Consultants outline 18–24 month comprehensive plan and street‑master update; commission recommends City Council review

Consultants from DPZ CoDesign, Craft & Toll and Urban3 told the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on May 12 that a combined comprehensive plan and master street plan update would take roughly 18 to 24 months and include three phases: analysis, public engagement and production of a final document for local adoption.

The consultants said the project will pair design work with fiscal analysis. Matt Lambert, partner with DPZ CoDesign, described a three‑phase schedule that begins with data gathering and stakeholder interviews, moves into an in‑person “design week” (charrette) and finishes with a detailed plan and implementation steps to be reviewed by the steering committee, staff, the commission and then the City Council.

"The first phase is really about getting started, doing analysis, getting a website together, having one‑on‑one interviews, focus groups, just information gathering," Lambert said. He told commissioners the team will test design concepts in a weeklong workshop and then refine those proposals into implementation steps assigned to departments and boards.

Dave Roberts of Craft & Toll explained the transportation and streets work and why the team is pairing a master street plan with the land‑use work: "Street design happens outside of land use, but the design — how many lanes you have, do you have sidewalks, are there bikeways — depends on the land use. We would be combining and coordinating that transportation to ensure you're efficiently spending your transportation dollars and that it supports the type of development that you want."

Urban3 will provide a fiscal analysis looking at how different land‑use scenarios affect municipal revenues and long‑term infrastructure costs, the consultants said. Lambert added the fiscal work will help the city evaluate whether the types of housing and commercial development being promoted will cover the costs of public infrastructure and services over decades.

Commission discussion focused on timeline, public engagement and legal boundaries. A commissioner asked whether the plan would extend beyond city limits; the consultants said the base scope covers the city limits but that growth projections and county dynamics would be considered in the analysis. Commissioners also asked how the team plans to draw public participation; the consultants described a mix of in‑person events (including open‑house style “parties”), online surveys and a weeklong charrette set up in a public storefront or other accessible location.

The commission voted to forward the consultants' presentation and recommendation to the City Council for further action and adoption steps. The vote recorded no roll‑call tally in the meeting minutes; a motion to forward the presentation was made and seconded and the chair announced the motion passed.

Why it matters: A consolidated comprehensive plan and a coordinated master street plan shape zoning, streets, capital projects and long‑term fiscal decisions; staff and the consultant team said the process will include technical implementation steps so departments and boards can budget and schedule work.

What’s next: The consultants estimate a first draft suitable for commission review about one year into the process, with continuing public engagement and steering‑committee review before final council consideration.