Phase 1 + 2 Report

A
THE ANKENY PLAN 2040

PHASE 1 + 2 REPORT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ADVISORY TEAM MEMBERS
MAYOR + CITY COUNCIL
Gary Lorenz, Mayor
PLANNING + ZONING COMMISSION

MEMBERS
Bobbi Bentz, Council Member
Trina Flack, Chair
Mark Holm, Mayor Pro-tem
Kerry Walter-Ashby, Council Member
Todd Ripper, Vice Chair
Kerry Walter-Ashby
Trina Flack, Planning and Zoning Commission Chair
Lisa West
Bobbi Benz
Glenn Hunter, Planning and Zoning Commissioner
Glenn Hunter
Wade Steenhoek
David Jones, City Manager
Steve Odson
Jim McKenna
Paul Moritz, Assistant City Manager
Larry Anderson
Mark Mueller, Public Works Director
Kelly Whiting
Nick Lenox, Parks and Rec Director
Clayton Ender
Derek Lord, Economic Development Director
Sara Houlihan
Eric Carstens, Planning Administrator

Eric Jensen, Planning and Building Director
Don Clark, Municipal Utilities Director
Amy Baker, Communications Manger
The Ankeny Plan 2040
2 | City of Ankeny, Iowa
Gary Lorenz, Mayor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
PROJECT KICKOFF
PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS
SURVEY RESULTS
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
5
9
27
39
This page is intentionally left blank.
PROJECT KICK-OFF
INTRODUCTION
For Ankenys Comprehensive Plan to
ultimately be successful and result
in a meaningful actionable plan, it
must represent the desires of key
stakeholders,
property
owners,
citizens, business leaders, the
development, and the City of Ankeny.
To obtain this input, a project kickoff meeting with the comprehensive
plan advisory committee was held on
August 9, 2016. During the meeting,
the project schedule, name and logo,
website and survey, special event
booth input, and areas of focus/
concern were reviewed to provide a
better understanding of the project
goals, and the process by which those
goals are planned to be achieved.
This meeting also served as an

opportunity to identify key stakeholders
to interviewed, as well as determine
a date and location for an advisory
committee bus tour.
The kick-off meeting concluded with an
overview of next steps and upcoming
events including: Public Workshop
#1, Key Stakeholder Interviews,
Farmers Market Event Boot, Advisory
Committee Bus Tour in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, and Youth Workshop.
The subsequent pages provide an
in-depth overview of the creation
of the Comprehensive Plan name,
logo design, website and survey, and
public input obtained at the Ankeny
Summerfest Event Booth.
In order to be truly unique to Ankeny,

The Ankeny Plan 2040 sets itself
apart with a name and logo that is
distinctively unique to the community.
The chosen project name, The
Ankeny Plan 2040, exemplifies
the fact that the City of Ankeny is
indeed planning well into the future,
and understands the importance
of strategic planning as Ankeny
continues to grow and prosper.
PROJECT NAME AND LOGO

The visioning process serves as a
framework for the comprehensive
plan. Developing and reinforcing a
brand for Ankeny is a key component
of this community visioning process.
Illustrated above are some of the
initial concepts developed to create
a logo and overall brand for this
comprehensive planning effort.
Through a thoughtful review of the
concept sketches, the City Grid
option particularly stood out due to
its historical significance and overall
story of the city.
Historically, the grid was used to shape
and design the City of Ankeny, as well
as many cities throughout the world.
Both logo concepts build upon the
idea, with the colored squares inside

the letter A representing the change
and evolution within the city and the
green squares around the periphery
representing the undeveloped land.
Additionally, it is planned to have a
unique graphic or icon associated with
each chapter within the plan.
The chosen project name, The Ankeny
Plan 2040, exemplifies that the City of
Ankeny is planning well into the future,
and understands the importance of
strategic planning as Ankeny continues
to grow and prosper.
Overall, this branding process will aid
in setting the plan apart from any other
plan.
PROJECT WEBSITE
The Citys existing website serves as an
effective tool for keeping stakeholders
up to date on the planning process.
However, a project-specific website has
been created containing regular project
updates to keep the general public and
interested stakeholders engaged and
informed. The website can be found at:
http://ankenyplan2040.com/.
The project website includes a
homepage allowing the Ankeny
residents to know the City is updating
the comprehensive plan, but also how
valuable their input was in creating the
plan.
Included directly on the homepage
is a link to The Ankeny Plan 2040
featured survey. Other pages/tabs that
could be found on the website include:
About: Information about why

Ankeny is updating their plan,
elements to be included in the
plan, and the significance of
community input throughout the
process.
Latest News: Key meetings and

events that were open to the
public throughout the creation of
the plan were listed here
Survey: Information about and a

link to the survey could be found
here.
Contact: Contact information for

the City staff was located here.
OPTION 2
describe the availability of employment

opportunities in Ankeny?
16. In your opinion, how would you
describe the availability of places to
shop and dine in Ankeny?
17. How often do you leave Ankeny to
shop?
18. How often do you leave Ankeny to
eat?
19. Please indicate your level
of agreement with the following
statement: Ankeny is a good place to
start a business.
20. Do you believe Ankeny should
commit additional tax dollars to attract
and retain employment opportunities
within the City?
OPTION 1
PUBLIC INPUT SURVEY
The planning process for the project
included a community input survey
was is unique to and geared toward
gaining input from Ankenys growing
population.
Questions asked within this survey
include:
1. What are one to three words you
would use to describe Ankeny?
2. Do you live in Ankeny?
3. If you answered yes to question 2,
how long have you lived in Ankeny?
4. If you answered yes to question
two, what are the three most important
reasons you choose to live in Ankeny?
5. How would you rate the overall
quality of life in Ankeny?
6. Over time, do you expect the quality

of life in Ankeny to:
7. Please indicate changes you think
would improve the quality of life in
Ankeny (Please select up to three.)
8. What types of housing are most
needed in Ankeny? (Select all that
apply.)
9. For the following statement, please
indicate your level of agreement.
The City of Ankeny needs more
affordable multi-family housing such as
apartments.
indicate your level of agreement. The
City of Ankeny needs more affordable
entry-level, owner-occupied housing
such as smaller single family homes or
townhomes/rowhouses.
11. The City needs more of the

following types of retail businesses.
(Select all that apply.)
12. Please indicate your level of
agreement that Ankenys future should
include more of the following items.
indicate your level of agreement.
The City of Ankeny should continue
to plan and invest in future growth
and development to expand the
size, population, and economy of the
community.
14. Which of the following best
describes your current place of
employment?
If employed outside the home, where
do you work?
15. In your opinion, how would you
21. Please indicate your level of

agreement with the following statement;
Development of homes or businesses
should be limited by law in floodplains
and other areas where natural events
are likely to cause frequent property
damage.
22. In what type of a dwelling do you
live?
23. Do you own or rent your home?
24. In which category is your age?
25. What transportation system
improvements would you like to see
and where?
26. Other thoughts and comments?
Initial survey results and open-ended
responses are illustrated and discussed
in depth in the following chapter entitled
Public Input Process.
PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS
INTRODUCTION
Youth Participation Workshop
Ownership of the final Comprehensive

Plan is critical. Upon completion of this
project, its eventual success lies in the
hands of the community leaders and
residents.
Public Open Workshops and

Open Houses
City Council and Planning

and Zoning Commission Joint
Workshops
Community engagement was a major

component of this project and the
process includes multiple approaches.
Public Hearings
Surveys + Project Website
The public input process was structured

to allow stakeholders to be involved in
several ways throughout the process.
Some key public input elements
include:
Each stage of the public input process

was successful in gathering meaningful
feedback
from
the
community
members. There was high turnout at
public meetings and a large number
of residents completed the online
survey. This following pages provide
an overview of each public input event
and a summary of the results from the
engagement exercise.
Communication Plan
Use of an Advisory Team
Key Stakeholder Interviews
Special Event Booths
The My Hope for Ankeny board

shown to the right illustrates a fun
and interactive way residents were
able to provide input for Ankenys
Comprehensive Plan Update. This
exercise was done at the Ankeny
Summerfest Event as well as at a
Farmers Market booth.
Each participant was asked what
their hope for Ankenys future is, or
what they would like to see in Ankeny
in the future. Shown on the image is
each participants picture and written
on a white board, what each person
hopes to see in Ankenys future.
SPECIAL EVENT BOOTHS
PUBLIC INPUT FROM SUMMERFEST
More Hockey
One of the more effective methods of

obtaining input from a broad crosssection of the community was to meet
with them at a community event or
festival.
Public comments from the board

included the following:
More Trail Connections
Mini Golf ***
Bowling Alley ***
Special Event Booths for this plan

included a Comprehensive Planning
booth at the Ankeny Summerfest Event
on July 9th, as well as a booth a local
farmers market on September 17th.
Arcade **
Trader Joes ***
A Mall**
Indoor Tennis Club
The My Hope for Ankeny board

shown on this page highlights some
of the community members willing to
participate and show us what they
wanted to see in Ankeny in the future.
Responses were diverse, but there
was some common themes among the
responses.
An Amusement Park
Gordmans
Less Banks
Controlled Sustainable Growth
More Entertainment
Free Public Wifi
Swimming Pools at both High

Schools
Outdoor Concert Hall
Ice Rink
Smaller Parks in N Ankeny
Hockey Rink
More Parade Seating
Old Navy
Outdoor Store
A better Downtown (Uptown)
New Movie Theater
More Housing Options
Winter Activities (for teens)
Another Dog Park
Health Store
A Hickory Park
Barnes & Noble
Roller Skating Rink
Shuttle Service to State Fair
Costco
Skating Rink
No Sprawl
Roller Skating
Outlet Mall
Ikea
More Bike Trails on NE Side
* Indicate the number of times a response was repeated.
ANKENY FARMERS MARKET
PUBLIC INPUT FROM THE EVENT
Sidewalks along 36th Street
The Ankeny Farmers Market served as

a prime location to obtain valuable and
meaningful public input.
Additional public comments provided

at the Farmers Market and added
to the My Hope for Ankeny Board
included the following:
A Forest
A Splash Pad
Mini Golf
A Big YMCA standing alone
Vibrant, Local Uptown
An Arcade
Bowling Alley
More Parks
Pool
Skyzone
Mini Golf
Chuck-E-Cheese
Aldis
Aldis
Frisbee Golf
Hobby Lobby
Doll Store
Gordmans
Dog-Friendly Coffee Shop
Ikea
AAA Baseball Team
A recreational lake
Pool
Movie Theater
Churches
At this event, visitors had the

opportunity to learn more about the
purpose of the plan, provide their
ideas on a comment sheet, sign up for
updates on an email list, receive a flyer
with a link to the project website and
survey, add their picture and ideas to
the My Hope for Ankeny board, and
illustrate what their ideal future would
look like.
Overall, the community was very
excited about this opportunity to learn
more about the planning process, and
to provide their own thoughts and
ideas about the future of Ankeny as it
continues to grow.
Fire Station
Trader Joes
A Dog Park on the North Side
This event enabled community

members of all ages to provide their
input. In addition to the My Hope
for Ankeny board, there were other
activities in which people of all ages
and abilities could partake.
Several local children also stopped by
the booth. Shown to the right are some
of the drawings completed by children
showing what they hope would be in
Ankenys future. This served as a great
way for them to remain involved and
have fun while learning about The
Ankeny Plan 2040, as well as expose
them to the planning process.
BUS TOUR
Those in attendance included:
Manager
Site Features
Part of the comprehensive planning

process for Ankeny included a bus tour
of high-quality, planned communities
similar to Ankeny in the Minneapolis/
St Paul, Minnesota region. The tour
took place on November 4, 2016 and
provided an opportunity for steering
committee members to experience
firsthand a variety of land use types
and configurations that may influence
the final land use plan and policies in
Ankeny. The communities selected for
the visit were:
Gary Lorenz, Mayor

Bobbi Bentz, Council Member
Kerry Walter-Ashby, Council Member
Trina Flack, Planning and Zoning
Commission Chair
Glenn Hunter, Planning and Zoning
Commissioner
David Jones, City Manager
Paul Moritz, Assistant City Manger
Mark Mueller, Public Works Director
Nick Lenox, Parks and Recreation
Director
Derek Lord, Economic Development
Director
Eric Carstens, Planning
Administrator
Eric Jensen, Planning and Building
Director
Amy Baker, Communications
While
exploring
the
selected
communities, the attendees were
provided with a booklet summarizing
the locations and highlighting features
to observe during the visit. The key
features that the committee members
were instructed to observe included:
Width of Sidewalks
Pedestrian circulation
Mechanical/utility Equipment screening
Trash Enclosures
Cart Corrals
Parking Location
Vehicular Circulation
Exterior Lighting
Outdoor Displays
Plaza Space
Landscaping
Focal Points
Open Space
Excelsior & Grand, St. Louis Park

Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove
Centennial Lakes in Edina
Cobblestone Lake in Apple Valley
Spirt of Brandtjen in Lakeville
Building Exteriors
Building Materials
Building Heights
Wall & Roof Shapes
Amount of Clear Glass
Window Locations
Exterior Lighting
Building Orientation
Signage and Way Finding

Community boundary markers
Interstate Monument Signage
Gateway Signs
Primary Intersection Signs

Community Facilities and Common
Area Signs
Wayfinding Signage
Streetscaping Enhancements
Trail Signage
Mix of Use/Transitions and Buffers
Between Uses
Architectural screen
Vegetative Buffer
Physical Distance
Mounded Topography
Storm Water Management
Biocells
Bioswales
Rain Gardens
Permeable Hardscape
Storm Inlet Signage
Curb Cuts
QUESTIOSN FOR THE RIDE UP

The booklet provided to attendees also
included a section for readers to fill-out
with answers regarding Ankeny during
the ride to the Twin Cities.
The first question was, What is
your hope for Ankeny?. Responses
mentioned desires for a more
sustainable future with controlled
growth, a robust utility and storm
water management systems, an
efficient transportation network, and
neighborhood
revitalization,
They
wanted to keep vibrant, family-friendly
nature of Ankeny and work to maintain/
improve older sections of town in
addition to the newer sections of town.

The second question was What
do you value most about Ankeny?.
Responses included the quality of life
in Ankeny, the people of Ankeny, the
excellent park system, the quality local
government, the schools, safety, and
the location.
The third question was What Qualities
of Characteristics make Ankeny
unique?. The most common response
was the quality of the park system and
the trails, with particular mention of the
High Trestle Trail. Another common
positive attribute was the location
of Ankeny to nearby communities
and interstate access. Other unique
qualities listed include the police and
fire force, areas such as Uptown, the
cleanliness of town, and the quality of
the new infrastructure.
The fourth question was What would
you like to see most in Ankenys future?.
Several respondents listed an additional
library as a future goal. Another
common response was a commercial
area near the interchange of Interstate
35 and 36th St. Several people listed
different types of entertainment
activities they think would make
Ankeny more of a destination. Other
responses include the revitalization of
older neighborhoods in town, a natural
specialty grocery store such as Whole
Foods or Trader Joes, and for Prairie
Trail to be fully built out.
The final question for the ride up
was, Name Something you feel

could add or positively impact future
growth and development in Ankeny?.
Responses varied, but many included
recommendations for traffic alleviation
including a new interchange at
Interstate 35 and NW 26th St, adding
four lanes to US-69, and strategic
placement of high-speed arterial roads
throughout town. Others saw the
balance of commercial and residential
land as an important part of future
growth in Ankeny. Many think more
entertainment activity options and
conference facilities would improve
Ankeny, going along with the theme of
making Ankeny more of a destination
in the future.
Liked the common areas included in

the residential subdivisions
LAND USE CONSIDERATIONS
Some general comments made about

the Excelsior & Grand development
in St. Louis Park were that the multistory residential worked well here and
that the parking was accommodating,
but out of view. They noted that the
while the upscale and ground floor
retail seemed to suffer some, the area
was holding up well for its age. They
also questioned what the turnover rate
for the commercial uses were.
Another section of the booklet asked

attendees to note overall observations
of what they did or did not like relating
to Residential Use, Commercial and
Mixed Uses, and Public/Open Space.
General responses included:
Mixed-Use has potential, but would
need to be careful with the location
Decorative street lights are nice

A tree requirement for single-family
homes would be nice
Lakeville was a nice model for what
we have to work with in Ankeny
Liked the larger parks that served as
destinations
Tiered slopes and sloped areas were
used to delineate the park areas from
the surrounding uses
EXCELSIOR & GRAND, ST LOUIS

PARK
Dislike of the big homes of tiny lots
ARBOR LAKES, MAPLE GROVE
More regional storm water detention

the Arbor Lakes development in Maple
Grove were that while they liked the
commercial buildings, they did not like
the sidewalks only being on one side of
the street. They also noted that while
the lakes were pleasant, they seemed
Liked the boulevard style and use

of sidewalk space at Excelsior and
Grand
Like the 3-story units with
commercial on the bottom
to lack public access points.
COBBLESTONE LAKE, APPLE VALLEY

Cobblestone Lake in Apple Valley
were about its nice lots and houses,
especially the unique house designs.
However, they noted that the setbacks,
especially side yard setbacks, would
need to be wider in Ankeny. They also
enjoyed the vertical relief, noting that it
added to the visual aesthetics of the
area. They worried the lack of street
parking could be restrictive.
SPIRIT OF BRANDTJEN, LAKEVILLE

A general comment made about the
Spirit of Brandtjen in Lakeville was the
quality of the house styles. However,
they noted that the narrow streets and
small lots can be restrictive. There was
some concern over the lack of street
parking and the minimal street lighting.
They also wondered who maintained
the common areas. While they liked the
housing areas, some noted that it felt
very dense and confining.
Mixed-Use at Excelsior and Grand, St. Louis Park,

Minnesota
Town-Center at Arbor Lakes, Maple Grove, Minnesota
Single-Family Home at Cobblestone Lake, Apple Valley,

Minnesota
Single-Family Home in the Spirit of Brandtjet in Lakeville,

Minnesota
Poster boards were set up as a way

to engage people with the planning
process upon their arrival. They
presented a variety of information
including the existing conditions of
Ankeny, a project timeline, and the
future land use created for the 2010
Comprehensive Plan in Ankeny.
Comment boards were laid out
to provide a means for citizens to
identify the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats Ankeny
faces.
OPEN HOUSE # 1
A large part of the comprehensive
planning process was ensuring the
community felt as if their voices,
opinions, and values had been
incorporated into the document. There
are many ways to gauge public opinion
so that their thoughts and beliefs
influence the final document.
A big step in the public engagement
process for the Ankeny Plan 2040
was the first public meeting held on
November 16, 2016. The meeting
was designed to serve many purposes
including providing an overview of the
comprehensive planning process, a
visual preference exercise, and a small
group mapping exercise.
It
was
important
for
citizens
to
understand the importance of these

decisions. The visual preference
exercise and small-group mapping
activity were creative ways in which
community preferences and thoughts
could influence the final comprehensive
plan and future land use map.
keep them updated on the comprehensive plan. They were then provided with
a key pad polling clickers for the visual
preference exercise during the presentation. Attendees were encouraged to
take and complete a comment card for
additional feedback after the meeting.
thoughts on the future of Ankeny. The four

boards asked the following questions:
The subsequent pages provide an indepth overview of the public meeting.

This open house was held at the
Pinnacle Club of the Otter Creek Golf
Club in Ankeny. The meeting occurred
between 6:30-8:30pm. People began
arriving around 6:00pm and there was
a turnout of approximately 150-200
people.
BOARDS AND PRESENTATION
Near the entrance to the meeting, there

were several items for the community
to browse and to provide input. There
were several presentation boards outlining some of the data collected on
Ankeny thus far. The boards included
information on the location of sewer
lines, major streets, school districts,
zoning districts, as well as the future
land use map created during the 2010
comprehensive planning process.
Attendees were asked to sign-in and

provide their e-mail address in order to
There were several comment boards

available for communities to write their
My vision for Ankeny is...
The best part of Ankeny is...
My concern for Ankeny is..
Ankeny needs more...
These boards were meant to serve

as a way to outline a Strength-Weakness-Opportunities
and
Threats
(SWOT) Analysis for the City of Ankeny.
SWOT Analyses are a good means of
identifying areas of concern in cities as
well as identifying the parts of a city
residents think are beneficial. This information can be used to guide future
decisions about the city and the comprehensive plan.
The themes present on the My vision

for Ankeny board included:
Top quality education

Planning for sustainable growth
Being a top community in Iowa
Excellent parks and trails.
The themes present in The best part

of Ankeny board included:
Quality Schools
Parks/Trail System
Safety
Location
The themes present in the My Concern for Ankeny board highlighted
some division amongst the community
in identifying the problems facing the
city. Themes included:
Too high density in some areas
Traffic concerns
Schools and growth

Just a bedroom community
Losing sense of community/growth
Need more business/tax base
The final board asked for comments

on the prompt, Ankeny needs more.
The common themes present on the
board include:
More retail/mall/higher end amenities to match the income
Better public transportation/light-rail
to Des Moines/Ames
Hospital
Movie Theater/Bowling/Ice Rink
Community Space/Theater
More trails/parks (especially on
North side of town)
More Senior Citizen activities
Low Density Residential
PLANNING 101
The first part of the evening included
a PowerPoint presentation. The
presentation went over the project
schedule including major deliverable
dates and a summary of the
comprehensive planning process.
Information
about
the
reason
for comprehensive planning, the
components of a comprehensive plan,
and the importance of engaging the
community were also covered.
Preliminary data from Phase 1 of the
planning process was discussed. This
data included information on population
change,
construction
trends,
income, the distribution of residents,
employment, and retail opportunities
in the Ankeny and Greater Des Moines
area.
VISUAL PREFERENCE
EXERCISE
Office
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
Industrial
In an effort to determine the preferred

densities and land use styles of Ankeny
residents, a visual preference exercise
was performed with the meeting
attendees. Using Keypad Polling
Clickers handed out at the sign-in
welcome table, audience members
were polled and able to see group
results in real-time.
Greenspace and Parks
The first few questions provided practice

on handling the voting devices as well
as to gain some basic demographic
information. First, the group was asked
how many of them lived in Ankeny.
Of the 150 respondents, 129, or
approximately 86%, lived in Ankeny.
The type of densities and land use

types polled on:
Single-Family Dwellings
Townhomes/Row Houses
Multi-family Units
Mixed Use
The participants were given either six

or four different visual examples of a
density and land use type. They could
then vote on their most and secondmost preferred option, depending on
the question. In many instances, a
clear preference was identified by the
attendees. In other cases, two or more
styles were preferred and one or two
strongly not preferred. Results from the
polling exercise were uploaded to the
Ankeny Plan 2040 website for review
by those unable to attend. All options
and responses are in the Appendix.
The next question was how long they

had lived in Ankeny. The majority of
residents, 56%, had lived in Ankeny
for between 11-20 years. The next
largest representative group was
those who had lived in Ankeny for 1-5
years who accounted for 28% of the
total respondents. The remainder of
the attendees had lived in Ankeny for
less than 1 year or from between 6-10
years.
The final introductory question asked
Retail
the respondents reason for choosing to

live in Ankeny. The possible responses
for them to pick the best answer for
were:
Proximity to Work (33%)
Quality of Public Schools (31%)
Cost of Housing (7%)
Near family/friends (17%)
Raised here (12%)
Given Ankenys proximity to job centers
like Des Moines and Ames the proximity
to work was not surprising. Neither
was the quality of public schools due
the family-friendly nature of Ankeny
and the high number of single-family
homes located in Ankeny.
This large modern tudor on a typical

suburban lot was the most preferred
single-family dwelling with 38% of
votes.
This modern style two-level

townhome unit was the most
preferred by the audience with 35%
of the votes.
This four-story upscale apartment

or condo building was the most
preferred choice by attendees with
29% of the votes.
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
TOWNHOME/ROW HOUSE
MULTI-FAMILY UNITS
There were six different options

presented to the audience for single
family dwelling preferences. They
ranged from large lots with large homes
to small lots with more modest homes.
There was a clear preference identified
during this polling question. The photo
above shows the most preferred
option, receiving 38% of the votes.
This home is a modern Tudor style on a
suburban style lot. There is a large front
lawn and set back, but the neighbors
home is shown somewhat close to the
side of the home. In this question, not
other option received more than 18%
of the vote.

presented to the audience for
townhome/row house preferences.
They ranged in terms of their
appearance, density, and overall size
of the complex. The most preferred
townhome type is shown above and
received 35% of the votes. The chosen
townhome was more modern looking
and had a walk up front rather than a
driveway and bigger set back. There
was another option receiving almost
as many votes. The second most
preferred option was a more craftsman
style row homes with front porches and
front lawns.

presented to the audience for multifamily units. The audience was
presented with options of five-plus
stories with a large number of units,
mid-sized three-level buildings, and
one or two-unit options. They ranged
in style from modern to traditional
apartment styles. The most preferred
option is shown above and is a
modern four-level mid-sized apartment
or condominium unit, receiving 29%
of the votes. This category also had
another option receiving nearly as
many votes at 24%. This option was
also a mid-sized four-level unit with a
modern style.
This brick mixed-use unit with

first-floor commercial was the most
preferred mixed-use property type
with 32% of the vote.
This more traditional main street style

retail style was the most preferred
retail unit in the exercise with 42% of
the votes.
This mid-sized two-level office

building was the most preferred office
style unit with 32% of the votes.
This more upscale metal industrial

building was the most preferred
industrial unit with 52% of the votes.
MIXED-USE
RETAIL
OFFICE
INDUSTRIAL

presented to the audience for the mixeduse category. All of them appeared to
have first-floor commercial space with
residential on the other floors. Four of
the options had around three-levels
in total with two options having five
or more stories. The most preferred
option is shown above receiving 32%
of the total votes. This tri-level brick
mixed-use building was more of a clear
winner compared to the other options,
all of which failed to more than 12-20%
of the votes. Interestingly, the second
most preferred option was a higher
density mixed-use option with around
five-stories.
There were four different options

presented to the group for retail unit
styles. The styles for retail were more
distinct than in other categories with
each category representing a distinct
style of retail. Options ranged from
a main street style walkable retail
environment, an upscale small strip
mall, a larger outdoor strip mall, and
a standalone big box retail store. The
most preferred option was the main
street style option shown above which
received 42% of the votes. The larger
outdoor stripmall also received a fair
share of the votes with 31%. There was
considerably less preference for the
smaller strip mall and the big box store.

presented to the audience for office unit
types. Three of the office types were
different variation on more modern one
or two-story office buildings. The final
option was a larger office park. The
most preferred option is shown above
which received 32% of the votes.
Overall, this was a close poll with the
other two smaller office building types
receiving 26% and 29% of the votes.
The larger office park was clearly the
least preferred option, receiving only
13% of the votes.

presented to the group for industrial
unit types. The options included a
more minimal metal domed building
one might find on a farm, a larger metal
framed building with shipping doors, a
more decorative large metal building,
and a large metal building with loading
docks. There was a clear preference
for the more decorative large metal
framed building which received 55%
of the vote. The minimal metal domed
building was generally not preferred
with only 3% of respondents preferring
this type of unit style.
This semi-manicured park with

mostly natural greenery with paths
was the most preferred park style
with 46% of the vote.
PARKS AND GREENSPACE

presented to the audience for parks and
greenspace. The options presented
were meant to portray a more natural
and un-landscaped park, a slightly
landscaped park with walking paths, a
park with a playground, and a heavily
trafficked trail-based greenspace for
activities such as running and biking.
The semi-landscaped park with walking
paths was the clear winner of the
poll, receiving 46% of the votes. The
playground and trail options received
21% and 24% of the vote, respectively.
The natural park was least preferred
with only 9% of the votes.
SMALL GROUP MAPPING

EXERCISE
During the open house, the attendees
were informed about the importance
of the future land use map in the
comprehensive planning process. After
finishing the visual preference exercise,
the final section of the meeting was
a small group mapping activity. The
activity was meant to gain input on
their preferred future land use map.
The community members present
divided into ten groups to develop their
desired future land use map. At each of
the ten tables, there was an instruction
guide, a base map of Ankeny and
the planning area, as well as several
different puzzle pieces representing
different land use types.
A base map was made for the

exercise that showing the city limits of
Ankeny, the planning boundary of the
comprehensive plan, parcel outlines,
and existing land uses along with some
identifying and helpful features such
as streams, flood hazard, and major
streets. A half-mile grid was placed
over top of the undeveloped and
agricultural land existing beyond the
current city limits of Ankeny. This was
the area which citizens were asked to
help plan.
Larger puzzle pieces representing

approximately 160 acres of land were
available for single-family residential
units, park space, and industrial land.
Puzzle
pieces
representing
approximately 40 acres of land were
created for the following land uses:
single family residential, mediumdensity
residential,
high-density
residential, mixed-use, commercial,
office, industrial, and park space
GROUP MAPPING TAKE AWAYS
Group members were instructed to

work together to decide where they
thought different future land use types
should occur. The group did not have
to complete all of the grid boxes.
All land in the grids not filled in were
determined to be best suited to remain
agriculture/open space.
The results of the group mapping

activity were insightful into the vision
the community members present had
for their city.
The future land use map exercise handout and a blank base map are shown
above. Completed group examples are provided on the next page.
Key Takeways
boundary.
Most groups left much of the

planning boundary area undeveloped.
It is unclear whether this was due to the
thought it should remain agricultural,
ran out of time/ideas, or because they
were overwhelmed by the size of the
planning boundary. Many members of
the public expressed concern over the
growth rate, however, so the blank grid
spaces may indicate they do not want
Ankeny to grow much further out.
Many groups placed some industrial

land use in the planning boundary with
it almost exclusively limited to the far
northeastern section of the planning
boundary near Elkharts city limits, and
the south/southeast sections of the
planning boundary near Interstate 80
and Altoona. There were also some
groups who identified the area around
the proposed Northeast Beltway as a
good place for industrial land uses.
Many groups placed more high

intensity commercial district near the
interchange of Interstate-35 and 110th
Ave/NE36th St. Most groups placed at
least some of their Office, Mixed-Use,
Commercial, High Density Residential,
and Medium Density Residential land
uses around this section of the planning
Only a few groups identified

locations suitable for High-Density
and Medium-Density Residential land
uses. The groups providing locations
for these categories did so primarily
in the northwestern section of the
planning boundary, the interchange of
Interstate-35 and 110th Ave/36th St,
and some scattered throughout the

southern, eastern, and northern parts
of town.
Most of the office land use category
was placed near the interchange of
Interstate 35 and 110th Ave/36th
St. Other groups tended to cluster
the office uses in the southern and
north western areas of the planning
boundary.
Beyond the commercial district
identified around the interchange of
Interstate 35 and 110th Ave/36th St,
other commercial areas identified by
the groups were in the northwestern,
north, and eastern sections of town,
also near the interstate.
The mixed-use land use category
was predominantly placed in the
commercial district desired along
the interchange of Interstate 35 and

110th Ave/36th St. as well as in the
northwestern section of town, near
the High Trestle Bike Trail. There were
some scattered areas of mixed-use in
the southeast and northern sections of
the planning boundary as well.
Single-Family Residential was the
most popular residential land use
category in the small-group activity.
The main two areas groups placed
single-family developments, almost
exclusively in the larger 480 unit
amounts, were in the eastern sections
of the planning boundary and the
northwestern section of the planning
boundary. These were mainly in close
proximity to the existing city limits and
tended to be clustered in larger groups.
There were also some groups where
single-family residential land uses were

placed in the southeast and northern
sections of the planning boundary.
Parks were a very popular land use
category used by the groups. There
were significant park land use areas
identified by all the groups throughout
the entire planning boundary, but it
was especially popular in the northwest
section along the High Trestle Trail,
the southwest near the Muchikinock
Creek, the northern area near 4-mile
Creek, and the eastern side scattered
among residential land uses. Analysis of
the maps clearly indicate many would
like to see a large regional park and/
or agricultural reserve in north Ankeny
near 4-Mile Creek.
of existing trails and natural features

like the High Trestle Bike Trail.
Residents imagined a mix of park and
mixed-use land ues along the trail to
both preserve land and take economic
advantage of the popularity of the
trails.
Many in the community identified
a mall shopping center as a possible
benefit to the community. This
sentiment is supported also by the
online survey.
Multiple groups requested additional
libraries be built not only in the
undeveloped parts of the planning
boundary, but also within the existing
city limits.
One common thread amongst the

maps was the idea of taking advantage
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
Polling Questions
G. Other (2%)
During the Advisory Meetings at the

beginning of Phase 1, key stakeholders
in the community were identified.
Meetings were set up between
the consultant and the identified
stakeholders. During these meetings,
the comprehensive planning process
was described to the individuals and
they were able to offer their unique
perspectives on the issues. There were
a wide variety of stakeholders identified
and interviewed.
The planning 101 section of the

presentation covered the importance
of the comprehensive plan, especially
as it relates to zoning and the future
land use map.
The second question was Ankeny

needs more... and respondents were
allowed to pick three responses.
These meetings identified a diverse set

of views on the future of Ankeny, but
there were many areas of consensus
about the vision needed for the
community to continue to succeed.
Many interviewed highlighted the
need for a growing job base in the city
and a need to attract employers to
keep up with the residential demand
for services. Others highlighted the
need for an increase in diversity in the
housing stock.
ANKENY ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
MEETING
A meeting with the Ankeny Economic
Development Corporation was held on
December 15, 2016. The agenda for
the meeting included:
Planning 101
Project Schedule Overview
Preliminary Data
An overview of the public input

exercises was provided and included
a summary of some preliminary results
from the online survey. This included
responses about quality of life,
reasons for living in Ankeny, and some
data on shopping and dining habits of
respondents.
The attendees then had preliminary
data from the economic conditions
of Ankeny presented to them. This
included information on growth rates,
residential statistics, demographic
data, employment data, and a retail
leakage/surplus analysis.
POLLING QUESTIONS
A series of questions were asked of
meeting attendees about Ankenys
attributes, strengths, and weaknesses.
The first question was What is the best
thing about Ankeny? and respondents
were allowed to make selection.
A. Business Climate (12%)
B. People that live in Ankeny (23%)
C. Proximity to Ames/Des Moines
(26%)
D. Small-town feel (18%)
E. Schools (20%)
F. Weather (0%)
A. Retail Space (19%)

B. Industrial Jobs (15%)
C. Skilled Workers (21%)
D. Residential Housing Options (10%)
E. Parks and Open Space (12%)
F. Business Park/Industrial Space
(19%)
G. Other (4%)
The third question was My top
concern for Ankeny is... and the
respondents were allowed to pick one
selection.
A. Growing too fast (25%)
B. Not growing fast enough (2%)
C. Not enough retail/commercial
uses (33%)
D. Not enough parks (5%)
E. Too many residential housing
options (10%)
F. Too few residential housing options
(8%)
G. Other (17%)
The fourth question was What should
be the target industries in Ankeny?
A. Advanced Manufacturing (15%)
B. Bioscience (17%)
C. Retail/Hospitality/Leisure (11%)
D. Financial Services (13%)

E. Logistics (6%)
F. Information Technology (16%)
G. Corporate Headquarters (20%)
H. Other (2%)
YOUTH WORKSHOP
Engaging the youth of Ankeny in the
comprehensive planning process was
important because these individuals
represent the future of Ankeny and will
be the people making decisions about
where to live in the future. A youth
workshop was planned and tailored to
gauge the interest and excitement of
the young people of Ankeny.
On January 4, 2017, a youth workshop
was held with members of the Mayors
Youth Council in Ankeny. The Mayors
Youth Council is composed of 15
high school students from Ankeny
serving as volunteer representatives to
advocate on behalf of Ankenys youth.
These students meet bi-weekly and
are well-informed on the needs and
conditions facing Ankeny.
The agenda for the youth workshop
include:
Planning 101
Keypad Polling Exercise
Small Group Mapping Exercise
The Mayors Youth Council were
given a presentation about the
comprehensive planning process
and described the important role of
zoning in the comprehensive planning
process.
POLLING QUESTIONS
favored the small-town feel and parks.
During the presentation, students

were asked a series of questions using
the Turn Key clicker technology to get
results in real time.
Students were then asked to

identify what Ankeny needed most
to improve. There was significant
consensus on this question, with
90% of the students selecting
either more shopping options or
more entertainment activities. A few
other students also selected more
restaurants.
The first question was about their

plans after graduation. Approximately
91% of the students were planning
to attend a 4-year college/university.
The remaining 9% were planning
on attending a community college,
vocational school, or apprenticeship.
The next question was Where
do you see yourself in 10 years?.
Unfortunately, none of the students
selected Living in Ankeny as their
response. Of the eleven students
present, two saw themselves living
outside of Ankeny but in Central Iowa
and nine saw themselves living outside
of Iowa.
When the students were asked what
their ideal place to live was, there
was some more diversity in their
responses.
A. Suburban community like Ankeny
(5%)
B. An urban city like Des Moines or
Kansas City (18%)
C. A major city like Chicago or New
York (27%)
D. In a rural area or on a farm (9%)
E. Other (0%)
When asked about their favorite part
of Ankeny, most selected its proximity
to Des Moines/Ames or the schools
as their preferred responses. Others
The final question asked the students

to think about their least favorite thing
about Ankeny. The responses varied.
A. Traffic (19%)
B. Growing too fast (10%)
C. Lack of Entertainment Options
(48%)
D. Limited Number of restaurants
(14%)
E. Other (10%)
During the group polling questions,
the small size of the group enabled
more direct conversation with the
students to expand on their responses
to the questions. This provided a more
nuanced look into their responses.
For instance, while many stated that
they were pleased with the availability
of park and recreation activities in
Ankeny, many agreed that activities
were more limited during the winter
months. They felt as if more winterbased outdoor and indoor activity
options for recreation such as iceskating or skiing and bowling would
be a good addition to Ankeny.
In general, a lack of entertainment
options available in Ankeny was a

noted negative aspect of life in Ankeny.
Many of the students mentioned that
they often have to drive to either Ames
or Des Moines to shop, go bowling, or
see a movie. They also mentioned that
while Ankeny has plenty of fast-food
restaurants, there was a distinct lack
of nicer, sit-down style restaurants.
beltway.
The students suggested expanding
the Prairie Ridge Sports Complex
located in the northeastern area of
town
The students requested additional
entertainment-based commercial uses
scattered throughout the planning
boundary. This included pools, movie
theaters, and ice-skating rinks.
GROUP MAPPING EXERCISE

The final part of the Youth Workshop
meeting was the completion of a
small-group mapping exercise, the
same one performed by attendees of
the Open House in November. The
students discussed their ideas for the
future of Ankeny and made several
recommendations.
Many students suggested a mall
or retail/commercial district near the
interchange of Interstate 35 and 110th
Ave/36th St.
The group believes a large, regional
serving park space in the northern
section of the planning boundary
would be ideal. Many suggested a
man-made lake would be a welcome
addition to the park space.
The students envisioned additional
single-family housing located east
of the existing city limits between
Interstate 35 and the proposed
northeast beltway to the east.
They located additional employment
centers along the proposed northeast
The above map is the completed

small-group mapping exercise from
the Youth Workshop.
SURVEY RESULTS
INTRODUCTION
Residents were encouraged to provide
feedback through an Ankeny specific
community input survey. This allowed
them to voice their thoughts regarding
what they enjoy about the city along
with what improvements they feel
would be a positive impact as Ankeny
continues to experience growth. Feedback obtained through the survey process will aid in yielding outcomes that
more accurately reflect the wants and
needs of community members and will
help to reflect which areas of focus Ankeny residents view as most important.
The survey went live on August 8,
2016 and was open for the public to
participate until December 31, 2016.
As of December 31, 2016, there were
3,717 visitors to the survey website.
Of those visitors, 61%, or 2,295 people went on to complete the survey.

Survey Question 1
The survey begins with the request for
residents to list three words they would
use to describe Ankeny. The word
cloud to the left illustrates the results
received. The larger the word in the image, the more common the word. On
this question, the respondents had the
flexibility to write-in their own unique
response to the question rather than
having a set of multiple-choice questions. Several common themes became apparent through this process,
with the words growing, safe, friendly,
and family all sticking out in the image.
SURVEY RESULTS
The survey
officially closed on
December 31, 2016. Results were
periodically pulled to review responses.
The following results are taken from
the December 12, 2016 summary. As
indicated on the previous page, the first
question allowed residents to provide
three words they would use to describe
Ankeny. The next several questions
were multiple choice and the results are
shown in order above. The following
text explains each of the questions,
and any key findings from the results.
Survey Question 2
Participants were asked whether or
not they lived in Ankeny. Approximately
98% of the 2,226 survey respondents
indicated they were from Ankeny.
Only 66
individuals
responses came from

not living in Ankeny.
Survey Question 3
If the survey taker indicated they lived
in Ankeny, they were then instructed
to answer Question 3 about the length
of time they have lived in Ankeny. The
majority of Ankeny-based survey takers
had lived in Ankeny from between 1120 years (29%), similar to the Open
House # 1, or between 1-5 years
(28%). Very few survey takers had lived
in Ankeny for less than one year (4%).
Survey Question 4
Question 4 asked the survey takers to
identify the qualities making Ankeny
an attractive place to live. They were
asked to identify the three most

important reasons they had for living
in Ankeny. The top four responses
to this question were Quality of the
Schools (54%), Quality of Housing
and Neighborhoods (41%), Proximity
to Work (40%), and Family Friendly
(40%).
This information is telling of what
characteristics Ankeny residents value
most in their community. The results
also reveal few respondents listed
the Cost of Housing (9%) or that
Raised Here or Always Lived here
(10%) as a reason for living in Ankeny.
This suggests a possible housing
affordability issue and a new, possibly
more transient population.
In general, many of the

residents reported they
chose to live in Ankeny
for the quality schools,
quality of housing and
neighborhoods,family
friendly feel and proximity
to work.
Survey Question 5
Question 5 asked participants to rank
the quality of life in Ankeny. As of
December 12, 98% of the respondents
had ranked Ankenys quality of life as
either Good (51%) or Excellent (47%)
suggesting residents are generally
pleased with Ankenys quality of life.
Fewer than 10 respondents responded
with Poor or Not Sure quality of life.
Survey Question 6
Question 6 asked the respondents
to consider the future of Ankeny and
its quality of life. They were asked to
predict the likely change in the quality
of life within Ankeny in the future. Out
of 2,221 responses, 41% noted they
expected the quality of life to get
better, 34% responded that

they thought it would stay the
same, 21% thought it would get
worse, and 5% were not sure.
Survey Question 7
Question 7 asked survey takers
to identify the types of changes
Ankeny could make to improve
the quality of life for its residents.
The most popular requested
change was to Expand Retail
Shopping Options (44%). Other
popular changes were Increase
Employment
Opportunities,
Offer More Community Events,
Things to Do, and Build a Larger
Library.
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
Survey Question 8
Question 8 inquired about the suitability
of Ankenys current housing stock.
Respondents were asked to select
which types of housing (all that apply)
are most needed in Ankeny. Out of
2,094 responses, results revealed the
types of housing residents identified as
most needed were: Mid-range singlefamily homes (63%) and Entry-level
single-family homes (51%).
There was some support for Senior
Housing (Independent and Assisted
Living) (24%), Large Estate SingleFamily Houses (15%), and Senior
Housing
(Skilled
Nursing
Care
and Memory Care) (15%). Few
respondents identified Townhomes

and Rowhouses or Apartments and
Condominiums as a needed type of
housing.
Survey Question 9
Question 9 requests participants to
provide their thoughts to the following
statement: The City of Ankeny needs
more affordable multi-family housing
such as apartments. Responses
revealed the majority of respondents
either Disagree (34%) or Strongly
Disagree (27%) with the statement.
Another 22% were Not Sure. Few
respondents indicated that they
strongly agreed (4%) with the statement
in support of more affordable multifamily housing options.
In terms of housing, there

is a strong desire for midrange single-family houses,
mixed views on the subject
of entry-level homes, and
negative views on increasing
apartments or condominiums
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
Survey Question 10
Question 10 asked participants to provide their response to the following
statement: The City of Ankeny needs
more affordable entry-level, owner-occupied housing such as smaller single-family homes or townhomes/rowhouses. The responses were more
varied on this statement. The most
popular choice was for Agree with
35% of the 2,200 responses. However, 19% were Not Sure and 20% disagreed with the statement. This suggests a mixed public sentiment on the
issue of increasing entry-level or small
single-family housing.
Survey Question 11
Question 11 asked participants
to indicate which types of retail
businesses (select all that apply) were
most needed in Ankeny. Entertainment
business were the category with the
highest percentage of responses
(85%), followed by sit-down-style
restaurants (61%), department stores
(47%), specialty grocery stores (43%),
boutiques/specialty stores (34%), and
coffee shops (30%). Responses to
this question were largely consistent
with earlier feedback acquired during
an exercise conducted at the Ankeny
Summerfest event and farmers market.
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
Survey Question 12
with the above statement (59%),42%

were unsure or in disagreement.
E. Ankeny needs more retail,
shopping, and entertainment
businesses
Question 12 incorporated a number of

questions inquiring about the level of
agreement for statements regarding
need in Ankeny. The statements and
results are listed below:
A. Ankeny needs more office and

employment opportunities
F. Ankeny needs a more vibrant

uptown district
The majority of participants agreed

(43%) or strongly agreed (32%)
with this statement, with only
5% indicating they disagreed or
strongly disagreed.
Responses to this question were

predominantly
in
agreement
(82%), with 18% unsure or in
disagreement.
Participants largely agreed

with this statement (84%), with
12% unsure and only 4% in
disagreement.
B. Ankeny needs more parks,

recreation, and open space
G. Ankeny needs a broader range of

housing choices
Participants largely agreed or

strongly agreed with this statement
(80%), with 19% not sure or in
disagreement.
C. Ankeny needs more sidewalks and

trails

A large majority of responses

indicated agreement and strong
agreement with this statement
(79%), with 21% of responses
indicating that they were unsure or
in disagreement.
D. Ankeny needs more bicycle lanes

and routes

The responses were more mixed

for this statement. While a majority
of responses indicated agreement
This question resulted in a mix of

answers with 45% of participants
stating that they agree/strongly
agree, 28% indicating they were
unsure, and 26% stating that they
disagreed/strongly disagreed.
H. Ankeny needs more protection of

natural resources and preservation of
open space

o Overall, responses indicated

agreement/strong
agreement
with this statement (76%), with
18% unsure, and only 5% in
disagreement.
When asked What does the City need more of? The
most popular response was: Entertainment businesses
(Such as movie theaters, bowling alley, indoor
trampolines/skydiving, rock wall, etc.) Followed by
more sit down style restaurants.
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
I. Ankeny needs more industrial
growth and development

Responses were mixed in this

category. While 38% were in
agreement, 60% were unsure or
disagreed. This suggests some
community-wide disagreements
on the issue of industrial land.
J. Ankeny needs more healthcare

options

Participants indicated while most

responses were in agreement
(43%), 31% of people were
unsure, and another 27% were in
disagreement. This suggests there
might be different experiences with

healthcare options in Ankeny.
Survey Question 13
This question asked residents
about their level of agreement with
the statement The City of Ankeny
should continue to plan and invest in
the future growth and development
to expand the size, population, and
economy of the community.
In general, residents agreed (70%),
Ankeny ought to plan and invest in
the future of the City to accommodate
increases and changes in the size,
the population, and the economy.
Despite the general agreement, 15%
disagreed with the statement.
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
who answered, 30% worked in Ankeny,

7% worked in Ames, and 32% worked
in Downtown Des Moines.
Survey Question 14
Question 14 was about employment,
asking survey takers whether they
are employed outside the home,
self-employed, work from home, are
a student, or are unemployed. The
results indicate the vast majority (81%)
are employed outside the home. The
second largest group of responses
came from Self-Employed or Work
from Home (12%). Of the 2,208
responses, 7% identified as retired for
their employment status.
Survey Question 15
This question asked residents how
they would describe the availability of
employment opportunities in Ankeny.
Approximately 50% of the responses
thought Ankeny was lacking in job
opportunities. While 30% responded
that the job opportunities were
adequate, few identified the amount
of opportunity as plentiful (3%). This
suggests a community desire for
increased job opportunities.
The second part of this question was

about the place of employment if they
worked outside the home. Of those
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
basis, 36% leave to shop weekly and

47% leave monthly.
Survey Question 16
Survey Question 18
Question 16 inquired about the

availability of places to shop in Ankeny.
While 50% of responses indicated
that the amount of places to shop in
Ankeny was adequate, 37% believed
them to be lacking. This view was also
reflected in some the write-in answers
of the survey.
This question is similar to question

17, but focuses on restaurants and
respondents likelihood to leave
Ankeny for restaurant meals. 78% of
respondents left Ankeny either weekly
or monthly to eat at a restaurant outside
of town.
Survey Question 17
This question expanded on question
16 by asking survey takers how often
they leave Ankeny to shop.
Although few leave to shop on a daily
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
Survey Question 19
Question 19 asked participants to
indicate their level of agreement with
the statement: Ankeny is a good place
to start a business.
For this question, the majority (52%)
of people were Not Sure. This is
not surprising given the specialized
knowledge one might have to analyze
the business climate, but may suggest
they do not view Ankeny as a businessfriendly community.
Survey Question 20
This question asked residents whether
Ankeny should commit additional tax
dollars to attract and retain employment

opportunities in the City.
Although nearly half of the participants
responded with the answer Yes
(45%), it remains a sensitive topic with
26% responding with No and 30%
answering Not sure.
Survey Question 21
Question 21 asked participants about
their level of agreement with the
statement; Development of homes or
businesses should be limited by law in
the floodplain and outer areas where
natural disasters are likely to cause
frequent property damage.
As a whole, most survey takers
responded with Strongly Agree (45%)
or Agree (40%).
SURVEY RESULTS
(CONTINUED)
Survey Question 22
This question asked participants to
indicate what type of dwelling they live
in. Single-Family Homes received 87%
of the responses.
Survey Question 23
Question 23 expanded on Question
22 and asked respondents if they rent
or own their home. Homeownership is
high amongst survey takers with 93%
of respondents indicating they own
their home.
Survey Question 24
The final multiple choice question
asked was In which category is your
age?. Responses gathered consistent
with the NCS (The National Citizen
Survey) completed for Ankeny in 2015
to compare and analyze any changes.
Survey Question 25 and 26
Question 25 and 26 asked for openended responses to questions. The
first was, What transportation system
improvements would you like to see
and where? and the second was a
space for any additional comments.
Most responses related to areas of
traffic congestion, the hope for more
public transportation options, as well
as more trails for walking and biking.
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
Ankeny Population 1910-2015

Year
Population
Change
% Change
1910
445
1920
648
203
45.6%
1930
632
-16
-2.5%
1940
779
147
23.3%
1950
1,129
450
57.8%
1960
2,964
1,735
141.2%
1970
9,151
6,187
208.7%
1980
15,429
6,278
68.6%
+
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
MAJOR STREETS
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
HISTORIC VEGETATION
1990
2000
18,482
27,117
3,053
8,635
19.8%
46.7%
BACKGROUND
CUT HAY
WATER
CORN
WETLAND
SOYBEANS
CONIFEROUS FOREST
BARREN/FALLOW
DECIDUOUS SHORT
STRUCTURES
DECIDUOUS MEDIUM
ROADS/IMPERVIOUS
DECIDUOUS TALL
SHADOW/NO DATA
GRASS 1
1.5
GRASS 2
miles
POPULATION + DEMOGRAPHICS
INTRODUCTION
Understanding
where
population
trends in an area are heading has innumerable benefits to a community. It helps them ensure they have
enough housing, commercial, and
jobs to accommodate the increase. It
helps them plan for new schools, fire
stations, and libraries. These type of
investments require significant funding and so proper planning is key.
DEMOGRAPHIC AND POPULATION

TRENDS
The population between the years
1910 and 2016 have been tabulated on the right in Figure 1.1. In 1910
there were 445 people living in Ankeny.
The community has experienced a
significant growth in population in the
past century. Ankeny had its greatest
increases between 1960 and 1970
where it grew 208.7%. In the new millennia, Ankeny has had large increases
in actual population with an estimated
increase of 11,182 between 2010 and
2015 alone. If the rate of growth experienced between 2010 and 2015 continues until 2040, Ankeny will have a total
population of approximately 164,344
to 187,308. This is likely an unrealistic
scenario for Ankeny. For a community
to sustain this type of growth levels, it
would require an extensive investment
in resources and time. When determining population projections for a
fast-growing community it is import-
ant to look for more nuanced trends

to identify a growth rate not as heavily
swayed by the short-term large spurts
in growth.
One important aspect to review in assessing population of an area is the
age breakdown of the community. Age
groups, generally referred to as age
cohorts, are generally evaluated at a
Census-level in five-year groupings
(i.e. 0-4, 5-9 etc.). Figure 1.2. shows
the estimated age cohort composition
of Ankeny for the years 2000, 2005,
2010, and 2015. It also shows the percent change over time between these
time frames. Some interesting trends
were identified:
In 2015, the largest representative
age cohorts were, in order: ages 3034, 25-29, 0-4, and 5-9. These correspond to prime child-rearing years and
children. While this is not surprising information, it does tell us young adults
are choosing to either move or stay in
Ankeny to raise their children.
In 2015, the smallest representative age cohorts were those of retirement ages 60 and above. Together,
those aged 60 or older only account
for around 11% of the total estimated
population. This indicates that unless
demographics begin to change significantly, there will not likely be an aging
out of the current population for quite
some time.
In comparing these trends to 2005
data estimates, there is slightly higher
Ankeny Population 1910-2015

Year
Population
%
Change
Change
Residential Building Permits Issued 20002016

Year
Permits Issued
1910
445
2000
456
1920
648
203
45.6%
2001
601
1930
632
-16
-2.5%
2002
738
1940
779
147
23.3%
2003
1,042
1950
1,129
450
57.8%
2004
1,098
1960
2,964
1,735
141.2%
2005
1,347
1970
9,151
6,187
208.7%
2006
844
1980
15,429
6,278
68.6%
2007
579
1990
18,482
3,053
19.8%
2008
372
2000
27,117
8,635
46.7%
2009
421
2005
36,039
8,922
32.9%
2010
541
2010
45,582
9,543
26.5%
2011
570
2015
56,764
11,182
24.5%
2012
1,011
2013
994
2014
1,089
2015
1,053
2016
1,627
Figure 1.1 Population 1910-2015

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
percentage of residents age 0-4 and
5-9, with 9.0% and 8.1%, respectively. This may suggest there was a peak
in 2005 for young children in Ankeny.
As these children continue to age into
the next respective cohorts, the demographics of Ankeny may begin to shift.
This transition could have implications
for future growth, perhaps slowing
down the pace of growth as adult residents stop having more young children
and focus on raising adolescents and
young adults.
Figure 1.3 shows Ankenys estimated
age cohort composition in 2015 compared to Iowas estimated age cohort
composition in 2015. Overall, Ankeny
Figure 1.5 Building Permit Numbers

Source: City of Ankeny
is younger than the state. In almost

all cohorts between 0-4 and 40-44,
excluding ages 15-19, Ankeny has either a higher percentage than Iowa or
around the same as Iowa. The State
has more older adults in the categories
45-49 through to 85+.
Figure 1.4 shows some overall demographic characteristics of Ankeny versus the State of Iowa for comparison
using 2010 Census data. The large majority of residents in Ankeny are White,
Ankeny, Iowa Age Composition as Percent of Total Population, 2000-2015

Age Cohort
Total 2000
Total 2005
Total 2010
Total 2015
Change
00-15
Percent
2000
Percent
2005
Percent
2010
Percent
2015
PC Chg
00-15
PC Chg
05-10
PC Chg
10-15
PC Chg
00-15
Growth
00-15
0-4
2,274
3,243
3,883
4,377
2,103
8.4%
9.0%
9.2%
8.5%
42.6%
19.7%
12.7%
25.0%
92.5%
5-9
2,045
2,865
3,419
4,016
1,971
7.5%
7.9%
8.1%
7.8%
40.1%
19.3%
17.5%
25.6%
96.4%
10-14
1,877
2,428
2,913
3,862
1,985
6.9%
6.7%
6.9%
7.5%
29.4%
20.0%
32.6%
27.3%
105.7%
15-19
2,046
2,373
2,406
3,038
992
7.5%
6.6%
5.7%
5.9%
16.0%
1.4%
26.3%
14.5%
48.5%
20-24
2,215
2,794
3,039
3,707
1,492
8.2%
7.7%
7.2%
7.2%
26.1%
8.8%
22.0%
19.0%
67.4%
25-29
2,185
3,128
3,968
4,634
2,449
8.1%
8.7%
9.4%
9.0%
43.2%
26.8%
16.8%
28.9%
112.1%
30-34
2,396
3,388
3,461
4,891
2,495
8.8%
9.4%
8.2%
9.5%
41.4%
2.2%
41.3%
28.3%
104.2%
35-39
2,363
3,052
3,841
3,810
1,447
8.7%
8.4%
9.1%
7.4%
29.2%
25.9%
-0.8%
18.1%
61.2%
40-44
2,109
2,706
3,124
3,965
1,856
7.8%
7.5%
7.4%
7.7%
28.3%
15.4%
26.9%
23.6%
88.0%
45-49
1,908
2,377
2,744
3,192
1,284
7.0%
6.6%
6.5%
6.2%
24.6%
15.4%
16.4%
18.8%
67.3%
50-54
1,625
2,025
2,279
2,574
949
6.0%
5.6%
5.4%
5.0%
24.6%
12.6%
12.9%
16.7%
58.4%
55-59
1,093
1,797
2,195
2,780
1,687
4.0%
5.0%
5.2%
5.4%
64.4%
22.1%
26.7%
37.7%
154.4%
60-64
821
1,182
1,477
2,214
1,393
3.0%
3.3%
3.5%
4.3%
44.0%
25.0%
49.9%
39.6%
169.7%
65-69
639
894
1,013
1,699
1,060
2.4%
2.5%
2.4%
3.3%
39.9%
13.3%
67.7%
40.3%
165.9%
70-74
510
702
886
875
365
1.9%
1.9%
2.1%
1.7%
37.6%
26.3%
-1.3%
20.9%
71.6%
75-79
372
464
507
772
400
1.4%
1.3%
1.2%
1.5%
24.7%
9.2%
52.5%
28.8%
107.6%
80-84
323
395
591
618
295
1.2%
1.1%
1.4%
1.2%
22.3%
49.6%
4.6%
25.5%
91.3%
85+
316
348
422
463
147
1.2%
1.0%
1.0%
0.9%
10.1%
21.3%
9.8%
13.7%
46.6%
Total
27,117
36,161
42,169
51,489
24,372
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
33.4%
16.6%
22.1%
24.0%
89.9%
Figure 1.2 Age Cohorts 2000-2015

Non-Hispanic/Latino. Ankeny has a
slightly larger percent of their population identifying as White than Iowa.
They have an estimated African-American population of 1.2%, below the
state average, and an Asian population
of 2%, above the state average.
tirees (Over 60). While all life category

groups are increasing in their overall
population, it is obvious the larger life
categories are children and mid-age
adults. Young Adults are beginning to
catch up with the Children and MidAge Adult categories.
Using Census Data, life categories for

Ankeny in the years 2000, 2005, 2010,
and 2015 were calculated. The Life
Categories divide the population into
Children (Under 19), Young Adult (2034), Mid-Age Adult (35-59), and Re-
According to the U.S Census Bureau,

the average age of residents in Ankeny
in 2015 is estimated to be 32.2. The
State of Iowas median age in 2015 is
estimated to be 38.1. The 2010 median age estimates for Ankeny and Iowa
was slightly younger at 32 and 38, respectively.

Dependency Ratios are meant to portray the proportion of tax paying workers by age to those typically dependent. This ratio takes the number of
dependents in the population, children
and retirees, and compares this to the
number of working age population. A
ratio of 1 or higher means the working population faces a greater burden
in supporting the aging or younger
population. A ratio of less than 1
indicates there is more working age

than dependents in the population. According to Census Data, Ankenys estimated age dependency ratio in 2015
was estimated to be .569. In 2010,
it was .563. This suggests a healthy
dependency ratio. This may be due
to the lower number of retirees in Ankeny. While there are a large number of
children, they will eventually enter the
workforce and replace the working age
population as opposed to the retirees
who will likely not reenter the working
Age Cohort Breakdown 2015: Ankeny + Iowa

Age
cohort
0-4
2015
Ankeny Pop
2015 Iowa
Pop
4,377
197,986
Demographics Ankeny + Iowa: 2010 Census
Percent
Ankeny
8.5%
PC
Iowa
6.4%
PC
Difference
2.1%
Ankeny:
Iowa
Ankeny Population
Percent
Iowa Population
Percent
More
Total
45,582
100.0%
3,046,355
100.0%
22,329
49.0%
1,508,319
49.%
5-9
4,016
204,173
7.8
6.6%
1.2%
More
Male
10-14
3,862
204,173
7.5%
6.6%
0.9%
More
Female
23,253
51.1%
1,538,036
50.5%
Under 18
12,626
27.7%
727,993
23.9%
18 & Over
15-19
3,038
213,453
5.9%
6.9%
-1.0%
Less
20-24
3,707
225,827
7.2%
7.3%
-0.1%
Average
32,956
72.3%
2,318,362
76.1%
2,919
6.4%
213,350
7.0%
25-29
4,634
191,799
9.0%
6.2%
2.8%
More
20-24
30-34
4,891
197,986
9.5%
6.4%
3.1%
More
25-34
8,405
18.4%
382,583
12.6%
35-39
3,810
179,425
7.4%
5.8%
1.6%
More
35-49
9,922
21.8%
581,030
19.1%
50-64
6,683
14.7%
595,994
19.6%
65+
3,795
8.3%
452,888
14.9%
1,033
2.3%
151,544
5.0%
40-44
3,965
182,518
7.7%
5.9%
1.8%
More
45-49
3,192
194,892
6.2%
6.3%
-0.1%
Average
50-54
2,574
219,640
5.0%
7.1%
-2.1%
Less
Hispanic/Latino
55-59
2,780
210,360
5.4%
6.8%
-1.4%
Less
Non Hispanic/Latino
44,549
97.7%
2,894,811
95.0%
43,188
94.7%
2,781,561
91.3%
60-64
1,477
191,799
4.3%
6.2%
-1.9%
Less
White
65-69
1,699
142,302
3.3%
4.6%
-1.3%
Less
African-American
548
1.2%
89,148
2.9%
70-74
875
108,273
1.7%
3.5%
-1.8%
Less
Asian
914
2.0%
53,094
1.7%
75-79
772
86,619
1.5%
2.8%
-1.3%
Less
American Indian/Native Alaksa
63
0.1%
11,084
0.4%
80-84
618
68,058
1.2%
2.2%
-1.0%
Less
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
23
0.1%
2,330
0.1%
Other
256
0.6%
56,132
1.8%
2 or more races
590
1.3%
53,333
1.8%
85+
463
77,338
0.9%
2.5%
-1.6%
Total
51,489
3,093,526
100.0%
100.0%
-0.1%
Less
Figure 1.3 Age Cohorts Ankeny + State of Iowa

Figure 1.4 Demographic Data Ankeny + Iowa

population and continue to be dependent upon the working age population.
POPULATION PROJECTIONS
Tracking
residential
construction
growth rates is an important indicator in understanding one of the driving forces behind population change.
If there is not housing for people to
move into, it will be harder for the population to increase. Figure 1.5 shows
the number of construction permits
issued for residential units between
1999 and 2016. Ankeny had a record
breaking number of residential permits
in 2016. The average number of residential dwelling unit permits issued

between 2010 and 2016 is 983.9.
The majority of building permits issued
during 1999-2016 is Single-Family Detached Units, accounting for 57.2%
of all permits issued. The next highest
was multi-family units which accounted for 22.6% of all units. The number
of dwelling unit permits issued appears
to fluctuate over time with peaks every
seven years, which is in line with the
7 to 11-year economic growth cycles.
Given the demographic data, it is likely Ankeny will continue to grow, but
the rate of growth will depend on its
ability to keep attracting residents of
child-rearing years. For this to occur,
the city will need to continue working
with the school district and other amenities necessary to attract families.
If only recent annual growth rates are
considered, the total estimated population for 2040 will be high, hover-
ing somewhere between 160,000 to

200,000 residents. However, to be
more modest in the assessment of
growth, several alternative growth rates
and trends have been identified. It is unlikely for Ankeny to continue to grow by
around 25% every five years until 2040.
AVERAGE ACTUAL ANNUAL CHANGE

BY AGE COHORT 2000-2015
Using U.S. Census Bureau data, the
estimated change in population by age
Ankeny Population Projections 2020-2040
cohort between the years 2000, 2005,

2010, and 2014 was determined.
Then, the average actual change by
age cohort in population Ankeny experienced between those five-year increments was calculated. This average
actual change by age cohort was used
to forecast estimated population by
age cohort for the years 2020, 2025,
2030 2035, and 2040. This method
produced a 2040 population estimate
of 92,109 residents.
AVERAGE ACTUAL ANNUAL CHANGE

2000 DATA USING TOTAL POPULATION
actual total change in estimated total
population between the years 20002016 was determined. The average
actual change in population was calculated. Then, this number was used
to calculate the total estimated population for the years 2016-2040. Under
this methodology, the total estimated
population for 2040 was 105,397.
3% GROWTH RATE 2015

This growth rate was identified and
used by the 2010 comprehensive plan
as the average rate of growth based
on 750 dwelling units per year added
between the years 1998 and 2008.
This method took a straightforward approach and applied a standard 3.0%
growth rate from 2010 to 2040. Under
this growth rate, using the U.S. Census
Bureaus 2015 population estimate, the
Method
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
Average Actual Change by Age Cohort 2000-2015
51,489
59,613
67,737
75,861
83,985
92,109
Average Actual Change 2000 Data Using Total Population
56,764
66,491
76,217
85,944
95,671
105,397
Average Residential Permit 2006-2016
56,764
67,522
78,280
89,038
99,796
110,554
3% Growth Rate from 2015
56,764
61,675
71,498
82,886
96,088
111,392
56,764
67,764
78,765
89,765
100,765
111,765
56,764
69,554
82,344
95,134
107,925
120,715
Ratio Iowa-Polk-Ankeny
56,764
68,344
81,719
96,440
112,563
130,165
56,764
71,782
86,799
101,817
116,834
131,852
3.6% 2010 Data
56,764
65,363
78,007
93,096
111,104
132,596
4% 2010 Data
56,764
67,931
82,649
100,555
122,341
148,846
Median Average Annual Percent @ 4.3%
56,764
70,046
86,435
106,660
131,616
162,412
Age Cohort Percent Change 2000-2015
51,489
64,405
80,811
101,720
128,455
162,753
Age Cohort 2010 Numbers from ACS 2006-2010 5-Yr Estimates
56,764
64,427
80,868
101,827
128,634
163,035
Average
56,764
66,532
79,395
93,903
110,444
129,507
Figure 1.6 All Compiled Population Projections

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, City of Ankeny, and the Iowa State Data Center
2040 total population is estimated to
be 111,392.
RATIO IOWA-POLK-ANKENY
The State of Iowa calculates population projections through 2040 for the
State and County level. By assessing
the percentage of Polk County living
in Ankeny, State and County population projections can be applied as
a ratio to Ankeny. The percentage of
Polk County population in Ankeny and
the percentage of Iowas total population in Polk County was determined
for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and
2015. Overtime, both Ankeny and
Polk County have increased their overall percentage of total population. The
average percent increase occurring
every 5 years in the representative
population was determined. Then, the

average percent increase for Ankeny
and Polk County was identified for the
years 2020, 2025, 2030, 2035, and
2040. By using the State of Iowa total
population projections, the predicted
percent of the population held by Polk
County was calculated. Then, the predicted percentage of population living
in Ankeny was calculated. Under this
method, the estimated 2040 population for Ankeny is 130,165.
3.6% 2010 DATA

The 2010 comprehensive plan identified 3.6% as the growth rate for the
Des Moines MPO. This method took a
straightforward approach and applied
a standard 3.6 % growth rate from

2010 to 2040. Under this growth rate,
the 2040 total population is estimated
to be 132,596.
4% 2010 DATA
The 2010 comprehensive plan used
this number because it represented the
average annual percent growth 19902000, approximately 4.0%. This method took a straightforward approach
and applied a standard 4.0% growth
rate from 2010 to 2040. Under this
growth rate, the 2040 total population
is estimated to be 148,846.
MEDIAN AVERAGE ANNUAL PERCENT

@ 4.3%
AGE COHORT 2010 NUMBERS FROM

ACS 2006-2010 % 5-YEAR ESTIMATES

average annual percent change from
the total estimated population of Ankeny between the years 2000-2015
was calculated and the median of the
annual percent change numbers was
identified as 4.3%. This annual percent
change number was used to calculated estimated total population for the
years 2016-2040. Under this methodology, the 2040 estimated total population was 162,412.

estimated percent change in population by age cohort between the years
2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 was
determined. Then, the average percent change of the five-year period
was calculated. The average percent
change in population by age cohort
was used to calculate the estimated
population by age cohort for the years
2020, 2025, 2030, 2035, and 2040.
This method took into consideration
the percentage change rather than
just actual change to adjust for the increase in population experienced every
five-years. Under this method, the estimated 2040 population was 163,035.
AGE COHORT PERCENT CHANGE

2000-2015
estimated percent change in population by age cohort between the years
2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 was determined. Then, the average percent
change of the five-year period was calculated. The average percent change in
population by age cohort was used to
calculate the estimated population by
age cohort for the years 2020, 2025,
2030, 2035, and 2040. This method
took into consideration the percentage
change rather than just actual change
to adjust for the increase in population
experienced every five-years. Under
this method, the estimated 2040 population was 162,753.
AVERAGE
PERMITS
RESIDENTIAL
the average annual increase in population per year was calculated for each
growth scenario through 2040. Under
these growth scenarios, the 2040 population was determined to be 111,765,
110,554, 120,715, and 131,852.
AVERAGE
The overall average for each year was
calculated and for 2040 the average
estimate was 129,507. The average
estimate provides an idea of the projection taking into consideration the
lowest and highest numbers.
BUILDING
Using data provided by the City of Ankeny, the average number of residential building permits issued in Ankeny
between specific years in 2000-2016
was calculated to analyze four possible
growth scenarios. The average number
of residential permits issued between
2000-2016 was 846.2 permits. The
average number of residential permits
between 2006-2016 was 827.5. The
average number of residential permits
issued between 2010-2016 was 983.9.
The average number of residential
building permits issued between 20122016 was 1,115.2. Under the assumption of an average 2.6 people per unit,
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
MAPPING AND ANALYSIS

A series of maps displaying different important aspects of land use, geology,
geography, and infrastructure have been compiled to assist with the comprehensive planning process. These maps show areas of concern within the planning
area, areas of opportunity, and highlight existing land use or phenomenon used
to make informed land use decisions.
Data Source: NRGIS Library
ANKENY BASE MAP

The key purpose of this map is to provide a general overview of
Ankeny. The aerial imagery serves as a backdrop, while illustrating
the fundamental geographic features. Also shown is the Ankeny
city limits and the identified planning boundary of the comprehensive plan. There are also some major streets in white, as well as
water features in blue.
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
LEGEND
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
PLANNING BOUNDARY
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
MAJOR STREETS
MAJOR STREETS
WATER FEATURES
WATER
SLOPE
HIGH
LOW
1.5
miles
1.5
MILES
TOPOGRAPHY / LIDAR MAP
SLOPE ANALYSIS MAP
The map shown above illustrates the topography of the city

through the use of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data.
This surveying technology uses laser light to detect and measure
surface features on the earth. Topography is an important element to consider when determining future growth and development areas.
This map serves as a slope analysis for Ankeny, showing the

areas with a relatively low slope (0-5%) in green, moderate
slope (6-14%) in yellow, and very steep slopes (15% and over)
in red. Areas with steep slopes are particularly sensitive, and
are highly prone to erosion. It is imperative to consider the slope
when selecting locations for development, as well as the type of
development to occur.
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
LEGEND
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
PLANNING BOUNDARY
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
SURFICIAL GEOLOGY
MAJOR STREETS
WATER FEATURES
TILL PLAIN W DISC. RIDGE
LOW TERRACE
TILL PLAIN W ALIGN. RIDGE
PENNSYLVANIA BEDROCK
WATER
Q???
ALLUVIUM
SAND DUNES & SHEETS
DEPRESSIONS
TILL RIDGE
C-2A
C-3
PUD
R-1
R-2
R-3
GLACIAL TILL
VALLEY TRAIN OUTWASH
C-4
R-3A
C-5
M-1
R-4
R-5
M-2
M-3
RR
U-1
ZONING DISTRICTS
C-1
C-2
HIGH TERRACE
INTERMEDIATE TERRACE
1.5
miles
1.5
miles
Data Source: City of Ankeny
SURFICIAL GEOLOGY MAP
ZONING MAP
The map above highlights the location and types of surficial

geology within Ankeny. This provides the basic information
needed for the assessment and distribution of available mineral
resources, location of geologic hazards, availability of water
resources, and the suitability of land for various uses. The
two most dominant surficial geology types are till plain with
discontinuous ridges and till plain with aligned ridges. Data from
the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The map above shows the zoning district boundaries for the
City of Ankeny. These zoning districts indicate what can legally
be built or done in the city limits. Understanding the zoning of
an area is an important part of planning for future growth and
the future land use map.
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
LEGEND
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
PLANNING BOUNDARY
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
MAJOR STREETS
HISTORIC VEGETATION
HISTORIC VEGETATION
CUT HAY
FIELD
BACKGROUND
GROVE
WATER
CORN
MARSH
WETLAND
SOYBEANS
POND
CONIFEROUS FOREST
BARREN/FALLOW
PRAIRIE
DECIDUOUS SHORT
STRUCTURES
SLOUGH
DECIDUOUS MEDIUM
ROADS/IMPERVIOUS
DECIDUOUS TALL
SHADOW/NO DATA
SWAMP
TIMBER
WETLAND
1.5
miles
HISTORIC VEGETATION MAP
This map shows the historic vegetation of Ankeny. It utilizes the

GLO vegetation (based on surveyors reports from the 1800s)and
the soils GIS layer showing which types were derived from prairie,
forest, and savanna (transition) vegetation. This map indicates
much of Ankeny was previously prairie. Over time, the majority
of prairie land was plowed for agriculture. Data from the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources.
GRASS 1
GRASS 2
LAND COVER MAP
1.5
miles
The above map shows the current land cover of Ankeny. The
data was derived from the National Land Cover Database
(NLCD) which provides spatial reference and descriptive data
for characteristics of land surface. A drastic shift can be seen
between the historic vegetation and the current land cover map,
with much more impervious surfaces and less prairie, marshes,
and native plants.
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
CALHOUN CREEK
BIG CREEK
SUGAR CREEK
FOUR-MILE CREEK
SAYLOR CREEK
LEGEND
BEAVER CREEK
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
PLANNING BOUNDARY
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
MAJOR STREETS
MAJOR STREETS
WATER FEATURES
WATER FEATURES
WATERSHEDS
MAJOR SOIL TYPES
BIG CREEK
CLARION
OKOBOJI
CALHOUN CREEK
NICOLLET
COLAND
FOURMILE CREEK
WEBSTER
STORDEN
SAYLOR CREEK
CANISTEO
SPILLVILLE
SUGAR CREEK
BEAVER CREEK
1.5
LESTER
miles
ORTHENTS, LOAMY
1.5
miles
WATERSHED BOUNDARIES
The watershed boundaries map above illustrates the HUC

(Hydrologic Unit Code) watershed boundaries. Cities have
both positive and negative impacts on watersheds. A major
contributor to the degrading water quality in Iowa is non-point
source pollution. Best storm water management practices
should be adopted and measures taken to lessen the amount of
chemicals entering our ground and surface waters.
SOIL TYPES MAP

The map shown here illustrates the typed and locations of all
of the soils that exist within Ankeny. There are many soil types
present in the Ankeny area. The major soil categories in the
Ankeny planning boundary are: Clarion, Nicollet, Webster,
Canisteo, Lester, and Orthents-Loamy. Soil types can help in
analyzing what lands ought to be protected from development or
preserved for farming purposes. Data from the Iowa Department
of Natural Resources.
COLLINS-MAXWELL
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
NORTH POLK
BONDURANT-FARRAR
JOHNSTON
ANKENY
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
MAJOR STREETS
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
LEGEND
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
PLANNING BOUNDARY
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
MAJOR STREETS
URBANDALE
WATER
TRAILS/PATHS
1.5
SAYDEL
ANKENY
JOHNSTON
BALLARD
NORTH POLK
BONDURANT-FARRAR
SAYDEL
COLLINS-MAXWELL
SOUTHEAST POLK
DES MOINES INDEPENDENT
URBANDALE
DES MOINES INDEPENDENT
miles
SOUTHEAST POLK
1.5
miles
TRAILS/PATHS MAP
The map above shows the location of trails and paths in the
Ankeny area. Trails are sought after amenities in communities and
can act as a driver of economic development. This map may also
show where there are areas needing additional improvement or
areas with expansion potential.
SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES

The map above shows the current school district boundaries in
the Ankeny area. The current Ankeny school district boundaries
cover a significant amount of the planning boundary area, but
several areas of the planning boundary are under the control of
different local districts including Saydel, Bondurant-Farrar, and
North Polk. As Ankeny expands, they may continue to develop
into existing school district boundaries.
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
LEGEND
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
PLANNING BOUNDARY
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
MAJOR STREETS
MAJOR STREETS
WATER
WATER
FLOOD HAZARD AREAS
HISTORIC COAL MINES
DRAINAGE DISTRICTS
1.5
miles
HISTORIC COAL MINES MAP
The map above shows the location of historic coal mines in

the Ankeny planning area. While these mines are from the early
1900s, there could still be a small possibility of a threat due to
residual pollution or sinkholes. This historical data is from the Iowa
Geological and Water Survey of the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources.
1.5
miles
FLOOD HAZARD AREAS + DRAINAGE DISTRICTS

The map above shows the location of flood hazard areas as
identified by FEMA in the Ankeny planning area. The designated
drainage districts are also highlighted. This map shows where
water flooding issues may be an issue and where strategies to
intervene are in place.
MAPPING + ANALYSIS
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
LEGEND
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
PLANNING BOUNDARY
MAJOR STREETS
WATER FEATURES
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
EXISTING LAND USE
WATER
AGRCIULTURE/OPENSPACE
RAILROADS
SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
STREET TYPES
MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
PRIMARY ROADS
COMMERCIAL
SECONDARY ROADS
LOCAL STREETS
RAMPS
BIKE PATH OR TRAILS
INDUSTRIAL
GOVERNMENT
1.5
miles
Data Source: NRGIS Library & Census.Gov
TRANSPORTATION MAP
The map above shows the street categories according to TIGER

files from the U.S. Census separated into primary, secondary,
local, ramps, and bike paths. It also shows the location of current
railroad lines. Understanding the layout of road infrastructure can
help inform future growth decisions.
SCHOOLS
UTILITIES
1.5
miles
EXISTING LAND USE

The map above shows the existing land uses occurring within
the planning boundary according to parcel data. While there is a
diverse number of land uses occurring within the city limits, it is
clear the majority of land uses outside of the city is agricultural
and greenspace. Understanding the existing land use will help
identify beneficial transitions for the new future land use map.
The use of Tapestry Segmentation provides an accurate, detailed description of Americas neighborhoods, dividing US residential areas into 67 distinct segments based
on their socioeconomic and demographic composition- then further classifying the segments into Lifemode and Urbanization Groups. Performing this data analysis
allows for a more thorough evaluation of the community and the residents within it. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this and the following pages are
from ESRI Community Analyst.
This group has an average household size of 3.22 and a median household income of $105,000. Growth markets of this group are typically in the suburban periphery
of large metropolitan areas and are comprised of young families that are married with children. The home ownership rate is approximately 84% with the majority of the
homes being single-family located in new neighborhoods. Socioeconomic traits of this segment include low unemployment rates, high percentages of educated young
professionals, an increased interest in financial planning, and a higher likelihood of longer commute times from the suburban growth corridors. The original Boomburbs
neighborhoods began growing in the 1990s and continued through the peak of the housing boom. Most of those neighborhoods are fully developed now and make up
an affluent market segment with a higher proportion of mortgages. The Boomburbs neighborhoods are still distinguished by rapid growth rates, although the boom is
more subdued now compared to ten years ago. Overall, residents here are well educated with a running start on prosperity. The Tapestry information, images, and text
on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
This segment has a median age of 44.1 and a median household income of approximately $104,000. Savvy Suburbanites residents are well educated, well read, and
well capitalized. Families are often comprised of empty nesters and are located in older neighborhoods outside of the urban core. Their interest include things such as
home remodeling and gardening along with physical fitness. They also enjoy good food, wine, and cultural events as well. This group resides predominantly in singlefamily homes with a median value of $311,000 and low vacancy rates at 4.5%. Residents in these areas are well-connected consumers that appreciate technology and
make liberal use of it for everything from shopping and banking to staying current and communicating. They prefer to stay informed when shopping and often do their
research prior to purchasing to ensure higher quality products. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
The green Acres lifestyle features country living and self-reliance. They engage in frequent DIY projects and enjoy maintaining and remodeling their homes. Gardening
is also a popular interest among residents here. Common outdoor activities among this segment include sports, hunting and fishing, motorcycling, hiking, camping,
and golf. These individuals are self-described conservatives and are cautious about the future. These neighborhoods are most commonly found in rural enclaves in
metropolitan areas and are made up of older homes with acreage. Education is common with 60% being college educated. Additionally, they have a low unemployment
rate at 6% and labor force participation rate of 67.4%. Approximately 30% of households here receive income from self-employment. Their economic outlook is
pessimistic, but consumers are comfortable with debt, primarily as home and auto loans, and investments. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page
is from ESRI Community Analyst.
This group represents a market transition- residents are younger and more mobile and ethnically diverse than the previous generation. They are ambitious, hard
working, and are willing to take risks in order to achieve their goals. Their homes are new, their families are young, and they are a part of one of the fastest growing
markets in the country. The average age of residents within this group is 30.7, with a median household income of $64,000. You can find them in the new suburban
periphery among an abundance of new families and new subdivisions. Single-family homes in this area have a median value of $174,000 and low vacancy rates.
Among this group, 66% have some college education or degree. Most households in these neighborhoods have two or more workers and these residents are careful
shoppers and price aware, but seek the latest and best in technology. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
This group is made up predominately of married-couple families, occupying well over half of these suburban households. Most of the residences are single-family
homes that are owner occupied, with only one-fifth of the households occupied by renters. Education and diversity levels are similar to those of the U.S. as a whole.
These families spend a great deal of time on the go and tend to eat out regularly. When at home, weekends are consumed with home improvement and remodeling
projects. Residents of this group can be found in low density suburban neighborhoods with many of the homes being built between 1970 and 2000. These individuals
typically spend 4-7 hours per week commuting, and therefore, spend significant amounts of money on car maintenance. They enjoy working from home when
possible and are in the process of paying off student loans and second mortgages on homes. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI
Community Analyst.
Middleburg neighborhoods have made the transformation from country living to semirural subdivisions in the last decade, when the housing boom reached out.
Residents are conservative, family-oriented consumers and are thrifty, but willing to carry some debt. They invest in their futures and are reliant on their smartphones
and mobile devices to stay in touch and up-to-date. This U.S. market tends to be younger, but is growing in size and assets. The median age in this group is 35.3 and
the median household income is $55,000. These neighborhoods are most often comprised of semirural locales within metropolitan areas and include a number of
mobile homes. Families in this area are generally young couples with many children and traditional values. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is
Soccer moms is an affluent, family-oriented market with a country flavor. Residents are partial to new housing away from the bustle of the city but close enough to
commute to professional job centers. These families are often made up of working parents with active growing children. They favor time-saving devices, like banking
online or housekeeping services, and family-oriented pursuits. The average households size of this group is 2.96 with a median household income of $84,000. The
median home value is $226,000, and owner occupied homes have a high rate of mortgages at 74%. It is common for households in this area to have 2-3 vehicles
as both parents often work and commute to their jobs. This segment has an education makeup of 37% college graduates and more than 70% with some college
education. They are also well insured and have invested in a range of funds, from savings accounts to stocks and bonds. The Tapestry information, images, and text
on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
Residents of this growing segment tend to be older, with more than half of all householders age 55 or older. May still live in the suburbs where they grew up and most
are professionals working in government, health care, or manufacturing. They are earning a comfortable living and benefitting from years of investing and saving. Their
net worth tends to be well above average and many are enjoying the transition from child rearing to retirement. Values of theirs largely include their health and wellbeing. The median age of this group is 46.8 and the median household income is approximately 68,000. These neighborhoods are found throughout the suburbs and
small towns of metropolitan areas, where most residents own and live in single-family detached homes. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is
This group is known for embracing an urban lifestyle that includes support of the arts, travel, and extensive reading. They are connected and make full use of the
advantages of mobile devices. They tend to be professional couples or single households without children and have time to focus on their homes and their interests.
The population is slightly older and already planning for their retirement. These residents are city dwellers of large metropolitan areas with a median age of 41.1. The
median household income of this area is $66,000 with a median home value of $213,500. Regarding education, 46% are college graduates and 74% have some
college education. These individuals are connected and knowledgeable and are attentive to price, using mobile coupons frequently. The Tapestry information, images,
and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
Rustbelt Traditions neighborhoods are comprised of a mix of married-couple families and singles living in older developments of single family homes While varied,
the work force is primarily white collar, with a higher concentration of skilled workers in manufacturing, retail trade, and health care. This segment represents a large
market of stable, hard-working consumers with modest incomes but above average net worth. They are family oriented and value time spent at home. Most have lived,
worked, and played in the same area for years. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
The Bright Young Professionals group has an average age of 32.2 with a median household income of $50,000. They are a large market primarily located in the urban
outskirts of large metropolitan areas. These communities are home to young, educated, working professionals. One out of three households is under the age of 35,
with slightly more diverse coupes dominating the market. This has resulted in more renters than homeowners. More than two-fifths of the households live in singlefamily homes and over a third live in 5+ unit buildings. Labor force participation here is high generally made up of white collar work, with a mix of food service and
part-time jobs (among college students). Median home values, median household incomes, and average rents are similar to U.S. values. The residents in this segment
are physically active and enjoy staying up to date on the latest technology. Similarly, they get most of their information from the internet and are concerned about the
environmental impacts of their purchase decisions. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
The median household income for this group is $39,000 and the median age is 38.5. This market features singles lifestyles, on a budget and focus of this group is
geared more toward convenience than consumerism. The Old and Newcomers segment is composed of neighborhoods in transition, populated by renters who are
just beginning their careers or retiring. Some are still in college and some are taking adult education classes. They are supporters of the environment and green efforts.
Socioeconomic traits of this group include social security received by 30% of households, tendencies of consumers to clip coupons and be price aware, as well as a
large portion of residents either having a college degree or still in college. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
This group is made up of well-educated young workers, some of whom are still completing their education, are employed in professional/technical occupations, as well
as sales and office/administration support roles. These residents are not established yet, but are striving to get ahead and improve themselves. This market ranks in the
top 5 for renters, movers, college enrollment, and labor force participation rate. Almost 1 in 5 residents move each year and close to half of all householders are under
the age of 35 with the majority living alone or in shared nonfamily dwellings. Median household income for this segment is $36,000 and still below the the U.S. median
household income. Residents rely on their smartphones and use them for a variety of aspects in their lives including extensive internet use. This group is diverse and
favors densely populated neighborhoods in large metropolitan areas. When it comes to education, 2 out of 3 have some college, with 15% still enrolled in college. The
Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
This group has a median household income of $77,000 and a median age of 34.8. Residents of the Enterprising Professionals segment are well educated and climbing
the ladder in science, technology, engineering, ad mathematics occupations. They change jobs often and therefore they choose to live in condos, town homes, or
apartments; many still choose to rent their homes. The market is rapidly growing, located in lower density neighborhoods of large metropolitan areas. These residents
are a diverse group, with Asians making up over one-fifth of the population. This young market makes up over one and a half times more income than the US median,
supplementing their income with high-risk investments. At home, they enjoy the internet and TV on high-speed connections with premier channels and service. Of these
families, almost half of households are married couples, and 30% are single person households. Over half of residents hold a bachelors degree and many enjoy talking
about and giving advice on technology. The Tapestry information, images, and text on this page is from ESRI Community Analyst.
The map to the right provides an

overview of the City of Ankeny
with key locations and roadways
highlighted. These are some of the
larger economic drivers within the
community. As Ankeny continues to
grow, it will be important to see how
new developments will impact the
local economy.
SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS
MAPS
The series of analysis maps provided
earlier within the chapter provided
a strong basis to better understand
Ankenys existing conditions.
By having a solid understanding of
Ankenys existing natural resources
and environmentally sensitive areas, it
becomes possible to plan strategically
for the future.
Furthermore, the dominant tapestry
segmentation maps and data helps
better understand the socioeconomic
and demographic composition of the
city.
LEGEND
PLANNING BOUNDARY
ANKENY CITY LIMITS
MAJOR STREETS
WATER
Tapestry segmentation provides

an accurate, detailed description
of Americas neighborhoods - U.S.
TRAILS/PATHS
1.5
miles
residential areas are divided into

67 distinctive segments based
on their socioeconomic and
demographic composition - then
further classifies the segments into
LifeMode and Urbanization Groups.
(Source: http://doc.arcgis.com/en/
esri-demographics/data/tapestrysegmentation.htm).
To gain a further understanding of Ankeny as it is today, the following pages
delve into Ankenys economy. This
section illustrates where people live,
work, and shop, and much more.

Phase 1 + 2 Report

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Phase 1 + 2 Report

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

A

THE ANKENY PLAN 2040

THE ANKENY PLAN 2040

MAYOR + CITY COUNCIL

Gary Lorenz, Mayor

PLANNING + ZONING COMMISSION

Bobbi Bentz, Council Member

Trina Flack, Chair

Mark Holm, Mayor Pro-tem

Kerry Walter-Ashby, Council Member

Todd Ripper, Vice Chair

Trina Flack, Planning and Zoning Commission Chair

Glenn Hunter, Planning and Zoning Commissioner

David Jones, City Manager

Paul Moritz, Assistant City Manager

Mark Mueller, Public Works Director

Nick Lenox, Parks and Rec Director

Derek Lord, Economic Development Director

Eric Carstens, Planning Administrator

The Ankeny Plan 2040

2 | City of Ankeny, Iowa

Gary Lorenz, Mayor

The Ankeny Plan 2040

3 | City of Ankeny, Iowa

THE ANKENY PLAN 2040

This page is intentionally left blank.

The Ankeny Plan 2040

4 | City of Ankeny, Iowa

The Ankeny Plan 2040

5 | City of Ankeny, Iowa

This meeting also served as an

In order to be truly unique to Ankeny,

PROJECT NAME AND LOGO

idea, with the colored squares inside

The Ankeny Plan 2040

6 | City of Ankeny, Iowa

About: Information about why

Latest News: Key meetings and

Survey: Information about and a

Contact: Contact information for

describe the availability of employment

6. Over time, do you expect the quality

The Ankeny Plan 2040

11. The City needs more of the

7 | City of Ankeny, Iowa

21. Please indicate your level of

This page is intentionally left blank.

PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS

The Ankeny Plan 2040

Youth Participation Workshop

Ownership of the final Comprehensive

Public Open Workshops and

City Council and Planning

Community engagement was a major

Surveys + Project Website

The public input process was structured

Each stage of the public input process

Use of an Advisory Team

Key Stakeholder Interviews

Special Event Booths

9 | City of Ankeny, Iowa

The My Hope for Ankeny board

SPECIAL EVENT BOOTHS

PUBLIC INPUT FROM SUMMERFEST