The first public input meeting on a master plan for downtown New Canaan will be held Nov. 22. The Long Range Planning Committee and its consultants will send out postcards as reminders to residents.
The committee held its first meeting Monday with officials from Perkins Eastman Associates and other subcontractors hired to work on the first phase of the plan.
Frank Fish, a principal with New York-based BFJ Planning, said the input session will include a 90-minute open house to give residents a chance to meet with the consultants and see some possible ideas for downtown. The meeting will also include a presentation of what the planning team wants to do, a coffee break and a public comment period. A second meeting will be held at a later date.
We very much want to hear what peoples goals and objectives are for the town, Fish said.
The consultants, hired last week to assist the committee in its development of a downtown plan, recommended publicizing the meeting, including sending postcards and developing a Web site to give people more information. Melissa Kaplan-Macey, an associate with BFJ, said the site could be linked to the planning committees page on the town Web site. Kaplan-Macey also suggested creating a Facebook page to keep younger residents informed.
We still find postcards are effective, Fish said, based on the firms work with other towns developing long-range plans.
Planning Committee Chairwoman Christine Wagner said the committee will have to find a site for the community meeting. Because a large crowd is expected, it may be held at New Canaan High School.
The consultants will attend the committees meeting next Monday to discuss public outreach efforts. Fish expects the planning process to conclude by February.
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