Arlington residents will have the chance to help shape the city’s growth as officials get ready to update their master planning document.
The projects, goals and analysis in the master plan will dictate municipal government staff and Arlington City Council decision making for the next several years.
The updates to the document are the first in nearly a decade.
The current version of the plan titled 99 Square Miles was adopted in 2015. The plan lists goals that include improving neighborhoods, growing businesses and improving local and regional transportation.
It also lists “catalyst projects” that include George W. Hawkes Downtown Library and Center; expanded conference space in the entertainment district; and more mixed-use office developments.
The comprehensive plan redux will rely heavily on public input over the next several months. Patricia Sinel, city long range planning manager, likened the document to that of a "blueprint" or "roadmap" for the city.
“It impacts a lot of people,” she said. “It impacts work as well as home life, so we want to have a strong process from the get-go for public engagement, for people to have their voices heard, to present their ideas, their innovations, or even just to tell us a story about what they would like to see in Arlington or what they don’t want to see in Arlington.”
The city launched a new public engagement platform, arlingtonlistens.com, where people can submit ideas and questions. The city will also host two public education sessions on the process at 6 p.m. June 20 and 24 at the downtown library, 100 S. Center St.
“If it was a ‘ready, set, go’ approach, this is the ‘get ready’ part of it,” said Sinel of the education sessions.
Applications are open for the city’s steering committee for comprehensive plan updates. City council members will review applications in mid-July and appoint committee members in August.
Council will set a budget for the plan and contract with a third-party consultant in September and October, respectively.
Got a tip? Email Kailey Broussard at kbroussard@kera.org. You can follow Kailey on Twitter @KaileyBroussard.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
