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Council member urges clearer 'green space' language, stronger sustainability actions in draft plan
Summary
At the joint session a council member warned the draft's repeated use of 'open space' could allow hardscape rather than vegetated parks and urged explicit water‑conservation and stormwater sustainability measures; staff said some operational sustainability objectives live in the city's strategic plan and additional actions can be added.
During chapter review a council member pressed staff and the consultant to treat "green space" explicitly throughout the master plan rather than relying on the more generic industry term "open space." The council member said that in practice "open space" could become paved or under‑vegetated and suggested replacing or clarifying wording to ensure vegetative, shaded, and usable parkland. The participant asked for specific sustainability action items — water conservation, stormwater best practices, and energy‑efficient building guidance — to be added to the relevant chapters.
Consultant Abernusser and staff responded that some sustainability objectives are already embedded in the city's strategic plan and operational objectives (for example, stormwater-related items) and that the plan can include additional, targeted actions. Abernusser also noted that the draft uses widely accepted planning terminology; "That open space is a is an industry term that is widely accepted as green space," a participant summarized. Staff told council members they would mark suggested action items and could add wording where the council felt stronger sustainability guidance was needed.
