2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Spencer, Iowa  2017  Comprehensive Plan

3. Concentrated police, fire, and emergency medical protection services. 4. Improved infrastructure; including adequate streets and roads which are consistent with and conform to the city’s street design standards. OBJECTIVE 9. Annexations should be considered to protect against haphazard and scattered rural growth near Spencer in addition to protections from unwarranted or potentially harmful rural development near the community. Policy Recommendations to guide future annexations and growth of the community through the use and protection of designated land use patterns include: Policy 9.a. – Protective annexations around the city’s wells, airport property, and other critical facilities may be needed and should be planned to protect such facilities from uncontrolled or encroaching development. Policy 9.b. – The city should address a lack of physical land to expand and grow its existing industrial and business parks. One possible method of addressing this issue includes using annexation to incorporate new development land within the community. Policy 9.c. – Continued rural residential development to the west, southwest, and southeast of Spencer’s current city limits should be considered for annexation to properly plan and retain uniform development standards consistent with the remainder of the city. Policy 9.d. – The city should consider the option of annexation to protect its residents, businesses, and land from unwanted or potentially harmful development that may not be complimentary to adjoining land uses within Spencer. ZONING IN SPENCER Zoning, by its very nature, divides the city into several districts or zones. Different land uses are permitted in each district. The goal of zoning is to separate those land uses that are not compatible. For example, most residents do not wish to have their house near a heavy industrial site. While both residential areas and industrial districts are important to the community, it is better to find a way to separate these otherwise incompatible land uses. Thus, zoning is a set of regulations adopted by the city to guide development. These regulations, however, do not stand alone. Zoning must be based on a comprehensive plan for the community. Zoning involves regulation of land in three areas: 1) Zoning controls how the land will be used. The use of a lot, parcel, or tract of land such as agricultural, commercial, industrial, or residential is stipulated in the zoning ordinance. 2) Zoning usually includes height, area, and minimum lot size regulations. 3) There are typically building setback regulations. The City of Spencer has adopted and enforces a municipal zoning ordinance. A good planning and zoning program helps create a dialogue about the future of the community. Citizen participation should be encouraged at every stage. While city staff seek comment on proposed planning and zoning issues, often citizens do not become engaged until an issue affects them directly. Zoning helps establish land use patterns that are logical and convenient. A good zoning ordinance, carefully administered, can help make the community more attractive. Well-planned cities invariably make a better first impression than those which are not. Zoning regulations help cities use public resources efficiently. Cities that direct growth can provide infrastructure improvements only to those

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NW Iowa Planning & Development