Design Reveal planned for September 7 from 3 to 6 p.m.

The Community Visioning team is set to share new design ideas for the community on Wednesday, September 7 from 3 to 6 p.m. on the Carnegie Lawn.

Concepts range from connecting and expanding the current trail system to improving Algona’s entrances into the community to enhancing safety for pedestrians. During the event, attendees may test out a potential bike lane area on McGregor, near Dodge Street.

Ideas for improvements have come from community focus groups, surveys and other public events created for residents to offer input on potential design concepts. The local steering committee has worked with landscape architects from Iowa State University and Jeff Jensen from Trees Forever on the project.

Proposed designs and concepts will be displayed on the Rotary Stage Mobile on the corner of Dodge and Nebraska Street during the Kossuth County Farmers Market and following the market until 6 p.m. Algona Community Visioning committee members will be available to answer questions regarding the proposed designs.

Some of the areas that have been addressed in these plans include expanding and extending the current trail system, enhancing Algona’s community identity – especially near entrances into town, improving safety on sidewalks and roads and increasing social gathering spaces.

“All of these proposed concepts are still in the idea stage at this point,” said City Administrator Jacob Tjaden. “We don’t have any formal plans or budget in place for these concepts. The goal of this event is to share the ideas with the public and understand people’s responses to the concepts proposed.”

All are welcome to attend this free and public event to view the design concepts. The Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation, in partnership with Iowa State University Extension Landscape Architecture and Trees Forever. To learn more, contact Algona City Hall at 515-295-2411 or visit https://www.communityvisioning.org/algona.

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Community visioning committee identifies priorities for plans

July 1, 2022

Plans for potential improvements in Algona are beginning to take shape, following a Community Visioning design workshop held on June 8. A team of landscape architecture staff and students from Iowa State University engaged members of the public with an interactive display showing a transportation related improvements suggested for the community, with approximately 60 people participating.

After reviewing input that was gathered throughout the winter and spring through a series of focus groups and survey data, the local steering committee has identified four main areas to focus on for potential improvements. Priorities include expanding the current community trail system, increasing the utilization of and access to the river, improving accessibility and safety for pedestrians throughout the community, and enhancing Algona’s community identity.

At the end of June, the local steering committee reviewed proposed designs from Iowa State University staff. The architecture team from Iowa State is preparing final designs, which will then be shared at a public event later this summer or early fall.

The input gathered so far is available on a “story map” of Algona on the Community Visioning website at www.communityvisioning.org/algona. Individuals can visit the website to learn more about the ideas heard from residents and the overall Community Visioning program.

The Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with Iowa State University Extension Landscape Architecture and Trees Forever.