4 minute read
PARTICIPATION
INTRODUCTION The City of Adel Downtown Plan process consisted of a series of meetings and events throughout the fall and winter of 2019. The process included many opportunities for various stakeholders to provide their input and guide the plan.
Advertisement
SWEET CORN SURVEY The City of Adel’s Sweet Corn Festival is an annual event that began in 1979, and today includes a parade, a 5k race, food, art, and much more to celebrate the summer and Iowa’s abundant corn crop. The event draws huge numbers of visitors from Adel and the surrounding area, and provided an excellent chance to beginning gathering public opinion early in the planning process. Four Iowa State University students were present on August 10 th
to distribute short, paper surveys and collect basic impressions and hopes for downtown Adel.
In all, 121 respondents were surveyed, including 34 residents and 87 visitors. Although the limited number of participants and short time frame reduced the total amount of information gathered, this event provided important preliminary data about both resident and visitor desires for downtown Adel. One notable piece of information gathered is how often respondents visited downtown Adel. As seen in Figure 1.1, Adel Residents were far more likely to have visited downtown multiple times in the past 30 days than non-residents.
Figure 1.1 Number ofVisits to Downtown Adel in the Past 30 Days
15
5 10 Respondents
0
Residents
Never 1-2 3-4 5 or More Visits in the Past 30 Days
40
10 20 30 Respondents
0
Nonresidents
Never 1-2 3-4 5 or More Visits in the Past 30 Days
ONLINE SURVEY In conjunction with the Sweet Corn Festival, an extended online survey was shared through the City of Adel and the Adel Partners Chamber of Commerce. This survey, issued between August 8 th
and 27 th
, aimed to collect opinions from a broader base of Adel residents. 266 respondents completed the survey, of which 94.7% were Adel residents. The majority of the residents had lived in Adel for less than 20 years and over half of respondents were between 25 and 44 years old, indicative of the city’s recent growth.
As well as basic demographics, questions included rating priorities and needs in downtown Adel, as well as choosing between scenarios for the future of downtown and an opportunity to provide additional comments and concerns. More in-depth analysis is included in Chapter 2, but major takeaways include:
Adel’s small-town atmosphere is important (85.3%) Local businesses are preferred over national chains (75.8%) Historic preservation and promoting a positive image of Adel are both high priorities (69%, 69.1%) The Raccoon River Valley Trail should be better integrated with downtown (65.1%)
COMMUNITY MAPPING Figure 1.2 Community Members at the Community Mapping Event
On the evening of October 5 th
, a Community Mapping Event was held in Adel’s City Hall. 13 community members attending the event and were divided into three groups for a series of mapping activities. First, participants were asked to trace what they felt was the boundary of the downtown area on a map of the City of Adel. Boundaries varied widely between participants. The most common boundary included the area directly surrounding the historic Dallas County Courthouse. Other boundaries extended beyond this historic district, largely to the south.
Each group was then given a large map and asked to answer a series of location-based questions about existing conditions in downtown Adel. Participants marked their answers on the maps with sticky notes and markers. The results showed a concentration of amenities in downtown, including many eating and shopping opportunities. Although responses were concentrated around the historic district, others spread to the south and east, suggesting a somewhat larger downtown boundary.
Each group of residents was then given another large map with a series of questions about opportunities for the future of downtown Adel. The responses covered a large number of locations, and provided key targets for various improvements and developments.
Figure 1.3 Map ofExisting Conditions in Downtown Adel
SCENARIOS As the planning process progressed, three scenarios for the future of downtown Adel were prepared. These scenarios each had a guiding vision and broad set of goals.
The first scenario, Sustainable Mobility, emphasized pedestrian and biking infrastructure, as well as sustainability. Small Town Preservation, meanwhile, drew on preserving and enhancing the built environment, providing safe transportation, and improving quality of life for all. Finally, Bricks, Business, & Buzz placed a focus on the historic square, population and economic growth, and vitality for the downtown area. This scenario forms the basis for the final plan.
The scenarios were presented at an open house at the Adel Public Library on October 27 th . Approximately 35 community members in attendance had the chance to mark aspects of each scenario they liked and disliked, provide comments, and select their favorite scenario in an exit survey. Results from the survey are presented in Figure 1.4, clearly showing support for Bricks, Business, & Buzz. Aspects of the other two scenarios that had strong public support were also incorporated into the final downtown plan.
CONCLUSION The plan that follows is the result of months of research, discussion, meetings, and events. Public input was enormously important throughout, and provided the authors with the groundwork to plan for a downtown to serve everyone.
Figure 1.4 Scenarios Open House Exit Survey Results
19%
28% 53%
Bricks, Business, & Buzz
Sustainable Mobility Small Town Preservation
