The Silver Beach Neighborhood Association Needs YOU
Why?
Neighborhood Plan - We will be writing our Neighborhood Plan this year and addressing the many aspects of city planning that shape the character of where we live.
Why this year? First, the current Neighborhood Plan is more than 20 years old and out of date. Second, because most of the city’s 23 neighborhood plans are out of date, the city is giving $2,500 of grant money to each neighborhood for plan updates.
Why does the city care? The Neighborhood Plans are part of the Comprehensive Plan – the document that governs public services and growth management in the City. This includes land use, transportation, housing, parks, streets, utilities, water systems, storm water runoff, law enforcement, sewage treatment, fire protection and public health among other things. The City wants and needs our input for a strong Comprehensive Plan responsive to the needs of the City and its citizens.
How will it work? The neighborhood is responsible for drafting its plan and that means us. To provide a solid foundation for our plan, the next several monthly meetings of our Neighborhood Association will feature experts in some of the various elements that will comprise our plan. January’s meeting focused on Lake Whatcom and drinking water. February will feature zoning and land use planning. March will emphasize capital facilities; specifically storm water treatment, transportation and utilities. April’s meeting will address parks and recreation. As we begin developing our plan elements, we are certain additional subjects for future meetings will emerge.
Committees have been established to research Lake Whatcom, land use, housing and capital facilities and to write these sections of our plan. To be effective, we need diversity of representation by gender, by age group, by community, by housing unit type, by any measure that indicates a different perspective. The committees are responsible for drafting their part of the plan over the next several months. The completed plan is due to the City on December 1, 2007.
Why me? Who else? You live here. You know what is working and what isn’t. You know what you want your community to look like. We live in a truly special place. It is up to every one of us to insure it remains vibrant, vital and natural for our future and the future of those who follow us. Please roll your sleeves up and join us at Bloedel Donovan Park at 7 PM the second Thrusday of each month. It’s important!