The City of Seward has started the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan. With the assistance of RDG Planning & Design, the plan will address changes in the community since the last update in 2001. The final plan will be the consensus of Seward’s citizens, business, and elected decision makers. Therefore, active public engagement is needed to create a plan that best represents Seward.
A good community planning process gives community members the chance to look at their city carefully and collaboratively, arriving at a shared concept of its future. It provides a way for people to identify and act on those things that are most important to their city’s growth and prosperity. And it establishes an environment in which people of different generations, perspectives, and backgrounds work together for their common benefit.
Comprehensive planning is a process that determines community goals and aspirations regarding community development. The process is an opportunity to take a step back, evaluate the existing, and then develop a strategic guide for what Seward wants to become in 15-25 years. The outcome is a Comprehensive Plan which dictates future public policy concerning transportation, utilities, land use, recreation, and housing. In thinking about Seward 20 years from now, it is vital to ask… What will it be like? How did it fulfill its potential and overcome its challenges? How has the community evolved and how do younger generations feel about the place they live? The comprehensive planning effort is being guided by a Steering Committee that will be the heart of the process. This group, representing a broad range of interests and perspectives, will meet on a regular basis throughout the planning process. From this large group, a smaller technical committee will also meet to provide more specific information about downtown elements and planning features. Community visioning can only succeed if citizens work together, so we need your input. Over the next few months there will be several opportunities for the citizens and business owners of Seward to get engaged in the planning process and provide input. Once the planning process officially kicks off in February, there will be several ways to get involved: