College Station residents air concerns at 'Congress'

Brad Sharpe would like to see more efficient traffic flow through College Station. Mary Hamlin doesn't want the city's small-town charm and leafy green spaces to be lost as new buildings and streets are constructed. And Barb Herman is concerned about traffic congestion around the entrances to her south College Station neighborhood.

The College Station residents were among more than 300 people who came to share their vision, concerns and ideas about the future of the city Monday during a special "Citizens Congress" meeting.

The standing-room only event at the College Station Hilton was aimed at gleaning resident input in order to update the city's nearly 10-year-old comprehensive plan.

With the catch phrase, "Your community, your plan," the city has been working to revise the comprehensive plan in recent months. The plan, which addresses the city's growth issues, hasn't been updated since 1997.

Sugar Land consulting firm Kendig Keast Collaborative has been hired to gather residents' comments as part of an early stage of the process. The consulting firm is expected to present its findings to the city in May. The second phase of the project will include the drafting of a new plan, which is expected to be adopted by the city council by late 2008.

"A comprehensive plan is the long-term vision for your community," said Lane Kendig, president of Kendig Keast Collaborative. "Tonight we can't get into in-depth conversations, but we can get a flavor of what's on people's minds and validate what we've heard before."

Residents on Monday were able to attend three break-out sessions addressing such issues as transportation, land use, quality of life and economic development.

The community-wide meeting had a festive feel complete with food, musical entertainment, door prizes and a children's art contest.

"People aren't interested in standard-issue meetings," said Jennifer Prochazka, College Station's senior planner and the project manager for the comprehensive plan. "We wanted to bring out people who wouldn't normally come out to hear this. It's really their plan. Our residents are our community and we want to make sure [the plan] reflects their wishes."

Among those who made it out to the meeting was Hamlin, who recently retired and moved to the community from Michigan to be closer to family.

"I think it is much better to inform yourself than to be cynical and fussing afterwards," she said. "I enjoy participating."

Wendi Kaspar, who has lived in the community for about 10 years, said she came to the meeting Monday night to obtain some understanding about current issues facing the city and to voice concerns about traffic.

"I'm interested in the direction the city is going in regard to transportation," she said before the meeting as she ate refreshments and listened to a classical music trio. "I don't think [the direction] has been communicated well. There are no good north and south corridors or alternative routes to Texas [Avenue]."

Sharpe, who has lived in the community for four years, also is concerned about traffic around College Station. He, too, would like to see better north and south traffic flow through the city, he said. Attending a meeting such as the one held Monday, he said, is one way to make a difference.

"I wanted to get a feel and have a say on the way things play out in the long term," he said.

"This it the time to set things right. If we can make changes, this is the time to do it."