CITY OF DECORAH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN a 2012 Decorah Comprehensive Plan Page 1 D h C h i Pl P I Decorah Comprehensive Plan Page I CITY OF DECORAH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2012 Comprehensive Planning City Council Committee Don Arendt – Mayor Don Arendt John Franzen Brian Cook Steve Matter Lindsay Erdman Gary Rustad Jerry Freund Randy Schissel Ross Hadley Karen Tjossem Paul Hexom Rachel Vagts Jake Hildebrand Paul Wanless Donna Rae Ibanez John Jenkins Planning & Zoning Kirk Johnson Commission Stan Moellers Benjamin Nichols Brian Cook Janelle Palovec Ross Hadley Lynne Southeran Donna Rae Ibanez Karen Tjossem John Jenkins Kyrl Henderson Stan Moellers Rachel Vagts Benjamin Nichols Rick Zahasky Lynne Southeran Prepared for the City of Decorah By: 325 Washington Street Decorah, IA 52101 Phone: (563)-382-6171 Fax: (563)-382-6311 Decorah Comprehensive Plan Page II TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Background ........................................................................................................... 1 Public Participation ............................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Plan ................................................................................................ 2 Location ................................................................................................................ 2 History .................................................................................................................. 2 CHAPTER 1: ISSUES & OPPORTUNITIES ..................................................... 6 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 6 1.2 Community Character ............................................................................................. 8 1.3 Population Characteristics ....................................................................................... 8 Population Trends ................................................................................................. 8 Population Projections ......................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2: HOUSING ........................................................................... 11 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Existing Housing Characteristics............................................................................ 12 Occupancy Characteristics ................................................................................... 12 Housing Permits Issued........................................................................................ 14 Residential Construction ...................................................................................... 15 Home Value Characteristics ................................................................................. 16 Housing Age Characteristics ................................................................................ 17 Structural Characteristics ..................................................................................... 18 2.3 Projected Housing Characteristics .......................................................................... 19 2.4 Housing Programs ................................................................................................. 20 2.5 Affordable and Accessible Housing ........................................................................ 22 Public affordable housing ..................................................................................... 22 Residential Sales Trends ...................................................................................... 23 2. 6 Housing Summary ............................................................................................... 25 2.7 Housing Policies ................................................................................................... 25 Decorah Comprehensive Plan Page III CHAPTER 3: TRANSPORTATION .............................................................. 26 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 26 3.2 Inventory of Existing Transportation Facilities ....................................................... 26 3.3 Functional Classification System ........................................................................... 26 3.4 Traffic Volumes ..................................................................................................... 30 3.5 Streets 30 3.6 Traffic Controls ..................................................................................................... 32 Street Department ................................................................................................ 33 Duties of the Street Department ........................................................................... 33 Street Department’s Major Equipment: ................................................................ 33 3.7 Modes of Transportation ....................................................................................... 34 Railroad .............................................................................................................. 34 Air Transportation ............................................................................................... 34 Public Transportation/Mass Transit ..................................................................... 34 Private Transportation ......................................................................................... 35 Multi-Use Trails .................................................................................................. 35 3.8 Summary of Existing Transportation Plans ............................................................ 37 20 Year Regional Transportation Development Plan ............................................ 37 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) .............................................................. 37 State of Iowa Transportation Plan ........................................................................ 37 3.9 Transportation Summary ....................................................................................... 37 3.10 Transportation Policies ........................................................................................ 38 CHAPTER 4: UTILITIES & COMMUNITY FACILITIES .................................. 39 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 39 4.2 Sanitary Sewer Service .......................................................................................... 39 Waste Water Treatment Facility .......................................................................... 40 4.3 Water Supply ........................................................................................................ 43 4.4 Stormwater Management ...................................................................................... 45 Storm Sewer System ............................................................................................ 45 4.6 Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling Facilities ........................................................ 46 Solid Waste ......................................................................................................... 46 Decorah Comprehensive Plan Page IV Yard Waste Collection ......................................................................................... 46 Recycling ............................................................................................................ 46 4.7 Communication Infrastructure ............................................................................... 47 Fiber Optics ......................................................................................................... 47 4.8 Community Facilities ............................................................................................ 50 Churches ............................................................................................................. 50 Cemeteries........................................................................................................... 50 Libraries .............................................................................................................. 50 Law Enforcement ................................................................................................ 50 Fire Department .................................................................................................. 51 Hospitals ............................................................................................................. 52 Clinics ................................................................................................................. 52 Child and Senior Care Services ............................................................................ 53 City Parks ............................................................................................................ 54 Recreation ........................................................................................................... 55 County Parks ....................................................................................................... 56 State Parks 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