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Home My WebLink About1997-10-21 Public hearingNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the City Council of Iowa City, Iowa, at 7:00 p.m. on the 21st day of October, 1997, in the Civic Center Council Chambers, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa; at which hearing the Council will consider the following item: 1. A resolution adopting to 1997 Comprehensive Plan as a statement of the goals and policies of the community. The proposed Comprehensive Plan also includes the Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan, the JCCOG Arterial Street Plan, the Iowa City Economic Development Policies and the South District Plan. The South District Plan contains policies specific to the area south of Highway 6, east of the Iowa River and the unincorporated area within Iowa City's long range growth boundades. Copies of the proposed resolution and Plan are on file for public examination in the office of the City Clerk, Civic Center, Iowa City, Iowa. Persons wishing to make their views known for Council consideration are encouraged to appear at the above-mentioned time and place. MARIAN K. KARR, CITY CLERK ppdadmiW1021nph. doc J ~ IOWFI EHY El-IT EOIJN£1L MF1YOR NFIOMI J, NOVI[I/ MfiYOR PRO TEM ERNIE LEliMRN LHRRY BflHER ItHREN I/UBBY DEE NORTON DEHN THORNBERRY DEE ¥fiNDERHOEF IOWH CITY PLFINNINO {, ZONINg COHMI%ION gEORgE ~TFIRR, £1iFIIRPER50N RUN I~OVBJERg, VIEE-CliFIIR LEH %UPPLE, %E[RETFIRY BENJRHIN EliRI7 RIEHHHD DIB%ON PHILIP %l-IIV~ CITY MF1NfiOER %TEPliEN J. FITltlNS DEPHRTMENT DE PLHNNIND ~ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT I/FIRIN FRFINltLIN, DIRECTOR JEFF DfivIDSON, fi%ISTfiNT DIRECTlIB RflBERT MlltLI], %ENIOH PLHNNER IOWA CITY: BEYOND .2000 1994 TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP ARTS, CULTURE & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Facilitator - Susan Craig Peggy Doerge Christine K. Pacek Harold Engen Cheryl J. Schlote Clark Houghton Eldon Snyder Jody Hovland Charles T. Traw Mike Huber ECONOMIC WELL-BEING Facilitator - Stephen Atkins William Gerhard Loren Schmitt Vicki Lensing Mark Smith Derek Maurer Tom Werderitsch Mary New Cheryl Whitney Lynn E. Rowat PARKS, RECREATION~ & OPEN SPACE Facilitator - Terry Trueblood Eric L. Engh Dee W. Norton Richard Hoppin Janelle R. Rettig Kevin Houlahan Marls Snider Jean Kistler Kendall Bill Snider Deb Liddell ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Facilitator - Melody Rockwell Kerry M. Fitzpatrick Nancy Seiberling Michael Garvin Frieda Shannon Marc Libants Robert M. Sierk Gertrude MacQueen Ron Vogel Mark Phillips PUBLIC SAFETY Facilitator - Chief R.J. Winkelhake James R. Berry Mitchell F. Jones Richard Blum Terrence L. Neuzil Ann Bovbjerg Gregory M. Smith Anna Buss Steven L. Stimmel Margery Hoppin HOUSING Facilitator - Marianne Milkman Paula Brandt Charles Eastham Robert C. Carlson Mark F. Kamps Jason Chen Betty Kelly Carolyn Corbin Eric A. Nilausen Susan Dulek SOCIAL SERVICES Facilitator - Marge Penney Sara Mehlin Carrie Norton Lowell Brandt Jennifer Olson Barbara Curtin Jim Swaim Jay Mendenhall Linda A. Whitaker LAND USE AND URBAN PATTERN Facilitator - Karin Franklin W. Michael Blair Nancy Ostrognai John S. Casko Douglas S. Russell Gertrud Champe Robert J. Saunders Casey Cook Dee Vanderhoef Steven L. Droll TRANSPORTATION Facilitator - Jeff Davidson Linda Heneghan Gregory Kovaciny Del Holland Brian McClatchey Howard Horan Liz Miller Catherine Johnson Frederic W. Yocum, Jr. Tim Clancy CITY OF I0 WA CITY Prepared by: Jeff Davidson, 410 E. Washington St,, Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 356-5252 Resolution No. RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 1997 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. WHEREAS, a Comprehensive Plan is a statement of goals and policies of the commu- nity; and WHEREAS, the 1989 Comprehensive Plan Update no longer reflects anticipated condi- tions in Iowa City; and WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan should be reviewed and updated periodically; and WHEREAS; the City has initiated development of a new comprehensive plan through the Iowa City: Beyond 2000 citizen task force visioning process, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council have held public meetings and studied the changes which have taken place within the community since the 1989 Comprehensive Plan Update; and WHEREAS, the bodies have found that adopted policies of the City warrant revision of the Comprehensive Plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY: The 1997 Iowa City Comprehensive Plan be adopted. MAYOR Approved by ATTEST: CITY CLERK City Attorney's Office It was moved by and seconded by tion be adopted, and upon roll call there were: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: Baker Kubby Lehman Norton Novick Thornberry Vanderhoef the Resolu- Table of Contents City Vision Statement ..........................................................................................1 Introduction to Comprehensive Plan ......................................................................2 Iowa City: The Community ...................................................................................5 Iowa City Growth Policy ....................................................................................10 A Community of Neighborhoods .........................................................................15 Economic Well-Being .........................................................................................22 Social Fabric ...................................................................................................25 Iowa City Beyond 2000: Implementation Strategies .............................................. 28 Introduction to Planning Districts .........................................................................50 Central Planning District ...............................................................51 Downtown Planning District ..........................................................55 Northeast Planning District ...........................................................58 North Planning District .................................................................62 Northwest Planning District ..........................................................67 Southwest Planning District ..........................................................72 South Central Planning District ......................................................77 South Planning District .................................................................82 Southeast Planning District ...........................................................88 North Corridor Planning District .....................................................92 Appendix A.' Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Appendix F: Appendix G: Land Use Map Vacant Residential Land Inventory Iowa City/Johnson County Fringe Area Agreement Sensitive Areas Inventory Map Employment Ranking Acres of Land by Zone Neighborhood Open Space Supplemental Appendices (these appendices are bound separately): Appendix H: Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan Appendix I: JCCOG Arterial Street Plan Appendix J: Iowa City Economic Development Policies Table Contents City Vision Introduction to Iowa City: The Co Iowa City Growth A Community of Nei! Economic Well-Being Social Fabric Iowa City Bey(~'~6: Im Introduction to Planning Central Planning Downtown Planning Northeast Planning Di,, North Planning Distrio Northwest Plannin )rehensive Plan nity... 15 22 25 ~es ............................................28 50 51 ct .......................................................55 ct 58 ................................................... 62 Southwest District ~,~. ....................................................72 South Central ng Districb, ............... 77 Southeast Pla~ Dist~i~;~ ......... ~i ........... 88 North Corri~/g,r Planning Dist~,~ .... "~"i: ...........................................92 AAppendix A Land Use ~lap ' ' ................................................. ppendix B: Vacant I~idential Land Inventory~ Appendix C: Iowa Cit~//Johnson County Fringe Area/~reement Appendix D: Sensit~{/e Areas Inventory Map ~ Appendix E: EmplOyment Ranking ~ Appendix F: Acres of Land by Zone ' ~ Appendix GI ~?i'ghborhood Open Space t" ?/!' ,I VISION STaTEMeNT Iowa City is an attractive, energetic city with a vital downtown, a healthy economy, safe neighborhoods, and diversity in its people. As Iowa City grows, we will strive to preserve the character and identity of the community while guiding the creation of compatible new areas; protecting the environment; encouraging diversity in the population, in housing, and in jobs; and offering opportunities for human development to Iowa City's citizens. Iowa City will be an inclusive, accessible and safe community to all its citizens, embracing persons with disabilities and all races, cultures, life- styles, ages, and socio-economic groups. INTi 0 LIETION TO T!'i PLI N Why have a Comprehensive Plan? The character and future of a community are set by the imagina- tion, vision and commitment of the people who live and work there. ,,'-'~rt of this commitment involves planning for the future. This com- ~,¢ehensive plan presents a vision for Iowa .-City, provides a strat- egy for realizing the vision, and sets policies for the growth and development of specific geographic areas of the city. A comprehensive plan must address the multiple facets of a com- munity and integrate those facets into a workable whole. Some- times individual policies may seem to conflict if viewed in isola- tion. The comprehensive plan should resolve these conflicts as individual policies are viewed in the context of the whole commu- nity. A comprehensive plan focuses on agreed upon community goals and values. The process of formulating the plan is as important as the plan itself. Through a process which accommodates the diversity of a community such as Iowa City, principles and poli- cies are adopted that are used as the basis for laws and prac- tices that govern the city. The comprehensive plan can be used to defend laws and practices if they are challenged. The comprehensive plan provides a guide for decision-making so that the decisions we make today do not jeopardize our vision for the future. This enables us to address the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their ~,~-~eds. As we endeavor to improve the quality of life in Iowa City, ,e basic principles of the vision are kept before us in the compre- hensive plan. 3 The Process To create the community vision of the comprehensive plan, citi- zen task forces were organized in the spring of 1994 to address each facet of the community. The task forces were asked to en- vision Iowa City in the future-- beyond the year 2000 -- within the context of each assigned area. The goal of this process was to devise a plan for Iowa City which grew from the vision of Iowa City's people. The vision statements created by these task forces are the basis of this plan. In this process, the following physical facets of the community were examined by a specific task force: · housing · land use and urban pattern · transportation · the environment · parks, recreation, and open space The social fabric of the community was addressed by the follow- ing task forces: · arts, culture and human development · social services · public safety · economic well-being The city has been organized into ten geographically designated planning districts. The community direction articulated in the vi- sion statements for each of the above areas will be applied to each planning district. The key concepts which can be derived from the vision state- ments and which define Iowa City's character are diversity, neigh- borhood integrity, opportunity, and accessibility. These con- cepts should be interpreted under the broadest possible definition and applied to Iowa City comprehensively. The comprehensive plan accepts that growth and development will occur in Iowa City, and should be managed such that the community vision is achieved. INTRO LI[ZTiON TO THE EOMPREI-IEN !¥E P/RN Adoption of Iowa City's Comprehensive Plan rests with the City Council. The City Coun¢il's action is the culmination of a process which began at the grass roots level with the citizens of Iowa City indicating what the vision for the future should be, included input from the City's neighborhood organizations on this vision, and pro- ceeded through discussion by various City Boards and Commis- sions. Format of the Plan The overriding approach of the comprehensive plan is the premise that Iowa City is a community of neighborhoods. As we look to the future, we will build places to live, work and play, that are safe, clean and attractive; and physically and financially accessible to ,4 the people who make up Iowa City. To support the quality of life we desire, the community will need a sound economy with a variety /-"industries, goods and services to sustain us. The comprehen- sive plan relates how we will achieve these things. The compre- hensive plan includes sections dealing with the concept of neigh- borhood, a community growth policy, and directions for the eco- nomic well-being of the city. The comprehensive plan has little use if there is no clear strategy of action to carry it out. The sections which follow the policy state- ments of the plan detail implementation strategies for each facet of the community. These strategies are applied to each of the 'ten planning districts. Each year an action plan will be developed to ensure that there is a strategy for making Iowa City's vision for the future become a reality. EOH?REI-! N%!VF IOW I CITY: COMMUNITY 5 Overview Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County, and most notable for being the home of the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The University is located in the center of the community and is by far the area's largest employer. With approximately 30,000 students, the University contributes greatly to the economy and culture of Iowa City. Other major employers include the Veterans Administration and Mercy hospitals, Ameri- can College Testing (ACT), National Computer Ser- vices (NCS), and manufacturing plants such as Procter and Gamble, United Technologies, and Oral B. Iowa City's local economy is also strengthened by many locally owned and operated businesses in the commercial retail sector. (See Appendix D for a table of local employers. History The Iowa City area was first populated by the ,Sac and Fox Indian tribes. The first settlers of Euro- pean descent arrived in the Iowa City area in the late 1820's and eventually established the town of Napoleon around 1838. Iowa City was platted and chosen as the capitol of the Iowa Territory in 1839. In that year, construction began on a capitol building (Old Capitol), which is now located at the center of the University of Iowa campus and is a focal point for the city. The University was founded in 1847 but did not begin classes until 1855 due to a lack of funds. In 1857 the state capitol was moved from Iowa City to Des Moines. Old Capi- tol now serves as a museum on the University of Iowa campus. Iowa City has a record of preserving its heritage. In 1982 the City Council created the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission. 6 The Commission produced one of Iowa's first local historic pres- ervation plans which was adopted by the City Council. The His- toric Preservation Plan (Appendix G) is an element of Iowa City's Comprehensive Plan. Today I'owa City encompasses approximately 24 square miles. The activity and employment focal point remains the University of Iowa and downtown. Iowa City undertook significant urban re- newal downtown in the 1970's and early 1980's. Construction of several major development projects were completed during this time, including Old Capitol Mall, the Plaza Centre One office build- ing, the Iowa City Public Library, the Holiday Inn, two City parking structures, and the Dubuque/Col- lege Street Pedestrian Plaza. In addition to new construction, several historic buildings have been rehabilitated within downtown. As a result, downtown contains an eclectic mix of both historic and modern structures. Downtown remains the activity center of Iowa City; however, similar to downtowns throughout the country, its role as the community's primary retail center has been diminished by outlying commercial strip shop- ping centers and "big box" retail developments. A proposal to build a regional mall in northwest Coralville may further challenge the economic vi- tality of downtown Iowa City. However, the unique- ness of downtown Iowa City and its many locally- owned and operated businesses provides a Strong base for further economic development. IOW Ill-Y: THF COMMUNITY .,: ... ,':.,.~',";.:;r ,.,~,,,:,f'. '"'.%',;".'~, ~72'1' ~'. '". ~:"~:~,..-'.~,"?~:~ ' '..,. ': '. !:,~ <;':' : .~ ;' '.'~':~'~.'.," ' .;.:'.",.. ', .:,",~"?'~' .'~,;,,, ......~' ',~v. ~.'..'~',':~'~ '',, ¥;.,' ~,'; '..':",'.'"jr' '.'~" ': '".'~'"':'~" ~' ;" ~t: ~' ,~: :.~yW ':",' '~" .'~," . ."- ''.',~,~'~ :.,", .u' ,;,. ~':: ? ..., ,:.:?.; '; :< :'.~,~:~ .. '~ ~.~ '~:'; :~:? ,:.: .:.. :~'~: :. :~.: .'~:; ~. ':~'. ~.;) ~, ,. ,..: .. :,~; ,, ~"~ :. '. <-.:: :~'.~: ?t"?"?:,'~.~47:'?::.::::"'~::/:~,,:~.?~'.:'~,' ......":'.'. '.'"'"' ': ....... ~ . · ....... ~.. ~."j . '~,J;~./&:,;'..:z'.~. ,:,.~.~.~.~.,;-.,.; ~"T~'.~"'"~,~-'" '~ "~"~ '~ " ~, ' . ., ...., . ........... , ...,..., ...... ~;-~'~ ~ ..... ,.~ ~"~ '" .-~ r=' ' ' ,,~.~. ,,~."rS' ' ~ ',~';., .~ ~' ........'.~.~ '~~.-,.........~~;:~'~ ~,~i,~ . ?.. ~ $:J'~.: ,,.,.. ...... :, . .1.~,.... .. .~ ~,~ .' -~--~~~~,~~~~,~ .......~.~:~,,,... ..... Urban renewal projects such as the consruction of the Holiday Inn significantly changed the appearance of downtown in the 1970s and '80s Population Projections Iowa City saw an increase in population and resi- dential development in the decade between 1980 and 1990, trends which did not occur in most of the rest of the State of Iowa. From 1980 to 1990, Iowa City experienced moderate growth at a rate of approximately 920 people per year. From 1990 to 1996, the growth in the City's population is less clear. A special census was ordered in 1996. The results of that census are puzzling when con- trasted to the building activity in the city. The cen- sus showed an increase of only 08 people per year over the six years since the count in 1990. During this same period permits were issued for 2550 dwelling units. The inconsistencies between the building activity and the population count are diffi- cult to explain and consequently very difficult to use as a basis for projections. For the purpose of this plan and until we have the population figures from the 2000 census, a slow rate of growth is assumed. Slow is defined as approximately 100 people per year. Adaptive reuse Of historic Paul-Helen Building adds an important element to downtown. University of Iowa The University of Iowa campus covers approximately 1500 acres west and north of downtown Iowa City. Planning for the campus '-'F Many of Iowa City's historic buildings, such as this dwelling on Woodlawn Avenue are protected by historic preservation regulations. !OWlq Eli-Y: [OMMUNII-Y 7 is under the auspices of the State of Iowa, and the University is exempt from the City's development and zoning regulations. The City of Iowa City and the University work cooperatively in planning and developing projects to assure that mutual interests are ad- dressed. Neighborhoods To the north, east and west of downtown are older residential neigh- borhoods which include many historic structures. These older neighborhoods provide a mix of housing types, including rooming houses for students, apartments, and single family homes. As distance increases from the University, the density of housing decreases and the predominance of owner-occupied single fam- ily homes increases. The City has made a commitment to pre- serving its historic neighborhoods, and adopted measures such as historic district overlay zoning as preservation tools. The Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan provides further details on neigh- borhood preservation efforts. South of downtown are mixed use areas, including commercial, light industrial and residential. The City has adopted the Near Southside Redevelopment Plan to address the neighborhood south of Burlington Street. Areas further south and southeast are zoned for intensive commercial and light industrial uses. Farther from downtown the city is ringed by new residential subdi- visions. These are generally single family in character. However, areas of higher density residential dwellings have developed along Mormon Trek Boulevard, Scott Boulevard, and south of Highway 6 during the 1980's and 1990's. The City has established the Office of Neighborhood Services to facilitate the exchange of information between the City and neigh- borhoods. The City has assisted in the designation of several formal neighborhood associations, shown on the following map. Although frequently these groups are established when the neigh- borhood coalesces around a controversial issue, they are encour- aged to remain in place to enhance communication between the City and the neighborhood. The City's goal is to have all residen- tial areas within the City affiliated with a designated neighborhood organization. The Future With steady population growth throughout the 20th century, Iowa City has evolved from a town into a small city. While this growth has been the envy of many other communities in the state of Iowa that have declined in population, the transition from town to city has brought numerous growth related issues. These include: · The encroachment of multi-family residential struc- tures into formerly single family neighborhoods. · Traffic congestion on inner city neighborhood streets from outlying residential and commercial development. 8 The transition from on-street to structured parking downtown. The pricing of certain income levels out of the Iowa City housing market. University of Iowa growth issues. Concerns about development in environmentally sensitive areas. Meeting the demand for services and facilities for a growing population, These and a multitude of other issues make the comprehensive plan for Iowa City of critical importance as we steer our way into the 21 st century. THE Ill-Y: [OMMUNII-Y ],~. 'i Neighborhoods of Iowa City !i i i ! i. i..~../ '~ I ESTATES IGALWA'/1 ] H~LLS I MILLER ORCHARD HARLOCKE WEEBER NORTHSIDE CREEKSIDE BLUFFWOOD FRIENDSHIP r.J FIGURE 1 10 IOWFI I-Y EiROWTH POLICY In 1993 the City council adopted amendments to Iowa City's Com- prehensive Plan which established a growth policy for the city. The growth policy is an integral part of the Comprehensive Plan, and establishes three specific policies pertinent to any discus- /'-'"~n of growth and development: (1) It defines a long-range planning boundary for Iowa City; (2) It establishes when annexations should occur; and (3) It establishes where the investment of public funds for in- frastructure improvements should occur. This growth policy refines the policy adopted in 1993 so that it reflects current development pressures and decisions, and guid- ance provided by the Beyond 2000 vision statements. The Long-range (20-30 year) Planning Boundary The sanitary sewer service area shown in Figure 2 defines the long-range planning boundary for Iowa City. Based on Iowa City's annual growth rate, the land available within the long range plan- ning boundary should be sufficient for Iowa City's growth until at least the year 2020. The sanitary sewer service area is generally based on watershed boundaries and defines the eventual corpo- rate limits for the purposes of long-range planning. Guiding new developments to watersheds which can be served by gravity flow sanitary sewer to the City's sewage treatment plant enables the most cost effective provision of this City service. Sanitary sewer ,~d streets are the most expensive items of public infrastructure ~ich must be provided to new development. The long-range growth area boundary should be used when making decisions regarding the extension of infrastructure, the approval of subdivi- sions, the approval of agreements with other governmental juris- dictions regarding growth, and in response to annexation requests. 12 With adoption of the growth policy in 1993, it was pointed out that existing and planned improvements to the sewer system could serve an additional 700 acres beyond the designated growth area. The location of this 700 acres was generally identified as north of b80 since collection capacity exists in the River Corridor Trunk line. The specific property to be served was not delineated since there is no clear watershed demarcation. As development progresses east of First Avenue in Coralville to Dubuque Street and residential subdivisions in the North Corridor continue to pro- liferate, it is appropriate for Iowa City to identify the 700 acre ser- vice area more specifically to facilitate clear development agree- ments with Coralville and Johnson County. 13ROWTI-I POLIE¥ As shown in Figure 2, the amended long-range planning bound- ary for property north of 1-80 is defined by the Iowa River and Rapid Creek. The area extends east to a line roughly along the existing corporate limits of Iowa City. Any area north of 1-80 will require a lift station to access the gravity flow sanitary sewer system via the Bjaysville Lane sewer or be served by the Highlander lift sta- tion. The land denoted as part of the amended growth area can be served most efficiently, allows for the most .compact develop- ment in relation to the rest of the city, and does not require a river crossing. Development within this area can also occur without the necessity of bridging Rapid Creek. The growth boundary adopted in 1993 has also been amended to reflect the decision made regarding the alignment of Highway 965. The new boundary on the west side of Iowa City is shown con- ceptually as a line which runs south from Highway 218 along the alignment of Hurt Road and then along the east property line of the Iowa City Landfill to Rohret Road. The decision regarding Highway 965, the location and planned expansion of the landfill, and anticipated pressures to develop land west of the current cor- porate limits support moving the long-range planning boundary west. Development will be limited in the shod term by the capac- ity and location of sanitary sewers. Discussion of capital improve- ments needed to serve this new boundary are included in the per- tinent Planning District sections of the Comprehensive Plan. Reconstruction of a sanitary sewer.line under Clark Street. 2. Annexation Policy Growth and development outside the corporate boundaries, within the long-range planning area and beyond, is influenced by the City through annexation and the Iowa City/Johnson County Fringe Agreement (see Fringe Agreement discussion below). Annex- ations occur, primarily, in response to petitions filed by the owners of property to be annexed. Voluntary annexation should be viewed positively when the following conditions exist: (I) (2) The area under consideration falls within the adopted long- range planning boundary, Development in the area proposed for annexation will fulfill an identified need without imposing an undue financial burden on the City, or (3) Control of development is in the City's best interest. °+ I IOWA CITY LONG RANGE PLANNING BOUNDARYI I FIGURE 2 13 The third condition of this policy has been amended from the 1993 version to extend the area of-control from the entryways to Iowa City into the entire growth area. This reflects the intent of the City to take a proactive role, consistent with the vision statement, in annexation of the designated growth area. The annexations will still be achieved through voluntary means. Involuntary annexations, which are initiated by the City against the property owners' wishes, are considered only under extraordinary circumstances. When considering the merits of a proposed annexation or development, the impact of increased vehicular traffic on any street, currently at or near capacity, will be studied and the results will be included as an additional factor in that decision. Refer to the vacant residential land inventory in Appendix A for more detail on land available for residential development within the corporate limits and in the growth area. 3. Prioritization of Investment in Infrastructure. When the City prioritizes public investment in infrastructure and public amenities, the obligations to properties within the corporate limits of Iowa City that further the concept of compact and con- tiguous growth should generally take precedence. This policy will be used as a guide in prioritizing the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The CIP is one of the most effective tools the City has to affect the tinning and direction of growth, the quality of life, the growth of basic industry, and the cost of housing. Historically, the City has invested in infrastructure to accommodate moderate growth rather than building infrastructure prior to development. In the future, the City. may wish to take a more aggressive role in directing growth and development. ' ~ -'~' ~... ",. '~~.-.., .. ',. ' '..~,~~ .:~,.~'~ :. ?; =.'.','.~ ;..'. i¥""' '.",..'~".'"...": ~";.: '.,'.",.:',!'i?.."~i;";:'. ~:';; =::. '.~ ~', '!.:'~: ?. :~....:-~ ? !?~'~': :';,".., :'~ :'; ?;! ~;¥::: '. ;:'i~.'~:~'."'":~ ':':?;i: i"i':' ?' ;.~' j;.'.~.'~!: '-".,,~;.i:~i',;~:~ ,"..~. ~,', ;i:;'~ ;=.'.!~:.':.: '~'!'=;~':.~;!-"'..;;.'.,'~.',.i ~'.',~'~;'",',';':: 'I:;": ;'~':'~',' ~;~;~',';~,,.' ;-..'",?...'~ ,~,~.:..; ~'~ ~,~ ~,,,~,'.~..,, ~,~¥.., ~..~:,~.,, ~.~;~"~,,~..~.,'.~.~;~ · '=".'.. ,t;.' '~ ", ,.~.:'~',' :,.'~.~.'~,'!,'~ .' · '; '"1',:",~"'~'~.'~: ~' · ~ · ,.::,:..~ ~.:..: ~,..¢:...,, ,, .~-....,,:. ~.., .:~.. ~ :.,.,,.:,,~..:. :~ ..:, :.~ ,: :;'::,.!..'.....!:, !%~:.'J.,......,.:,~=:;~,).~f .~:.~ . · . · o. ~ ·. · . ,.,,' . . .~' · .~ ~,~., . · .. ; - ~ · . ~ . '"~'~;; :__...!...:',;.-.,.......,,...._:_;_..-..,......:;J,'. '..:. Farmland in Iowa City's southern fringe area. 10WFI EII-Y I I 0WTH ?0LIEY Frin~le Area A~Ireement State enabling legislation permits a city to regulate the subdivision of land within two miles of the city's corporate boundaries. This area is known as the urban fringe. Counties that enact zoning ordinances control the land uses permitted in this same area through zoning. In the interest of managing development in Iowa City's two-mile area in a mutually acceptable man- ner, Johnson County and Iowa City have agreed on the appropriate land uses and standards for devel- opment. As Johnson County considers rezoning applications and Iowa City reviews subdivisions, their decisions will be governed by the Iowa City/ Johnson County Fringe Area Policy Agreement. See Appendix B for a copy of the current agreement. The Agreement focuses exurban development in the area north of Iowa City, encourages development in Iowa City's growth area only upon annexation, and provides some incentive for the pres- ervation of open space and environmentally sensitive features. 14 Growth and the Environment ,,.Environmental protection is a basic tenet of Iowa City's vision for ~ future. As growth and development occur, they should be managed such that the environmental quality of the community is not sacrificed. Measures should be taken in all private and public projects to ensure that any impacts on identified environmental features are minimized. iOWFI El I-i-Y 13ROWTH POLICY In 1993, the City commissioned an inventory of environmentally sensitive areas. This inventory maps the general location of woodlands, wetlands, regulated slopes, hydric soils, prairie remnants, stream corridors, and archaeological sites (see Appendix C). Based on the information provided in the inventory, an ordi- nance was adopted in 1995 to provide protections for the identified environmentally sensitive areas. The ordinance requires consideration of environ- mental features during the development process and encourages construction that respects and protects natural areas. As the City continues to grow and redevelop, natural areas that contribute to the health and character of the city will be pro- tected. A wooded ravine in north Iowa City. 15 fi EOMMtiNi ' I) 0 O O I)% INTRODUCTION Neighborhoods are the building blocks which make up the larger community of Iowa City. It is at the neighborhood level that many of the visions contained in Iowa City Beyond 2000 can be implemented through the City's developmental poli- cies. Quality of life in individual neighborhoods will be af- fected by implementation of these policies. For example, the Oity's policies regarding arterial street design should re- sult in a route which is pleasant for motorists to travel, and safe for pedestrians and bicycles; a route that defines the boundaries of neighborhoods and does not direct through traffic into the heart of residential areas. Portions of Scott Boulevard serve as a model of such a street. It carries traffic efficiently, yet the adjacent neighborhoods are buffered from it by a wide parkway and abundant landscaping. In contrast arterial streets in many cities become commercial strips which are unpleasant for motorists and pedestrians alike. The Oity's policies regarding zoning will determine whether a neighborhood is made up exclusively of single-family dwell- ings or whether it contains a mix of housing types that allow a diverse population from young families to elderly persons to find housing suited for their needs. Policies regarding parks and open space will determine if neighborhood children have suf- ticlent playgrounds and whether adults will have recreational opportunities, such as trails, available close to home. Poli- cies regarding the environment will determine whether or not natural features, such as streams corridors, which pro- vide natural drainage and flood control and wildlife habitat, are preserved. The design of streets, park facilities and public and private buildings, will determine if the community is ac- cessible to persons with disabilities. These are just a few examples of how the physical design of a neighborhood is related to the quality of life that its residents will experience. 16 It is for this reason that neighborhoods will be the basic planning unit used to implement the visions of Iowa City Beyond 2000. EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS Iowa City has a diverse collection of neighborhoods. Older neigh- borhoods that are closer to downtown contain a mix of housing types and land uses and include within their boundaries some commercial development and public institutions such as schools. Newer neighborhoods closer to the developing edge of the community tend to be less diverse in land use and housing types, consisting predominantly of single family homes. As the city ages and grows, the range of old and new neighbor- hoods will require different levels of attention and care to assure long term stability. Studies for each of the planning districts may identify neighborhoods that will benefit from more specific neighborhood plans that address issues such as parks, traffic, housing, com- mercial areas and general neighborhood appearance and beautification. Iowa City's adopted Historic Preservation Plan con- tains strategies for helping assure the viability of Iowa City's older neighborhoods. These strategies sug- gest measures, such as conservation and historic district designations, the promotion of housing re- habilitation, and efforts to control traffic and parking congestion, as a means to preserve neighborhoods (see Preservation Plan in Appendix G for details). Newer neighborhoods that have devel- oped since the 1950s have had less attention paid to their future. As these neighborhoods age and experience the pressures of growth in the community, more attention will need to'be directed to these areas to assure their stability. FI EO NLINIT" 0 I-I 0 I !-I 0 0 ~,: ,, ,. _..j, ~¥ ¥...,~:~,.:,~., ..:~z~'"~. .~ '~ .......~.t ;~:,-,~3 , ~,~.~. ~ ,, J~ . ,.~, ~ .~. :~ .-...~ ,"r'.' ~:'~,, -.. '~ ' E~Y~;~ ~ ' _ ' ~ -", ,' '.~.. ~ ~', ~ .... ' ~ ~,~, ......... . ..... ,. · ,~.~ ,'.&~ ~. ~ ~ .......... . ~.. ?~. ~.. ,, ~,~,, . .... · , ..... ¢,~ ~,.. ..~.~, . ..~ ~ .... ,z :..,.;.~, .....,.~, ,',.h ...............;~'~ Older houses, such as these in the Brown Street Historic District, are an impodant pad of Iowa City's housing stock. Due to deterioration of existing buildings and changing land uses, there are some neighborhoods, such as the Near Southside, which provide opportunities for redevelopment. Detailed policies regard- ing the Near Southside are contained in the Near Southside Neigh- borhood Redevelopment Plan and the Near Southside Design Plan. As studies are written for each of the planning districts, specific subareas that would benefit from detailed redevelopment plans will be identified. NEW NEIGHBORHOODS Iowa City Beyond 2000 contains a vision for designing new neigh- borhoods as they are added to the city. This vision is expressed in a number of policy statements which support the concepts of compact neighborhood design. Compact neighborhood design creates village-like neighborhoods with housing for a diverse population, a mix of land uses, public space that is a focal point for the neighborhood, integrated civic and commercial centers, accessible open space and streets which are pleasant for both motorists and pedestrians to travel on. Arterial streets located approximately every mile and designed in a modified grid pattern will become the framework in which new neighborhoods are de- 17 veloped. Neighborhood design concepts that reflect the Beyond 2000 visions will be used to guide neighborhood development throughout Iowa City. A map of a model neighborhood illustrating these concepts is shown in Figure 3 (p. 21) and the concepts themselves are discussed in detail below. These concepts will be considered when annexation, zoning and subdivision plans are reviewed by the City. They are not intended to exclude the devel- opment of large lot single family homes, but recognize that well balanced neighborhoods will include a variety of land uses and housing types. Neighborhood Commercial. Located near an arterial street, or near an intersection of two collector streets, a neighborhood com- mercial area associated with a public square or park can provide a focal point and gathering place for a neighborhood. The busi- nesses within a neighborhood commercial center should provide shopping opportunities within convenient walking distance for the residents in the immediate area, and may include such facilities as a post office substation, a day care center, small restaurants and a convenience store. The design of the neighborhood com- mercial center should have a pedestrian orientation with the stores placed close to the street, but with sufficient open space to allow for outdoor cafes and patios or landscaping. Parking should be located to the rear and sides of stores with additional parking on the street. Neighborhood Commercial Center designed like a "main street" with offices and apartments on the second floor R EO f4LINIT,/ OF NEIOHBOI HOOD% Including public space, such as a town square in a commercial center, will allow such centers to be a focal point for their neighborhoods that can serve as an activity center for recreation, seasonal festivals, farmers markets, play areas and a bus stop. Apartments above businesses can provide needed housing while increasing the reve- nue stream for commercial establishments and enhancing the residential nature of the area. Townhouses or small apartment houses surrounding the commercial center can increase the customer base for the com- mercial uses and make efficient use of the services available in the neighborhood cen- ter. Diverse housing types. A mix of housing types within a neighborhood provides resi- dential opportunities for a wide variety of people, including singles, young families, elderly persons, large families, childless couples, owners and renters. When diverse housing sizes are dispersed throughout all neighborhoods, large concentrations of apartments can be avoided. The predominant land use in most neighborhoods will be single-family homes. How- ever, the mix of housing within a neighborhood may also include homes on smaller lots, townhouses, duplexes, small apartment buildings, and accessory apartments above garages. Small multi- family lots of approximately 12,000 to16,000 square feet of Low Density Multi-Family zoning are appropriate at the intersections of 18 collector and arterial streets. Lots of this size will assure that the resulting apartment buildings will be no more than four to six units per building, so that there are no more than 24 units at any one intersection. Buildings of this size can be designed to be of a similar height and appearance as single-family housing. More Efficient and Compact Design: Diverse housing types and compact subdivision design can be used to increase the density of an area slightly when compared to a typical suburban subdivi- sion, while maintaining the traditional residential character of a neighborhood. Many recent subdivisions contain only two to three dwelling units per acre. A density of five to seven dwelling units per acre will allow the expense of installing streets and sewer and water lines to be spread out among more homeowners and will make it easier and less expensive for the City to provide mu- nicipal services. Interconnected street systems. A modified grid street system can reduce congestion on main roads, provide more direct routes, and may reduce the vehicle R EOh4 LINII-Y O; / Jl DESTINATIONl ~ The standard street design (left) offers one route between origin and destination. The modified grid system offers a multitude of mutes. miles traveled within a neighborhood. A modified grid pattern also provides alternative ways for fire trucks and other emergency ve- hicles to circulate through a neighborhood. Cul-de-sacs are ap- propriate where environmental constraints or barriers such as steep ravines prevent the connection of streets. Arterial streets. Arterial streets serve as neighborhood bound- aries and provide access across the city without continuous travel through neighborhoods. Arterial streets are intended to carry high volumes of traffic traveling between homes, employment, shop- ping and other destinations. These major streets, if properly de- signed, reduce the likelihood of motorists cutting through resi- dential neighborhoods. To maintain the capacity of arterial streets, the number of side street intersections with the arterial street should be limited, and driveways to individual lots should be prohibited. Because they become major elements of the landscape, the aes- thetics of arterial streets must be considered. Features such as special street lights, trees and medians can enhance the appear- ance of arterial streets. Wide parkways can provide buffers be- tween arterials and adjacent developments. Eight foot wide side- walks on at least one side of an arterial street provide for safe and comfortable pedestrian travel and allow for bicycle travel. Inter- sections near schools and neighborhood commercial areas can be enhanced with brick or textured paving to highlight appropriate pedestrian crossing locations. Arterial street with rear yards and blank wall Landscape provides buffer between rear yards and arteda/ street Townhouses face arterial street H EOF4 LINIT', OF N Ei OHBO Ptl-I 0 O 19 For residential developments adjacent to arterial streets, zoning requirements specify that dwellings must be set back at least 40 feet from the street right-of-way line. This is 20 feet greater than required in other locations and provides space for landscaping to create a buffer between the arterial streets and the adjacent homes. In some locations adjacent to arterial streets, homeowners have built tall fences along the street in an effort to create privacy in their back yards. This sometimes results in long blank walls along the arterial street frontage. To avoid this problem, lots which back onto arterial streets should be avoided where possible, and alter- natives to walls, such as dense landscaping or earthen berms, should be provided. Townhouses facing the street are another alternative to having back yards immediately adjacent to the road- way. Collector streets. Collector streets play a supplemental role to ar- terial streets, traveling through the area between arterials. A col- lector street is intended .to carry neighborhood traffic from local, residential streets to the arterial streets serving the neighborhood. A modified grid pattern of collector streets lends itself to a pedes- trian friendly environment, and allows for dispersal of traffic among several streets instead of concentrating it on a few streets. Cre- ating more than a single means of access into a neighborhood supports the objective of sustaining quiet, safe neighborhoods and minimizing the effect of traffic on each home site within the neigh- borhood. The alignment of collector streets across arterial streets provides for the safe crossing of neighborhood boundary streets, particu- larly for pedestrians and cyclists. Within the neighborhood, how- ever, collector streets should not be continuous, but should be offset to slow vehicles and minimize traffic cutting through neigh- borhoods. Narrower local streets. Narrower streets slow traffic, allow for a more complete tree canopy over the street, and reduce the amount of pavement between homes in a neighborhood. This improves the aesthetics of the street. For residential streets a width of 22- 26 feet may be appropriate. Each side of a street should contain sidewalks so that travel for pedestrians is made safe and conve- nient. Reduced front yard setbacks. Reduced setbacks allow homes to be placed closer to residential streets. Reducing the face to face distances between homes increases the potential for social activity and neighborhood connections. In lieu of deep front yards, porches can serve as a transition between the public sidewalk and private residences. Front yard setbacks of less than 20 feet along local residential streets should be considered. Narrowerlot frontages. Narrow lots in the range of 30-50 feet in width (less for townhouses) result in more compact development which consumes less land and makes it possible to provide pub- lic improvements, such as streets, sewers and water lines more efficiently. The costs of constructing streets and other public improvements are spread across more properties in more com- pact developments. Building on smaller lots allows the construc- tion of more moderately-priced housing. 20 Use of rear lanes or alleys. Landscaped and well-lighted alleys can allow utilities and garages to be located away from the street and enhances the appearance of the neighborhood from the street. When garages are accessed from alleys at the rear of the' lots, vehicular traffic on residential streets is reduced. The alley can serve as a common driveway for the garages located off of it. With narrower lot frontages, the cost per lot for paving in a devel- opment that includes alleys and streets is roughly the same as the cost of conventional streets alone in a larger lot subdivision. Housing units arranged around a courtyard with vehicular access from a rear lane can also be an attractive alternative to conven- tional developments. FI EOMMLINi OF N EI OH BO R,I-I 0 0 D% Locating garages off the alley means the street side of homes need not be dominated by garage doors and expanses of concrete driveways. The front yard can present more of the social aspects of the home, such as porches and front doors. This is particularly important for small sin- gle-family homes, townhouses and zero lot-line resi- dences on narrow lots, where a two-car garage typically encompasses 50% or more of the front of a home. Townhouses and apartments can also have a much more appealing residential streetscape if parking is pro- vided off an alley or private drive to the rear of the build- ings. Where alleys are not possible, having narrower or shared driveways along the side and to the rear of houses reduces the amount of paving in front yards, and lessens the emphasis of garage doors along a street. For single-family dwellings on large lots, alternatives for vehicular access, such as alleys, are less crucial for good design, because the proportion of the property de- voted to vehicles is smaller. Parks, Trails and Open Space. Ideally, neighborhood parks are small 3-7 acre open spaces that provide a focal point for informal gatherings and recreation within easy walking distance from residences in a neighbor- hood. In some cases smaller pocket parks may be ap- propriate. A neighborhood park may be completely sur- rounded by residential units, or situated adjacent to a school or a neighborhood shopping center. Neighbor- hood parks should be designed as an integral part of an interconnected system of open space. Trails should connect neighborhood parks with larger community and regional parks. Streetscape with narrow street, shallow front yards, and garages located to side of houses. ., . -~ ~'~ - ~.,,, ~' ...... ~ "~ "' 2 ;,,~, ,.. -:f...,,,..,~: ,,~ :.:??:~ ~;. K;¢ ~.', "'~,',' ~,,, r~ ';~..,.' , ~.,~ ,. ,' ~.,~. - . .: .~., ,.. .'~' ,'~'~ '.~ ,.~;~. ~¢:~, :' ...,.; ~.. .. Paving and garage doors dominate streetscape To support pedestrian-oriented neighborhood design, trails and sidewalks should connect the major destina- tions within a neighborhood, such as schools, parks, transit stops and commercial centers. Trails and side- walks that intersect with key neighborhood destinations can be adjacent to the street, located along drainageways, and constructed over major sanitary sewer easements. Preservation of environmentally sen- sitive areas, such as wetlands and stream corridors, provides opportunities to enhance a neighborhood while maintaining scenic resources and wildlife habitat. Wher- ever possible, natural features, such as waterways woodlands, should be incorporated as key amer within parks and along trail systems. .~.~' ,~. ,.: ...i ~'.,,:, .,~ '¥.., ......?~,., !'.?" ~'.",',':" · '" ' ": ':.' :"": :':'~ ,,,. ~:..~,'~:'.'..: · ~. . ' ,~,%~i,T~,...,.;,.j~'.: · . ;~..,., ,~,..,... ~., ,.; ... ~....,:~/f.~j.;~ .;.',~,.~ ~ ~.:. ";,';; : '.i.' .'. ~ f.. r~. ,..~..'~,-',. . ,'.'... . ~ .~ ,~.. ;.,,,. ,;,,..,.--~ .~E '" ~ ~....,,:'.~ ~. ?, ~.,' ~'..:., .~. . , ..~..?, ._ ........ . ............. ........ I Alleys afiow for narrow lots with a streetscape of a~ractive ent~ways and landscaping NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN CONCEPTS Use of BOULEVARD STRE~ DESIGN aesthetic qualiw of a~erial atreeta streets where double-frontage Accomodate REGIONAL/COMMUNITY TRAIL SYSTEM, and provide connections to major neighborhood features and components HIGHER DENSITY HOUSING along and adjacent to major open spaces within the neighborhood ] Neighborhood Commercial [] Apartments [] Townhouses MODIFIED GRID street pattern allows sufficient connections within neighborhood while discouraging cut-through traffic Use of ALLEYS permits smaller, narrower lots, allowing the preservation of open space and natural areas without sacrificing densiw Preserve ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS SMALL 4-8 UNIT APARTMENT BUILDINGS at the intersections of collector and arterial streets Limited use of CUL-DE-SAC street design abutting arterials and where environmental features limit use of modified grid Possible SMALL SECOND NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL ZONE (convenience store}, if justified Figure 3. 22 WFII-BEIN0 A healthy economy is essential to the success of any community. Good jobs, paying a livable wage, and access to goods and ser- vices are important factors in measuring a community's quality of life. Iowa City has adopted "Economic Development Policies, ,'-"-ategies, and Actions for the City of Iowa City" to address the ,.,sues of employment, commerce and indust~ in a sustainable way (see Appendix G). The adopted policies focus on the follow- ing directives: Nurture existing businesses in the cityby encour- aging their retention and expansion, and by attract- ing compatible new industries. Increase employment opportunities for the local work force. Increase the amount of land available for indust~ and commerce to expand and develop. Cooperate regionally in economic development, acknowledging the regional benefits of prosperity. Encourage businesses that recognize the need to sustain the environment. It is appropriate that public funds be used, with dis- cretion, as a catalyst for private enterprise to achieve the City's economic goals. Industrial Opportunities The availability of land which is appropriately located, is zoned properly, and is ready for development is central to the City's con- /,-~qued economic vitality. There is currently a shortage of land ,ned and available for manufacturing and light industrial uses. Land for commercial development also has some limitations. Businesses which seek to locate or expand in Iowa City have difficulty finding appropriately zoned land. (See Acres by Zoning Catego~ for 1996 in Appendix E). WFI I-BEINI] 23 Two areas stand out as appropriate for new industrial develop- ment -- east of Scott Boulevard, as an extension of the BDI In- dustrial Park, and southwest of the Iowa City Municipal Airport. The site east of Scott Boulevard has been identified since 1983 as a logical extension of the existing industrial park. The land is fiat; good access is provided via Scott Boulevard and Highway 6 as well as by the Iowa Interstate Railroad; and the area can be served by FY98 with municipal services. The land southwest of the Airport has access to the Airport and to the Interstate highway system at Highway 1 and Highway 218 (the Avenue of the Saints). Municipal sewer will be available to this site in FY98. The Airport site also requires completion of some phases of the Airport Mas- ter Plan and should therefore, be reserved now in anticipation of its future use. Both potential industrial areas require annexation. Opportunities for research and development parks or office re- search parks exist in three areas of the city-- north and south of the Highway l/Interstate 80 interchange, and in west Iowa.City along Highway 218 near the Melrose Avenue/Highway 218 inter- change. The north Interstate 80 site has been available for imme- diate development for a number of years but has had limited ac- tivity. The University of Iowa Oakdale Research Park has pro- vided sites for a number of new businesses in this sector of the economy. It appears that the privately held land in Iowa City which is designated for these types of uses has difficulty competing with the park in Coralville, which is directly associated with the Univer- sity and subsidized on University-held land. Consequently, no ,'~ additional land may need to be set aside for office research or research and development land uses at this time. Commercial Opportunities Commemial opportunities encompass a wide range of business types -- offices, restaurants, retail stores, service businesses, repair shops, etc. These businesses provide at least 43% of the jobs in the Iowa City area. Opportunities in this sector of the economy are important not only for the jobs such businesses cre- ate, but also for the goods and services provided to the residents of the city. In August of 1996 there were 1,009 acres of commercial land; much of this land is developed. Redevelopment or reuse of exist- ing commercial buildings is one opportunity for new commercial development. Redevelopment and reuse are encouraged in the downtown and other existing commercial corridors. Neighbor- hood commercial developments are advocated in new neighbor- hoods as they develop. Given the construction of approximately 1.3 million square feet of retail space in the new Coral Ridge Mall, it is unlikely, and probably not prudent, for Iowa City to consider the development of large, new commercial centers in the foreseeable future. However, there may be a demand for smaller developments as the city grows. To meet the needs of Iowa City's future growth, new commercial areas are proposed in locations where: 24 11 2] 31 Old and new development can be served most ef- ficiently with the least vehicle trip distance; The commercial development has the least nega- tive impact on the neighborhood; and Vehicular and pedestrian traffic is sufficient to sup- port commercial entities (See Land Use Map en- closure) Since commercial development occurs close to where people live or along transportation corridors, special care should be taken in the site design of these establishments. Landscaping to soften the impact of the structures and lessen the effect of multiple park- ing lots should be part of each development. Signage which is informative but unobtrusive is important, particularly near neigh- borhoods and in entrance corridors to the city. Improvements within the public right-of-way such as landscaping, sidewalks set back a sufficient distance from the paving, and organized access points are important to the functioning of the transportation corri- dor and add to the quality of the trip. These features and ameni- ties can be accomplished by the joint cooperation and participa- tion of the City and business owners. Information Technology Information technologies have become an important part of the regional world economy, and will continue to create more fiexibil- r."'~y in the way we work, communicate, and deliver services. The _Jty of Iowa City should remain cognizant.of changing technolo- gies, and should periodically review its codes and policies to ac- commodate them. The City should also be aggressive in using the internet and other media to give information and promote the value of the city to visitors and prospective industries. EEONDMi£ WFI I-BEINI5 25 Quality of life in a community is as important to a community's success as the availability of basic necessities. Quality of life can be defined by the tangible aspects of the community addressed in previous sectionsgthe availability of decent housing in cohesive, stable neighborhoods; the ability to travel in and around the com- munity with relative ease; and a healthy economy with well-paying jobs and an abundance and variety of goods and services. Qual- ity of life is also defined by less tangible aspects of the community that have to do with how safe people feel, whether people are accepted and supported by others, whether the community nur- tures the development of people, and the extent to which harmony is evidenced in the community. As we plan for the physical devel- opment of Iowa City, these other important aspects of the com- munity should not be forgotten. Arts and Culture Iowa City has achieved regional and national recognition for its support for the arts and the variety of cultural activities that take place here. Much of this recognition is due to activi- ties and programs at the University of Iowa. The population attracted by the University is very sup- portive of local artists and performers. Consequently, Iowa City also stands out for its commitment to com- munity arts and cultural activities such as the Iowa Arts Festival, the Jazz Festival, Riverside Theater, Iowa City Community Theater, and Arts Iowa City. These activities and organizations add to the vitality ?.~ of the area, in both an economic sense and in mak- ing Iowa City an attractive place to live. Support for the arts and culture of the community enhances Iowa City's position in the region and adds significantly to the quality of life of the community and should, there- fore, be continued and institutionalized as an eco- nomic development and community betterment tool for the city. .' L' i." ! i',"' ' Young participants in the annual Iowa Arts Festival celebrated each June. 26 Human Development Three of the primary entities in iowa City that focus on nurturing and developing the potential of people who live here are the edu- cational system, the public library, and the human service agen- cies. An educated community challenges and fosters change in community institutions; broadens the perspective of community action; and demands variety and vitality in day-to-day activities. The edu- cational institutions in Iowa City are independent of city government. Through cooperative efforts within the City such as the DARE program, school siting during the development process, Partners in Education, and shared facilities, the mission of the educational institutions to foster life-long learn- ers and to build good citizens is furthered. The Iowa City Public Library is based on the prin- ciple of a free library. A free library ensures that everyone in the community, regardless of re- sources, has access to the information which can help them to achieve their greatest potential. As a repository and conduit of information, the library has evolved in response to technological advances and information retrieval so that the people of Iowa City are able to keep up with global changes. As we move into the next century, support for the library as a free public institution should continue, to enable ac- cess for all people to the information needed to succeed in the future. The Iowa City Public Library provides services at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center. The human service agencies of Johnson County and Iowa City form the basis of a caring commu- nity. There are approximately 30 such agencies located in Iowa City, many of which obtain some support through tax dollars, private contributions, and the work of community volunteers. These agencies provide a support system for people in need, whether that need is temporary or more per- manent in nature. Services range from hospice care to crisis response to child care. These agen- cies are an embodiment of the community's com- mitment to responsiveness to human needs and the well-being of its citizenry. As the city and surrounding communities grow and issues found in larger urban areas surface, some debate has occurred about the value of a broad range of human services. Coupled with decreases in many federally-funded human service programs, the function of some human service agencies may be diminished significantly or lost. This is at a time when the needs of people are likely to increase. Iowa. City faces difficult questions in this arena, the answers to which may affect the character of the community--will it continue to foster a climate of The Johnson County/Iowa City Senior Center provides many programs designed to meet the needs of the community's seniors 27 social acceptance and well-being, or will the community decide the cost of acceptance and support is too high? The strategies of this plan continue to "embrace life-long education, good health, decent housing, rewarding work, and helping each otheras basic elements that are essential to our quality of life (Social Services vision statement p. 46)." .~ ~Z,' .I : Young firefighters learning the impo~ance of fire safety. Personal safety and the safety of property are ba- sic needs in a community and are typically ad- dressed through the public safety departments of police and fire. The effectiveness of these depart- ments is dependent upon resources being available to them to expand their level of services as the com- munity grows, and on the cooperation and involve- ment of the people of Iowa City. In addition to the traditional functions of police and fire departments, future efforts will focus on programs that educate and involve the public in issues of safety and injury prevention. Such programs include neighborhood watch; DARE; stop, drop, and roll; check your smoke detector battery day; the fire safety trailer; Safe Kids Coalition; and community policing. The involvement of citizens in their own personal and public safety strengthens the sense of personal control over safety, fostering an atmosphere of commu- nity safety and well-being. 28 I Wfi Eli-Y: HOW The community vision task forces, which were formed in 1994 at the beginning of the Iowa City: Beyond 2000 process, addressed the general goals for Iowa City's future. These goals are the ba- sis for the 1997 Iowa City Comprehensive Plan. In examining the f"'"~ls, the next logical question is m How do we get there? What strategies can be developed to take us from the generalities of the goal statements to specific policies for implementing the vision? Various tools are available for us to carry out the vision of the Iowa City: Beyond 2000 process. The most common tools are the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, and the Capital Improve- ment Program; all of these are addressed in the Comprehensive Plan. Other tools for achieving the vision include specific neigh- borhood plans and adopted planning documents such as the JCCOG Arterial Street Plan, the Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan, and the Iowa City Open Space Plan. The following section addresses the specific goals of each Iowa City: Beyond 2000 task force, and offers strategies for answering the question -- How do we get there? '30 Iowa City is a growing city within the Johnson County/Linn County region. It is a city composed of diverse individuals and groups. The community is best served through the participation of its mem- bers, the cooperative efforts of its parts, and coordination among the governments that serve the region. ~ IOWA ~ C IT.Y ~, B EYO N D ~ 2000 ~I,~H OW ~' DO ~WE · GET ~'T H E R E 4' ? COOPERATIVE EFFORTS [] Goal: [] Goal: Cooperate in devising ways in [] which citizens of Iowa City can be [] informed about local issues and [] be active participants in setting [] the community's agenda [] Support opportunities for [] residents, government, and local [] organizations to work together Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Iowa City Office of Neighborhood Services Press releases to the local media Cable TV local access City utility bill newsletter City TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) Telephone hotlines Public information/public comment process Create community focus groups for specific issues [] Goal: [] Goal: Further enhance a metropolitan [] transportation planning process that is open to community input [] and addresses all forms of [] transportation [] Encourage and support [] collaborative efforts among [] government, business, community [] organizations, and the University of Iowa [] Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: Strategy: JCCOG metropolitan transportation planning process JCCOG modal subcommittees JCCOG adopted public input process Questionnaires and surveys to deal with specific issues Chamber of Commerce Iowa City Vision 2000 Information exchange between organizations: agendas, meeting minutes, legislation Ad-hoc committees for specific issues [] Goal: Cooperate with the University of Iowa, Johnson County, and neighboring communities to address land use issues of mutual concern, especially the planned development of contiguous areas [] [] Strategy: Strategy: JCCOG metropolitan planning organization Land use agreements between governmental organizations [] Goal: Foster creative partnerships with neighborhood associations, businesses, schools, governmental agencies, and other organizations in parkland and program development [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Outreach by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Iowa City Office of Neighborhood Services PIN (Program for Improving Neighborhoods) grants jccogt p\compplan\cooperat 32 HUMAN D V _O?M NT Iowa City has a state and national reputation for its quality of life. To enhance this reputation the City must provide resources and opportunities for learning and growth to all citizens. Culture, hu- man development and the arts must be a prime focus for the community. Programs and services related to culture, human development and the arts must be accessible to all, responsive to the varied needs and interests of a diverse population, complimentary to the rich resources of the University of Iowa and recognized as critical to the economic success of the city. Iowa City must meet the on-going challenge to preserve and im- prove a unique quality of life for a growing population and to pro- vide a fertile environment for creative endeavors. · 1OWA ~ ClTY~ BEYOND 4~ 2000~4'H OW~ DO'~WE~G ET ~TH ERE~,? HUMAN DEVELOPMENT _ [] Goal: [] Goal: Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: Provide additional and improved public spaces for arts, culture and human development programs. Elected officials will consid- er human development factors when making deci- sions. Promote arts, culture, and human development in the community. Offer programs and servic- es that meet the needs of all citizens. Document and preserve our cultural heritage. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: ' [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Expand the public library consistent with the Iowa City Public Library's Strategic Plan. Work with school district to ensure adequate school sites are available as the city grows. Inblude public recreational facilities and meeting areas in new schools. Include public art, culture or human development components in the redevelopment plans for Parcel 64-1a, the last urban renewal parcel. Set aside 1% of the budget of any public building, road, or bridge construction project for public art in the project. Include an official representative of Iowa City on the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Arts Committee. Facilitate media coverage of arts, culture and human development activities. Establish a fund to provide financial assistance to local arts, culture and human development activi- ties sponsored by non-profit groups. Ensure that facilities used for arts, culture and human development activities are fully accessible according to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Continue implementation of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan. jccogt p\cornpplan\artscult 34 i2COM'OM!£ The economic well-being of the residents of Iowa City is enhanced by: Creating and fostering an economic environment which enhances the community's character where cultural, rec- reational, and educational activities thrive and in turn pro- vide economic opportunities; Encouraging the diversification of the community's eco- nomic base to maintain a vibrant economy through chang- ing economic conditions, while providing quality employ- ment opportunities for all work force skills and educational levels; Encouraging linkages among new and existing businesses to create networks in which businesses may find materi- als and markets in the local economy; Sustaining and enhancing riscally responsible and socially relevant local government services, which include sup- portive services for the local work force; and Maintaining a vibrant economy consistent with environmen- tal health of the community, by stimulating energy and re- source conservation and promoting clean, non-polluting industries. ~,10 WA ~ CITY ~ B EYO N D ~t, 2000 ~'4,4'H O W ~ D O ~ W E ~' GET 4'T H E R E 4' ? [] Goal: Diversify and increase the [] Strategy: property tax base by (1) encouraging the retention and expansion of existing industry and (2) attracting industries that have growth potential and are compati- ble with existing business- es. [] Goal: Increase employment' op- portunities consistent with the available labor force. [] Goal: Provide and protect areas suitable for future industrial and commercial develop- ment. [] Goal: Cooperate with local and regional organizations to promote economic devel- opment within Iowa City. [] Goal: Improve the environmental and economic health of the community through the efficient use of resources. [] Goal: Consider financial incen- tives and programs to facil- itate achieving the above goals. jccogt p\compplan\welbeing [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Identify industry groups that are compatible with community goals and toward which the community should target its economic development efforts. Provide an attractive environment to businesses involved in environmental technology and services. Encourage the development and expansion of businesses which use informalton technologies by making public right-of-way and land available for infrastructure such as fiber optics lines and wire- less communication facilities. Identify local labor force skills and the types of jobs compatible with the local labor force. Identify work force skills required by targeted industries and identify education and training needs. Provide opportunities for the Iowa City work force to live close to their place of employment. Provide for the extension of infrastructure which will encourage development in areas designated for industrial and commercial growth. Promote awareness of the city's economic develop- ment policies. through public forums. Continue to use the Iowa City Area Development Group as the lead economic development agency in the area. Continue to coordinate with the UI. Enhance communication between entrepreneurs, businesses, government, labor, consumer and citizens groups, and educational institutions. Encourage commercial activity to take place in existing core areas or neighborhood commercial centers; discourage the proliferation of new major commercial areas. Continue and enhance downtown revitalization. Establish programs to encourage businesses to use resources more efficiently. Focus incentives on infrastructure development, work training and retraining; and an efficient, timely and fair development review process. Develop criteria to use whenever considering financial incentives for economic development projects. Monitor local financial markets to determine if they meet the needs of local commercial and industrial ventures. 36 FNVlRONMENTFI[ PROTECTION Iowa City has been recognized for its progress towards a quality environment. The community will strive toward: · A high level of community environmental awareness and action; Cooperative environmental protection efforts including public-private partnerships to advance a quality environ- ment; · A citizen~ that recognizes and values the unique ecology of the area; Development that occurs with consideration of ecological features, such as protecting critical wildlife habitats, natu- ral terrain and future green space; Patterns of compact growth and development that em- phasize pedestrian access and neighborhood cohesive- hess, and support alternative modes of transportation that enhance air quality; Planning by developers, city government and interested citizens that results in an infrastructure that provides effi- cient waste treatment, recovery of valuable resources and energy, participation in waste reduction and recycling pro- grams, and that allows growth without sacrificing environ- mental quality; Conveniently located parks and trails that are easily ac- cessible to all citizens, are litter-free and hospitable to a diversity of plants and animals; · Air and water that are clean, odor and color free, and noise levels, lighting and signs that are unobtrusive. ~' I O WA ~, C I T Y ~ B E Y O N D 41' 2 0 0 0 ~'~,H O W'~ D O ~' W E '~ G E T ~' T H E R E ~!, ? ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION [] Goal: Promote public education of environmental protection issues. E] Strategy: [] Strategy: Hold annual public forums on environmental legis- lation and sound environmental practices. Conduct individual initiatives such as storm sewer labeling. [] Goal: Support acquisition and management of water- sheds, floodplains, wetlands and greenway~ [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Evaluate the feasibility of interjurisdictional water- shed management. Develop a riscally responsible plan for the acquisi- tion of endangered natural areas. Acquire the streambanks and floodplains of Ralston Creek, Willow Creek and the Iowa River. Incorporate greenways into the open space system and the bikeways network. Complete the Iowa River Corridor trail. [] Goal: Protect the water quality of stormwater runoff, landfill leachate and wastewater effluent. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Continue monitoring landfill leachate and waste- water treatment effluent to maintain compliance with state and federal regulations. Evaluate stormwater management methods which contribute to the filtering of stormwater runoff using natural features. Require proper soil erosion control in all private and public development projects. [] Goal: Reduce the use of toxic chemicals, particularly lawn pesticides. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Review the use of toxic chemicals applied by City departments, and reduce application where practi- cal. Promote alternatives to toxic residential lawn chemicals. [] Goal: Reduce the volume of material going into the Iowa City landfill. [] Strategy: Promote initiatives for reducing the disposal of solid waste, such as recycling alternatives and reuse of items currently landfilled. [] Goal: Provide for the safe and effective disposal of haz- ardous wastes. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Continue annual paint and battery disposal days. Establish a household hazardous waste policy. [] Goal: Goal: Protect scenic and historic vistas, control offensive noises, and promote unob- trusive lighting and signs. Pursue identification and preservation of environ- mentally sensitive areas. jccogtp\compplan\envprot [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Enforce appropriate elements of the Historic Pres- ervation Plan, the municipal noise ordinance, and the municipal sign ordinance. Enforce the sensitive areas ordinance. Reestablish natural areas where possible. Discourage or prohibit the planting of invasive exotic plant species by the City other public agen- cies, and property owners. 38 I-IOU< INE Housing in a vital, energetic city builds a community of neighbor- hoods that provides safe, attractive and affordable housing for all its residents. A well-planned neighborhood welcomes all people and includes both owner-occupied and rental, single-family and multi-family housing. To this end, the City of Iowa City should adopt policies to protect the integrity of existing neighborhoods and to encourage the creation of neighborhoods in new develop- ments. ~1OWA ~ CITY~ BEYO N D ~2000 ~'~HOW ~ DO ~'WE~I'G ET ~THERE ~ ? Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: Provide housing opportuni- ties for households of all sizes, incomes, ages, and for populations with special needs. Encourage neighborhoods that support the principle of diversity of housing types and households, and pro- vide for interaction among neighbors. Preserve the integrity of existing neighborhoods and the historic nature of older neighborhoods. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Encourage smaller owner-occupied houses on smaller lots. Zone land for lower cost housing alternatives such as single room occupancy, cooperatives, manufac- tured and modular homes. Institute incentives such as density bonuses, provision of infrastructure, and reduction of infra- structure requirements for the development of affordable housing. Support programs that allow senior citizens to stay in their homes. Fund programs that assist lower income house- holds with housing including public housing and the rental assistance certificate and voucher programs. Monitor and eliminate barriers to affordable and accessible housing. Simplified procedures for mixing housing types. Encourage amenities such as retail stores, church- es, and small restaurants in neighborh.oods. Develop smaller lots and more common open space. Investigate "fair share" concept for affordable hous- ing (percentage in every neighborhood). Develop neighborhood plans which help to ensure the continuation of a balance of housing types within neighborhoods, particularly in older parts of the city. Support the Historic Preservation Commission's efforts to meet its goals. [] Goal: [] Goal: Maintain and improve the safety of all housing. Review zoning and annex- ation of undeveloped areas to plan for the develop- ment of sustainable and livable neighborhoods. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Enforce building and housing codes. Zone for neighborhood development in conjunction with annexation. Coordinate with surrounding municipal govern- ments. jccogt p\compplan\housing 40 /nNDU E UR! EIN PEI]TERN The citizens of Iowa City build community and preserve the city's quality of life by providing connections not only to the people and places around which activities are centered, but also to the city's history, its environment and the University, all of which have shaped Iowa City's unique character. Future city developments should cherish and protect the character of the downtown and existing neighborhoods, while carefully creating new areas which are in- novative in design, are compatible with their surroundings and are environmentally sensitive. Future growth and development of the community should be guided and managed to create a city which is · Definable in character and space; · Accessible to all; · Humane; · Inclusive; · Diverse in land uses, employment and housing opportuni- ties; · Environmentally sensitive; and · Economically healthy. ~ I 0 WA ~, CITY ~, B EYO N D ~ 2000 ~'~ H 0 W ~ D 0 ~ W E ~' GET ~,T HER E~, e [] Goal: Define the City's adopted growth area boundary, LAND USE & URBAN PATTERN [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Focus urban growth; use the City's extraterritorial review powers to discourage suburban sprawl. Establish wherever possible green space at the edge of the urban growth boundary. [] Goal: Contain industrial develop- ment in industrial parks on the edge of the community. [] Strategy: Identify appropriate areas for industrial growth, provide city services, zone accordingly. [] Goal: Focus commercial develop- ment in defined commercial centers, including small scale neighborhood com- mercial centers. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Identify appropriate commercial nodes; zone accord- ingly to focus commercial development. Discourage linear strip commercial development that encourages sprawl. [] Goal: Maintain a strong, accessi- ble downtown that is pedes- trian oriented and a cultural, commercial and residential center. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Encourage continued investment in downtown to assure its place as the community cultural and commercial center. Work with the business community on strategies to keep downtown competitive with outlying commercial areas. Implement the Near Southside Development Plan to promote growth downtown. [] Goal: Protect the historical and natural environment within the city. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Develop guidelines to help the development commu- nity deal appropriately with natural areas and open spaces. Use City projects to demonstrate appropriate relation- ships between development and environmentally sensitive areas. Continue implementation of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan. [] Goal: Foster strong community neighborhoods with a mix of housing, churches, schools, recreation facilities, com- mercial areas, and historic landmarks. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Plan and promote the development of model neigh- borhoods that are compact, pedestrian-oriented, contain a mix of housing, with neighborhood focal points and commercial centers. Promote a.mix of housing styles within neighbor- hoods, including compatible infill development; and zone parcels in advance of development. Implement zoning which integrates multi-family buildings as transitions between neighborhood commercial zones and lower density single family areas. Work with appropriate organizations to ensure that schools, churches, parks, and neighborhood commer- cial centers are centralized within residential areas rather than on the fringes of the community. Promote neighborhood commercial centers by identi- fying and zoning parcels in advance of development. jccogtp/compplan/landuse 42 REERFFITION OPEN Parks, recreation and open space are essential features of a healthy community. Our vision is to enhance the quality of life in Iowa City by creating a model community with: · Beautiful lands, trees and open spaces; · Sufficient park land, facilities and trails to accommodate the needs of all neighborhoods; · A balance of indoor and outdoor facilities and programs; and · Activities and facilities which are accessible and afford- able. · '1OWA ~ CITY ~,B EYO N D ~ 2000 ~'~H OW ~ DO ~WE ~, GET ~'T H E R E ~' 7 OPEN SPACE [] Goal: [] Goal: Make recreational facilities [] Strategy: and programs as afford- able as possible. [] Strategy: Ensure that programs and facilities are accessible to all citizens. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Make special subsidy programs available to low income residents. Foster partnerships with neighborhood associa- tions, businesses, schools and governmental agencies. Actively seek grants, matching monies, and gifts. Implement accessibility retrofit programs for all park facilities and recreation programs. Provide sufficient parking spaces to serve persons with disabilities, including van spaces. Expand recreation programs that serve people with special needs. [] Goal: Implement elements of the Neighborhood Open Space Plan. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Expedite expenditure of fees paid by developers for park land acquisition. Develop dedicated open space for use by neigh- boring residents. Develop a neighborhood park land and trails acquisition program. Update the neighborhood open space action plan on an ongoing basis. [] Goal: Enhance and expand in- door and outdoor recre- ational facilities. [] Strategy: Pursue improvements to the Robert A. Lee Com- munity Recreation Center, Mercer Park Aquatic Center, and the south side sports complex. [] Goal: Improve and maintain mu- nicipal parks to meet the needs of neighborhoods and the community. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Implement a planned maintenance strategy for City park facilities. Work with neighborhood groups on appropriate improvements to neighborhood parks. [] Goal: Establish a system of bike- ways and trails connecting parks, schools, neighbor- hoods, and the downtown area. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Complete the Iowa River Corridor Trail. Construct bikeways and trails throughout Iowa City as opportunities become available through the property development process. [] Goal: Create and maintain at- tractive entrances to Iowa City. Goal: Enhance the city's urban forest. jccogtp\compplan\parksrec [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Implement landscaping plans on public and private property to enhance entranceways to the communi- ty. Develop building and site design guidelines. Continue the Heritage Tree Program and expand it to other areas of the city. Work with public utilities and private property owners to preserve trees. Develop a preservation/replacement plan for trees located on City-owned properties. 44 Iowa City will be known as a community that keeps its people and its environment free from harm and injury. Through the City de- partments charged with public safety, resources will be directed toward education, prevention and enforcement to enhance the quality of life in Iowa City. ~' IOWA ~' CITY ~ B EYO N D ~ 2000'~'~'~ HOW ~ DO ~'W E · GET · T H E R E · ? Police - Fire [] Goal: Encourage support in the [] Strategy: community for promoting public safety. [] Strategy: ' [] Strategy: Encourage expansion of citizen involvement pro- grams such as neighborhood watch and DARE. Seek and maintain cooperative relationships with other City departments and agencies promoting public safety. Promote events such as "check your smoke detec- tor battery day," "stop, drop and roll," as well as working with community groups on fire safety training and injury prevention. Goal: Respond to calls for emer- gency service as efficiently and effectively as possible. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Efficiently and effectively conduct the criminal justice process. Attempt to recover lost and/or stolen property, identify its owners, and ensure its prompt return. Minimize emergency service response time. [] Goal: Enforce traffic laws and direct the safe movement of all users of the street system. Ensure safe fire equipment access. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Coordinate with Traffic Engineering Planning to monitor and enforce problem locations throughout the city. Initiate educational programs with the school district to promote safe pedestrian travel by chil- dren. Work with the Urban Planning Division to develop safe subdivision circulation patterns. Work with neighborhood associations to locate problem traffic areas and implement enforcement. Goal: Inspire confidence in the provision of emergency services. [] Strategy: Develop personnel capable of providing the public with professional law enforcement, fire fighting, and emergency medical service, hazardous materials mitigation, and rescue. [] Goal: Continue to maintain the prevention of fire as the primary objective of the Fire Department. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Implement programs on fire deterrents and arson prosecution involving the .public. Promote public education with the schools, neigh- borhood associations, landlords and other groups on the methods and techniques of fire and injury prevention. [] Goal: Goal: Actively participate in the enforcement of building and fire codes. Plan for the future public safety needs of the com- munity. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Complete inspections for building and fire code compliance. Work with Housing and Inspection Services Depart- ment to ensure knowledge and compliance with the fire code by property owners. Develop annual objectives which make efficient and effective use of resources. Monitor progress in meeting public safety goals with the assistance of the public. jccogt p\compplan\pubsafty 46 OEIfiL The City of Iowa City provides the foundation for a caring commu- nity by responding to human needs, being ethically accountable, and making decisions for the greater good. Our community en- courages the participation of all citizens to create a climate of social acceptance and well-being. We embrace life-long educa- tion, good health, decent housing, rewarding work and helping each other as basic elements that are essential to our quality of life. City supported social services compliment and strengthen the efforts of citizens helping each other to enjoy that quality of life. ~10WA · CITY'~ B EYO N D ~ 2000 ~'~H OW ~' DO 4, WE ~'G ET ~,T HER E ~ 7 [] Goal: A community standard of "service to others." [] Goal: A wide array of programs available in all neighbor- hoods throughout the city. [] Goal: An adequate level of finan- cial support for human services programs. [] Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: Provide appropriate plan- ning and coordination of human services programs. A leadership role by Iowa City government in the provision of human servic- es by an employer. Equal accessibility by all persons to all aspects of the community. [] Goal: Consideration of human services impacts on mat- ters being discussed by the City Council. · -ogtp~cornpplan~,h umansrv [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Encourage employers to promote service learning and volunteerism opportunities to their employees. Work with the Volunteer Action Center and Volun- teerAdministrators Network to encourage volunteer community service activities. Support human service programs in centers in neighborhoods. Use existing facilities to provide coordinated neigh- borhood services. Facilitate the joint human services funding process through JCCOG. Strengthen relationships with entities that are not part of the joint human services funding process. Investigate ways to enhance the financial position of human service agencies. Work with agencies that offer services to exchange information and ideas, review new regulations, discuss issues and concerns. Determine feasibility of on-site daycare, coopera- tive efforts with other employers, and utilizing 4Cs to assist employees in securing safe, reliable childcare. Provide expanded employment opportunities for person with disabilities, persons with employment difficulties, and persons seeking work under the state's reformed welfare laws. Ensure that building codes and City ordinances are consistent with ADA. Provide sliding scale fee options for as many City services as possible for low income residents Enhance the ability of persons whose first lan- guage is not English to use City services. Assess impact of development projects and City policies on human service programs. 48 TR¢IN PORTFITION The quality of life for residents of Iowa City is and will continue to be enhanced by a balanced, multi-modal system for the transpor- tation of people. This is a system which will accommodate motor vehicles, public transit, bicycles~ general aviation, and pedestri- ans as legitimate forms of mobility in the community. Iowa City is enhanced by having readily available freight access to the national transportation network via the air, truck and rail modes. As the community changes in the future, the City should pay increased attention to innovative m even adventurous -- methods of main- taining and improving our transportation system. ~1OWA~,CITY~ BEYON D ~ 2000 ~4~HOW"~ DO ~'WE~ GET ~T H ERE · ? TRANSPORTATION [] Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: [] Goal: Accommodate all modes of transportation on the street system. Encourage walking and bicycling. Promote use of public tran- sit. Maximize mobility for per- sons with disabilities. Protect neighborhoods from arterial street traffic. A downtown parking sys- tem that fosters economic growth and vitality. Ensure the continued vitali- ty of the Iowa City Munici- pal Airport. [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: [] Strategy: Design arterial streets to accommodate all modes with sidewalks on both sides. Maintain a sidewalk retrofit program for older arterials. Construct capacity improvements when appropriate for older arterials. Provide sidewalks with curb ramps along all streets. Provide crosswalks and walk signals where appro- priate. Provide wide curb lanes for bicycles. Provide separate trails where appropriate; complete Iowa River Corridor Trail. Provide adequate bike parking facilities. Enforce the snow removal ordinance. Continue to monitor transit on-time performance. Maximize level of transit service during a.m. and p.m. peak travel periods. Continue upgrading transit capital equipment. Ensure that sidewalks, trails, curb ramps, traffic control devices, street markings and parking facilities accommodate persons with disabilities. Provide 100% lift-equipped public transit service by year 2000. Continue provision of complementary paretransit service. Enforce the snow removal ordinance. Use arterial streets as neighborhood boundaries. Create self-contained neighborhoods with a mix of uses. Implement traffic calming strategies where appro- priate on local residential streets. Alleviate arterial street intersection congestion that encourages motorists to cut through neighbor- hoods. Construct off-street parking garages with ancillary uses such as daycare centers and covered bike parking. Preserve the downtown on-street parking system for short-term parkers. Implement airport Master Plan. jccogtp\compplan\transp.smp 50 INTRODLI£TION THE PLFINNINO DI TRI£T For the purposes of the Comprehensive Plan, the City has been divided into ten geographically designated planning districts, shown in Figure 4. The community direction articulated in the Beyond 2000 vision statements has been addressed in each plan- (,-~.ing district study. The ten planning districts include all property .~ the designated Iowa City long-range planning area. The plan- ning districts are: o Central · Downtown · Northeast · North · Northwest · Southwest · South Central · South · Southeast North Corridor The planning district studies represent a snapshot of each plan- ning district in 1996. This snapshot includes a basic description of the planning district, a summary of unique features, and public infrastructure elements: sanitary sewer, water, trafficways, and open space. Also included is a summary of public school issues, although public schools fall under the purview of the Iowa City Community School District, not the City of Iowa City. Eventually, more detailed area plans will be conducted for each planning district. The first area plan was completed in 1996 for ~,,..J,he South Planning District. The South District Plan involved an xtensive citizen participation process, including neighborhood planning workshops to develop a vision for this area of Iowa City. The South District Plan will become part of the Iowa City Compre- hensive Plan after it is adopted by the Planning and Zoning Com- mission and the City Council. I IOWA CITY PLANNING DISTRICTS I \:~ ~-~ :CEN'i R^L,, [ENTF~R!_ ~[[~NNIN6 DmST m[ CENTRAL [ENTBfi/ /flNNINI3 DISTI I[:T 51 Description of the Central Planning District The Central Planning District is generally bounded by the Iowa River on the west; the ravine north of Brown Street, and Dodge Street/Highway 1 on the north; 1st Avenue and Sycamore Street on the east and the Iowa Interstate Railroad and Highway 6 on the south. The district surrounds the downtown and its environs in- cluding the eastern portions of the University of Iowa Campus, Mercy Hospital and the Near Southside. Hickory Hill Park, Oak- land-Cemetery, Regina Educational Center, Iowa City High School, four elementary schools and the City's north wastewater treatment plant are included within the boundaries of the district. The area contains a wide variety of land uses including retail com- mercial, intensive commercial, industrial, multi-family residential, single family residential and a community park. In the Central Planning District there are approximately 50 acres of vacant land zoned for residential development. The Central Planning District contains several older neighborhoods which made up the original town plat and early additions to the city. The southern and eastern portion of the district contains neighborhoods developed after 1950. Except for subdivisions to the north and west of Iowa City High School, streets within the Central Planning District are almost exclusively arranged in a grid pattern. Many of the city's major arterial streets pass through or radiate out from the Central Planning District, therefore transpor- tation and traffic issues may take on a heightened sense of im- portance when compared to other planning districts. Unique Features of the Central Planning District Portions of the Central Planning District located to the north and east of downtown contain older neighborhoods where issues of 52 neighborhood integrity are of concern. Some areas within the Cen- tral Planning District contain housing which has been more fordable when compared to newer subdivisions. Preservation of this existing housing stock has been a policy of the city and will require continued efforts. Where existing zoning allows redevel- opment at a higher density, the City Council has indicated that measures should be taken to assure that new structures are de- signed to be compatible with the adjacent neighborhood. Parking for the University, Mercy Hospital, and churches located downtown has also been an issue for the neighborhoods located near these institutions. Organized neighborhood associations, such as the Northside and Longfellow associations, have been active in addressing issues affecting development and quality of life in their neighborhoods. The newer neighborhoods on the pe- riphery of the central area have not typically experienced the con- flicts associated with redevelopment that has occurred in the older neighborhoods. However, as the City grows and these neighbor- hoods age, attention may need to be directed to these areas to assure their long term stability. Infrastructure The Central Planning District is well served by city utilities with few areas having inadequacies in sanitary sewer, water or fire protection. Given proximity to downtown, the area has good ac- cess to several transit routes. All Iowa City Transit routes east of the Iowa River travel through the Central PJanning District. Trafficways Several of the city's arterial streets are partially located with the Central Planning District. The capacity of these streets to handle increased traffic and the impact of increased traffic in existing neighborhoods is an ongoing concern. For example, plans to widen Kirkwood Avenue were opposed by neighborhood groups and as a result it was rebuilt without being widened. Improvements nec- essary to increase capacity will need to be balanced with the policy of preserving the integrity of the neighborhoods through which these streets pass. The City has begun to consider "traffic calm- ing" techniques to minimize traffic impacts in residential areas on local and collector streets. Arterial streets which have been iden- tified as having existing capacity constraints include Gilbert Street, Burlington Street, Summit and Sycamore streets, Rochester, First, Lower Muscatine and Kirkwood avenues. Street improvements scheduled in the Capital Improvement Plan include First Avenue, Lower Muscatine Avenue and Sycamore Street. Open Space The Central Planning District contains Hickory Hill Park, which is a community-wide park facility. The district also contains several small neighborhood parks such as College Green Park, Creekside Park and North Market Square. The Iowa City Neighborhood Qpen Space Plan includes seven Di%TRIET 53 open space districts in the Central Planning District. These dis- tricts and their existing neighborhood open space requirements are summarized in the boxed table. Most of the Open Space Districts within the Central District have a deficit of neighborhood open space. Given the fact that there is little if any vacant land in the Central District, implementation of the Neighborhood Open Space plan may require the acquisition of properties to be rede- veloped for open space. Neighborhood Associations District North Side Existing Open Space Happy Hollow Park (3.3 acres) North Market Park (1.5 acres) Horace Mann School (0.5 acres)* College Green College Green Park (2,4 acres) 2.5 acres Chauncey Swan Park (.6 acres) Bowery None 9.9 acres Longfellow Creekside Park (2.3 acres) .97 acres Longfellow Park (2.08 acres) Longfellow School (9 acres)* Mark Twain Oak Grove Park (1.6 acres) 4.3 acres Highland Park (0.4 acres) [Plum Grove. State Historic Site (4.23 acres)] Mark Twain School (9 acres)* City High Glendale Park (0.8 acres) 6.0 acres Hoover Elementary (6.0 acres)* Hickory Hill Hickory Hill (190 acres) +2.8 acres surplus Reno Street Park (1.3 acres) Designated neighborhood groups within the Central Planning Dis- trict include the Northside Neighborhood Association, the Goosetown Neighborhood Association, the Longfellow Neighbor- hood Associa- tion, and the Open Space Deficit Lucas Farms 7.3 acres Neighborhood Association. *Only 25% of open space associated with elementary schools and a maximum of 7 acres per park is given neighborhood open space credit. Schools Horace Mann, Longfellow, Hoover and Mark Twain elementary schools are all lo- cated within the Central Planning District. Be- cause the Central Planning District is nearly com- pletely devel- oped, it is not an- ticipated that there will be a sig- nificant increase in the number of school age children living within the area. In fact, due to the aging and cycling of neighborhoods there will be times when the number of school age children in the District will de- crease. However, the schools within the district serve students from beyond the Central Planning District and this may affect their capacity. Regardless, it is not anticipated that an additional school site will be necessary or possible within the Central Planning Dis- trict. EENTI fI[ I_HNNIN[ Commercial Areas The North Side of the Central Planning District is served by a neighborhood commercial area at the intersection of Dodge and Church Street. The northeast portion of the Central Planning Dis- trict is served by a neighborhood commercial district located at the intersection of First Avenue and Rochester. The southeast portion is served by a community commercial district located at the intersection of Muscatine and First Avenue. The south portion 54 of the Central Planning District is served by the community com- mercial district south of Highway 6. No additional neighborhood commercial areas are necessary to serve the planning district, however, redevelopment may occur in the existing older neigh- borhood commercial areas. The southwestern portion of the Central Planning District con- tains a large area of intensive commercial zoning. The area con- tains a mix of commercial uses ranging from retail and service uses to quasi-industrial uses. The recent trend of apartments being built above intensive commercial areas may result in the need to re-examine the appropriate land uses and zoning patterns in this area. Concerns regarding the need to provide locations within the community for intensive commercial uses such as auto repair garages will need to be balanced against the introduction of lighter commercial and residential uses into this area. Highlights of the Central Planning District The integrity of existing neighborhoods, especially those adjacent to downtown and the University of Iowa campus will require ongoing efforts. Development of policies to ensure compatibility of infill residential development within established neighborhoods has been identified as a prior- ity by the City Council. The redevelopment of the commercial area in the south- west portion of the Central Planning District should be ex- amined. Consideration will need to be given to the com- patibility among the less intense land uses recently intro- duced into the area and the existing intensive commercial uses. Policies regarding the need for increased capacity on ar- terial streets will need to be balanced with 'efforts to pre- serve adjacent neighborhoods. The shortage of Neighborhood Open Space in many of the neighborhoods in the Central Planning District requires a creative approach. As subdivisions on the periphery of the Central Planning District age issues regarding long-term stability will need to be addressed. £ENTRfi[ /fiNNI.NO dCentral Planning District ] ITr'l E]]~ rTTT1 I1[ Ill111111111~ DO~4NTDWN ~!~NNIN6 DWNi-flWN LFINNIN 3- DIfTRII T 55 Description of the Downtown Planning District The Downtown Planning District is bounded on the west by the Iowa River, on the north and east by the Northside and Court Hill neighborhoods, and on the south by the Iowa Interstate Railroad. It contains the oldest part of Iowa City originally platted in 1839, the University of Iowa east campus, and the central business dis- trict. There is no property included in the vacant land inventory within the downtown planning district. However, a number of prop- erties in the downtown planning district may be appropriate for redevelopment. The Near Southside, a 20 block area in the southernmost part of the district, was the subject of a redevelopment study in 1991. Design plans for the Near Southside addressing streetscape im- provements, parking and civic projects, and building design con- cepts were adopted by the City Council in 1995. The redevelop- ment and design plans are considered part of the Comprehen- sive Plan for this District. Unique Features of the Downtown Planning District The dominant feature of this planning district is downtown Iowa City. Iowa City is fortunate to have an active and vital downtown. The success of downtown as an activity center is due in part to the urban renewal effort of the 1970s and '80s. It is also due to the presence of the University of Iowa academic campus in its midst. Students, faculty and visitors to the campus enable downtown businesses to thrive. The presence of the campus also presents challenges for the downtown in terms of the types of businesses that can achieve success, and in terms of parking availability in the general area. In addition, many of the physical amenities con- structed during urban renewal are aging and in need of upgrading. To address these and other issues, a public/private effort includ- 56 ing the City, downtown business and property owners, the Univer- sity of Iowa, and other interested citizens, is being undertaken to ensure the continued vitality of downtown. Immediately outside of downtown are two areas which are af- fected by the downtown. One is the Near Southside noted above, and the other is the Northside Marketplace. Future planning and redevelopment of the Near Southside has been addressed in the Near Southside Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan and in the Near Southside Design Plan. The Northside Marketplace is a small commercial area on the near northside, separated from the down- town by University campus buildings. Business and property own- ers in the area are organized into a loosely knit group to address the needs of this commercial area. Improvements to the public right-of-way, the future of City parking facilities on the Northside and the continued vitality of commercial enterprises in this area are topics which warrant investigation in the future. Mercy Hospi- tal is a significant institution on the east end of this area, and will have a role in defining the character of the Northside Marketplace. Higher density housing in and around the downtown is an issue to be addressed in this district. The logic of promoting higher density residential development in the Downtown Planning District rests in the concept that people who live in and near downtown will walk to work (or classes in the case of University students), will patron- ize downtown businesses, will add to after hours vitality, and cre- ate a sense of safety in the downtown. Higher density develop- ment in the downtown also reduces pressure on the less dense older neighborhoods surrounding downtown. However, some downtown merchants and business owners feel the residential population burdens the parking system in the district to the detri- ment of the businesses. This issue will need to be debated and resolved, setting a clear policy for housing, parking and redevel- opment in the Downtown Planning District. Because Iowa City is a relatively small and compact city, less dense residential development can be found adjacent to the down- town. As the community grows and the downtown prospers, care should be taken in providing proper transitions between the inten- sity of downtown development and surrounding residential neigh- borhoods. Given the built-up nature of the Downtown Planning District, there are few environmental concerns in this district. Limited flooding on the lower reaches of Ralston Creek, between Johnson Street and Gilbert Street, still occurs despite the detention structures on the upper reaches of both branches of the creek. With redevelop- ment, properties prone to flooding are being set aside for no de- velopment, or new development is being elevated above the 100 year flood level. A significant environmental feature bordering the Downtown Planning District is the Iowa River. Enhancing access to the river and the construction of a pedestrian/bicycle trail along the river are on-going efforts of the City and the University of Iowa. I OWNTOWN ' FINNINO DI TRIET 57 Open Space Because the Downtown Planning District is fully developed and largely commercial, the Neighborhood Open Space Plan applies to only the Near Southside portion of this area. The Near Southside Open Space District extends all the way to Highway 6 and has a deficit of 4.4 acres. Harrison Hill Park .provides .3 acres of the needed open space. Other public open space in the Downtown Planning District is provided in the City Plaza pedestrian mall; and along the Iowa River, particularly on the University campus. The design plan for the Near Southside includes a concept 'for a greenway to the Iowa River, and a civic complex that includes an ice-rink/plaza built in conjunction with a parking facility south of the Johnson County Courtl~ouse. As areas redevelop, open space and greenways will be considered in redevelopment plans. Neighborhood Associations There are no designated neighborhood associations within the downtown planning district. Schools One public high school, the Community Education Center (CEC), is located in the Downtown Planning District. There are no exist- ing or planned elementary schools. H~qhliqhts of the Downtown Planninq District An on-going strategy which addresses the vitality of the downtown through such issues as parking, the business mix, safety and the appearance of downtown should con- tinue. The future of the Northside Marketplace warrants further evaluation. Higher density housing issues in and near the downtown need to be resolved and a clear policy formulated. Limited flooding along Ralston Creek continues to be a problem for some properties. I OWNTOWN 'LFINNINO DI TRIET Some public open spaces exist, but additional areas can be considered with redevelopment in parts of the Down- town Planning District. I I J --/ Bown~own Planning - h IIIII /11111tli1111II!!1111111 IllIll I IL Di~Irict~ ~ ~ ~ CITT~ [~ ~ - UNIVERSITY IOWA -- F~ WASHINGTON BURLINGTON ST II Nfl~T!-IEfi~T ~LflNNIN~ 58 /flNNINI3 DI T iET Description of the Northeast Planning District The Northeast Planning District is bounded by Interstate 80 on the north, the Iowa City Long-Range Planning Boundary on the east, /"~ourt Street on the south, and First Avenue on the west. Existing _red uses are predominantly a mix of single-.family residential and office/research park. There are also small areas of multi-family residential, commercial, and city parks. Much of the Northeast Planning District remains undeveloped or in an agricultural use. Factors which have contributed to its rela- tively undeveloped state include lack of sewer service and street access, topographical constraints, and lack of interest in redevel: opment by property owners who own large tracts of land. In the Northeast Planning District there are approximately 690 acres of vacant land zoned for residential development within the corpo- rate limits, and 965 additional acres of vacant land within the Iowa City long-range planning area. The Northeast Planning District includes large areas of woodlands, steep slopes, and stream corridors. Development in this area should be planned with an emphasis on adapting to the existing terrain in accordance with the City of Iowa City Sensitive Areas Ordinance. This area is well-suited for Planned Developments, which allow flexibility in the placement and clustering of buildings, the modification of street standards, and the use of open space. A Planned Development can promote efficiency by minimizing the network of utilities and streets for a given number of lots, while ,,,-a. llowing development to occur in a manner sensitive to natural ';atures. Unique Features of the Northeast Planning District. The 1983 Comprehensive Plan designated the area along North 59 Dodge Street and Interstate 80 as suitable for future Office Re~ search Park (ORP) development. The visibility of this property combined with its convenience to 1-80 make it particularly suitable for ORP development. With an amendment to the Comprehen- sive Plan in 1987, Research and Development Parks (RDP) were also considered as appropriate land uses for parts of the North- east Planning District. Research and Development Parks put greater emphasis on production than is found in Office Research Parks, where only prototype manufacturing takes place. The amenities of landscaping, high quality design, and large set- backs are critical to the successful development of a Research and Development Park. Research and Development Parks may be designed with smaller .lots than the more campus-like devel- opment envisioned for an Office Research Park. Development of an RDP zone requires the preparation of a master plan. The plan must show the park's amenities, and measures to be taken to protect any residential development in the vicinity. The master plan should also show how the development is sensitive to natu- ral features in the area. Sewer Availability The Northeast Planning District trunk sewer system services an area approximately 900 acres in size within the existing corporate limits. Two hundred of these acres became sewerable with completion of the Southeast Interceptor Trunk Sewer in the late 1980's. The remaining 700 acres will require extension of addi- tional trunk lines off the Southeast Interceptor before development can occur. Development in the growth area east of Scott Boule- vard will require extension of additional trunk lines as well as up- grading of the Southeast Interceptor Extension upstream of Court Hill Park. Further development of the area north of Rochester Avenue will require an upgrade to the northeast trunk line sanitary sewer be- tween the Hickory Hill Park Stormwater Retention Facility and Glen- dale Avenue. Municipal Water Service There are existing flow rate and water pressure constraints in the Northeast Planning District. These will be alleviated with a new feeder main to the Rochester Avenue Ground Storage Reservoir, This improvement is expected to be on-line by 2001. Trafficways There are three north-south arterial street corridors in the North- east Planning District: First Avenue, Scott Boulevard, and Taft Avenue. There are three east-west arterials: Court Street, Roch- esterAvenue, and the planned north area east-west arterial. Thes~-~ arterial street corridors are shown in the JCCOG Arterial Street Plan for the Iowa City Urbanized Area, included in the appendix. First Avenue has been completed approximately one-half mile 60 north of Rochester Avenue; Scott Boulevard has been constructed as an urban arterial street to Rochester Avenue, but remains an /~"mproved rural road north of Rochester Avenue. Taft Avenue is ~,,, unimproved county road near the Iowa City Long-Range Plan- ning Boundary. Court Street has been extended east of Scott Boulevard and is proposed for extension to Taft Avenue within five years. Rochester Avenue extends east of the city limits to an interchange with 1-80. No portion of the north area east-west arte- rial is completed at this time; it is proposed for construction in phases by the year 2001. [FINNIN[ The most significant characteristic about the Northeast Planning District arterial street system is its discontinuity. Only Rochester Avenue is fully functional with respect to the planned arterial street network. All other arterials in this area require some type of ex- tension or reconstruction before they are fully functional. The needed improvements are either already programmed in the Iowa City Capital Improvements Program (First Avenue, Scott Boule- vard, Court Street, north area east-west arterial); or considered to be future long-range arterial street corridors (Taft Avenue). The extension of arterial streets in the Northeast Planning District will be required for development at urban densities to occur. The new streets will be constructed as urban arterials, with a mini- mum 34' paved roadway surface, and sidewalks on both sides of the street, including an 8' sidewalk on one side. This will enable /"'~otor vehicle, transit vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian access to ,e northeast area. Extension of these art. erial streets will also create improved emergency vehicle access to north Iowa City. This area currently has the poorest emergency vehicle response time in Iowa City. The existing arterial streets in the Northeast Planning District are relatively unconstrained with respect to lane capacity and Level of Service (delay). Additional arterial street planning issues associ- ated with the Northeast Planning District are summarized in the JCCOG Arterial Street Plan for the Iowa City Urbanized Area, in- cluded in the appendix. Open $~ace The adopted Iowa City Neighborhood Open Space Plan includes two open space districts in the Northeast Planning District: Dis- trict NE1 (Upper Ralston Creek) and District NE2 (Pheasant Hill/ Lemme). The open space needs in each area are summarized in the boxed table. District Upper Ralston Creek Pheasant Hill/Lemme Only 25% of the school /,.-qpen space may be .~unted toward the re- quirement; therefore the 8.0 acre Lemme School property is only credited 2.0 acres in the Open Space Plan. Por- tions of the Northeast Planning District are not included in the Existing Open Space None Pheasant Hill Park (3.3 acres) Lemme School (8.0 acres) * Includes Windsor Ridge area north of Court Street Open Space Deficit 12.2 acres 7.0 acres/ 9.9 acres* 61 Neighborhood Open Space Plan because they contain no areas of projected residential development. Neighborhood Associations There is one designated neighborhood group in the Northeast Plan- ning District, the Bluffwood Neighborhood Association. Schools The Northeast Planning District is served by two public elemen- tary schools; Hoover, which is currently under capacity; and Lemme, which is currently at enrollment capacity. With the bound- ary changes proposed for implementation in 1997, the projection is for both Hoover and Lemme to be under capacity by the year 2001. Population growth in the Northeast Planning District may dictate new school facilities depending on the policies of the Iowa City Community School District with respect to busing and bound- ary changes. Highlights of the Northeast Planning District The existence of environmentally sensitive areas in the Northeast Planning District makes Planned Development housing appropriate. This is Iowa City's designated area for Office Research Parks and Research Development Parks. Full development of the Northeast Planning District will require upgrade of sanitary sewer trunk lines, extension of existing arterial streets, and construction of new arterial streets. Consistent with Iowa City's adopted long-range growth policy, capital improvement projects should occur first within the existing corporate limits. N 0 FITI-i FFI< T >LRNNIN[ DI%TRIET .. I ii _1_ Northeast Planning DistrictI NORTH ~LRNNINO NORTH 62 NORTH :'[FINNINO DISTIllET Description of the North Planning District The North Planning District is bounded by Interstate 80, County Road W66 and the Iowa River on the north; the Iowa River on the ~",est and south; and Dodge Street on the south and east. The .~ntire North Planning District is within the existing corporate limits of Iowa City. Existing land uses are predominantly single family and multi-family residential, with commercial areas along Dodge Street between Prairie du Chien Road and 1-80. Much of the North Planning District remains undeveloped or in an agricultural use. Factors which have contributed to the relatively undeveloped state of the North Planning District include lack of sanitary sewer service and street access, and the existence of topographical constraints. tn the North Planning District there are approximately 790 acres of land zoned for residential develop- ment within the city limits. The North Planning District does not include any land outside of the City limits. The undeveloped portion of the North Planning District includes the following environmental features identified in the City's sensi- tive areas inventory: large areas of woodlands and steep slopes, stream corridors, potential wooded and unwooded wetlands, hy- dric soils, and rock outcroppings. Development of these areas should be planned with an emphasis on adapting to the existing terrain in accordance with the City of Iowa City's Sensitive Areas Ordinance. /,-Unique Features of the North Planning District In the 1990's the City of Iowa City acquired 463 acres of property in the North Planning District for construction of facilities for a new water treatment plant. The new water treatment plant and sew 63 eral well sites will be located on property north of 1-80, with addi- tional well field facilities and easements on the peninsula area south of 1-80. Once the new water treatment plant facilities are estab- lished, a management plan will be developed for this area to allow public access. This will include preservation of the historic Butler house, and construction of well field access roads which will double as the Iowa River Corridor Trail. After easements are established on the peninsula, the upland portion of the property will be returned to private ownership for redevelopment. The North Planning District is unique in that it has several rela- tively isolated rural areas which are close to the business and academic center of Iowa City. It includes a working farm in the area between 1-80 and Dodge Street. An approximate 30 acre area bounded by Kimball Road, Whiting Avenue, and North Dubuque Street has been identified as an original growth forest. The Peninsula-Elks Club area is particularly unique within Iowa City because it is approximately 80% surrounded by a large ox- bow of the Iowa River. Much of the existing development in the North Planning District is located along the ridge lines of the area. Many of the remaining undeveloped areas consist of steep ravines, flood plains, and rocky soils. This area is well suited for Planned Developments, which allow flexibility in the placement and clustering of buildings, the modification of street standards, and the use of open space. A Planned Development can promote efficiency by minimizing the network of utilities and streets for a given number of lots, while "-'~ allowing development to occur in a manner sensitive to natural "' features. The issues having the greatest effect on further devel- opment of the North Planning District are the distribution of mu- nicipal sanitary sewer service and the provision of street access. Sewer A vailability PLfiNNINB Two hundred acres of property between Dubuque Street and Prai- rie du Chien Road are within the watershed of the Iowa River. This property can be served by municipal sanitary sewer through the Bjaysville Lane Sanitary Sewer which empties into the River Corridor Trunk Sewer. East of Prairie du Chien Road there are 178 acres of property in the North Planning District, 119 of which are in the Rapid Creek Watershed that drains to the north. It is likely the area east of Prairie du Chien Road that drains north will be developed with large lots and septic systems to deal with the topographic constraints to municipal sanitary sewer service in this area. At present, the Bjaysville Lane Sewer surcharges in wet weather conditions. This can be alleviated if the Bjaysville Lane Sewer is upgraded to a 24 inch line. This improvement is scheduled for fiscal year 1998. The 1989 Iowa City Comprehensive Plan Update cited the Penin- sula area as inappropriate for development in the shod-range fu- ture. This projection has changed with the recent decision to con- struct a new water treatment plant on a site north of 1-80, with a 64 well field serving the new plant on the Peninsula. This will require water lines and sanitary sewer infrastructure which puts the Pen- · ,~' ula in a more immediate phase of being available for develop- ,,,ent. The City's acquisition of a portion of the Peninsula area for new water treatment plant facilities also includes a plan to set aside and manage flood-prone areas, and make the higher eleva- tion ground available for private redevelopment. Trafficways NORTH )L NNIN[ The North Planning District contains two north-south arterial streets: Dubuque Street and Prairie du Chien Road. Dodge Street is also a major arterial corridor in this area. There are no true east-west arterial streets in the North Planning District, although traffic counts indicate 1-80 is carrying some local traffic between the Dubuque Street and Dodge Street interchanges. Dubuque Street and Prairie du Chien Road do not have any significant ca- pacity constraints, either existing or in the short- or long-range future. Dodge Street has existing capacity constraints between Governor Street and Dubuque Road. Reconstruction of this cor- ridor with higher capacity is tentatively slated for 2002. Dodge Street between Dubuque Road and 1-80 'has projected capacity constraints, but is not currently slated for reconstruction. Both the Dubuque Street and Dodge Stree( corridors may require addi- tional traffic signalization in the future. /~'~ster Road is the street extension issue which will be a signifi- _ant factor in determining future development of the North Plan- ning District. The City Council has determined that Foster Road will be constructed as a collector street in two distinct segments: Peninsula area to Dubuque Street, and Dubuque Street to Prairie du Chien Road. The decision has been made that as a collector street Foster Road will principally serve to circulate traffic between neighborhoods within the North Planning District and arterial streets. It will not function as a beltway circulating arterial traffic which has origins and destinations from outside the North Plan- ning District. It has been determined that Foster Road will be constructed as required by redevelopment of the area. The Fos- ter Road intersection at Dubuque Street will be monitored, and reconstruction and signalization programmed as warranted by community growth. The North Planning District is bound by 1-80 to the north. Although some development abuts the interstate, a significant portion of the corridor remains undeveloped. Future plans for 1-80 envision expansion of the interstate to six lanes through Iowa City and Coralville by the year 2001. The two-lane addition is a response to increased traffic on the roadway. Another consequence of the increased traffic has been increased vehicluar noise in the corri- dor. In Coralville, residents in developments along the intei'state /,Aave already requested noise barriers for relief from the interstate .~ise. As planning proceeds in the North District, consideration should be given to land uses along the interstate that are less affected by traffic noise than residential uses, or requirements for buffering as residential developments are approved. 65 Open Space District Existing Open Space Open Space Deficit Dubuque Road None 5.2 acres Mayfiower/Shimek Shimek School (15 acres) 9.5 acres/ 3.7 acres* Foster Road Terrell Mill Park (17.6 acres) 3.0 acres *Due to steep wooded ravines, development in this district will probably occur at less than 1 dwelling per acre. The adopted Iowa City Neighborhood Open Space Plan includes three open space districts in the North Planning District: N1 (Dubuque Road), N2 (May- flower/Shimek), and N3 (Fos- ter Road). The open space needs in each area are sum- marized in the boxed table. Only 25% of the school open space may be counted to- wards the requirement in each open space district; therefore the 15.0 acre Shimek School property is only credited as 3.75 acres of neighborhood open space. Neighborhood Associations Within the North Planning District there is one designated neigh- borhood group, the Shimek Neighborhood Association. Schools Shimek Elementary School, which serves the North Planning Dis- trict, is currently approximately at capacity. With the proposed school district boundary changes scheduled for 1997, enrollment at Shimek School should decline slightly through the year 2001. Population growth in the North Planning District may dictate build- ing new school facilities depending on the policies of the Iowa City Community School District with respect to busing and boundary changes. Commercial Areas A neighborhood commercial area has been established at the in- tersection of Dodge Street and Dubuque Road. This neighbor- hood commercial area serves existing neighborhoods of the North Planning District. An additional neighborhood commercial zone may be needed to serve the neighborhoods of the Peninsula area, although a specific site has not been identified. Additional highway commercial, general commercial, and com- mercial office zoning is located along the Dodge Street corridor. Some redevelopment from residential to commercial uses has occurred in this area. NEIRTi-I ?/fiNNIN[ 2. Highlights of the North Planning District The existence of extensive environmentally sensitive ar- eas in the North Planning District makes Planned Devel- opment housing appropriate. ~ Additional redevelopment of the North Planning District will require sanitary sewer and street extension improvements. These will be occurring in the Peninsula area in conjunc- 3. 66 tion with construction of Iowa City Water Treatment Plant facilities, and along the proposed Foster Road alignment between Dubuque Street and Prairie du Chien Road. Development along 1-80 should take the traffic noise lev- els of the interstate into consideration at the time land is zoned or approved for development. NORTI-I /FINNINO I)1%TRICT T Norfh Planning Disfricf ) NORTHWE%T )LFINNINI] I)i T II T NORTHWEST '!_ NNINO DISTRICT 67 Description of the Northwest Planning District The Northwest Planning District is bounded by the Iowa City cor- porate limits and the Iowa River on the north, the Iowa River on the east, Melrose Avenue on the south, and the Iowa City corpo- rate limits and the long-range planning boundary on the west. Vir- tually the entire Northwest Planning District is within the existing corporate limits of Iowa City, except for a small area which is in Iowa City's designated growth area but currently within unincorpo- rated Johnson County. The existing land use which dominates the Northwest Planning District is property controlled by the Uni- versity of Iowa. The University of Iowa property in the Northwest Planning District includes a range of land uses: the fine arts cam- pus, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the athletic cam- pus, Finkbine Golf Course, University family housing, and various )arge scale parking facilities. The eastern portion of the North- west Planning District is entirely built-out and includes the Manville Heights residential area and City Park. The far west area of the Northwest Planning District is largely undeveloped except for the Walnut Ridge subdivision, a low density residential housing de- velopment. The far west area of the Northwest Planning District remains largely undeveloped due to issues related to the extension of mu- nicipal infrastructure. These include sanitary sewer service, arte- rial street access and municipal water service. There are also topographical constraints to the development of the far west area of the Northwest Planning District. In the Northwest Planning Dis- trict there are approximately 220 acres of vacant land zoned for residential development within the city limits. There are 190 acres of vacant land outside of the city limits but within the Iowa City long-range planning area. The undeveloped portion of the Northwest Planning District in- 68 cludes the following environmental features identified in the City's Sensitive Areas Inventory: extensive areas of woodlands and steep slopes, stream corridors, potential wooded and unwooded wet- lands, hydric soils, and reported archeological sites. Develop- ment of these areas should be planned with an emphasis on adapt- ing to the existing terrain in accordance with Iowa City's Sensitive Areas Ordinance. Unique Features of the Northwest Planning District NORTI-IWF T /fiNNINI D! TFIII:T The Northwest Planning District includes extensive tracts of land controlled by the University of Iowa, which is intended for the long range growth of the University. The University has a West Cam- pus Plan which calls for the relocation and establishment of vari- ous University facilities in the area west of Mormon Trek Boule- vard. The University's planning for their property west of Mormon Trek Boulevard includes consideration of the wetlands, hydric soils and reported archaeological sites in the vicinity. Long range land use planning issues which have been discussed but not resolved by the University include potential expansion of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, relocation of Kinnick Stadium, and relocation of Finkbine Golf Course. In 1994 the City of Iowa City and City of Coralville executed a land use agreement for property in the over lapping two mile extraterri- torial area between Iowa City and Coralville. Included in this agree- ment is a provision for Iowa City to sever property within the North- west Planning District, which is currently within the corporate lim- its of Iowa City in the Clear Creek watershed. This severance is · proposed due to Coralville's ability to provide municipal sanitary sewer to property within the Clear Creek watershed via a gravity flow system. Iowa City is unable to sewer the Clear Creek water- shed without lift stations. Several properties have already been severed in accordance with this agreement and annexed by Coralville, with others proposed for severance as they are rede- veloped and require extension of municipal utilities. The eventual corporate limits line between Iowa City and Coralville will be the boundary between the Clear Creek watershed and the Willow Creek watershed, shown in Figure 5. Land uses proposed for the undeveloped portion of the Northwest Planning District include low density residential and Office Re- search Park (ORP). Commercial zoning is not proposed for the area around the Melrose Avenue interchange with U.S. Highway 218. Intensive commercial development in west Iowa City is to be concentrated at the Highway I interchange with U.S. Highway 218. The feasibility of ORP development in this area has become some- what speculative due to the emergence of Oakdale Research Park in Coralville. Because of the sensitive environmental features existing in the undeveloped area of the Northwest Planning Dis- trict, this area is well suited for planned developments, which al- low flexibility in the placement and clustering of buildings, the modifications of street standards, and the use of open space. A planned development may be reasonable for the undeveloped portion of the Northwest Planning District, which may include both Iowa CITY SEVERING/ CORALVILLE ANNEXATION AREA Figure 5 CORALVILLE-IOWA CITY annexation agreement FUTURE CORPORATE LIHITS LINE JCCOG 2/97 69 ORP and residential development. The extension of municipal sanitary sewer and the provision of street access are significant issues for the further development of this area. 'The Northwest Planning District also includes a small area of"pub- lic" zoned property controlled by Johnson County, and a portion of the City of University Heights. Sewer A vailability The greatest constraint to the immediate development of the North- west Planning District has been the topography of the area and its effect on the extension of sewer service. Prior to the 1980's this area was excluded from even the long range development plans for Iowa City. This has been reevaluated with the extension of a trunk sewer from the Hawkeye Lift Station to the Walnut Ridge Subdivision housing development. This trunk line extension was constructed to encourage the development of large lot single family residential housing within Iowa City. There are two lift stations in the vicinity of the Hawkeye Apartments area. There is currently a constrained 18" sanitary sewer line between the two lift stations. This will eventually be improved by eliminating one lift station and extending a 30" sanitary sewer line from the upstream area of the Northwest Planning District to the Hawkeye Lift Station. There is currently additional capacity available in the Hawkeye Lift Station to accommodate additional development in the Northwest Planning District; however, development will be constrained by the lack of capacity downstream from the lift station in the inter- ceptor sewer. Incremental improvements have been made to the interceptor sewer, but restricted sections remain. The Northwest Planning District is currently served by the north (old) water pollu- tion control plant. The ongoing connection of the north and south pollution control plants will allow a new Willow Creek interceptor sewer to be constructed across the river and around the Iowa City Airport to provide improved sewer capacity to west Iowa City including the Northwest Planning District. However, this intercep- tor sewer is planned for construction in fiscal year 1998. Trafficways NOFITi'IWE T >/RNNINO The Northwest Planning District contains the following east-west arterial streets: Park Road, U.S. Highway 6, and Melrose Avenue. North-south arterial streets include: Rocky Shore Drive/Hawkins Drive, Mormon Trek Boulevard, and the proposed extension of Highway 965. All of these arterial streets with the exception of Rocky Shore Drive presently experience capacity constraints. Improvements for Melrose Avenue and Park Road are ongoing or proposed in the City of Iowa City Capital Improvements Program. The traffic carrying capacity of U.S. Highway 6 cannot be improved significantly, as it is already a five lane facility and has constrained right-of-way. Some additional capacity has been gained with bet."'h ter organization of driveway access points in the Highway 6 corri- dor between Rocky Shore Drive and Clear Creek. Existing ca- pacity constraints on Park Road and Mormon Trek Boulevard are currently manageable but will require improvements in the long 70 range future. ~"~g range arterial street planning issues which impact the North- west Planning District include Melrose Avenue through the City of University Heights, and the proposed extension of Highway 965 and Camp Cardinal Road. There are currently two ongoing re- construction projects to add capacity to Melrose Avenue: between Byington Road and University Heights, and between West High School and U.S. Highway 218. The segment of Melrose Avenue within the City of University Heights will' remain an issue, as the University Heights City Council opposes any improvements to Melrose Avenue which they perceive will increase traffic through their community. However, University Heights has currently pro- grammed improvements to the traffic signal system at the Melrose Avenue/Sunset Street intersection, and proposed installation of a traffic signal at the Melrose Avenue/KosedGolfview intersection. These traffic signal systems may improve traffic flow on Melrose Avenue. NORTHWE%T >/fiNNINI] DISTfi!ET The extension of Highway 965 between Highway 6 in Coralville and Melrose Avenue will facilitate growth at the west edge of the Northwest Planning District. This extension will likely be initiated by the City of Coralville and will require the improvement of Deer Creek Road in Iowa City as an interim measure until Highway 965 is extended to Rohret Road and Highway 1. ~pen Space The adopted Iowa City Neighbor- hood Open Space Plan includes two open space districts in the Northwest Planning District: Dis- trict NW1 (Clear Creek) and Dis- trict NW2 (City Park). The open space needs in each area are summarized in the boxed table. District Existing Open Space Clear Creek None City P~rk City Park (105.2 acres)* CRANDIC Park (3.64 acres) Black Springs Circle (.9 acre) Lincoln School (2.5 acre) * A maximum of 7 acres per park can be credited to neighborhood open space. Open Space Deficit 5.3 acres +3.5 acres surplus Only 25% of the school open space may be counted toward the requirement in each open space district; therefore, the 2.5 acre Lincoln School property is credited as .625 acre toward neighbor- hood open space. Neighborhood Associations The Walnut Ridge Neighborhood Association is the only desig- nated neighborhood group in the Northwest Planning District. Schools The Northwest Planning District is served by the following elemen- /,-~ry schools: Coralville Kirkwood, Coralville Central, Iowa City ,)rn, Iowa City Lincoln, and Iowa City Mann. Horn and Mann are presently over capacity. Kirkwood, Lincoln, and Mann are pro- jected to be over capacity by the year 2001, following boundary changes slated for implementation in 1997. Population growth in the Northwest Planning District may dictate building new school 71 facilities depending on the policies of the Iowa City Community School District with respect to busing and boundary changes. Commercial Areas No areas of commercial development currently exist in the North- west Planning District. A neighborhood commercial zone exists approximately one half mile south of Melrose Avenue at the inter- section of Benton Street and Mormon Trek Boulevard. Another neighborhood commercial zone may be needed with development of residential neighborhoods in the far west area of the Northwest Planning District. However, a neighborhood commercial'district in this area must be sensitive to the location of the Melrose Av- enue interchange of U.S. Highway 218. Highway commercial development that could bring traffic into this developing residen- tial area should be avoided. Highlights of the Northwest Planning District The Northwest Planning District is dominated by property. controlled by the University of Iowa for a variety of uses. Remaining residential development in the far west area of the Northwest Planning District will be impacted by the existence of extensive areas of sensitive environmental features, and will require the extension of sanitary sewer lines and arterial street improvements. o The alignment selected for the extension of Highway 965 south of Highway 6 may create long-range planning bound- ary issues for the City of Iowa City. in accordance with the existing agreement between the City of Iowa City and the City of Coralville, property within the Clear Creek watershed will eventually be severed by the City of Iowa City and annexed by the City of Coralville. Pressure to zone property for commercial development around the Melrose Avenue interchange with U.S. High- way 218 should be resisted. Intensive commercial development in west Iowa City should be concentrated at the Highway 1 interchange with U.S. Highway 218. Melrose Avenue through the City of University Heights will remain an ongoing issue for traffic flow in west Iowa City. NORTi-IWE%T I /fiNNINO DI%TRIET INorthwest Planning DistrictI ~[fiNNIN[~ DISTRIET SOUTHWEST 72 %I]UTI-!WE%T LFINNINI] DISTRICT Description of Southwest Planning District The Southwest Planning District is generally bounded by Melrose Avenue on the north, the Iowa River on the east, Highway 1 on the ,,.--~outh and southeast, and the city's long-range planning boundary .~n the west. The recent decision to use the "west alignment" for the future extension of Highway 965 (discussed below) supports an adjustment in the City's west planning boundary. The South- west Planning District borders the west and south sides of the City of University Heights. The Southwest Planning District in- cludes approximately 560 acres of land suitable for residential development within the city limits. The Southwest Planning Dis- trict includes 1240 acres of vacant land outside of the city limits but within the Iowa City growth area. The Southwest Planning District contains a variety of land uses, however, it is primarily residential. Residential development in- cludes a range of densities from low-density single family, to fairly high density multi-family in areas such as along the north side of Benton Street and along Mormon Trek Boulevard. The area also contains considerable commercial development along Highway 1 and Riverside Drive, and a developing neighborhood commercial center, Walden Square, near the intersection of Mormon Trek Boulevard and Benton Street. This planning district also contains large parcels devoted to public uses, including the county farm property on the south side of Melrose Avenue, Iowa City West High School, and portions of the University of Iowa campus, in- cluding the law school. -lighway 218 travels diagonally across the western portion of the planning district. While the area located east of the highway is nearly completely developed, the area west of the highway con- tains low density single-family subdivisions among large areas of agricultural land. 73 The Southwest Planning District contains environmentally sensi- tive features including steep slopes, stream corridors, and poten- tial wetlands. According to the Sensitive Areas Ordinance these features will need to be considered carefully as development is planned for these properties. Unique Features of the Southwest Planning District The location of Highway 218 within the Southwest Planning Dis- trict will have an effect on future development of the area. Resi- dential development can occur successfully adjacent to such high- ways, provided that sufficient buffers, such as setbacks and land- scaping, are incorporated into the design of the developments. Residential development is currently occurring around the inter- change of Melrose Avenue and Highway 218. It is anticipated fur- ther residential development will occur adjacent to the east and west sides of the highway as well. Previous plans have included a policy of protecting the Melrose Avenue interchange from commercial encroachment and desig- nating the Highway 1 interchange for commercial use. Commer- cial development has occurred in the north quadrant of the High- way 1 interchange with Highway 218. If commercial development is to occur in the west quadrant of this interchange, a transition and buffer between commercial development and residential de- velopment will need to be planned. Another feature of the Southwest Planning District that requires'"'~ consideration is the boundary between the University of Iowa cam- pus and private residential development in the northeast portion of the planning district. Coordination between the University and the .City will be important as this portion of the University campus experiences further development. L INNINO Another unique feature of the Southwest Planning District is an area of undeveloped land in the Harlocke/Weeber Street and Milled Orchard neighborhoods, west of Miller Street between Benton Street and Highway 1. This area has fairly rugged topography and consists of a variety of zoning including Medium Density Single- Family, Community Commercial and High Density Multi-Family. The topography of this area and the limited street access which is currently available to portions of this area will need to be con- sidered. In the past the Planning & Zoning Commission has rec- ommended that portions of the area be downzoned to lower den- sity residential. The Commission also recommended that por- tions of the area with vehicular access to Highway 1 be zoned for commercial development. The recent decision to locate the extension of Highway 965 to the west of the current city limits, beyond the boundary of the area that can be served by a gravity flow sewer system, acts as a catalyst to consideration of a new western long-range plannir,--'h~ boundary for the City. The long-range planning boundary has bee,. based on the watersheds that can be served by the City's sani- tary sewer system via gravity flow. Location of a major roadway to the west of the planning boundary will undoubtedly result in 74 proposals for development adjacent to the future extension of High- way 965. Lift stations will be needed to move sewage from this ,~"~,a to the gravity flow system. The future alignment of Highway _ _,5 may be the logical long-range planning boundary line. The Iowa City landfill is located immediately to the west of the pro- posed Highway 965 alignment. This provides justification to draw the western planning boundary at Highway 965, as the presence of the landfill may inhibit development any further west. Sewer and Water Availability OUTI-IWF T DI Ti IET Limited sanitary sewer capacity has constrained development of the portions of the Southwest Planning District west of Mormon Trek Boulevard. Recent improvements in the sanitary sewer sys- tem including the Abbey Lane trunk line have relieved sorne of these constraints. However, the area west of Highway 218 still has limited sanitary sewer capacity. Improvements needed for full development of this area include the construction of the Willow Creek interceptor sewer, the extension of the Abbey Lane sewer further to the west, and the construction of lift stations to provide service for properties west of Slothower Avenue. The City is currently unable to provide adequate water service for full development of the area west of Highway 218. Construction of the new water plant and improvements to the water distribution system are anticipated to rectify this situation. However, these r,,,~provements will not be completed prior to 2001. Trafficways The Southwest Planning District is bordered by or contains sev- eral arterial streets including Melrose Avenue, Benton Street, High- way 1, Riverside Drive, Mormon Trek Boulevard, and Rohret Road. Recent improvements to Melrose Avenue and Rohret Road have improved the capacity of 'the arterial street system in the west side of Iowa City. However, Benton Street east of Sunset Street, and portions of Riverside Drive, have insufficient capacity and poor driveway access control. As commercial development increases along Highway 1 it will decrease traffic service in this area along Highway 1 and Riverside Drive. As development occurs west of Mormon Trek Boulevard, development of a north-south arterial be- tween Melrose Avenue and Highway 1 in the western portion of the Southwest Planning District will be necessary. Open Space The Southwest Planning District contains Willow Creek Park and Kiwanis Park, which together provide a large regional park facility for many of the neighborhoods on the west side of Iowa City. The district also contains smaller neighborhood parks such as Hunter's ,,~,un Park and Villa Park. ~he Iowa City Neighborhood Open Space Plan includes 6 open space districts in the Southwest Planning District. These districts and their existing neighborhood open space requirements are summarized in the boxed table. 75 With the exception of Miller/Orchard, Brookland/Roosevelt and West High, the neighborhood open space districts of west Iowa City have adequate open space. The needs of the West High area can be satisfied with the dedication of parkland anticipated from the Galway Hills subdivision and development of property north of Rohret Road. The acquisition of a portion of the undevel- oped property south of Benton Street will be necessary to satisfy the neighborhood open space needs of the Miller/Orchard area. There is potential to expand Brookland Park in the Brookland/ Roosevelt district. Neighborhood Associations District Melrose/Emerald Willow Creek Brookland/Roosevelt The Southwest Planning District includes the following designated neighborhood groups: the Miller/Orchard Neighborhood Associa- Open Space Deficit +1.3 acres surplus +5.3 acres surplus 7.6 acres Existing Open Space Villa Park (6.5 acres) Willow Creek Park (27.2 acres) Kiwanis Park (14.0 acres) Brookland Park (3.8 acres) Tower Court Park (0.4 acres) Roosevelt School (5 acres)* Miller/Orchard None 7.6 acres/ 4.3 acres** Hunters Run Hunters Run Park (16.1 acres) .8 acres West High Galway Hills (3.0 acres) 3.9 acres Walden Woods (1.7 acres) Willow Creek Trail (1.73 acres) *Only 25% of open space associated with ele.mentaw schools is given credit to open space needed. **Due to steep wooded ravines, the area is likely to develop at an RS-5 density. tion, the Harlocke/ Weeber Neighbor- hood Association, the Melrose Neigh- borhood Associa- tion, the Penny-Bryn Neighborhood As- sociation, the Ty'n Cae Neighborhood Association, the Walden Woods Neighborhood As- sociation, the Galway Hills Neigh- borhood Associa- tion, and the South- west Estates Neigh- borhood Associa- tion, Schools Weber, Horn, and Roosevelt elementary schools are located within the Southwest Planning District. Iowa City West High School is also located within the Southwest Planning District. Weber and Horn are currently operating at capacity, but due to boundary changes and the construction of new schools, are projected to be at 90-95% of capacity by 2001. Roosevelt is also operating at capacity, but projected to be 45% over capacity by 2001. )LFINNINI] DIgitlET Commercial Areas A neighborhood commercial shopping center is being developed near the intersection of Mormon Trek Boulevard and Benton Street. This shopping center currently includes a convenience store, neigh- borhood grocery store, and a credit union. A drug store and a variety of small shops and restaurants are planned for the re- mainder of the shopping center. This center should provide con- venient access to commercial outlets for everyday shopping needs in west Iowa City. 76 The Southwest Planning District also contains extensive com- mercial development along Highway 1 and on Riverside Drive. ,'-"uch of this development is in the form of strip commercial. The ,~rea also contains larger retailers such as auto dealers. The aes- thetic and traffic related issues associated with strip development are of concern in these areas. As properties develop or rede- velop there will be opportunities to minimize these concerns. For example, as properties redevelop along Riverside Drive there will be opportunities to combine vehicular access points and close existing curb cuts to minimize side friction on Riverside Drive. Highlights of Southwest Planning District The rugged topography of undeveloped properties in the Harlocke-Weeber and Miller-Orchard neighborhoods present development challenges. With proper street ac- cess, and consideration of topographic constraints, it may be possible to develop these areas at appropriate resi- dential densities. Portions of the properties which are ac- cessible to Highway 1 may develop commercially provided vehicular access to the highway can be provided. Appearance and traffic problems will be of concern for fur- ther commercial development and redevelopment of com- mercial properties along Highway 1 and Riverside Drive. Additional commercial development may be possible around the interchange of Highway 218 and Highway 1, Constraints in sewer capacity will need to be addressed to allow full development of areas located west of High- way 218. Construction of the Willow Creek Interceptor in FY98-99 will alleviate larger system constraints. Pockets of sewer capacity limitations will need to be addressed by other more localized improvements. The alignment of the future extension of Highway 965 will create development pressures west of the current corpo- rate boundary. [[INNIN[ DI T! iI:T ) ) ) ~OUTI-I CENTRIlL )LFINNINO I)I~TRICT SOUTH- CENTRAL [ENTBfI[ /fiNNIN[ 77 Description of the South Central Planning District The South Central Planning District is bounded by Highway 1 on the north, the Iowa River on the east, and the Iowa City long-range planning boundary and U.S. Highway 218 on the south and west. Approximately half of the South Central Planning District is out- side of the existing Iowa City corporate limits, but within the Iowa City long-range planning boundary. The predominant land uses in the South Central Planning District are public and agricultural. Pub- licly owned property in the South Central Planning District includes the following City of Iowa City facilities: the Iowa City Municipal Airport; the Iowa City Public Works Facilities; Mesquakie Park; Sturgis Ferry Park; and Ryerson's Woods Park. In the South Central Planning District there is no vacant land zoned for resi- dential development within the city limits. There are approximately 500 acres of vacant land outside of the city limits but within the Iowa City growth area. The portion of the South Central Planning District outside of the existing Iowa City corporate limits is predominately agricultural in use. Other land uses in the South Central Planning District in- clude the Highway 1 commercial corridor and the South River- side Drive/Highway 921 commercial-industrial corridor. The only residential land uses in the South Central Planning District are two manufactured housing parks along the Iowa River, and one manufactured housing park on Highway 1 near Mormon Trek Bou- levard. The South Central Planning District includes fairly extensive amounts of wetlands and hydric soils in the vicinity of the Willow Creek stream corridor and the Iowa River. Woodlands and steep slopes exist along the U.S. Highway 218 corridor. 78 Unique features of the South Central Planning District The portion of the South Central Planning District within the cor- porate limits of Iowa City is dominated by the Iowa City Municipal Airport. Following an airport relocation study in the early 1990s during which the Iowa City City Council determined that the Iowa City Municipal Airport would stay in its existing location, the Iowa City Airport Commission has recently completed a master plan for the Iowa City Municipal Airport. The Airport Master Plan fo- cuses on the mitigation of obstructions in order to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements, and will involve prop- erty acquisition and creation of obstacle free zones at the end of each runway. The Airport Master Plan has several other signifi- cant projects, including the relocation of Dane Road to accom- modate a needed runway extension, the relocation of Willow Creek, and other runway modifications and overall facility improvements. In conjunction with the Airport Master Plan is a proposed land use plan around the airport, which is designed to take advantage of commercial and industrial property development opportunities that exist. The land use plan also identifies areas of potential residen- tial development in the south portion of the South Central Plan- ning District. SO UTH [ E NTRfi[ /fiNNINO DISTRIEi- The Iowa City sensitive areas inventory map identifies extensive areas of wetlands and hydric soils along the Willow Creek stream corridor and Iowa River floodplain. Preservation and possible public ownership of these wetland areas is likely, similar to what has occurred in the Snyder Creek bottoms area in south Iowa City. Mesquakie Park and Ryersons Woods are already in public own- ership and include areas noted on the Iowa City sensitive areas inventory map. Iowa Highway 1 has developed as a significant commercial corri- dor in the South Central Planning District during the last ten years. The 1983 Iowa City Comprehensive Plan identified the Highway 1 corridor in this area as approximately one half commercial and one half industrial with respect to existing and proposed land use. Rezonings have occurred in the intervening thirteen years in which areas projected for industrial use were rezoned to commercial zoning. The rezonings which have occurred have included con- ditions requiring landscaping and sign controls in an attempt to preserve some of the natural beauty of this entranceway corridor. Property redevelopment has included automobile dealerships, big box franchise retailers, and smaller scale strip-style stores, Com- mercial uses are projected for the U.S. Highway 218 interchange with Highway 1. The Riverside Drive/Highway 921 commercial-industrial area is one of the few that exist in Iowa City. This area is particularly suited to this type of development in that it is flat, has rail access, has access to the Interstate Highway System, and access to the iowa City Municipal Airport. This light industrial corridor is also relatively isolated to the rest of Iowa City by its location between the Iowa River and the Iowa City Municipal Airport. The biggest constraint to further development of this area is the provision of sanitary sewer service, highlighted in the following section. Fu- SOUTH L NNINO Di TI I[T 79 ture redevelopment of this entranceway into Iowa City should ad- dress the aesthetics of the area. A portion of the City Public Works site at the interse.ction of Riverside Drive/Highway 6/Highway 1 may be marketed by the City for redevelopment as a commercial use. The only existing residential development in the South Central Plan- ning District are manufactured housing parks located along the Iowa River, and along Highway 1. Housing units in the two parks along the river were extensively damaged during the flood of 1993. There were subsequent attempts to relocate dwelling units out of this area, which were resisted by the property owners. Extensive floodproofing has occurred to these two manufactured housing parks since 1993. The small manufactured housing park along Highway 1 is scheduled to be displaced with the extension of a runway at the Iowa City Municipal Airport, consistent with the re- cently adopted Iowa City Municipal Airport Master Plan. A new 400+ space manufactured housing park is planned for the area directly south of the Iowa City Municipal Airport. This area was zoned for manufactured housing by the County over the objec- tions of the City. Creating compatibility of this land use with sur- rounding industrial and commercial uses will b.e a challenge as this part of Iowa City's growth area develops. Sewer A vailability Much of the area in the South Central Planning District cannot be served by the existing trunk sewer system. This has significantly constrained redevelopment of the Riverside Drive/I--Iighway 921 commercial-industrial corridor. Further redevelopment of this area will require construction of a new Willow Creek interceptor sewer which will extend up the Willow Creek drainageway. Eventual construction of the Willow Creek interceptor sewer has been fa- cilitated by the connection of the City of Iowa City north and south pollution control plants, slated for completion in 1997. The Willow Creek interceptor trunk sewer will be extended from the trunk line connecting the two plants at a lift station in Napoleon Park and taken across the Iowa River and up through the Willow Creek drainageway. It is scheduled for completion in fiscal year 1998. Trafficways Since much of the South Central Planning District remains in ag- ricultural use, the existence of arterial streets is minimal. Iowa Highway 1 and Riverside Drive/Highway 921 are the principal ar- 'terial streets in the South Central Planning District. The South Central Planning District also includes the U.S. Highway 218 ex- pressway. U.S. Highway 218 does not carry a significant amount of local service traffic within the South Central Planning District. Highway 1 and Riverside Drive/Highway 921 have adequate ca- pacity for current and projected traffic volumes. The intersection of these roads has very high traffic volume, and reaches satura- tion flow conditions during peak traffic periods. The JCCOG Arte- 80 rial Street Plan for the Iowa City Urbanized Area proposes an ex- tension of the South area east-west parkway across the Iowa River to connect with the Highway 921/U.S. Highway 218 interchange. This is a long range project not currently programmed in the Iowa City Capital Improvements Program. The recently completed Iowa City Municipal Airport Master Plan calls for Dane Road to be relocated from its existing intersection with Highway 1, to a new intersection at Mormon Trek Boulevard. This is a necessitated by the relocation and required runway pro- tection area for the airport's SW-NE runway. This project will be implemented when FAA funds become available. Dane Road will be an extension of the Mormon Trek Boulevard arterial street cor- ridor. Extension of the collector street system will occur into the interior of the South Central Planning District as redevelopment of the area occurs. Open Space Because there is not extensive residential development in the South Central Planning District, there are no openspace districts for this area included in the adopted Iowa City Neighborhood Open Space Plan at this time. Neighborhood Associations There are no designated neighborhood associations within the South Central Planning District. Schools Significant residential development is not forecast for the South Central Planning District, so there are no planned facilities. Highlights of the South Central Planning District There are extensive areas of publicly owned property by the City of Iowa City in the South Central Planning District. This property includes the Iowa City Municipal Airport, the City of Iowa City Public Works facilities, 8turgis Ferry Park, Mesquakie Park, and Ryersons Woods. The predomi- nant use of property within the South Central Planning Dis- trict outside of the Iowa City corporate limits is agricul- tural. The South Central Planning District includes the Highway 1 commercial corridor and the Riverside Drive/Highway 921 commercial-industrial area. There is very little resi- dential property existing or proposed in the South Central Planning District. The South Central Planning District includes the following environmental features in the Iowa City Sensitive Areas Inventory: steep slopes, stream corridors, wooded areas, I]LIT!-! [[-NTFII:IL )LflNNINI5 D!gFII[T SOUT!-I EENTRfi!_ t¢INNINI3 81 and extensive areas of wetlands and hydric soils. Wet- land areas may' appropriately end up in public ownership or control. Implementation of the Iowa City Municipal Airport Master Plan will impact the surrounding area. The largest constraint to further redevelopment of the South Central Planning District is the provision of sanitary sewer. Extensive redevelopment of the South Central Planning District will not be possible until the Willow Creek inter- ceptor sewer up the Willow Creek drainageway is con- structed in FY98. South Central Plannning District '~.. ~~..~;~'~'~-,'Z~c,-'x_~ ',~ '.Z~'"~x,"'~~ · ~'~' ~4 I ~-J~' , . I~..~ ,' i~ ~ ' ; ,'--, ~ ,' I~ ~r '~" ": ." · ,~ -"~'. ~ ' ~ilr~' ,, ~ ' ,, "b~,, // " ~ . '~, ~: ,. ~ ~ ~ ' .~ ~,,' .. ., ~ ~ ,,,' ~;" I~ "-" ~. ~ i ,~" " SOUT!-! ~!FINNINO SOUTH 82 OUTI-I )LfiNNINg DIgRII T Description of the South Planning District The South Planning District encompasses an area of Iowa City located south of Highway 6 and east of the Iowa River, and ex- ./-~nds south and east to the Iowa City long range planning bound- .y. The district contains approximately 2080 acres within the current corporate limits, approximately 855 of which are zoned for residential development and are undeveloped; and an additional 920 acres outside of the current corporate limits but within the long range planning boundarY. The total district encompasses approximately 4.7 square miles. As part of the Comprehensive Plan process, the South District Plan has been developed coop- eratively with citizens, who own property and/or live in this area of the community, and participated in a series of interviews, meet- ings and workshops to envision future plans for this district. The principles of the South District Plan are based on the ideas that were expressed at these meetings and the concepts of the IOWA CITY: BEYOND 2000 visioning process. Following is a summary of the major points of the Plan. The complete plan should be referred to for details. Unique features of the South Planning District The South District Plan recognizes the importance that the area played in the early history of Iowa City. The first Euro-American settlements in Johnson County, including the town of Napoleon, occurred in this vicinity in the 1820s and 30s. It was the also location of a Mesquakie Indian village. Naming important elements ~ new neighborhoods in this area, such as streets, elementary ,hool, and parks, after early inhabitants will serve to remind fu- ture generations of the important history of the district. The South Planning District contains a number of environmentally sensitive areas, including extensive wetlands and woodlands ad- I]UTI-I )LFINNINg DIgFIlET 83 jacent to the Iowa River, an approximately 200 acre wetlands com- plex known as the "Snyder Creek Bottoms", areas of hydric soils, archeological sites, several watershed/drainage areas, and a popu- lation of Box Turtles, which are on the State Threatened Species List. The South District Plan proposes that these features be considered when development occurs, and measures taken to mitigate and prevent damage to environmentally sensitive areas. This may include preservation of the wetlands and woodlands along the Iowa River as public park lands. Land Use Plan The South District Plan recognizes that the character of develop- ment already established in the northern area of the planning dis- trict is not likely to change dramatically. More detailed neighbor- hood plans may be necessary to address issues identified by the Pepperwood and Grant Wood neighborhood associations, and some minor redevelopment may occur within the commercial ar- eas adjacent to Highway 6. The plan does encourage rezoning for retail/office businesses and improvements in the appearance of the South Gilbert Street Corridor. This is due to the higher visibility that South Gilbert Street area will have as residential de- velopment occurs to the south and improvements, such as Southgate Avenue, are built. The northern area of the planning district includes the Highway 6 corridor, which is a significant commercial center for the commu- nity. This area of Community Commercial (CC-2) and Commer- cial Intensive (C1-1) zoning includes many strip commercial and "big box" retail establishments. Good vehicular access control has been maintained along Highway 6 in this area, minimizing the traffic congestion and accident experience typically found along arterial streets in commercial corridors. The Plan proposes a new neighborhood commercial district be located on South Sycamore Street south of the Southpointe sub- division. The neighborhood commercial center would be designed around a main street or town square, and would serve as a focal point for the new neighborhoods in the area. It is proposed to include a mixture of commercial businesses and services to serve the day-to-day needs of area residents. Apartments are proposed on the upper floors of commercial buildings. Additional apartments and townhouses would surround the commercial center. The remainder of the neighborhood would develop with a mixture of housing. Although primarily single-family, the mixture should include townhouses and small apartment buildings at medium density. An elementary school, neighborhood park, and trail sys- tem are proposed to serve the growing neighborhoods of the dis- trict. Infrastructure The South Wastewater Treatment Plant is located on the south- ern edge of the planning district. The South River Corridor Inter- ceptor Sewer, which will link the north and south wastewater treat- 84 ment plants is currently under construction (1997). When com- pleted it will provide sanitary sewer service to the western portion /'"~the South District (west of Sycamore Street), where develop- ..,ent has slowed in recent years due to inadequate sanitary sewer capacity. The South East Interceptor Sewer and the South Sycamore Trunk Sewer provide service to the portion of the planning district gen- erally located east of Sycamore Street. This system has suffi- cient capacity to provide for the full development of the eastern portion of the planning district. The proposed South Sycamore Regional Storm Water Facility will provide drainage and storm water management for the area east of Sycamore Street. This is in lieu of each subdivision pro- viding individual basins. It will also provide the opportunity for the development of a linear park and trail. There are no constraints in the ability of the City to provide water service in the South Planning District. As urban growth occurs in the area an additional fire protection facility and emergency re- sponse apparatus may become necessary. Trafficways Gilbert Street (designated Sand Road as it extends into the ,,~,ounty), Sycamore Street and Highway 6 are the principle arterial .'eets that currently serve the South Planning District. These arterial streets serve as neighborhood edges, and provide the framework for development of neighborhoods. Segments of these streets need to be upgraded to City design standards, but there are no significant capacity constraints projected for the short-range future. An east-west arterial parkway aligned with the Sycamore L will be constructed to connect Gilbert Street/Sand Road with Scott Bou- levard and Highway 6. Long-range plans show this arterial street also extending to the west and crossing the Iowa River. This river crossing is not likely to be constructed within the next 20 years because it would be located in an area that is not likely to develop, it would heavily impact a large area of wooded wetlands, and it would be extremely expensive to construct. A major collector street is proposed along the south boundary of Wetherby Park to provide a fairly direct connection from Gilbert Street east to Sycamore Street. A modified grid of collector and local streets are envisioned to complete the necessary street net- work. The location and design of the street network will have a major ~ect not only on transportation patterns of the planning district, ! will also affect the quality of life in the new neighborhoods. L;areful consideration should be given to the design of these streets so that they become pleasant elements of the surrounding neigh- borhoods rather than intrusions. Extensive landscaping should be included as streets such as the east-west parkway are de- 0UTI-I [I NNINI] 85 signed and constructed, and as existing streets are reconstructed. Open space The South Planning District contains four parks: Napoleon, Wetherby, Fairmeadows and Whispering Meadows Wetland Park. As the city grows and additional land is annexed, more neighbor- hood parks will be needed to serve the growing population. The South District also contains areas suitable for the development of community and regional parks in addition to neighborhood parks. District Wetherby Grant Wood Saddlebrook Existing Open Space Open Space Deficit Wetherby Park (24 acres)* 11.4 acres Napoleon Park (26 acres)* Fair Meadows Park (4.9 acres) Whispering Meadows Wetlands Park (17.76 acres)* 1.8 acres Grant Wood School (5 acres)* None 11.5 acres The South District Plan proposes that new neighborhood parks be three to seven acres in size; centrally located in the neighbor- hoods which they will serve; and be connected to other parks, open spaces and schools*by a trail system. The plan proposes that a collector street be built along the southern boundary of Wetherby Park so that the park is more accessible to the surrounding neigh- borhoods. *Only 25% of open space associated with elementary schools and a maximum of 7 acres per park is given neighborhood open space. credit. The plan proposes that community and regional parks be developed in con- junction with the reclamation of the sandpits located on each side of Sand Road. A commu- nity park could serve as a nature preserve for the environmentally sensitive wooded wetlands and floodplains adjacent to the Iowa River. Consideration should also be given to preserving the envi- ronmentally sensitive areas of the McCollister tract as either pri- vate or public open space. The plan proposes that a trail system be developed throughout the South District to connect parks, schools, commercial areas and neighborhoods. These trails should be designed for a variety of users and purposes, including pedestrians, people with dis- abilities, bicyclists, joggers and roller skaters, for transportation as well as recreation. Neighborhood Associations OUTI-I LFINNINEi DIgRIET The South Planning District includes three designated neighbor- hood groups: the Pepperwood Neighborhood Association, the Grant Wood Neighborhood Association, and the Hilltop Neighbor- hood Association. The Pepperwood and Grant Wood Associa- tions were active participants in the development of the South District Plan. The continued participation of the neighborhood associations is encouraged to help implement the plan. 86 Schools /,~.,ant Wood Elementary School is located in the northern portion 0 the South District. As development occurs in the southern portion of the district a second elementary school will be needed. The plan identifies two alternative locations for a school site. One is near the northwest corner of the Sycamore Street L, and the other is just north of the City's soccer fields. The Sycamore Street site is more centrally located in the developing area, and will be within walking distance of more households. It will also be more accessible to the street system of the developing neighborhoods. The alternative school site could be integrated with the soccer fields. The Sycamore Farms Conditional Zoning Agreement also requires that a school site be dedicated to the School District if the School Board choices to exercise this option. OU']-H :'LFINNINO Regardless of which school site is obtained by the School Dis- trict, the plan proposes that it be connected to the trail and open space network planned for the South District. The plan proposes that the school have access from an arterial street, but also pro- poses that there be a land use buffer, such as townhouses or open space, between the school and the arterial street. Implementation Full development of the South District will likely occur over sev- /..~ral decades. The City will influence the pace and character of .is development through the extension of i .nfrastructure, such as sanitary sewer and arterial streets. However, the housing market will have the greatest influence on the time frame in which the South District develops. The City's decisions regarding annex- ations, rezonings and subdivisions can have a great bearing on the quality of the physical design, and in some ways on the long term quality of life of the neighborhoods to be built in the South District. Implementation of the South District Plan will occur as development proposals are approved and the neighborhood plan- ning concepts are incorporated into these developments. Implementation of the open space policies will occur as the City acquires parkland and trail corridors as part of development plans and as the City or other entities acquire environmentally sensitive areas, such as wooded wetlands in the Iowa River Corridor. Ac- quisition of such properties may involve the expenditure of con- siderable funds; therefore, outside sources of funding, such as REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) should be con- sidered. The Iowa City Community School District will have a role to play in the overall design and functioning of the South District neigh- borhoods through its choice of a school location. The City will ,.,~ork with the school district and developers to allow the district to serve or acquire a desirable school location. The City will also ~nfluence the character of the South District through the design of the street network. Consideration should be given to incorporat- ing landscaped medians or green buffer strips along Gilbert Street, Sycamore Street and the east-west parkway. 87 For complete discussion of the principles and conclusions of this summary, the complete South District Plan, a separate volume of the Comprehensive Plan, should be consulted. ~OUTI-I ~/FINNINI5 I I : · E ~OUTi'IEHST ~/[INNINI~ D!~TRIET / I SOUTHEAST 88 /fiNNINI Description of the Southeast Planning District The Southeast Planning District is defined by Court Street on the north, the Iowa City Long Range Planning Boundary on the east, /,.Nighway 6 on the south, and First Avenue and the Lower Muscatine ~mmercial/industrial area on the west. It is characterized by a wide range of uses encompassing all the' basic sectors of the community -- various residential densities, two commercial cen- ters, an industrial park, community recreational facilities, schools, and a considerable amount of undeveloped land. In the South- east Planning District there are approximately 155 acres of land zoned for residential development within the current city limits. There are 810 acres of vacant land outside of the city limits but within the Iowa City growth area. The Southeast Planning District is bounded by two arterial streets - Court Street and Highway 6; and a future arterial street, Taft Av- enue. It is traversed by the Iowa Interstate Railway main line. Development has reached the corporate limits with the exception of a few small scattered sites. New growth outside of the corpo- rate limits within the designated growth area has been constrained by the lack of a sanitary sewer trunk line. Construction of this line to serve the area south of the railroad tracks is programmed for construction in FY97. This will open up land slated for industrial development. The natural attributes of the Southeast Planning District include gently rolling land north of American Legion Road (Muscatine Av- enue). The south branch of Ralston Creek runs through this area ,-'~-etween Scott Park and the Towncrest commercial/office area. o the south of Muscatine Avenue (American Legion Road), the landscape slopes to the south and flattens out into the relatively level terrain that characterizes south Iowa City. This flatter terrain is marked by hydric soils and occasional wetlands that require special consideration and construction practices during development. 89 Unique Features of the Southeast Planning District With the rezoning and relocation of the Towncrest Mobile Home Court in 1994-95, redevelopment of the First Avenue/Muscatine Avenue commercial area began. The construction of a 62,000 square foot grocery store, and the capacity expansion of First Avenue from Ralston Creek to Bradford Drive are elements of this redevelopment. It is anticipated that these projects will spur further changes in the area, including redevelopment of blighted properties at the First Avenue/Muscatine Avenue intersection. As part of the grocery store development, land was dedicated for a pedestrian-bikeway along the south side of Ralston Creek. This dedication virtually completes acquisition of right-of-way needed for a trail from Creekside Park to Scott Park along Ralston Creek. Named the Court Hill Trail, this project is included in the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for implementation in FY99. In the Southeast Planning District, residential development op- tions are limited within the corporate boundaries. Some develop- ment opportunities exist at the corner of Scott Bbulevard and American Legion Road. Parts of the Village Green neighborhood have yet to be platted. Completion of¥illage Green requires con- struction of the Scott Boulevard sanitary sewer trunk line sched- uled for FY98. This line will also provide opportunities for indus- trial development east of Scott Boulevard in Iowa City's growth area. The provision of space for industrial development is a commu-'"- nity-wide goal. The Southeast Planning District contains property which is appropriate for meeting this goal. For years, long-range plans of Iowa City have shown expansion of the BDI industrial park, east of Scott Boulevard between the Iowa Interstate Railway line and 420th Street. Annexation of this property is under consid- eration and infrastructure is being provided to facilitate industrial expansion opportunities. A conceptual plan for development of the growth area in the South- east Planning District is included in the 1989 Comprehensive Plan and the 1996 Fringe Area Policy Agreement (see Appendix B). The concept plan is retained in this document pending a more detailed planning district area study. Sewer Availability %OUTHEFI T YI_RNNIN[ As noted above, the Scott Boulevard Trunk sewer is scheduled for construction in FY98. This trunk line will enable elimination of the Village Green and BDI lift stations, allow full development of Village Green, and enable expansion of the BDI industrial park. For further development to occur north of the railroad tracks, ex- tension of the trunk line beyond the FY98 project will be neces- sary. With completion of that extension, the Windsor Ridge neigl',"~ borhood will connect to the trunk line and eliminate the lift statio,. in that development. The extension will open up an additional 946 acres for development; however, this extension is not included in the 1997-2003 Capital Improvement Program. 90 Located within the Southeast Planning District is the Ralston Creek Trunk Sewer. An upgrade of a portion of this trunk line between ./-' Jrt Hill Park and Scott Park, from 18" to 36", is programmed for beyond FY2003. Although this line does not limit development in the Southeast Planning District, it does constrain growth in the Northeast Planning District. Trafficways There are three north-south arterial streets in the Southeast Plan- ning District: First Avenue, Scott Boulevard, and Taft Avenue. First Avenue is complete within the Southeast Planning District and is currently being expanded beyond its present capacity. Scott Boulevard is also complete within the planning district, and has sufficient right-of-way to be expanded to four lanes if necessary in the future. Taft Avenue is an unimproved County road and will require reconstruction to City standards upon annexation and de- velopment of this portion of the growth area. The Southeast Planning District contains three east-west arteri- als: Highway 6, Muscatine Avenue and Court Street. Improve- ments to Highway 6 consisting of left turn lanes and additional through lanes east of Heinz Road may be required in the future as development progresses east into the growth area. The exten- sion of Court Street to Taft Avenue is programmed in the CIP to occur by 2001. Muscatine Avenue (American Legion Road) is the ~'"'~ly other east-west arterial in this district. Improvement to City _,andards of the portion east of Scott Boulevard to Taft Avenue will be necessary with annexations and further development east of Scott Boulevard. 420th Street is an unimproved County road that runs east-west between Scott Boulevard and Taft Avenue. Expansion of the BDI industrial park east of Scott Boulevard will require improvement of this road to accommodate access into the park. This improve- ment in included in the City's CIP for FY2003 or beyond in antici- pation of the annexation of the industrial land. Open Space The Southeast Planning District contains Mercer Park and Mer- cer Park Aquatic Center -- a city-wide park used for organized recreational activities and one of the three public swimming pools in Iowa City. Mercer Park abuts South- east Junior High, which provides addi- tional open space in the Southeast Plan- ning District. Scott ,,,,~ark is another city- ide park in the dis- trict, and is currently the site of the City's arboretum and soc- cer fields. With District Court Hill Village Green Windsor Ridge Existing Open Space Court Hill Park (8.6 acres) Hieronymous Park (3.85 acres) East Hill Park (1.9 acres) Memory Garden (.9 acres) Lucas School (7.5 acres) Mercer Park (27,1 acres) Village Green South (12.2 acres) Village Green (.35 acres) Scott Park (43 acres) Windsor Ridge Parkway (22.5 acres) Open Space Deficit 1.1 acres +6.3 acres surplus +10.7 acres surplus 91 completion of the proposed soccer complex near the South Waste- water Treatment Plant, soccer activity at Scott Park will diminish. Other neighborhood open spaces in the Southeast Planning Dis- trict include Court Hill Park and the Robert Lucas school grounds. Land has been acquired and plans are being made for the Court Hill pedestrian/bicycle trail as noted above. There are three open space districts from the Iowa City Neighbor- hood Open Space Plan in the Southeast Planning District-- Court Hill/Lucas, Village Green and Windsor Ridge south of Court Street. These districts and their open space requirements ae shown in the boxed table Although city-wide parks such as Scott and Mercer and school grounds cannot be totally used for .neighborhood open space, these sites combined with recent dedications of open space in conjunction with new development diminishes the open space deficit considerably. Neighborhood Associations In the Southeast Planning District there are three designated neigh- borhood groups: the Creekside Neighborhood Association, the Friendship Neighborhood Association, and the Village Green Neigh- borhood Association. Schools Robert Lucas Elementary School and Southeast Junior High School are located in the Southeast Planning District. A site has been reserved for a limited period of time, in the Windsor Ridge development, for an additional elementary school. Highlights of the Southeast Planning District · Further redevelopment in the Town crest area is anticipated after completion of the new Hy-Vee store. Completion of the Scott Boulevard trunk line will open up areas for industrial development east of Scott Boulevard upon annexation. Further residential development in the growth area of this district is limited by needed extensions to Court Street and the Scott Boulevard trunk sewer. ?[ NNIN[ i ISoufheosf Plonning Disfricf NORTH :'LI~NNINO D!~TRIET '~~~ONO~ OORRIDO R~ '~..~ 92 NORTH EORRIDOR /FINNINO DI Tfi!ET Description of the North Corridor Planning District The North Corridor Planning District is bounded by Interstate 80 on the south; Dubuque Street on the west; the Iowa River, Rapid Creek, and Iowa City corporate limits on the north; and the Iong- ~-'~nge planning boundary on the east. With the exception of land ,~round the Highway 1/I-80 interchange, the North Corridor Plan- ning District is in unincorporated Johnson County. Approximately one-half of the unincorporated land in the District is already devel- oped for suburban residential uses. The property around the 1-80 interchange with Highway 1 is developed for office research park and highway commercial uses. In the North Corridor Planning District, there are no acres of land zoned for residential develop- ment within the current city limits. There are approximtely 355 acres of developable land within the Iowa City long-range plan- ning area. The natural environment of the North Corridor Planning District includes gently rolling farm land, stream and river corridors, and wooded hills, Residential development has occurred primarily in the wooded areas immediately north of 1-80. Protection of the Rapid Creek flood plain will be an important consideration for fu- ture development of this District. Unique features of the North Corridor Planning District The North Corridor Planning District evolved from the need to iden- tify an approximate 700 acre area which could be served with municipal sanitary sewer via the River Corridor Trunkline. Op- tions for this service area included River Heights, an unincorpo- ,'""~ted residential part of Johnson County north of Iowa City on the west side of the Iowa River; properties around the proposed ex- tension of ©akdale Boulevard where it will intersect County Road W-66; a large area which included property on the east side of the Iowa River, north and south of Rapid Creek; and the area 93 defined in the first paragraph. The area defined was chosen be- cause a costly river crossing for sanitary sewer line extensions is not needed, and the area is contiguous to the Iowa City corporate boundary. Rapid Creek forms a natural boundary on the north side of the District. When the proposed extension of Scott Boule- vard north of 1-80 occurs, eventually connecting with 320th Street and intersecting with Prairie du Chien Road, the north limit of this planning district may be reconsidered. It .is not anticipated that these street extensions will take place within the twenty year timeframe of this plan. Addition of the unincorporated parts of the North Corridor Plan- ning District to Iowa City's corporate boundaries is most likely to occur through voluntary annexation, a process initiated by prop- erty owners. It has been the policy of Iowa City to add land to the corporate boundary by voluntary means except in unusual cir- cumstances (see Growth Policy). Because nearly half of the un- incorporated area in the North Corridor Planning District is already developed, annexation in the short term is unlikely. The 1-80 interchange with Highway 1 provides one of the few op- portunities for office research park development in Iowa City. Na- tional Computer Systems (within the North Corridor Planning Dis- trict) and American College Testing (south of 1-80 in the North Plan- ning District) are successful examples of this type of develop- ment. With the tone set by these two companies and the advan- tages of interstate exposure, land around this interchange should continue to be preserved for office research park and research development park opportunities. Municipal services Sanitary sewer service for much of the North Corridor Planning District will be provided by a lift station located in the Rapid Creek flood plain. Effluent will be pumped from the lift station and sent by a force main to the River Corridor Trunkline. Sufficient capac- ity exists within the River Corridor Trunkline to serve approximately 700 acres at a density of 15 people per acre. NORTH / NNINO The remainder of the North Corridor Planning District will be served by the Highlander lift station located near NCS on Highway 1 North. Relocation and upgrading of the Highlander lift station will be nec- essary at some point in the long term future. With full develop- ment of northeast Iowa City and this portion of the North Corridor Planning District, the main sewer trunkline which serves this area-- the Northeast Trunk--will require upgrading also. Currently prop- erties within the North Corridor Planning District that are in unincorporated Johnson County are served by septic systems. Municipal water service is provided to the incorporated area. Prob- lems with low flows will be rectified with completion of the new Iowa City municipal water system in 2002. Trafficways The primary trafficways serving the North Corridor Planning Dis- 94 trict are Dubuque Street, Prairie du Chien Road, and Highway 1 (Dodge Street). All of these arterial streets extend to the unincor- ~"orated area of Johnson County. There are no local east-west ,~rterial streets within the North Corridor Planning District. Linder Road provides a narrow, rural road connecting Dubuque Street to Prairie du Chien Road. Between Prairie du Chien Road and High- way 1 North, the beginning of a collector street system is forming in the Prairie View Estates subdivision. Interstate 80 carries the bulk of local east-west traffic in this area between the Dubuque Street and Dodge Street interchanges. NORTI-i CORRIDOR LHNNINI3 D!%TRIET Future trafficway improvements in this area are contemplated with the realignment of Prairie du Chien Road north of 1-80, the exten- sion of Scott Boulevard north over the interstate to Highway 1, and the extension of 320th Street or Oakdale Boulevard east to connect with Highway 1 at the future Scott Boulevard/Highway 1 intersection. Only the Prairie du Chien Road realignment has been programmed, with construction anticipated by the County in FY98. Open space Since the area within Iowa City's corporate limits at the writing of this plan is anticipated for office research park development, no open space need is defined in the Neighborhood Open Space Plan. Upon annexation of areas for residential development, open /,.~pace needs will be calculated. Neighborhood Associations -' There are no designated neighborhood associations within the North Corridor Planning District. Schools Existing residential development is served by Shimek and Lincoln Elementary Schools. With the proposed extension of Oakdale Boulevard to County Road W66, Wickham Elementary, currently under construction in Coralville, will also be accessible to por- tions of the North Corridor Planning District. Highlights of the North Corridor Planning District Annexation of unincorporated areas is unlikely in the short- range future, since almost half of the land is already devel- oped for suburban residential uses. The Highway 1/I-80 interchange provides one of the few opportunities for office research parks and research de- velopment parks in Iowa City. Sewer lift stations will be required to serve the North Cor- ridor Planning District. Capacity exists in the River Corri- dor Trunkline to accommodate growth in more than half of the District. The extension of Scott Boulevard over the interstate may push the North Corridor Planning District boundary north. .) _) ) APPENDICES APPENDIX A ............................................................................Land Use Map APPENDIX B .............................................Vacant Residential Land Inventory APPENDIX C ....................Iowa City/Johnson County Fringe Area Agreement APPENDIX D ...................................................Sensitive Areas Inventory Map APPENDIX E .................................................................Employment Ranking APPENDIX F ................................................................Acres of Land by Zone APPENDIX G ........................................................Neighborhood Open Space LEGEND ~ ID/Rural Re~. ,T~., ~+Du/,~ · ~] 16-24 DU/A ~ e-~e DU/^ ~ 2-8 DU/^ The land use map is intended to serve as a general guide for persons making decisions regarding the development of land within Iowa City. The map indicates appropriate land uses and density of development in relationship to available infrastructure, City services, environmental conditions, and surrounding land uses. The map must be viewed in the context of the overall comprehensive plan. Where district plans have been adopted, more detail regarding specific locations will be found in the district plan. For example, the South District Plan contains a more detailed land use map which shows additional areas that may be appropriate for small multi-family developments and the location of a trail network. In addition to the district plans the neighborhood design concepts beginning on page 15 should be considered when interpreting the land use map. For example, if a property is located at the intersection of a collector and an arterial street, the neighborhood design concepts indicate that alternative to single family development, i.e., neighborhood commercial or multi-family development may be appropriate. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LANDUSE MAP See District Plans for more details Appendix A Appendix B Vacant Residential Land Inventory The inventory of vacant land is an approximate tally of land within the city's corporate boundary and the long-range planning boundary that is assumed to be suitable for residential development. This inventory is show in Table I by planning district. There are approximately 3,320 acres, or 5.2 square miles of vacant residential land within the corporate boundary of Iowa City (see Table I). There are approximately 5,305 additional acres, or 8.3 square miles of undeveloped land within the city's long-range planning boundary which currently are not in the city limits. Within the combined area of the city limits and the long-range planning boundary, there are approximately 8,620 acres, or 13.5 square miles of land potentially available for residential development. Areas which will likely develop as industrial or commercial properties were not included in these measurements. One of the assumptions underlying the measurement of vacant land is that it will develop for residential uses. However, factors, such as environmental conditions, the need for land for school and park development and infrastructure availability, will limit the development potential of some areas. For this reason this information should be viewed broadly and should be updated as more is learned about environmental conditions and changes in land uses. This inventory can be useful to guide decisions regarding annexation, rezoning requests, the extension of infrastructure and the planning for city services and facilities, such as school and park land. TABLE I - ACRES OF VACANT RESIDENTIAL LAND Vacant Vacant Total Total Acres Land within Land within Vacant Planning District of District~ City Limits2 Growth Area Land3 SOUTH 3000 855 920 1775 SOUTHEAST 2580 155 810 965 NORTHEAST 2455 690 965 1650 CENTRAL 2115 50 0 50 NORTH 1575 790 0 790 NORTH CORRIDOR 1400 0 680 680 DOWNTOWN 350 0 0 0 SOUTHWEST 3490 560 1240 1800 NORTHWEST 2780 220 190 410 SOUTH CENTRAL 1900 0 500 500 TOTAL ACRES 21645 3320 5305 8620 TOTAL SQUARE MILES 33.8 5.2 8.3 13.5 1 Approximate total acres within each planning district, rounded to the nearest five acres. 2 Includes vacant residential land, not commercial, industrial, or public. 3 Includes vacant residential land within City limits, plus all land in the growth area within each planning district. ppdadmin\vacant Appendix C Prepared by: Karin Franklin, PCD Director, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa Cit¥,,,I.,A~ 52240 (31'9) 356~5~32 RESOLUTION NO. 96-239 '" "//-~8/~}1 ,~, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA AND IOWA CITY, IOWA, ESTABLISHING POLICIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF LAND WITHIN THE EXTRATERRITORIAL AREA OF IOWA CITY AND INCORPORATING THOSE POLICIES INTO THE IOWA CITY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. WHEREAS, Chapter 28E of the Code of Iowa (1995) enables two or more local governments to enter into agreements to cooperate for their mutual advantage; and WHEREAS, the Development Policy for Rural Johnson County adopted, January 1979, calls for the preparation and adoption of development plans and agreements between the County and the City regarding the municipality and its environment; and WHEREAS, the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan Update adopted in January 1 989, and amended through March 1993, outlines the extent of urban development expected within the next 20 years and outlines land use policies for Iowa City; and WHEREAS, it is in the interest of Johnson County and the City of Iowa City to establish policies for the orderly growth and development within 'the City's extraterritorial jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, Johnson County and the City of Iowa City mutually agree that such policies are necessary to more effectively and economically provide services for future growth and development and to protect and preserve the extraterritorial area's natural resources and its environmentally sensitive features. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa hereby accepts and agrees to the policies regarding annexation, zoning and subdivision review for the various designated areas included in the attached Fringe Area Policy Agreement between Johnson County, Iowa and Iowa City, Iowa; and The City Council of the City of Iowa City hereby incorporates the Fringe Area Policy Agreement into the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan; and The City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa hereby authorizes the Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to attest to the attached 28E Agreement between Johnson County and Iowa City establishing land use policies for the two-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction of Iowa City, for recordation as provided by law. Resolution No. 96-239 Page 2 Passed and approved this 6th day of August , 1996. CITY' CLERK MAYOR Approv.ed b~. It was moved by Norton and seconded by adopted, and upon roll call there were: ThnrnhP~'~V the Resolution be AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: X X X X X Baker Kubby Lehman Norton Novick Thornberry Vanderhoef ppdadmin\2mileic,res FRINGE AREA POLICY AGREEMENT BETWEEN JOHNSON COUNTY AND IOWA CITY WHEREAS, Chapter 354, Code of Iowa (1995) allows the City of Iowa City to establish an extraterritorial area, known as the fringe area, within two miles of the city boundaries for the purpose of reviewing and approving subdivisions; and WHEREAS, Chapter 354 further grants the City the authority to require that subdivisions within the fringe area adhere to the City's subdivision standards and conditions, unless the City establishes alternative standards and conditions for review and approval of subdivisions via a 28E agreement between the City and the County; and WHEREAS, Chapter 28E of the Code of Iowa (1995) enables two or more local governments to enter into agreements to cooperate for their mutual advantage; and WHEREAS, the Development Policy for Rural Johnson County adopted January, 1979, calls for the preparation and adoption of development plans and agreements between the County and the City regarding the municipality and its environment; and WHEREAS, the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan Update adopted in January, 1989, and amended through March, 1993, outlines the extent of urban development expected within the next 20 years; and WHEREAS, it is in the interest of Johnson County and the City of Iowa City to establish policies for the orderly growth and development within the City's fringe area; and WHEREAS, Johnson County andthe City of Iowa City mutually agree that such policies are necessary to more effectively and economically provide services for future growth and development and to protect and preserve the fringe area's natural resources and its environmentally sensitive features. NOW, THEREFORE, THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION I. FRINGE AREA DEVELOPMENT POLICIES The parties accept and agree to the following development policies regarding annexation, zoning, and subdivision review for the Iowa City fringe area as authorized by Chapter 354, Code of Iowa (1995). Purpose: The Fringe Area Policv Agreement is intended to provide fo~ orderly and efficient development patterns appropriate to a non-urbanized area, protect and preserve the fringe area's natural resources and environmentally sensitive features, direct development to areas with physical characteristics which can accommodate development, and effectively and economically provide services for future growth and development. In light of these objectives, the City and the County examined the development capabilities of the Iowa City fringe area and determined that development within this fringe area is to occur in accordance with a) the Land Use Plan attached to this Agreement, b) development standards contained in Section B of this agreement, and c) the fringe area development policies contained in Section C of this Agreement. -2- A. Land Use Plan The Land Use Plan, attached to this Agreement as Attachment 1, illustrates the land use patterns for the fringe area. B. Development Standards The following standards apply to unincorporated development in the fringe area. Discourage development in areas which conflict with the Johnson County Comprehensive Plan which considers CSR (Corn Suitability Rating), high water table, wetlands, floodplain, non-erodible soil, and road suitability. Protect the public health by requiring developers to meet or exceed minimum standards for water and wastewater systems in all developments within the Iowa City Fringe Area pursuant to Johnson County Public Health Department Regulations. o Encourage cluster development which preserves large tracts of open space including environmentally sensitive areas and farm land, results in compact development which requires less infrastructure, and is more efficient for provision of services. C. .Fringe Area Development Policies The parties agree to apply the following fringe area development policies. FRINGE AREA A Permit residential development by considering, on a case-by-case basis, proposals to rezone land in this area to RS-3 (one dwelling unit per three acres of lot area). RS zoning will be considered if the application to fezone includes a plat showing a minimum of 50% of the property as an outlot designated as open space or agriculture. Development must comply with City Rural Design standards contained .in Appendix A. If land is annexed within Fringe Area A, the City agrees that it will not automatically extend its fringe area authority to review and approve all subdivisions, which it exercises pursuant to Iowa Code §354,9 and Title 14, Chapter 7 of the City Code of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, The City will review the extension of its fringe area as a result of annexation on a case-by-case basis in consultation with Johnson County. FRINGE AREA B As set forth in Iowa City's adopted growth policy, the City will likely annex land within one mile of Iowa City to the east and within two miles of Iowa City to the south in the short-range. It is therefore consistent with the purpose of this agreement that rural subdivisions v~ithin these areas of high annexation potential be required to meet City Urban Design Standards contained in Appendix A. Land within Iowa Cit¥'s Growth Area. As applications are received to develop land contiguous to and within the growth limits of the city, the City will give favorable -3- consideration to the voluntary annexation of this land and its development at an urban density in conformance with the City's adopted land use plan for Fringe Area B (Attachment 2). Prior to annexation, any zoning changes in Iowa City's projected growth area shall also be consistent with the City's adopted land use plan for Fringe Area B. Subdivisions within Iowa City's projected growth area shall conform to City Urban Design Standards contained in Title 14, Chapter 7 of the City Code of Iowa City, including but not limited to City specifications for streets and roads, sanitary sewer lines, stormwater management facilities and water lines. Developments which are approved prior to annexation shall be required to be served by a package sanitary sewage treatment plant and common wells with sanitary sewer and water collection and distribution systems which are constructed to City standards and can be connected to municipal systems upon annexation. Subdivisions which are approved prior to annexation shall be required to be cluster developments with a minimum of 50% of the development designated as an outlot for open space, agriculture, or future development upon annexation. Land outside Iowa City's Growth Area. On the balance of land in Area B that lies outside Iowa City's projected growth area, agricultural uses are preferred. However, consideration will be given to applications for single-family residential development at a density of RS-10 (1 dwelling unit/10 acres). This development must conform to Rural Design Standards. Upon annexation of land within Fringe Area B, the City agrees that it will not automatically extend"its fringe area authority to review and approve all subdivisions, which it exercises pursuant to Iowa Code §354.9 and Title 14, Chapter 7 of the City Code of the City of Iowa City, Iowa. The City will review the extension of its fringe area as a result of annexation on a case-by-case basis in consultation with Johnson County. FRINGE AREA C Land within Iowa Citv's Growth Area. Land in Area C which is presently zoned for residential development, and within Iowa City's growth area, may develop in conformance with existing zoning, provided subdivisions shall conform to City Urban Design standards contained in Title 14, Chapter 7 of the City Code of Iowa City, including but not limited to City specifications for streets and roads, sanitary sewer lines, stormwater management facilities and water lines. Developments which are approved prior to annexation shall be required to be served by a package sanitary sewage treatment plant and common wells with sanitary sewer and water collection and distribution systems which are constructed to City standards and can be connected to municipal systems upon annexation. Subdivisions which are approved prior to annexation shall be required to be cluster developments with a minimum of 50% of the development designated as an outlot for open space, agriculture, or future development upon annexation. Upon annexation to Iowa City, commercial and/or industrial development is encouraged in the portion of Section 20 of West Lucas Township that is located in the east and south quadrants of the Highway 1 and Highway 218 interchange. It is consistent with the purpose of this agreement not to approve commercial -4- and/or industrial developments within this area prior to annexation. As stated in the Johnson County Rural Development Plan, commercial and/or industrial development will be encouraged to locate in the interchanges of paved roads. Commercial and/or industrial development will be discouraged in all other areas of Fringe Area C. As applications are received to develop land contiguous to Iowa City and within this portion of the City's growth area, the City will give favorable consideration to the voluntary annexation of this land and its development for commercial and/or industrial uses consistent with urban development patterns. Land outside Iowa Citv's Growth Area. In the portions of Area C which are not within Iowa City's growth area and which are zoned for non-farm development, development may occur in conformance with Johnson County's Zoning Ordinance and City Rural Design Standards. The land in Area C currently zoned A-l, Rural, and outside the City's growth area will be considered, upon receipt of an application, for rezoning to RS-10 (1 dwelling unit/tO acres). RS-5 (1 dwelling unit/5 acres) will be considered if the application to rezone includes a plat designating a minimum of 80% of the property as an outlot for open space or agriculture. Rural Design Standards will apply to all development outside the City's growth area. Upon annexation of land within Fringe Area C, the City agrees that it will not automatically extend- ' its fringe area authority to review and approve all subdivisions, which it exercises pursuant to Iowa Code §354.9 and Title 14, Chapter 7 of the City Code of the City of Iowa City, Iowa. The City will review the extension of its fringe area as a result of annexation on a case-by-case basis in consultation with Johnson County. SECTION II. PROTECTING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS Any regulations in the Fringe Area Agreement will not interfere with the Right to Farm, as contained in the Code of Iowa Chepter 335.2, Farms Exempt; and as noted in the Johnson County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 8.2, Protecting Agricultural Operations. SECTION III. ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES As a rule, zoning regulation is the county's prerogative if a county has adopted a zoning ordinance, The City, however, exercises authority over subdivision regulation in a city's fringe area. Annexation is also primarily under exclusive rule of cities. Each of these activities, however, affects both jurisdictions and produces a clear need for coordination and joint administration. To that end, the City of Iowa City and Johnson County agree to the following procedures for administration of land use regulations. A. Zoninq Re.qulation: Zoning regulation for all unincorporated territory will remain under the authority of the Johnson County Zoning Ordinance and the provisions of Chapter 335, Code of Iowa (1995), the enabling legislation for the County's zoning powers. Bo -5- Pursuant to Section 8:1.30 of the Johnson County Zoning Ordinance, any person may request a variance to the lot area regulations of the zoning ordinance or appeal the decision of any officer of the County as that decision relates to enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance. The County will forward each request for rezoning of property within the Fringe Areas specified in this Agreement to the City for review and comment prior to the public hearing before the County Planning and Zoning Commission. Any zoning change will conform with the policies identified for the Area in which the property is located. Properties zoned for a classification which is inconsistent with this Agreement, at the time this Agreement is executed, shall retain ~he rights under that zoning, unless and until such zoning is changed through due process. Subdivision Requlation: Subdivision of land within Iowa City's fringe area will be required to conform to either City Rural Design Standards or the City Urban Design Standards in accordance with the policies specified in this Agreement. Persons wishi'ng to subdivide land within the fringe area specified in this Agreement shall be required to simultaneously file a subdivision application with both the City and the County. The City and the County shall coordinate the processing of the application to ensure concurrent review by both the City Planning and Zoning Commission and the County Planning and Zoning Commission. Subdivisions of land into less than three lots will continue to be regulated by the County. Annexation: Iowa City will annex territory only in accordance with the policy statements specified in this Agreement. The City will, upon receipt, forward 'applications requesting annexation or severance (deannexation) of property within the fringe area specified in this Agreement to the County for review and comment prior to consideration by the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission. As appropriate and necessary, the City may extend the two-mile extraterritorial subdivision plat review area. Prior to any such extension, the City will forward to the County a proposal which includes the extension of the City's plat review authority for any distance up to the two mile limit provided by State law. The County will have a specified time within which to respond in affirmative agreement, negatively or with an alternative proposal. The City will take the County's response under advisement when determining the extension of extraterritorial review. -6- SECTION IV. AGREEMENT REVIEW At any time during the three (3) year term of this Agreement, either the Chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors or the Mayor of the City of Iowa City may initiate review of the policies of this Agreement by contacting the other party to this Agreement. Both parties to this Agreement shall consider modifications of this Agreement, as appropriate. SECTION V. EFFECTIVE PERIOD This Agreement shall become effective upon acceptance and execution by the parties, and shall be in effect for three (3) years after the date of execution of this Agreement. This Agreement may be modified and extended by the written mutual consent of the parties. SECTION Vl. RECORDATION This Agreement shall be filed with the Secretary of the State of Iowa, and with the Johnson County Recorder in compliance with Chapter 28E, Code of Iowa' (1995). Dated this .~//' day of ~ JOHNSOI~COqNTY By: ~'~ Chal~pe~rson, I~o~d of S~ors County Auditor , 1996. App~e~ by: County-Attorney's ~)ffice Dated this 6th day of August CITY OF IOWA CITY BV: Mayor~P..d5.~,~/~ ",/~.~ City Cl~rk ATTACHMENTS: , 1996. Approved by.'_. ~Jity Attorney's Office Proposed Land Use Map for the Iowa City Fringe Area. Figure 1: Fringe Area B (formerly Areas 5 and 6) Land Use Plan. Appendix A: Definition of Standards ppdadmin\frarea4.prp ' ';~: ,~:,.~ I LAND '~ .~, USE CONCEPT PLAN ..;:.v: .,. · :'"~'~'=' ~'"r' ~ ~ lg APPENDIX A Definition of Standards City Urban Desiqn Standards: Those standards enumerated in Title 14, Chapter 7 of the City Code of Iowa City which the City imposes on any subdivision within the corporate limits of Iowa City. City Rural Design Standards: 1.0 1.1 Streets Streets shall be designed for a minimum surface width of 22 feet. Curb and gutter will not be required. 1.2 The right-of-way for local streets without curb and gutter shall be 60 feet to enable retrofit of sewer, water, and sidewalk in the future as necessary; otherwise, the right- of-way for local streets with curb and gutter and storm sewer shall be 50 feet. The right-of-way for arterial, industrial, and collector streets for the developed area shall be determined in conjunction with the Planning and Zonihg Commission. 1.3 1.4 The maximum street grade for local streets shall be 12%. The pavement cross section for all pavements will be a 2% parabolic crown. cross slope is equivalent to ~-inch per foot. This 1.5 The pavement slab shall be constructed of a 6" rolled stone base and a 22-foot wide chipseal surface. 1.6 Minimum corner radii shall be 20 feet. 1.7 The minimum ditch grade shall be 1.0%. In addition, it will be necessary to place a 12-inch diameter (minimum) culvert, either reinforced concrete pipe or corrugated metal pipe, through all drive approaches constructed over a drainage ditch. The exact size of pipe required will be a function of the area to be drained. 1.8 Drive approaches shall be hard surfaced within ,he right-of-wa,/. 2.0 Water Distribution System 2.1 Well(s) shall conform to the requirements of the Johnson County Health Department and the distribution system, if installed, (water main) shall be either ductile cast iron pipe {ANSI A21.50 manufactured in accordance with ANSI A21.50) or poly vinyl chloride pipe (PVC-ASTM D1784, Type 1, Grade 1, 200 psi design stress and SDR of 1 7 or less). 2.2 It shall be the responsibility of the Developer's Engineer to establish a fire rating for the area being developed. Prior to plat approval, there shall be a letter of transmittal from 2 the appropriate Fire Protection District approving spacing. location, number of fire hydrants, s~ze of mares, pressure, etc. 2.3 Connection to the City of Iowa City Water Distribution System is subject to City Council consideration based on availability. Generally, annexation is a criterion which must be met. 3.0 Sanitarv Sewer All methods of sanitation shall conform to the 1989 Johnson County Board of Health Rules and Regulations Governing On-site Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems and to the 1990 Iowa City Wastewater Treatment and Disposal System Policy. 4.0 Storm Sewers 4.1 With the exception of developments located in the Old Man's Creek Watershed, the City Storm Water Management Ordinance shall apply to new developments located outside the City limits of Iowa City but within the City's area of extraterritorial jurisdiction. 4.2 All storm sewers shall conform to revised Section VII (Storm Sewers) of the Design Standards for Public Works Improvements in Iowa City, Iowa. Culverts shall be a minimum of 12 inches in diameter; either reinforced concrete pipe or corrugated metal pipe (minimum gauge 18 and corrugations 2'x ~ ", 2%"x ~ ", and 3"x1") shall be used. Culverts shall conform to the Standard Specifications for Hi_qhwav and Bridcle Construction. Series of 1977. Minimum cover over the top of culvert shall be six inches. 5.0 Underqround Utilities 5.1 Whenever a subdivision shall be laid out such that a new street is required, telephone and electric utilities shall be underground. It is not intended that small subdivisions which would use an existing county road would follow this requirement since overhead utilities are probabfy directly adjacent to the property. ~ 3endix D Appendix E EMPLOYMENT RANKING OF IOWA CITY EMPLOYERS Business ............................................................Employees University of Iowa .........................................................22,555 Veterans Administration Hospital ....................................1,300 Iowa City Community Schools .......................................1,225 Mercy Hospital ...............................................................1,100 National Computer Systems .............................................857 United Technologies Automotive ........................................810 American College Testing .................................................800 Procter & Gamble .............................................................602 City of Iowa City ................................................................564 Johnson County Government ............................................430 Oral B Laboratories ...........................................................400 Moore Business Forms .....................................................342 MCI Services Marketing .....................................................250 Release International ........................................................211 Hills Bank & Trust..' ............................................................190 First National Bank ............................................................184 Iowa City Press-Citizen .....................................................181 Iowa State Bank & Trust ....................................................155 APAC ................................................................................146 Seabury & Smith ...............................................................130 Banker's Advertising/Trust-Art Color Graphics ..................120 Blooming Prairie Warehouse ............................................115 University of Iowa Community Credit Union .........................91 General Mills .......................................................................85 Roberts Dairy .~ .....................................................................85 Mid-American Energy ..........................................................70 Protein Blenders, Inc ...........................................................50 Lenoch & Cilek ....................................................................50 Hawkeye Medical Supply .....................................................38 Hansen Lind Meyer .............................................................35 Millard Warehouse ..............................................................30 SOURCE: IOWA CITY AREA DEVELOPMENT GROUP, INC., FEBRUARY 1996 Appendix F Zone CO1 CN1 CC2 CB2 CB5 CB10 CH1 Cll P/C11 RDP ORP IDORP I1 12 PI1 PO PP PS PU IDRS IDRM RR1 RS5 RS8 RS12 RM12 RM20 RNC12 RNC20 RM44 PRM RFBH RO PDH1 PDH5 PDH8 Total Zoned Land As of September 1996 Totals by Zone Category and Zone Class Description Commercial Land Commercial Office Zone Neighborhood Commercial Zone Community Commercial Zone Central Business Service Zone Central Business Support Zone Central Business Zone Highway Commercial Zone Intensive Commercial Zone Public/Intensive Commercial Zone Total Commercial Land Industrial Land Research Development Park Zone Office & Research Park Zone Intedm Development Office & Research Park Zone General Industrial Zone Heavy Industrial Zone Public/General Industrial Zone Total Industrial Public Land Public Land - Other Public Land - Park Public Land - School Public Land - University of Iowa Total Public Land Residential Land Intedm Development Single-Family Zone Intedm Development Multi-Family Zone Rural Residential Zone Low Density Single-Family Zone Medium Density Single-Family Zone High Density Single-Family Zone Low Density Multi-Family Zone Medium Density Multi-Family Zone Neighborhood Conservation Residential Zone Neighborhood Conservation Zone High Density Multi-Family Zone Planned High Density Multi-Family Zone Factory Built Housing Zone Residential/Office Zone Planned Rural Residential Zone Planned Low Density Single-Family Zone Planned Medium Density Single-Family Zone Acres. 107.91 54.75 288.07 52.56 25.92 35.88 44,30 368.53 31.28 1,009.20 53.43 79.17 810.62 599.50 12.57 20.47 1,575.76 1,093.51 600.30 234.22 1,557.07 3,485.10 1,668.65 178.66 534.49 3,754.86 885.16 168.13 322,50 89.68 86.83 63.10 171.83 36.12 210.51 6.45 168.90 154.84 188.06 Percent of Total 10.69% 5.43% 28.54% 5.21% 2,57% 3.56% 4.39% 36.52% 3.10% 100.00% 3.39% 5.02% 51.44% 38.05% 0.80% 1.30% 100.00% 31.38% 17.22% 6.72% 44.68% 100.00% 19,14% 2.05% 6.13% 43.07% 10.15% 1.93% 3,7O% 1.03% 1.00% 0.72% 1.97% 0.41% 2.41% 0.07% 1.94% 1.78% 2,16% Zone PDH12 R3B Total Zoned Land As of September 1996 Totals by Zone Category and Zone Class Description Planned High Density Single-Family Zone High Density Multi-Family Zone Total Residential Land Acres 26.02 2.32 8,717.17 Percent of Total 0.30% 0.03% t00.00% Total Commercial Land Total Industrial Land Total Public Land Total Residential Land TOTAL LAND 1,009.20 1,575.76 3,485.10 8,717.17 14,787.23 6.82% 10.66% 23.57% 58.95% 00.00% Land by Zoning Category as Percent of Total Land Commercial Land 6.8% Industrial Land , .i*~11~ 10.8% Residential Land Public Land 58,7% 23.7% Appendix G Draft: 3/12/97 NEIGHBORHOOD OPEN SPACE Public neighborhood open space is a vital part of a community and often serves as a focal point of neighborhood activity. Neighborhood open spaces are small areas, generally about three to five acres in size, designed to serve a local residential population by providing accessible, useable open areas and greenways for informal, small group recreation. These areas enhance opportunities for neighbors to meet and develop a sense of connection within their neighbor- hood. The function of neighborhood open spaces should reflect the type and character of the neigh- borhood in which it is located. Many times neighborhood open space is found adjacent to elementary school sites or environmentally sensitive areas. The open space may contain active playground area, or its use may primarily be passive, providing merely a peaceful place in the midst of urban densities. Pedestrian/bikeway greenway connections to community parks and recreation areas are an important, integral part of neighborhood open space. Three acres of neighborhood open space for every 1,000 residents is considered to be the minimum of active open space to be provided within each neighborhood. The following table presents the neighborhood open space needs assessment for the Planning Districts in Iowa City. Neighborhood Open Space Assessment by District Population Open Space Acres Need Existing Existing (3 acres per (P = Parks, Surplus/ District (Estimated) -' Projected 'rotal 1,ooo persons) S=Schools) Deficit Central District -32.6 C1. North Side 4061 0 4061 12.2 P=4.8, S=.5 -7,3 C2. College Green 1842 0 1842 5,5 P=3.0, S=O -2.5 C3. Bowery 3299 0 3299 9.9 P=0, S=O -9,9 C4, Longfellow 2517 0 2517 7.6 P =4.38, S = 9 -.97 C5. Mark Twain 2842 0 2842 8.5 P=2.0, S=9 -4,3 C6, City High 2776 0 2776 8.3 P=.8, S=6.0'* -6.0 C7. Near Southside 1555 0 1555 4.7 P= .3, S=O -4.4 C8. Hickory Hill 1268 557 1825 5,5 P = 191.3, S =0 + 2.~ North District -21,4 N1, Dubuque Road 452 1264 1716 5.2 P=O, S=O -5.2 ...,,N,,?..:,.M..a...y,.f.!.o....w,..e..r.!,,S.,,h.!,,m,.e,,k,". .............,,2..0..3...9.. .........2374441313.2P=O, S = 15 -9.5 N2. Mayfiower/Shimekb 2039 417 2456 7.4 P=O, S = 15 -3.7 N3. Foster Road 696 2652 3348 10,0 P= 17.6, S=O -3.0 Northeast District .-29.1 NE1. Upper Ralston 990 3076 4066 12.2 P=O, S=O -12.2 Creek 2 Population Open Space Acres Need Existing Existing {3 acres per (P--Parks, District (Estimated) Projected Total 1 ,ooo persons) S = Schools) NE2. Pheasant Hill/ 3531 581 4112 12.3 P=3.3, S=8.0 Lemme Surplus/ Deficit -7.0 NE2. Pheasant Hill/ 3531 1537 Letoroec Northwest District NW1. Clear Creek 140 1641 NW2. City Park 2899 0 5068 15.2 P=3.3, S =8.0 -9.9 -1.8 1781 5.3 P=0, S=0 -5.3 2899 8.7 P= 109.7, S=2.5 +3.5 South District S1. Wetherby 3318 5157 S2. Grant Wood 4191 770 S3. Saddlebrook 551 3281 -24.7 8475 25.4 P=50, $=0 -11.4 4961 14.9 P=22.7, S=5.0 -1.8 3832 11.5 P=O, S=O -11.5 Southeast District SE1. Court Hill/Lucas SE2. Village Green SE3. Windsor Ridge Southwest District SW1. Melrose/Emerald SW2. Willow Creek SW3. Brookland/ Roosevelt 467O 2205 374 1644 2915 4245 +18.1 122 4792 14.4 P= 15.25, S=7.5 +1.1 495 2700 8.1 P=39.6, S=O** +6.3 734 1108 3.3 P=65.5, S=O +10.7 -17.6 82 1726 5.2 P=6.5, S=O +1.3 0 2915 8.7 P=41.2, S=O +5.3 95 4340 13.0 P=4.2, S=5 -7.6 SW4. Miller/Orchardd 1151 1366 2517 7.6 P=O, S =0 -7.6 SW4. Miller/Orcharde 1151 268 1419 4.3 P=0, S=0 -¢.3 SW5. Hunters Run 839 2415 3254 9.8 P = 16.1, S = 8.0 -.8 SW6. West High 2608 807 3415 10.2 P =6.4, S =O** -3.9 *Surplus/Deficit Calculations =up to 7 acres credit per park; 5 acres or 25% of school open space; whichever is less, per elementary school site. **Credit is not automatically allocated to secondary school sites, "If developed at density of existing zones. bDue to steep wooded ravines, this area will probably develop at less than 1 dwelling unit per acre. "Includes Windsor Ridge north of Court Street dlf developed at density of existing zones. "Due to steep wooded ravines, will probably develop at an RS-5 density. Note: The Downtown, North Corridor, and South Central Districts were not evaluated for neighborhood open space, because there are no established residential neighborhoods in these districts. 3 The individual neighborhood open space districts were originally grouped within major water- shed areas in the city to facilitate open space connections along waterways. Open space impact fees or land dedications secured within a district can be used to establish a trail or small park within the Planning District in which the neighborhood open space district is located. The resulting open space must be designed and located so that the benefits of park and trail development will accrue directly to those areas that generate fees or land for open space. Fees contributed from one area of the community cannot be shifted to provide neighborhood open space in separate area of the city. As the city grows and annexes land, neighborhood open space will be provided as develop- ment occurs. The following figures indicate the amount of land that is likely to be allocated for neighborhood open space as land is annexed and developed within the city's growth limits in each Planning District. 3 Acres Anticipated Per 1,000 Persons Planning Undeveloped Dwelling Units Persons Per Neighborhood District Acres* Per Acre Household Open Space Need Downtown 0 0 0 0 Central 0 0 0 0 North 0 0 0 0 North Corridor 680 5 2.26 23.05 Northeast 965 5 2.26 32.71 Northwest 190 ' 5 2.26 6.44 South 920 5 2.26 31.19 Southeast 810 5 2.26 27.46 South Central 500 5 2.26 16.95 Southwest 1240 5 2.26 42.04 *Approximate number of undeveloped acres outside the city limits and within the growth area, rounded to the nearest five acres. As development occurs throughout Iowa City, including on property annexed into the city, land will be dedicated for neighborhood open space or fees will be paid by the developers in lieu of the land dedication to provide sufficient, useable open space in growing and redevel- oping areas of the community. Capital improvement programming and fee simple purchase may be required to supplement the neighborhood open space land dedication and fees, particularly in the developed, inner city areas, Cooperation with other jurisdictions, including Johnson County, Coralville, the University of Iowa, and the Iowa City Community District, is encouraged and is keyto coordinating the allocation, development and maintenance of open space of mutual benefit to adjoining developments in separate jurisdictions. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the City Council of Iowa City will hold a public hearing on the 21 st day of October, 1997, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City of Iowa City, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa, regarding the intent to execute an agreement between the City of Iowa City and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the U.S.A. Corp., Lodge No. 590 and to dispose of property in acoordance with said agreement. A copy of said agreement is on file in the office of the City Clerk. Persons interested in expressing their views concerning this matter, either verbally or in writing, will be given the opportunity to be heard at the above-mentioned time and place. MARIAN K. KARR, CITY CLERK eleanor\elks.nph NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the City Council of Iowa City will hold a public hearing on the 21st day of October, 1997, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City of Iowa City, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa, on a resolution adopting a deer management plan for Iowa City. A copy of the resolution is on file in the office of the City Clerk. Persons interested in expressing their views concerning this matter, either verbally or in writing, will be given the opportunity to be heard at the above-mentioned time and place. OCTOBER 12, 1997 MEMBERS OF THE IOWA CiTY COUNCIL RE: DISCOVERY OF FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENT IN JOHNSON COUNTY REGION: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: NOW THAT THE t'DEER COMMITTEE" HAS NOTHING MORE TO DO, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD LET THEM RESEARCH THE "FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENT" IN THE JOHNSON COUNTY REGION. MY INITIAL RESEARCH INDICATES THE TIME OF THIS SETTLEMENT TO BE 200 YEARS BEFORE HOROWITZ. THE CANNED BEER RATHER THAN BOTTLED BEER WITH A CORK MAY INDICATE A DATE LATER THAN THAT. IOWA CITY NEEDS TO KNOW! R. GLASGOW 834 NO. JOHNSON ST. IOWA CITY, IOWA 52245 C