Forsyth County's Envision 2030 draft report released
Access NorthGA
06/03/07
Envision 2030, the citizen-led community visioning initiative, has released a draft report detailing what citizens said they wanted Cumming-Forsyth County to look like and work like over the next 25 years - and listing the major civic projects that citizens said they would like to see completed.
"This report offers us a roadmap to the future, a clear understanding of what the citizens' ambitions are for our community," Envision 2030 Co-Chair Carter Barrett said. "We think that when citizens read this draft they're going to be impressed by how great their ambitions are."
In 34 pages, the report sets out a 525-word vision statement and 45 "action steps" - or major projects or initiatives that should be accomplished in order to achieve the vision.
Among the action steps: Bring a four-year college to Cumming-Forsyth County, build new cultural and recreational facilities, create a "Lake Walk" at Lake Lanier and "River Walks" along the Chattahoochee and Etowah rivers, begin a "Quality of Life Council" to monitor progress toward improving community quality of life, make Cumming-Forsyth County a "significant employment center," and turn downtown Cumming into a "live, work and play community" with an "old town" look.
"There's a lot to this report," Envision Co-Chair Brett Berto said, "and we want citizens to read it carefully and comment on it. This report will not be complete until we've heard from the citizens."
Residents can comment on the Envision report in two ways, Berto added. One is by attending the "Community Day" activities, which begin on Thursday, June 7, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce's Events Facility, 212 Kelly Mill Road, Cumming, and continue Friday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the same location. On Community Day, citizens can receive a copy of the report, talk with Envision organizers and participants, and record their own thoughts and impressions.
Another way of commenting is through the Envision 2030 web site, Berto said. Citizens can download the draft report and offer their comments by visiting the link at the end of this story.
Organizers stressed that this is a vision report, drafted by citizens, and not a government plan. "The purpose is to set a direction for our community, not to do a feasibility study or a cost-benefit analysis," Berto said. "Those kinds of plans are important and will have to be done later on. But the first step in any successful journey is to know where you want to go - and that's what the Envision 2030 report establishes. Later on, we'll have to figure out how to get there, what it will cost, and what the benefits will be."
Envision 2030 organizers say they plan to issue a final report, incorporating citizens' comments, late next month. | | Related Link
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