The Alexander Planning Commission has set June 11 as the date for a
public meeting to receive input from residents, business and property
owners concerning the future growth of the city. The meeting will be
held at the pavilion in the city park from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM;
wether permitting.
The announcement was
made at the Alexander City Council’s April 18 meeting by Planning
Commission Chairman Michael Huck. Huck told council members it will
not be a typical meeting, but more similar to an open house.
Visitors will begin
at a sign-in table where they will be shown the results of the public
survey taken in 2021. Anyone concerned with the growth of Alexander
is invited including residents, business owners and property owners.
According to an
operational outline proposed by Metroplan, after signing in and
reviewing the survey results attendees will move from table to table
participating in the discussion topic for that location. Categories
include Vision, Transportation, Land Use, and Making it Happen.
At the Vision table
you won’t be given an eye test. Vision refers to how you see
Alexander in the future in terms of, “transportation, housing,
recreation, and employment.” After providing a general “Vision”
of Alexander’s future, the subsequent stops through the pavilion
will attempt to produce a more focused response to each category.
The Transportation
area will cover both now and the future. Questions will cover how to
make traffic flow better through Alexander; where do people need safe
paths for walking and biking; how could the transportation network
work better for all ages, abilities, and modes of transportation; and
how do you think your transportation needs will change in the next 25
years?
At the Land Use stop
visitors will be asked to design, “Alexander from scratch.” A
large map will be used to mark-off residential and business areas.
“Are you satisfied with the housing options available to you right
now,” is another question to be asked, with the follow-up question,
“If not, what’s missing?” You’ll also be asked to imagine
what your housing needs will be in 2050.
“Making it Happen”
is the final stop. What are the top 3 things you want to see happen
in Alexander in the next 5 years? What is one small thing the city or
community can do right now to make Alexander better or address
something residents struggle with?
Each table will have
one facilitator interacting with the visitors. Facilitators can
include Metroplan staff, Alexander city staff, planning
commissioners, or members of the citizen advisory committee.
The opinions
gathered at this public meeting will be combined with the 2021 survey
results. Metroplan staff will then write a preliminary master
development plan; which will be reviewed by the planning commission,
the citizen advisory committee, and city council members.
A proposed final
version will be presented at a public hearing. Comments from the
public hearing will be considered when writing the final version of
the master development plan. The plan will then go to the planning
commission and then the city council for final approval.
The master
development plan will be used by current and future city leaders to
act as a guide concerning residential and commercial growth in the
City of Alexander. The current master development plan was approve in
1982.
Also at the April
18 council meeting:
Purchase of two
generators approved
The Alexander City
Council approved Mayor Paul Mitchell’s request to spend $9,500.00
to purchase two emergency generators. Mitchell said one generator
will be used as a permanent back-up power source for the street
department and old city hall, at Main Street and E. 2nd
Street. The second will be at the community center located on the
former Alexander Human Development property, along Highway 111 in
South Alexander. Mitchell said this gives all city buildings a
back-up power source during long term power outages. The Alexander
Municipal Complex (City Hall) already has an emergency generator.
In order for the
request to pass, the mayor needed to vote “Yes” since he was
serving as the quorum member for the council. Only four of the eight
council members were present. Five is needed for a quorum. Present
were council members Lonny Chapman, Joe Pollard, Harold Timmerman,
and Juanita Wilson. Absent were Elizabeth Bland, Joy Gray, Dan
Church, and Jeff Watson.
Street lights for
Meadow’s Edge Phase-3 requested
Mayor Paul Mitchell
reported he has filled out the necessary forms for Entergy to install
the missing street lights in Phase-3 of the Meadow’s Edge
subdivision. While phases one, two and four have street lights;
installation of lights were overlooked during construction of
Phase-3, which is mostly made up of Saddle Hill Drive. Meadow’s
Edge officially became part of the city with the passage of an
ordinance at the March council meeting.
Planning
commission member’s terms renewed
The terms for
planning commission members Juanita Wilson and Michael Huck were
renewed for another three years. The terms will expire in 2025. Both
were sworn-in during the council meeting.
Next Meeting
The
next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, May 16 at 6:00
PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall).
The public is invited to attend.
