MONTGOMERY – The Envision Montgomery 2040 Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee will host its first major public event on October 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome at Alabama State University.
“This is a pivotal point in our city’s development which will allow us to build on the momentum moving Montgomery forward while uniting everyone within our community to help our city reach its full potential,” Mayor Todd Strange said. “The Community Summit and the Comprehensive Plan are our opportunities to think big about the future of Montgomery. It is vital everyone engages in the process to ensure our ideas are reflected in the final plan.”
Open to all residents, the October event will combine information about the planning process with interactive discussions focused on elements of the Comprehensive Plan. The Steering Committee encourages members of the public to register for the event on the process website, www.envisionmontgomery2040.org, to help organizers prepare for the evening’s events.
The event will address a wide range of topics, including housing, transportation, parks, accessibility and economic development. Participants will provide feedback and ideas through group activities and small table discussions, offering a unique opportunity for the public to engage directly with the Comprehensive Planning process and share perspectives and priorities with the Steering Committee, City staff and the planning team. The specific agenda and speakers will be announced closer to October 25 via the process website, www.envisionmontgomery2040.org.
A comprehensive plan is a long-term guide for the future physical development of a city that considers the input of citizens, businesses and other stakeholders. It includes recommendations for future land use, community design, mobility, open space and recreation areas, cultural and historical resources, infrastructure, and economic development. The Summit, and subsequent engagement activities, will help the Steering Committee define an overall community vision that will inform additional, specific action. The vision is an aspirational statement about the future condition of the City that is supported by goals and objectives.
City Planning Director Robert Smith calls the Comprehensive Plan a blueprint for citywide growth and development, “A Comprehensive Plan is the broadest policy document a city can create. It describes where we are, how we got there, and where we all want to go. The plan chapters and topics serve to support this direction by recommending various actions that will push the entire city as a whole toward a more prosperous future through the implementation of the Plan with real action.”
While Montgomery has developed several neighborhood and special interests plans recently, the last Citywide Comprehensive Plan was completed in 1963. In the 55 years since, the city has added more than 65,000 residents and 132 square miles.
The Summit will be the first in a series of community engagement events hosted through the process. Future discussions will focus on prioritization of future actions and to review the draft Plan. The Steering Committee will publicize these events broadly and provide updates on their progress via the process website.
Committee member Clay McInnis is excited about the opportunity to engage the public and sees this as a critical component of the plan, “We need everyone involved in building this plan. By living here, working here, or raising a family here, we all have a special perspective that must be considered in the process. I’m encouraging my entire network to be at the Summit and make sure they’re voices are heard.”
Registration for the Summit is available online at the www.envisionmontgomery2040.org, through the process Facebook page www.facebook.com/envisionmontgomery2040 or by phone at 334-625-2218.
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