Finding A Road To Recovery

PACIFIC JUNCTION - Residents of Pacific Junction heard ideas and shared thoughts about the future of their community during a pair of meetings last Wednesday facilitated by a team of architects, planners, hydrologists and economic development stategists  assembled by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Organizers say the meetings were staged as part of an on-going effort to establish a regional “vision of hope” for communities like Pacific Junction and Hamburg that were decimated during the historic Missouri River flooding event in 2019.

Kevin Nordmeyer, a representative of the Des Moines-based BNIM architecture and planning firm, said the team is tasked with developing a final report and long-term plan for Pacific Junction, based on citizen input and community desires, needs and potential.

“We want your feedback. It (plan) is not done, yet,” Nordmeyer told a handful of Pacific Junction residents in attendance at Wednesday evening’s meeting. “We want to just make sure that our final report has a plan that you all agree with and can get behind.”

Each Pacific Junction resident was asked to rank by priority the following six “themes for land use potential” in their community:

1. Gateways / Connections / Greenways – This was one of the most-discussed land use scenarios and could include taking steps to make Pacific Junction more visible and accessible to out-of-town visitors through the development of recreational trails in and around Pacific Junction that would tie the community into other regional greenways, including trails potentially being developed along the Missouri River and in other areas of Mills County. A member of the audience stated that the community is starting to become a destination for a growing number of bicyclists who enjoy riding on gravel roads.

Pacific Junction resident Kim O’Connor said the city is bicycle-friendly, noting she’s been riding in and around the community for 30 years.

2. Green Infrastructure – Meeting facilitator David Yocca, a landscape architect and  ecological planner and green infrastructure consultant, said Pacific Junction has opportunities for “green streetscape” which could entail ecological management of storm water through plantings, landscaping, rain gardens, lighting and signage along Lincoln Ave., the city’s major east-west thoroughfare.

“By that, we mean doing things in a way that manages storm water but also provides other benefits and value,” Yocca said.

The “green infrastructure” could also make the community more attractive for outdoor events like musical concerts and a farmer’s market.

3. Replacement and New Housing - Over 100 homes are expected to be lost in Pacific Junction after the buyout process is complete. Some at the meeting questioned how much of a demand there will be for new housing in Pacific Junction in the future. Replacement of housing correlates directly with the fourth theme for land use potential.

4. Adaptive Use of Buyout Land - On properties where Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds were used to buy out flood-damaged properties, the empty lots will be deed-restricted and new homes can not be built. However, in a concentrated area near the city’s main business district, state flood recovery dollars are being used for the buyouts and affordable houses could be built on those properties.

5.  Local Food / Food Based Economy – The deed-restricted buyout properties could become gardens or small farming operations and at the same time provide storm water infrastructure.
“One of the things we’ve learned through conversations with others around the idea of food and growing is that there’s actually a need for places to grow vegetables and fresh food,” Yocca said.

Yocca added that Pacific Junction has “an ideal setup” to develop food-based businesses.

“There are growers in Omaha that would, for example, come to Pacific Junction if that space were available and if water were available.

“If they need some space for canning or packing that could easily be integrated into the town on a smaller site and that actually could grow to a larger site if needed in the new economic development that’s just near the (Interstate 29-Highway 34) interchange.

6. Economic Development / Future Growth – It was noted at the meeting that Pacific Junction in not included in the comprehensive plan developed for the I-29/Highway 34 interchange by the Mills County Economic Development Foundation. Yacco said economic development in Pacific Junction could compliment the foundation’s comprehensive plan.

There was also discussion about the potential for beautification or the development of a solar energy station in the “triangle” area near the railroad yard.

The meeting also included discussion of past floods in southwest Iowa and the levee systems near Pacific Junction.
Larry Weber from the Iowa Flood Center said the agency is taking a close look at the Pony Creek and Keg Creek levees and is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineeers in developing a model for the Missouri River levee system. Weber said model data being gathered from historic flood events that occurred in 1952, 1993, 2011 and 2019 will provide Pacific Junction officials with valuable information that could help determine how the city responds to future natural disasters.

The certification of levees and flood plain designations by the federal government will go a long way in determining how Pacific Junction moves forward. 

 

The Opinion-Tribune

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