Melcher-Dallas

Melcher-Dallas 2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Photo courtesy of MPO staff. City of Melcher-Dallas, Iowa JANUARY 2018 Melcher-Dallas Plan 126 This page left intentionally blank Melcher-Dallas Plan 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….. 6 CHAPTER TWO: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND PLAN ADOPTION……………………………………………………….. 8 CHAPTER THREE: BACKGROUND AND CURRENT CONDITIONS………………………………………..…………….... 11 CHAPTER FOUR: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT…………………………………………………………………….…..………... 23 CHAPTER FIVE: HOUSING……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..…….. 48 CHAPTER SIX: COMMUNITY CHARACTER AND QUALITY OF LIFE……………………………………………..……….. 59 CHAPTER SEVEN: TRANSPORTATION……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 67 CHAPTER EIGHT: COMMUNITY FACILITIES……………………………………………………………………………………….. 83 CHAPTER NINE: LAND USE, AGRICULTURE, & RESOURCE PROTECTION AND HAZARDS……………………. 96 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………….. 111 Melcher-Dallas Plan 2 Executive Summary Dear Residents, We, the Des Moines Area MPO, are pleased to introduce the City of Melcher-Dallas’ Comprehensive Plan to the residents and community partners. This plan is the culmination of an 18-month-long planning process that engaged the community in a conversation to help identify community values and priorities, create a vision of the future, and establish a set of goals, objectives, and recommendations intended to achieve the vision and protect the assets of our community. Throughout the planning process it was abundantly clear the residents and business community sought to improve the housing stock, entice economic development, expand and maintain public infrastructure, while keeping the community’s character, high quality of life, and natural resources wholly intact. This plan highlights resources and presents a framework that will guide decision-making in the future. And while this plan makes tremendous progress in establishing Melcher-Dallas’ policy and future direction, it calls for additional work to create the organizational and governing tools for implementing city policies and achieving the community vision. A summary of these pieces can be found in a simple matrix on the following pages, with more extensive discussions of existing conditions, resources, and more found in the following individual chapters. This plan represents a true team effort. City staff, residents, and business owners were integral in guiding this process from start to finish, and we here at the MPO thank you for volunteering your time and providing insight. This plan would not have been possible without your efforts, and will indeed be an important tool for the city. If implemented, it will achieve the community’s vision well into the future. Best Regards, The MPO Planning Team Melcher-Dallas Plan 3 Overall Goal: To provide the best quality of life by preserving the small town atmosphere, providing ample recreational opportunities, recognizing Melcher-Dallas’ past, and pursuing responsible growth opportunities within the constraints of a fiscally accountable government. Area Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4 Goal 5 Goal 6 Economic Collaborate with other Promote Encourage more Develop specific Promote business Keep Development organizations both employment people in the 25- commercial and development in areas investments (Chapter 4) inside and outside of opportunities 34 age cohort to industrial areas with infrastructure within Melcher-Dallas to within Melcher- stay and re- including downtown, and other amenities Melcher- become more active in Dallas that are full- locate to the Main Street/S45 already in place or Dallas time and have the region and the Des Melcher-Dallas in corridor, and other that are feasible and whenever higher than Moines metropolitan average wages. order to improve future identified cost effective to possible area. the local areas. install. economy. Housing Provide ample living Promote Melcher- Increase the Develop an (Chapter 5) opportunities within the Dallas to quality of the ordinance to address city on suitable land for developers and housing stock. rental property all residential dwellings. builders. maintenance issues. Community Continue to promote Promote a quality Continue to Character & the current small town of life that is preserve the Quality of Life atmosphere and representative of a historic locations (Chapter 6) available amenities for larger community. in and community Melcher-Dallas. makeup of Melcher-Dallas. Transportation Begin budgeting for Upgrade and Ensure that the Promote biking and Ensure that the (Chapter 7) infrastructure expand public transportation other alternative stormwater, sanitary expenditures using a infrastructure and network modes of sewer, and water Capital Improvements facilities as maintains transportation for systems in Melcher- Plan (CIP) planning needed to meet adequate citizens. Dallas are adequate process the needs of the connectivity and for current and future community while quality. uses. protecting vital community resources. Melcher-Dallas Plan 4 Community Create additional Make information Improve Group city services Facilities & neighborhood and about the park collaboration within the same area Parks community park space system and between the city when possible. Build (Chapter 8) in areas that could be community and other a new City Hall served and have facilities more entities. building that meets adequate pedestrian readily available. the city’s needs. access. Land Use, Implement simple and Provide adequate Mitigate identified Agriculture, & effective land use land options for all hazards in the Resource policies that discourage types of Marion County Protection and unwanted effects upon development that Hazard Mitigation Hazards sensitive land uses. conform to the Plan. (Chapter 9) natural landscape, promote compact and contiguous development, and ensure that sensitive areas are protected from potential harm. Melcher-Dallas Plan 5 Chapter 1 – Introduction In May of 2016, the City of Melcher-Dallas authorized the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to guide the City in undertaking and completing a comprehensive planning process, the direct result of which would be a comprehensive plan for the community. It was made clear early on that the City of Melcher-Dallas wanted this document to: • Guide current and future policymakers when making land use decisions; • Provide a framework for other policy documents and plans to be incorporated into a unifying set of goals, objectives, and policies; • Ensure that the community’s vision is an important part of the city’s decision- making process and includes a thorough and inclusive public participation process; and • Promote the city to developers, businesses, and people to kick-start growth of the community. Previous Efforts In 1991 a Citizens’ Task Force, Melcher-Dallas Community Betterment Organization, and Marion County Extension Service implemented an opinion survey and received information from 259 households in an effort to identify issues and priorities within the community. While this survey is from over 26 years ago it was reviewed and when possible, incorporated into comprehensive plan. A copy of the survey results can be found in the Appendix. Purpose of Planning Planning provides a coordinated effort amongst community and government officials to direct change and growth within a defined area. Through planning, a community can save money to pay for roads, water lines, and other city services in areas where growth is planned. On a less noticeable level, planning affords a city or town a way to create a vision of what the community wants to be in the future and helps identify ways to achieve the desired goal. However, without a dedicated effort to identify and prioritize goals, objectives, and policies, achieving the future vision will be all but impossible. A Blueprint for the Future It was identified early in the planning process that this plan’s purpose is to make the community a better place. Therefore, the overall unifying vision and goal of this plan is “To provide the best quality of life by preserving the small town atmosphere, providing ample recreational opportunities, recognizing Melcher-Dallas’ past, and pursuing responsible growth opportunities within the constraints of a fiscally accountable government.” This is a very broad statement, so to more narrowly define what goals and objectives Melcher-Dallas should adopt, every major aspect of the plan has its own vision and Melcher-Dallas Plan 6 goals, all of which support the central unifying theme of making Melcher-Dallas a better place. Smart Planning According to the Code of Iowa, Chapter 414.3 – “Regulations shall be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan and designed to preserve the availability of agricultural land; to consider the protection of soil from wind and water erosion; to encourage efficient urban development patterns; to lessen congestion in the street; to secure safety from fire, flood, panic, and other dangers; to promote health and the general welfare; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population; to promote the conservation of energy resources; to promote reasonable access to solar energy; and to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks, and other public requirements.” In all, the comprehensive plan must be used when city regulations are created. In particular,

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