Planning for the future

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Chelsea residents have the opportunity to give their ideas and input for the future as the city works with the Regional Planning Commission to come up with a new comprehensive plan.

PlanChelsea is a cooperative effort between the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and the City of Chelsea. The goal of the community-driven process is to develop a unifying vision for the city’s future that allows citizens to shape the vision and make recommendations. It relies on a community input process of what residents envision what an economically, socially and environmentally healthy Chelsea should look like 15 years from now.

“This is about a year long project,” said Samuel Parsons, Community Planner with the Regional Planning Commission. “It  started at the beginning of summer and our goal is to wrap it up and get it adopted before next summer.”

The last comprehensive plan for Chelsea was done in 2007, although they are recommended every five to 10 years. Parsons said it is particularly important for Chelsea since it is the long standing fastest growing community in the region and the Chelsea of 12 years ago doesn't look like the Chelsea today. 

During the course of the planning process, residents, business owners and landowners can participate by sharing their vision for growth. Input for the comprehensive plan can be shared in three ways: fill out a survey, describe Chelsea's issues and opportunities, and map ideas. 

The surveys ask three questions: what is the state of our community today, what kind of community do you want in the future and how can we make that vision happen. 

“Chelsea is a city of 13,000, and our target is to have 400 to 500 total surveys taken, not including other forms of input,” said Parsons. “The survey is the bedrock of the public involvement process, and while that 2.5% sounds like a minuscule number, that’s where we get the most concerned and engaged citizens.” 

The goal of the preliminary public involvement phase was to set goals actions and strategies. Once the online survey closes in early October, the Planning Commission will spend the next seven months taking the information received and forming goals, strategies and actions. 

The first of three public meetings was held Aug. 20. The second will take place in January or February and go over recommendations and the future land use plan. The third meeting will take place in April 2020 and feature a public hearing with the Planning Commission. 

Parsons said it is critical that everyone gives their input and that the final plan is only as good as the input they receive and that the public input is the only one that matters. 

“We will filter our input as planners, and do not contribute any ideas ourselves,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are contractors and do our best to refrain from interjecting our own opinions. We are public servants in service of the city.” 

Parsons said one issue they want to address is access to parks. Even though Chelsea has a robust parks and recreation program, only 9.2% of residents live within walking distance to a park. Land development is another topic, as less than one third of land within the current city limits still remains undeveloped. 

“Chelsea is very much a blank slate on which to draw,” Parsons said. “The city is very proactive in wanting to make sure they use their available land in the wisest manner and be most responsive to the citizens needs.”

The final comprehensive plan will recommend goals, strategies and actions for land use, transportation, economic development, public services, and natural and cultural resources. It will also serve as a guide for public officials by establishing policies and priorities, and provide the framework for evaluating development proposals. It will express the community’s vision and priorities, and show where and how development should occur.

Presentations from the introduction of the plan from the Aug. 20 public meeting as well as demographic highlights from the Chelsea Business Alliance meeting on Sept. 11 are both available on the website. 

Paper copies of the survey are located at City Hall, the Chelsea Community Center and the Chelsea Library and can be picked up and dropped off there. 

To participate, visit planchelsea.com and visit the public input page to take the online survey, sign up to receive email updates and attend public meetings to share ideas and concerns.