I'll admit it - I'm worried about sprawl. Cedar Falls is a thriving, energetic community, but I believe it's nearing a tipping point. Our high school is slated to move south, as is our hospital. And last November, city staff has recommended that the new $9M public safety building be constructed at Greenhill Road instead of First Street. I'm greatly concerned that we're abandoning our town's center in favor of sprawl by moving services to the south, and will be left with a blighted city core in the decades to come.
The government can't do a lot to fight sprawl...undeniable market forces (and the potential for significant income for a few powerful people) are at work here. But what the government can do, it should do. I strongly disagree with the assessment that we should be investing all our new infrastructure south of University Avenue "since that's where the people are going". Instead, I believe we, as a city, should be strongly focused on:
- Promoting the development of affordable housing in all areas of the city, rather than converting single-family homes into rentals in Overman Park, Sartori Park, and Cedar Heights to meet demand;
- More assertive demolishing of blighted / abandoned homes in the original neighborhoods to encourage new construction;
- Fostering of neighborhood associations and neighbor engagement to encourage grassroots beautification and other neighborhood improvements, particularly in Cedar Falls's original neighborhoods;
- Seeking any and all ways to promote infill of existing property, rather than simply "adding on" new plots and properties to the current infrastructure. The beginning revitalization of University Avenue (Slumberland and Natural Grocers) and the construction of Urban Flats and Great Wall on College Hill are great example of this;
- Encouraging, through Planning & Zoning and other means, growth in all directions from central Cedar Falls;
- Re-engaging the State of Iowa for the takeover of the Iowa State Patrol building, for the construction of the Public Safety Building on First Street. I believe this is location (or a similar location close by) is a critical strategic action to show the City's commitment to equal service to ALL areas of Cedar Falls.
The development of southern Cedar Falls will certainly be a boon to our tax base, and provides a place for residents seeking a suburban lifestyle. But just because that's where the new construction's currently happening, doesn't mean we should focus on this one area at the expense of our existing neighborhoods and infrastructure. A focused effort to rehabilitate/update our existing homes, parks, and infrastructure might not be as exciting as "building new", but I believe it's what we as a community need to do for a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable Cedar Falls.