City: Think future of Mount Vernon Road, Northwest neighborhood

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids officials want residents to re-imagine Mount Vernon Road SE corridor, which they called one of the 10 busiest in the city, to make it vibrant for neighbors and a business-friendly gateway coming into the city.

Across town, a similar effort is underway to put a unique stamp on the Northwest neighborhood near Harrison Elementary. And, a third initiative to overhaul the zoning code is taking a macro look at how development occurs in Cedar Rapids.

'While their focus is tailored to specific areas, these initiatives are working toward a shared community vision,” said Emily Muhlbach, a spokeswoman for the community. 'This is an opportunity to uniquely define our neighborhoods and corridors, and to witness last year's extensive planning efforts come to fruition in ways that are meaningful to each area.”

Three public input meetings are slated this month to present information about these initiatives and take feedback.

A visioning workshop for Mount Vernon Road from 10th Street SE and 44th Street SE is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday at All Saints School gymnasium, 720 29th St. SE. A Northwest Neighborhood action plan meeting is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m., Monday at St. James United Methodist Church, 1430 Ellis Blvd NW. A Rezone Cedar Rapids meeting is planned for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on June 29 at CSPS Hall, 1103 Third St. SE.

Mount Vernon Road is one of the key gateways into Cedar Rapids from the east carrying thousands of vehicles per day, and many others live along the corridor, said Adam Lindenlaub, a Cedar Rapids planner. The planning effort will consider walkability and bikeability, access for public transit, retail or shopping needs, and what characteristics make the corridor unique, he said.

'Mount Vernon Road is one of those areas in our community that has potential,” said Jennifer Pratt, the city community development director. 'It is a high profile corridor many vehicles use to enter the community and there's neighborhoods on either side that use the area. It's a corridor that people use in many ways.”

The Mount Vernon Road action plan is the first of seven 'corridor action plans” and the Northwest neighborhood is the first of 10 'neighborhood action plans” the city plans to conduct over the next several years. These initiatives stem from a community-driven comprehensive plan called, EnvisionCR, which was adopted in 2015.

'This is really getting into the meat of our neighborhoods and corridors,” Muhlbach said. 'I hope people see the city is using the feedback we received early on and getting into the areas people see as important.”

Action plans will create guidance when it comes to roadwork, bike trails, building projects, green space redevelopment and other efforts. The planning efforts also help the city learn about and work to remove barriers the private sector faces, Pratt said.

As an example, the reconstruction of Mount Vernon Road from 10th Street to Memorial Drive will be designed in accordance with the corridor action plan, which is due for adoption this fall, Pratt said.

Collins Road NE, two segments of Williams Boulevard SW, Sixth Street SW, Center Point Road NE and 16th Avenue SW have all been targeted for corridor action plans. Noelridge Park, Kenwood Park, Mound View, Oak Hill Jackson, Wellington Heights, Taylor, Cedar Valley, Harbor and Cleveland Park have been identified for neighborhood action plans.

The Northwest neighborhood meeting is approaching its second input session next Monday. An earlier session revealed preferences for signage, revitalization of underutilized properties, improving sidewalks and cycling and public art, Pratt said. The Northwest plan also will likely be adopted in the fall, she said.

The third effort is to rewrite the city's zoning code, which broadly defines how and where development occurs in Cedar Rapids. The effort also will identify the unique character of different parts of the community and try to enhance and protect it through public policy, said William Micheel, the city's assistant development director.

The code would be a starting point for development, he said.

The redevelopment of the NewBo District is an example of how a sense of place can be fostered through development, Pratt said. The 'college” or 'Irish” district near Coe College and Mount Mercy University is an area in transition where an opportunity exists for strengthening the neighborhood's character, she said.