EMMETSBURG, Iowa — In 2018, Graettinger was selected as one of 10 recipients of the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program grant. The Community Visioning Program, a component of Trees Forever, integrates landscape planning and design with sustainable action to empower community leaders and volunteers in making sound, meaningful decisions about the local landscape.
Anchored by a committee of local residents, communities work closely with technical experts from Trees Forever, a private-sector landscape architect, and the Iowa State University Department of Landscape Architecture to create a transportation enhancement plan reflecting the values and identity of the community. Graettinger’s committee includes the following individuals: Angie Strohman, Teaner Hoffman, Megan Helmich, Karen Spies, Barry Bonner, Linda Schaller, Gina Lowman Hall, Ivan Dalen, Nole Bochmann, Cassie Olesen, and Jessica Behrends. The committee met monthly throughout 2018.
The committee identified and investigated the physical and cultural dimensions of landscape issues, set goals for change, and developed implementation strategies for meeting community goals. The committee was aided in their planning by many other Graettinger residents who participated in focus groups and gave input during a community visioning planning day. Plans were created using the services of Bolton and Menk, an engineering, planning and consulting firm.
Successful completion of the visioning process resulted in a transportation enhancement plan and implementation strategies. Graettinger’s plan includes these four components: 1) parks development, 2) sidewalks/trails planning, 3) family of signage, and 4) downtown corridor enhancements. The final report is available for public viewing at the Graettinger Public Library and at the Graettinger City Hall. As a final step in the grant process, members of the committee presented their plans and final report at the Iowa’s Living Roadways Annual Celebration on November 16th in Ames.
Following completion of the grant-funded planning process, the committee agreed to formally organize and move forward with efforts to secure funding for these projects over the next several years. Projects will be funded by applying for grants and fundraising. There will be no increase in local taxes to fund these initiatives.
The committee’s first project will be development of a trail system. The sidewalk/trails plan consists of six phases but may be adjusted as funding becomes available. The committee is in the process of applying for grant funding for the first phase of the trail system. This phase will include a one-mile section of paved trail that will go through Citizens Park and Evergreen Park.
Palo Alto County Extension and Outreach played a huge role in the Community Visioning process – applying for the initial grant, coordinating meetings, and working with the committee to secure funding and implement the community enhancement plan. If other communities in Palo Alto County are interested in applying for the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning grant, call Angie Strohman, Palo Alto County Extension and Outreach Program Educator at (712) 852-3865.
— Palo Alto County Extension and Outreach
For more news from Iowa, click here.