THE OTTUMWA PLAN A Comprehensive Plan for the Future of Ottumwa, Iowa Prepared by RDG Crose Gardner Shukert with the Citizens of Ottumwa September, 2001 The Ottumwa Plan Mayor Dale M. Uehling City Council Ted Buttel Darlene Peta Curtis Chrystal Larry Roush* Frank Flanders Ken Williams* Frank Fisher *former council members The authors gratefully Planning Commission acknowledge the friendship, support, and commitment of the Ken Allender Robert McCall citizens of Ottumwa. We dedicate Mary Brooks Pete Rich Don Krieger Karen Stahlhut this plan to them with best wishes Chuck Manson Robert Thomas for a great future for the community. We would like to express special gratitude to Former City Administrators Barbara Reaves and Dave Shafer Robert G. Keefe for their support, insight, and W. Alan Winders assistance; Mayor Dale Uehling for his leadership and vision of Director of Community and Economic Development Ottumwa’s future; the members of Barbara S. Reaves the Ottumwa Planning Coordinating Committee for their City Planner hours of work, matched only by Dave Shafer their supply of insight and good ideas; students of Ottumwa High School, who participated in The Ottumwa Plan Coordinating Committee defining the future of their community; and the members of Wayne Argo Martin Helgerson Barbara Reaves Ed Ball Kim Hellige Pete Rich the City Council and Planning Joann Bedner Lyle Hellyer Larry Roush and Zoning Commission. We Mary Ann Berrier Connie Holland Teresa Sammons appreciate the efforts of these Steve Black Rhea Huddleston Dave Shafer people and others, and area deeply Terry Brady Gary Johnson Steve Siegel excited about the future of this Ted Buttel Mary Johnson Jo Stewart historic community. Rick Callen Bob Keefe Michelle Sipe Tom Campbell Carolee Kern Kurt Stevens Steve Campbell Larry Kinsinger Dan Stroda Randy Carlson Kermit Knott Dan Thompson Gene Carlson Dave Kraemer Bob Thomson Kevin Carroll Charles Manson Betty Thomson Curtis Chrystal Dennis Massey Sandi Tiegs Nile Cook Mike McGrory Dale Uehling Doug Drummey Brady Meldrem Rich Wallace Bob Dvork Jane Mild Pam Ward Bill Fashing Roger Miller Don Waren Philip K. Ferren Patricia Moffatt Steve Weiss Frank Fisher Irene Munoz Sheila Welker Frank Flanders Carol Myers Ken Williams Ellen Foudree Mike Neary Liz Winston Jody Gates Russell Newquist Maggie Woerner Mary Gee Al Orsborn Chad Wolbers Denny Glattfelder Jerry Parker Clark Yaegar Chuck Greene Allen Pelvit Teamsters Local Union No. 147 Al Hansen Bill Perry Mike Heffernan Darlene Peta Table of Contents The Plan for Ottumwa: Introduction 1 Roles of a Comprehensive Plan 2 The Comprehensive Plan: Approach and Format 3 Chapter One: A Profile of Ottumwa 5 Demographic and Economic Characteristics 6 Population Projections 9 Employment 10 Chapter Two: A City of a New Century 13 Development and Townbuilding Patterns 14 Challenges 17 Development Principles for Ottumwa 21 Chapter Three: Growth and Land Use 29 Goals 30 Existing Land Use 31 Land Use Projections 36 Land Use Plan 40 Maps: Existing Land Use Map (following page 31) Development Concept Map (following page 54) Future Land Use Map (following page 54) Chapter Four: A Balanced Transportation System 55 Goals 56 The Structure of the Street Network 57 Traffic Volumes and System Performance 59 Traffic Volumes and Capacity Analysis 60 Other Transportation Modes 62 Conclusions 63 Transportation Plan 64 Maps: Street Classification (following page 57) Transportation Plan Map (end of chapter) Table of Contents Chapter Five: A Recreation Lifestyle 71 Goals 72 Parks and Recreation Facility Analysis 73 Park Development Plan 80 Maps: Public Facilities Map (following 78) Parks and Trails Map (following 84) Chapter Six: Quality Public Services 85 Goals 86 Public Facilities 86 Infrastructure 89 Public Facilities Inventory Tables 92 Maps: Water Distribution Map (following 106) Sewer Map (following page 111) Chapter Seven: Vital City Center 119 Goals 120 Issues 123 Downtown Development Plan 126 Chapter Eight: Housing 136 Goals 137 Housing Characteristics in Ottumwa 139 Housing Development Needs 142 Summary 143 Housing and Development Policies 144 Maps: Housing Conditions (following page 141) Appendix 152 INTRODUCTION Introduction THE PLAN FOR OTTUMWA: CENTER HOUSING CITY PUBLIC SERVICES PARKS TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE GROWTH PROFILE CONCEPT INTRODUCTION ttumwa is a city of rich history and O unusual quality, a city of the river and railroad that can use its special features to grow and prosper in the new century. The Ottumwa Plan is designed to provide a comprehensive vision of the city’s future, based on taking community actions that will improve the lives of the city’s residents 1 Roles of a Comprehensive Plan • The completion of the 1996 Downtown Development Guide, which established downtown development as a major community priority. • The coordination of all of Ottumwa’s private-sector development groups under the umbrella of Partners In Progress, and a strong partnership between public and private sectors. • A new spirit of cooperation between the City and County in addressing development issues of common interest. • The completion of most of the Southeast Iowa and make the city uniquely Expressway, providing Ottumwa with a direct, high- attractive for potential speed road to Des Moines and Interstate 80. growth. • The beginning of major riverfront development featuring the 1992 opening of The Beach, a regional water park that is the city’s premier recreational Iowa’s cities live in a changing social and economic facility. environment. Ottumwa’s growth was based on a combination of transportation and industry, a formula • The emergence of the Quincy Avenue corridor as a that allowed the city to reach a peak of population and regional shopping center. economic strength in 1960. Dramatic changes in these traditional areas of economic strength led to a long Despite these advances, major challenges face period of population decline. In this, the city’s history Ottumwa, including: resembles that of other industrial cities in the eastern and upper midwestern parts of America. However, • The need to create the diverse, high quality jobs and during the 1990’s, Ottumwa stabilized and took entreprenuerial opportunities, need to retain young advantage of a period of significant national and local people, a priority shared by many other Iowa cities. growth. In the process, the city saw a resurgence in employment and a growth in housing development. • The need for development of the road network Ottumwa has also laid the foundations for downtown necessary to unify the city and provide better access redevelopment with the innovative First Step project; between the north and south sides of the city. begun the development process of a major new civic center, the Bridge View Center; and experienced a • The issues of aging infrastructure and housing stock substantial increase in regional retailing. The lighting within an older industrial community. of the historic Jefferson Street Bridge during the year 2000 symbolized this resurgence. Now, Ottumwa finds • The need to take advantage of the city’s unique itself with some of the attributes – a distinctive attributes and riverfront, creating a quality of life landscape, an attractive urban waterfront, good that can make Ottumwa a place to go to, as well as a transportation, distinctive housing, and strong basic place to come from. services – that can fuel additional growth in the new century. This plan is designed to respond to the new PROFILE CONCEPT GROWTH AND LAND USE TRANSPORTATION PARKS PUBLIC SERVICES CITY CENTER HOUSING CITY PUBLIC SERVICES PARKS TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE GROWTH PROFILE CONCEPT opportunities presented to the city in the 21st century. Ottumwa completed its last comprehensive plan in 1982, in a very different and perhaps less optimistic ROLES OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN environment. Today’s city represents a place mobilized to take advantage of substantial opportunities. Some This comprehensive development plan for Ottumwa of these opportunities include: has two fundamental purposes. The first provides an INTRODUCTION essential legal basis for land use regulation such as 2 Approach and Format INTRODUCTION zoning and subdivision control. Secondly, this comprehensive plan presents a unified and compelling vision for a community – derived from the aspirations of its citizens – and establishes the specific actions necessary to fulfill that vision. CENTER HOUSING CITY PUBLIC SERVICES PARKS TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE GROWTH PROFILE CONCEPT • The Legal Role Communities prepare and adopt comprehensive plans for legal purposes. Iowa State Statutes enable cities to adopt zoning and subdivision ordinances to promote the “health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community.” Land use regulations such as zoning ordinances recognize that people in a community live cooperatively and have certain responsibilities to one land use, housing, infrastructure, and transportation, another. These regulations establish rules that govern are interwoven, enabling the plan to tell the story of how land is developed within a municipality and its the city’s future development and presenting an extra-territorial jurisdiction. integrated vision of the city’s growth. However, a city may not adopt land use ordinances The eight chapters are: without first adopting a comprehensive development plan. The basis for this is the premise that land use 1. A Profile of Ottumwa decisions should not be arbitrary, but should follow an accepted and reasonable concept of how the city This chapter considers demographic and economic should grow. variables in Ottumwa, and includes forecasts of the city’s future population. The Ottumwa Plan provides the ongoing legal basis for the city’s continuing basis to regulate land use and 2. A City for a New Century development. • The Community Building Role This chapter examines the character of Ottumwa and the forces that created the city’s urban pattern. It uses Ottumwa’s comprehensive development plan has an this character to establish a vision of the future ultimately more significant role in the growth of a community and to establish development principles community. This plan establishes a picture of designed to bring about that future.