Downtown Comphrehensive Plan Process
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
November 2, 2000
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Downtown Planning
The Downtown Planning Group approved by the City Council and the City of Dubuque Long
Range Planning Advisory Commission have jointly developed a Downtown Planning Strategy.
This recommendation identifies a multi-step process and a $50,000 budget.
Dubuque Main Street Ltd. sees the possibility of up to $20,000 in grants available to assist with
this project. Therefore a $30,000 request would be made through the Fiscal Year 2002 budget
process. It is unknown at this time how much funding will be available through the budget
process and how this request will compete with other requests.
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Michael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Tim Moerman, Assistant City Manager
Pauline Joyce, Administrative Services Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Ms. Mary Lynn Neumeister, Chairperson, Long Range Planning Advisory Commission
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Planning Services Department
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
Phone (319) 589-4210
Fax (319) 589-4221
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October 20,2000
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
City of Dubuque
50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
SUBJECT:
Downtown Comprehensive Plan Process
Dear Mr. Van Milligen:
This letter transmits the recommendations of the Long Range Planning Advisory
Commission (LRPAC) regarding the Downtown Comprehensive Plan process.
BACKGROUND
On May 1, 2000, Commissioner David Rusk addressed the City Council regarding City
sponsorship of a comprehensive downtown planning process, proposed by the
Downtown Planning to Plan Group, a task force formed at the Housing Action
Conference in February, 2000. The Downtown Planning to Plan group was comprised
of a broad cross section of community interests and leadership who concluded that a
downtown master plan could serve as a leverage opportunity to meet our critical
community needs of adequate housing, community growth and quality of life. The
Downtown Comprehensive Planning to Plan Group's proposal is provided again for
your review in Attachment 1.
The City Council referred the proposal for a downtown comprehensive plan to you,
asking you to work with the LRPAC, and then come back with a recommendation for
City Council action.
In June, 2000, you asked the LRPAC to discuss how a process similar to that used for
Vision 2000 and the Riverfront Plan could be used for the Downtown Comprehensive
Plan, what the costs might be, and how this process could be supported. To respond to
your request, the LRPAC formed the Downtown Planning Committee, which includes
the members of the Downtown Planning to Plan Group and two more LRPAC members.
The Downtown Planning Committee met several times to develop a recommended
process, geographic scope, and estimated budget for creation of a Downtown
Comprehensive Plan. The Committee's recommendations were reviewed and
discussed by the LRPAC on October 18, 2000. The LRPAC concurred with all
recommendations made by the Downtown Planning Committee.
Service
People
Integrity
Responsibility
Innovation
Teamwork
Memo on Downtown Comprehensive Plan Process, Geographic Scope and Budget
Page 2
DISCUSSION
The LRPAC concurs with the Committee's recommendations for the process,
geographic scope and budget for creation of a comprehensive downtown plan. The
recommended process, geographic scope and estimated budget are described below.
Recommended Process
The LRPAC has reaffirmed the four-step process originally presented by the Downtown
Planning to Plan Group for the Comprehensive Downtown Planning Process:
1. Create a shared community vision for Downtown Dubuque - "Vision Downtown".
2. Assess the Vision relative to reality.
3. Assess the Vision and reality relative to existing plans.
4. Create a comprehensive downtown master plan based on the Vision and
assessments.
Based on the recommendations of the Downtown Planning Committee, the LRPAC
recommends that the City focus on the process, scope and budget for the initial step of
the overall process: "Vision Downtown". This first step in the overall planning process
is designed to develop a shared community vision for Downtown Dubuque. The
recommended process for "Vision Downtown" follows the format used for the Vision
2000 community visioning process in 1990 - 1992. The "Vision Downtown" process
would involve the following seven steps:
1. Community Meeting 1
2. Citizen Survey
3. Create Draft Vision
4. Community Meeting 2
5. Reactor Group Validation
6. Survey Validation
7. Publish Final Document "Vision Downtown"
Attachment 2 provides more detail about the "Vision Downtown" process.
Geographic Scope
After considerable discussion of alternatives, the Downtown Planning Committee
recommended that the geographic scope of this planning process be the service area
of Dubuque Main Street Limited (DMSL). The LRPAC concurs with the Committee's
recommendation for the following reasons.
· DMSL has collected business-related data about the downtown for at least ten
years; this data could be used in the planning process.
· Officials with the City of Dubuque and the Chamber of Commerce have
Memo on Downtown Comprehensive Plan Process, Geographic Scope and Budget
Page 3
recommended that the geographic scope of the downtown plan be limited to the
jurisdiction of Dubuque Main Street Limited for manageability.
· Expanding the scope beyond the DMSL service area increases the cost of the
process, particularly for data collection.
· DMSL staff is available to assist with planning efforts within their service area; their
involvement in a larger area beyond their jurisdiction would be very limited.
· By keeping the process within the DMSL area, the process is eligible (on a
competitive basis) for grants from the National Main Street Center.
The service area of Dubuque Main Street Limited is shown in the attached map.
Estimated BudQet
An estimated budget for the Downtown Vision process was developed after a review of
the City's previous community-wide visioning, public relations and planning efforts, and
the experience of Dubuque Main Street Ltd. and the State Main Street Office with
similar studies.
The estimated cost for the Downtown Vision process would entail a budget of
approximately $50,000. This estimate includes consultants to facilitate the vision
process, and to develop and implement a PR campaign; the PR campaign costs; a
honorarium for a nationally recognized speaker; the development and distribution of a
citizen validation survey; and the printing and distribution of a "Vision Downtown"
document similar to the "Vision 2000" document.
More information on the estimated budget is provided in the attached memo from
Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens to the Downtown Planning Committee.
RECOMMENDA TION
The LRPAC recommends that the City Council approve the seven-step "Vision
Downtown" process, with the geographic scope to be the DMSL service area and a
budget of $50,000 to implement this first step in the creation of a comprehensive
downtown planning process.
Sincerely,
tv\~ LW'" ~~/L.(!.,
Mary Lynn Neumeister, Chairperson
Long Range Planning Advisory Commission
.
Date: May 1,2000
To: Hon. Mayor and City Council, City of Dubuque
J?:ai&tL-__ .~Jtown comprenensive Planning to Plan Group
(An Action Initiative Task Force from the Community Housing Summit
Action Conference.)
Subject:
City sponsorship of comprehensive downtown planning process
INTRODUCTION
This communication is to formally request that the City Council officially endorse
and sponsor a comprehensive planning process for the area known and to be defined as
"Downtown Dubuque" and that that process be implemented through the City of Dubuque
Long Range Planning Advisory Commission with assistance from the Downtown
Comprehensive Planning to Plan Group, and, further, that the process include a highly
participative and inclusive visioning element, an assessment of the resulting shared vision
relative to current realities and also to existing plans, and.. finally, the creation of an updated
comprehensive master plan for the downtown based on the shared community vision.
BACKGROUN~
.
On February II, approximately 80 individuals came together at a Housing Summit
Action Conference sponsored by the City of Dubuque Housing Services Department The
invited attendees included realtors, landlords, tenants, community leaders, representatives
from commerce, essential services, housing development and management, and
government interests. From that ten-hour day of committed citizens worlcing in pairs, in
mixed groups, in stakeholder groups, and together as a whole. came seven Action Initiative
Task Forces whose work is to provide the stmtegic directions and actions that will fonn the
heart of the city's Five Year Consolidated Plan for Housing, Community and EconOmic
Development. and will consequently guide the investment of over $20 million over the next
five years.
The Downtown Comprehensive Planning to Plan Group is the name adopted by
one of the seVen task forces and was chosen to clearly reflect its mission of spurring the
creation of a comprehensive master plan for Downtown Dubuque. The group has had
several meetings since the February conference to discuss the state of downtown plans and
planning, the need for a fresh and reenergized downtown planning effort that would engage
the broader community. and strategies for approaching and implementing truly
comprehensive downtown master planning.
The group has reviewed our community visioning and comprehensive planning
efforts of the 1990's and also the Downtown Development Strategy of January 1998 which
included an overview of downtown districts and recent activity relative to them, the
downtown tmffic circulation study, ten prior downtown studies. and a downtown
redevelopment strategy which in turn included an historic overview of recent and future
initiatives, and potential initiatives.
The group also discussed "Sman Growth" concepts and stmtegies and the
confluence of community development issues that have a focus on the downtoWn. These
include provision for housing alternatives across the affordability scale, commercial
development and redevelopment, neighborhood revitalization, and historic properties
preservation, among others.
.
DISCUSSION
.
The Downtown Comprehensive Planning to Plan Group is a broad cross section of
community interests and leadership that came together over a common interest in seeing
Downtown Dubuque reach a potential beyond what it today enjoys, The group was actually
rooted in the Housing Action Conference through a shared recognition that the availability
of adequate housing is critical to community growth and quality of life. The group has
l.'Oncluded thaI our dO\\lltown is a le\'ernge opportunity relative to meeting the housing
challen2e but also to meeting other communitv needs as well.
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.
It is our downtown. nestled below the magnificent bluffs that shape its western
border. and proximate to the great river that runs just to its east, that is the true heart of our
city, It best reflects our community's character and its heritage. It best defines the sense of
place that is Dubuque. The downtown belongs to our entire community. It is the traditional
center of our community and a key source of our community pride,
There ha\'e been a number of e\"ents recently, in addition to the Community
Housing Summit Action Conference, which point to the good timing for a renewed focus
on dO\\l1to\\"n planning: The Council tabled ambitious renovation plans for Town Clock
Plaza over a continued lack of agreement over the best approach to revitalizing the area. A
recent seminar on historic presen"ation initiatives toward providing for affordable housing
in dOWntO\\l1 and other older neighborhoods brought together a unique partnership of the
Center for Dubuque History, the City of Dubuque Historic Preservation Commission, the
Dubuque County Historical Society. the State Historical Society. City of Dubuque Housing
Senil."es, the Dubuque Board of Realtors and the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce.
Dubuque Main Street Ltd held what has become an annual seminar of upper level
residential/lower le\'el commercial use of existing, often historically significant, buildings
in the dOWn10\\11. Recent initiatives toward further expanding our community commitment
to riverfront dcvelopment and other growth strategies bring with them a need for thoughtful
dialogue on impacts and opportunities relative to the downtown. As a backdrop to all of
tllis. the annual budget presentation of tlle City of Dubuque Economic Development
DcJ:Xll1Incnt featured as a major theme, a "Smart Or myth" approach to community
den~lopm('nt and rede\'elopmenr. representing a balanced approach to urban growth which
includes among its stategies in\'estment and reinvestment in our city center.
There havc been many plans and prognuns toward fostering downtown
dcvelopment and redc\'clopment We \\"ould like to recommend building on these efforts
\\ith a highly inclush'e and highly participati\'e process of building consensus and
<.l\\l1ership of plans and programs in the bmader community. We have learned through
Vision 2000 that the process of community engagement is a powerful engine. The broader
communit)' dcscn'cs an opportunity to help determine what kind of downtown we have.
This con(."Cpt of (."Ommunity \isioning is at the heart of a process we recommend for the
dcvelopnlen1 of a comprehensive master plan for the downtown.
The l't.'Commcnded DowntO\\l1 Comprehensi\'c Planning Process consists of four
basic clements:
· ~~ue a Shared Community Vision for OowntO\\l1 Dubuque
· As..~s thc Vision relative to rcalitv
· AsSt.,s.~ thc Vision ~U1d Reality rcl~lti\.c (0 cxisting plans
· Cn:-U((' u Comprchensh'c Oo\\"nto\\"n Mastcr Plan
.
The final pmduct could be something on the order of a mini version of the City
C<.'mpl't"h('nsivc Plan. This is consistent \\;(h thc strategy of the City Long Range Planning
Ad\'isory Cnnul1is.~ion in implcmcnting neighborhood planning initiatives.
CONCLUSION
.
City Council sponsorship is crucial to ensuring the Success of this effort. The
Council. representing the interests of the city of Dubuque, is a key stakeholder in the future
of Downtown Dubuque. City resources in the fonn of staff sUpport and funding will be
necessary. The council is itself an experienced visioning and planning body and can help
guide the process. Clearly this effort is in need of city ownership and authorization to
proceed.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
It is recommended that the City Council officially endorse and sponsor a
comprehensive planning process for the area knO\\l1 and to be defined as "Downtown
Dubuque" and that that process be implemented through the City of Dubuque Long Range
Planning Advisory Commission with assistance from the Downtown Comprehensive
Planning to Plan Group, and. further. that the process include a highly participative and
inclusive visioning element. an assessment of the resulting shared vision relative to current
realities and also to existing plans. and. finally, the creation of an updated comprehensive
master plan for the downtown based on the shared community vision.
Attachments: Roster, Downtown Comprehensi\'e Planning to Plan Group
Downtown Development Strategy, January 1998.
.
.
.
Downtown Comprehensive
Planning Process
· Create a shared community vision
for Downtown Dubuque - "Vision Downtown"
· Assess the Vision relative to reality.
· Assess the Vision and reality relative
to existing plans.
· Create a comprehensive downtown master plan
(Based on the visi9n and assessments.)
Vision Downtown
Visioning process overview
I COMMUNITY MEETING I
- Community-wide participation at central/downtown site (Five Flags ?)
- Set stage with "what if' presentation by nationally recognized speaker.
- Breakout sessions w/ facilitators to dream/vision ideal downtown
(Furnish crib/discussion points to facilitator, capture results on chart paper).
- Distribute/collect citizen survey.
II CITIZEN SURVEY
- Distribute/collect community wide. (Weekend of Community Meeting I)
III CREATE DRAFT VISION-
- Independent third party to organize input & draft vision
statements/goals and objectives into dimensions/elements as draft vision document.
IV COMMUNITY MEETING II
- Test draft vision.
- Update as necessary.
V REACTOR GROUP VALIDATION
- Test again w/ group representatives.
VI SURVEY VALIDATION
- Scientific random sampling telephone interviews to validate vision.
VII PUBLISH FINAL DOCUMENT "VISION DOWNTOWN"
NOTES:
- Need to ID scope, time frames, costs, support needs.
- Community-wide participation and inclusiveness is critical - the downtown belongs to all of us.
- Package/market participation strongly (logo, "campaign strategy")
- Enlist media as partners (PSA's, editorials, etc.)
- Broad supplemental mailing campaign to various stakeholder groups.
- Special issue City Focus, community newsletters, etc.
c::J Recommended Geographic Scope of Downtown Comprehensive Plan
(Dubuque Main Street Limited Service Area)
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CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
October 9, 2000
TO:
Downtown Planning Committee
FROM:
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager~
SUBJECT: Estimated Scope for Downtown Vision Process
This memo provides an estimated scope for the Downtown Vision process discussed at
the Committee's last meeting. This process follows the same format as the Vision 2000
community visioning process, and includes the 7 steps listed below:
1. Community Meeting I
2. Citizen survey
3. Create draft vision
4. Community Meeting II
5. Reactor group validation
6. Survey validation
7. Publish final document "Vision Downtown"
The Committee asked me to identify the scope, time frames, costs, and support needs for
the proposed Downtown Vision process. As we discussed, the process must include
community-wide participation and inclusiveness, as well as a broad supplemental mailing
campaign to various stakeholder groups. The process also is to have a public relations
campaign strategy, to market participation and enlist media partnerships.
Based on the Committee's discussion, I reviewed some of the City's previous community-
wide visioning, public relations and planning efforts to develop an estimated scope for the
Downtown Vision process. I considered the 1990 - 1992 Vision 2000 process, the
February,2000 Housing Action Conference, the Census 2000 public relations campaign,
the 1990-1995 Comprehensive Plan process, and the Comprehensive Plan update now
underway. I also discussed with Dan LoBianco the experience of Dubuque Main Street
Ltd. and the State Main Street Office with similar studies.
The City does not have staff available to support the Downtown Vision process, so a
consultant or consultants will be needed to provide a broad range of services required.
Based on this information, I estimate that the Downtown Vision process would entail a
budget of approximately $50,000 for the DMSL service area only, with the following
elements:
$20,000 - 25,000 Consultant or consultants to facilitate the vision process, and develop
and implement a PR campaign
$10,000 -15,000 PR campaign consisting of advertising, broad supplemental mailing,
printing, postage, photocopying, supplies, rentals, etc.
$2,500 - 5,000 fee/honorarium and expenses for nationally recognized speaker
$2,500 - 5,000 development, distribution and validation of citizen survey
If the process is for the larger area recommended by the Committee at last month's
meeting, then the budget will be doubled, or $100,000.
There are no funds budgeted for the Downtown Vision process at this time.
As Dan noted at the Committee's last meeting, he is limited to providing support primarily
to the DMSl service area. In addition, Dan has noted that grants of $2,000 - 20,000 are
available for these types of projects that occur within Main Street areas. The grants would
not be available for the process if it involved the larger area selected last month.
The DMSl area also provides an easier area for data collection and trend analysis. The
larger area will involve greater expense for data collection by consultants.
The time frame for this process is estimated to be 9 to 12 months (possibly 18 months).
The process, if funded by the City Council, could begin July 1, 2001, the start of the City's
fiscal year. The consultant selection process could begin in mid March, 2001, after
adoption of the budget by the City Council. A consultant contract could be finalized by
June, 2001, so that the process could begin in July, 2001.
This memo is provided for your discussion.
Attachment
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DUB U Q-'U E A Il ( A
CHAMBER' Of' CoMMERCE
November I, 2000
Dubuque City Council
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque. IA 5200 1
Dear ~aY9rpri~~ .andCouncil Members:
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'. l'he Bo~dotl)i~tors~f th~ Dubuque.Area Ch~ber or COmmerce wi~hesto comment,: .
. oo->anageBdi.~teiritor'your November: 6-aI1councilmtetmgcoiicermng;dOWtitoWIl' ".i"':}:'.,.',< -.
comprehensive planning.
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The.c;h8D.lJ?erstrongly supports the development ofa comprehensive vision and plan for;." :
the. do~toWnarea and, therefore, is supportive of the, DowntownPlanning-to-PlanTask};"'" .
Force's mission to proceed with that effort~ The Chari1ber~ in turn; is committed to
participating and providing input in to that process to assist in the successful development
of a downtown plan.
While we do not have a specific recommendation regarding the allocation of support, we .
do enco~ge you to provide the task force with the necessary resources to accomplish
their missi~~-\Yhether you determine those resources to be provided by city staff .
support, .theuse'of outside consulting assistance or by other possibilities, the Chamber of
Commerce would greatly appreciate your support to move this process forward. -
Thank yorifur your cOnsideration.
Sincerely, -
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Richard' J~ Young . .
Chairman of the Board
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770 TOWN CLOCK PLAZA P.O. BOX 705 DUBUQUE. IA 52004-0705 (319) 557-9200 FAX (319) 557-1591
e-mail: o~fice~d~buquechamber.comwebsi~e:~.ttp:l/wW.\N.dubu.quecham~er.com
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