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CS residents air concerns at 'Congress'
. . . I
I By LAURA HENSLEY
EJagle Staff Writer ,
I '
l Brad Sharpe would like to
I see more efficient traffic flow
J through College Station. Mary
Hamlin doesn't want the city's
small-town charm and leafy
green spaces to be lost as new
buildings and streets are con-
structed. And Barb Herman is
concerned about traffic con-
gestion around the entrances
to her south College Station
neighborhood.
The College' Station resi-
dents were among more than
300 people who came to share
their vision, concerns and
ideas about the future of the
city Monday during a special
."Citizens Congress" meeting.
The standing-room, only
event at the College Station
Hilton was aimed at gleaning
resident input in order to
update the city's nearly 10-
year-old comprehensive plan.
With the catch phrase,
"Your community, your
plan," the city has been. work-
ling to revise the comprehen-
sive plan in recent months.
1 The plan, which addresses the
I city's growth issues, hasn't
been updated since 1997. _,
. Sugar Land consuiflllg fwm~
Kendig Keast Colla60ratfvt"
I h~ been hired to gather resi- ,
dents' comments as part of an their plan. Our residents are
early stage of the process. The our community and we want
consulting fIrm is expected to to_ make sure [the plan]
present its fmdings to the city reflects their wishes:"
in May. The second phase of Among those who made it
the project will include, the 'out to the meeting was Ham-
drafting of a new plan, which lin,who recently retired and'
is expected to be adopted by moved to the community from
the city council by late 2008. Michigan to be closer to fami-
"A comprehensive plan is ly.
the long-term vision for your "I think it is 'much better to
community," said Lane inform yourself than to be
Kendig, president of Kendig cynical and fussing after-
,Keast Collaborative. "Tonight wards," she said. "I enjoy par-
we can't get'into in-depth con- ticipating."
versations, but we can get a Wendi Kaspar, who has
flavor of what's on' people's lived in, the community for
minds and validate what about 10 years, said she came
we've heard before." Jo the meeting Monday nigbt
Residents on Monday were to obtain some understanding
able to attend three break-out about current issues facing
sessions addressing such ~jy and to voice concerns
issues as transportation, land about traffic.
use, quality of life and eco- "I'm interested in the direc- '
nomic development. tion the city is going in regard
The community-wide meet- to transportation," she said
ing had a festive feel complete before the meeting as she ate
with food, musical entertain- refreshments and listened to a /
ment, door prizes and a chil- classical music trio. "I don't
dren's art contest. think [the direction] has been
"People aren't interested in communicated well. There
standard-j,ssue meetings," are no good north and south ,
said Jennifer Prochazka,Colc corridors or alternative
lege Station's se{lior planner routes to Texas [1\venue]." I
and the project manager for Sharpe, who haS lived in the 4
~e comp'r~J:len~ive plan. "We co~munity for lGfour years,
W'anted"::to:fbripg out peoPl~_ .~, isconcemed about traffic
whO woU'ldn't'''iIDrmally comlP" 'around College Station. He, ~
out to hear this. It's really too, would like to see better J
north and south traffic flow
through 'the city, he said.
Attending 'a meeting such as
the one held Monday, he said,
is one way to make a differ-
ence.
"I wanted to get a feel and
have a, say on the way things
play out in the long term," he
said. '
, "This it the time to set
things right. If we can make
changes, this is the time to do
it."
. Laura
address is
theeagle.com.
Hensley's e-mail
laura.hensley@