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LAND USE

General

Rate of Growth and Development

The rate of growth and development in North Liberty has been exceptionally fast for a City its size. Of particular importance to the community representatives and citizens responding to the survey is the direction and balance of this growth and development. It was noted by many that future growth in the City must be within service capabilities. Several of those interviewed felt that the Comprehensive Plan should provide direction for future residential, commercial, and industrial growth.

Incompatible Land Uses

The issue of incompatible land uses is a common concern within the community which requires resolution. Quite frequently, land use changes occur within small scale neighborhood areas. In some cases, there is a lack of proper transition or buffering. Consequently, land use conflicts are evident. The community survey and community workshops showed a significant concern over the mixing of housing types and land uses within neighborhoods. Community representatives have noted that specific efforts should be made to establish harmonious land use relationships in the future.

Barriers

Another issue worthy of specific attention is that of isolated development caused by physical barriers have served to segment the community into separate districts. This is particularly true with regards to Highway 965 dividing the City into an east and west half. As a result, residential, recreational and commercial areas of the City are isolated from each other. In this regard, efforts should be made to overcome this situation and avoid future isolation between developments.

Another physical barrier which restricts the potential for future development is Interstate 380. This freeway impedes urban development to the west of North Liberty by limiting access and makes the extension of utilities difficult due to expense.

Quality Versus Quantity

The general opinion of community representatives is that the standard of development should be of the highest quality in the future. This opinion was applied to virtually all types of urban development: residential, commercial, and industrial. The majority of these representatives believed the City should not rush development, but rather plan for attractive, appropriate activities which enhance the City’s image. The belief was reinforced by the results of the survey which showed that the majority of survey respondents were concerned with the rate of growth within the City and felt that the City was very permissive toward controlling growth and development.

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