HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.22.2001COUNCIL WORK SESSION
October 22, 2001
4:30 p.m.
Council Chambers
Members present: Anders, Krizek, Murphy, Gronen, Getty, Berry.
Members absent: Jordan.
Moved by Berry, seconded by Murphy that the Agenda, as proposed, be approved. Ayes: Six.
Absent: Jordan. Motion carried.
Melissa Huggens, representing Vandewalle & Associates, updated the council on the Rath Area
Neighborhood Plan. The city has applied for over $10 million in grants for the Rath Area. The
Rath Area Neighborhood Plan has been a collaboration of the Howard R. Green Company,
Vandewalle & Associates and Public Involvement Unlimited, under the guidance of the Steering
Committee. These companies were commissioned to complete a health and safety plan, a
revitalization and redevelopment land use plan and to facilitate community participation and
support. The Rath Area Neighborhood is a 350 acre mixed use tract located immediately south of
Waterloo's central business district. The area is bounded on the northeast by 6th Street and
Martin Luther King Drive, by Linden Avenue and Dunham Place on the east, and the Cedar River
on the southwest. The Rath Area Neighborhood includes the following neighborhood
associations: Cedar River Neighborhood, Lane and Fowler, Northeast Side and Neighbors for
Life.
The Rath Area Neighborhood is an ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood. It has a
population of 2,413, of which approximately 37 percent are minorities. The poverty rate exceeds
45 percent. The unemployment rate approaches 15 percent. It has the highest density of
deteriorated and dilapidated housing in the city, with a housing vacancy rate of 22 percent.
The Goals of the Rath Area Neighborhood Plan are:
1. Enhance Community Image
2. Improve the Land Use Mix
3. Promote Economic Development
The Steering Committee included representatives from neighborhood associations, community
institutions, city council, city commissions and area businesses. The planning process steps
included discovery, community forums, development of neighborhood plan and implementation
strategy. The implementation strategy Looked at opportunities for the neighborhood, developed
an implementation timeline, identified key players and evaluated funding opportunities. The
Neighborhood Plan identified redevelopment sites to develop a plan for infill housing, to prepare
concepts and plan graphics and to form recommendations.
There are a number of neighborhood opportunities which will facilitate the revitalization of the
neighborhood, including proximity to downtown and the government campus, strong
neighborhood industries, neighborhood housing stock and patterns of development and
Brownsfields Initiative. The Brownsfields Initiatives improve the quality of life, create
opportunities for local and state investments and remove barriers for reinvestment.
The following infrastructure improvements are currently planned or under consideration for the
Rath Area Neighborhood:
• New 18th Street Bridge
• Cedar River Bike Path
• Proposed Improvements to the Cedar River
The Cedar River Riverfront Renaissance will create job opportunities for neighborhood residents
and will spur investment in the Rath Area Neighborhood. The long term goal of commuter rail to
Council Work Session
October 22, 2001
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the Cedar Valley will complement the current and proposed pattern of development and will
create the opportunity for additional future investment in the neighborhood.
The area is divided into the following land use districts: Franklin and Commercial District,
Employment District, Government/Institutional Expansion District, North Neighborhood Infill,
and East Neighborhood Infill.
Franklin & Commercial District is the primary commercial area to serve the needs of residents and
employees. The Employment District is light industrial business center, providing walk -to -work
opportunities for area residents. Government/Institutional Expansion District is expansion space
for existing governmental and institutional users. The Cedar River Neighborhood Infill District is
a higher density residential, pedestrian -oriented neighborhood which capitalizes on riverfront
views. The North Neighborhood Infill District includes single and multi -family housing with an
emphasis on preservation of affordability, continuing the existing new urbanism design. The East
Neighborhood Infill District is long-term transition from industrial to primarily residential,
capitalizing on infill opportunities.
Recommendations for the study area include the following categories:
• Land Use: Separate residential and industrial uses and cluster commercial and retail
uses.
• Character/Design: Create design themes which build upon the existing character of
each district.
• Redevelopment Sites: Opportunity for commercial, industrial and residential
development.
• Transportation: Establish two-way streets and facilitate pedestrian movements.
• Streetscaping and Wayfinding: Provide pedestrian linkages through streetscaping and
signage.
• Parks/Recreation/Open Space: Redevelop the abandoned rail corridor into the Rath
Parkway, develop a riverfront plaza and a community garden and rehabilitate Lafayette
Park.
• Housing Infill: Infill housing should include a variety of housing types including multi
and single family.
The identification of infill housing sites as well as recommendations regarding the type of housing,
site plan and architecture are one of the primary objectives of the neighborhood plan. Infill
housing redevelopment as the rehabilitation of existing housing will contribute significantly to the
overall revitalization of the Rath Area Neighborhood.
The implementation strategy includes identification of the following: coordination and
management, plan refinement and development and funding.
With no further business before the council, it was moved by Murphy, seconded by Gronen that
the meeting be adjourned at 5:24 p.m. Ayes: Six. Absent: Jordan. Motion carried.
Nancy Eckert
City CIerk
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