2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Spencer, Iowa  2017  Comprehensive Plan

OBJECTIVE 2. Alleviate conflicts or the potential for conflicts between agricultural and natural resource land uses and other land uses within the city limits of Spencer. These natural resource or conservation lands should be protected and void of future development. Conversely, undeveloped lands within platted subdivisions should be targeted for future development and productive use. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS for agricultural lands, natural resource areas and vacant land uses include: Policy 2.a. - Efforts should be made to avoid leapfrog development to the edges of the city, leaving large gaps of agricultural or vacant land sandwiched between old and new developments. Policy 2.b - In-fill development should be encouraged within the city limits whenever possible. Preservation of agricultural land within the city limits should not take such high priority that the city is forced to look outside its boundary for land to absorb future growth. Policy 2.c – Be sensitive to the operations of agricultural industries and businesses, while striving to protect the interests, property values, and quality of life of residents which may be compromised due to odors, dust, noise or other detrimental effects. Policy 2.d – Preserve and protect floodplains and other natural resource areas not suited for development. Policy 2.e - Continue participation in the NFIP and discourage building within designated floodplains. Any development within floodplain boundaries as defined by FEMA will be built in accordance with NFIP standards. POPULATION, HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL LAND USES Residential land uses, including both single family and multiple family residential, comprise the second largest amount of land area in Spencer. Single family residential housing comprises nearly 1,184 acres of land or 16.5% of all land within the city limits. Higher density residential uses, including multiple family residential housing units such as condominiums, group housing, assisted living facilities, or senior housing complexes consists of 117 acres of land or 1.6% of land in Spencer. Future residential land uses are projected to occur adjacent to existing residential developments primarily within the south, northwest and western portions of the community. There are also projected future residential areas adjacent to existing residential neighborhoods on the northeast and southeast areas within the community. To make efficient use of existing public utilities and facilities it is essential that future residential growth occur first within existing developed subdivisions in the city. This is not always practical, however, since newly platted residential subdivisions on the fringe of the community can offer highly desirable spacious building lots in comparison to typically smaller compact infill residential lots platted decades ago. Within the city limits, several residential lots are available to build upon in the western and northwest portions of the community, including the recently subdivided 54 lot Fairway Woods subdivision north of the Spencer Golf & Country Club. There are also approximately 12 remaining lots ready for development within the Deerfield 4 th and

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NW Iowa Planning & Development