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Hideout begins general‑plan update with City Design team; public mapping, scenarios and a compact schedule planned
Summary
The council approved work with the City Design team (grant‑funded) to update Hideout’s general plan. Consultants outlined a mapping exercise, public workshops and three scenarios; the team expects open houses this summer and a draft timeline that could extend into late 2025.
The Hideout Town Council heard an overview on July 10 from John Jansen of City Design and his team about a grant‑funded update to the town’s general plan.
Jansen said the town’s grant from MAG (the Mountainland Association of Governments) is part of a multi‑town award that totals about $200,000; each participating community receives roughly $50,000 for a focused update. City Design described a process that begins with surveying residents and running an open‑house mapping exercise where participants place “land‑use chips” to indicate preferred locations for town centers, mixed‑use, trails and other features.
The consultant said their work emphasizes a visioning step and then scenario development: the team will compile community input, create two or three scenarios built from the map exercise, and present those scenarios back to the community in another open house for feedback. Jansen showed examples from nearby towns where the mapping and scenario method produced draft vision statements and a compact one‑page summary.
Councilmembers raised several priorities they want the update to address: defining where commercial activity should concentrate (rather than scattered neighborhood commercial), assessing the potential for a community center and gathering place, and tying growth expectations to infrastructure such as water capacity and roads. Several councilmembers asked the consultants to use the town’s recent surveys and Ross Creek outreach as baseline input so the new plan does not duplicate earlier public work.
The consultants proposed a tentative schedule that would begin public engagement this summer — Jansen mentioned an open‑house in mid‑August depending on contract timing — and proceed to draft scenarios and further outreach into late 2025. Councilmembers asked staff and the consultants to coordinate the town’s existing steering committee and planning commission so the update and any short‑term addenda are aligned and not duplicated.
Ending: The council and consultants agreed to continue coordinating a public engagement schedule; staff will bring a statement of work and contract schedule back to the council and steering committee for formal approval and to confirm the August workshop date.
