Over the last several months, the city of Huntsville Planning Division began updating its comprehensive policy document, “Huntsville 2040: Our Strategy and Mission,” in hopes to better reflect the long-range goals for the community.
Huntsville city planner Leigha Larkins said the comprehensive plan is the document that says, “This is what the people want.”
“That comprehensive plan touches on land use and community character, transportation demand, economic development, parks and recreation, and gross capacity,” said Larkins. “And we would anticipate that we would see those in the plan update.”
The goal is for Huntsville and Sam Houston State University to leverage the university for economic development. According to the Kendig Keast Collaborative, a consulting firm that has been retained by the city of Huntsville to develop its comprehensive plan, wants to shift downtown Huntsville to a bright university village.
“Kendig Keast Collaborative is meeting with stakeholders, community groups, and community leaders throughout the city to discuss their experience in the city of Huntsville and their understanding of the challenges, but also the strengths that are occurring in the city,” said Larkins.
The Kendig Keast Collaborative plans to not only develop downtown Huntsville but also expand economic development. The Kendig Keast Collaborative hopes to develop a new business park to enlist new businesses within the city of Huntsville.
“The city is not focusing, necessarily if we should absolutely encourage development in one place over another,” Larkins said. “But getting an understanding of where development is happening right now, where the market is driving development, and where maybe it’s not happening and just exploring why.”
Larkins said the planning group is waiting for feedback from the community about creating such a relationship.
“One hundred percent cannot overstate how important it is to get citizen input and input from the public because this is their plan and this is their community and ours,” Larkins said.
For more information and comments on the “Huntsville 2040: Our Strategy and Mission,” the public can contact the city of Huntsville Planning Division at planningemail@huntsvilletx.gov or call (936) 294-5783.