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Planner briefs Historic Preservation Commission on Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 progress
Summary
City planning staff updated the commission on Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 engagement, saying about 4,300 contact points were recorded and describing the strategic vision that will guide neighborhood plans and master-plan implementation.
City planning staff presented an update on Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 during the commission's Dec. 10 meeting, outlining engagement results, a proposed strategic vision and next steps toward a master plan that staff said will be used to align department plans and future grant applicants.
The presenter said the Imagine process has recorded nearly 4,300 points of contact across the city and described a strategic framework that uses three "lenses" — data, community voices and staff subject-matter expertise — to craft goals and measurable outcomes. "In 2035, all Kalamazoo neighborhoods are supported by sustainable, responsive, and accessible services that lift people up and bring our community together at every stage of life," the presenter read as the proposed vision statement.
Staff said the strategic vision will be presented to the planning commission and then the city commission, with the team aiming for a February approval of a final strategic vision document. Commissioners asked for concrete outcomes from the previous Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 process; staff pointed to neighborhood plans (Northside, Edison, Vine, Oakwood, Stewart) as one tangible result and said neighborhood plans can be added to the master plan as amendments.
Commissioners also discussed how preservation work aligns with the strategic goals — housing, environment, placemaking and effective city operations — and staff suggested that grant applicants be asked to show how projects align with the strategic vision when appropriate.
The presentation closed with staff outlining next engagement steps, including additional neighborhood meetings and focus groups to translate goals into strategies and metrics; the commission declined to take formal action on the strategic vision at this meeting.
