Portfolio

AARON KLOKE | MCRPportfolio

City of Casper, Wyoming_Summer 2012

City of Crete, Nebraska_Fall 2012

Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador_Summer 2013

City of Crete, Nebraska_Summer & Fall 2013

City of Omaha, Nebraska_Fall 2013 & Spring 2014Professional Project

City Planning Internship

Discover Alborada Park

Crete Visioning Plan

1

2

7

11

14

Planning Internship

Content

Page 1 | City of Casper Internship

Historical Case Data Development Review Photo Inventory

My largest project of the summer was to review historical cases, such as easements and exactions, while populating a digital database to be used by several other city departments. This project allowed me to familiarize myself with the legal and administrative side of land use and zoning.

In addition to working with historical case data, I was given the opportunity to present recommendations concerning development review to city council. I also wrote and developed a set of ordinance amendments outlining outdoor lighting standards, allowing me to come full circle and appreciate all aspects planning policy and the development review process.

One of my final projects was to produce a photo inventory of downtown assets including buildings, parklets, and open space. This gave me the opportunity to understand the many elements that comprehensively make up any downtown or city district.

My internship under the Community Development Dept. of the City of Casper was my first real time experience working in a planning and development environment. This opportunity allowed me to explore all aspects of current planning and development review from the city perspective.

Planning InternshipCity of Casper, WyomingSummer 2012

Page 2 | Crete Visioning Plan

Crete Visioning PlanCity of Crete, NebraskaFall 2012

Elizabeth Goll_M ARCHLisa Major_M ARCHChris Rokahr_M ARCHMatt Macchietto_L ARCHHeather Tomasek_L ARCHDennis Krymuza_M ARCHZach Klebba_M ARCH

Aaron Kloke_M CRPBrian Anderson_L ARCHCoelette Gruber_M CRPJacob Kophamer_L ARCHSarah Hanzel_M CRPNate Krohn_L ARCHKim Wilson_PROFESSOR

“A ‘grassroots’ initiative led by Crete Community Breakfast Group that will result in a plan to revitalize this small rural town and impact change in the county.”

University of Nebraska - Lincoln_College of ArchitectureInterdisciplinary Studio_Fall 2012

KIN

GW

OO

D A

VE

AVE

AVE

AVE

AVE

AVE

AVE

OA

K

PIN

E

NO

RM

AN

MA

IN

LIN

DE

N

KIN

GW

OO

D

JUN

IPE

R

IVY

HA

WTH

OR

NE

GR

OV

E

FOR

ES

T

BO

SW

ELL

FRAN

KLIN

AVE

.

WESTWOOD DR.

GR

AH

AM

RO

AD

GRAHAM ROAD

HE

ATH

ER

ST.

29th ST.

DU

ND

EE C

T.

FAIR

WAY

CO

UR

T

FAIRWAY

20th ST

21st ST

22nd ST

23rd ST

24th ST

MA

IN A

VE

NO

RM

AN

AV

E

OA

K A

VE

AVE

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

13th

14th

15th

5th

4th

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

ST

AVE

QU

INC

E

BO

SW

ELL

ST19th

ST

20th STREET

T

ST. ANDREWS DR.

I MOTHYS

T

22nd

23rd

24th

KIN

GW

OO

D

JUN

IPE

R

10th

IVY

HA

WTH

OR

NE

FAIRWAY DR.

GR

OV

E

KIN

GW

OO

D

FOR

ES

T

BO

SW

ELL

JUN

IPE

R

OA

K A

VE

KIN

GW

OO

D A

VE

LIN

DE

N A

VE

MA

IN A

VE

D

RE

DW

OO

D

SY

CA

MO

RE

THO

RN

WO

OD

VIN

E

WO

OD

UN

ON

A

AVE

AVE

AVE

LAK

EV

IEW

DRIFTWOOD DRIVE

CIR.WILDERNESS

CO

UN

TRY

CLU

B L

AN

E

BURMA ROAD

CE

DA

R

R

OA

D

ST.

IVY

HA

WTH

OR

NE

GR

OV

E

4th

RO

AD

EA

STR

IDG

E

WE

STR

IDG

E R

OA

D

PAR

KE

R'S

SE

CO

ND

DRIVE

ARTHUR

FRAN

KLIN

DR

IVE

SUMMITCO

UR

T

DRIVEFAIRCHILD LOC

US

T S

T.

ST.

JO

HN

S C

OU

RT

IRIS

JAS

MIN

E

BIR

KW

OO

D

LOC

US

TAV

E.

AVE

.

AVE

.

AVE.

AVE.

WHITTIERAV

E.

AVE

.

AVE

.

AVE

.

AVE

.

HIC

KO

RY

GLE

NW

OO

D

FIR

EV

ER

GR

EE

N

13th ST.

ST.

ST.

ST.17th

16th

15th

CO

DE

AVE

.

MYHILL LANE

BLO

SS

OM

PLA

CE

MY

HIL

L L

AN

E

RID

GE

WAY

CT.

DRIVE

WOODSY LANE

CRESTLINE PARK LANE

LOTHROP LAKE CIRCLE

DRIVELONGWOOD

DR

IVE

VALL

EY

VIE

W

GOLDENROD LANE

LAKESHORE

DRIV

E

LAK

ES

HO

RE

DR

.

SU

NSE

T

DR

I

WH

ITE

VEPINE E

CH

ER

RY

WO

OD

D

RIV

E

GDIRRO

IDA

HO

A

VE

.

ST

WY

OM

ING

A

VE

.

AVE

AVE

3rd ST

2nd ST

1st ST

16th

AR

IZO

NA

AV

E.

14th ST.

COTTONWOOD ROAD

VAV

RA

R

OA

D

SERTOMA ROAD

ST

17th ST

LIN

DE

N A

VE

OLDSETTLERS ROAD

ROAD

ISA

CC

W

ALT

ON

R

OA

D

RODEO ROAD

FAIR

VIE

W

RO

AD

RO

AD

TUX

ED

O15th ST.

STA

TE H

IGH

WAY

NO

. 103

STATE HIGHWAY NO. 33

CO

DE

AVE

.

NO

RM

AN

AVE

17th

BLUE ACRES STREET

BARBER STREET

JUR

EN

A AV

E

VIL

LA A

VE

A

WESTWOOD DRIVE

DAWN DRIVE

MIC

HE

LLE

DR

IVE

BR

IAR

AV

E.

DA

WN

CIR

.

HE

ATH

ER

18th

CIR

.

RESIVOIR

DARLINTONS

ADDITION

OtherCrete has everything

ZooFishing

Boating

TrailsHiking

THIRD PLACE

WHAT MAKES CRETE UNIQUE?FAVORITE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY NOT AVAILABLE IN CRETE WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

10%

20%

30%

0%Outside of Crete

Lincoln

Library

Park Church

Golf Course

PoolDoane College

Other

Post Office

Church

True Value

ACE Hardware

Foodmart

RunzaOther Restaurants

Other Shopping

Other

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

DOWNTOWN DESTINATIONDOWNTOWN FREQUENCY

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

0 1-3 4-6 7-10 >10

CHILD MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION

0%

10%

20%

30%

PARK FREQUENCY

Within last month

Within last 3 monts

More than 3 months

Within Last Week

With last two weeks

< $30,000

$30,000 - $49,000

$50,000 - $74,999

$75,000 - $99,999

> $100,000

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

COMMUTE (MILES)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

0-2 3-10 11-20 >20

Freq

uenc

y

Miles

0 20 40 60 80

Freq

uenc

y

Years Old

AGE

Full Time

Part Time

Unemployed

Retired

Student

Other

60%

40%

20%

0%

EMPLOYMENTEDUCATION

Some High School

High School or GED

Some College

Associates

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Doctorate

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0

Diversity

Culture/History

School System

The People/Community

Doane College

Small Town Atmosphere

Volunteers

Medical Facilities

Don’t Know

Other

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%Diversity

Culture/History

Proximity to Lincoln

The People/Community

Doane College

Small Town Atmosphere

Employment/Industry

Safe Community

Dont’ Know

Other

50%

40%

30%

20%

20%

30%

40%

50%

10%

0%

10%

0%

COMMUNITY SURVEY

2% walk

84% by vehicle

14% by bicycle

This map reveals residence locations of the visioning session participants. There are two layers. The yellow dots represent the the participants of the Latino community visioning ses-sion held on September 4th. The dark blue dots represent the participants of the general community visioning session held on September 5th.

A series of community vision meetings took place on September 4th and September 5th. The first took place at Dios es Amor Church to meet with the Latino community of Crete. The second session took place at Crete High School to meet with the whole commu-nity. A total of 114 surveys were handed out to identify what makes Crete what it is today and to understand Crete’s citizen’s activities, hopes for the future, and perceptions of their community.

The survey can be broken up into three sections: Activity, Demo-graphics, and Perceptions. We found that a great deal of our partici-pants were highly educated and employed. We also found that the majority of our participants felt that Crete was a safe community and that its neighborhoods had high standards of appearance. We also discovered that a strong majority of survey participants were very proud of the town’s diversity and believed it was one of the most unique aspects of Crete. Lastly, this survey revealed to us that participants strongly demand some type of trail system for biking, walking, and running

72% agree that Crete is very safe.

41% agree that their block’s appearance is good.

18% agree that their block’s appearance is very good.

24% agree that Crete is somewhat safe.

26% agree that their block’s appearance is okay.

3% agree that Crete is unsafe.

15% agree that their block’s appearance is poor.

Latino Community Vision Session

General Community Vision Session

Has obtained a bachelor’s or master’s degree and is 55 years old

Has a household income over $100,000 and is employed full-time

Believes that Crete’s most unique characteristic is its diversity

Is proud of Crete’s diversity, sense of community, and the people that make it up

Wants more community building, neigh-borhood integration, and more green space.

Spends most of their free time in Lincoln and other nearby communities outside of Crete

Feels that Crete is a safe place to live

Has not visited a local park within three months

Spends money downtown one to three times a week and frequently visits Foodmart, True Value, and other shop-ping or retail

Believes Crete needs a vision and better leadership

The goal of this project was to create a visioning plan for the City of Crete that would lead the city to identify goals and strategies to pursue an environment that reflects its rich history, stimulates innovation, and develops social, environmental, and economic assets for the community.

In the Fall of 2012, students worked through a process which consisted of inventory and analysis, frameworking, design, and implementation phases. I would later, along with landscape architecture student Heather Tomasek, be hired to work on specific projects that would maintain the momentum of the Crete visioning plan.

To the right is a diagram used to summarize the findings of a survey which my team designed, administered, and analyzed to inform our inventory gathering process.


Economic Analysis





Sources: Community Economic Analysis: A How To Manual; Hustedde, Shaffer, & PulverCreating an Economic Development Action Plan; Lyons & Hamlin

RETAIL TRADE AREA

A trade area is the geographic area from which the community draws the majority of its retail trade customers. It usually extends beyond the munici-pal boundaries. The general criteria is that the majority of trade area resi-dents shop in the community.

Reilly’s Law of Retail Gravitation can help a community determine its retail trade boundaries. It is appropriate for shopping goods (furniture, medical services and automobiles, etc.), which are the goods and services bought after comparing price, quality and style.

This argues people are attracted to bigger places to do their shopping, but the time and distance they must travel influences their willingness to shop there. Below are the distances of Crete’s retail pull in directions toward ma-jor communities surrounding Crete.

Lincoln - 3.6 milesMilford - 14 milesWilber - 7.5 milesFriend - 13 miles

ECONOMIC BASE ANALYSIS

Economic base analysis is grounded in the assumption that the local econ-omy can be divded into two very general sectors: basic or non-basic. The basic sector is made up of local businesses that are dependent on external factors. Manufacturing and local resource-oriented firms are usually consid-ered to be basic because they depend largely on non-local factors and they usually export their goods. Non-basic is compased of local businesses. Its clientele is locally based. Economic base theory asserts that the means of strengthening and growing the local economy is to develop and enhance the basic sector. Base theory also maintains that a local economy is strong-est when it develops those economic sectors that are not closely tied to the local economy.

RETAIL PULL

Crete’s pull is very weak looking Northeast due to Lincoln. Lincoln has tra-ditionally proven to be very strong competitely in terms of retail due to its size. Crete’s greatest pull is NNW and West, towards Milford and Friend. Both of these pulls distance up to approximetly 14 miles. While this is only an estimate, it gives us a good idea of who may be frequenting Crete retail. Understanding the consumers from these areas and discovering their de-mands could help Crete shape a more efficient and successful retail market.

CRETE PRODUCTION AND EXPORTATION

Location quotients indicate if a community produces more than is needed for its own use and is selling the excess to nonlocal markets. It can also tell us which types of businesses are not accomodating local needs and are a source of consumption leakage. This type of analysis takes into account the percentage of local employment activity in relation to the percentage of national employment activity in specific industries.

Location Quotient scores greater than one (LQ > 1) indicate exporting in-dustries. Scores less than one (LQ < 1) indicate this industry is not self suf-ficient. Each community need not be completely self-sufficient in all sectors, however, if the location quotient is less than one in an industry, it suggests there may be a gap in the local economy.

Analysis:

Manufacturing 4.69Transportation & Warehousing 1.51

Real Estate and Leasing .16Professional and Business Services .10Information .23Health Care .75

Retail .74

THE COMMUNITY ECONOMY SIMPLIFIED

CRETE


The graph attempts to diagram several aspects of a community’s econ-onomy. First, the community is intimately linked with the rest of the world through the inflow of goods like agricultural goods and the outflow of goods. Second, the community uses resources to produce the output it sells. These resources can be available locally or purchased elsewhere. Third, the size and power of the processor is determined essentially by the inflow of outside income, the lack of leakage of income, and the volume of resources used to produce the community’s output.

SUMMARY

Different routes need to be taken. Our strongest industries should be main-tained. Potential future areas of investment include health care and profes-sional & business services. Health care holds promise as Crete already has strong facilities and can have the ability to be a regional provider, bringing in outside money. Lastly, Crete has a demand for professional and business services that are not being met by local firms. The potential for agriculture based service firms are good as well as other general services.

The citizens of Crete demand more retail. If Crete positions itself correctly and upholds unique niches in retail for its customer’s unique demands, re-tail could hold potential.

LB 840 is a fantastic tool for this community, but needs to be thought out more. The financing raised should be invested in Crete’s citizens and infra-structure. Public investment is important because it is more sustainable and longer lasting. Loans, rather than grants are more appropriate for economic development due to the fact that businesses come and go, but infrastruc-ture sustains business.

Lastly, LB 840 is not a be all, end all, and should be utilized with other so-phisticated forms of financing.

ECONOMIC BASE ANALYSIS CONTINUED

After looking over the location quotient numbers and analysis. We know that Crete’s main exporting, basic industries are that of Manufacturing and Transportation & Warehousing. By comparing the employment for all in-dustries and Crete and the employment in just the basic sectors, we can see the strength of these sectors and the strength of Crete’s main economic engines. The final ratio for the economic base is 1.77. This indicates that for every job created in the basic sectors of manufacturing and transportation & warehousing, .77 jobs are created in other non basic industries to support it. The greatest way to boost a communities economy is to support basic economies and then support supply chains for these basic economies.

Location Quotients have told us more than our basic industries. Three more industries have been identified that are not able to support the local de-mand, the greatest one being professional & business services at .1. This means that 90% of the demand for these services within Crete are being supplied by outside firms, leading to money leaving Crete.

SUMMARY

Today, Crete is a manufacturing town and it always has been, with currently 49.9 % of the local economy being manufacturing. Transportation & Ware-housing is also a main industry probably due to this being a complementary industry alongside the exportation of manufactured goods. The manufac-turing industry’s stength is mainly due to its proximity to main hubs of Ne-braska infrastructure and transportation. The majority of manufacturing is agricultural based food manufacturing such as Farmland, Nestle-Purina, and Bunge Mills. This has driven Crete’s economy and employment numbers in the past years.

Unfortunately, in recent years Crete has witnessed has seen a sharp de-crease in jobs availability compared to the State of Nebraska and its top industries, manufacturing and transportation & warehousing have failed to bring a positive increase in job opportunities. While industry firms and em-ployers have increased in Crete, they have not kept up with other Nebraska communities’ output of jobs.

This may be why we currently see a disconnect between home and work-place. Nearly 69% of Crete’s workforce does not work in Crete. At the same time, we see nearly 55% of Crete’s residents working outside of Crete.

EMPLOYMENT EXPLAINED

The four graphs to the left share a great deal of information and what can be concluded from them can help us understand what to focus on in the fu-ture economic development of Crete. The employment availability is shown as a percentage of Nebraska’s employment availability. We can see that there has been a great decline over the past years. This data may seem to be in conflict with the Industry data. The industry data does show an increase in employment in specific sectors. But, when considering that the first graph is shown as a percentage of Nebraska’s employment, we can see that Crete may be adding jobs but anywhere near the rate that the rest of Nebraska is.

The first graph, on employment availability, compared to the unemploy-ment chart also provides interesting conclusions. Notice that the two charts are inversely related. As less jobs are available, unemployment goes up. This inverse relationship seems to be at a disconnect after 2005. It is difficult to say what is going when looking at this. If jobs are being added, yet unem-ployment is rising, it may be due to residents outside of Crete accepting jobs within Crete. This could be the case as Crete’s unemployment rate is calculated for Crete residents only while available jobs can be occupied by residents of Crete or residents outside of Crete.

Crete’s per capita income is shown as a percentage of Nebraska’s. This per capita income has plateaued since 2000. This could be due to the rapid in-crease in population by residents and laborers that are taking lower paying jobs and the stagnation of the availability of higher paying jobs.

UNEMPLOYMENT PER CAPITA INCOME

INDUSTRYEMPLOYMENT POSITIONS

FIVE STRATEGIES FOR A STRONG ECONOMY

- Attracting new basic or export employers Creating a diverse mix of industry

- Capturing existing markets What markets exist that we haven’t discovered?

- Encouraging the start-up of new firms. Entrepreneurship

- Helping existing firms become more efficient Invest in further technology and capital

- Using aids and programs from broader levels of government. LB 840, CDBG, and other forms of federal funding

N

NW NE

SESW

S

W E

82%

80%

78%

76%

4%

5%

74%

3%

100%

72%

2%

90%

70%

1%80%

68%

0%70%

1990

19901990

1995

19951995

2000

20002000

2005

20052005

2010

20102010

Manufacturing has increased only slightly since 2000 and is the greatest employer of all industries.

Finance and Insurance employment has increased due to a large number of small firms and a few medium sized firms.

Construction employment as relatively increased greatly since 2000.

Crete’s unemployment rate has consistently been lower than Nebraska’s aside from 2008.

Unemployment has increased, probably due to the Great Recession, always consistent with the state of Nebraska

With dramatic population increase and job availability stagnation, unemployment has increased, even to the point where in 2008, unemployment was higher than the Nebraska average.

Employment is measured as a percentage of Nebraska’s employment. Crete saw a decline in the availability of jobs throughout this time period.

For the past five years, Crete has seen a plateau in job availability while their population has increased dramatically.

Retail employers have increased, but being small firms, they have not em-ployed a large amount of employees per firm.

Transport and Warehousing has increased employees due to larger firms in recent years.

Health care employment has increased slightly since 2000.

Between 1990 and 2000, Crete experienced declining per capita income. Beginning in 2000, Crete’s per capita income has plateaued through the years. This plateau may be explained by Crete’s rapid growth between 2000 and 2010. 2008 saw the highest per capita income since 2000.

ECONOMIC ANALYSISElizabeth Goll_M ARCHLisa Major_M ARCHChris Rokahr_M ARCHMatt Macchietto_L ARCHHeather Tomasek_L ARCHDennis Krymuza_M ARCHZach Klebba_M ARCH





RETAIL TRADE AREA







RETAIL PULL





Analysis:



Retail .74


CRETE



SUMMARY








SUMMARY
















N

NW NE

SESW

S

W E

82%

80%

78%

76%

4%

5%

74%

3%

100%

72%

2%

90%

70%

1%80%

68%

0%70%

1990

19901990

1995

19951995

2000

20002000

2005

20052005

2010

20102010













ECONOMIC ANALYSIS






RETAIL TRADE AREA







RETAIL PULL





Analysis:



Retail .74


CRETE



SUMMARY








SUMMARY
















N

NW NE

SESW

S

W E

82%

80%

78%

76%

4%

5%

74%

3%

100%

72%

2%

90%

70%

1%80%

68%

0%70%

1990

19901990

1995

19951995

2000

20002000

2005

20052005

2010

20102010













ECONOMIC ANALYSIS






RETAIL TRADE AREA







RETAIL PULL





Analysis:



Retail .74


CRETE



SUMMARY








SUMMARY
















N

NW NE

SESW

S

W E

82%

80%

78%

76%

4%

5%

74%

3%

100%

72%

2%

90%

70%

1%80%

68%

0%70%

1990

19901990

1995

19951995

2000

20002000

2005

20052005

2010

20102010













ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

Through the City of Crete visioning plan, it was my job to provide a solid foundation of understanding of Crete’s economic climate. In addition to standard economic indicators like employment and income, employee migration throughout the region was also explored which led to a surprising revelation in

understanding what Crete’s citizens and employees want out of their town. The overall findings led to the identification of key goals and projects and informed strategic recommendations.

EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS

UNEMPLOYMENT

INDUSTRY

PER CAPITA INCOME

PRODUCTION & EXPORTATION

RETAIL PULL

Downtown Frameworking & Proposals

DOWNTOWN FRAMEWORK

Elizabeth Goll_M ARCHLisa Major_M ARCHChris Rokahr_M ARCHMatt Macchietto_LARCHeather Tomasek_M ARCHDennis Krymuza_M ARCHZach Klebba_M ARCH

Aaron Kloke_CRPLBrian Anderson_LARCCoelette Gruber_CRPLJacob Kophamer_LARCSarah Hanzel_CRPLNate Krohn_LARCKim Wilson_PROF


DOANE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS PERSPECTIVE



Elizabeth Goll_M ARCHLisa Major_M ARCHChris Rokahr_M ARCHMatt Macchietto_LARCHeather Tomasek_LARCDennis Krymuza_M ARCHZach Klebba_M ARCH

Aaron Kloke_M CRPBrian Anderson_LARCCoelette Gruber_M CRPJacob Kophamer_LARCSarah Hanzel_M CRPNate Krohn_LARCKim Wilson_PROF

MAIN STREET

UNIFORM GARBAGE CAN AND BENCHES

UNIFORM GARBAGE CAN AND BENCHES

UNIFORM GREENINFILL

PLANTER WITH SEATING SPACE

PARKLETEXPANDED SEATING AREA

PARKLETEXPANDED DINING AREA

CURRENT 45 DEGREE PARKING

LANE

PLANTER WITHMALUS PRAIRIFIRE CRABAPPLE STREET

TREE AND COTONEASTER ADPRESSUS BUSHES

EXPANDED CORNER WITHCRIMESON SPIRE OAK

STREET TREE

TWO LANE TRAFFIC

CURRENT STREET LIGHTSWITH FLOWER BASKET

CURRENT CONCRETESIDEWALK

MALUS PRAIRIFIRE CRABAPPLE STREET TREE

CURRENT STREET LIGHTSWITH FLOWER BASKET

CURRENT STREET LIGHTSWITH FLOWER BASKETS

EXPANDED CORNER WITHCRIMESON SPIRE OAK

STREET TREE

MA

IN S

TREE

T

13 th

12 th

1

3

2

CREATING GREEN INFILL BY USING PAKLET FOR EXPANDED

OUTDOOR DINING

CREATING GREEN INFILL BY USING PARKLET

FOR EXPAMDED OUTDOOR SEATING

CREATE GREEN INFILL BY USING PLANTER WITH

SEATING SPACE

CREATE GREEN INFILL BY USING PLANTER WITH SEATING SPACE

1

3

2

2 CREATING GREEN INFILL BY USING PARKLETS FOR EXPAMDED OUTDOOR SEATING2

CREATING GREEN INFILL BY USING PAKLET FOR EXPANDED OUTDOOR DINING1

Illustrations by Colette Gruber, Heather Tomasek, Dennis Krymuza, Matthew Macchietto, & Lisa Major



Strategic ImplementationThe final phase of this visioning plan was to identify projects and provide designs to show the potential results of successful projects. My job was to develop general guidelines for successful

project implementation by identifying timelines, actors and stakeholders, and sources of financing and resources.

Elizabeth Goll_M ARCHLisa Major_M ARCHChris Rokahr_M ARCHMatt Macchietto_LARCHHeather Tomasek_LARCHDennis Krymuza_M ARCHZach Klebba_M ARCH

Aaron Kloke_M CRPBrian Anderson_LARCHCoelette Gruber_M CRPJacob Kophamer_LARCHSarah Hanzel_M CRPNate Krohn_LARCHKim Wilson_PROFESSOR

“A ‘grass roots’ initiative led by Crete Community Breakfast Group that will result in a plan to revitalize this small rural town and impact change in the county.”


Sources: Burayidi, M. A. (Ed.). (2011). Downtowns: Revitalizing the Centers of Small Urban Centers. New York, NY: Routledge.Klemp, R. L. (Ed.). (2000). Main Street Renewal: A Handbook. London: McFarland & Company, Inc. .Lyons, T. S., & Hamlin, R. E. (2001). Creating an Economic Development Action Plan. London: Praeger Publishers.Parolek, D., Parolek, K., & Crawford, P. (2008). Form-Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities, and Developers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

IMPLEMENTATION

ProjectFocus Funding & Support Implementation & Action

Complete Streets and Infill

11th Street Streetscaping (1 - 2 years)

• Develop a complete green street corridor system throughout the city.

• Connect destinations and green belt trail system to encourage use of green spaces.

• Using complete street programming that encourages all modes of transportation, walking, biking, and automobile.

• Create an appealing entrance into Crete that transition the environment from rural to urban.

• Reflect the natural ecologies of the region.

• Lessen the dominance of industrial factors through natural vegetation and landscaping

• Increase pedestrian walkability along corridors.

• Design a space to attract the development of commercial and professional business infill along Hawthorne Avenue that

may not be suitable for downtown.

• Use creative financing strategies to attract new businesses into Crete and into the Neighborhood Professional District.

• Establish a flexible zoning code in order to allow for a multifunctional avenue with a combination of uses to serve as a

welcoming avenue stretching into the center of Crete.

• Organize this Neighborhood Professional District with unique design standards to allow it to evolve into a distinctive

area for Crete’s commercial businesses.

Hawthorne Avenue (6 - 8 years)

Iris Avenue (6 - 8 years)

Local development corporations are semi public entities which work to-wards community development projects. Often times these are projects that may be neglected by the local government but which are in demand by the community. These entities are semi public because their purpose is to generate community economic development, not to realize a profit. Be-cause they have a strong private affiliation, they are often more effective in dealing with prospective firms than the local government is.

An example may be a development corporation helping a manufacturing firm to rehabilitate abandoned factories or constructing new ones and leas-ing this space to them. Development corporations also make loans to busi-nesses for constructing new plants, purchasing land or equipment, paying relocation costs, and so on. A primary activity of local economic corpora-tions in the United States has been the floating of private purpose tax ex-empt bonds. The possibilities are endless when considering the extent as to which a development corporation can take part of and affect a communi-ties economy.

Local development corporations are also important because they are often capable of receiving state and federal assistance that may not be available to the municipality or local government.

The Crete Area Improvement & Development Corporation has the ability to have a much more significant role than it traditionally has and the capac-ity for this group to build off of the success of the Economic Development Board is great.

Form-based codes are a method of regulating development to achieve a spe-cific urban form. They create a predictable public realm primarily by control-ling physical form, with a lesser focus on land use, through city or county regu-lations.

These regulations have been developed specifically to empower communi-ties both to enable and to require better development patterns and individual projects. They are a cutting-edge tool for helping improve the quality of our built environment and our communities, as well as for fighting sprawl and all detrimental effects.

Form-based codes are based on spatial organizing principles, such as the rural-to-urban transect, that identify and reinforce urban hierarchy. Envisioning and regulating places in this way enable a sense of continuity throughout the com-munity with smooth and often imperceptible transitions between regulatory zones rather than the hard-edge separation and buffering between single use zones that is common in places regulated by conventional zoning codes.

More specifically, these codes regulate the details that are most important for the successful implementation of walkable, human-scaled neighborhoods, focusing primarily on urban, while also addressing use and other necessary factors. These details include certain aspects of the buildings as they form the walls of the public space, including their placement, height, width, and the particular way they interact with the public space. They also include the design and layout of streets and blocks, typically requiring narrower streets laid out in an interconnected, gridded network to accommodate pedestrians and bicy-clists, as well as automobiles and transit. In addition, they regulate the location of parking to create beneficial impacts, such as protecting pedestrians from

There are a variety of advantages that come with implementa-tion of PUD Design Guidelines and Form Based Codes. They can result in more efficient land use, consistent form, appeal-ing and pedestrian based design or new neighborhoods. How-ever, they impose stricter guidelines on developers that will likely be opposed. It takes proper market conditions and rigor on behalf of the planning bodies to ensure that design criteria are not compromised. The phasing strategy for PUDs can facili-tate greater control over the development.

Once the property is annexed and regulatory measures are es-tablished it can be developed in a sequence according to mar-ket conditions. One logical approach is to begin by building the sports complex and green space using the existing road infrastructure along Main Street. The facilities would be city owned and include the five baseball fields, legion field, softball field, and soccer field as well as associated concession areas and parking lots. More accessibility, Construction of these facilities will provide desired amenities for the City of Crete. By relocating many of these facilities from Tuxedo Park, it will allow for desirable new and restructured park program as part of a conservation and economic strategy. Development of the sports complex can utilize existing road infrastructure and act as a catalyst to draw developers. For the remaining property, developers can submit a site plan following the PUD design guidelines/form based codes and begin to develop the property in pieces. If market demand is high, the City will have greater leverage when establishing design guidelines.

The value of volunteer labor will be great when beginning to think about redeveloping Crete’s parks, trails, and the Big Blue River. Many parks and recreation departments have officially organized “Friends of” volunteer groups. These groups organize special events, raise money, schedule work-days and partner with local businesses. They also contact the media and legislature to get the word out on issues important to parks. These groups are made up of volunteers who help shore up park projects, programs, and management. Many times these kinds of groups are formed to advocate for specific areas or projects. In the case of Crete, this may culminate into a groups which support the cleanup of the Big Blue River, urban trees, or a trail system. Often times, funds raised by these friends groups, through spe-cial events or other activities, are used for improvements and programming.

While Crete does not have a parks and recreation department and it may not have the resources to fund the necessary types of activities, it does have a Parks Board. It is up to this Parks Board to organize these types of volun-teer projects and guide the City of Crete in properly budgeting general funds in order to finance development projects which will result in tangible and meaningful outcomes for the citizens of Crete.

The land located in the project area is owned by a variety of private citizens and the City of Crete. Before it can be devel-oped it can be acquired through an assortment of means.

Donate There have been examples of people who donate their land to a municipality. Sometimes property owners will do this as a charity for conservation efforts, public recreation, or to re-linquish land that has low development potential but creates property taxes.

Developer

A developer could purchase the land. Illustrated by the lack of investment on the East side of Crete it is unlikely it would be purchased in its current state.

City

The City can act as developer and start to create more condu-cive market conditions if they first buy the property. Through the process of annexation, the City of Crete can establish the area as part of the City limits. Annexation would increase the property tax base for the City, allow for City services to be extended into the study area, and create an urban growth boundary. Annexation is a legal process which is undergone through the Crete Planning Commission, City Council, and Saline County.

There are a series of tools that a City can use to control the form and quality of new development that occurs on the out-skirts of town. A Planned Unit Development (PUD) and form based codes are two of these tools.

Planned Unit Development

A Planned Unit Development (PUD) has its own unique zoning standards. Requirements for the design of public and private spaces are established for the whole project as part of PUD De-sign Guidelines. The guidelines ensure quality and consistency within the overall development through the process. Guide-lines address site design and layout, harmonious style and materials, building massing, architectural features, site land-scaping, lighting and signage to establish an overall aesthetic for the development. PUD Design Guidelines are intended to be part of a PUD Site Development Agreement which, togeth-er with an approved preliminary plat, will define the project scope and act as the guiding plan for the development. The guidelines identify elements and design criteria that must be incorporated into the project and communicate the expecta-tions of the City to individual site builders, owners and tenants for each phase within the overall development.

The format of design guidelines can include three basic com-ponents:Intent Statements, detailed Guidelines, and Illustrations. The Intent statements present the overall goal for development and describe a desired outcome within the site or building

ProjectsFocus Funding & Support Implementation & Action

Open Space

Tuxedo Park (6 - 8 years)

• Reflect the rich history of education, culture, and the natural environment in Tuxedo Park.

• Improve the aesthetic qualities and programs.

• Create new public spaces and infrastructure for community wide events.

• Create a conservation/restoration landscape through strategies successful to the historical Chautauqua grounds.

• Embrace the natural vegetation of Tuxedo park, creating a connection between park and river.

• Develop a green belt and trails system that envelops the City.

• Connect natural open spaces, parks, neighborhoods and key roadways into an integrated network that encourages

exercise and recreation.

• Restore river corridor and integrate it into the community fabric.

River Maintenance ( 1 - 2 years) and Trail Development (6

- 8 years)

CDBG Funds

Crete Area Improvement and De-

velopment Corporation Funding

Property Tax Incentives

Tax Increment Financing

Private Financing

Crete Area Improvement and

Development Corporation Bond

Financing

City of Crete Bond Financing

Monetary Donations

City of Crete general funds

Monetary Donations

City of Crete general funds

City of Crete

Doane College

City of Crete

CAIDC

Chamber of Commerce

City of Crete

Crete Public Schools

Park Board

City of Crete

Park Board

City of Crete

“Friends of” Groups

New South Neighborhood Expansion

design category. The Guidelines provide specific directions on how the intent should be met. These may include instructions and illustrations outlining setback requirements, traditional ar-chitectural style to match the towns existing homes, porches, rear loading garages, alleys, and landscaping requirements. Il-lustrations are either sketches that further illustrate the Guide-lines or photos presenting examples of how the Design Intent has been achieved in other projects.

Form-Based Codes

First, determine type of code and geographic area to be cov-ered. In this case the code would be applied to the new neigh-borhood. Next, perform inventory and analysis of existing conditions to document the existing “forms” of the commu-nity. This inventory can be fairly labor intensive and involves detailed analysis of lot widths, setbacks, building heights, etc. With a good understanding of the existing “forms” of the com-munity, a public process should then be conducted to gain a consensus on the existing community quality that should be maintained or new ones to be achieved. This is often done through a design charrette or workshop. From the inventory, analysis, and public process, detailed urban standards are developed for features such as streets, blocks, building place-ment, and land use. Building form standards will also be de-veloped for the various building types within the community. These standards are then developed into an ordinance and applied to a regulating plan.

Acquisition1

Regulating3

Phasing2

• Meet future needs for growth that thoughtfully and effectively integrates with existing systems.

• Establish a roadway network that is integrated into the existing grid, facilitates place finding, identifies primary thoroughfares, and

reinforces intersection nodes.

• Encourage a new walkable neighborhood that incorporates a diverse range of housing options, churches, schools, and connection to

the open space network.

• Ensure gradual transition between residential land uses.

• Preserve agricultural land, steep slopes, and drainage areas.

Crete Area Improvement &Development CorporationForm-Based Codes Volunteerism

moving traffic, while minimizing negative impacts, and they regulate an appropriate mix of compatible uses and building types, enabling diverse, vibrant places.

Finally, because they regulate these details to the level necessary to ensure adherence to the community’s vision, form-based codes can also provide a streamlined development review and approval process requiring little or no subjective review, thus encouraging appropriate development.

Yet, while form-based codes differ radically from conventional zoning in many ways, they are similar in a few ways. Form-based codes also isolate noxious uses, such as heavy manufacturing and airports, and they gener-ally only regulate private buildings as they affect the public good, leaving plenty of room for individual tastes and styles. As necessary, they may also contain provisions similar to conventional zoning for such issues as noncon-forming uses and affordable housing.

Focus Project Funding & Support Implementation & Action

11th Street Streetscaping

Complete Streets & Infill

Hawthorne Avenue

Iris Avenue


Strategic ImplementationIn addition to providing guidelines to pursue projects, we sought to educate city officials and citizens on tools and programs that may lead to the realization of outlined goals. These tools and programs included form-based codes, business incubators, a facade grant program, and a downtown association.

Elizabeth Goll_M ARCHLisa Major_M ARCHChris Rokahr_M ARCHMatt Macchietto_LARCHHeather Tomasek_LARCHDennis Krymuza_M ARCHZach Klebba_M ARCH

Aaron Kloke_M CRPBrian Anderson_LARCHCoelette Gruber_M CRPJacob Kophamer_LARCHSarah Hanzel_M CRPNate Krohn_LARCHKim Wilson_PROFESSOR

“A ‘grass roots’ initiative led by Crete Community Breakfast Group that will result in a plan to revitalize this small rural town and impact change in the county.”


Sources: Burayidi, M. A. (Ed.). (2011). Downtowns: Revitalizing the Centers of Small Urban Centers. New York, NY: Routledge.Klemp, R. L. (Ed.). (2000). Main Street Renewal: A Handbook. London: McFarland & Company, Inc. .Lyons, T. S., & Hamlin, R. E. (2001). Creating an Economic Development Action Plan. London: Praeger Publishers.Parolek, D., Parolek, K., & Crawford, P. (2008). Form-Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities, and Developers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

IMPLEMENTATION

ProjectsFocus Funding & Support Implementation & Action

Downtown

Doane Downtown Campus and Open Space (2 - 4 years)

Private Funding

LB 840 GrantsGeneral FundsCAIDC Funding

City of Crete bond fundsSaline County bond fundsPrivate DonorsNon Profit Organization Fund

City of Crete fundingDonor Money

TIF FundsCDBG fundsPrivate funding

LB 840 FundsPrivate FundingGeneral FundsCAIDC FundingTIF FundsCDBG FundsUSDA FundsNebraska DED Funds

LB 840 Grants Economic Development BoardDowntown Association

Doane CollegeCity of CreteEconomic Development BoardDowntown AssociationMulticultural CommitteeDowntown BusinessesChamber of Commerce

Downtown AssociationCAIDCCity of CreteDowntown Businesses

Saline CountyCity of Crete

City of Crete

City of CreteDowntown AssociationPrivate developers

City of CreteDowntown AssociationCAIDCDowntown BusinessesDoane CollegeChamber of CommerceMulticultural Committee

• Work with Doane College to develop an appropriate campus that can not only serve the interests of Doane College, but also the community of Crete and the downtown. Doane College has an exceptional opportunity to serve as a catalyst for a wildly successful downtown Crete .

• Create a multicultural committee, one which could be facilitated by Doane College, to address the disconnect between Crete’s diverse communities.

• Work with downtown businesses and the Chamber of Commerce to enable and invigorate an organized entrepreneurial spirit between downtown businesses in which ideas and skills are exchanged.

• Create a facade grant program, administered by the Economic Development Board, the City of Crete, and a Downtown Associa-tion. This low cost initiative would be an appropriate use of LB 840 funds as it provides for infrastructure improvement as a part of an overall economic development strategy.

• Implement downtown design standards. This will ensure that any facade treatments, redevelopment of older buildings, and construction of new buildings integrate with the inherent character and fabric of downtown Crete.

Business Facades ( 1 - 2 years )

Downtown Streetscaping & Walkability (2 - 4 years)

Library ( 2-4 years)

Civic Infill (8 - 10 years)

High Density Housing (8 - 10 years)

Downtown Economic Revitalization ( 6 months - 10 years)

• Create a pedestrian friendly downtown so that walking from one location to another is an enjoyable, practical, and efficient mode of transport. This may include the provision of pedestrian amenities such as flowers, landscaping, benches, interesting lighting, banners, brick pavers, and street trees as well as reducing traffic speeds and making streets easier to cross.

• Request bond measure through voter ballot. Issuance by City of Crete and or Saline County.• Implement facility and programs which have a comprehensive purpose for the entire community.• Maintain the civic edge along Linden Avenue.• Library’s footprint should be sensitive to its surroundings and maintain a harmonious relationship with City Park.

• Maintain historic buildings in civic area along 13th & Linden.• Develop programs, facilities, and places that are dedicated to the benefit of the community.• Work towards developing a cohesive district with a single civic purpose. Current housing in the area is not suitable for this pur-

pose.• Maintain the civic edge along Linden Avenue, 11th Avenue, Juniper Avenue, and 7th Street.

• Determine housing feasibility and demand through market analysis. • Understand the future users of downtown in order to provide appropriate housing for potential tenants. • Develop mixed income housing options.• Maintain close proximity to daily needed amenities.• Develop high density housing in order to use land efficiently and maintain an urban character.

• Economic Development Board should establish a focus on downtown revitalization dictated by community input.• Hire an economic developer to implement downtown revitalization and work towards business retention and expansion

throughout all of Crete.• Establish downtown leadership and organization of stakeholders, business leaders, and citizens.• Invest in public infrastructure to ensure complete streets and the overall beautification and function of downtown.• Take advantage of Doane College and allow them to be a catalyst for economic and social development.• Attract new businesses and visitors to Crete through branding.• Establish phases through which the goals can be met incrementally.

Nebraska DED Economic Gardening Grants

Nebraska Advantage Act

Nebraska Progress Loan Fund

Historic Preservation Grants

Nebraska DED Site and Building Development Fund

Building Entrepreneurial Communities Act Grant

Nebraska Angel Sidecar Fund

Nebraska Microenterprise Development Act Grants

Nebraska Community Foundation Hometown Competitiveness Assistance

Tax Increment Financing

Property Tax Abatement

Impact fee rebates

Employee training programs

Loan guarantees

Deferred tax payments

Sales tax rebates

LB 840 loans

LB 840 grants

Clawback provisions for incentive

Commercial revenue bonds

Business incubator

Entrepreneurial education

HUD Community Development Block Grants

USDA Development Grants

USDA Community Facilities Grants

USDA Rural Community Development Initiative Grants

USDA Rural Business Enterprise and Opportunity Grants

USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grants

USDA Business and Industry Loan Guarantees

EPA Small Business Innovation Research Program

HUD Brownfields Economic Development Initiative

Local government decides to pursue TIF process for redevelopment of an area. Requests ‘sub-

standard & blighted’ designation for area from planning commission.

Local government declares ‘substandard & blighted’ area.

Planning commission makes ‘substandard & blighted’ determination within 30 days. Local govern-

ment holds public hearing on ‘substandard & blighted’ designation.

Redevelopment authority drafts redevelopment plan and conducts ‘cost-benefit’ analysis if plan includes TIF.

Redevelopment authority submits draft plan to plan-ning commission for review.

Planning commission reviews draft plan within 30 days; may hold public hearing.

Redevelopment authority makes recommendation re-garding plan to local government and local government holds public hearing on redevelopment plan.

Local government approves redevelopment plan. If it involves TIF, government must conclude plan would not be economically feasible without TIF.

The City of Crete has found itself to be a culturally diverse community in the past ten years. In particular, a strong Hispanic culture has emerged in Crete. While the Hispanic community is large, several other cultures and ethnicities are represented in Crete as well. Along with this community, a strong entrepre-neurial spirit has led to a range of restaurants, markets and other businesses led by minority individuals.

In addition to having strong entrepreneurial tendencies, immigrants have shown to be a very strong labor force in Crete. This provides great opportuni-ties but obstacles exist as well. While the minority communities that live and do business in Crete, there appears to be a disconnect between these commu-nities and their peers. Many towns throughout the Midwest have experienced this problem. Towns similar to Crete have proven to be successful by directly addressing the issues and being proactive. These issues are often addressed by a kind of multicultural committee, turning a town’s multicultural issues into a strength and economic asset by assimilating all cultural communities. This initiative can turn into a vital economic development tool.

The result would be something that may be organized by Doane College, who has expressed interest in encouraging multicultural facilitation. The overall result would be a committee that would work to help the people of Crete un-derstand each other through education, entertainment, and a shared web of social services.

A business incubation program is a tool for encouraging the formation, sur-vival, and growth of new enterprises. This kind of program would take the form as a building that has been subdivided for rental to a number of small fledg-ling businesses and offers flexible work spaces and low-cost support services to these tenants. This gives the tenants the opportunity to conduct business at a much lower cost than in conventional market rate spaces because incuba-tor firms can share fixed costs such as centralized clerical and administrative services, business assistance, and rent. They would also share common spaces such as a conference room.

The overall purpose of a business incubation program is to promote the success of small businesses by helping them minimize overhead, find needed financ-ing, improve management skills, pool resources and risk, and ultimately move out into the world to function on their own. In other words, the incubation pro-gram’s mission is to help entrepreneurs overcome obstacles they face to acquir-ing the resources they require to business success. This support is commonly offered during the first two to five years of the new firm’s existence, the most crucial period in its ultimate survival.

Incubation programs can be owned and operated by public, non profit, or for-profit organizations. If an incubation program were to be implemented, many different entities could have a hand in its success. As of right now, Doane Col-lege has expressed interest in establishing a student ran business within their proposed downtown campus. With Crete’s already existent entrepreneurial spir-it and Doane’s commitment to business entrepreneurship, a likely partnership between the college, the downtown association, and the City of Crete could emerge.

A downtown association is an organization structure in which can be de-vised to carry out the specific goal of a successful downtown. It is a volun-teer organization to carry out public-private partnerships, market downtown businesses, and ultimately unite downtown businesses to tackle common problems. This sort of association would be assembled by downtown busi-ness owners and stakeholders along with guidance and partnership with the City of Crete. The involvement of city council members and Crete’s mayor is important for success as both entities, the City of Crete and the downtown are unquestionably interdependent. Currently, Crete lacks any sort of organi-zation that is strictly dedicated to the success of its downtown. The result has been the isolation of between business owners and the inability to solve large problems that extend beyond each individual business. Visually, this has taken a toll on Crete’s downtown as well, as one can clearly see there is a lack of canopy sharing and pedestrian walkway uniformity.

Merchant unity is vital for the success of a downtown business sector. A team effort is important in order to coordinate organized promotions, enforce matching design standards, and ultimately achieve any large scale goal. Busi-ness owners tend to have a great desire to pitch in and work for the better-ment of their downtown when they feel the downtown association is work-ing in unity and with attainable goals.

A downtown association would also act as a coordinator of anything related to the aesthetic properties of downtown. This would include the implemen-tation of downtown design standards for facades and future downtown infill construction. Uniformity and design harmony are important as it can make the downtown a recognizably unique and distinct neighborhood from the rest of Crete. A uniform strategy for pedestrian walkways is also important, something that the association would be in charge of. This means the con-sistent placement of benches, street trees, flowers, and trash cans through Main street; an initiative that can only be planned by a central organization such as a downtown association.

There are many quick initiatives that a downtown association can accom-plish in a short amount of time. For example, business retention and expan-sion strategies often will include awards programs. These ceremonies serve two purposes. First, awards reinforce the positive actions taken by the award recipients and, second, awards market the fact that improvements are being made in a downtown. Getting the Crete News involved is a great way to pro-mote the downtown. Award programs are most typically used to recognize outstanding physical improvements, business improvements, volunteer ef-forts, and employees.

Another quick win that also provides sustainable benefits is a mentoring pro-gram guided by the downtown association. This emerging downtown busi-ness retention initiative is one that involves linking soon-to-retire business owners with entrepreneurial individuals who are interested in becoming business owners or individuals that are just simply younger and would like to learn from their more experienced peers.

Lastly, the role of a downtown association can also act as a manager in deter-mining realistic market niches. The downtown is much like a shopping center and can be managed in a similar fashion. Shopping malls understand their market draw and know the kind of services and goods that market needs. With the recent construction of Wal-Mart to the East side of Crete, a down-town association should guide business owners to offer goods and services to satisfy demands for unique markets which Wal-mart cannot provide. This would not only create stronger businesses, it would make Crete’s downtown a relevant and attractive neighborhood.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

An economic developer for the City of Crete is a necessary asset at this point in time. In recent years, Crete has made great strides in developing its infrastruc-ture and local businesses through federal grants and the use of LB 840 as guid-ed by the Economic Development Board. Currently, no one is dedicated to the initiative of increasing the quality of life in Crete by economic means between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm. An economic developer is needed in Crete to carry on LB 840’s energy and continue to make the best out of Crete’s resources.

An economic developer for the City of Crete would monitor and promote ef-forts to attract new businesses and maintain and help to grow current busi-nesses. This developer would identify important factors for attracting and re-taining business activity, work with city officials to develop strategic plans for economic development, serve as a representative of the City of Crete, and help market the City of Crete. An economic developer would also seek to understand the needs for housing and infrastructure within the community. This economic developer may also find themselves writing grants, drafting policies, and devel-oping municipal code. The ideal candidate for this position would ideally have a diverse background in business development, public administration, planning, and marketing or should at least have an strong understanding of these.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have occupational employment sta-tistics for a city economic developer. But, data has been gathered for urban and regional planners, a position that would be very similar in a town the size of Crete. Currently, the median hourly wage for an urban planner is $30.82 with an annual wage of $64,000. Nonmetropolitan areas such as Crete tend to have lower salaries for urban planners. Nonmetropolitan planners in a public setting have an annual mean wage between $40,000 and $64,000.

Many larger cities like that of Lincoln and Omaha maintain economic devel-opment departments. Smaller cities such as Crete may employ an economic developer in collaboration with a downtown association, development corpo-ration, and the city. In the case of Crete, this could be a collaborative effort be-tween the City of Crete, the Economic Development Board, and the Create Area Improvement and Development Corporation.

Economic Developer

Tax increment financing (TIF) in Nebraska is primarily designed to finance the public costs associated with a private development project. These pub-lic costs of development can be defined as those costs associated with the public portions of the redevelopment project (e.g., infrastructure reconstruc-tion). This may include rebuilding and/or replacing the aging infrastructure (streets, water and sewer lines). These are often ‘added’ costs that often make redevelopment less financially attractive than new development. Public costs of development can also be defined as the public “incentives” offered to make redevelopment of a particular are attractive to developers. For ex-ample, TIF funds can be used as an incentive for redevelopment by paying for land assembly and preparation costs, including demolition of existing buildings.

Essentially, the property tax increases resulting from a development are tar-geted to repay the public investment required by a project. TIF has seen in-creased popularity as it allows for more creative financing at a time when state and federal subsidies have declined.

Overall, it provides a means of encouraging private investment in deteriorat-ing areas by allowing city governments to devote all property tax revenue increases to repay the public investment needed to attract development.

While TIF may not be appropriate for all specific projects listed, the imple-mentation of a TIF district in downtown may be a strong tool for the encour-agement of business infill and property redevelopment.

Tax Increment FinancingBusiness Incubator Development Tools & Sources of FundingLocal State Federal

Downtown Association Multicultural Committee

A facade grant program is an excellent opportunity to revitalize one of the most important assets to a small town: its downtown. The primary objective of this pro-gram would be to revitalize and restore the central business district by preserving the existing store fronts. In addition, this program could provide extra incentive to building owners for structural repairs and rehabilitation. Funding may include signage, painting, storefront repairs, and canopy replacement or repair, among other things.

The goals of this program would be many: 1.) To prevent deterioration, 2.) To eliminate conditions that may be detrimental to the safety, health, and welfare of the users of downtown, 3.) To renovate and preserve special properties of historical values, 4.) To benefit the entire downtown by preserving a pleasing and aestheti-cally acceptable downtown, 5.) To preserve existing building stock, 6.) To make downtown a viable, cultural, and economic asset to the city of Crete.

A facade grant program could be implemented in accordance with a Downtown Association and the Crete Economic Development Board with use of LB 840 funds. The City of Crete’s Economic Development Plan’s purpose is to recruit, improve, and redevelopment. This includes the revitalization of Crete’s community. This would be an appropriate use of LB 840 as it provides an investment to private infrastructure and improves downtown’s image which is, in a sense, a public as-set. This public asset is essential for the attraction for downtown economic development. Not only does this improve the image of downtown, self-improvement of a downtown is the best form of retail retention.

This facade grant program should be in accordance with downtown design standards. It is also advised that facade grants are matching grants in that private property owners should be asked to contribute a specified percentage of the amount of the total cost of facade revitalization.

Facade Grant Program

Focus Project Funding & Support Implementation & Action

Downtown

Doane Downtown Campus & Open Space

Business Facades

Library

Civic Infill

High Density Housing

Downtown Economic Revitalization

Downtown Streetscaping & Walkability

Page 7 | Discover Alborada Park

Discover Alborada ParkPuerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands, EcuadorSummer 2013


Biodiversity

Geography

Cultural Elements Alborada

History

Art

Galapagos culture is comprised of four essential elements that are unique to the Alborada Park’s surrounding community. These elements consist of two physical components: biodiversity and geography. Biodiversity represents

the rich flora and fauna of the islands while geography represents the unique location and structure of Santa Cruz. The four elements also consist of two social components: arts and history. The arts component of the Galapagos represents a wide

range of visual and performing arts that have continued to inspire the people of the Galapagos Islands. Ranging from pirates to naturalists, the history component of these islands is unique and important not only to Ecuador, but the entire world.

Galapagos Culture

Alborada Park | Isla Santa Cruz | Galápagos Verde Millenio | Universidad de Nebraska | Facultad de Architectura

The Discover Alborada Park Plan, a service learning project, was created to help residents realize a variety of possible design enhancements to the park that will better serve the historic neighborhood in Puerto Ayora. The underlying goal of the plan was to express the historic, cultural, and artistic foundations of the Alborada neighborhood.

Throughout the community design process, we worked hard to gain public input and engage neighborhood stakeholders, leaders, and artists. My responsibility was to understand this community’s values and cultural underpinnings in order to ensure that our designs and recommendations accurately reflected what’s most important to this historical neighborhood.

Community Engagement


Throughout the process we recognized several obstacles such as property line disputes, conflicting programming of space, and the future construction of a new road. Our final recommendations incorporated changes to the tennis courts, park entrances, children’s playground, and an art program while

Illustrative Plan by Heather Tomasek

Strategies for Successalso appreciating the obstacles at hand, leading us to provide strategic recommendations to the neighborhood as to how to successfully achieve the goals that we laid out.

Design Proposals


Illustrations by Nate Krohn & Heather Tomasek

Page 11 | City of Crete Internship

City Planning InternshipCity of Crete, NebraskaSummer & Fall 2013

Audit of the Crete Economic Development Program

Economic Feasibility Comprehensive Planning

Through this project, it was my responsibility to review the Crete Economic Development Program’s projects, funding mechanisms, oversight, and administrative processes. Results of my recommendations include greater oversight of the administrative process, the use of alternative and more sophisticated funding mechanisms, and the adoption by the committee of a strong strategic component to the program’s charter.

Following recommendations for southern expansion through the student visioning plan, I was asked by city council to evaluate the economic feasibility of recreation and green space expansion to serve as a catalyst for residential development. In addition, fellow intern Heather Tomasek worked on the site design to understand the physical feasibility of the recreation space.

The City of Crete hired a private planning firm to perform a comprehensive plan, a housing study, and a blight study to begin implementing tax increment financing. I served as a liaison between the city and the planners to communicate what was found in the student visioning plan and worked to make recommendations concerning the public engagement process.

My internship with the City of Crete followed the success of our student visioning plan. The objective of this position was to work on specific projects that would maintain the momentum of the visioning plan from the previous fall.

Opportunities | Constraints

City of Crete | Southern Development

Cons•Price is greater than we expected. •Onsite well.•Southern location, not centrally located•Consumption of farmland.•Locatedwithinfloodplain.

Pros•Borders existing neighborhood•Flat topography, easy to develop•Relation to green belt and stream•Access to primary routes•City currently owns adjacent property•Opportunity to establish a green belt in South Crete that connects parks and the community center to residential neighborhoods.•Creation of a regional sports complex, servicing 80+ teams•Ability to free up 14 acres of land in Tuxedo Park and 4 acres of land in Rotary Park.•Providingsoccerfieldforatownwithagrowing demand for soccer.

•How will this be paid for and can the City of Crete afford it?•Growing Hispanic population with a growing demand for greater recreation.•Currentdemandsexceedsizeofexistingfieldcapacity

Other things to consider...


City of Crete Comprehensive Planning ProgramOnline Citizen Survey

The City of Crete Planning Commission is currently conducting a Comprehensive Planning Program to determine both the present and future needs of the Community for the next 10 and 25 years. An important activity of this Planning Program is to ask you about the needs and wants of the Community. Please take five minutes to complete an online survey and give us your feedback. Participants will be given a chance to enter a drawing to win $25!

If you would prefer to fill out a physical copy of the survey, you can collect a copy at City Hall.

Take the survey now! Go to: www.crete-ne.com

H O2

City of Crete Comprehensive Planning ProgramOnline Citizen Survey

The City of Crete Planning Commission is currently conducting a Comprehensive Planning Program to determine both the present and future needs of the Community for the next 10 and 25 years. An important activity of this Planning Program is to ask you about the needs and wants of the Community. Please take five minutes to complete an online survey and give us your feedback. Participants will be given a chance to enter a drawing to win $25!

If you would prefer to fill out a physical copy of the survey, you can collect a copy at City Hall.

Take the survey now! Go to: www.crete-ne.com

H O2

During my internship with the City of Crete, I worked on a project called the Southern Development. It entailed doing a feasibility study and design proposal for 40 acres that could be developed into a Sports Complex with trails that ran along a stream corridor with connections to the northern neighborhood.

Program for this proposal included a range of baseball, softball, and little league ball fields, two concession stands, a flexible soccer | flag football field, parking, playground and picnic areas. . To the right is a portion of our research of user groups and the economic value they bring into the city, above is the framework plan and final design. This proposal was presented to the Mayor, and City Council Members during a City Council Meeting.

Illustration by Heather Tomasek

Feasibility Analysis and Comprehensive Planning

To the right is a flyer for an online survey as part of the public engagement phase of Crete’s comprehensive planning effort. This flyer was designed to be distributed to 500 elementary students with the intention that they may share with their families. This effort resulted in a threefold increase in survey participants.

The City of Crete was given the opportunity to purchase forty-five acres of farmland to develop into recreation space for a thriving baseball and softball community. It was found that the average player valued an acre of sports recreation at a perceived market value of $13,408.

$9,000

$129,960$74,000

$18,000

$22,800

90

232

184

150

240users

users

users

users

users

Economic Value

Local Users

T-Ball

Softball Ages 7 - 18

T-ball Ages 3 - 6

Softball

Flag Football Ages 5 - 10

Flag Football

Baseball Ages 7 - 18

Baseball

Soccer Ages 3 - 10

Soccer Ages


Step 1

Step 3

Step 5

Step 2

Step 4

Step 6

Step 7

LB 840 APPLICATION PROCESS If application is denied, the applicant has the ability to appeal to advisory board at a public hearing

Next Step in Process

Negotiations Not Accepted

Not Recommended

Negotiations Accepted

Recommend As Amended Application Recommended

Applicant goes to Director with idea

Is applicant and project eligible?

No Yes

Application is submitted

Director does a review & analysis of application

The applicant and Director enter into negotiations

Application is presented to economic advisory committee by Director

Application goes to public hearing and advisory committee executive session for financial

determination and recommendation

Application goes to City Council

Is the application accepted?

No Yes

May reenter into negotiations

The economic development program’s largest initiative was to work with and fund private organizations through grants and loans. My adopted recommendations to this initiative’s process seen below in the flow chart resulted in a program that used funds more efficiently and effectively, and made for a more transparent program.

All of the program’s projects were also reviewed in full detail. Many of these projects were contentious among Crete’s residents. This provided for me a strong lesson in working among controversy in a tactful manner.

Program Audit

Money: How much and where did it go?

Total Expenses $524,692.52 Total Revenue $706,142.28

Administrative 2% Recruitment 0%

Promotion/Tourism 2%

Infrastructure 68%

Public Infrastructure 55% Private Infrastructure 45%

Development 28%

Projects in DetailCrete Glass | store front renovation

City of Crete Community Center | HVAC system, gym floor, roof

Dittmer & Dittmer | sprinkler system, 10% for facade

Tutti Frutti | equipment, recruitment, purchase of property

Ensure proper oversight and checks & balances of Economic Development Program

Pay close attention to LB 840 guidelines issued by NDED, state statutes, and city ordinances

“No member of the citizens advisory review committee shall be…an official or employee of any qualifying business receiving financial assistance under the economic development program.” Nebraska State Statute 18-2715

“Improvement and redevelopment of the community’s public facilities and infrastructure and revitalization of our community.”

No documentation as to why application was denied

No attached audit requirements and lack of follow up on ‘facade beautification’

Lack of follow through after receiving grant

Adhere to purpose, vision, and goals of the program

Provide consistent documentation and recorded reasoning behind decisions

Ensure follow up on all receipts, service contracts, economic benefit, and construction

Confirm business viability and strength

Ensure oversight and consistent follow up and communication with applicant

Page 14 | Professional Project

Professional ProjectCity of Omaha, Nebraska2013 - 2014

Exploring the Neighborhood Preferences of a Segment of Millennials in Omaha, NebraskaBy Aaron Kloke

This project, in partial fulfillment for the degree of MCRP, sought to understand the particular demands of Millennials in regards to the makeup and design of Omaha neighborhoods and districts.


Elements

Identifying Trends

Focus Groups

Demographic Profile

Interviews

SurveysNational trends were reviewed to achieve an understanding of Millennials’ circumstances, preferences, demands, and changing lifestyles and how these may affect the future built environment of America. It was found that Millennials, while still strongly desiring the single-family home, prefer more dense and mixed-use neighborhoods.

A series of focus groups brought Omaha Millennials together resulting in several conversations concerning what Millennials love about their neighborhoods and what could be done to make them better. The concepts of accessibility, proximity, and walkability were explored in great depth and resulted in a foundation of understanding Millennials’ transportation habits.

A general profile of Omaha Millennials was developed to understand where exactly this demographic is clustering, what they look like demographically, and where they are moving. The profile showed an increasingly diverse group, stricken with student loan debt, that tends to cluster around rental housing in central locations.

A series of interviews were conducted with a variety of local leaders, designers, bankers, developers, and real estate professionals to obtain an important perspective on the housing and real estate market in Omaha. In addition to learning about Omaha markets, a unique set of conflicts that Millennials face when looking for a home was identified, deemed the “triangle of conflict”.

An online survey was administered to 157 Millennials to understand what this generation wants out of its neighborhoods. The survey showed a group of Millennials that aligned with Millennials on a national scale. A visual preference survey was also administered to forty-two individuals to explore the urban forms and spaces that Millennials are most attracted to. It was found that the division between the benefits of suburban and urban neighborhoods is complex and that what the neighborhood provides in terms of safety and vibrancy is very important.


Omaha’s Generation Y 16

by120thStonthewestsideandI-680ontheeastside,andMapleRoad on the north side and Dodge Road on the south side. Other clusters were found in the Dundee, Westbrook, Hanscom Park, Midtown&Leavenworth,Downtown,andtheOldMarketneighborhoods. Finally, a small cluster on the southern boundary ofOmahacitylimits,justwestofRalston,wasidentifiedbetweenQStreet and Harrison Street to the north and south, and 108th to 96th Streets to the east and west. Coldspots,orareaswithverysparselylocatedMillennialswereidentifiedbetween120thand180thtotheeastandwestand

fromBlondotoPacifictothenorthandsouth.Theotherarmofthislarge cold spot moves south and is located between 180th and Bob Booz-erDrivetotheeastandwest,andthenfromPacificStreettoQStreettothe north and south. This large cold spot encompasses a portion of the Millardneighborhood,andareassurroundingVillagePointe,andBoysTown. It is not entirely clear why these clusters appear where they do. Its possible these locations are clusters of places of work or maybe these areareaswithahighdensityofrentalormulti-familyhousing.Morere-search will need to be done to understand the reason for the clustering.

Hot Spot Cluster Analysis

Figure 4. Gi* Cluster Analysis of 22 to 34 Year Olds in Douglas County

I-680

72nd

St

52nd

St

60th

St

50th

St

60th

St

42nd

St

36th

St

N 1

20th

St

W Maple Rd

W Dodge Rd

W Center Rd

Underwood Ave

Dodge St

Leavenworth

California St

I-80

Hot Spots

Cold Spots

99% Confidence

95% Confidence

90% Confidence

99% Confidence

95% Confidence

90% Confidence

City Limits

Identifying the Millennial DemographicThis project led me to create a demographic profile of this unique group. Age-related census data was gathered to obtain an understanding of this group’s changing ethnic diversity, income, education, and debt obligations. In addition, I sought to identify clusters to obtain a grasp of where Millennials are choosing to live currently and why.

The map below shows one method known as a hot spot analysis using a GIS spatial statistics tool called Gi* (star). This was calculated based on census data showing population percentage of 22 to 34-year-olds of block groups.

This analysis identified hot spots, or clusters of block groups with high percentages of Millennials and did so with confidence intervals at three levels, 99%, 95%, and 90%, as denoted by the red to light orange colors. This method of analysis also identified cold spots, or clusters of block groups with low values, also shown at three confidence intervals. These areas are essentially dead zones where Millennials are sparsely located.


Quantitative ResearchSources of qualitative research included an online survey and a visual preference survey. The online survey included thirty-five questions which sought to gauge what Millennials demanded out of their neighborhood. The visual preference survey showed twenty-four photos that represented different

Visual Preference Survey34

Office

17

-5

median -2 -1.4

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

18

-5

median +2 +1.4

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

Streetscape

19

-5

median +3 +3.1

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

20

-5

median +1 +.5

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

24

-5

median +4 +3.4

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

Streetscape

23

-5

median -2 -1.9

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

22

-5

median +2 +2

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

Townhouse

21

-5

median +1 +1

-2 +1-4 -1 +2-3 0 +3 +4 +5

mean

mean

mean

mean

mean

mean

mean

mean

The Online Survey 24

Sidewalks and places to walk

Being within a 15-minute commute

Access to neighborhood community spaces like sidewalks, gardens, and neighborhood parks

Being with an easy walk of other places and things in the community

Privacy from neighbors

Easy access to the highway

Human activity on neighborhood streets and sidewalks

An established neighborhood with older homes and trees

Living in a place that is away from it all

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Being able to buy as large of a house as you can

Diversity of people with different incomes

A new neighborhood with recently built homes

Public transportation access

Living in a community with a mix of different types of housing

A large yard

Living in a place that is the center of it all

Diversity of people of a different race

Percentage of People That Feel These Are Very or Somewhat Important

Figure 10. Neighborhood Characteristics of Importance

urban environments. Participants were asked to give a gut reaction to the photos. The result helped me to begin understanding what makes a desirable environment for this unique demographic.


Several methods of qualitative research were also performed including focus groups and interviews. Throughout this project, I worked to foster a relationship with the Greater Omaha Young Professionals group. This relationship resulted in the opportunity to conduct a focus group with several members and a chance to engage thirty-eight other members at a public meeting to discuss urban design in Omaha. Additional focus groups took place among other young professional groups and personal contacts. In addition to focus groups, I performed interviews with a variety of local professionals to gain a supply-side perspective of the issue at hand.

To the right is a collection of themes that were identified using a text analytics software after requesting 113 individuals to complete one simple task: Describe your ideal neighborhood. This resulted in a very rich set of qualitative data describing the ideal environments that this demographic would like to live in. While all themes were identified as important, the most important themes are darker while less important themes are lighter.

Public Engagement

large lot

active street life

open space

safe

trees

10 minute drive

local businesses

front porches

friendly

local events

close proximity

mixed races

neighborhood events

walking dogs

people

easy bike ride

grocery stores

open space

walking distance

downtown areacommunity pride

community

cleanliness

sidewalks

parkingquality

neighborhood connection

physicial connection

safety

neighborhood character

connectedness

crime

green space

schools

parks

yards

trails

access to highway

close to work

walkability

proximity to downtown

proximity to bars and food

centrality

AARON KLOKE | [email protected]@huskers.unl.edu

(402) 366-7236

Documents

Portfolio