There was much discussion on a number of topics at Monday night’s Silver Bay City Council Meeting. Resolutions ranging from design wrap for the new Zamboini, needed roof repair at the Mary Mac Center, and a grant application to the DNR to inventory trees in the City and address the problem of tree replacement due to Emerald Ash Borer and Budworm infestation were considered and passed by the Council. Additionally, the Council adopted an updated purchase and development agreement with the Lake County Housing and Redevelopment Authority for an IRRRB grant for $500,000 which will help fund city owned infrastructure to the Boathouse Bay Development.
Taking center stage at the meeting was the presentation of a Vision Concept Plan for Silver Bay’s downtown area. Economic Development Director David Drown talked about the importance of creating a business district that is modernized, convenient for residents, attractive and efficient for businesses and provides needed housing that is affordable and makes space for expansion of the workforce. The components of this vision plan include ideas from area residents who attended past hearings that were held to gain public input on how best to encourage revitalization of the downtown. The vision plan is expansive and includes many proposed features like the creation of public green space with a play area and an amphitheater for concerts and other public events. There is talk of the possibility of removing Davis Drive and opening a new street on land behind the shopping center. Many of the existing buildings in town are set back from nearby streets and redesigning the routes that businesses can be accessed from will increase convenience for residents and make the delivery of goods to businesses more efficient. The plan also acknowledges investments that the city has made to expand the library and the city’s trail system.
Drown stated that he has had many conversations with residents who are excited about opportunities to revitalize the city. The Vision Plan simply proposes details on how this revitalization could be done and offers some visual renderings on what that revitalization might look like in the future, should the plan move to the stage of becoming an actual project.
Drown said that the plan, as presented at Monday’s meeting, may never be completed as proposed, but it does give city leaders a blueprint, of sorts, as they think about planning for the future.
There were a number of residents at the meeting which led to some spirited discussion. Drown and Council members answered the questions of those present. Mayor Wade LeBlanc reminded folks that “If you don’t have a vision, you have no plan to move forward”. The Council voted unanimously to accept the vision plan and is referring it to the Planning and Zoning Commission for consideration on how city zoning regulations will need to be adjusted to accommodate revitalization work.
Doubtless, there will be further conversations about all of this and residents are encouraged to participate. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for September 4th at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall.
