Phase 1

Concept Planning

The guiding principles for development of the 179-acre tract for Dows Farm are rooted in the Linn County Comprehensive Plan: A Smarter Course – Building on the Past, Embracing the Future of Rural Linn County. The Plan incorporates new planning practices of the Iowa Smart Planning Principles to develop a wide range of strategies to guide the location, type, amount, timing and character of new development.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors wanted to achieve a development that incorporates and protects the site's significant environmental features, respects its agricultural heritage, and provides a mix of housing types with a thoughtful integration of commercial uses.

After issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Concept Planning Services, Reynolds Urban Design of Des Moines was awarded the contract. Reynolds held several work sessions with a 12-member planning committee to develop the framework for a successful project, to create and review alternate concept plans and to arrive at a Phase 1 concept plan. 

The Phase 1 concept plan allocated 75 percent of the entire site as open green space or working farm. The remaining 25 percent of the site is shown as a mix of housing types with a thoughtful integration of commercial uses, with an estimated development value of $93 to $119 million.

The Phase 1 concept plan was presented at a public open house on April 12, 2018.

Material Presented at the Open House

Presentation slides (PDF)

Dows Farm Concept Plan (PDF)