By Cathy Spaulding
Phoenix Staff Writer
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Muskogee residents concerned about overgrown weeds, rough roads and future city development can have their say through the city’s interactive Web site.
The city set up a Web site seeking citizen input on its comprehensive plan, which could serve as the city’s guide for land use development, infrastructure, design and character over the next 10 to 15 years.
The Web site, prepared by Chicago planning consultants Houseal Lavigne & Associates, features questionnaires for businesses and residents as well as an interactive map where users can pinpoint city issues.
“We’re looking at the existing condition of the community, existing land use and different traffic corridors. We’re doing a market study to look at potential,” said Devin A. Lavigne, principal with Houseal Lavigne. “We will present that to the Muskogee Planning Commission in October. We then will have a visioning workshop when we will engage the community and business leaders for their ideas.”
The city and consulting firm held similar meetings in early August, one for business and one for residents.
Dozens of residents attended the August meeting and came up with at least 47 issues they want the city to address. They included gang signs and graffiti, drainage/flooding, vacant or burnt houses, code or zoning enforcement, city traffic and railroad noise, overgrown vegetation and development.
Only a half dozen attended the business meeting held immediately after.
“We learned a lot about what residents think about the issues,” Lavigne said. “It reinforced some of our theories.”
He said the firm learned residents are concerned with historic preservation.
“A lot of old buildings had been torn down, so there is an interest in preserving the community’s past,” he said. “They recognize the rich history of this community.”
He said he also heard plenty of concern about code enforcement.
One part of the Web site says questionnaires are due by Aug. 12, another says Sept. 1, which is Wednesday, but Lavigne said those were preliminary deadlines for updates and people may fill out the questionnaires after those dates.
“It is important for us to cast as big a net as we can,” he said.
Muskogee City Planner Gary Garvin said the interactive map would be more ongoing.
“We may keep it open until the City Council adopts its comprehensive plan,” he said.
The city is spending a year drawing up a new comprehensive plan.
The map legend allows people to pinpoint the following areas:
• Development priority sites.
• Problem intersection.
• Public safety concern.
• Undesirable use of property.
• Key transit destination that could be better served with public transit.
• Desired use or development.
• Poor appearance.
• Other issues.
So far, only a couple of people not affiliated with the project have used the map.
A user identified on the Web site as T. Dick indicated the corner of Shawnee Bypass and U.S. 69 as a development priority and collector streets along the bypass as problem intersections. The user listed neighborhoods and the appearance of downtown as areas of concern. Honor Heights Park, the Port of Muskogee and the Three Rivers Harbor marina were listed as assets.
The resident questionnaire asks such questions as the five best things about Muskogee, five things one likes least about Muskogee, how quality of housing is changing, types of development they’d like to see downtown and other parts of the city. Residents also can rate dozens of city amenities including streets, landscaping, police and fire protection, trash service, water quality, recreation, access and community services.
The business questionnaire asks what top three things they like or do not like about having business in Muskogee, if they had ever considered relocating, what type of development is most desired and how could Muskogee improve business climate.
Reach Cathy Spaulding at 684-2926 or cspaulding @muskogeephoenix.com.
