2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

First page Table of contents Next page Last page

Executive Summary	9
Chapter 1. Introduction & Planning Elements	13
Chapter 2. Spencer History	16
Places Promoting & Preserving Spencer's History	18
Historical Places in Spencer	19
Chapter 3. Planning Background & Public Input	20
Background of Comprehensive Planning in Spencer	20
Public Participation and Input	20
Spencer Targeted Planning Survey Analysis	25
Chapter 4. Physical Fetuers & Natural Resources	32
Geographic Location	32
Climate	34
Topography and Landforms	35
Soils	36
Aquifiers and Groundwater	38
Storm Water Management	38
Chapter 5. Natural Hazards & Mitigation Actions	40
Hazard Mitigation Enabling Laws and Regulations	41
Identification of Natural Hazards	41
Hazard Mitigation Risk Assessment Results	42
Hazard Mitigation Actions	43
Plan Maintenance	44
Monitoring	45
Incorporation into Existing Plans	45
Emergency Management Services	45
Floodplain Mapping	45
Chapter 6. Community Trends	47
Historic Population Trends	47
Current Population Structure	48
Future Population Projections	50
Housing Trends	52
Age of Housing	53
Housing Valuation	54
Future Housing Needs	55
Residential Building Permits	56
Occupancy Conditions	57
Multifamily Housing	58
Spencer Affordable Housing	60
Chapter 7. City Character & Public Services	61
Spencer City Hall	61
Police Department	61
Fire Department	62
Spencer Ambulance Service	62
Healthcare Services	63
Clay County Courthouse	67
Northwest Iowa Planning & Development Commission	68
Clay County Fair	68
Clay County Regional Events Center	69
Spencer Community Theatre	69
Spencer Public Library	70
Spencer Area Activity Center (SAAC)	70
Parker Historical Society	71
Religious Opportunities	71
Community Clubs & Non-Profit Service Organizations	72
Community Celebrations & Special Events	73
An Artistic Identity & Cultural Community	74
Chapter 8. Education	78
Spencer Community Schools	78
Sacred Heart Catholic School	82
Iowa Great Lakes Luthern School	82
Iowa Lakes Community College	82
Educational Attainment of Spencer Residents	83
Chapter 9. Occupational & Employment Diversity	84
Employment	84
Labor Force Trends	85
Commuting Patterns	86
Employment by Industry	86
Major Employers in Spencer	87
Occupational Employment Projections	88
Chapter 10. Economic Development Trends	89
Wages & Income Distribution	89
Retail Trade Analysis	91
Pull Factor	93
Trade Capture Area	94
Spencer Chamber of Commerce	95
Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corp (Regional Economic Development)	96
Spencer Economic Development Incentive Programs & Opportunities	98
Chapter 11. Infrastructure, Utilities & Planning	101
Spencer Infrastructure & Utilities	101
Spencer Public Works	103
Spencer Municipal Utilities (SMU)	105
Solid Waste Collection & Recycling	106
Northern Plains Regional Landfill	107
Spencer Planning & Zoning Services	108
Chapter 12. Transportation Diversity	110
Transportation & Logistics	110
Traffic Flow	110
Street Classifications	114
Spencer East & West Beltways	116
Railroad Services	117
Farm to Market Road System	117
Public Transportation Services	118
Northwest Iowa Regional Airport	118
Chapter 13. Parks & Recreation	120
Spencer City Parks	121
Spencer Neighborhood Parks	124
Nature & Wildlife Areas in & Near Spencer	126
Spencer Recreation Uses & Activities	128
Spencer Trails	132
Spencer Parks & Recreation Master Plan	134
Chapter 14. Planning Goals & Land Use Policies	136
Land Use Definitions	137
Overall Goal of the Comprehensive Plan	138
General Land Use Development Objectives	138
Land Use Characteristics & Community Growth Trends	139
Future Land Use Planning & Implementation Policies	144
Agricultural, Conservation & Undeveloped Land Uses	145
Population, Housing & Residential Land Uses	147
Commerical & Retail Land Uses	150
Industiral Land Uses & Economic Development	153
Public & Civic Land Use & Community Facilities	156
Parks & Recreation Land Uses	158
Transportation, Infrastructure & Utility Land Uses	161
Chapter 15. Additional Development Issues	164
Annexation	164
Zoning in Spencer	168
Extraterritorial Zoning & Land Use	169
Smart Growth Principals	170
Low Impact Development & Best Management Practices	172
Chapter 16. Plan Implementation	175
Strategic Plan	176
Updating Control Ordinances & Capital Improvements Planning	176
Comprehensive Plan Implementation Strategies	177
Cited References and Information Sources	179
Referenced Website Resources	180
Figures	7
Figure 1 - Map of Grand Avenue Historic Buildings	20
Figure 2 - Spencer Location Maps	33
Figure 3 - Climate Patterns for Spencer Area	34
Figure 4 - Topography Map of Iowa	35
Figure 5 - Landform Regions of Iowa	36
Figure 6 - Soil Associations Map in & around Spencer	37
Firgure 7 - Map of Dakota Aquifer in Iowa & the Jordan Aquifier in Iowa	38
Figure 8 - FEMA Floodplain Map for Spencer	46
Figure 9 - Historic Population Trends for Spencer	48
Figure 10 - Age Distribution of 2010 Population for Spencer, Clay County & Iowa	49
Figure 11 - Age Distribution Pyramid for Spencer & Clay County, 2010	49
Figure 12 - Population Projections, 2020-2050	51
Figure 13- Age of Housing for Spencer, Clay County & Iowa	53
Figure 14 - Comparative Years Housing Units Were Built	53
Figure 15 - Valutaiton of Homes, 2000, 2010 & 2013 in Spencer	54
Figure 16 - Median Housing Value	55
Figure 17 - Residential Housing Building Permits in Spencer, 2005-2014	57
Figure 19 - Spencer Community School District Map	80
Figure 20 - 2010-15 Spencer School District Enrollment & 2016-2020 Projections	81
Figure 21 - 2010-15 Comparative School District Enrollment for Spencer & Six Other Cities	81
Figure 22 - Educational Attainment of Spencer, Clay County & Iowa Residents, 2014	83
Figure 23 - Unemployment Rates for Clay County, Iowa & U.S., 2005-2016	84
Figure 24 - Labor Force Trends in Clay County, 2006-2016	166
Figure 25 - Spencer Commuting Methods	86
Figure 26 - Employment by Industrial Sector, City of Spencer	86
Figure 27 - Employment by Industrial Sector, Clay County	87
Figure 28 - Comparative MEdian Household & Family Income	90
Figure 29 - Total Taxable Retail Sales in Spencer, FY07-FY16	92
Figure 30 - Region Map showing Total Taxable Retail Sales for area cities	93
Figure 31 - Region Map showing the Pull Factor for area cities	94
Figure 32 - Map of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corp. Service Area	97
Figure 33 - Spencer TIF Districts Boundaries Map	99
Figure 34 - Spencer FY2018-2022 CIP Plan	104
Figure 35 - Regional Locaiton Map Showing Spencer's Presence in teh Midwest	110
Figure 36 - IDOT Traffic Flow Map, 2015	111
Figure 37 - IDOT Federal Functional Classification Map	115
Figure 38 - Spencer Transportation Map - East & West Beltways	116
Figure 39 - Detail from the IDOT Iowa Railroad Map, 2016	117
Figure 40 - IDOT Farm-to-Market Road Map	117
Figure 41 - Layout of the Northwest Iowa Regional Airport in Spencer	119
Figure 42 - Leach Park Campground Map	129
Figure 43 - Spencer Trails Map	133
Figure 44 - Spencer to Iowa Great Lakes Trail Connection Map, 2016	134
Figure 45 - Spencer Parks & Recreation Master Plan	135
Figure 46 - Land Use Composition for Spencer	140
Figure 47 - Land Use Composition for Developed Land in Spencer	141
Figure 48 - Smart Growth Chart	171
Tables	8
Table 1 - Hazard Rish Assessment Results	43
Table 2 - Historic Population Trends, City of Spencer	48
Table 3 - Projected Population for Spencer, 2020-2050	50
Table 4 - Spencer Housing Valuations, 2000, 2010 & 2013	54
Table 5 - Projected Housing units Needed in 2020, 2030 & 2040	56
Table 6 - 2005-2014 Residential Building Permits, New Dwelling Built & Valuation of Housing	57
Table 7 - Occupied Housing Units in Spencer, Clay Co. & Iowa	57
Table 8 - 2010-2015 Spencer Community School District Enrollments & Projected Enrollment	80
Table 9 - 2016 Clay County Unemployment Rates by Month	85
Table 10 - Spencer's Largest Employers (More then 50+ employees)	87
Table 11 - Iowa Workforce Development Region 3-4 Employment Projects	88
Table 12 - Household, Family & Per Capita Income, Spencer, Clay Co. & Iowa	89
Table 13 - Household & Family Income Comparison of Spencer & other cities	90
Table 14 - Iowa Workforce Development Wage Survey for Region 3-4	91
Table 15 - Number of Retail Firms v. Constant Sales per firm, Spencer	91
Table 16 - Retail Trade Overview for Spencer, 2010-2016	92
Table 17 - Trade Area Capture analysis for Spencer	95
Table 18 - Spencer Infrastructure & Utilities	101
Table 19 - Exisitng Land Use Composition of Spencer	140
Table 20 - Land Use Composition of Developed Land in Spencer	141
Maps	166
	166
Maps	8
Spencer Community Facilities Map	77
Spencer Parks, Trails & Recreation Map	127
Spencer Exiting Land Use Map	142
Spencer Future Land Use Map	143
Spencer Comprehensive Plan Annexation MAp	166

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