Birch Bay planning continues

By Meg Olson

The Birch Bay community planning process is getting rolling again with a series of neighborhood meetings over the next two months to start hanging policies on the growth framework developed over the summer.

“At our recent steering committee meeting we went over community goals and policies, parks and recreation,” said project consultant Pat Milliken. “We start the next round of neighborhood meetings to deal with those issues and education, health and public safety.”

The community forecast developed so far sees Birch Bay growing to a community of over 11,000 by 2020, with almost 3,000 jobs, more than doubling the size of Birch Bay. The need for housing is expected to almost triple. The steering committee settled on a preliminary growth plan that would see commercial growth in neighborhood nodes with one or two large shopping centers at central locations.

Milliken said the community will now work on what a community that size and shape will need in everything from police and fire protection to roads and schools. “We’ll go back and look at land use based on what comes of those discussions,” he said. “In October we’ll be discussing transportation and that will be a big one.”

Coming meetings:
All meetings will be held from 7 - 9:30 p.m.

September 20:
Topic: Community goals, parks, recreation & open space, public safety, education & health.
Hillsdale, Central Reaches, Central Uplands

September 25:
Topic: Same as above
Cottonwood Reach, Birch Bay Village Reach, Birch Point

October 17:
Topic: Land use, transportation, utilities, economic development.

October 23:
Topic: Same as above
Cheery Point West, Terrell Creek, Point Whitehorn, State Park

October 25:
Topic: Same as above
Hillsdale, Central Reaches, Central Uplands

October 30:
Topic: Same as above
Cottonwood Reach, Birch Bay Village Reach, Birch Point

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