Comprehensive Plan Committee Meeting

Sat in on the final meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Study Committee. It was a meeting with the consultants actually putting the plan together, to see what the study committee thought were the most important issues before the community wide meeting tonight. The consultants brought out 4 main issue statements the plan should focus on based on that feedback they'd gotten from the committee. There were also a number of suggestions brought up on how to accomplish each one:

1. Carbondale needs a well managed and responsive platform for future growth. The consultants project the city reaching population of 27,500 by the year 2030, a little smaller than the mayor's projection of 30,000. The city stayed relatively compact until about 1990 then started to spread into available spaces. Now the city needs to decide if it wants to continue to develop around its exterior or work on in-filling the vacant parcels located within city limits

2. Downtown has lost its pedestrian feel. It has become autocentric and car dominated, with few public places for people to hang out or shop, if they aren't going to bars or restaurants. Better linkages are needed to both SIUC and Memeorial Hospital (especially) to funnel pedestrians downtown. Some form of pediestrian friendly space, ala downtown Paducah, could be established but would have to be off both Hwys 13 and 51.

3. Enhance the community heritage by offering either self guided or conducted history tours. Make better use of Woodlawn Cemetary and other historic sites within the city. Possibly work to bring signage consistancey to the West Main Corridor.

4. Retain the character of the community. Establish neighborhood conservation areas with restrictions and standards to maintain the character of the neighborhood. make it harder, for example to put multi-story apartments in areas comprised of bungalows and single level homes. How to make better use of community events such as the Murdale and downtown Saturday markets, whcih draw people from throughout the communtiy.

After the discussion, the committee then broke into two groups, one of which will look at land use issues and the other to look at community growth issues. It's my understanding the committee will spend the next month examining these subjects, then meet with the consultants again in early May.