Land Use Planning Bill

HF 488 (2003 Session)

Overview

1. Cities and counties in Metropolitan Service Areas (MSAs) are required to cooperatively assemble strategic development plans. The 10 MSAs counties are Pottawatamie, Woodbury, Polk, Dallas, Warren, Blackhawk, Johnson, Linn, Scott and Dubuque. Other counties may participate voluntarily. Contiguous counties may decide to plan together
2. Identify goals for the development of land. As strategic development plans are assembled, cities and counties are asked to
   1. Encourage a pattern of compact development.
   2. Promote redevelopment of existing urban areas.
   3. Promote the economic health of the entire region.
   4. Provide for a variety of housing choices.
   5. Conserve natural resource areas and environmentally sensitive land.
   6. Preserve prime agricultural land.
   7. Protect private property rights.
   8. Provide municipal services concurrently with development.
3. Cities and the county appoint members to a strategic development committee that puts together a strategic development plan for the entire county, identifying territory that can accommodate growth for twenty years. The strategic development plan will also identify strategic preservation areas, i.e., land to be preserved for agricultural use or other non-development purposes. The plan is then submitted to the Land Management Planning Board.
4. The City Development Board becomes the Land Management Planning Board and is charged with review and approval of not only annexations, as under current law, but also strategic development plans. The Board will review and file plans that are approved at the local level without contention. If local governments cannot agree on a plan, then the Board may accept proposed amendments to the plan in order to try to reach a solution that addresses the points of disagreement among local cities and the county.
5. The bill establishes a process for cities and counties to ratify or reject proposed plans, and to amend those plans. Dispute resolution and mediation are established if final, amended plans are not ratified by the county and all cities in the county. Cities, counties, and individual citizens may seek judicial review of a decision by the Land Management Planning Board.

Under discussion is the question of how to provide some funding to local governments to support the planning process.

Updated March 3, 2003