Home>Economic Development>Comprehensive Plan Update>Full Text of the Comprehensive Plan>Dev. Framework: Land Use Plan

JUNE 2005

3. LAND USE PLAN

Based upon the foundation established in the Policy Plan, the Land Use Plan section provides the framework to guide and direct future community growth and improvement. The Land Use Plan is a narrative and graphic description that provides the background and rationale for land use designations as represented on the Future Land Use Map.

The Land Use Plan section is divided into two parts. The first part describes the basic concepts that will impact North Liberty’s future development. The final part describes general land use plan elements including a discussion of the overall land use map, future directions for residential, commercial and industrial development, and specific plans and programs affecting individual planning districts within the community.

In addition, the separate City Inventory provides the basis for North Liberty’s Comprehensive Plan, including discussion on the previous planning history, population and land development projections, and past land development patterns that serve as the basis for this Plan.

Land Use Plan Concepts
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, 2) the Central Commercial Area and the original Central Business District as the focal point for which the individual neighborhoods form the “community”, 3) the highway commercial center as a major tax-base providing complementary commercial uses to the Central Commercial Area, 4) the industrial park as the major supporting tax base to provide employment opportunities to area residents, 5) the preservation of contiguous farming activities from premature elimination, 6) land use transition, a method of ensuring compatibility between land uses, and 7) future growth areas, the corridors that define potential growth areas for the City.

3.1 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 outward from the existing City limits. 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 grid platting, curvilinear and even 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. The development of remaining open land should be accomplished in a manner that respects the integrity of existing neighborhoods, as new neighborhoods and other land use areas are created.

3.2 The 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 in this area should include retail and additional professional/service commercial land use.

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 the City’s overall small town feel.

3.3 Highway Commercial
Due to the high visibility and access afforded by Highway 965 and Interstate 380, land surrounding these corridors have become prime for highway commercial development. Because the areas are highly visible, area development should be of a level of quality that 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. In addition, the City should continue to use its site plan ordinance to review potential development in these areas.

3.4 Industrial and Business Park
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 2010. Conceptual planning will be aimed at providing expanded zones of industrial and business park development that 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.

3.5 Agricultural Preservation
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 may be disrupted by the encroaching urban development.

While agricultural activities in the City and surrounding area will continue well into the future, the preservation of agriculture land use within the City boundaries is not viewed as a realistic objective. Future urban development should be concentrated in a manner that 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.

However, prime farmland outside of the City boundary and established future growth areas should be protected and preserved.

3.6 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 lower 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.

3.7 Future Growth Areas
North Liberty should establish future growth corridors that define potential growth areas outside of the existing City boundaries. The corridors, as shown on the Future Land Use Map and in the Planning Districts portion of the plan, can be generally described as where development outside of the City limits should be directed. This land can also be called Urban Service Areas or areas that define the geographical limit of government-supplied public facilities and services.

The future growth areas of the City should include land that is easily serviceable with public facilities and transportation infrastructure and is best suited for development. Growth areas should not contain land defined as environmentally sensitive or prime farmland.

Generally, future annexation should be limited to land within the future growth area.

General Land Use Plan Elements
The Land Use Plan takes projected growth rates, land absorption, and applicable City policies and formulates a description of desirable locations for future land uses. The plan maps, when used in conjunction with land use narrative and ordinances, provide a description of future land uses within the community and the extra-territorial jurisdiction area. The residential densities that are proposed within the Land Use Plan represent density (number of dwelling units per acre) as opposed to actual housing types.

The Future Land Use Map should serve as a graphic guide in assessing development requests and how they affect or relate to the desired land use in the community. The graphics are emphasized to be general in nature. No hard and fast delineation of borders between use types is typically intended. The maps are conceptual presentations that are to serve as a guide. Specific development proposals and related land use decisions, while generally directed by the Future Land Use Map, are to be based primarily upon the goals and policies established as part of the Policy Plan chapter.

In the sections that follow, the specific land use categories of rural, residential, commercial, and industrial land are described. To aid in the detailed analysis of land use, North Liberty and its extra-territorial jurisdiction area have been divided into six planning districts. The narrative description of existing and proposed uses and specific goals within the planning districts are presented in the last portion of the Development Framework.

Rural and Agricultural Uses
The overwhelming prevalence of farmland and the projected urban land absorptions suggest that agriculture will continue to be an important land use throughout the region. As such, an important aspect of the Comprehensive Plan is avoiding premature or “sprawling” development through the concentration and staging of urban growth. Concentrating urban activities and focusing on infill development will aid in preserving contiguous farming operations. This will result in minimizing land use conflicts and maintaining the economic viability of farming operations. At the same time, urban sprawl may be avoided and utility services may be extended in a manner that is economically feasible.

Guidelines for determining what types of land would qualify as premature for development and undesirable for urban infrastructure are as follows:

1. Lack of adequate stormwater drainage capacity.

2. Lack of an adequate or safe water supply.

3. Lack of adequate access, roads or highways to serve the subdivision or development.

4. Lack of adequate sewage disposal facilities.

5. Lack of adequate public support facilities (i.e., parks and recreation, police and fire protection, etc.).

6. Development that is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

7. Development that is inconsistent with environmental protection policies.

Another effort to protect agricultural uses is limited residential development rights within agricultural zoning districts. Residential development should be limited to one dwelling unit per 40 acres in agricultural zoned areas if clustered development is allowed. A deed restriction should be placed over parcels that have exercised these division rights. This will ensure that further development will not take place on the property unless it is rezoned. Up-to-date on-site sewage system regulations should also be applied to ensure septic systems function properly.

Residential Uses
The Policy Plan promotes the development of a diversified housing stock that is affordable to a wide range of incomes. The plan also establishes guidelines to protect residential neighborhoods from encroachment or intrusion of incompatible, higher intensity uses through the use of buffers and appropriate land use transitions. In order to facilitate this differentiation in use intensities, the Land Use Plan divides residential development by density, as opposed to housing type. The Zoning Ordinance should address housing types within each area. Low-density residential represents zero to four dwelling units per acre, medium density represents four to eight dwelling units per acre, and high density residential represents eight or more dwelling units per acre. This categorization addresses the concentration of development and its impact on the transportation system and community facilities.

This density, as contrasted to a housing type approach of the Land Use Plan, is intended to allow the City flexibility in the planning and development of residential areas. In locations where a transition from non-residential to residential use takes place, the opportunity exists to utilize a variety of housing types and designs to accomplish harmonious land use. The plan’s guiding criteria of density is to be applied over a broad area, which may result in higher densities in the area of immediate land use change to lower densities in other parts of a development area. As such, the “average” density is the determining factor.

Of primary importance is to ensure that the future growth of the City represents a logical extension of the existing urban area. New development should occur as infill between existing areas of development, or in a contiguous outwardly radiating fashion. This results in a concentrated development pattern that can be economically and efficiently serviced with municipal utilities. Such development should also be limited and phased to properly respond to the conditions of the local real estate market.

Residential Uses: Low Density Residential
Residential uses are the City’s most predominant urban land use, taking up approximately 30 percent of the total land are in the City. Low-density, single-family residential land uses take up an estimated 2 percent of North Liberty’s total land area.

The older single-family residential area is concentrated within what is referred to as the “original” town. The balance of the residential development in the City has developed in a more sporadic development pattern, with residential land being interspersed within agricultural and vacant lands.

Generally, immediate attention should be paid to infilling existing vacant areas and sites between established neighborhoods. This may include the rehabilitation, and perhaps redevelopment, of selected sites that are poorly maintained and present health hazards, or which offer an incompatible transition of land uses.

Residential Uses: Medium Density Residential
Medium-density dwelling units, defined as four to seven dwelling units per acre, account for approximately 16 percent of North Liberty’s total land area. This development consists of duplexes and single-family attached homes (zero lot line units) scattered throughout the City. There is also one medium-density planned area development for elderly housing within the City and two mobile home parks.

North Liberty’s medium density development offers affordable housing to residents of the City, and in particular, for the City’s young population. Many of these medium- density units are available for rental in addition to ownership.

Medium density development may provide another important function as a transitional land use between low-density residential areas and commercial and industrial land use areas. Medium density residential, particularly two-family dwellings, townhomes, and small apartments is a land use, which with proper site development, such as agricultural compatibility, landscaping, and open space, may be placed adjacent to single-family residential areas to produce the desired transition sequence.

Existing medium-density housing, however, has not been developed in this fashion. These units are frequently interspersed within single-family subdivisions, or are concentrated along cul-de-sacs in residential neighborhoods. This raises concerns with compatibility standards and traffic levels. Such issues must be fully considered in the future siting of medium-density housing.

Residential Uses: High-Density Residential
High-density residential development, defined as eight or more dwelling units per acre, consumes approximately 14 percent of North Liberty’s total land area. These developments are scattered throughout the City, with the greatest concentration being located just west of Highway 965 along Sugar Creek Lane. The condominium apartments adjacent to the Quail Creek Golf Course are the single largest high-density development in the City.
High-density residential uses should typically be located in close proximity to the Central Commercial Area or other commercial areas to take full advantage of the services provided in these areas. In addition, high-density housing developments help provide the needed customer base for commercial land uses.

Although generally near commercial areas within the City, concerns over the location of recent high-density developments were repeatedly expressed in the public comments. Some of these developments have been located near or within single-family neighborhoods, raising concerns with land use compatibility, building height and size compatibility as well as concerns regarding traffic levels. The City should carefully locate these areas and with proper transition from other residential land uses, review the district provisions and performance standards for high-density residential development.

Future considerations should also be given to promoting additional elderly housing within the City. Although less than 5 percent of the City’s population in 2000 was 65 years of age or older, elderly housing should be a priority in the future due to the large number of current residents between the age of 35 and 55. North Liberty should encourage multiple-family elderly housing in appropriate locations designated for high-density residential use. These locations should be afforded convenient access and should be in close proximity to commercial areas in order to conveniently serve elderly residents.

Commercial Uses
Existing commercial development presently accounts for 15 percent of the City’s total land use. This percentage is up considerably over the last 10 years. These retail and service facilities are scattered throughout the City with the greatest concentrations being located along Penn Street, along Highway 965, the historic CBD, and on the southeast corner of the Dubuque Street and Zeller Street intersection.

Commercial Uses: Central Commercial Area
Community representatives and the public have identified a fundamental goal of preserving and enhancing the Town Center Area. In order to accomplish this goal, the City has developed a Central Commercial Area. This area is located near the intersection of Highway 965 and Penn Street. The development of the Cherry Street Center area includes professional services and banking, as well as a community center. The plan for the area will also incorporate the original CBD via the extension of streetscape elements and a pedestrian connection down Cherry Street.

It is anticipated that continued development along west Cherry Street and the Penn Street/Highway 965 intersection will continue to focus on professional and specialty services as well as government facilities.

While a service focus, as opposed to a retail focus, may be more appropriate for the Central Commercial Area along Cherry Street, the western portion of the proposed Central Commercial Area will benefit from Highway 965 and the intersection of Penn Street. As such, retail establishments may be able to successfully compete in this location.

The Central Commercial Area has been developed and will continue to be developed, in part, to provide a focal point for the community and to preserve North Liberty’s “small city” character. The City’s plans for the original CBD and its connection to the Central Commercial Area reinforces these goals. The plans feature landscaping enhancements, a pedestrian walkway and streetscape elements that would be utilized down Cherry Street, connecting to the Town Center Area. This area located at the intersection of Cherry Street, Dubuque Street and Front Street would be redeveloped as a pedestrian/community oriented space. Plans for the area include establishing safe intersections, public open space and meeting areas, and limited commercial development with the goal of preserving the character of the area.

Commercial Uses: Central Commercial Area Building and Design Guidelines
Building design guidelines are included here to assist in the redevelopment direction of existing structures, as well as the design and construction of new buildings. The objective is to promote high quality design and architecture that helps create the atmosphere that will unify the Central Commercial Area. It should not be construed, however, as an attempt to make everything look the same. The structures in the City reflect varying architectural periods and styles that create an attractive diversity in North Liberty’s built environment. The following is a list of guidelines that the City should consider as policy directives in its Central Business District planning:

1. Existing buildings should be renovated or rehabilitated wherever possible. Demolition should be used as a last resort in redevelopment efforts.

2. Building materials on new construction should be sensitive to the existing architecture. Utilize the site plan ordinance to ensure compatibility.

3. The City should initiate an architectural design and review advisory board for Central Commercial Area buildings.

4. Canopies and awnings should reflect the architectural style of the buildings.

5. Attention should be paid to window and door openings. Openings provide one of the greatest opportunities for design variation and emphasis.

Commercial Uses: Highway 965 Corridor
With continued residential growth in North Liberty, the need for retail goods and services will increase. North Liberty should plan to utilize its location along Highway 965 to establish an attractive and concentrated retail service and office commercial area.

The City should avoid strip development, or development that consists of small commercial buildings. Rather, the City should promote commercial development in designated centers and commercial “nodes” that not only offer higher efficiency in land use and development, but also offer a higher level of aesthetics.

Access and safety are major issues related to commercial development along Highway 965. Although there are access restrictions on the highway, there are concerns with the number of access points that already exist. In order to allow continued commercial development along the highway, while minimizing access points, a commercial use access road system should be developed to service adjacent development.

With the highway also acting as the “gateway” to the City, it is important that commercial development in this area maintain high standards of quality. Future highway commercial development should feature unified building standards, attractive comprehensive landscape and beautification plans for the corridor, and controlled parking, loading and street service. The City should consider improvements in the proposed commercial area to minimize confusion and numerous access points into and out of the area that would become a cause of traffic problems. The City should plan now to allow for the market potential and implement commercial land use policies and guidelines as the future market warrants.

The following is a list of standards that the City should consider when promoting a cohesive and integrated highway commercial center.

1. Exterior materials should be of a similar quality finish on all sides of the building.

2. All buildings should be served by underground electric and telephone distribution facilities.

3. Outside storage should be fully screened from public rights-of-way and residential zones.

4. Transformers, vaults, or similar switching transmission devices should be screened from public view. Rooftop or ground mounted mechanical equipment should be screened.

5. Lighting and landscaping plans for all developments in North Liberty should be approved by the City prior to issuance of a building permit.

6. City ordinances for parking and signage should be strictly adhered to.

7. Integrate building and site design to accent any natural features of the site (such as floodplains or wooded areas).

8. Vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic should be accommodated.

Commercial development that is anticipated along Highway 965 should reflect these quality standards. The City should insist on a quality highway commercial development that is compatible with nearby residential area. Hours of operation should be considered and established to help the center coexist peacefully with adjacent residential neighborhoods. Landscaping should be to the maximum standards required for commercial areas, and quality screening techniques should be used to reduce possible negative impacts on existing and future adjacent residential development.

Commercial Uses: Interstate 380 Interchange
As growth continues in the North Liberty region, the demand for retail commercial development will increase. The gradual increase in demand, coupled with the gradual extension of utilities into the area, will determine the appropriate time of development as well as the appropriate type and amount of commercial uses.

The City should continue the planning process for an additional interchange at the intersection of I-380 and Forevergreen Road. Forevergreen Road has been identified as a collector roadway that is 2 miles south of the Penn Street interchange and is 2 miles from the I-380/I-80 interchange. The land use plan should reflect land uses that are appropriate for this future intersection. Uses, as shown on the Future Land Use Map, could include highway commercial and adequately transitioned residential uses.

Industrial
Currently, North Liberty has seen only light industrial development uses. These uses include light manufacturing and processing, lumber yards, research and development, warehousing, mini-storage, and transport operations. Industrial use constitutes 14 percent of the City’s land use.

A consensus among City officials is that industrial use locations should be predetermined based on site suitability. Many areas have already been zoned industrial and have services readily available to accommodate growth through the year 2010. Industrial development should be promoted and accommodated, to the extent possible, within the boundaries of these existing industrially zoned areas.

The City, however, needs to be flexible in this approach as the primary objective is to achieve enhanced economic development status for the community. Situations may arise where presently zoned land is not available for sale or is not suited for a proposed new use. In such cases, the City should consider the opportunity for additional industrial areas afforded by the interstate. Such development would be contingent on future demand, and the extension of urban services.

The Future Land Use Map identifies the eventual phasing out or redevelopment of spot industrial properties located within the City’s central growth area. This will minimize compatibility concerns and allow for more appropriate uses in these locations.
For both existing and new industrial development, regulations should be developed and maintained with criteria regarding: building appearance and materials; screening of outside storage areas; screening of off-street parking facilities; use of landscaping; and proper handling of environmentally sensitive areas.

Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction Area
The area surrounding North Liberty is governed by the Johnson County Rural Land Use Plan and Unified Development Ordinance. However, pursuant to Iowa state law, the City of North Liberty may extend its platting and subdivision controls two miles beyond its borders. The City has review authority and the right to require development in this area to meet City requirements and specifications. In addition, North Liberty and Johnson County are working towards completing a fringe-area agreement in which the City and County work together in the establishment of zoning and design standards, growth areas, and an overall land use map. This opportunity allows the City to monitor and regulate development outside the City that could impact land uses and services within North Liberty and which, at some point in the future, may be incorporated into the City.

As identified within the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Ordinance, significant amounts of environmentally sensitive areas are located within the extra territorial jurisdiction area. The western areas are characterized with a predominance of prime farmlands, while the river corridor is characterized by steep slopes, vegetation, and valuable water resources. Therefore, development within the jurisdiction area should be carefully reviewed by the City and County to ensure that these issues are adequately addressed in accordance with strategies outlined in this Plan and any future agreement between the City and County. As shown on the Future Land Use Map and in the Planning Districts section, the City has established a future growth area within the extra-territorial jurisdiction area. This area will be the primary extra-territorial growth area for the City. Future annexation should generally be limited to this area.

It is essential that the City scrutinize development proposals in the extra-territorial area to ensure they represent a logical staging of growth in order to preserve farmlands and minimize service costs. Furthermore, areas immediately adjacent to North Liberty’s corporate borders should not be allowed to develop unless the property is located in the Future Growth Area and annexed by the City and utilities are extended. The guidelines for determining premature development, as outlined previously within this Comprehensive Plan, should be considered in reviewing these development proposals. Any development that does occur within the extra-territorial jurisdiction area should be subject to all design and performance standards required for similar development within the City limits.

Development requests for land uses outside of the Future Growth Area are discouraged and must be carefully reviewed by the City to ensure the long-range goals and objectives of North Liberty are being met. Although this Plan does not promote additional development outside of the Future Growth Area, any development that is approved should be subject to all design and performance standards identified previously in this Plan.

Development Regulations
Implementation of the Proposed Land Use Plan will be primarily accomplished through the City’s development regulations, especially the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances. If the current city development regulations are found to be lacking, out of date, or at odds with the policy recommendations of this Plan, implementing revisions or amendments to them should be undertaken to ensure the City has the level of control it desires in these matters.
 

Source: East Central Iowa Council of Governments, City of North Liberty

 
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