Look back and ahead - Kokomo leaders begin developing new comprehensive plan

Now, after nearly 15 years, officials have begun developing a new comprehensive plan - a set of goals and objectives that should be completed by December and adopted by early 2017.

A living document that assists policy, land use and infrastructure decisions, the comprehensive plan will compile strategies from community stakeholders on how to move forward in various areas, including public transportation, economic development and community growth.

With city officials in the early stages of developing the new plan, few concrete details have emerged on what objectives will be set or what community needs will be highlighted.

But as the 2001 comprehensive plan made clear, those goals, however far-reaching they may initially seem, can become building blocks for Kokomo’s future development.

Many of those topics will be derived from issues identified through a public open house or community surveys.

Previous issues generated through 2001 public workshops included the need for expansion of recycling, maintenance of vacant buildings and lots, regulation of signs and billboards and a focus on small business development.

Over the last 15 years, many of those concerns shaped public policy, including the recent lowering of McDonald’s signage, the curbside recycling program and the blight elimination program.

“When you look through the old comprehensive plan, a lot of the things that were talked about [Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight’s administration] has brought to fruition,” said Kokomo Plan Commission Executive Director Greg Sheline. “There was talk about the need for public transportation, we’ve done that. There was a need for more bike trails and walking trails, we’ve done that.

“This is a living document and I think it is a positive thing because when we update it, it shows we are progressive and it shows we are trying to make our community better and better and better. I can’t wait to hear some of the ideas we are going to get from the stakeholders.”

As the process to set community goals for the next 15 years gets started, the Kokomo Tribune decided to look at the goals of the 2001 comprehensive plan, including a look back at how effectively objectives were handled, and a look toward the upcoming comprehensive plan.

Transportation

One of Kokomo’s most pressing issues in 2001 became a clear focus of that year’s comprehensive plan – public transit.

Listed in United Way surveys at the time as the No. 1 need for low-income residents, the goal of establishing a reliable, accessible public transit program served as a focal point for community stakeholders.

In fact, the first objective listed in the chapter on transportation was to, “Develop a transportation/circulation network that complements the land use and growth management goals of the city.”

While the city then offered transportation services through the Spirit of Kokomo and First City Rider programs, the two options weren’t enough for Kokomo’s full public transit needs, as noted by Tammy Corn, executive director of the Kokomo-Howard County Governmental Coordinating Council. 

“Public transit was on the needs assessment surveys for over 20 years, and it was the No. 1 need for 20 years,” said Corn.

With the goal of providing a “transportation network for all common modes of transportation,” officials spent years discussing the issue before a solution finally came to fruition, one that thrilled stakeholders.

In September 2010, the city introduced the City Line trolley system, a free public transit program. Later, in 2013, the city expanded the system by 157 stops.

It’s a progression Corn - who said the trolley had over 407,000 passenger boardings in 2015 - wouldn’t have imagined possible in 2001.

“From the 2001 comprehensive plan we have far exceeded the expectation,” she said. “[Goodnight] has done an amazing job. His first administration, that was his focus, that was his drive. He walked into my office, tapped on the desk … and said people in this town need public transit.

“Can we hit every nook, cranny or area? No, we can’t, because transit is very expensive. But for a community our size, we do a very substantial job,” she added later. Corn said the city is putting together a needs assessment to address the loss of the First City Rider program, which subsidized taxi rides in the city.

Corn also spoke about the progress made throughout Kokomo in relation to biking and walking accommodations, objectives set out in the 2001 plan.

With lane reductions, road diets and biking lanes becoming commonplace in the city, bicyclists and pedestrians have been given a safer, more effective community, she said.  

Corn also referenced the progress made on the Walk of Excellence and the work officials have made in connecting trails from county line to county line.

“The city has done an amazing job. Before INDOT was talking about road diets and walkable, [Goodnight] was here,” she said. “The mayor had regularly been talking about that since 2008. It was really funny when you saw the shift in federal highway and INDOT.

“We see that shift very strong now. Even federal highway, they don’t want to build new roads. They want pavement management plans. … They want to make sure we are maintaining the existing infrastructure.”

As for future plans, including night and weekend services for the trolley system, Corn said expansions or new projects are solely based on the amount of funding that becomes available in upcoming years, which she said could be impacted significantly by this year’s presidential election.

She wouldn’t, however, be surprised to see further expansion of public transit, considering the current administration’s focus on similar improvements.

Referencing the relationship between trails and public transportation, Corn said the goal of connecting bike lanes and bus routes is another ongoing conversation within local government.

“The mayor always has a vision, but it is always about the funding,” she said.

Economic Development/Downtown

Kokomo has found recent success in its downtown, and economic development will continue as a point of focus for community leaders.

In fact, listed as strategies in the 2001 plan were two things that sound familiar to Kokomo residents – “expand tourism through festivals and sporting events” and “promote upscale housing similar to that of Carmel, Westfield and Noblesville to attract upper income families.”

Through recent and ongoing development projects – Kokomo Municipal Stadium and the $32 million upscale housing project at the former NISCO building – both strategies have effectively been realized.

In addition, the objective of redeveloping vacant buildings and lots has seen mild success alongside efforts to balance residential and commercial uses within downtown.

The city also hoped to enhance tourism by attracting hotels and restaurants. Best-selling author and city planner Jeff Speck, who spoke at Indiana University Kokomo Monday, said that goal might be reached by placing a boutique hotel in the old YMCA building.

“I think the city has been very successful at achieving a lot of the goals that were set forth in the previous comprehensive plan,” said Susan Alexander, manager of downtown initiatives for the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance and a steering committee member for the new plan.

Alexander has no shortage of ideas of what might be next.  

A portion of her vision centers on utilizing the waterway – Wildcat Creek – running through downtown, an idea promoted by Speck during his presentation.

“It is such a key feature,” she said. “Some places don’t have water running through the middle of their downtown. We have a pretty active canoeing group, Wildcat Guardians, and I could see expanding the ability to access the water, not only in a boat, but as you are walking [on city trails.]”

As for economic development, though, Alexander embraces the idea of encouraging commercial growth near the waterway, similar to the entertainment districts thriving in cities across the nation.

She directly referenced the city’s riverfront district, which is designed to promote investment downtown, specifically a mix of niche shopping outlets, recreational opportunities and a residential community, according to the city’s website.

To boost these efforts, the city allows restaurants in the riverfront district to obtain off-quote liquor licenses at a significantly below-market rate.

“There are already some initiatives in place that are incentivizing more restaurants to be built up on the waterway,” said Alexander. “That is definitely going to happen and is already heading in that direction.”

As for alternative development plans, Alexander said she will be promoting the idea of urban farming accessibility, and increasing storm water maintenance within development projects, similar to the “green infrastructure initiative” announced last month that will include a downtown performance stage.

“I hope this document is very forward thinking, just like the last one,” she said.

Lastly, both Alexander and United Way 2-1-1 Director Cheryl Graham spoke about the need for “attainable housing” in downtown Kokomo and the economic development such an increase could bring to the city.

Much of that housing needs to be focused on young professionals commuting to the city or millennials thinking about moving elsewhere, said Graham.

“What studies show is they want a more urban environment,” she said. “We want to attract people for their talents and have them move here, so we need to provide the urban amenities they desire.”

However, Graham also noted the upcoming need for housing for the aging baby-boomer generation, a situation addressed to a degree by the planned Kokomo Residential Care Facility. The 105-unit assisted living facility at 410 S. Washington St. is scheduled to be completed next summer.

“We’ve talked a lot about millennials. Everybody knows that’s what we have to do,” said Graham. “On the other hand, we have to think about the people that are here and where they go next.

“We are going to talk about different kinds of housing,” she added later. “Do we need to create more and what kind do we need?”

Image and Identity/Growth Management

One thing that impacts economic development more than people realize is aesthetic value, said Alexander.

That’s why “preserve and enhance historical and culturally significant amenities” and “develop a beautification plan along sensitive and major corridors throughout the city” were listed as objectives in the 2001 plan.

With flower planting efforts becoming commonplace through the Keep Kokomo Beautiful campaign, Alexander sees Kokomo’s image moving in the right direction.

“We’ve been doing the flower baskets for 11 years and every year our beautification efforts get bigger,” she said. “I often talk to people about owning their … city. Beautification speaks to our image, our identity. It tells people how we feel about ourselves. And I think Kokomo is feeling pretty good.”

Last week, the Downtown Association held events to plant flowers throughout downtown.

Alongside beautification through flowers and trees, the city also created the strategy of capitalizing on the “historical and culturally significant amenities to create a unique identity,” which has been achieved somewhat through the plan to utilize the NISCO building façade with the upscale apartment complex.

Another way Alexander can think to utilize existing buildings to promote Kokomo’s identity is through street art, which has so far been used most expansively in downtown alleys.  

As for community growth and connectivity – objectives which were listed as “encourage growth and development that is sensitive to pedestrian scale, pedestrian linkages and local needs” in the 2001 plan – Graham said she will bring to community stakeholders the issue of connecting neighbors, whether that be through amenities or city parks.

In effect, Graham hopes to connect the city through physicality, in ways that include walkability and park access. She also hopes, however, to bring a new mindset to Kokomo residents.

“We need to look at neighborhoods and see what is going on and talk to the people living there,” she said. “Going forward, the back porch idea doesn’t work for us. How do we get people onto the front porch?

“We want to get people on the same wavelength, and it happens in an organic way.”

It’s through both physical and philosophical changes that Graham thinks Kokomo has made progress and will continue to develop away from its somewhat boring past.

In reference to that progress, Graham cited places like Foster Park, which now hosts the Summer Concert Series and multiple festivals throughout the summer, and Kokomo Municipal Stadium – both places she said help make Kokomo a regional destination.

“I am talking to people that haven’t been here for 20 years, and they are amazed by the change,” she said. “I remember when people hated Kokomo. There was nothing to do. There was no music, no culture. We cruised down Washington Street because we were bored.

“Now, I don’t hear anyone say there is nothing to do around here. I hear people say they can’t choose what they want to do. We have to realize we have come a long way.”