plan implementation: implementation action plan

Implementation Action PlanIMP Table 1, Implementation Action Plan, includes a

prioritized list of action recommendations derived from

the various plan elements of the Envision Columbus 2040

Comprehensive Plan. The synthesized table does not

include every action recommendation found throughout

the Plan. As configured, the Implementation Action Plan

details the “to do” list of priority action items showing the

general time frame for initial implementation and who is

responsible for initiating, administering and participating

in the implementation process.

Additionally, action strategies have been categorized

regarding those that will involve:

(1) capital investments, (2) programs and initiatives,

(3) regulations and standards, (4) partnerships

and coordination, and (5) targeted planning/study.

Most capital projects will also require, to varying

degrees, additional feasibility analysis, construction

documentation, specifications, and detailed cost

estimates.

CAPITAL PROJECTS

The City of Columbus uses a Capital Improvement

Program, or “CIP,” to identify and budget for “big ticket”

projects, especially those that must be phased and/

or coordinated with other initiatives. This may include

street infrastructure; water, wastewater, and drainage

improvements; parks, trails, and recreation facility

construction and upgrades; construction of public

buildings; and purchase of land, vehicles, or major

equipment. Anticipating and adequately budgeting for

major capital projects will be essential to implementing

this plan. Likewise, decisions regarding the prioritization

of proposed capital improvements should reflect the

direction and priorities of this plan.

POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

Policies ultimately drive both day-to-day activities and

strategic decisions. They capture basic philosophies

and “standard operating procedures” that should apply

across the board unless changing circumstances or

new information suggest that standing policies should

be revisited. Programs involve the routine activities of

City departments and staff, as well as special projects

and initiatives they may also undertake. As part of

Comprehensive Plan implementation, this method may

include initiating new or adjusting existing City policies

or programs; expanding community outreach efforts; or

providing specialized training to accomplish a priority

objective more promptly and/or effectively.

REGULATION AND STANDARDS

Given that private investment decisions account for a vast

majority of the City’s physical form, land development

regulations and engineering standards are fundamental

for plan implementation. Consequently, zoning and

subdivision regulations and associated development

criteria and technical engineering standards are the basic

keys to ensuring that the form, character, and quality of

development reflect the City’s planning objectives. These

codes should advance the community’s desire for quality

development outcomes while recognizing economic

factors. They should not delay or interfere unnecessarily

with appropriate new development or redevelopment

that is consistent with plan principles and directives.

2.22 ENVISION COLUMBUS 2040

Plan Implementation:

PARTNERSHIPS AND COORDINATION

Some community initiatives identified in this plan cannot

be accomplished by City government on its own. They

may require direct coordination, intergovernmental

agreements, or funding support from other public

entities or levels of government. Additionally, the unique

role of potential private and non-profit partners to

advance the community’s action agenda should not be

underestimated. This may occur through cooperative

efforts, volunteer activities, and in-kind services (which can

count toward the local match requirements for various

grant opportunities), and from public/private financing of

community improvements.

MORE TARGETED PLANNING

Various areas of City governance require more detailed

study and planning, especially as required to qualify for

external funding opportunities. These studies involve

targeted planning work at a “finer grain” level of detail

than is appropriate for comprehensive planning purposes

(e.g., utility master plans, cost of growth assessments).

As such, some parts of this plan will be implemented only

after some additional planning or special study to clarify

next steps and associated costs and considerations.

A guide to acronyms used appears in the upper right

hand corner of the table.

As mentioned, IMP Table 1, Implementation Action Plan,

provides a starting point for determining immediate,

near-term, and longer term task priorities. This is an

important first step toward Plan implementation and

should occur in conjunction with the City’s annual

budget process, during Capital Improvements Program

(CIP) preparation, and in support of departmental work

planning. Then, the City staff member designated as

the Comprehensive Plan Administrator should initiate

a first-year work program in conjunction with City

management, other departments, and other public and

private implementation partners.

The near-term action priorities should be revisited by City

officials and staff annually to recognize accomplishments,

highlight areas where further attention and effort are

needed, and determine whether some items have

moved up or down on the priority list given changing

circumstances and emerging needs. It should be kept in

mind that early implementation of certain items, while

perhaps not the uppermost priorities, may be expedited

by the availability of related grant opportunities, by a

state or federal mandate, or by the eagerness of one or

more partners to pursue an initiative with the City. On the

other hand, some high-priority items may prove difficult

to tackle in the near term due to budget constraints, the

lack of an obvious lead entity or individual to carry the

initiative forward, or by the community’s readiness to take

on a potentially controversial new program.

Progress on the Year 1-3 items, in particular, should be the

focus of the first annual review and report a year after

Comprehensive Plan adoption, as described earlier in this

chapter. Then, similar to multi-year capital improvements

programming, the entire action agenda list in IMP Table

1—and all other action items dispersed throughout the

Plan chapters—should be revisited annually to decide if

any additional items are ready to move into the next near-

term action timeframe, and what the priority should be.

Plan Implementation . ADOPTED October 15, 2018

2.23

IMP Table 1, Implementation Action Plan

Year

1-3

Year

s 3-

10

10+

Year

s

Capi

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Action LeadersInitiate* Action Type

FOCUS AREA 1: GROWTH CAPACITY

Adopt a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) ordinance (p. 14) 1 X CD, Engineer, PC, CC

Update the Land Development Ordinance (LDO)

per the recommendations of the Review and

Critique

(p. 14-15)

7 XCD, Attorney, Engineer,

PC, CC

Establish coordinated development standards in

the peripheral planning area

(p. 14-15)0 X X

CD, Attorney, Engineer,

PC, CC

Provide community training on the

Comprehensive Plan and LDO

(p. 14-15)5 X CD, PC, CC, BPC, CPS

Prepare a Strategic Annexation Program and

Plan including facilities planning and fiscal

modeling

(p. 16)

13 X XCA, CD, PC, CC, PW,

Engineer, Trans

Screen capital projects and budget for policy

consistency

(p. 16)1 X X

CA, CD, CC, PS, PW,

Engineer

Establish an residential / nonresidential infill

development incentive program including

procedural streamlining

(p. 22)

5 X X CA, CD, CC

Perform an infill development study of land uses

and zoning

(p. 22)5 X

Prepare an infill development capital

improvement plan

(p. 22)1 X CD, PW, Engineer

Mayor Office of the Mayor Attorney City AttorneyCA City AdministratorPC Planning CommissionCC City CouncilCD Community DevelopmentEngineer Engineering DepartmentPS Public SafetyPW Pubic WorksParks Recreational FacilitiesBPC Board of Parks CommissionersTrans TransportationCPS Columbus Public SchoolsCED Columbus Economic DevelopmentCOC Chamber of Commerce

Priority Primary Action Type

Secondary Action Type

Tertiary Action Type


*Numbers are the tallied highest priorities from the City of Columbus.

IMP Table 1, Implementation Action Plan (continued)

Year

1-3

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10

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FOCUS AREA 1: ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

Update the Economic Development Plan to

include regional partnerships and strategies

(p. 26)4 X X X CED, CA, Mayor, CC

Establish a formalized business retention

program

(p. 26-27)14 X CED, CA, Mayor, CC

Build a formalized work study program through

the School Business Partnerships program

(p. 27-29)1 X CED

Organize an innovations and technology

industry group for information exchange

(p. 32)1 X X CED

Establish an Affordable Housing Division of the

Chamber of Commerce

(p. 32)15 X X X X COC, CA, CC, CD





2.25




Year

1-3

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FOCUS AREA 2: UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC SERVICES

Employ Low Impact Development (LID)

standards

(p. 35-38)0 X CD, Engineer, PC, CC

Amend the site plan process to include pre- and

post-development stormwater management

(p. 38)3 X CD, Engineer, PC, CC

Adopt a utility extension policy tied to the

adequacy of public facilities and services

(p. 35-38)1 X X

CD, Attorney, Engineer,

PC, CC

Build a more robust Geographic Information

System (GIS) for utility infrastructure

management

(p. 35-38)

6 X CA, CD, Engineer

Acquire utility systems modeling software

to project future needs, inform capital

programming, and improve cost efficiency

(p. 35-38)

1 X CA, CD, Engineer

Prepare City-Wide Water and Wastewater

Systems Master Plans

(p. 35-36)2 X PW, Engineer

Update and Revise the City-Wide Stormwater

Master Plan

(p. 38)0 X PW, Engineer

Update the drainage design standards and

practices


Build a long-term capital plan for annual

replacement and procurement of public safety

facilities and equipment

(p. 40-41)

8 X X CA, PS, CC








Year

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FOCUS AREA 3: TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Implement the recommended projects, policies,

and studies of the Long-Range Transportation

Plan (LRTP), together with the supplemental

studies and warranted projects

LRTP

34 X X X X Engineer, Trans, PW

Produce a long-range thoroughfare plan for

preservation of future rights-of-way

(p. 50-52)17 X X CD, Trans, PC, CC

Update the subdivision regulations to include

provisions of street continuity, connectivity, and

cross-section standards, lot access, and traffic

calming

6 X CD, Engineer, PC, CC

Adopt access management standards for

collector and arterial roadways

(p. 46-48 )7 X CD, Engineer, PC, CC

Prepare gateway and corridor enhancement

plans for: 1) 23rd Street from 18th to 45th

Avenue; and 2) 33rd Avenue from 8th to 27th

Street

(p. 54-57)

13 X X CD, Engineer, PC

Solicit a Downtown Parking Study (p. 53) 0 X CD, Engineer, PC

Prepare a public art master plan (p. 54) 1 X CD, PC

Inventory the existence and condition of

sidewalks

(p. 60-61)0 CD, Engineer

Perform neighborhood walk audits to

identify the propensity of use and to prioritize

improvements

(p. 60-61)

0 CD, Engineer

Develop a program of sidewalk improvements (p. 60-61) 2 CD, Engineer

Provide regulatory incentives to provide on-site

bicycle amenities

(p. 62)0 X CD

Develop a capital program for trail and

bikeway improvements

(p. 62)1 X X CD, Engineer





2.27




Year

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FOCUS AREA 4: DOWNTOWN

Develop and Downtown Branding and

Marketing Plan

(p. 66)1 X CD, CED

Hire P/T or F/T professional staff or consultant

to manage the implementation of this

Comprehensive Plan and the Downtown Master

Plan

(p. 66)

2 X CA, CD, CED, CC

Add a Downtown page to the City's website (p. 66) 3 X CD

Create and budget to implement a Downtown

Wayfinding Plan

(p. 66-67)0 X X CED

Partner with the Downtown Business Association

to boost events programming

(p. 66-67)3 X CED

Develop a sidewalk improvement program

and list of priorities improvements for capital

programming

(p. 67-68)

0 X X Engineer, PW

Design a branded blade sign for use by

Downtown businesses

(p. 66-68)0 X X CD

Evaluate the feasibility of parklets in certain

locations to create outdoor seating/dining

spaces

(p. 70-72)

4 X CD, Engineer

Develop simple design guidelines to protect the

historic integrity of Downtown

(p. 70-73)7 X CD

Solicit developer interest for (re)developing a

residential mixed use building in Downtown

(p. 73-74)4 X X X CA, CD, CED, CC

Pursue a Nebraska Main Street designation (p. 75) 0 X CA, CD, CED








Year

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FOCUS AREA 5: HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS

Amend the LDO to require an average lot area

rather than a minimum lot area and width

(p. 85)1 X CD, PC, CC

Utilize density bonuses as means for writing

down lot and infrastructure costs on affordable

units

(p. 14-15, 22, 74, 85-86,

102)2 X CD, PC, CC

Amend the LDO to broaden the number of

housing types with provision of mixed housing

neighborhoods

(p. 87-93)

5 X CD, PC, CC

Establish infill and housing rehabilitation grants (p. 22, 92,104) 18 X CA, CC, CED

Consider allowance of Accessory Dwelling Units

(ADUs) under certain conditions and standards

(p. 87-92)0 X CD, PC, CC

Develop neighborhood infill development or

reuse standards

(p. 22, 92,104) 24 X CD, PC, CC

Adopt housing compatibility standards and

requirements

(p. 92)1 X CD, PC, CC

Re-evaluate and update the residential parking

requirements for different areas and unit types

(p. 86,97, 103-104) 2 X CD, PC, CC

Utilize the recommended P/T or F/T professional

staff to establish a neighborhood integrity

program

(p. 104-105)

0 X X CA, CD

Organize neighborhood associations or task

forces

(p. 100-104)0 X X X CA, CD

Amend the LDO to convert subdivisions

into neighborhoods through standards for

common open spaces, pedestrian networks,

and gathering places

(p. 100-104)

5 X X CD, CD, CED, PC, CC

Amend the LDO to adopt neighborhood

conservation districts or standards to facilitate

reinvestment in established neighborhoods

(p. 103-104)

1 X CD, PC, CC

Form a target-area capital investment program

focused on infrastructure improvements within

at-risk neighborhoods

(p. 104)

1 X PW, Engineer

Adopt a neighborhood code enforcement

advocacy program

(p. 98-105)6 X CA, CC, CE





2.29




Year

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FOCUS AREA 6: PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE

Prepare and adopt a Parks, Recreation, and

Open Space Master Plan to qualify for Nebraska

Game and Parks Commission grant funding

(p. 110-113)

15 X X RF

Acquire land to fulfill the future year acreage

deficiencies in the identified need areas

(p. 110-113)5 X X X RF

Establish an Adopt-a-Park Program (p. 111-113) 2 X X RF, CA, CC

Perform a park accessibility study (p. 114-120) 0 X RF

Build on the program of organized activities in

partnership with other local providers

(p. 116)6 X X X RF, CC

Build a 10-year capital improvement program

for parks, recreation, and open space

(p. 116)7

Consider a parkland dedication or fee in-lieu

program

(p. 117-120)0 X RF, PC, CC

Pursue The Commission for Accreditation

of Park and Recreation Agencies' (CAPRA)

national accreditation

(p. 121-122)

1 X RF








Year

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FOCUS AREA 7: LAND USE AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER

Amend the LDO to tie the zoning districts to the

future land use categories

(p. 148-150)3 X CD, PC, CC

Review and update the Future Land Use Plan on

a bi-annual basis, including plan amendments

concurrent with significant zone changes

(p. 148-150)

6 X X CD, PC, CC

Develop a mixed use zoning district (p. 148) 2 X CD, PC, CC

Establish right-to-farm provisions in the LDO (p. 148-150) 6 X CD, PC, CC

Adopt right-sized building and site design

standards

(p. 148-150)1 X CD, PC, CC






2.31


Short-Term Implementation Actions (Years 1-3)

The following IMP Table 2, Short-term Implementation

Actions, identifies what implementation activities should

take place during the next three years. There are 73

recommended actions listed in IMP Table 1, Implementation

Action Plan. Actions will be scored based on level of

improtance. Primiary Actions (green), of which there

were 44, are within the 1 to 3 year timeframe. Secondary

Actions (yellow) within the 3 to 10 year timeframe and

Tertiary Actions (red) are within the 10+ year timeframe. It

is recommended that every two to three years, the actions

identified within IMP Table 1, Implementation Action Plan,

be re-prioritized to establish the Primary Actions to be

accomplished in the near term.

CONSULTANT PERSPECTIVE

All of the actions listed and prioritized within IMP Table

2, Short-term Implementation Action, are important

and realize-able within a one-to-three year timeframe.

However, the Consultant Team recommends that

Columbus’ City Council advance due consideration of

the following additional actions, which are currently

prioritized to occur as Secondary or Tertiary Actions.



IMP Table 2, Short-Term Implementation Actions

Year

1-3

Year

s 3-

10

10+

Year

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Update the Land Development Ordinance (LDO)

per the recommendations of the Review and

Critique

(p. 14-15)

7 XCD, Attorney, Engineer,

PC, CC

Prepare a Strategic Annexation Program and

Plan including facilities planning and fiscal

modeling

(p. 16)

13 X XCA, CD, PC, CC, PW,

Engineer, Trans

Establish a formalized business retention

program

(p. 26-27)14 X CED, CA, Mayor, CC

Establish an Affordable Housing Division of the

Chamber of Commerce

(p. 32)15 X X X X COC, CA, CC, CD

Update the drainage design standards and

practices


Build a long-term capital plan for annual

replacement and procurement of public safety

facilities and equipment

(p. 40-41)

8 X X CA, PS, CC

Implement the recommended projects, policies,

and studies of the Long-Range Transportation

Plan (LRTP), together with the supplemental

studies and warranted projects

LRTP

34 X X X X Engineer, Trans, PW

Produce a long-range thoroughfare plan for

preservation of future rights-of-way

(p. 50-52)17 X X CD, Trans, PC, CC

Adopt access management standards for

collector and arterial roadways

(p. 46-48 ) 7 X CD, Engineer, PC, CC

Prepare gateway and corridor enhancement

plans for: 1) 23rd Street from 18th to 45th Avenue;

and 2) 33rd Avenue from 8th to 27th Street

(p. 54-57)

13 X X CD, Engineer, PC

Develop simple design guidelines to protect the

historic integrity of Downtown

(p. 70-73)7 X CD

Establish infill and housing rehabilitation grants (p. 22, 92,104) 18 X CA, CC, CED

Develop neighborhood infill development or

reuse standards

(p. 22, 92,104) 24 X CD, PC, CC

Prepare and adopt a Parks, Recreation, and

Open Space Master Plan to qualify for Nebraska

Game and Parks Commission grant funding

(p. 110-113)

15 X X RF

Build a 10-year capital improvement program for

parks, recreation, and open space

(p. 116)7





2.33


plan implementation: implementation action plan

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