Syracuse Chamber Plans For Future Growth
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE -ÊWhat kind of shape should Wawasee Village take in the future?
What should the town of Syracuse look like in the future?
Monday, members of the Syracuse community met with Ball State University urban planning students to discuss the Wawasee Village.
"What we're going to do is, we're going to be sponges," Ball State professor Jim Segedy told the Syracuse group. "We're going to listen to what you want to do."
By April, he said, they hope to have a preliminary idea regarding the Wawasee Village comprehensive plan. By summer, the Ball State group hopes to have it in its final form.
No decisions were made Monday, as it was only a brainstorming session.
Those present were divided into three separate groups to brainstorm. Each group had to decide what the assets of the community are, what the detriments are and where they would or wouldn't take a visiting relative.
According to one group, some of the assets included the lakes, the town hall, restaurants, Lakeside Park, Lakeland Animal Clinic, the gazebo, ski show, music in the park, Oakwood Inn, the schools, Brook Pointe Inn, the Wawasee Flotilla, the golf courses and the fire station.
The group, which included Syracuse town manager Brian Redshaw, Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce Director Shelly Bickel and chamber president Dr. Richard Brungardt, said that if a visiting relative came to town, they would take her to Lakeside Park, Oakwood Inn or local restaurants.
Detriments to Syracuse, according to the group, include the junkyard, the railroad crossing, the railroad depot, ditches along the road in the village, Ind. 13 traffic, the need for more fine dining establishments, lack of the economic development income tax, high rent, zebra mussels, lack of affordable housing and too much red tape for any development to occur.
As to where they wouldn't take a visiting relative, they said that would include the junkyard and the industrial park, and they wouldn't take them on a walk along Ind. 13 because there are no sidewalks.
Each of the three groups was then asked to write a list of their needs and dreams for the community. Those wishes included an overpass for the railroad, a countywide trail system, roads into the industrial park, a community center, a new Scout cabin, sidewalks and lighting in the village, decorative lighting, EDIT and more retail stores.
The groups discussed where development in Syracuse is, where it should be and where it shouldn't be. Lists were made of the top 10 most important things for Syracuse's future.
Segedy said, "There are three basic categories you seem to be focused on." The large group was then divided into three different groups to discuss economic development, aesthetics and traffic and land use. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE -ÊWhat kind of shape should Wawasee Village take in the future?
What should the town of Syracuse look like in the future?
Monday, members of the Syracuse community met with Ball State University urban planning students to discuss the Wawasee Village.
"What we're going to do is, we're going to be sponges," Ball State professor Jim Segedy told the Syracuse group. "We're going to listen to what you want to do."
By April, he said, they hope to have a preliminary idea regarding the Wawasee Village comprehensive plan. By summer, the Ball State group hopes to have it in its final form.
No decisions were made Monday, as it was only a brainstorming session.
Those present were divided into three separate groups to brainstorm. Each group had to decide what the assets of the community are, what the detriments are and where they would or wouldn't take a visiting relative.
According to one group, some of the assets included the lakes, the town hall, restaurants, Lakeside Park, Lakeland Animal Clinic, the gazebo, ski show, music in the park, Oakwood Inn, the schools, Brook Pointe Inn, the Wawasee Flotilla, the golf courses and the fire station.
The group, which included Syracuse town manager Brian Redshaw, Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce Director Shelly Bickel and chamber president Dr. Richard Brungardt, said that if a visiting relative came to town, they would take her to Lakeside Park, Oakwood Inn or local restaurants.
Detriments to Syracuse, according to the group, include the junkyard, the railroad crossing, the railroad depot, ditches along the road in the village, Ind. 13 traffic, the need for more fine dining establishments, lack of the economic development income tax, high rent, zebra mussels, lack of affordable housing and too much red tape for any development to occur.
As to where they wouldn't take a visiting relative, they said that would include the junkyard and the industrial park, and they wouldn't take them on a walk along Ind. 13 because there are no sidewalks.
Each of the three groups was then asked to write a list of their needs and dreams for the community. Those wishes included an overpass for the railroad, a countywide trail system, roads into the industrial park, a community center, a new Scout cabin, sidewalks and lighting in the village, decorative lighting, EDIT and more retail stores.
The groups discussed where development in Syracuse is, where it should be and where it shouldn't be. Lists were made of the top 10 most important things for Syracuse's future.
Segedy said, "There are three basic categories you seem to be focused on." The large group was then divided into three different groups to discuss economic development, aesthetics and traffic and land use. [[In-content Ad]]