Universal City hosts second comprehensive-plan workshop; consultants outline three land‑use alternatives and summarize public input

Universal City held a two‑hour joint workshop of the Planning & Zoning commission and City Council at which Matrix consultants presented a draft vision for the city, three future‑land‑use alternatives, and draft goals and policies and summarized community engagement to date.

Consultant Celeste Warner told elected officials and residents that the plan team has gathered input from an online questionnaire, an outreach booth at SnowFest and two community meetings, and is assembling that feedback into a draft comprehensive‑plan update. Warner said the draft vision frames Universal City in 2035 as “a versatile, leading‑edge and forward‑looking community that honors its military heritage while embracing innovation, revitalization and sustainable growth,” and described the plan’s three main components: the vision statement, a future land‑use plan and goals and policies.

The consultants reported participation numbers and survey results: more than 320 people completed the online questionnaire, consultants said they contacted about 105 people at SnowFest, and the second community meeting drew “over 35” attendees. In the questionnaire and meeting exercises, respondents most commonly rated safety and security, infrastructure maintenance and a sense of community as top priorities. Specific tallies cited during the presentation included 73% identifying safety/security as a priority, 67% calling for infrastructure improvements, 62% supporting local‑business expansion, 70% favoring roadway improvements and 60% backing expanded sidewalks and pedestrian facilities. The consultants said the city’s current population is about 20,000 and presented alternative build‑out population estimates ranging from roughly 29,000 (zoning build‑out without ETJ) to higher totals if the ETJ is included, while noting those figures assume aggressive, efficient development and should be…