BETTENDORF, Iowa — Bettendorf city planners are looking at new changes to their broad development and zoning plans.
On July 17, leaders from the City Council, Board of Adjustment, and Planning and Zoning Commission met for a joint work session on the city's "Comprehensive Plan," also named "Premiering Bettendorf."
The plans were last reviewed in 2017 and are usually evaluated every 10 years. Developers wanted to examine them sooner because of a continuing rise in the city's population.
"We see a future of about 56,000 people within a reasonable boundary of the city by 2045," Community Development Director Mark Hunt said. Currently, Bettendorf's population is over 39,000.
The meeting did not focus on planning or determining funding of specific projects, but rather looked broadly at population and development trends across the city, and determine the proper zoning.
Hunt showed examples of changes across the years to News 8's Jonathan Fong, pointing out major developments on the city's Future Land Use Map.
"In 2017 we were thinking a business park would be along Indiana Avenue along I-80 — now we're having more of a commercial focus," Hunt said. "With the expansion of TBK, today it's seeing more of a commercial focus, services, stay at hotels, visit tourist attractions."
Planners also wanted to consider changes now because of new patterns in housing.
"We're seeing a trend right now of more townhouse style living, duplex style living," Hunt explained. "You're seeing a lot of the new construction being of that style."
Another reason to look at changes: new development trends coming out of the COVID pandemic.
"The development pattern of the world has changed right before our eyes," Hunt said. "You don't build a strip mall anymore without a drive-thru lane, probably on both sides and a patio somewhere. That creates new things to deal with, whether it's noise, outside lighting."
City leaders are planning on a community open house displaying the new outline in October 2023, and want to adopt the plan by December 2023.
The city is still accepting feedback on an interactive map, where you can pin a comment on any area of the city.