About 20 to 25 citizens attended the public visioning session for Washington’s comprehensive plan Thursday, Nov. 15.
Citizens were invited to stop by during the session and look at the city’s comprehensive plan’s goals and objectives and decide whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with each objective.
Thursday’s session marked the third public participation session through the comprehensive plan process.
Though there was a low turnout, Dan Lang of The Lang Gang Inc., the consultant hired by the city to help develop the plan, said he was not disappointed.
“The important thing to understand is that the process isn’t numbers dependent,” Lang said. “It’s more on participation from varying, diverse groups — that someone from the organization can come and provide input that represents the views of that organization.”
Darren Lamb, community and economic development director for the city, noted that the survey will be available online for those who were unable to attend the Nov. 15 session. The survey will be available early next week, Lamb said.
A link to the survey will be available on the city’s website, ci.washington.mo.us, the economic development website, washmoworks.com and on the “City of Washington, Mo. — Comprehensive Plan” Facebook page.
Lang said he hopes those who attended and who fill out the online survey represent a broad cross-section of people and opinions.
There are about 42 goals and several objectives to meet each goal. The comprehensive plan’s focus groups include aesthetics, civic improvement, land use, transportation/infrastructure, parks/recreation/open space and economic development.
Once complete, the information will be taken back to the steering committee for discussion. The committee also will discuss the future land use map.
“We’re very close to having a draft plan,” Lang said.
The draft plan will be presented to the steering committee around the first of the new year and then will go to the planning and zoning commission for a public hearing and final vote.
The next steering committee meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. at city hall.
