Community feedback prompts Jericho task force to revise development visuals and outreach strategy

Task force members reported extensive outreach to local committees and volunteers at the June 11 meeting and described consistent feedback on illustrations intended to show how wastewater infrastructure could enable housing.

Presentations to the Conservation Commission, Mills Riverside Park District, bike‑and‑ped and other town committees repeatedly produced similar reactions: several reviewers said the first renderings looked too commercial and not recognizably "Jericho." The outreach subgroup and consultants responded by making the images smaller-scale, less commercial in feel and more clearly focused on housing. Members recommended producing two illustration types for each scenario (an aerial and a street‑level vignette) but in a sketchier, less literal style so viewers can imagine options without mistaking the pictures for final plans.

Outreach staff also emphasized setting clear expectations for public engagement: staff and an outreach advisor advised the task force to state plainly which elements of the project the public can influence (for example, illustrations and community values) and which decisions rest with property owners or future developers. The group agreed those expectations should be included in materials circulated before broader public meetings.