Planning

Available Services

INRCOG offers land use and strategic planning services to its members and will assist communities with implementing their plans either through ordinance development or grant writing and administration programs.

Comprehensive Land Use Plans
INRCOG staff is available to assist communities with the development or update of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan. These long-range plans generally last 10-20 years and include demographics, land use, public works and facilities, and transportation components and are designed to be the foundation for a community's land use and development regulations including zoning and subdivision ordinances and tax increment financing plans and ordinances. Comprehensive Land Use Plans focus on the physical development of communities.

Community Builder Plans
Community Builder Plans are short-range strategic plans that have a life of five years. Its components include housing, economic development, public works and services, financial condition of the community as well as a defined strategic plan. While not required by the State of Iowa any longer, Community Builder Plans are an excellent planning tool that can be used to justify project needs. Further, these Plans allow a community to outline its strategies for addressing short-term needs.

Zoning Ordinances
Whether it be a Restricted Residence Ordinance or a Conventional Zoning Ordinance, a Zoning Ordinance is a locally adopted law that regulates land use development in a community. Specifically, a Zoning Ordinance regulates the use, size, density, and location of development within a community. Zoning Ordinances have two components-- written text and a map, and may also include provisions governing floodplain development, signage, and parking regulations.

Subdivision Ordinances
Subdivision Ordinances regulate the division of land at the local level, and are generally considered the next regulation after zoning a Subdivision Ordinance to regulate infrastructure development and subdivision platting and procedures. In short, a Subdivision Ordinance is a locally adopted law that regulates the procedures, timing, and standards of platting land within a community. Further, in the State of Iowa, a local Subdivision Ordinance may be viewed as an extension of State law regarding land division.

Other Land Use Planning Tools and Land Use Technical Assistance
In addition to the above-mentioned plans and ordinances, INRCOG can develop other planning tools including grant applications, Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) systems, signage and parking regulations, as well as strategic plans. INRCOG also provides technical assistance in all aspects of community planning.

Contact

Brian Schoon, Executive Director