July was an eventful and significant month in Reimagine Chatham’s progress toward the development of a community Growth and Renewal Strategic Plan. Public outreach efforts concluded after informational update cards, including request to provide input to the online survey, were included in the Town of Chatham water bills and in a mail-out of over 4000 informational fliers within the study area. The work of the consultant team of Hill Studio and Arnett Muldrow shifted from data gathering to evaluation and the formulation of initiatives driven by public input.
The online survey opened in late May and closed on July 24. The survey received about 450 responses. See the survey summary here:
Survey data was evaluated along with input from two days of focus group discussions in late May on the topics / categories of Community Amenities, Outdoor Recreations, Housing, and Small Business and interviews with local stakeholders like the Mayor, Town Manager, County Development Director, Business leaders, Youth workers, and others.
On July 31, a “Visioning Session” was held by the consultant team to brief findings to the Steering Committee members and several stakeholders. The intent was to discuss the information and help jointly set priorities and direction for an initial draft of the plan. At the end of the session, topics to be addressed on the plan were listed and attendees were asked to vote on their top three issues in the four categories listed above. Voting was done by applying stickers to the chosen topics to charts listing the major initiatives on each category.
Though preliminary, some items of broad interested were improving awareness of what the town has to offer, local amenities like walking trails, more restaurants and eateries, improving housing opportunities and addressing derelict structures, and establishing a dedicated business development organization supported by local civic organizations.
During August the consultants will be preparing an initial draft of recommendations and plans for implementation. One requirement for all recommendations is that they be based on local economic realities, the area market, and the feasibility of being successfully developed. A public meeting will be scheduled for September 11 at 5:30–6:30 (location to be determined), at which the consultant team will present the draft plan.
Note: An overarching criterion in developing the plan is to maintain the character of the town and the features that the community has indicated they most like about living here. Further, the plan is not an end. It is simply the basis for a long-term system of community betterments that will involve collaboration of the local civic groups, the town, local businesses, various philanthropic foundations, and governmental grant programs.
These are exciting times, so please share this information with your family and friends and suggest that they follow us on Facebook and sign up for our email list on the website, ReimagineChatham.org.