MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The City of Marquette is updating its master plan. The Master Plan Open House is one of the ways the city gathers information from the Marquette community as they prepare to refocus the city’s goals.
Housing affordability and a sufficient supply of available housing, as well as natural asset and climate protection were some of the main topics raised following Marquette’s January survey that were brough up at tonight’s open house. Amelia Pruiett, a Gwinn resident and Marquette community member said she this open house like this are important. “Here obviously we have all the beautiful outdoor recreation, and we’re on the lake, and there’s a lot of history here. But I think it’s the people that make Marquette, Marquette.”
Marquette’s city manager Karen Kovacs says that’s exactly why they hold these open houses, she says the city wants to understand what to work on from the community’s perspective. Kovacs said “This is where we get that vision and that guidance on what we need to continue looking at and what we haven’t looked at yet, and it’s really that voice of the community.”
Dennis Stachewicz, The cities community development director, said the big turn out for the open house is crucial to moving forward in building their plan. Stachewicz said “You get to engage the community in very broad strokes and broad fashions to hear what their input is, and then try to work with the consultants to put together a document that basically becomes the road map for our community. So I can’t underestimate the significance of this project.”
City officials will take the communities input today as they move forward in drafting Marquette’s new master plan. The open house won’t be the last opportunity for the community to give it’s input on the new plans. City official’s plan on sending out more surveys to gather community opinion’s, an keeping in contact with community members as they reconstruct Marquette’s master plan.
