Redmond planners seek citizen involvement in efforts

The City of Redmond is committed to active public involvement in all of its planning initiatives, and as such is seeking volunteers for two significant planning efforts that will soon underway: 1) Updating the Parks Master Plan; and 2) Implementing the Housing and Community Development Plans.

“This is a great opportunity for Redmond residents to get involved in planning and improving our community for both current and future generations,” explains Heather Richards, Community Development Director. “Over the years, we have learned that the best plans are the ones that are developed by community members. Staff will provide guidance, resources and structure for the dialogues, but really it is the committees comprised of community members that develop the best ideas.”

“Each of our major planning initiatives is led by a Citizen Advisory Committee comprised of residents of Redmond representing our demographic profile – young and old. This is the most important part of our planning process because it means that future planning for the City of Redmond is done by the residents of the community. We strive to have a Citizen Advisory Committee comprised of teen-agers, young adults, middle-age adults and retirees. We like to have people who have lived here for most of their lives and those who just recently moved here – those who live in single-family homes and those who live in apartments.”

Parks Master Plan Update: The City of Redmond will be embarking on a year-long process of evaluating and updating the Parks Master Plan. The City of Redmond owns, develops and maintains over 300 acres of parks for the community of Redmond. The Parks Master Plan will guide the next twenty years of parks as the City of Redmond grows to a predicted population of 50,000 people. This is considered a major planning initiative for the City of Redmond and will be eventually adopted by the Redmond City Council and acknowledged by the State of Oregon.

The Parks Master Plan update will be evaluating our park system in terms of types of parks, quantity of parks, location of parks, future locations of parks and how parks serve neighborhoods individually and the community as a whole. What is working, where are the deficiencies, future visions for the parks system. The Citizen Advisory Committee will work with a Technical Advisory Committee to develop a draft document that will then be reviewed and evaluated through a public process, with public forums, presentations and public hearings. Eventually the Parks Commission and Planning Commission will review the plan and make a recommendation to the Redmond City Council for adoption. The whole process will be approximately 18 – 24 months. The Citizen Advisory Committee will meet once a month for 12 months starting this winter. If you are interested in participating in this effort, please contact Deborah McMahon, Principal Planner for the City of Redmond, at 541-923-7724, or Deborah.McMahon@ci.redmond.or.us.

Housing and Community Development Committee: The City of Redmond is seeking applicants for its newest city committee – the Housing and Community Development Committee. This committee appointed by the Mayor of Redmond will serve in an advisory role to the Redmond City Council on housing, neighborhood revitalization and community development policies, actions and programs pertinent to improving the quality of life for citizens in Redmond. This committee will be responsible for advising the Redmond City Council on the deployment of Community Development Block Grant funds received annually from the Housing and Urban Development Agency as well as Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds, and any other grant funds that the City of Redmond receives to further this effort. Terms for this committee are three years. If interested, please contact Chelsea Dickens, 541-932-7757, Chelsea.Dickens@ci.redmond.or.us.

“Citizen involvement is highly valued by the City of Redmond. Engaging the community in thoughtful discussion increases legitimacy, efficiency, and accountability as we make decisions that affect our quality of life,” concludes Deborah McMahon, Principal Planner for the City of Redmond.