2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Spencer, Iowa  2017  Comprehensive Plan

The City of Spencer addresses street and infrastructure maintenance on an annual basis to improve the transportation efficiency and street conditions in the community. Surprising to many is the amount of land within the community that is consumed by transportation uses. Transportation land uses in Spencer including the entire road right-of-way, not just street paving, in addition to railroad rights-of-way accounts for nearly 802 acres of land, representing 11.2% of the total land area within the city limits. Only street and railroad right-of-ways were used in calculating the transportation land use acreage. Other city utilities and infrastructure such as lift stations, electrical substations, water plant, sewer treatment plant, etc. are calculated as part of the public & civic land use category. Spencer generally has adequate to good infrastructure and a reliable transportation system in place. OBJECTIVE 8. Provide for the safe, orderly and efficient movement of people, goods and services throughout the city through all modes of transportation; and support continued transportation and infrastructure development while minimizing impact of the city’s transportation system on the environment and community. Establish and maintain a viable system of arterial, collector and local streets. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS in support of transportation and utility land uses include: Policy 8.a. – The city’s transportation system should be designed to accommodate future growth and designed to be aesthetically pleasing and landscaped to beautify, identify and unify land use areas with a desirable pattern of transportation access . Policy 8.b. – Continue with maintenance to the city’s streets, transportation systems, utilities and infrastructure. Policy 8.c. – Support and continue efforts to achieve EPA compliance with the city’s efforts to separate stormwater and sanitary sewer systems through the Spencer Combined Sewer Initiative program. The city shall strive to avoid continued discharges of untreated waste water. Policy 8.d. – Continue efforts to strengthen and improve sidewalks throughout the community. This may be accomplished through ongoing participation and support of the Safe Routes to School program, in addition to continuing allocations to the Spencer Sidewalk Program in which qualifying property owners can receive the cost of concrete for new or repaired sidewalks to be installed. The property owner simply has to pay for the labor costs. Policy 8.e. – Continue promoting and make efforts to initiate more “green” development and initiatives within the community. This includes environmentally friendly solutions for city and private businesses (e.g. rain gardens, retention basins, bioswales, permeable pavement, etc.) Policy 8.f – Encourage low impact development and best practices for stormwater management in the community to protect the sensitive natural resource and floodplain areas. Policy 8.g. - A good transportation system is vital to the overall growth of a community. Continued paving of deteriorated or unpaved streets is recommended. Policy 8.h. – All city utilities and infrastructure to be constructed in new subdivisions should be made in accordance with policies stated in the city’s subdivision regulations. Policy 8.i. – Leap frog development should generally be discouraged and developments beyond the urban fringe of the community shall be responsible for development expenses due to the

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NW Iowa Planning & Development