With the adoption of a new comprehensive plan, the work of implementing the city of Grimes’ long-term vision can begin.

On Sept. 14, the Grimes City Council voted unanimously to approve the 113-page document, which presents a multifaceted development scheme for the growing Greater Des Moines suburb.

City officials and RDG Planning & Design worked for about 15 months to produce a final draft, which calls for more mixed-use developments and residential housing options.

“It shouldn’t be a guessing game for them,” said Amy Haase, an RDG partner who spearheaded the project, referring to the decision makers charged with enacting land-use and zoning ordinances.

It will also help developers and other stakeholders as they decide when, where and how to invest.

In the past decade, Grimes has been transformed from a rural farming community into a region ripe for expansion. And as its population mushrooms – an estimated 27,000 people are expected to live in Grimes by 2030, compared with an estimated 8,400 in 2009 – more housing and retail options will soon be required.

The plan also addresses goals for new and improved infrastructure, transportation corridors and mixed-use development nodes that meet the needs of individual neighborhoods.

“It’s kind of a more cohesive, comprehensive type of approach to development,” said Gary Lazano, an RDG partner in Des Moines who worked on the project, who noted that the upkeep and development of public parks, trail systems and green spaces are other priorities.

Improvements related to transportation and connectivity, including the creation of transportation corridors while improving access to existing districts, are also essential.

Mayor Tom Armstrong said one component of the plan includes a new road that would originate near the Urbandale border and help alleviate traffic congestion on the south side of Grimes.

The road, which some are calling the Northwest 50th Connector, would be constructed near the intersection of Iowa Highway 141 and Interstate 35/80.

“It’s basically a reconfiguration of that interchange and then creating a multi-lane road that would go straight west, at least the first mile,” he said.

The planning document also takes a hard look at Grimes’ downtown, also known as the Governors District, and spells out a need to identify a “niche market” for that area, while keeping in mind standards that reflect a small-town atmosphere.

“We’re trying to make it a destination business district,” said Armstrong, adding that at least one developer, Keith Snow of B2E Direct Marketing LLC, has already made an investment there.

The city, which visualizes the Governors District as a civic center with growing commercial and residential components for local residents, hopes to attract out-of-towners, too.

“For regional markets, it should focus on unique or niche retail, service, tourism and recreation from surrounding metropolitan areas,” the plan said.

“There is no other city in the state that recognizes the governors of the state,” Armstrong said.

Housing needs

Though hard economic times have stunted housing development, more will be necessary to accommodate an increasing number of residents.

As Grimes population base grows – the comprehensive plan projects an annual population increase of 6.4 percent through 2015, before moderating to a 5 percent rate – so will the need for more market-rate, affordable- and senior-housing apartment projects.

“We identified some gaps in our housing,” said Brian Buethe, executive director of Grimes Chamber & Economic Development, adding that the plan encourages the development of multifamily apartments.

“We need to offer something to that person who is not ready to buy a home yet … so people in all age and income brackets have the opportunity to come to Grimes,” he said.

The plan said that 82 percent of Grimes residents live in owner-occupied homes, which in 2009 had a median value of $153,433. Based on 2009 estimates, that value is lower than in cities such as Johnston ($251,451), Urbandale ($178,304) and Ankeny ($169,081), but more than the state median of $111,844.

Commercial component

“In the last couple of years, we are still recognizing growth from a lot of economic development opportunities that took place several years ago,” Buethe said, referring to the recent development of Des Moines Imports at 1650 S.E. 37th St. and a Wal-Mart Supercenter at the intersection of Iowa highways 44 and 141.

But a limited amount of commercial retail development within the city, which leads many residents to shop primarily in neighboring cities such as Johnston, Urbandale and West Des Moines, means that more retail development within the city is a must.

More than 61 percent of the city’s commercial uses are in the recreation and auto service sectors, and 18 percent of developed land in Grimes is dedicated to industrial and warehouse uses.

In 2008, commercially developed land, excluding industrial, constituted 10.7 percent of the city’s overall land use.

“Grimes is in the comfortable, unique position of growing,” Buethe said. “But with that growth come certain responsibilities.” According to the plan, it will be necessary to convert 405.42 acres to commercial use by 2030.

“As a result of the comp plan, the city is going to have to go back and analyze if their ordinances and local requirements are conducive with what they are trying to achieve,” Buethe said.

Armstrong called the plan, which establishes a legal basis for land-use regulation and subdivision control, a “living document.”

“The process has been going on for well over a year, and we tried to reach out to the public often,” Buethe said, referring to the many public workshops and forums involved in the process.

“A lot of people put a lot of time into this,” he told the council. “It’s probably not a perfect product, but it was a product we tried to get as close to perfect as we could.”

RDG began working on the comprehensive plan in June 2009. The firm was paid a contracted amount of $81,000 for its services. Grimes’ last comprehensive plan was adopted in October 2002.

“We hope it’s something that gets worn out, that gets used over time,” Haase said.