TITLE 11
ZONING REGULATIONS

PREAMBLE

OVERVIEW OF ZONING APPROACH:   

Until 2017, Bettendorf, like most cities, used a Euclidean zoning ordinance that primarily designated single-use areas, such as all-residential or all-commercial zones. While this system helps separate incompatible uses, and is relatively straightforward to administer, it has significant shortcomings. A Euclidean ordinance can be inflexible - it encourages decentralized development and is often unable to accommodate mixed-use development. In recent years, planners have proposed and experimented with a number of alternatives to Euclidean zoning, most of which focus more on building form and site design, and less on specific uses.

With the adoption of "Premiering Bettendorf" in 2017 and the subsequent update to its zoning ordinance in 2017, Bettendorf moved to hybrid land use development that allowed for both Euclidean and form-based zoning.

As mandated by Iowa Code Section 414.3, Bettendorf's adopted comprehensive plan, Premiering Bettendorf, provides guidance for the regulation of land use through zoning. Specifically, the plan's future land use map indicates generalized land uses for all areas, developed or undeveloped, within the city limits. Premiering Bettendorf - A Comprehensive Plan for 2045 establishes an updated Future Land Use Map for the city and future growth areas. Property throughout Bettendorf's existing and future boundary are given different Future Land Use designations. The designations are categorized by desired primary uses for existing and future developments, as shown in the Future Land Use Map. Each category is compatible with varying Euclidean Zoning Districts or mixed-used Development Character Area (DCA) Zoning Districts. The Future Land Use/Zoning Compatibility Table is one prerequisite for reviewing zoning map amendments, as outlined in section 11-15-13: AMENDMENTS.

Future Land Use/Zoning Compatibility Table
Future Land Use Designation	Compliant Zoning Districts
	Development Character Area (DCA)	Traditional (Euclidean)
NL, Neighborhood Light	ULI	A-2, R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1
MT, Mixed Transitional	UMI	R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C-1, C-2
UA, Urban Activity	UHI	R-3, R-4, R-5, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1
CS, Conservation Subdivision	ULI, UMI (*)	R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, C-1 (*)
NC, Neighborhood Commercial	N/A	C-1
SC, Service Commercial	N/A	C-1, C-2, R-3, R-4
CC, Community Commercial	N/A	C-1, C-2, C-3, R-5
I, Industrial	N/A	I-1, I-2, I-3
BP, Business Park	N/A	C-3, C-6, C-7, I-1
P, Civic & Public	N/A	ALL
DR, Development Reserve	N/A	A-1, A-2
GW, Greenway	N/A	ALL**
PO, Parks & Open Space	N/A	ALL
** Not intended for development.
* Conservation Subdivision is intended to cluster development and preserve open space.

 

(Ord. 18-24, 7-16-2024)

HOW TO USE THE ZONING CODE: 

As mandated by Iowa Code Section 414.3, Bettendorf's adopted comprehensive plan, Premiering Bettendorf, provides guidance for the regulation of land use through zoning. Specifically, the plan's future land use map (Figure 1.4) indicates generalized land uses for all areas, developed or undeveloped, within the city limits. The generalized land use categories include the DCAs described above. The purpose, permitted uses, intensity, and form of each DCA is established in the comprehensive plan, and compatibility issues are identified.

The comprehensive plan also describes the components of mixed-use neighborhoods and how the DCAs can be used to encourage this approach to development. Comprehensive plan Figure 1.5, Commercial Areas, identifies existing and emerging commercial and employment nodes in the city. These commercial areas are also shown on the future land use map as either community commercial or neighborhood commercial areas. For the undeveloped growth areas of Bettendorf, these commercial nodes will be the "centers" of future mixed-use neighborhoods.

There are two areas of the community where the land use map indicates application of DCA designation. The DCA designation as a zoning category will largely apply to undeveloped growth areas. The DCA designation may also be used in established areas where redevelopment is likely to occur or the redevelopment area is large enough to encourage a planned mixed-use development that emphasizes urban character and pedestrian scale. These areas will employ the procedural processes and review for compliance with the comprehensive plan and the zoning ordinance that are identified for DCA areas in this ordinance.

The Bettendorf zoning map also identifies areas where traditional, non-DCA zoning districts are applied. Virtually all of existing developed Bettendorf is zoned with traditional zoning districts, and the new zoning code has not significantly altered the previous code's zoning district regulations. For these traditionally-zoned areas, sections of the zoning code identified as "applicable to all" or "non-DCA zoning district" are applicable.

However, aspects of the DCA review process will also help guide the comprehensive plan compliance review of development and rezoning applications in traditional zoning districts within the established city. This review is based on three very important issues:

o   Compliance with the land use plan. For comprehensive plan compliance, the proposed zoning category should be one of those included within the group of districts included within the applicable comprehensive plan land use category, including DCA's.

o   Compliance with locational standards. This addresses where the project is located. The ordinance includes guidance for the location of different uses such as types of streets, infrastructure service, and scale and type of surrounding development and uses.

o   Compliance with transitional standards. This considers how the application addresses boundaries with other development. If uses are different, the ordinance provides standards that reduce land use, scale, and operating conflicts.

Figure 1 on the following page is a simplified chart describing the DCA and traditional zoning district processes for determining whether a development project meets the requirements of the zoning ordinance. Chapter 15, Administration and Enforcement, provides more details on both of these processes.

Figure 1. Finding of Compliance with Zoning Ordinance Requirements