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CONCEPT PLAN

The elements of a Comprehensive Plan - natural environment, land use, transportation, and community facilities - develop from a physical concept. To ensure its viability, the concept must be derived from the City’s established goals and be based upon the primary functions and physical features of the community.

In recognition of the fact that North Liberty does not exist in a vacuum, factors of regional trends, issues, and problems must also be considered at the Concept Plan stage.

The Concept Plan for North Liberty revolves around five basic principles: 1) improving the sense of community and self-identity within the City, 2) enhancing the City’s image within the Johnson County region, 3) accommodating continued urban growth within the City in an orderly fashion, 4) developing a strong and diversified tax base and providing high quality services for urban uses, and 5) realistically appraising the magnitude and timing of projected growth and managing that growth in a fiscally responsible manner.

The basic elements of North Liberty’s concept planning may be characterized as follows:


COMMUNITY IMAGE/IDENTITY

In order to strengthen and enhance the City image and self-identity, it is essential that a sense of community and a community focus are established.

North Liberty’s basic character is that of a small city. Community representatives have stated that the features and amenities which comprise this “small city” character should be preserved and maintained while the actual size of the community increases. This will promote a sense of community within North Liberty and enhance the image of the City within the region. Two fundamental elements of “small city” character are residential neighborhoods, and a central community focus.

Previous residential development has resulted in neighborhoods being developed as individual units. These units respond to physical features and barriers. Within the “original town” area, these neighborhoods respond well to adjacent neighborhoods. More recent development, however, has not related as well to adjacent neighborhoods, particularly with regards to layout, street connections, and a mixture of uses. A central concept of the Development Framework should be the establishment of a strong relationship for each neighborhood within itself, as well as to adjoining neighborhoods, the community, and the entire region.


The main community focus within North Liberty has in the past been the historic Central Business District (CBD) located in the Dubuque Street/Cherry Street area. This area and the surrounding neighborhoods contain a number of features which symbolize the community’s earlier days. This district and the “old town” area features have provided a strong focus for North Liberty which greatly enhances small city character.

Commercial development in recent years, however, has responded to changing transportation patterns and related more closely to Highway 965 than the Central Business District. This has somewhat diluted the community focus. In an attempt to take advantage of the commercial opportunities afforded by Highway 965, while preserving and enhancing the original Central Business District and the original town area, the City has choreographed the development of a central commercial area near the intersection of Highway 965 and Penn Street, along the Cherry Street extension. In addition, the City is developing a streetscape plan that creates a link between the commercial center and the historical Central Business District, as well as a revitalization of the historic CBD as the “town center”. The implementation of these plans will result in a Central Commercial Area which will provide a unified focus for the community. This planned unified commercial center, along with the redevelopment of the historic CBD, and the inclusion of community facilities such as the City Hall/Fire Station, and community center will further enhance the small city character of North Liberty.

The Development Framework emphasizes neighborhood planning with the use of planning districts that focus on smaller neighborhood areas. Through the formulation of these districts, the ultimate land use planning concept will focus on improving the regional image of the City. The image of North Liberty has been one of modest development which lacks many features which enhance the quality of life. The City is in need for high quality and regulated development. In addition, community activities and preservation of their natural and cultural amenities are important factors in enhancing the community’s image. Many opportunities exist for the inclusion of well planned modest and up-scale residential neighborhoods, expanded commercial and industrial and business park areas with high quality development standards, interconnecting park and trail facilities for multiple user types, and educational/cultural activities for community residents. Improvements in these areas should be explored and implemented to the greatest extent possible.


NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

The unique environmental setting of North Liberty is an extremely valuable resource, and one of the area’s major recreational and economic amenities. Preservation and protection of these assets is of primary importance to North Liberty and the surrounding Johnson County community. Specific target preservation areas include the Iowa River corridor, areas of steep slopes, existing vegetation, and natural drainageways. Agricultural preservation as a natural resource is not viewed as a realistic objective within the confines of the City boundaries, but efforts disallowing the premature elimination or disruption of these lands need to be taken. The policies and provisions of the Comprehensive Plan, as well as the City’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances, are the vehicles through which North Liberty can protect environmentally sensitive areas within the municipal boundaries and surrounding extra territorial jurisdiction area.

A variety of benefits are associated with protection of these resources. Environmentally sensitive development will preserve the health and welfare of North Liberty citizens, attract a more diverse economic base and minimize the need for future public investments in clean up or beautification.


LAND USE

North Liberty is a rapidly developing city within Johnson County that has proven itself by effectively competing with other communities. As it continues to grow, the City has the challenging job of accommodating varied and diversified types of land uses in order to maintain and enhance the community standing.

The basic physical concepts included in the land use portion of the Development Framework encompass a number of separate, yet interrelated elements: 1) the neighborhood as the basic foundation of the community which provides a variety of harmonious housing alternatives, 2) land use transition, a method of ensuring compatibility between land uses, 3) the Central Commercial Area and the historic Central Business District as the focal point for which the individual neighborhoods form the “community”, 4) the highway commercial center as a major tax base providing complementary commercial uses to the Central Commercial Area, 5) the industrial park as the major supporting tax base to provide employment opportunities to area residents, and 6) the preservation of contiguous farming activities from premature elimination.


1. The Neighborhood:

North Liberty is a freestanding growth center with a distinct small city character surrounded by rural townships. The City’s residential development is largely low density single family, although alternative housing types do exist and have continued to expand, including apartments, townhouses, and mobile homes. Overall residential distribution consists of a variety of concentrations oriented to the old town area with newer residential development expanding primarily to the west of Highway 965. Smaller groups of dwellings, including farm homes, are spread throughout the community at very low density. Given the City’s long history, residential development has no particular format, and has been designed to include strict grid platting to curvilinear and cul-de-sac street patterns. This attention to traffic consideration is coupled with a fundamental consideration for natural and man-made barriers which tend to help delineate and organize neighborhoods. Finally, the overall neighborhood orientation is set in terms of amenities and services which function as a focus for neighborhood activity. Park land, open space, and school facilities are primary within this group and contribute substantially to the creation of a desirable residential environment within the community.

In that the community’s neighborhoods have developed as units, maintenance and enhancement of the desirability and attractiveness of these neighborhoods will be essential in the future. In this regard, the development of remaining open land should be accomplished in a manner which respects the integrity of existing neighborhoods, as new neighborhoods and other land use areas are created. The diagrams on the following page graphically illustrate the neighborhood concept within North Liberty.

2. Land Use Transition:

The intensity of land uses should decrease as one moves away from an activity center. In North Liberty, such a relation should be encouraged around the Central Commercial Area and the City’s industrial centers. Generally, these activity centers should be surrounded by medium/high density residential development, which in turn should be surrounded by low density residential development.

As stated in the Policy Plan, transitions between distinctly differing types of land uses should be accomplished so that conflicts are minimized. Typically, land use conflicts may be minimized through the use of physical barriers, distances, screens, and/or proper physical orientation of lots and buildings.


3. Central Commercial Area:

The development of the Central Commercial Area provides an excellent focal point for the community. The proposal takes advantage of commercial opportunities afforded by Highway 965, and connects the Town Center Area via a proposed streetscape along Cherry Street. The commercial development that has been established along Cherry Street (professional service, governmental facilities) is the foundation of the Central Commercial Area. Future development should include retail and additional professional/service commercial land use.

These elements highlight the positive features which should be maintained and improved as the focus for the community. These elements can be utilized and expanded upon to achieve a vital, integrated “Central Commercial Area”, encompassing major retail, service, cultural, entertainment, and government uses in the future yet retaining its overall small town feel.

4. Highway Commercial:

Due to the high visibility and access afforded by Highway 965 and Interstate 380, lands flanking these corridors have become prime for highway commercial development. Because the areas are highly visible, area development should be of a level of quality which projects a positive City “image”. One method of ensuring quality development in the highway commercial areas is via the adoption and enforcement of performance standards.

5. Industrial/Business Park Development:

North Liberty has significant areas of usable and highly accessible land for light industrial and business park development with services readily available to accommodate growth through the year 2000. Conceptual planning will be aimed at providing expanded zones of industrial/business park development which emphasize high quality building and site design. This concept underscores the importance of achieving a well integrated employment center and additional tax base within the City.

While emphasizing existing industrially zoned areas for new development in the near future, the community must recognize the opportunity for additional industrial areas afforded by the interstate. Flexibility therefore needs to be exercised in the cautious expansion of industrial land. Recognizing land demand and service costs related to industrial expansion is a strong consideration in the implementation of this conceptual element.


6. Agricultural Activity:

North Liberty’s largest land use is agricultural activity, due to the prevalence of prime farmlands located within the City limits as well as the extra territorial jurisdiction area. As development increases within the community, adjacent farming activities are disrupted by the urban development.

While agricultural activities in the City and surrounding area will continue well into the future, the preservation of agriculture land use not viewed as a realistic objective within the City boundaries. In this regard, future urban development should be concentrated in a manner which preserves contiguous farming activities and minimizes potential conflicts. Such a concept would reduce costs associated with development, and help maintain the economic viability of farming practices.


TRANSPORTATION

Another key physical element in the Concept Plan is transportation. Specific components include a desired compatibility between various transportation modes (i.e., automobile, rail, mass transit, pedestrian, etc.) and recognition of the roadway classification system as the network which provides the primary connection between the various geographic areas of the community and beyond.

1. Compatibility of Modes:

It is important that all of the City’s various transportation modes - automobile, mass transit, rail, bicycle, pedestrian, etc. - are able to coexist in a safe and functional manner. To ensure such a coexistence, the planning of one specific mode of travel should recognize other overlaying modes and acknowledges potential impacts upon the other transportation systems.

2. Functional Classification of Roadways:

Functional classification refers to the role each roadway should perform before determining street widths, speed limits, intersection controls or other design features. Functional classifications will be used in North Liberty’s road network as a comprehensive planning tool used to determine the number of access points which should be permitted on major roads, and the design and relationship of local roads to other county and state highway systems. The diagrams on the following page illustrates the general concept of the system.


An additional concept which should also be considered within the City’s developing transportation system is the establishment of a series of minor collector streets. Such streets typically lie within the interior of developing areas and are designed to assist in the overall functioning of traffic movements within projected development areas.

3. Pedestrian/Bicycle Trails:

At present, although there has been a significant improvement due to the City’s sidewalk program, the pedestrian walkways in North Liberty do not form a comprehensive system of pedestrian connections. However, support for additional trailways is strong, as evidenced by the community survey. A well designed trail system can serve to unify a community and enhance the City’s image and identity within the region. An effective trails system serves to link important destinations within the City and surrounding region, through the use of public right-of-way along collector and arterials, streets, and along environmentally sensitive areas such as drainageways.


COMMUNITY FACILITIES

The services and facilities provided by the public are a broad, encompassing number of items which serve to protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents plus enhance the quality of their living and working environment. Community facilities are also matters in which the City may have a very direct and immediate impact as it relates to community character and development.

To ensure a high quality of life within the City, it is imperative that adequate community facilities are provided for North Liberty residents. Such facilities typically include public utilities, parks, open space, and administrative services.

Public utilities are an important factor in regulating development patterns within the City. To discourage “leap frog” or premature development, the City should continue to require that all public utilities be in place (i.e., sanitary sewer, water, storm sewer) prior to subdivision approvals.

Government buildings and facilities, such as community centers and parks, provide necessary community amenities within the City, as well as projecting a positive community image. It is important that, as the City continues to develop, these facilities are continually improved and/or expanded to accommodate citizen need.

 

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