The town hired Houseal-Lavigne of Chicago, a reputable planning firm, to help them draft the plan. He said they need an idea of how the community sees Culver developing and what amenities they need to improve upon. With a town like Culver, however, Schoeff said there are some complex issues such as deciding whether it is a resort town, retirement community, or vacation hotspot and other questions. He said the meeting will be helpful in working these issues out.
The comprehensive plan, Schoeff explained, will lead the town for the next 15-20 years in development as they focus on improving certain amenities and adding attractions, such as a hiking/biking trail to utilize the beautiful area to its fullest extent.
Schoeff said the town waited until the summer residents of Culver returned to get their participation on the comprehensive plan as well, and with April finally here, he’s hoping to get some activity from the community because the comprehensive plan, Schoeff said, is a community document.
The contract with Houseal-Lavigne, according to Schoeff, was established with a not-to-exceed amount of $75,000, and a large portion of those funds have been committed verbally by a lot of local organizations, including environmental groups, the Redevelopment Commission, and other groups that are going to kick in some money to get a focus on where and how Culver should develop.
Schoeff said he’s hoping to have at least a draft of the comprehensive plan put together by fall.
