Lang
7/31/19
The city of Iowa City is considering a new zoning model when it comes to development in the southeast areas of the city.
The city has hired Berkely, California-based Opticos Design to help shape areas of the city between Sycamore Trail and the Iowa City Wastewater Treatment Plant and east of Gilbert Street and Sand Road. It also includes areas south of the Hilltop manufactured housing community.
The Opticos web site describes the company as “urban designers and architects who believe in the transformative power of beautiful, sustainable, walkable communities for all.”
According to the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Opticos is in the process of drafting a “form-based code” for the area that differs from the current zoning rules Iowa City currently follows. The new plan would consider the character and form of the neighborhood, including what buildings should look like, how high they should be and how they fit with the aesthetics of the neighborhood. Current zoning rules only consider density and land use.
A draft of the Opticos plan should be available for public viewing in November, with a city council vote coming as soon as January.