Community Facilities. North Side Neighborhood Preservation Study

摘要

As part of a neighborhood preservation project on the north side of Iowa City, Iowa, a comprehensive range of community services is evaluated in this report, without regard to whether they are publicly provided, offered by private enterprise, or provided by a combination of public and private resources. Facilities reviewed include schools, parks, libraries, hospitals, clinics, groceries, restaurants, and other public and private facilities providing police and fire protections, housing and code enforcement, transportation services, and public work (i.e., water, sewer, gas, electricity, and telephone services). Overall, the north side of Iowa City was found to be moderately well served, although a few deficiencies and some related problems were uncovered including the following: (1) Horace Mann Elementary School is experiencing declining enrollment; (2) no library facilities for the general public are located in the area; (3) Happy Hollow Park and Mercy Hospital, as well as some retail establishments, provide valuable services, but also create some negative effects because of their orientation to a service area larger than the immediate neighborhood; and (4) most negative effects result from traffic and parking, although litter, petty vandalism, noise, and unsightliness are associated with some community facilities. It is recommended that Horace Mann School be retained and converted to joint uses, perhaps a small library oriented to the area's elderly population. Further, Happy Hollow Park either should be expanded or the recreation programs and facilities should be altered to better serve nearby residents. Also, a policy should be adopted to favor public and private services in the neighborhood that make efforts to appeal to neighborhood residents and pedestrian access. Finally, no distinction should be made between public and private services in requiring that acceptable standards of 'neighborliness' be met. An inventory of selected commercial facilities is appenesd. Maps of the north side are provided.