Something Sensible

I'm surprised. The Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission has done something sensible. Having been a resident of Iowa City on and off for the majority of my life I can tell you that it is a rare occasion indeed when our moribund and frankly useless city government does something that makes sense.

So, I'm pleasantly surprised. The P and Z has decreed that any new bars downtown have be 500 feet apart and any new liquor stores have to be 1,000 feet apart. The general idea of this is to break up the density of the bars and liquor stores downtown and maybe let some actual businesses get some breathing room downtown. What practical effect it will have in the short term is probably minimal, however, in the long term, if we can get the right types of businesses downtown it might have a big effect.

It may not do much in the short term, but taking on the problems of downtown Iowa City is a herculean task at best. Sensible, practical baby steps are something I can get behind.