2002 March Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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VISIONING Continued from Page 1 growth and development in central City Administrator Mike Ericson offer their input. "We really want Hugo (the traditional downtown notes that two key development to encourage public participation," area and surrounding neighbor- projects have already resulted from Miron states. "People have such hoods). He next described the the visioning process. The first is excellent ideas and look at things process itself, in which community the new City Hall as the anchor for from different perspectives than I participation was essential. It redevelopment of downtown or other members of the Council. began with a series of interviews Hugo. Lamb calls this concept a That kind of diversity just adds so with City staff, elected officials, "town center" which he describes much to the decision process." and planning commission mem- as a "clearly identifiable center to bers. HGA also conducted three Hugo where government is located Miron also believes that the vision- roundtable discussions with devel- and where there are a mix of uses ing plan will play a big part in opers and real estate professionals, and services that are convenient to Hugo's future. "It's going to be a major landowners, and schools and everybody in town." very critical piece of information in religious institutions, as well as two providing us with a basis for the interactive community workshops The second project is the Everton decisions that are made in Hugo," with Hugo residents. Avenue neighborhood, located he adds. " I believe it's going to northwest of downtown, north of have a big impact on how ulti- Lamb then outlined the key aspects County Road 8, with a new ele- mately we develop." of the plan, which are hinged on a mentary school as a key part of that development framework that con- neighborhood's development. siders lakes and water systems,wet- Ericson comments that it is almost lands, agriculture, streets, and land unheard of to be able locate a use. The final parts of the presen- school in advance and develop a tation included a look at actual neighborhood around it. We development patterns for neigh- have some fantastic partnerships borhoods and the street networks emerging here that would not have and transportation necessary for happened had we not had an their implementation. opportunity to go through the Charrette visioning process," Community Development Ericson states. "It happens once in Director John Rask explains that a City's lifetime to be able to do the next step is to implement this something like this." vision. "Over the next several years, we will be working on more All of those involved with the detailed land use studies and plans process point to the public's for central Hugo," he states. "The involvement as key. Mayor Fran visioning plan provides a general or Miron was somewhat disappointed broad framework for how we're with the number of people attend- going to start to look at develop- ing the public workshops, but he mens and redevelopment within and the other City staff are very central Hugo." grateful to those who did come and 5