“Every piece of ground we have could be sold if the price is right,” he said.