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Home>Economic
Development>Comprehensive Plan Update>Meeting
Results: Aug. 2, 2004
North Liberty Comprehensive
Plan Update
Town Meeting Results
August 2, 2004
The crucial element in any plan is ensuring that
the wishes and hopes the residents hold for their community is represented in
the content of the plan. If the plan does not accurately reflect the needs and
desires of area residents, it will have little value.
This town meeting was an interactive planning session with nearly fifteen
residents taking part to identify a future vision for the area. The session
involved two small groups (7-8 people per group) identifying and prioritizing
positive qualities that need to be maintained, as well as future concerns of the
city that need to be addressed. This exercise was held at the beginning of the
process for two reasons:
• The critical elements for the future vision are identified
early in the process ensuring that appropriate problem identification occurs at
the very beginning;
• Public participation is crucial for creating an effective
and appropriate plan. By having a town meeting at the beginning of the process,
every resident has an opportunity to direct a future vision for the planning
area.
Each member of each small group individually identified his or her positive
qualities and future concerns on a 3x5 note card. Then, within each group, all
members listed those qualities and concerns on a large sheet of paper (many
replies were similar between group members and were condensed into a single
quality or concern). At that point, each participant awarded points to
prioritize the composite small group list of qualities and concerns using a 3
point value system. Three points were given to their highest priority; 2 points
to the second highest priority and 1 point for their third highest priority.
Totals were then added up to establish an overall prioritized listing for each
small group’s qualities and concerns.
Group #1:
| Positive Qualities to be
Maintained |
Points |
| Small business orientation |
7 |
| Good recreational opportunities
for all ages |
6 |
| Well-developed infrastructure |
6 |
| Safety |
5 |
| Proximity to larger metro areas |
4 |
| Content population |
3 |
| Housing diversity |
3 |
| Amount of free area to develop |
1 |
| Increasing property values |
1 |
| Nice neighborhoods |
|
| Small town atmosphere |
|
Group #1:
| Future Challenges/Concerns to
be Addressed |
Points |
| Adequacy of transportation
system including public transportation |
9 |
| Increasing demands on public
safety |
5 |
| Lack of east-west throughways |
4 |
| Lack of visual appeal and décor
(lack of interesting architecture) |
3 |
| Limited industrial areas |
3 |
| Growing too fast |
2 |
| Mixing uses |
2 |
| Providing sewer and other
infrastructure |
2 |
| Consistency in planning and
zoning decisions |
1 |
| Developing outlying areas before
areas closer in |
1 |
| Distance to and lack of middle
and high schools |
1 |
| Lack of larger businesses
(employment and tax base) |
1 |
| Too many multi-family homes |
1 |
| Taxes |
1 |
| Adequate access to new
subdivisions |
|
| Coordinated planning with
neighboring communities |
|
Group #2:
| Positive
Qualities to be Maintained |
Points |
| Business friendly |
13 |
| Public facilities
(community center, recreational facilities/parks) |
11 |
| Environmental
awareness |
9 |
| Housing (appearance,
availability, affordable, rentals) |
4 |
| Access to services |
3 |
| Fire department |
2 |
| Small town community
appearance |
2 |
| Location and access
to Iowa City/Cedar Rapids |
1 |
| Topography |
1 |
| Youthful |
|
Group #2:
| Future Challenges/Concerns to
be Addressed |
Points |
| Transportation (traffic flow,
road planning, speed limits, safety on 965/Scales Bend |
9 |
| Sustainable growth (maintain
city services, community food system) |
7 |
| Competition from Coralville
(more industry, diverse tax base) |
6 |
| Expansion of recreational
trails/park use (dog park) |
6 |
| School district (ICCSD and Clear
Creek High School) |
4 |
| Pedestrian access/bicycle and
trail access |
3 |
| Local workforce base |
2 |
| Options for residents to use
local businesses and services |
2 |
| Preserving agricultural and farm
land |
2 |
| Public participation in
community |
2 |
| High end and affordable housing |
1 |
| Senior services |
1 |
| Appearance of 965/Penn |
|
| Differentiate North Liberty from
other communities |
|
| Downtown/town center area:
Cherry Street |
|
| Police density |
|
The following contains a composite of all the
group’s prioritized positive qualities and future concerns. Many of the positive
qualities and future concerns were condensed into an over-all quality or concern
that were deemed equal. This was based on ECICOG staff’s interpretation and,
while reflective of the overall priorities, may or may not reflect the
individual priorities of the citizens present.
Positive Qualities to be Maintained Points
| Business friendly (small
business oriented) |
21 |
| Access to services and quality
public facilities (community center, recreational facilities for all ages,
parks) |
20 |
| Environmental awareness |
9 |
| Housing diversity (appearance,
availability, affordable, rentals) |
7 |
| Well developed infrastructure |
6 |
| Proximity to larger metro areas
(Iowa City/Cedar Rapids) |
5 |
| Safe |
5 |
| Content populations |
3 |
| Fire department |
2 |
| Small town atmosphere |
2 |
| Amount of free areas to develop |
1 |
| Increasing property values |
1 |
| Topography |
1 |
| Nice neighborhoods |
|
| Youthful |
|
Future Concerns/Challenges to be Addressed
Points
| Adequacy of transportation
system (traffic flow, road planning, speed limits, public transportation,
safety, lack of east-west throughways, adequate access to new subdivisions) |
22 |
| Sustainable growth (maintain
city services, increasing demands on public safety, providing sewer and
other infrastructure, growing too fast) |
16 |
| Lack of larger businesses for
employment and tax base (limited industrial areas, options for residents to
use local business and services, maintaining the local workforce base) |
14 |
| Expansion of recreational
opportunities and park use (including dog park) as well as pedestrian access
and bicycle and trail access |
9 |
| Distance to and lack of middle
and high schools |
5 |
| Lack of visual appeal and décor
(appearance of 965/Penn and mixing uses) |
5 |
| Preserving agricultural and farm
land (developing outlying areas before areas closer in) |
3 |
| Housing (high end and
affordable, too many multi-family homes) |
2 |
| Public participation in the
community |
2 |
| Consistency in planning and
zoning decisions |
1 |
| Senior services |
1 |
| Taxes |
1 |
| Coordinated planning with
neighboring communities |
|
| Differentiate North Liberty from
other communities |
|
| Downtown/town center area:
Cherry Street |
|
| Police density |
|
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