Fixing up one of Davenport's entry-ways may start with re-zoning. This month and next, the city council will consider a plan to re-zone some properties on Rockingham Road, on the west side of the city.
Sarah Ott, Assistant City Administrator, says the goal is to create a commercial corridor between Marquette Street and John Fell Drive. Businesses located on Rockingham run the gamut, ranging from "heavy industrial" manufacturing and food production, to stores, bars, restaurants, and homes.
She and other city staff worked with a group of stakeholders to address their concerns. They used maps to evaluate each parcel along the road. And Ott says Rockingham Road will always be an industrial corridor. Those who live and work in the area don't want to change the character of the road, but they want to pave the way for it to succeed.
The city held a public hearing last week. And Davenport aldermen will hear three readings of the Rockingham re-zoning ordinance before taking a final vote in July.