ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The City of Escanaba is developing a new Master Plan, and officials are looking for as much community input as possible.
According to City Planning and Zoning Administrator Tyler Anthony, state law requires Escanaba to update its Master Plan every 20 years. Although the most recent one was made in 2016, he says it was similar to the Master Plan constructed a decade earlier. Now, Anthony says it’s time for an update.
“When the current plan was put together, things were a lot different,” he said. “City administration was very different. We weren’t thinking as much about climate change, the housing crisis that we are very much experiencing right now, or how to move from this very manufacturing-centric community into a little more diverse of an economy so that we are more resilient. We’re trying to put together a Master Plan that is more usable and more effective as a marketing tool.”
The City worked with consultant Beckett & Raeder to create a survey for Escanaba residents and those in the surrounding area. Participants are encouraged to share their opinions on housing, economic development, what works well, what could be improved, and their vision for Escanaba’s future.
Anthony says the City Planning Commission’s goal is to receive at least 500 responses to help them evaluate and revise the current draft of the Master Plan.
“A Master Plan is essentially like a community’s compass and roadmap,” said Anthony. “The more information, the more input, the more guidance we have on the decisions that are made in putting that Master Plan together and, therefore, the direction of the community over the next 5 – 20 years.”
The Master Plan survey is available at City Hall, located at 410 Ludington Street, or online at surveymonkey.com.
