COURIER STORY ON NORTH CEDAR

To answer the Courier's question, I'd say North Cedar's future holds great promise such as another round of carharts, cars parked in the front yard and Newport Lights.

North Cedar's future begins to take shape

By JON ERICSON, jonathan.ericson@wcfcourier.com
CEDAR FALLS --- The stories start much the same: "I never thought water would get this high ..."

But a year ago it did, and homes in northern Cedar Falls that have flooded before were destroyed by the flood. Others that had never taken on water before sustained damage.

North Cedar was a neighborhood torn apart by the record-breaking Cedar River flood, then drawn back together in efforts to rebuild and move on.

More than 200 Cedar Falls homes suffered significant damage in the flood. Dozens of businesses suffered damage, and many others took losses when they had to close while the flood passed.

"People have worked hard to clear up the terrible mess they had," said city councilman Tom Hagarty, whose Ward 1 includes all of the areas most affected by the flood.

Once the initial response was over, Mayor Jon Crews appointed a 16-member task force to look at the future of northern Cedar Falls neighborhoods. The Citizens Visioning Committee for Northern Cedar Falls produced a 16-page document filled with challenges, aspirations and goals for the neighborhood.

Despite the committee's work, any vision for the future of North Cedar will not be crystal clear.

"That will be a difficult task. You have the buyout list, but you don't know for sure who is going to stay. We don't know how spotty it's going to be," said Ron Gaines, city developmental services director.

A consultant will come in this fall to look at various aspects of the neighborhood's future. They will come up with ideas for green spaces, look at the business core and a future streetscape project on Center Street.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted approval for buying out 122 flood-damaged homes. Over the next year, the city will be negotiating purchase of homes, then demolishing those that are bought.

Cedar Falls gained experience in acquiring flood properties in the 1990s, when several rounds of buyouts removed more than 100 homes, mostly in the Cedar City/Lincoln Street area.

A post-buyout North Cedar will look quite different from Cedar City. Most of the Cedar City area lies in the flood way, the area most prone to flooding that becomes a part of the river, carrying water through the area, during times of flood. After the earlier buyouts, the area became largely empty.

Even before the buyout, the Lincoln Street business community had been fading away. It lost more after the record flood.

Many of the remaining residents of the Cedar City area find their lives more peaceful these days. Buyouts following floods in the 1990s left blocks with only one home still standing. The rest is green space. Wild turkeys and deer come in the mornings and evenings to feed in the open grassy areas where homes once stood.

But Cedar City has a much different dynamic than North Cedar. Much of North Cedar stayed dry during last year's flood. While a great deal of the property lies in the flood plain, only Cottage Row is in the flood way.

Many homeowners in North Cedar thought they were safe from the 2008 flood but were damaged when water reached record levels. Those areas still will have homes in the future.

"A lot of these folks have never seen water up in that area," Gaines said. "It may be a significant amount of time before they see water again."

Jenna Miller lives on Central Avenue. Her family is back in their home after having to demolish part of the structure and rebuild, raising the house up 8 feet --- 2 feet beyond the high-water mark from last year.

She knows her neighborhood will change. In the past few weeks, some homes near her that will be bought out have been demolished.

"It's sad. But I'm happy for the people who didn't want to come back who are glad that they're getting bought out," Miller said.

The visioning committee valued what have always been strengths in the northern part of town: proximity to nature.

In the post-flood world, natural areas may play an even larger role. Lots purchased in the buyout will be required to remain undeveloped.

"There's going to be a lot of green space," said Bruce Merfeld, a 30-year resident of Longview Street and member of the visioning committee. "That's not going to be all bad. It's why a lot of us live out here to start with."

Merfeld already has noticed more wildlife in the neighborhood as many people didn't return after the flood. He's had more birds and appreciates the eight to 10 orioles that now frequent his yard.

While many have moved out of North Cedar since the flood, others have moved in. Merfeld has gotten to know several people who moved in on his street to renovate damaged properties.

The future business scene in North Cedar remains to be seen. Some businesses in the longtime Center Street business core were damaged and won't return. Other parts of the street are not in the flood plain and will continue as always. A streetscape project for the Center Street and Lone Tree Road area is planned.

"It should be a nice gateway into the city," Merfeld said.

An industrial park will begin to take shape this year off of Leversee Road, an area outside the flood plain. That could bring businesses to the north end and spark more interest in the northern part of the city.

"I see potewntial for mushrooming of businesses in that part of town," Hagarty said.

Bringing business to northern Cedar Falls will play a big role in maintaining the long-term stability of the area. While many homes were lost to the flood, areas along Lone Tree and Dunkerton roads hold potential for future subdivisions outside of the flood plain.

North Cedar Elementary School, long a source of pride in the area, remains in operation, having lost only a few students after the flood.

A new neighborhood association will form to give North Cedar a more influential voice at City Hall.

"I would like to see North Cedar recognized and get more attention," Miller said. "It would be nice for the rest of Cedar Falls to open their eyes to what a great place North Cedar is."

The visioning committee wanted to see improved streets and a bike trail to connect to downtown. It also lobbied for a revitalized commercial business district, a wish that may depend more on population and demand than city police.

Gaines said it will take time to see what the new North Cedar will become.

"In six months we'll see how it shakes out," Gaines said of the streetscape and buyout issues.

Merfeld said many North Cedar residents have been too busy getting their properties and lives back in order to spend too much time worrying about streetscapes, development and the future of their neighborhood. But they will move on.

"It's going forward. It's being rebuilt," Merfeld said. "The neighborhood is definitely going to change."

http://www.waterloocourier.com/articles/2009/06/09/news/local/11333121.txt