TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
Location 3
Climate
and Topography 3
History 4
The
Purpose of Comprehensive Planning 5
The
Planning Process 5
Comprehensive
Plan Components 6
Governmental
and Jurisdiction Organization 7
COUNTY CHARACTERISTICS PROFILE 8
Demographic
Profile 9
Population Trends and Analysis 9
Migration Analysis 9
Age Structure 10
Population Projections 12
Trend Line Analysis 12
Cohort Survival Analysis 13
Bureau of Business Research (BBR) 13
Summary of Population Projections 13
Housing
Profile 14
Age of Existing Housing Stock 15
Housing Trends 16
Housing Condition 18
Summary of Housing Profile 19
Economy
and Employment Profile 20
Income Statistics 20
Income and Housing 22
Income Source and Public Assistance 24
Employment Industry 25
Commuter Trends 26
Regional Basic/Non-Basic Analysis 27
Summary of Economy and Employment Profile 29
Agricultural Profile 30
Summary of Agriculture Profile 32
COUNTY FACILITIES PROFILE 33
Recreational
Facilities 34
Municipal Facilities 34
State Parks 35
Private Recreational 37
Educational
Facilities 38
Public Schools 38
Private Schools 40
Educational Service Unit 40
Southwest Area Training Service (SWATS) 40
Post Secondary Schools 41
Fire,
Rescue, and Police Protection 43
Fire and Rescue Protection 43
Police Protection 45
County Buildings 46
County Courthouse 46
County Fairgrounds 46
Transportation
Facilities 46
Truck Line Service 46
Railroad Service 47
Bus Service 47
Taxi Service 47
Airports 47
McCook Municipal Airport 47
North Platte’s Lee Bird Field 47
Central Nebraska Regional Airport 48
Lee Field 48
Hoyt 48
Communication
Facilities 48
Telephone Services 48
Internet Services 48
Radio and Television 48
Newspapers 49
Public
Utilities 49
Electrical Service 49
Natural Gas and Propane Service 49
Refuse Collection 49
Health
Facilities 49
Medical Clinics 49
The McCook Clinic 49
Tri Valley Medical Clinics 50
HealthCare Services Medical Clinic 50
Trenton Regional Medical Clinic 50
Stratton Medical Center 50
Specialist Center 50
Hospitals 50
Community Hospital 50
Dundy County Hospital 51
Cambridge Memorial Hospital 51
Senior Facilities 51
GOALS AND POLICIES 53
Introduction 54
Goals
and Policies for Red Willow County 59
General
Land Use 59
Residential
Land Use 60
Agricultural
Land use 62
Population 63
Environment
and Natural Resources 64
Economic Development 66
Public
Facilities and Taxes 67
Transportation 68
Education 69
Parks
and Recreation 70
ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL AND MAN-MADE RESOURCES 72
Introduction 73
Natural
Environmental Conditions 73
Parent Material 73
Windblown Silt 73
Colluvium 74
Alluvium 74
Soil
Associations 74
Holdrege-Keith Association 74
Hord, Terrace-McCook-Bridgeport Association 77
Sandy Alluvial Lan-Las-Glenberg Association 78
Colby Association 78
Prime
Cropland 79
Dryland
Capability Classification 79
Soil
Limitations 80
Water
Supply 83
Physiography,
Relief, and Drainage 84
Man-Made
Conditions 88
Urban Development 88
Transportation and Markets 90
Public Facility Impacts 90
EXISTING LAND USE ANALYSIS 91
Introduction 92
Physical
Character 92
Rural Residential Development 93
Rural Commercial Development 95
Rural Industrial Development 95
Rural Public/Quasi-Public/Recreation Development 95
Agricultural Livestock Production 96
Existing Land Use 97
FUTURE LAND USE PLAN 98
Introduction 99
Principles
and Concepts 99
Land
Use Component Concepts 100
Agricultural Uses 100
Non-Agricultural Residential Uses 100
Commercial and Industrial Uses 101
Recreational Development 101
The
Future Land Use Plan 102
General Agricultural Use 102
Transitional Development 104
River Corridor Protection Area 104
Future
Land Use Summary 105
TRANSPORTATION PLAN 106
Introduction 107
Transportation
Planning and Land Use 107
Street
and Road Classification System 108
Existing
Transportation System 110
Red
Willow County Transportation Improvements 112
Nebraska
Department of Roads Improvements 112
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 114
Introduction 115
Action
Plan 115
Support
Programs for the Action Plan 115
Comprehensive
Plan Maintenance 116
Annual Review of the Plan 116
Plan
Amendment Procedures 117
Unanticipated Opportunity 117
Methods
for Evaluating Development Proposals 117
TABLE OF TABLES
Table 1: Population Trends, Red Willow County & Communities, 1970-1998 9
Table 2: Migration Analysis, Red Willow County, 1960-1999 10
Table 3: Age Structure Characteristics, Red Willow County 1980-1990 11
Table 4: Housing Trends, Red Willow County, 1980-1990 16
Table 5: Tenure of Household by Housing Characteristics, Red Willow
County, 1980-1990 18
Table 6: Housing Condition, Red Willow County, 1980-1990 19
Table 7: Household Income, Red Willow County, 1980-1990 21
Table 8: Household Income by Age (55 Years and Older), Red Willow
County, 1990 21
Table 9: Housing Costs as a Percentage of Household Income, Red Willow
County, 1990 23
Table 10: Income by Source, Red Willow County, 1970-1997 23
Table 11: Transfer Payments, Red Willow County and Nebraska 1970-1997 24
Table 12: Employment by Industry, Red Willow County and Nebraska,
1980 and 1990 25
Table 13: Commuter Population Trends, Red Willow County, 1960-1990 27
Table 14: Basic/Non-Basic Employment by Occupation, Red Willow County,
1990....................... 28
Table 15: Regional and State Labor Force Comparisons, Red Willow County,
1990 29
Table 16: Agricultural Profile, Red Willow County, 1982-1997 30
Table 17: Number of Farms by Size, Red Willow County, 1982-1997 30
Table 18: Number of Farms and Livestock by Type, Red Willow County,
1982-1997 31
Table 19: Number of Farms and Crops by Type, Red Willow County,
1982-1997 32
Table 20: Public School Fall Enrollment Districts Serving Red Willow County,
1999-2000 40
Table 21: School District Valuations and Cost Per Student (ADA)* Districts
Serving Red Willow County, 1998-1999 40
Table 22: County Law Enforcement Data, Red Willow and Nearby Counties
1996-1998 45
Table 23: Negative Aspects of Red Willow County 56
Table 24: Positive Aspects of Red Willow County 57
Table 25: Issues Facing Red Willow County 58
Table 26: Future Projects for Red Willow County 58
Table 27: Use Limitations of Existing Soils Within Red Willow County,
Nebraska 81
Table 28: One and Six Year Transportation Plan Red Willow County, 2000 112
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Population Trends and Projections, Red Willow County,
1900-2020....................... 14
Figure 2: Age of Existing Housing Stock; Red Willow County, 1990 15
Figure 3: School District Map 39
Figure 4: Fire District Map 44
Figure 5: Soil Associations 76
Figure 6: Soil Suitability for Septic Tanks 85
Figure 7: Soil Suitability for Sewage Lagoons and C.L.F.O.s 86
Figure 8: Slopes by Soil Association 87
Figure 9: Flood Hazards 89
Figure 10: Existing Land Use 94
Figure 11: Future Land Use 103
Figure 12: Transportation Classification Plan Map 111
Figure 13: Transportation Improvement Plan 113