EDWARDSVILLE - The City has launched an update of its Comprehensive Plan and wants community members to share their vision for the direction Edwardsville should take in the next 10-20 years.
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Over the next several months, the public will have multiple opportunities to offer input as part of the Comprehensive Plan process. These will include open houses and “pop-up” events, which will be scheduled for locations throughout the City where people regularly gather or visit. The first open house is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12 at the City’s R.P. Lumber Center recreational facility. Comprehensive Plan team members will be on hand to answer questions; visitors can come and go at any time. The first pop-up event took place in October at the Land of Goshen Community Market, and included opportunities to “vote” for high-priority areas and objectives for the City and to offer written feedback. Additional open houses and pop-up events will be announced as they are scheduled.
Public engagement is a key part of the Comprehensive Plan update, which is being called “Envision Edwardsville,” City Planner Steve Stricklan said. “A comprehensive plan is supposed to reflect the vision of the community as a whole,” he said. “It’s a long-term planning tool that is meant to inform the staff, public and anyone who wants to view it.”
The City’s Comprehensive Plan serves as a guiding document for the City, particularly the Plan Commission and the Planning and Zoning Division, on development in the years to come. It will be carefully crafted over an estimated 12-month period of assessing existing conditions, gathering public input, setting goals and objectives, and creating implementation strategies. The process will culminate with a recommendation from the Plan Commission to adopt the updated version; the final plan is subject to City Council approval. The process is expected to wrap up between July and September of 2024.
Edwardsville’s most recent Comprehensive Plan update was completed in 2010. The City’s Planning and Zoning Division is working with PGAV Planners, along with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly, and Key Strategic Group, who were hired in July 2023 to help City staff devise the update. A steering committee also has been appointed to assist and meet regularly with the planners. The steering committee consists of residents, business and industry representatives, and community leaders chosen for their individual expertise and local knowledge.
A Comprehensive Plan website has been created to explain the purpose, gather feedback, and keep the public informed on the progress. The site details the steps, including the expected timeline, steering committee members, and other information. The website is: www.envisionedwardsville.com.
On that site, anyone who lives, works or visits Edwardsville can offer suggestions. It also includes an option to sign up for emailed updates. Information also will be shared via the City’s social media, e-newsletters, and website. Those can be found here: www.cityofedwardsville.com/connect.
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