Trustees mull first step toward master plan

Students on the project must be provided with food, lodging and expenses.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Ideas for a strategic plan for the township haven't become a thing of the past.
Although discussions of a need for a master plan for the township haven't cropped up much in recent months, Trustee Kathy Miller traveled last week to Cleveland to talk with representatives of the Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio about the first step in developing a comprehensive township plan.
"This is really the impetus to get things started," Miller said.
Fellow Trustee Robyn Gallitto, Kim Poma, a school board member, and Robert Mastriana of 4M Company, a township architectural firm, also made the trip.
Miller said that although trustees haven't taken official action to achieve it, the idea is to have seven graduate students from Kent State University's architectural school, which is affiliated with the center, involved. The students are studying architecture and planning.
That means that about $5,000 will be needed to cover food, lodging and expenses for the students. There's no charge for the actual work. Miller said donations will be sought, rather than township general fund dollars used, to cover the cost.
She isn't sure whether a foundation will be established to collect donations or what mechanism will be used.
How this would be done
"They'll come in first and interview key leaders -- probably civic organizations, church organizations, school people -- people who are involved in the community," Miller said.
After that, the students will conduct three-day public discussion groups, called charrettes, to gauge what the public wants for the future of their community, she said.
That likely would occur in mid-October.
"They'll look at the major corridors," Miller said, referring to the Market Street-U.S. Route 224 and the Market Street-Midlothian Boulevard areas.
After the discussion groups conclude, the center will make recommendations to the township from their findings and public input. Then it will be up to the township to implement them, she said.
"It's an overall look at what we can do," Miller said.
Trustees met earlier this year with center representatives to talk about a possible township master plan. After that meeting, the center said that for $60,000, center professionals could devise a plan in nine months.
Trustees decided to go with the students instead.
The center participated in Youngstown 2010, Youngstown State University's centennial master plan and Warren Redevelopment and Planning's framework for that city's downtown.
"It's getting the community involved in how they want the community to look in the future," Miller said. "So often it seems that the people who live here just don't get asked."