Suppose they gave an important meeting, and nobody came?
That’s the nightmare scenario the Dorr Township Planning Commission wants to avoid as it begins the seemingly boring, but important process of updating the local master plan.
Commissioner Dan Beute noted that in 2007, the last time the master plan was updated, only 25 people showed up to a public workshop to offer opinions.
The commission Tuesday evening met with senior planner Nathan Mehmed of Williams & Works, which was hired earlier this year to walk township officials through the process. He told them, “We recommend you bring in the public (for input).”
It was agreed that the Planning Commission will invite the public to a community visioning workshop, perhaps as early as December and offer surveys on line. For those who do not have Internet, there will be ways they can pick up surveys at the Township Hall.
Mehmed cautioned that snail mail surveys can get expensive.
Commissioners said they are eager to gather public opinions about what they’d like to see in the township’s future, whether they’d like to see more commercial, industrial or residential development, or take more strides to preserve farm land.
Commission Vice Chairman Robert Traxler said, “Fifteen percent of our community is directly or indirectly involved in agriculture, so it’s a significant part of this township.”
Mehmed recommended township officials to alert local business associations, parks commission, library board and the Downtown Development Authority about the desire to have a good turnout at a visioning workshop.
Commissioner Terri Rios said, “The more community input we get, the less we will hear in complaints.”
Commissioner Larry Dolegowski said, “It sounds like a good plan to get us started… We’ve got to get the word out (of the workshop) to farmers and developers.”
Mehmed agreed to bring some proposals to the next Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Meanwhile, the primary goal right now is to get the word out.
