2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Spencer, Iowa  2017  Comprehensive Plan

▪ Protects the city’s valued resources . Planning can identify environmental features and other natural resources and suggest strategies or policies to protect and preserve those resources from destruction or degradation by development. ▪ Shapes the appearance of the community . A comprehensive plan can establish policies that create and promote a distinct sense of place. ▪ Promotes economic development . A comprehensive plan contains valuable information that can aid firms and the city’s economic development organizations in determining where to locate new businesses and industries. ▪ Provides justification for decisions . A comprehensive plan provides factual and objective basis for support of zoning and subdivision decisions, of which can be used to defend a city’s decision if challenged in court. ▪ Expresses a collective citizen vision for the future . The comprehensive planning process allows residents of the community to participate in a discussion, debate and visioning process to plan for their community. A plan developed with a proactive public participation process will enjoy a strong community support. Decisions that are consistent with the comprehensive plan’s policies are less likely to be subject to public controversy. Planning is a key element in the development of any comprehensive plan. The “planning” steps of the comprehensive plan process should include: 1. The primary stage of a planning program is research and data collection . It is from this supply of data that decisions will be based. Broad or general areas of information needed for the base inventory of data include, but not limited to population, housing, economic development, physical features, land use, transportation, public works, community facilities, parks and recreation, and natural resources. 2. Analysis of the data collected is an ongoing activity conducted at the same time the research and data collection is being pursued. Analysis involves the collection and presentation of data in written and/or graphic form to establish a complete base of existing conditions. Once this base has been established, the analysis proceeds into projection of future trends and growth. Dynamic forces are identified as well as their relative effect on the future. 3. All this input in turn will facilitate the evolvement of certain broad general goals for the planning area that aims towards which effort is to be directed. Objectives involve bringing the goals closer to reality and specifically establishing those accomplishments that are desirable and closer to realizing established goals. 4. The objectives and policy recommendations are the framework for plan preparation. The technical personnel involved in the planning effort prepare the actual comprehensive plan document. Before submission of the plan to the legal bodies concerned, it should have been studied and commented upon all the involved sectors and altered accordingly. 5. Legalization of the plan involves the plan adoption by the local legislative body. Public hearings and wide distribution of the plan should take place before formal adoption proceedings. The plan must meet with the approval of those in the planning area to function properly. 6. Implementation of the plan is not carried out by any one department or agency, but is out of necessity a combined effort of all government, private and related entities. It cannot be emphasized enough that cooperation and coordination are the keys to an effective plan implementation.

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NW Iowa Planning & Development