KKC was hired to create a Zoning and Sign Code (ZSC) that is a one-of-a-kind document, as it was written for the expressed purposes of implementing the City’s plans, integrating the design guidelines in the form of deliberate standards, infusing sustainable development practices, better accommodating infill and redevelopment projects, protecting the value and integrity of existing neighborhoods, and organizing it in a manner that is easier to understand and use. With the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan in 2005, and more recently, several neighborhood and corridor plans and design guidelines, the need to update the 1976 zoning code was essential – and long overdue. Rather than focusing solely on the use of land, zoning districts are based on development character, which reflects the pattern, form, and scale of development, while still observing the necessary characteristics of individual use types. The availability of by-right development options within each district allows for more flexibility, fewer steps in the development process, and streamlined approvals. The process is now clearer, fewer meetings are necessary, and the outcomes are precise.

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Special Recognition: This project was awarded the Iowa Chapter APA Best Practice Award, 2015.
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