Community Strategies and Priorities – The Conversations of Community Workshop #2
Despite the cold, snow, and Super Bowl week activities, about 40 community members joined the city for a community workshop Tuesday, Jan. 30 as part of the city’s 2040 Envision Shakopee comprehensive plan process.
At the workshop, community members met in small groups to discuss how the city could best address four previously identified community priorities:
- Maintain a strong and diverse economy
- Expand housing options
- Enhance the transportation system
- Connect people with parks, trails and amenities
The workshop was led by the city’s planning consultants, MKSK Studios, and city staff. At round tables of six people plus a facilitator, groups discussed strategies and priorities for the plan. After more than an hour of discussion, each small group reported their major findings to the larger group. Participants identified a variety of opportunities from additional senior housing to improved access to the Minnesota River. They supported a variety of strategies to improve our transportation system and help residents be more connected to jobs, area businesses and parks.
Community engagement is a top priority of the Envision Shakopee planning process and the city understands not everyone is able to attend a community meeting. We’ve created an online workshop for those that were unable to attend the meeting on Jan. 30. Please provide your feedback on these priorities at www.envisionshakopee.com/community-workshop-2. The city would greatly appreciate you sharing the online workshop with your friends, family and neighbors. The online workshop will be available through February 18th.
The workshop was the second of three planned events through spring 2018. The results from your feedback on these strategies and priorities will fold into the other community engagement data and planning analysis, which will inform the planning team as we draft the recommendations of the plan in the coming months. The third and final community event, which will invite you to review and comment on the comprehensive plan’s draft focus areas and recommendations, is tentatively scheduled for April.