2016.09.07 EDC Combined - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Community Assets & Development Department MEMORANDUM DATE: September 2, 2016 TO: Economic Development Commission FROM: Janice Gundlach, Asst. Director of Community Assets & Development/Planning Director SUBJECT: Sense of Place Wrap-Up The Commission has spent several meetings this year discussing the Sense of Place topic and its role in local economic development efforts. While the topic has been somewhat abstract, the purpose of the discussion has been to define what attributes make a community a preferred place the live. Staff developed a set of Sense of Place principals, based upon the commission’s discussion. During the July 6th meeting, the EDC was asked to refine those principals. After much thought and discussion over the last few meetings, and incorporation of suggested edits from the July 6th meeting, staff has revised the below principals to address desires of the commission. • Strong Public Safety presence to ensure secure, safe neighborhoods, getting people out of their homes and interacting throughout all areas of the community. • Creation of gathering places or destinations, whether in plaza-type environments, at a local restaurant or bar, fraternal organizations, or in outdoor dining spaces. • Ensuring a connection with the schools, access to personal enrichment programs, and local sport team identification. • Creating traffic calm environments that are walkable and bikeable with connections to high quality public spaces including parks, public art, and City entrance monument signage. • Creating better physical connections to local business through high quality public infrastructure such as roads, trails, landscaping, lighting, etc. • Provide local support and visibility for reoccurring public events, like Stockyard Days, a farmer’s market, and sporting events and providing ways for local business to be engaged in these events. As discussed in previous meetings, building and/or creating a Sense of Place isn’t something that happens overnight. Instead, the City must support smaller incremental projects through public and private partnerships that over time build a Sense of Place. As such, support for the above noted principals should help commissions and the Council make more informed decisions. Staff suggests the Commission review these principals one last time to ensure they encompass all previous thoughts and discussion. These principals have been inserted into the Council’s Economic Development Strategic Priority (attached), and should be advanced via Resolution to the City Council for acceptance. Additionally, this information will be included in the Economic Development section of the Comprehensive Plan that will begin an update process later this year.